Durgan's Garden Journal 2007

26 October 2007 Sod Busting

2007-10-26T14:58:00.001-04:00

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?FBAXY 26 October 2007 Sod Busting

Ths sod was removed from around the Rose of Sharon bushes. The purpose is to improve the growing environment for the Rose of Sharon roots by removing the grass competition.

First the sod was cut using the kick type sod cutter. The sod was hand pulled apart and put through the chipper\shredder, and blown back onto the area from which it was removed. From past experience it was found that the grass roots are effectively destroyed, and no grass grows from the residue. The area was edged, lightly rototilled, raked smooth and covered with wood chip mulch.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

24 October 2007 Last of the Garden for 2007

2007-10-24T18:19:00.000-04:00

http://gifuo.notlong.com/ 24 October 2007 Picture

These pictures indicate the remaining plants still thriving at this late date. There is still a fair amount of colour, and some of the beds have been prepared for over-wintering. 2007 was a good growing year; in spite, of a dry July and August. Selective watering was necessary.

Durgan
http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

2 October 2007 Passiflora caerulea

2007-10-02T18:05:00.002-04:00

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?MHNCL 2 October 2007 Passion Flower. (Passiflora caerulea) Name corrected 27 October 2007

This plant was grown from seed, started indoors in December 2006, and put outdoors in May 2007. It has flowered all summer, and there are always flowers present. The flowers last about two days. The fruit doesn't always form from every flower. The fruit has seeds and is rather pleasant to eat whole. If the seeds are removed before eating the outer thick flesh is insipid. This year I am going to leave it in situ to determine if it will over-winter. I am not too optimistic. It didn't over-winter.

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?CLZQO More information about Passiflora caerulea

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

1 October 2007 Tobacco Plant Growth

2007-10-01T19:04:00.000-04:00

http://ehoht.notlong.com/ 1 October 2007 Tobacco Plant Growth.

The area in which I live is a tobacco growing area. Two plants were grown in my garden this year simply to study the cultivar. The plant flowers all summer and is quite attractive. When grown for tobacco the flower stem is normally cut off.

The seeds were started indoors and put into the garden about 24 May 2007. There are probably thousands of seeds produced by one plant, and they are very small.

Tobacco growing is being phased out by the Government, and the growers are changing to Ginseng in some cases.. The crop, which is labour intensive, is handled by temporaty migrant workers from, Mexico, Jamaica, and some other Carabbean countries. These are the modern day slaves, paid miniumn wage and generally have not many rights; in spite, of Politician's platitudes.

The Western World tobacco growers export tobacco products to China, and Japan, and any other country willing to take the product. It is harmful for our own people, but apparently not to other country's people?

I personally refer to tobacco as the "Indian's Revenge". The Europeans killed many Indians and the Indians introduced them to tobacco, which has killed more Europeans than Indians over the last 400 years.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

24 September 2007 Knee Pads with Flexible Joint.

2007-09-24T17:13:00.000-04:00

http://oumai.notlong.com/ 24 September 2007 Knee Pads with Flexible Joint.

These Knee Pads don't slip down the leg in use, and basically stay in place when getting up and down. The flexible joint is the key to not slipping down the leg.They cost about $25.00 and are practicable and useful for gardening, and any other vocation requiring the wearer to kneel. The padding is sufficient for any rough surface. I usually put them on when working in the garden and it is a joy to kneel down when required. These pads button on with a simple elastic strap. Dont' leave home with out a pair.

The common type usually available in stores is for all practical purposes is difficult to use, since they do not stay in place, when getting down and up and walking around. The common variety without the flexible joint costs about $7.00.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

14 September 2007 Cherry Tomato Sweet Million

2007-09-14T17:01:00.000-04:00

http://uixef.notlong.com/ 14 September 2007 Cherry Tomato Sweet Million. (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)

Different varieties of cherry tomato has been grown over several years. The only one that has merit in my opinion is the Sweet Million. The fruit has a perfect size and the taste is most pleasing all season. These pictures depict one plant which is grown on a trellis alongside the deck, shared with the Morning Glories. We pick the fruit as required and partake almost daily. The plant produces from about 15 July until the frost arrives. The quantity of fruit is far more than the requirements for one family. Everyone, who has eaten this tomato, in my experience has positive, complementary comments.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

14 September 2007 Late Season Raspberries

2007-09-14T16:10:00.000-04:00

14 September 2007 Late Season Raspberries.
http://biida.notlong.com/ This is the second year for these six plants. The fruit is born on new growth each year. In the late fall the bushes are cut back to ground level. A bowl full of fruit is picked daily, and the harvest started five days ago. The berries are full flavoured and as delicious as they appear in the photographs.

http://eedat.notlong.com 28 September 2007 The raspberries are still producing. The quantity is about a litre every other day from my small patch.

There is an early raspberry variety in the garden, which bears fruit on last year's growth, so the bearing canes are removed immediately after the berry harvest is complete.

It is important to differentiate between the two varieties or one might end up with no fruit the following year.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

14 September 2007 Loofah for Sponges.

2007-09-14T11:44:00.000-04:00

http://kazei.notlong.com/ 14 September 2007 Luffa aegyptiaca Common Names: loofah, luffa, smooth loofah, sponge gourd, vegetable spongeFamily: Cucurbitaceae (pumpkin Family).

There are two trellis's in the garden, with a total of 12 large fruiting bodies on four plants. Sponges will be made when the fruit turns yellow and are dry. These plants require a growing season of about six or more months, so I start them in the greenhouse in February. The mesh size of the trellis is 6 inches, so the size of the fruiting body can be determined approximately from viewing the photographs. I still have sponges from two years ago. Apparently the fruit can be cooked and eaten, but I have never tried them.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

1 September 2007 Japanese Beetle on Grape Vine

2007-09-03T21:27:00.001-04:00

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?VOHHV Beetle on Grape Vine. Japanese Beetle Pest. (Popillia japonica)

There are three grape vines on the adjacent support which is 24 feet long. This pest was found on the Boco Noir vine. The Sovereign Coronation and Concord were not attacked. This is probably a coincidence. I found about 25 pests eating the leaves. I physically removed them and sprayed them with malathion-about the only insecticide I have available. They didn't die immediately and showed no undue signs of stress so I squashed them. Only the Concord Vine is producing fruit this year- second year.

Up to this time I assumed the Japanese Beetle only attacked grass. They sure did a number on many leaves of the grape vines.

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?VWZLI URL to more information about this ubiquitous pest.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

1 September 2007 Concord Grapes

2007-09-01T17:06:00.002-04:00

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?ZUZWI 1 September 2007 Concord Grapes.

There are four grape vines in the garden. Three are on a two wire support and the other is on a support along the fence. The types are Concord, Sovereign Coronation, Niagara, and Boco Noir. This is my first experience with growing grapes.

The vines were planted in the Spring of 2006 and I only allowed the Concord to produce fruit this year, since it was a large plant when purchased. On the Concord vine there are 16 clusters, and the quality is as good as I have ever tasted. So far I have only picked one cluster.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

30 August 2007 Preparing Garden Area for 2008 Season.

2007-08-30T19:57:00.001-04:00

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?CMIQR 30 September 2007 Cover crop of doulbe cut red annual clover. Growth is a bit slow due to lack of rain, but there is still time for it to get much larger before a major frost.

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?HUCMM 30 August 2007 Preparing Garden for the 2008 season. Conditioning the soil, by adding fiber.

Partially composted wood chips are available from a city park The chips are transported in a box of half a yard in my van. Three cubic yards were spread on the garden area, then rototilled into the underlying soil. The are of the garden is 1000 square feet.

The area was raked smooth and planted with double cut annual red clover as a cover crop. In the Spring of 2008 the clover will be weed-wacked and rototilled into the soil. This preparation makes the soil more friable and fixes nitrogen for plant use.

Crops remaining at this time are brussel sprouts, root parsley, turnip, carrots, okra, artichokes, and peppers.. I simply worked around these plants, since the area involved is small.

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?WTPFD 21 October 2007 Update indicating the growth of the Annual Double-cut Red Clover winter cover crop.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

27 August 2007 Preparing Horseradish condiment.

2007-08-27T19:54:00.000-04:00

http://maiwe.notlong.com/ 27 August 2007 Preparing Horseradish condiment. There are two large horseradish plants. I dug up one plant and will prepare the other later in the season. These plants are difficult to dig up, and much effort is required to get the desired product - the roots.

http://xaere.notlong.com/ 6 Octgober 2007 Processing another plant of horseradish.

I treat the plant as an annual, and save a piece of root for next years growth. This plant can be invasive, and every small piece of root left in the ground will sprout. To prevent this I rototill extensively, and remove all remnants of root. The small seed root is put in a pot and allowed to grow until about August, then I put in in the ground to overwinter. Usually two plants are sufficient for the home garden. If treated as a perennial I find the roots are sometime too tough and fibrous.

The smaller roots tend to have less fibre and beat up better in the blender. I simply cut the roots into small pieces and blend with vinegar in the blender. The excess vinegar is then drained away in a colender. The finished product is put into small 125 ml jars. If the product is in larger jars the flavour is reduced and the colour changes with each opening to air. A few roots produce a lot of product. From this plant I obtained twelve 125 ml jars.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

26 August 2007 Potato Harvest

2007-08-26T18:19:00.000-04:00

http://zofie.notlong.com/ 26 August 2007 Potato Harvest.

This is the produce from 25 plants. Grown were Superior and Pontiac. The Superior were used all summer as required for the table.

The potaotes were lightly washed to remove dirt, dried in the sun for about 2 hours to harden the skin, graded for size, then placed in paper bags. They will be stored in the dark cold room in the basement with the bags left open for air.

The quality is excellent.
http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

28 July 2007 Growing Potatoes

2007-07-28T10:26:00.001-04:00

http://moomi.notlong.com/ 28 July 2007 Potato Plant.

There is a lot of babble on the internet about growing potatoes with stalks supported by tires and using straw for covering. To my way of thinking this is only complicating matters. One hilling of plants after the main stalks emerge is probably more than sufficient. The view seems to be that potato tubulars are produced along the stalks, which is simply not the case.

New potatoes grow from shoots emanating from the very bottom of the stalks in a circle, almost from the seed potato itself. No new potatoes grow below the seed potato. The new potatoes must be protected from light, otherwise they turn green and are somewhat poisonous.

Hilling is done to protect the new potatoes from light, and the earth tends to support the weak stalks, since they tend to fall and spread out.

Study the attached pictures, which supports my view.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

27 July 2007 Mirabilis jalapa--Four O'Clock

2007-07-27T18:49:00.000-04:00

http://fahgo.notlong.com/ 27 July 2007 Mirabilis jalapa--Four O'Clock

The seeds are planted in various locations about the end of May in Zone 5. The plant gets quite large and is a great filler. The flowers open in the late afternoon, hence the name Four O'Clock, and remain open until the sun gets high about 10 A.M. the following say. I always grow a few each year, since they grow easily, but they cannot tolerate any frost.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

26 July 2007 Papaver Somniferum Flowers

2007-07-27T09:59:00.000-04:00

http://chaeh.notlong.com/ 26 July 2007 Papaver Somniferum Flower pictures with Description.

These poppies were first grown in 2005 and I only had four types. This year several more types were planted and pictures were taken and the plants marked for seed collection. It appears naming conventions are most obscure, so I decided on a simple descriptive method, which is indicated on the photographs. Flowers last only one day, but one stalk has many flowers so new ones appear daily, and their beauty is unsurpassed.

Apparently bulk food poppy seeds are of the Papaver Somniferum variety. I will plant some next year for variations. Since I have become familiar with these poppies, I have seen them growing in many different locations. The vegetation is a ideal identifier, since all the Papaver Somniferum have identical vegetation. After the flower head disappears it is impossible to determine the flower type.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

26 July 2007 Capsicum annuum 'Explosive Ember' Hot Pepper

2007-07-26T20:13:00.001-04:00

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?UOHKY 26 July 2007 Capsicum annuum 'Explosive Ember' Hot Pepper

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?FSOYM 31 August 2007 Harvest of the produce from five plants.

26 July 2007 This small edible ornamental pepper was grown from seed and was put in the garden on 1 June 2007 in Zone 5. There are five plants, and they all thrived and are laden with fruiting bodies. I tasted one and indeed it is very "hot".

Where this pepper rates on the Scoville Scale is not known to me.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

26 July 2007 Crocosmia Lucifer

2007-07-26T08:27:00.000-04:00

http://xaegh.notlong.com/ 26 July 2007 Crocosmia Lucifer

This plant is the center piece for the ornamental grass bed. This is the second year for this perennial, and it is expected to get much larger each year. The flowers are most attractive and rather unique.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

18 July 2007 Rudbeckia laciniata 'Hortensia' (Golden Glow)

2007-07-18T20:03:00.000-04:00

http://eivic.notlong.com 18 July 2007 Rudbeckia laciniata 'Hortensia' (Golden Glow)

Common name : Outhouse Plant or Golden Glow. This plant was taken from another yard as a small clump. I have two clumps growing to fill empty spaces in the yard. The clumps are kept contained by digging trenches around the clumps. It can be a voracious spreader. Usually it blooms later in the season, but our warm dry summer appears to bring on blooms early. I tie a string around the upper area to prevent flopping after a heavy rain. I have seen the plant in many gardens, and nobody ever knew the name.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

17 July 2007 Raspberry

2007-07-18T09:21:00.000-04:00

http://ibozo.notlong.com/ 17 July 2007 Raspberry.

These four plants were purchased from Home Depot in 2005. The plants grow to about two meters plus. The fruit is on last years stems, which will be cut to ground level after fruiting. The picture depicts the second picking and there will be a third picking. The first picking produced the same amount of berries. The berries are quite large and have an excellent flavour. The name of this cultivar has been lost.

I have anothe group which fruits later in the season. They are in their second year and they produce on new season's growth, and are cut to ground level for over-wintering. This is my first real experience with raspberry growing.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

17 July 2007 American Gooseberry (Ribes hirtellum)

2007-07-17T21:01:00.000-04:00

http://ohyah.notlong.com/ 17 July 2007 American Gooseberry (Ribes hirtellum)

http://ohqui.notlong.com 25 July 2007 Picking the last of the Gooseberries.

This American Gooseberry bush was planted in the Spring of 2005. It produced a few berries in 2006. I pruned to five stems and they are full of fruit this year. The dish contains about one-quarter of the berries on the bush. In 2006 after fruiting the foliage was attacked by a fungus (Downey Mildew?) which devastated the leaves, but apparently had no lasting harmful effects. The fruiting stems are supported otherwise, the fruit laden branches fall to the ground. They are just another fruit for the home garden. They take up little room and require minimal care.

The berries are sweet with a bit of a tart tang, which is not unpleasant. I mix them with my raspberries and eat as a fruit dish with cream or milk or, sometimes simply put in the blender and make juice with other fruits. The berries are more pleasant and sweeter than my black current berries, but the gooseberries are a bit more fibrous.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

17 July 2007 Garden Flowers with Common Names

2007-07-17T10:15:00.000-04:00

http://azuor.notlong.com/
17 July 2007 Garden Flowers with Common Names.
The lighting was perfect, a bright overcast morning, so pictures were taken of most of the garden flower heads. The pictures are annotated with the common names. Enjoy.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

16 July 2007 Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus L.)

2007-07-16T11:55:00.000-04:00

http://ishoh.notlong.com/ 16 July 2007 Rose of Sharon
(Hibiscus syriacus L.)

There are eight Rose of Sharon in the garden. Blooming has started. The plants were obtained from a friend's garden, and were small twigs when dug up and planted in my garden in the spring of 2004. There are only two colours. All eight plants are thriving and are a substantial size in 2007. The plant requires little care. I do water it deeply when in drought conditions like this summer.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

15 July 2007 Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

2007-07-15T06:41:00.000-04:00

http://ujeir.notlong.com 15 July 2007 Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

There are two large clumps of Bee Balm in the garden. This perennial spreads and grow with little care. Hunning Birds are attracted by this flower. My preference is for the taller flowering plants, this one fits in well.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

14 July 2007 Cleome or Spider Flower (Cleome hasslerana)

2007-07-14T22:07:00.000-04:00

http://quiph.notlong.com/ 14 July 2007 Cleome or Spider Flower (Cleome hasslerana)

Cleome or Spider Flower is an annual and is put in empty spaces direct seeded. It doesn't interfere with other bloomers, and usually towers above most. Apparently hummingbirds enjoy this flower. There are several hunningbirds around my garden this year. I am itching to get a picture of one.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html