Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Day 70: We Have Edibles!

After five great days vacationing with family in Texas, we're back home to find deliciously sweet and tender snap peas! The plants struggled a bit in the heat while we were away, but pea pods are a-hanging, and blossoms are abundant. I was looking forward to making some stir-fry meals with the snap peas, but I don't think we'll be able to resist them in their raw form right off of the plant. So good.


How is everything else doing? Some really great, some just okay ... of course, given the return of early heat here in Michigan, the insects are running rampant. You can see their effect on the Brussels, broccoli, kale, and cabbage. The white seen on the leaves and in the mulch below is ordinary white flour -- reportedly, cabbage worms eat the flour, bloat, and die. We'll see if it works.


We have baby fruit on the tomato plants (this particular variety is the yellow pear tomato), and blossoms on nearly every pepper plant.


The heirloom tomato and pepper plants that I started from seed are slow to grow, so I have yet to transplant them into the ground. They will likely end up in pots on the patio. The varieties pictured here are heirlooms from a local farm.


I also picked up some cucumber and broccoli plants from a local farmer, and these plants are THRIVING in the heat. I planted marigolds throughout my veggie beds as they are said to help with nematode and aphid problems.


I love the cucumber plant's curly-cue tendrils -- if you watch for long enough, you can practically see them growing in front of your eyes.


The lettuces in the window boxes are growing strong--they really love their east-facing spot, thankfully. The green shoots emerging from the soil to the left of the lettuce below are Parisian Market Carrots, a chunky, round variety that should grow well in the shallow soil depth of the window box. 


And all of my herbs are thriving. I have two kinds of basil, rosemary, and some coleus (mixed in for color) in one pot, and a tall plant stand that holds mint, parsley, and cilantro.


I really dig the plant stand, which is from Crate and Barrel. It allows me to stack these herbs vertically (remember that I have very little patio and yard space). It also lets me easily swap out or move around plants from this stand to adjust for shade/sun.


As my garden grows, I am beginning to think of new dishes to cook using these plants. Tonight I made grilled chicken and yellow squash, and worked in the parsley and cilantro, as well as my many-year-old chives that originally came from my mother. Do you have favorite recipes that feature any or many of the ingredients in my garden? Pass them along, please!


"Shall I not have intelligence with the earth?
Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself?"
--Henry David Thoreau


Tuesday, May 29, 2012

It's an Urban Garden Bug Bash

Apparently a broadcast bug bulletin went out last week: "Come one, come all ... beetles and bees, wormies and wasps, aphids and mites! There's a new party house in Royal Oak. Open 24 hours!"

I knew this would come--I figured that the time was nigh for my garden to come under attack. The yellowjacket wasp is still sharing space with the carpenter bees, who are busy protecting their little round spaces of homes in my garage eaves (although I've been gently living with them without a sting thus far). The cabbage moths are back and flitting about, and a few cabbage loopers have been found and treated with white flour...these, especially, will be watched carefully in the coming days.

Lady Beetle larvae
On the beneficial bug side, I've found Lady Beetle larvae among my brassicas--I've learned that they are a main predator of the aphid and cabbage worm. Hiya! You gals can stay.

Also, from my local farmers' market, I purchased an egg case filled with up to 200 Praying Mantids, which should hatch this month. Praying Mantids have a voracious appetite for all kinds of insects, including aphids, moths, mosquitos, and flies. Come on out, little ones, my garden needs you.


What I was NOT prepared for was my body to be attacked. Squeamish readers won't like this part ... a week ago today, after a long, hot day of digging deep into the soil bed along my back fence, I started to notice itchy bites on my skin. As time went by back in the house, the bites seemed to multiply. I didn't feel any stings, I didn't see any crawlies, but a few hours after coming indoors, hot welts were developing all over my back, neck, and legs, as well as some under my arms, near my sensitive girlie armpits, and along my bra line. I stopped counting at 130 bites overall. There were more than 30 on one thigh alone, which caused general swelling of the entire area, about the size of my hand. What the ...?!

After a lot of research, I surmised that it was very likely the workings of the chigger mite, a nearly microscopic, round, reddish dude, who moves fast and runs in packs. The chigger is not an insect but an arachnid, related to spiders and scorpions. Let's all say it together now: "Ewww!"

Microscopic view of a chigger mite
Chigger mites attach themselves to a host (like, um, ME, for instance) and inject a digestive enzyme that breaks down body tissues. Chiggers then feed on that liquefied tissue. Mmm-mmm. Thankfully, these guys in the United States don't carry any known diseases, and they don't infest homes. Not so thankfully, they got me, but good. For four to five days, I was a walking itch, inflamed and incensed. The swelling and itching calmed down fairly quickly after that point, even though after a week I still look like a dirty kid with scabies.

Cortisone spray, vaseline, and ibuprofen helped tremendously those first few days. I also tried clear nail polish and raw honey on the welts, but that really just made me feel stinky and sticky.

What can I say but LESSON LEARNED! I do not need to become one with my soil. There is no need to crawl in it, to practically bathe in it, to get the garden work done. And from now on, I will forget about the capris and sockless garden clogs. When working in the back beds, I need to COVER UP for goshsakes with a long shirt, tall socks, and my knee-high Wellingtons, even in my small yard. And I'll try the Burt's Bees or Skin-so-Soft treatments before going out.

I hate to say it, but the Bug Bash isn't even fully amped up yet, as June Bug, Japanese Beetle, and Mosquito season is still around the corner.

Sources:

"Chiggers!" MDC Online, Missouri Department of Conservation, http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/avoid-outdoor-pests/chiggers.

"Chiggers - Mites That Bite!" Living with Bugs,  http://www.livingwithbugs.com/chigger.html.

Cranshaw, W.S., "Lady Beetles," Colorado State University Extension, http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05594.html.

"Eight Interesting Facts About Aphids and Suggestions for Control," Karen's Garden Tips, http://www.karensgardentips.com/growing-garden-plants/garden-pests-diseases/eight-interesting-facts-about-aphids-and-suggestions-for-control/.

Hamir, Arzeena, "Using the Praying Mantis in Your Garden," http://www.gardenguides.com/840-using-praying-mantis-garden-garden-pest-tip.html.

Smith, Jennifer, "Chiggers: Fact and Fiction," LJWorld.com, http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/aug/21/chiggers_fact_and_fiction/.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Wood-Boring Bees!

Bumblees are fascinating creatures. Their amazingly loud buzz and way of hovering is something out of a science fiction movie. I was enjoying a small group of them in my yard (from a distance) until I needed to work in their area (up close), and I started to notice some strange behavior around the eaves of my garage.

Turns out what I have in my yard are not actually bumblebees but carpenter bees. Their shiny abdomens set them apart from bumblebees, which are completely covered in dense hair. Carpenter bees use their mandibles to bore holes in wood, where Miss Queen Bee lays her eggs.



I recall seeing one guy buzzing around the entire garage for a few days. I've learned that he was likely a scout bee, looking for just the right spot for his Queen to lay her eggs. More bees came. They would chase and tangle up with each other, dive bomb me, and then repeatedly return to hang out under the eaves. Research tells me they were anxiously waiting for the arrival of Her Highness.

Perfectly round holes in the eaves of my garage, compliments of the carpenter bee.

I believe that She has now arrived. The trumpets have sounded. Yesterday, the frenetic buzzing about moslty  settled down, so I took a closer look-see. What I found are 1/2-inch holes in my wood (no drill bit used here). Carpenter bees tend to do this in sheltered areas, and into bare, unprotected wood. How gracious of us--we've provided just that for them.

The question now is: Can I live peacefully with these guys? The males, though aggressive in their protection of their territory, cannot sting. Females rarely do, unless provoked. Males have white or white faces, and females have black faces (I need to remember that). They are phenomenal pollinators, and I will need that in the coming weeks. I'll be planting watermelon, cabbage, Brussels, and kale in this area.

More bee holes, above planting beds 2 and 3.

But what about the damage to my garage? Are the bees done boring for the season? If so, perhaps I'll let them be for now, and treat the wood in the fall, hoping they find somewhere else to nest. Reportedly, rubbing or spraying almond oil on the bare wood detracts them. I've also read that the holes can be filled with a small ball of foil and caulked. Do you have any other, chemical-free suggestions?

I'm heading out now to work the soil directly under this area. Black-faced Queen Bee, oh hear me: Please keep your distance. I greatly respect you, I do, and your stinger bee butt.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Day 58: Getting the Heck Out of the House

It's been nearly 60 days since my first heirloom seeds went into soil, and I'm tickled to see this day. I've mixed potting soil, sowed seeds, watered, done the daily find-the-sun dance, sang the snappy "grow-plant-grow" ditty about a zillion times, plucked out my seedlings, and prepped my beds.

Seedlings toward the end of April, gathered at a south-facing window for Grandma to plant-sit while we're out of town.

The day to put the seedlings in the soil outdoors, under the sun and moon, 24-7, is here. The seedlings have been hardened off, or have spent increasingly more time outdoors to get acclimated to their new environment. In the ground as of this hour are tomatoes, peppers, onions, and lettuce. And I also direct-seeded spinach and carrots today.

Brand new transplants of onions and tomatoes, with their favorite companion flower, the marigold. The twine marks the line where carrot seeds were sowed.

The snap peas are reaching for the sky and beginning to move beyond the trellis in the pot to the larger trellis on the patio. In a few more weeks, if all goes well, we should see blossoms.

Amish Snap Peas, 41 days after sowing seeds.

The Sugar Baby Watermelon plants are happy. Their outdoor beds and climbing structures are almost ready. Another day or two, and they'll be in the ground.

Sugar Baby Watermelon, 41 days after sowing seeds.

Filderkraut Cabbage is good--and I'm happy to report that there is no sign of cabbage moths or worms! The kale is slower, but is coming along nicely. Red Cabbage and Brussels Sprouts still need a few weeks to mature.

Filderkraut Cabbage, 56 days after sowing seeds, crowding each other and ready for transplanting.

Lacinato Kale, 57 days after sowing seeds. Slower growth than expected, but growing just fine.

Lettuce and Parisian Market Carrots (those small, round guys) are in my east-facing window box. I hope they'll get enough sun. I'm temporarily reserving space in my two south-facing window boxes if they don't work well here in the east.

A blend of lettuces in an east-facing window box. Also planted here are Parisian Market Carrot seeds.

Also, I continue to share seedlings. To date, friends and family members have taken about 1/4 of what I've grown. I still have a good amount left that I won't be able to accomodate in my yard--what to do with them? Two more weeks, and most everything will need a home.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Following Up on The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Good news! The Very Hungry Caterpillars are nowhere to be found. In total over a three-day period, I found seven of what I learned were cabbage worms happily noshing away at my cabbage and Brussels sprouts seedlings. Since picking the worms off and taking steps to avoid moths from laying their eggs on my plants to start with (I covered the pots with an old lace scarf thingie that my daughter had in her dress-up trunk), not a one has been found.

The Cabbage Moth lays its eggs on the underside of leaves.
In its larval (caterpillar) stage, this guy chomps right through your cabbage, Brussels, and broccoli plants.
In addition to the brown dude pictured, there is a white variety (white with black spots on its wings).

Thinning and repotting the plants likely helped as well, as did making a scene by throwing the first worm out to the birds while yelling and swearing. Surely the word on Worm Street is to NOT eat at the Urban Heirlooms Project salad bar ... at this time, anyway. We'll see what happens once the plants go in the ground for the season.

And Then There Were Many

"One for the rock, one for the crow,
One to die, and one to grow."
- English saying
Heck, I have enough seedlings for the rock, the crow, and for the entire neighorhood to grow. My mother has always recommended "everything in moderation," but I've always been a bit of a rebel.

This past week I've been thinning out my little seedlings, getting many into larger pots of their own. And what I've realized? I sowed a BOAT LOAD of seeds! A good majority of them have germinated (see below), which, hey, kudos to Annie's for sending healthy seeds, and to myself for providing them the right conditions for success. They've now taken over my house ... which is good and bad.

I've quite liked caring for my heirloom seedlings. I move them around to find sunshine each day, take them outside on nice days, bring them back in, water them, gaze at and admire them ... I nurture them. I'd rather have a new baby (okay, that's a ridiculous understatement) or a puppy, or both, but for now this will have to do. The bad is that they've taken over my house. I'm beginning to tire of the indoor follow-the-sunshine dance, and the daily vacuuming of the small remnants of soil found on windowsills and floors. I'm now officially ready to get them outside and into the ground. Another week or two are needed yet, I know, so I'm practicing patience.




So how many seedlings do I actually have?
  • Filderkraut Cabbage: sowed 180 seeds; 146 seeds germinated (81% success rate)
  • Red Rock Cabbage: sowed 150 seeds; 120 seeds germinated (80% success rate)
  • Long Island Brussels Sprouts: sowed 200 seeds; 174 seeds germinated (87% success rate)
  • Lacinato Kale: sowed 100 seeds; 97 seeds germinted (97% success rate)
  • King of the North Bell Pepper: sowed 25 seeds; 25 seeds germinated (100% success rate)
  • Bianco di Maggio Onion: sowed 100 seeds; 95 seeds germinated (95% success rate)
  • Sugar Baby Watermelon: sowed 25 seeds; 21 seeds germinated (84% success rate)
  • Lettuce blend: sowed 100 seeds; these are hard to measure, but they are growing like mad (I'll call them 100% successful)
  • Amish Snap Peas: sowed 80 seeds; 80 seeds germinated (100% success rate)
That makes 858 individual seedlings...so far. I haven't even begun to direct-seed my carrots, spinach, kohlrabi, and herbs yet. Zoinks! Have I mentioned how small my yard is?



Then there are my tomatoes...these haven't had as much success. I believe this was my fault, though. I'll post separately about that.

In the meantime, it's due time to start sharing the many.