Tomatoes, Tomatoes, and More Tomatoes

When I ran out of garden space to plant tomatoes, but still had tomatoes varieties in seedling, I got creative.   First is an old Earthbox that's been around for years.   I mentioned it in an earlier post.  I pulled it out of mothballs.  The vinyl top was lost along the way, but as you can see, I cut a Miracle Grow Organic bag in half to make a nifty top.   Those tomatoes have been in the box only about 3 weeks and are really growing.  One is Razzleberry, the other is Red Currant.  Behind that you can see a very large nursery pot and an ornamental plant support.  I put two varieties in there.   I put 5 more on tower post.  

And I still have some left.  I'll stick them in the ground somewhere.  They came this far so they deserve a chance to make a tomato or two.

Oh, almost forgot.  The big leaved plant in the middle of the tomatoes is a Perique Tobacco Plant.

5 Days After Planting, The Dixie Lee Field Peas Have Awakened

And they're so cute.

Chickens Get a Repose - Final Chapter

It appears the gnat infestation is over.  There are still a few around, but that is normal.  The chickens are looking much better.  I have them on a corn heavy diet as a treat.  The girls are back to laying regularly again.  The rooster is back to crowing and waking my up in the morning.  Sad we lost one, but at least we had an extra.   Now, if those tomatoes would just hurry up.  I am ready for my first egg and tomato sandwich.

My Bougainvilleas Have A Little Boogie Woogie in Them After All.

They were all presumed dead.  Two of them were left out, totally exposed to all frost, multiple nights below freezing, and 3 nights right at the 20 degree mark.  By all rights, non should have survived.   Oddest of all, is the one I did take a few steps to protect is the one that has not yet comeback.  But I still have faith.

They Showed Up Late, and Left Early This Year, But They Sure Were Pretty When They Were Here

Our Byzantine glads are a highlight of spring.   The hard winter caused them to flower late, and the spring drought caused them to fade early.   But for the short time we had them, they were beautiful.

Another Bed is Planted, No not-till On This One

This bed went unplanted this spring, well at least until today.   It was new ground, broken and amended.  My neighbor used his big tractor to break it earlier this spring, but I never got around to planting it.  I had amended it with compost and hay, and let's just say the hay was quite fertile.   I broke out the mantis last week and worked it over good.   Today, I planted it out with Dixie Lee Field Peas, Edamame, Aunt Heddie's Red Okra, and Ichiban Eggplant.   A drawing is attached. 

Its Raining Cats and Dogs, Out of the End of my Water Sprinkler, That Is.

I watched daily rain chances go from 60, 90, 30, go to 30,80,20, to nothing, nothing, and nothing.   No rain for me as we extend to nearly 8 weeks without rain.    Established plants have slowed to no growth, one/two year old plants are showing visible stress, and any new plantings must be watered every other day.

My Mayhaw just may indeed.

My little Mayhaw struggled its first few year.  Indeed, I had decided that if it didn't show signs of establishment and growth this year, I would remove it.   Well, not sure it is was just enough years in the ground, maybe our cold winter, or what.  But it did indeed show signs of finally establishing itself.  Not only with new vigorous growth, but also with fruit. 

Almost Forgot About the Potatoes

We hosted not one, but two different Crawfish Boils on Saturday.   As we started the first, Cel said, oops, we forgot the potatoes.  No, problem I replied, I'll go dig some in the garden.   I did, and that was soooo cool.  Looks like I am gonna get a 10 for 1 return on my seed potato investment, at least.  

Any my crazy little Blue Potatoes are growing like crazy too.  That was a wild experiment, so I far so good, so I can't wait to see how that works out. 

Year of the Tomato

I had 17 Tomatoes in the ground.   Insane winds of the last few days worked them over pretty good, but they were strong.   My father-in-law told me today, that he had checked out the Tomatoes all over the area and mine looked the best.  Yes, my chest stuck out a bit, I admit it.  The best thing is I have done this year all organic.
I put Paw Joes old ladder leaning up against St. Joe's Tower with the Snail vine on one side, and a Cucumber on the other side.

Chickens Get a Respose #2

I lost one of my Roosters, so the chickens spent the last 3 days running free.  I felt so sorry for them, but they found some relief here and there and are looking a little better.  But, Monday is here, so time for the pen again.   I don't take lightly moving away from organic, and only in a small area, but I had to find them some relief.  I got out a hose end sprayer with liquid Seven and pounded the whole area and beyond.   Seems to have worked, as I brought the chickens into the pen one by one, not even a single gnat landed on me.  So, I'll keep this up, till the gnat investation is overcome.

Chickens Get a Repose

It was nearly death by gnats for my poor birds.  They are ragged and haggered for sure.  Despite all of my effort, and some were extreme, I was unable to reduce the gnat population in their area.  Now, my chicken cage is fairly large, 10' x 10' for 4 chickens, and it is moveable.  This is known as a chicken tractor.   But moveable does not equal easily movable.  The "easily" part is a future project I have yet to get to.  But they were so miserable, that I let them out and pushed, pulled, dragged the kennel 40 feet to an entirely new environment.   In the past, at dark, they have always gone into their pen knowing they were safe there, but not tonight.   They stayed on the back porch readily trading safety for relief from the the gnats, and I gladly let them.   Now I have no idea how I will handle this come morning.   One of my neighbors may be forgiving of my chickens wandering over, but the other likely not.   Prayers be with me please, a chicken herder I am not.  Actually, I guess you need to pray for the chickens, lol.

Life Returns to The Bayou Teche

When we moved here in mid 2002, I saw little life in The Bayou Teche, not even minnows in the shadows.   I didn't know much about it at that time, and shortly thereafter came Hurricane Lili.   Hurricanes here tend to flush local waterways with oxygen poor water due to the leaf fall and turnover, resulting in fish kills.   I saw many dead fish floating down The Bayou Teche that fall.  There was no evident life the next year, but slowly year after year, the Bayou Teche came back to life.   It does seem this bayou has everything going against it, everything from urban runoff, to cane field runoff turbidity and the chemicals that go with it. 

Life was starting to return, and the The Bayou Teche was looking to look like a natural waterway again.   Then came the hurricanes Katrina and Rita of 2005.   Another setback.  Still by 2008 things were looking up.  I even caught a few Catfish while fishing.  Mullet were jumping, and there a few minnows here and there.  But again, came the hurricanes later that year, Gustav and Ike, both of which impacted the water shed within a few weeks of each other.   More dead fish floated down the bayou.   Signs of aquatic life were slim.

This year, the spring of 2010, I again have hopes.  It was an extremely wet winter.  This is the first time I have even seen the bayou rise significantly from rain fall.   But I am sure the flushing effect helped.  Aquatic grasses are gowing along the edge of the channel this spring.   Mullet are jumping.  I saw what was likely a small Bass striking in the grass, and Mullet jumping in the channel.  No minnows yet, but I have hopes.  The Bayou Teche needs a break, and with a little luck, nature may just give it one this year. 

Invasion of the Blood Suckers

Gnats and deer flies are attempting to carry me, and the Chickens, away.  I stay inside, but the poor chickens just huddle up in the corner of the coop.   The Rooster sat one day with his head stuck in the laying box trying to get some relief.   After looking for some relief for them, all I could find was to dust their feathers with Sevin dust and coat their combs with vaseline.   I did both, but substituted DE for the Sevin dust in an attempt to stay organic, for both their sake and mine. 
I hope it help.  Tomorrow I am going to let them out of the pen to hopefully find some relief.  Since I also have their pen set up as a chicken tractor, aka, moveable, I will move it to new virgin ground as well. 

Man, Its Dry Out There

No break on the rain front, nothing but sun and low 80s.   I picked up another truck full of Oak Leaf Bags.  Well, kind of, Oak leaves and Oak Pollen, with pollen taking the majority in some bags.  Either way, it'll work for my purposes.   Today, I spead mulch around the new Camellias, the new Rain Trees, the old PawPaw and the Old Mayhaw.  Also, around the Moso Bamboo, and the Tomatoes, and the new Roses, as well.  Looks like this is the way its gonna be for a while

Tea in the Rain? Well, not quite

We finally got a tad of rain again, and again not enough.  I am guessing we got a quarter inch, a half at best, but it was enough to wet things down a tad, but not close the cracks in the soil, some of which I have observed at nearly 1/2 inch wide.  I finished nature's job in the vegetable garden by putting out 25 gallons of aerated compost tea.  That and the rain, should give them a little jolt.  A few of the Tomatoes are starting to take off, so I guess I can no longer put off the tomato cage decision.  I have 18 tomatoes and 5 rickety cages, so somthing has to be done, that's for sure.  And on top of that I have 2 flats of seedlings.  I am just going to plant them here and there, and let them ramble.  There is certainly nothing to lose at this point.  The story of how I have all of those seedlings is an interesting learning point, but also a story to be told another day.

There is a bit of good news on freeze recovery.  The little Erythrina herbacea (Mamou Plant) although frozen to the ground, is returning from the roots.  The Erythrina crista-galli which was much large is yet to show any signs of life.   Two of the small Washingtonia filibusta that I assumed were dead are also pushing new spears.  Well, its not much I know, but after a winter like this every little bit helps.

Mayhaws, Maybe Some Paw Paws, and I'm Itchy

It looks like my poor little Mayhaw may finally have hit its stride.   It is still small, but looks great.  Best of all, I have a handfull of little 1/2" Mayhaws growing on it.

My PawPaw on the other hand, has not hit is stride.   It made a little handfull of flowers again, as it did last year, but I have the feeling it will drop them all, as it also did last year.

Last but not least, my Ichi-Ki-Kei-Jiro Persimmon is also looking much better.  I doubt it will fruit, but at least this year, it looks like it will live, lol. 

More to come, lots more, it's spring, yahoooooo!

Spring Can Be Tough Here for a New or Young Plant

Springs here consist of windy, continually heating, drought.   Not a friendly beginning for a new spring planting.   This is not a problem for established plantings.  With our wet winters and water hodling clay soils, they rarely required supplmental watering.  Only when the summer rains run late, do they suffer.  New plantings however lose moisture at alarming rates and have no roots spread into the surrounding clay soils to grab moisture.  Even worse, the silty clay loam tends to crack, so you can water all you want, it just runs off into endless cracks.  End result is the first year, in the spring and fall in particular you must water constantly. 

The 1-Step formula really has helped with this.  It has both water absorbing crystal to less the loss of water, and mycorriza fungus to improve root efficiency and root growth.  I have not lost a new planting since I began using it, where before it was no uncommon.

So far, new plantings this year include 2 Figs, 2 Raintrees, 3 Camellias, and 3 Blueberries.  I still have a few seedlings/young plants still to be planted as well.   I am always planting some kind of seed.  I remember as a small boy, one of the trees in our neighborhood made these giant Acorns, more than an inch across.   I parked in a parking lot a month or so ago, and sure enough under one of the trees were those large Acorns, which I had not seen in over 40 years.   I grabbed five of them.   Already, 2 trees have sprouted.  

And we are looking for a couple more Camellias to finish the Camellia Garden Room.   Cel has also just identified an area where she would like more Azaleas.  I'd like just 2 more hardy palms, but they need to be kind of large, so that won't happen anytime soon.  I am looking for a sale, haha.

No Longer Bamboozled by Bamboo, I Think

Low and behold, the east facing Moso has sent up 4 new shoots.  Yahoo.  Nothing yet form the west facing one, but I'll hit it with high nitro fertilizer one more time at the next rain, just for the heck of it.  Worst case is I'll give the St. Augustine in that area a shot in the arm.   At least for now, I still have Moso.

The Earth Box Rig, Not Sure Who Would be Prouder, Dad or Norbert

Due the abundance of Tomato seedlings, I am struggling to find places to plant them, so I pulled out the old Earthbox out of mothballs.    The cover and clips have long ago been lost, along with the vertical supports.   So, I loaded it up with a combo of MiracleGrow Organic Soil and Black Kow.   Rather than use the fertilizer strip called for in the instructions, I substituted Compost Teas.

I cut the MiracleGrow plastic bag for a cover.  For the vertical supports I found on old piece of PVC pipe for one side and an old bird feeder post for the other side.

On one side I planted a Razzleberry Tomato and on the other a Red Currant Tomato.   And just for grins, I put a Perique Tobacco plants in the center.