Cabbage Aphid

According to UC Davis, my broccoli and Brussels Sprouts have been infected with Cabbage Aphids.  Bastards!  With the warmer weather come the insects.  UC Davis advises to giving these beasts a sharp blast of water.  Insecticidal soap is also helpful.  Lady bugs (Lady Beetles) are their natural predators.  Last year, the garden had loads of lady bugs.  It doesn’t look like I can expect lady bugs to migrate down to the valley floor until March.  Last year, I noted lady bugs in the garden on March 29. March 29, 2009    Lady bug patrolling tomatoes.

Whenever they decide to head on down the hill, I have a feast for them to enjoy.  Here’s a life cycle chart of Lady Beetles provided by UC Davis:

Lady bugs, come on down!    

Sweet Rain

Brussels Sprouts – Long Island Improved

Lemon – Variegated Pink

Rose -  Pope John Paul II

Pansy - ?

Pansy – Mammoth Red

Grapefruit – Rio Red

Sweet Peas – Royal Blue?

Apricot – Blenheim  This is the 2nd fruit tree to bloom following the Santa Rosa Plum.

Here Comes Spring

The buds are forming.  Some are even swelling so much that they are about ready to burst.  Here’s what’s going on in the garden:

Wisteria – My dad gave me this vine.  I’ve had it quite a few years and thought I lost it in the transplant.  Looks like it may thrive.

Day Lilies -  These rarely bloom.  I’m keeping them crowded to see if that might work.

Lilac – Love, love, love lilac.

Apricot – See the sap running?  I don’t like this cut and may correct the pruning later after the blossoms pop.

Nectarine – Thought this tree was scorched this summer and might need to be replaced.  Glad I was wrong.

Pear -  The buds are pointed and oblong.  Don’t know if these are leaves or blossoms.

Apple – Notice how orange the bark is?  It has a copper like shimmer to it due to the dormant oil spray.

Plum – This may be the earliest to bloom of the fruit trees.

Brussels Sprouts – The sprouts are finally starting to form.  These have some raindrops on them.

Camellias – This is my first year with camellias.  I don’t know if these buds are leaves or flowers.  Stay tuned.

Azaleas – See the pink starting to break through?  I’ve killed every azalea I’ve ever had and intend to break that trend.

Cauliflower – Old reliable keeps on giving and giving.

Roses – This Pope John Paul II and my Jaune Desprez along with all the other roses in the yard are all starting to leaf out.

The rain continued today.  It was soft and gentle but continual.  Lovely.

Fall Planting Part III

1. Brussels Sprouts         2. Peas           3.  Peas      4. Romaine/Bibb

February 6, 2010

On October 2, I planted the third of four raised beds.  This bed is located at the east side of the garden and receives full sun.  Fern strawberries were growing in the cinder blocks and have been transferred.  They were replaced with Crystal Palace Lobelia. 

I’m planting quite a few peas in hopes of freezing some.  Here’s how everything is supposed to mature:

CROP	MATURITY	USE
Brussels Sprouts	90 days	Happy New Year!
Peas	62 days	Thanksgiving – maybe
Romaine Lettuce	55 days	Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches
Bibb Lettuce	65 days	Christmas party salad

The temperature has finally started to cool.  This morning (5:30am), I could see my breath!  I love this time of year.  In Bakersfield, we can celebrate the fact that we survived another summer.  Now I can work outside without melting and baking. 

Delightful.

October 10, 2009 – This bed has most everything sprouting.

Brussels sprouts are sprouting.  It looks like every danged seed is up.

Lettuce (Romaine and Bibb) has sprouted.  This stuff is infallible.

Note:  The peas are up.  I just didn’t grab a photo.