Rains Have Returned

The rains have returned, and pretty much right on target.  Things were just starting to get dry and a little dusty.  Of course, it all had been perfect, I would have preferred them to return later in the week, just after I got the vegetable garden tilled up.  Now that will have to wait a week, but we are still in good shaped.   If I get it done in the next couple of weeks, we'll still be on schedule for the fall planting.

I am still harvesting field peas, although I don't mind saying this is one of my least enjoyable crops.   Constant harvesting of small amounts does not bode well for efficiency.  Next year, I either need to not plant them, or plant a whole lot more of them.   I can see now, that this is one crop that is only efficient in large quantities.

I mowed the expanded portions of the garden down to Golf Green height, then I spread out the roughly 100 gallons of compost.   It didn't go far, but over the next 3 weeks I will prep this area extensively with bio active ingredients.  

The 3 beds adjacent to the tower, making up the cross bed will be tilled and used for a winter crop, afterward, in the spring I will till a final time, and expand the grape vine planting in those areas.   This will give me roughly a 3x increase in the feet of Grapevine plantings leading to some wine making in 2 to 3 years.

Back Roads are Often the Best Roads

These best roads are also not only the fastest, but also the most beautiful.   The are no mountains of hill tops vistas in Louisiana.   Really, the greatest places are best seen from the water, but that not available, a back road that follows a natural waterway is the next best thing.

Here a few shots of Acadiana's back roads, of which this is one of so many.

Figs Ready Now

The figs are just starting to ripen.  My in-laws Celeste figs began to ripen last week.  I have a cutting from it, but it is still too young to make fruit, although it is trying.   Our Texas Everbearing is just starting to have harvestable fruit now.   The LSU purple is still a couple of weeks off.   The combination of varieties should provide fruit here over a 4 to 6 week period.   Nothing is better than a fresh fig off the tree.  I have to say, that of the ones I have or have access to, the LSU Purple is by and far the taste winner.   I have an LSU Gold, but regretfully have never tasted its fruit.  Bad site, hurricanes, you name it.   It will be transplanted to a better location in the fall.  Then we will see.

New Dawn Gains the WolfBerry

Got a new addition to the gardens.  Who can't love a fruit called a Wolfberry.  Next full moon, I'll have to do my howling next to it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfberry

Wolfberry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org

Wolfberry, commercially called goji berry, is the common name for the fruit of two very closely related species: Lycium barbarum (Chinese: 寧夏枸杞; pinyin: Níngxià gǒuqǐ) and L. chinense (Chinese: 枸杞; pinyin: gǒuqǐ), two species of boxthorn in the family Solanaceae (which also includes the potato, toma...

Transition Time

Even though it is mid summer, it is time to transition to the fall garden. I pulled the frames out from the raised tomato beds.  Next out will be the tomato stakes, and then arrives the tractor mounted tiller.  Wouldn't normally need that here, but I am breaking new ground.  No till worked OK for the spring, but I'll be bringing in the tractor now for some cropping for the fall, and then for the winter crops as well.  I'll do no till again next spring, but I will need far more Oak leaves than I had this year, 2 to 4 times as many.  This is due to the fact that not only did I not have enough last year, but also because I am doubling the size of the vegetable garden.

Pictures to be added later.

Wow, Its Been Two Weeks

Time flies when life gets a bit chaotic.   Since my last entry, the summer rains have arrived.  On one day, we got well in excess of 4 inches of rain.  The bayou rose nearly to the level it was during the back to back hurricanes of Gustav and Ike, but of course it did not stay that high nearly as long as it did back then. 

Between the heat and the bugs, the tomatoes are done for.  As soon as it dries out a bit, I'll pull them and get the soil ready for the next plantings.   But the Dixie Lea Field Peas and the Edamame are doing wonderfully.

Finally Had to Happen

I can't remember the last time, but I spent the entire weekend indoors.   Didn't even look out of the window that much.  Have to admit, the week before this was one of the hardest in my recent memory, or even long term memory, for that matter.

A Fruit Inventory

I did a quick inventory today, by memory of what we have here at New Dawn.  Many of these trees are still small, but they will grow.

Blueberries (3)
Jujube (1)
Mayhaw (1)
Pear (2)
Pawpaw (1)
Plums (2)
Mulberry (2)
Pomegranate (6)
Texas Everbearing Fig (1)
LSU Gold Fig (1)
Celeste Fig (1)
LSU Purple Fig (3)
Loquat (5)
Arboqina Olive (1)
Ruby Red Grapefruit (2)
Rio Red Grapefruit (1)
Ponderosa Lemon (1)
Lisbon Lime (1)
Meyer Lemon (1)
Variegated Lemon (1)
Louisiana Sweet Orange (1)
Variegated Orange (1)
Moro Blood Orange (2)
 
That is what I recall off the top of mind, but there may be more.

Even The Best Laid Plans

We had a great Father's Day.  First my Dad, then Cel's Dad, then tradegy struck.  Mom fell in her home, off to the ER.   Cel went first to get her back home, while I cleaned up and then headed over there to provide nurse duty for the next 2 days.  Finally back at home, but still no rain, ugh.   I watered as best I could, but we really, really need rain.  Not just a little rain, but lots of rain. 

OK, I confess, the break from the weeds is welcome, but it is taking its toll on the things I treasure as well.  Truly established plantings are OK, but anything less than 2 or 3 years old is beginning to suffer.   Especially the vegetables.   And the really frustrating part is that it seems to be raining all around us.

A Statue Wearing High Heels

There's a giant doing cartwheels a statue wearin' high heels.  Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn. - Credence Clearwater Revival

OK, really, there's no giant, she's barefoot, I'm looking out my front door, and its way to hot for the happy creatures to be dancing.   So don't bother me about details, lol.
 
It's another scorcher.  There are thunderstorms in the area, but they are doing a great job at missing us so far.  We continue to hope.   One thing is for sure is that I have to quit using city water to water the garden.  At this rate, I'll be the next person to have the $64 Tomato.   I can either put down a well, which makes sense long term, but there is always that short term cash issue.  The other way is to tap the bayou.  Water quality is not great, but should be sufficient for irrigation.  The nature of the bank does make this a logistical challenge.   I need someone more experienced than me to come brainstorm this one with me.

Getting Tired of Eating Them, So It's Time to Put Up Dem Maters

Even with the bugs and heat taking their toll, the Tomatoes are coming in faster than we care to eat them, so its time to put some up.   Tomatoes are by far one of the easiest vegetables to store, with proper preparation that is.  Fortunately, that preparation is quite easy.  Slip them in some boiling water until the skin splits, move them to some chilled water to make them easier to handle.  Remove the skins, which is quite easy at this point, put in Ziplocks, squeeze out the air, and freeze.

Making New Plants

With the right environment, many plants are very easy to reproduce from cuttings.  One little known is the tomato.   For folks in our area, Zone 9, there is little need to buy fall tomatoes or grow them from seed.  Just pick your best producing tomatoes from spring, take some cuttings in late June or early July, put them in the right environment to root, and whalla, you have your tomatoes for fall.   While going through some antique (junk) shops on vacation recently, I ran across this perfect little propagator (terrarium).   Should be great for propagating cuttings, holding most of the moisture with just a tiny bit of air circulation.  Not too bad for $20 with stand.

Another source for fall tomatoes, especially if you like to take a gamble on type, is to throw all of your bad tomatoes, bug damages, etc. in the compost bin.   Till it up good about mid June and then wait for the seedlings to pop up in the compost.   Now, this way you never know what you'll get, but that is a big part of the fun.

False Indigo

False Indigo is a delightful little plant. Tough as nails, too.   I don't remember where we got this start from, perhaps a friend, or an old abandoned house.  Cel probably remembers.  Either way, this is a very troublefree plant, yet non-invasive, a very unique quality.

If You Want Blood, You Got It, and a Few Other Blooms, Too.

When the heat finally let up, I finished the porch cleanup.   Then did a little watering of the Tomato plants.   Oops, now that I am writing, I forgot to lock the chicken coup.  Be right back.  Headed out with the flashlight, but after being allowed to roam free all day, they were back in the coup waiting for me to come make them safe.

Hmmm, now what else.  I put some Cajun Delight Okra seeds in the seed starter.  I took the plastic top off of the Earth Box, and as I suspected, the soil was quite dry.   The upwards water percolation was just not happening.   I'll water it as a standard planter box to see if I can salvage the two tomatoes planted in there.  I was out there 2 hours, so I know I did some other stuff, but I'll be darned if it is coming to mind right now.  Oh well.

OK, how about some pictures.  First, the Blood Lilies have arrived.   Neatest things you ever saw.

And a little Jacobina, set back by winter, but not down for the count.

And I guess we can finish up with some Christmas Berry.

Heat is Brutal

Its a tough one out there today.  Cel put up tomatoes this morning, then she mowed the 3 acres today, then went out and picked 3 more grocery bags full of Tomatoes from the garden, and weeded it, too.   Somedays I prevail, but others she just plain puts me to shame.  I mostly cleaned up a month worth of poop being left around here and there.   The crawfish boiling equipment went up for the season.  The beach stuff was consolidated and stored in the attic where it will be nearby.  The crawfish may be over for the year, but the beach certainly isn't, if the BP oil doesn't ruin them all, that is.

I filled all of the gas cans, treated with Stabil in preparation for the hurricane season.   Always good to have fuel on hand, as just before, during, and for a while after gas can be hard to come by.  I keep 30 gallons in the shed.  I'll fill up the boat tank as well, so that's another 24 gallons at hand.  Oh, and another 2 - 1/2 gallons of 2 cycle for the chainsaw, blower, and tiller.   While I am not likely to need a tiller after a hurricane, the chainsaw is a must as many limbs and sometimes trees are down that need to be cleaned up.  Fortunately only once, during Hurricane Lily, did I have a tree come down on the house.  It took out a third of the garage, the greenhouse, and tried it best to take down the back of the house, which fortunately it was unsuccessful at doing.  Although it left several holes in the roof ruining floors, furniture, etc.  Still, having seen the destruction hurricanes can do here in the coastal regions we felt fortunate.

Hey, I got off track.   Back to the garden.  Well, its too hot to even go look.  I'll reserve that till the early even hours just before dark.  I may even snap a picture or two.

No Garden Work Today, Friday is House Cleaning Night

Long weeks, long days with work then outside work, but things change on Friday.   When I get home for work on Friday I don't venture outside, it's house cleaning time to set the proper stage for the weekend.  If I finish early enough, I get a few minutes outside, but most Fridays I don't.   But that's OK, really.   I enjoy a break from the heat one day a week, like today.   I am done, and there is at least another hour of daylight out there, but I think I'll watch it fade through the window with a cool beverage in my hand.

I always like to include a photo, I think a I took a few a couple of days ago, let's see.

Here we go, how about a pretty little mushroom growing in tall grass, both provided by recent rains.

I am Star Struck, Well Maybe Star Fruit Struck

My Star Fruit tree, which was 2 years old was really not meant for this climate.  So when our past colder than normal winter killed it, I wasn't surprised.   But what did surprise me this week is that it appears to be coming back from the roots.   We'll see what happens as time passes, but for now it is a very pleasant surprise.

It was hot and hard work, but I got the last 2 acres mowed today, so now I am a day ahead of schedule.  All I have left now is 3 to 4 hours of weed whacking and I'll have this place back under management.   The beginning of the rainy season was not the time to skip 3 weeks of maintenance.  I felt more like I was making hay, rather than mowing.   At any rate, if I have some energy after work tomorrow, and get that weed whacking done, I'll have a relaxing birthday weekend ahead.  Yeah!

I even got in a little extra work.  The old potato/spinach/onion bed that I till a couple of week ago, already had weeds 4 inches high with all of the recent rain, so I whipped out the Mantis and whipped it up again.  An 8 foot by 10 foot bed takes about 5 minutes with this little beast.  Yes, I know I am supposed to be working my way to no-till, and I am, but in between nothing is as sweet as fresh tilled earth.

I also tilled up the compost bin(pot).  I make compost a little differently than most folks.   One day while going down the road I noticed this humongous plastic pot.  I am guessing it is 150 to 200 gallons.  I didn't have a clue what I was going to do with it, but it was free, so I threw it in the back of the truck.  Over the months I throw in everything, leftovers, used paper towels and their cardboard tube center, the cardboard center for toilet tissue rolls, old potted plants, cardboard boxes, paper, just about anything that will rot.  Once it is full, I stop and let it rot down, but occasionally I stick the Mantis in, mix it up and rip anything resisting rot to shreds.   After a few rounds like that it finished up pretty quick and I get 2 batches of approx 75 to 100 gallons of compost a year.   And let me tell you, it is fine stuff.   My best tasting and best producing tomatoes are in the bed that I tilled a batch into in early spring.

Adapting is Sometimes Necessary

Plans last weekend and again this coming weekend, along with frequent rains are causing some variation from the normal Saturday morning yard routines.   So, today I mowed the front acre.  Tomorrow will be the middle and Friday the rear.   And sometime over the weekend I will have to find time for the once a mount weed whacking.

For today's image, I'll leave you with this funny little Bell Pepper.   It is oddly shaped, but coloring up in a quite beautiful fashion.  It may just find it's way into an omelet in the morning.

Today Was a Better Day

Felt a little better today.  Did some work out in the chicken coop freshening things up.   I planted the last few straggling seedlings.  Pick the Tomatoes for the day, and then started a new batch of compost tea.  Then I finally picked up the mess that had accumulated on the boat over the last month.  The most popular use of a boat is to catch things, I think.   Hmm, I tossed out some dead potted things into the compost bin, and pulled a few weeds that had popped up in the compost.   I bagged the potatoes that were recently dug from the garden, and hung the onions to dry as well.  A few photos were taken along the way, too, just to document the day.

Might Be My First Merlitons, Ever

I tried two Merliton vines this year.  One petered out, but the other has a foothold on St. Joe's Tower.   Here it is reaching the 10 foot mark.  No sign of fruit yet, but the summer is still early.   I remember these growing across the top of my Grandparents chicken coup, so growing my own would be super.  Passing on the legacy.