By the LIght of the Silvery Moon

Image courtesy the Graphics Fairy

Full moon tonight.  I got out and pulled the rest of the beets and carrots that were too old and tough.  This made room for the pumpkins and beans that were planted.  The bed was raked out and leveled nice and smooth.  Then, the hills were formed.  This good soil was enhanced with steer manure.  Each hill had 3 Jarrahdale pumpkin seeds planted about 1 inch deep.  A soft shower of water was applied.  This eroded each hill and exposed the seeds.  Great.  The hills were formed...

Once the pumpkins were secure, I moved to the task of planting the Borlotto Solista Beans.  The beds are framed with cinder block.  Every other hole was dug out.  Gravel and steer manure was mixed with the soil then placed back into the hole.  Two seeds were planted 1-2 inches deep.  A make shift support was erected with the anticipation of being covered by the bean heavy vines.

Everything will be irrigated with an automatic drip system.  Great.  One less chore to do.  The pumpkins should mature in 95-100 days.  The beans will be ready when they feel like it.  They're Italian.

The task of planting fall/winter squash and fall beans was a bit nicer with the full moon this evening.  It would be even better if it wasn't like Little Beirut out there with the bombs bursting in the hot, dry air.

Enjoy the 4th and this little bit of moon trivia from the Farmers' Almanac:

The Full Buck Moon –  July is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, for the reason that thunderstorms are most frequent during this time. Another name for this month’s Moon was the Full Hay Moon.



Take 5 and Love Lucy. 

I could not find the clip of Episode 52 where Lucy sings By the Light of the Silvery Moon. Dang.





Red in the Garden

Red in the garden this time of year seems to be just as abundant now as in the summertime.  Is the garden forecasting the results in November 2012?  Don’t know.

Pansy – Crown Scarlet

Snapdragon – Chimes Red

Skeletons of summertime scaretape decorating the grape arbor.

Lettuce – Parris Island Romaine (green) & Marvielle of Four Seasons (red)

Geranium – No stinkin’ idea what variety.  The nursery didn’t have an identifying tag.  Thanks Bolles Nursery!

Asparagus Fern (Asparagus densiflorus)

Some sad bell peppers from hotter days.

Lemon - Variegated Pink blossoms show a blush of red on the buds.

Beans - Borlotto Solista

Ajax’s well worn Kong toy with a nod to Santa to please bring a couple of new ones to enjoy.  He’s been pretty good if you don’t count terrorizing the wisteria and lilacs, destroying the Texas Ranger, and severely “pruning” the Bay Laurel.

Any suggestions for good “red” candidates for the garden? 

Poinsettias need not apply.

3 Sisters Review

This summer, two beds were planted in the 3 Sisters method of gardening.  Corn, squash, and beans are those three sisters.  Golden Bantam Yellow Sweet Corn was planted in both beds…not all at once.  The seeds were planted weeks apart to insure ears of corn throughout the summer.  The first planting was in the east and gradually worked westward. Both beds were planted with Borlotto Solista beans.  The eastern bed was planted with Lemon squash.  The western bed was planted with Jarrahdale pumpkins.

Here’s the critique: 

The corn sucked.  No matter when I picked it, it had a doughy texture.  The taste was fine.  How can you go wrong with butter and salt?  The texture was always bad.  It could be the variety or it could be the gardener.  This is my 1st year growing the stuff.  Although the critique rates corn as bad…very bad, I consider this summer a success.  My goal was to get at least one ear of corn.  I surpassed that; but I will have to think carefully if I want to grow corn again.  It does take a lot of water.  Several rows were planted to insure pollination.  Elvin Bishop plants his 3 Sisters garden in a circular pattern; but I’m completely satisfied picking up a few ears at the Farmers’ Market during future summers while humming a Bishop tune.  Let the professionals mess with the mess. 

The beans produced less than last summer when more seeds were sown this summer.  Not good.  Sure the plants climbed up the corn stalks just fine; but I would like a lot more beans to show for the effort.  These beans are great dried and I’m disappointed that not many were produced.  If you plan on using this method, make sure the corn has sprouted about 6” before planting the beans.  Their growth catches up to the corn quickly; so giving corn a head start will provide a nice bean pole for the vines.

Lemon squash produced but not as vigorously as last summer.  It could be that the seeds were left over from last summer.  I would recommend using a squash that trails all over the place when considering the 3 Sisters method.  Bush varieties do not serve the purpose of providing shade on the garden floor beneath the corn stalks.  Aphids attacked the squash in this bed pretty badly this summer.

One success is the Jarrahdale pumpkin.  They have produced quite a few blue-green squash and provided nice shade for the garden floor.  Aphids were around for a brief time.  A power blast from the garden hose seemed to clear things up with the help of ladybugs.

Right now, in the tail end of summer heat, I wouldn’t plant a 3 Sisters Garden again.  Once I have the time of a cool winter to reflect, I may come to my senses and rise again to the challenge.  Maybe I need to go all the way and put a dead fish in the planting bed like Indians did long ago.  Nah.  This pale (or pail) face steers clear of fish.

Bean Eater!

Settle down.

Take it easy.

It’s not what you think.

Honestly.

Did you think…

Never mind.

There’s some real, live bean eaters in the garden.  I can’t spot them to squash them and control the problem.  I’ve looked for grasshoppers and caterpillars.  I can’t find anything.  Yet.These stealth like terrorists are not only eating the leaves on the vines, they are eating through the pods to the beans.  Crickey!  The search continues or I won’t have enough beans to make a decent pot of beans.

3 Sisters Review

This summer, 2 beds of 3 Sisters are growing.  The first bed was planted with Golden Bantam Yellow Sweet Corn.  Dud.  Oh I grew corn.  Some of the cobs even matured fully.  The result was a chewy one.  Maybe I waited too long to harvest.  I’m hopeful that the second bed will produce better results.A lot of the cobs didn’t mature fully and sometimes there were simply freaks in the garden like these kernels that were forming on the tassels.  The Borlotto Solista beans did fine and continue to produce.  The squash was Lemon Squash.  It produced fine until the aphids showed their muscle.  That’s fine.  Four squash planets can help feed the planet. 

Today, the first of the 3 Sisters beds is getting cleaned out to make way for winter – and I’m glad.  Seeds for broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, carrots, beets, and lettuce are waiting their turn.

I can’t give a full review of the 3 Sisters form of gardening yet because the second bed is flourishing.  Hopefully it will help change my thumbs down to a sideways review.

3 Sisters Update

This summer I’m trying out the 3 Sisters method in two beds.  3 Sisters means corn, beans, and squash grown together to benefit each other.  The corn in both beds is Golden Bantam Yellow Sweet corn.  The beans in both beds is Borlotto Solista beans.  The types of squash is different in each bed because I ran out of some seeds AND I wanted to grow pumpkins for the fall.  With that, one bed has Lemon squash and the other has Jarrahdale pumpkins.  The Lemon squash, planted on April 2, has been producing for some time providing fresh squash for the BBQ, casseroles, and pasta salads.  This bush variety of squash doesn’t meander as much below the corn to help shade the ground; but they are producing shade.

Jarrahdale pumpkin leaf.  Size 9 Crocs used for scale reference.

Planted on June 1, the pumpkins should be ready in mid to late September.  Jarrahdales really wind through the bed and are providing exceptional shade for this 3 Sisters bed.  Hopes of blue-grey pumpkins in the fall make the temperatures of hell a bit more bearable.  Next stop is the local, tiny hardware store to pick up some nastursium seeds.  They’re suppose to ward off squash bugs.  Last summer the garden was overrun by the buggers. 

My size 9 crocs can only stomp on so many bugs to help them on their way to an eternal garden.

                                 

Pumpkin Planting Time

Planting pumpkins in June should allow enough time to develop some nice squash to enjoy starting in September.  Today, I planted 4 hills (3 seeds each) of Jarrahdale Pumpkins.  Peat moss, sand, and soil amendment was added to help fluff up the raised bed.  Terroir Seeds description on the package lists 95 – 100 days should be allowed to produce 12 – 20 pound blue-grey fruits with stringless, thick, medium-sweet flesh.  The vines are known to give high yields of pumpkins that are good keepers.  I hope to eat the pumpkins as well as use them for decorations.  Aphids, pill bugs, earwigs, and beetles are expected pests.  Yes.  I’m still looking for toads.

In addition to the pumpkins, 2 more rows of Golden Bantam Corn were planted.  When my new order of Borlotto Solista Beans arrive, they will be planted amongst the corn to help establish a second 3 Sisters bed.  A few more Sugar Baby Watermelons seeds were sown in the melon bed.

Now everything is planted and ready for the summer heat although this weekend there is a chance of rain down here in the valley and snow up in the mountains.

Summer’s Cast of Characters:

• Corn - Golden Bantam
• Squash - Lemon
• Beans - Borlotto Solista
• Pumpkins -Jarrahdale
• Bell Peppers – Red Beauty, Red Marconi, Super Heavyweight
• Watermelon – Malali, Sugar Baby
• Tomatoes – Al Kuffa, Beefsteak, Brown’s Yellow Giant, Heinz, Rutgers, Santa Clara, Tigerella,

There will be onions, carrots, radishes, and French marigolds planted whenever the seeds arrive to act as beneficials for the main crops.

Three Sisters in the San Joaquin Valley

Here’s how the Three Sisters planting works:  Corn (Golden Bantam Yellow Sweet) is a support for climbing beans. The beans (Borlotto Solista) fix nitrogen in the soil for the high feeding requirements of corn and squash. The squash (Lemon) provides mulch and root protection for the corn and beans. After cooperating beautifully in the garden, corn and beans form a complete protein when eaten together.  I don’t know much about the nutrition junk; but I do know that I love corn, enjoy beans, and like squash.  Seems like a good idea so I’m giving it a try.  The corn is up.  The beans are up.  The squash just busted through the soil.  I bet pumpkin was the squash of choice and an other variety of bean was used but I’m simply using what I have.  Looks like I may be a successful squaw in the garden this summer.

Lemon Squash

The Iroquois believed corn, beans and squash are precious gifts from the Great Spirit. Each watched over by one of three sisters spirits, called the De-o-ha-ko, or “Our Sustainers" made up the tale of Three Sisters planting. The planting season is marked by ceremonies to honor them, and a festival commemorates the first harvest of “green” corn on the cob. By retelling the stories and performing annual rituals, Native Americans passed down the knowledge of growing, using and preserving the Three Sisters through generations.  The only ritual I have is keeping the soil moist.

Iroquois were from the other side of the continent.  Yokuts lived in the San Joaquin Valley and up into the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  They didn’t have corn, nor beans, nor squash.  Acorns dominated their diet.  In elementary school we had field trips to Pioneer Village to watch an ancient Yokut woman grind acorns and weave baskets.  I don’t know if any Yokuts continue to conduct education at Pioneer Village; but I do know that the local casinos are pretty successful.  I do know that corn, beans, and squash are grown successfully here in the Valley; so I suspect the Three Sisters methods just might work.  I’m not taking much of a gamble.

Corn, Pill Bugs, and Saturday

Old tomato cages lay over rows of Golden Bantam Corn to discourage neighborhood cats to get “comfortable” in the vegetable beds.  Two rows were planted on March 15 and germinated two weeks later.  The exterior row was planted with Borlotto Solista Beans as companions.  Recent warm (read: hot) weather has turned up the energy in the corn patch.

I believe pill bugs are damaging all the seedlings in the garden.  Sunflowers, lettuce, beets, carrots, beans, and corn have all been hit.  In fact, the entire crop of late lettuce has been mowed down by these terrorists.  No big deal since the weather is turning hot and the lettuce would have been doomed.  Nonetheless, no being should have the bad manners to simply help oneself to the garden bounty without properly asking.  The search for a way to annihilate these interlopers is underway.  Until then each pill bug encountered will meet the same fate…squash!  OR  I could kill them with corn (ala Hee Haw). 

Click on the Hee Haw donkey for a sample.

 

 

Note:  A second planting of corn was made today.  Two more rows with the exterior row planted with Borlotto Solista Beans as companions.

3 Sisters

This summer, corn is taking the spotlight in the garden .  Much study of a variety of resources led me to try the 3 Sisters method of growing corn.  Corn, beans, and squash grown together are supposed to compliment each other.  The corn should be planted in a block of 4 rows to help with pollination.  I’ve decided to stagger the planting with 2 rows planted today and 2 more planted in about 2 weeks.  I may plant more corn, 2 rows at a time.  The outside rows will be planted with Borlotto Solista Beans.  The beans will use the corn stalks as support.  These type of pole beans were grown last summer.  They are flashy and delicious.

On the north and south ends of the rows, Lemon Squash will be planted a little later.  However, good old Louise Riotte suggests in her book Carrots Love Tomatoes that planting squash early or late in the season helps to avoid insect damage.  She also suggests to plant nasturtiums in an effort to repel squash bugs.  I can do that.

Initially, Teddy Bear Sunflowers were planted surrounding the bed intended for corn.  Plans changed and that’s fine because it turns out that sunflowers don’t get along with beans.  Hope the tomatoes like Teddy Bears.  They’re going to be neighbors soon.

Here’s a seed catalog description of Golden Bantam Yellow Sweet Corn: 

E.L. Coy sold two quarts of seeds to Mr. Burpee in 1900 amd stated. “You now own the very sweetest and richest corn ever known.”  Very sweet, juicy, corny tast from 6” ears bearing 10-14 rows of deep, buttery kernels.  Good yields.

I’m crossing my gloved fingers that corn will be a success in the garden during the summer of 2011.

Crop Review 2010 – Borlotto Solista Beans

As 2010 winds down, I would like to review what was grown in the garden and determine what worked and what didn’t.  I’ll take a few areas into consideration when I award rating stars (5 stars is the best). 

• Ease to grow
• pest & disease resistance
• appearance
• production
• taste (fruit/veggies only)

This summer was the 1st time I tried growing Borlotto Solista Beans and it won’t be the last.  In fact, 2011 may be the year of the bean in the garden. 

• These beans grew easily and produced giant pink speckled pods that were left on the vines to dry.  They were planted in mid May (05/18/10) and germinated 8 days later (05/26/10). 
• Grasshoppers did a little damage but not much.  This may be credited to the marigolds growing beneath the vines. 
• The hot pink pods are really decorative and unusual.  Theses bean would grow well over an arbor to provide shade and dazzling pink ornaments.  Make sure to allow plenty of room for the vines to climb skyward. 
• At first, I didn’t think the vines produced many pods; but once some adjacent tomatoes were removed an abundance of pods was revealed.
• Recently, the dried beans were cooked up with some Thanksgiving ham bone along with some onions to make a really delicious dish.  I really wish I had planted more.  More garden space will be dedicated to these beans in an effort to stock my pantry with more dried beans.

Extra bonus:  No gaseous turmoil was reported due to the ingestion of Borlotto Solista Beans.  Oh yes – saying Borlotto Solista with an Italian accent is pretty cool.

The only drawbacks I had growing Borlotto Solista Beans fall squarely on my shoulders.  I didn’t plant enough. 

              

Red

There is red in the garden.

Hummingbird / Bee Feeder

 

Merlot Lettuce

 

Strawberries

 

Cimmaron Romaine Lettuce

 

Borlotto Solista Beans

 

Brune d’Hiver Lettuce

 

Early Wonder Beets

 

Broken bit of summer scare tape among the fall leaves.

 

 

Perhaps there will also be a lot more red throughout American gardens tomorrow.

Please vote.

Krusty in the Garden

More time is being spent in the garden and less time inside due to the wonderful change of the seasons.  Here are a few things that have been knocked off the list of things to do:

Plant the Cyclamen (Fantasia) at the base of the Wisteria under the pergola.  Cyclamen grows fairly well here during the cooler months.  When the weather turns hot, the Cyclamen say, “Farewell”.  They can make a comeback when the weather eases up.  I used up some of my planting mix for Azaleas and some Azalea fertilizer to get these babies started.  Cyclamen should not be kept wet so plant them a bit high to avoid rotting the roots.

This fall every stinkin’ radish seed must have sprouted.  There is an abundance of radishes that were harvested.  Both varieties (Jaune D’Or Ovale & Watermelon) will be taken to work to share with associates.  Did you know that the greens can be sauteed in olive oil and garlic?  I didn’t even know you could eat the greens.  The golden variety is very peppery.  The space where these were growing is needed to move some lettuce transplants.

I’ve never transplanted lettuce before; but, like the radishes, most every lettuce seed sprouted and the sprouts need room to develop.  Today was a cool, overcast day; so it seemed a perfect time to give it a shot.  If all the transplants survive their move, I will be in salad all winter long.  The salad bed will be renamed Salinas South.  Most all the beds were thinned and seedlings were transplanted wherever possible.  Sadly, a pile of Purple Cauliflower seedlings were sacrificed because I just don’t think we will be able to eat that much cauliflower.  There are plenty left along with broccoli, cabbage, beets, peas, carrots and onions.

Most all the herbs are thriving.  The Lettuce Leaf Basil just won’t slow down.  It gets pruned regularly.  My work associates enjoy this basil.  Someone brags about their recipe using my basil on their pizza.  I have yet to receive any pizza.  Maybe some day.  Some herbs that were planted didn’t even germinate – Stevia and Lavender.  Duds.

The Borlotto Solista Beans look like blush colored ornaments on the dying vines.  Harvest time for these beans is coming up.  The support will be removed and stored for the winter while I plan out the summer garden.  Maybe green beans will grow in the garden in a few months.

See the pot of Rosemary and Thyme?  It reminds me of Krusty the Clown. 

These are things I think about when I’m out gardening.  Scary.