The little bugger's getting bold. Now he/she/it is eating the daikon but from both underneath and on top. I pulled what I thought was going to be a prize-winner (for my garden, anyway) and there was only an inch and a half of daikon (in there stores they're about 12-14 inches long). Another one was eaten from above ground. Apparently it feels it can now roam the garden with such impunity it doesn't need to burrow to eat. My main concern now is that it will develop an appetite for pine 2x4's and start drilling holes into the house.
The end result of this latest encounter with 'blade runner' is that I had to harvest as much daikon as I could before it was eaten. I can only wish it would find something in the yard that would give it a really bad stomach ache and leave. My worst fears is that I might have to wait until it dies of old age.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Trellis plants
The oxymoron (if that's the right word) is that a plant if pretty if that's where you want it to grow, otherwise it's a pain in the ass.
Plant in point - bougainvilla (I don't care if it's spelled right or not). It's in the wrong place, it's overgrown, it's thorny, it's a pain. In addition, it doesn't chip really well so I have to cut it down using pruning shears and a chainsaw.
Oxymoron - I went to HD and bought two (guess what) bougainvillas. Why? Because I found a right place for them and the old one (the one I'm trying to kill) is too well established to transplant.
There is a wisteria that is competing with the old bougainvilla for space. I'm running interference for the wisteria and trying to keep the bougainvilla down while the wisteria overgrows it. We'll see how that works. Wisteria is not easy to take care of either. After trimming, it won't go through chippers without jamming it. My project (one of many) is to build a trellis for the wisteria.
Plant in point - bougainvilla (I don't care if it's spelled right or not). It's in the wrong place, it's overgrown, it's thorny, it's a pain. In addition, it doesn't chip really well so I have to cut it down using pruning shears and a chainsaw.
Oxymoron - I went to HD and bought two (guess what) bougainvillas. Why? Because I found a right place for them and the old one (the one I'm trying to kill) is too well established to transplant.
There is a wisteria that is competing with the old bougainvilla for space. I'm running interference for the wisteria and trying to keep the bougainvilla down while the wisteria overgrows it. We'll see how that works. Wisteria is not easy to take care of either. After trimming, it won't go through chippers without jamming it. My project (one of many) is to build a trellis for the wisteria.
April 26 summary of garden to date
Gophers will eat most anything. I didn't worry too much last summer because the cherry tomato plant is more like a weed on steroids so it was impossible for him/her/it to eat everything. During winter there was a freeze and the plant had to be cut back. During this time it (gopher) ate 1 cilantro plant, a 1 foot tall margarite daisy, three brown onions and the roots of the china (sugar) peas. The only solution, so far, has been to replant using 6" pots. So far this has worked for the cilantro. I have yet to replant the china peas. All other crops in the veggie garden are at risk.
Based on the cherry tomato plant last year, I determined (falsely) that anything would grow on the slope where it's at year-round. This included (even more falsely) the believe that seeds would germinate in winter. With the cherry tomato plant continuing to produce in October, I proceeded to plant the slope with a number of different vegetables. In December, there was a freeze and the tomato plant had to be cut back. Following is an evaluation of the success of the various seeds planted. As a general rule, I'm learning there is a reason the back of the seed packets say to plant during specific months in different regions around the country. There is an indoor bay window available for seed germination. Notes on the success of that as applicable below.
Additional note: although there has been less rainfall than normal, this has not translated into sunny days. Normally it either rains or shines but for the past month it has been overcast.
Cherry tomato - it is April now and the plant has green fruit. Hopefully in 2 or 3 weeks there will be something edible. It has taken that long to rebound from the frost and cold weather.
Tomato seeds - pretty much nothing has sprouted. I finally went out to Home Depot (HD) and picked up one Beefsteak and one Roma plant. I planted them in early March. At least they didn't die. General note for the tomatos and other 'plants'...they are starting to really grow now. This coincides with a greater weed problem.
Bell pepper seeds - useless. Finally went out to HD and bought a plant. It looks lonely and certainly would be a tastly morsel for a gopher who will eat brown onions. So far it's still there.
China (sugar) peas - by far the most successful in germinating in the winter. Have been picking them since early March. Very tasty and crunchy but need to pick early while they're still flat. Subject to powdery mildew so have to watch watering on overcast days. Good example of advantages of drip irrigation which I don't have. Gopher will eat roots. Have to trellis properly or the plant will 'lay over'.
Sweet corn - planted in late February or early March and has no problem growing. It's about a foot tall now.
Radishes - grows almost as easily as the China peas. Problem is that the need to be thinned (actually everything does) or the radishes will be small and deformed. Also, sometimes they will split. I don't know if this has to do with irrigating once they get to a certain size. Good reviews that they are nice and 'hot' tasting.
Brown and Red onions - Planted in November. Didn't do anything until January. Grew very slowly and have this messy 'floppy' kind of leaves. Don't know how they taste yet. Gopher is causing problems. Just seem to grow slow.
Chives - problems getting to germinate.
Green onions - very strange plants. They will germinate but if you leave them in too long they get big and tough. Best tasting when still a bit 'juvenile'. They're at this stage not as nice as the ones in the store but part of the problem might be because it's still winter'/spring.
Chinese cabbage - an example of why you don't plant too early. A few seeds germinated but 'bolted' (went directly into a flowering stage instead of growing into something edible). Looked it up on the internet and the plant has a reputation for doing that if planted too early.
Beets - Planted in January but didn't germinate until early March. Doing well.
Soybean (edamame type) - Seeds planted in November never germinated. Had to germinate in bay window (late February) then transplant. Growing now.
Shiso - Pain in the ass. Even trying to germinate the seeds in the bay window was tough. Green variety germinated much easier than the purple one. Even so, germination was only 40% and the plants grow slow.
Daikon - Planted in late February/early March and is like a weed. Had to thin two or three times. Radishes are half the size of those in the stores.
Chrysanthemum - Planted same time as Daikon. Had to thin once. Grows like a weed.
Chili peppers - Nothing germinated from fall planting. Bought one plant from HD in March. Still alive.
Broccolli - Bought plants from HD in early March. Doing well but grows slow due to it being in the shady part of the slope. Edible flowers just maturing.
Cabbage - grows but slugs got to it. Looks 'aerated'. Have to replant.
Pole beans - Planted in mid-March. Oddly the seeds in the bay window never germinated but the ones in the garden did. Having a tough time. Slugs taking chunks out of them and they're on a shady part of the slope.
Carrots - a few germinated.
Generally, the herbs haven't done well. Most of the seeds didn't germinate so I had to put plants in.
Cilantro - once established, grows like a weed until the gophers find it.
Rosemary - doesn't grow fast but is woody like a tree. Very durable once established.
Basil - planted greek and varigated. The varigated doesn't seem to have much fragrence. The greek does but seems like a less durable plant.
Thyme - once established seems to do well. Slow and steady.
Dill - a pain. Difficult to germinate. Transplant from HD works okay but not a 'stable' plant. Changes to purple sometimes. Gopher will eat it. I transplanted a healthy one from one part of the garden to another and it died. It's a bit finicky.
Sage - Planted plant from HD in April. Seems to be doing well.
Cantelope - germinated from seeds in bay window. 40% germination. Transplanted in early March. Took awhile but now starting to take hold.
Based on the cherry tomato plant last year, I determined (falsely) that anything would grow on the slope where it's at year-round. This included (even more falsely) the believe that seeds would germinate in winter. With the cherry tomato plant continuing to produce in October, I proceeded to plant the slope with a number of different vegetables. In December, there was a freeze and the tomato plant had to be cut back. Following is an evaluation of the success of the various seeds planted. As a general rule, I'm learning there is a reason the back of the seed packets say to plant during specific months in different regions around the country. There is an indoor bay window available for seed germination. Notes on the success of that as applicable below.
Additional note: although there has been less rainfall than normal, this has not translated into sunny days. Normally it either rains or shines but for the past month it has been overcast.
Cherry tomato - it is April now and the plant has green fruit. Hopefully in 2 or 3 weeks there will be something edible. It has taken that long to rebound from the frost and cold weather.
Tomato seeds - pretty much nothing has sprouted. I finally went out to Home Depot (HD) and picked up one Beefsteak and one Roma plant. I planted them in early March. At least they didn't die. General note for the tomatos and other 'plants'...they are starting to really grow now. This coincides with a greater weed problem.
Bell pepper seeds - useless. Finally went out to HD and bought a plant. It looks lonely and certainly would be a tastly morsel for a gopher who will eat brown onions. So far it's still there.
China (sugar) peas - by far the most successful in germinating in the winter. Have been picking them since early March. Very tasty and crunchy but need to pick early while they're still flat. Subject to powdery mildew so have to watch watering on overcast days. Good example of advantages of drip irrigation which I don't have. Gopher will eat roots. Have to trellis properly or the plant will 'lay over'.
Sweet corn - planted in late February or early March and has no problem growing. It's about a foot tall now.
Radishes - grows almost as easily as the China peas. Problem is that the need to be thinned (actually everything does) or the radishes will be small and deformed. Also, sometimes they will split. I don't know if this has to do with irrigating once they get to a certain size. Good reviews that they are nice and 'hot' tasting.
Brown and Red onions - Planted in November. Didn't do anything until January. Grew very slowly and have this messy 'floppy' kind of leaves. Don't know how they taste yet. Gopher is causing problems. Just seem to grow slow.
Chives - problems getting to germinate.
Green onions - very strange plants. They will germinate but if you leave them in too long they get big and tough. Best tasting when still a bit 'juvenile'. They're at this stage not as nice as the ones in the store but part of the problem might be because it's still winter'/spring.
Chinese cabbage - an example of why you don't plant too early. A few seeds germinated but 'bolted' (went directly into a flowering stage instead of growing into something edible). Looked it up on the internet and the plant has a reputation for doing that if planted too early.
Beets - Planted in January but didn't germinate until early March. Doing well.
Soybean (edamame type) - Seeds planted in November never germinated. Had to germinate in bay window (late February) then transplant. Growing now.
Shiso - Pain in the ass. Even trying to germinate the seeds in the bay window was tough. Green variety germinated much easier than the purple one. Even so, germination was only 40% and the plants grow slow.
Daikon - Planted in late February/early March and is like a weed. Had to thin two or three times. Radishes are half the size of those in the stores.
Chrysanthemum - Planted same time as Daikon. Had to thin once. Grows like a weed.
Chili peppers - Nothing germinated from fall planting. Bought one plant from HD in March. Still alive.
Broccolli - Bought plants from HD in early March. Doing well but grows slow due to it being in the shady part of the slope. Edible flowers just maturing.
Cabbage - grows but slugs got to it. Looks 'aerated'. Have to replant.
Pole beans - Planted in mid-March. Oddly the seeds in the bay window never germinated but the ones in the garden did. Having a tough time. Slugs taking chunks out of them and they're on a shady part of the slope.
Carrots - a few germinated.
Generally, the herbs haven't done well. Most of the seeds didn't germinate so I had to put plants in.
Cilantro - once established, grows like a weed until the gophers find it.
Rosemary - doesn't grow fast but is woody like a tree. Very durable once established.
Basil - planted greek and varigated. The varigated doesn't seem to have much fragrence. The greek does but seems like a less durable plant.
Thyme - once established seems to do well. Slow and steady.
Dill - a pain. Difficult to germinate. Transplant from HD works okay but not a 'stable' plant. Changes to purple sometimes. Gopher will eat it. I transplanted a healthy one from one part of the garden to another and it died. It's a bit finicky.
Sage - Planted plant from HD in April. Seems to be doing well.
Cantelope - germinated from seeds in bay window. 40% germination. Transplanted in early March. Took awhile but now starting to take hold.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)