Listen to your Mother....
Apr. 17th, 2008 03:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mdehnersAs usual, I should listen not to the weatherfolk but to my Intuition, Landwights and Fauna. The Frost didn't happen and while many areas did break records by hitting 40F, little damage was done. The Ume's fell off the tree when I bumped it with the mower, which meant they didn't tolerate the drop but everything else came through like a trooper. In fact, this AM I noted my Japanese Cukes all came up overnight!
Speaking of Japanese veggies, I've learned accidently how to trick the Shimonita Negi to take 6 months, as opposed to a yr to reach Maturity. It's a sort of Leek that's so famous that it has it's own festival every yr in Japan, like our Vidalia Onion. It takes a yr to Mature but since it keeps dying in our Hot SUmmers, I started them in August. They're pert near ready.
Still worried that I've seen no Honeybees and only one Bumblebee so far this yr. Usually the blossoms are full of them. I've not seen any Carpenter Bees either. I'm afraid the local populations may have been affected with COlony Collapse. I don't mind hand-pollenating stuff but who's to do the Forest? I have a Bad Feeling NOT connected with our weather this yr. We're also having a bumper crop of mice this yr. Last week I trapped 6 and that's not counting those that the bait may have Poisoned. This Am I noted a houseplant munched down to it's stem. Have to pick up more.
I've taken slips of the Korean Sweet Potatoes I've been able to find and sprout. They're Sweeter and have a drier texture than those generally eaten in the States. The Rice Patch is about 6" tall. I try to grow a patch of whatever Grain I'm eating for symbolic reasons. I realised that I now eat more RIce than Oats and Barley and found a source for the kind I prefer, a Japanese Shortgrain Rice. The Malanga(a kind of Taro) is beginning to sprout and so will be ready to plant out probably Sunday with the Eggplants...
Truth,
Pat
Speaking of Japanese veggies, I've learned accidently how to trick the Shimonita Negi to take 6 months, as opposed to a yr to reach Maturity. It's a sort of Leek that's so famous that it has it's own festival every yr in Japan, like our Vidalia Onion. It takes a yr to Mature but since it keeps dying in our Hot SUmmers, I started them in August. They're pert near ready.
Still worried that I've seen no Honeybees and only one Bumblebee so far this yr. Usually the blossoms are full of them. I've not seen any Carpenter Bees either. I'm afraid the local populations may have been affected with COlony Collapse. I don't mind hand-pollenating stuff but who's to do the Forest? I have a Bad Feeling NOT connected with our weather this yr. We're also having a bumper crop of mice this yr. Last week I trapped 6 and that's not counting those that the bait may have Poisoned. This Am I noted a houseplant munched down to it's stem. Have to pick up more.
I've taken slips of the Korean Sweet Potatoes I've been able to find and sprout. They're Sweeter and have a drier texture than those generally eaten in the States. The Rice Patch is about 6" tall. I try to grow a patch of whatever Grain I'm eating for symbolic reasons. I realised that I now eat more RIce than Oats and Barley and found a source for the kind I prefer, a Japanese Shortgrain Rice. The Malanga(a kind of Taro) is beginning to sprout and so will be ready to plant out probably Sunday with the Eggplants...
Truth,
Pat
