tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33030893693537417042024-03-14T14:07:04.403-04:00.09 AcresBackyard Organic Vegetable and Fruit Gardening in Tidewater, Virginia.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-37196965122202321442012-10-13T17:30:00.000-04:002012-10-13T17:30:15.366-04:00Gone to the Dogs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My raspberries have gone to the dogs. Literally.<br />
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.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-18930031186301342452012-08-29T19:13:00.000-04:002012-08-29T19:13:45.991-04:00Citrus Brown Rot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was walking past my potted citrus trees, not really giving them more than a casual glance, when something unusual caught my eye. It was a big nasty brown area on a large but immature lemon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3A5p91dRlaW3f10QSK4CWkyVFBUxaFnmGKk-MaqYfgzWx4qIu26VR-kkWOxF8B17CYqS2QoerOu1xX6rBMDNhScYO_4F9I3A6wCJEnW-pd5hrAY_QeQwhvzOBweVmteVKa-1y7oJ7JB4/s1600/CIMG2675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3A5p91dRlaW3f10QSK4CWkyVFBUxaFnmGKk-MaqYfgzWx4qIu26VR-kkWOxF8B17CYqS2QoerOu1xX6rBMDNhScYO_4F9I3A6wCJEnW-pd5hrAY_QeQwhvzOBweVmteVKa-1y7oJ7JB4/s320/CIMG2675.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ugly looking lemon with a huge brown splotch.</td></tr>
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I picked it off the tree and gave it a closer look. It actually had the appearance of a bulls-eye; brown concentric rings spreading from a circular center. I walked inside and fired up the Google while the bulls-eye stared back at me.<br />
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After a quick research session, I concluded that this lemon suffered (it's now deceased, I chucked it in the bin) from Citrus Brown Rot. According to the <a href="http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r107100711.html">UC Pest Management Guidelines</a>:<br />
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"Brown rot is caused by multiple species of <i>Phytophthora</i> when conditions are cool and wet. Brown rot develops
mainly on fruit growing near the ground when <i>Phytophthora</i> spores from the soil are splashed onto the tree
skirts during rainstorms; infections develop under continued wet conditions.
Fruit in the early stage of the disease may go unnoticed at harvest and infect
other fruit during storage."<br />
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Phytophthora is a tongue twister. It's also sort of like a fungi but also different. I won't get into the biological details. Not because I don't want to bore you, but because I don't understand most of it.<br />
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Guess where this lemon was growing? Yup, about four inches off the ground. We received over 10 inches of rain in the past five days and conditions have been generally wet and humid for two months. So basically perfect conditions for this stuff to thrive.<br />
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While I was fairly confident I correctly identified the ailment, I was more than disappointed that the person who named said ailment was less than creative. Citrus Brown Rot. Seriously? What about something like Brown Cyclops Syndrome or Ring of Suffering?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmU0F8nwtWOfkE_fYueMmfdWtj7aXzrLTFQUjMADpjfVu7ergHQLb6d-8iUGCDFQlRvkZbu7yVeCnRowGhPOUAY1LpeS2lVOkDCNQByXBTUz_sYG6HV2bCLqXlr9T4OxlCdEh2kW4boUy5/s1600/CIMG2678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmU0F8nwtWOfkE_fYueMmfdWtj7aXzrLTFQUjMADpjfVu7ergHQLb6d-8iUGCDFQlRvkZbu7yVeCnRowGhPOUAY1LpeS2lVOkDCNQByXBTUz_sYG6HV2bCLqXlr9T4OxlCdEh2kW4boUy5/s320/CIMG2678.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Citrus Brown Rot. It's a small price to pay for organic growing.</td></tr>
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.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-29563126633887250692012-08-05T12:33:00.000-04:002012-08-05T12:33:12.142-04:00Fig Porn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yeah, that's right, I said it. Fig Porn!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span">For the true fig lover out there, nothing is hotter than pictures of ripe figs. </span>In full confession, I actually borrowed the expression from a member of the <a href="http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/">Figs4Fun forum</a>.<span class="Apple-style-span"> Here are a few pics of my Violette de Bordeaux and Celeste figs from my garden this morning. Keep your shirt on...</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSenoh8KMrd5KsnCCqEtCXhmvVmi_wh4UkSqTUq5cnaWI1PhSArQE4X6gMJWEOgf0-g4L4qHtLPvjYr4IuBLKqY7dKeMQ_KJ0VpgSc3TlCE-7tftVJVnDf3RDS9IqYnGHYpfjxAQEiMAy/s1600/VdB+on+Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSenoh8KMrd5KsnCCqEtCXhmvVmi_wh4UkSqTUq5cnaWI1PhSArQE4X6gMJWEOgf0-g4L4qHtLPvjYr4IuBLKqY7dKeMQ_KJ0VpgSc3TlCE-7tftVJVnDf3RDS9IqYnGHYpfjxAQEiMAy/s320/VdB+on+Tree.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violette de Bordeaux figs ripening, but not yet ready for harvest.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gKjZyEWUwF02vGPNOhXDYIID2Wd18TUTa0o1VHMP4w7Jgn3BLySe05gjeEipSplCqQUvg-cy-L1GdWoIcHXMvz42I9E5DK8FXOUVikmJRetLcW8B9GitIQnUCwQK4Oud-IqP7CEjSe3z/s1600/Fig+Harvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gKjZyEWUwF02vGPNOhXDYIID2Wd18TUTa0o1VHMP4w7Jgn3BLySe05gjeEipSplCqQUvg-cy-L1GdWoIcHXMvz42I9E5DK8FXOUVikmJRetLcW8B9GitIQnUCwQK4Oud-IqP7CEjSe3z/s320/Fig+Harvest.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violette de Bordeaux and Celeste figs harvested on August 5, 2012.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fXm3VytVyoEiaUi6k_LrpOu3AjCyutBLVs2irhQkjEmMLsCthZ1lejQ4tF46rSYwmRiwACKjqJVSgmRPx3BS6LqgR96XUevw-dk4ZbA36krpOxcEQuZSIFnKxe53OWkKJAKTxhRfYO4z/s1600/Ripe1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fXm3VytVyoEiaUi6k_LrpOu3AjCyutBLVs2irhQkjEmMLsCthZ1lejQ4tF46rSYwmRiwACKjqJVSgmRPx3BS6LqgR96XUevw-dk4ZbA36krpOxcEQuZSIFnKxe53OWkKJAKTxhRfYO4z/s320/Ripe1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig porn.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuG3hNhS-Qz8odhnUorM5Yovw0DLxnhXAK7aBTrulpG_FPDxQMCAh7yHNgYus9CLYFkSMb6PRCDSoAJvqhdTcvGLrcX2M9EKc5QDQsWJB0NCeLi2gJRA-dX9DG2ZrW129jdep3aAFQV_uK/s1600/Ripe2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuG3hNhS-Qz8odhnUorM5Yovw0DLxnhXAK7aBTrulpG_FPDxQMCAh7yHNgYus9CLYFkSMb6PRCDSoAJvqhdTcvGLrcX2M9EKc5QDQsWJB0NCeLi2gJRA-dX9DG2ZrW129jdep3aAFQV_uK/s320/Ripe2.jpg" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even raunchier fig porn.</td></tr>
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Fig porn on a Sunday?! I'm gonna burn for this one.</div>
</div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-87659774219411808322012-08-04T12:39:00.000-04:002012-08-04T14:55:47.312-04:00Figs Are Ripening<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is what a ripe Celeste fig looks like.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uL_QSinUfEwIRpr_Sd4e_ilzocRa68T4hu6XpUEmuL7TM9RHEUzF7Ye39NM1OEt4VuC3A3MhrKMvmv2LqJZSs-N7z7yxB5BsS2Gzng_irzeead0S4e7Z-gmBqp7gIjrQMXuBJGHmCMHX/s1600/Celeste.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uL_QSinUfEwIRpr_Sd4e_ilzocRa68T4hu6XpUEmuL7TM9RHEUzF7Ye39NM1OEt4VuC3A3MhrKMvmv2LqJZSs-N7z7yxB5BsS2Gzng_irzeead0S4e7Z-gmBqp7gIjrQMXuBJGHmCMHX/s320/Celeste.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ripe Celeste fig hanging from a branch, waiting to be picked and eaten.</td></tr>
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Notice how the fig has drooped, transitioned in color from green to dark brown, and the skin is visibly cracked. This fig also felt very heavy for its size. These are all good indicators that a fig is ripe.<br />
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My Celeste figs have been ripening since mid-July, and now my Violette de Bordeaux figs are starting to swell in size, change color, and droop a little bit. I will definitely be posting pictures of those as well for comparison.<br />
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Hope everybody else is enjoying mid-summer fruits from their own gardens. </div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-72850408209462481002012-07-16T21:51:00.000-04:002012-07-16T21:51:35.916-04:00In The Red<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2011/06/early-june.html">Last June</a> I was in the black. Most of my tomato plants got blight very early in the season and went black. It was really bad so I pulled them, tossed 'em, and craved tomatoes the rest of the summer. The other tomato plants went black (actually brown) in <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2011/09/rain-rain-go-away.html">September</a>.<br />
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This summer I'm in the red! My heirloom tomatoes are in full production, particularly these German Johnson beefsteaks.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0CY06A5Lan-hQhaeqZWIncBLtBDHiEPR7REYB0yUZOVL-q2grt-ilCFD_D0BRBnmZSl-APOu2KEXYAZF0-sU7s0NEyBaLP6-CBccrQZP9lKqtpt4fAHoXYXUZaB9UP9WOVDUftWPZSbF/s1600/German+Johnson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0CY06A5Lan-hQhaeqZWIncBLtBDHiEPR7REYB0yUZOVL-q2grt-ilCFD_D0BRBnmZSl-APOu2KEXYAZF0-sU7s0NEyBaLP6-CBccrQZP9lKqtpt4fAHoXYXUZaB9UP9WOVDUftWPZSbF/s320/German+Johnson.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">German Johnson tomatoes harvested this evening. The largest tomato weighs 22 ounces.</td></tr>
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There are at least 15 more impressively large tomatoes hanging on my German Johnson vine in varying stages of growth and ripeness. I also have two Hillbilly vines in heavy bloom, three Black from Tulas started in May, a Bush Beefsteak, and one Sungold hybrid tomato in the ground.<br />
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If I could only plant one variety it would definitely be Black from Tula. But German Johnson is a close second. And I'm not complaining after a 13-month tomato drought in my garden.<br />
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What's everybody growing out there? What are your favorite varieties of heirloom tomatoes? E-mail me some pictures (vaplantman@yahoo.com) and I'll post the best looking tomato of the bunch.</div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-31062048938429273812012-06-28T22:13:00.000-04:002012-06-28T22:14:05.951-04:00Ridiculous Radish!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Prior to this summer, I had never saved seeds from a radish. But after a <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2012/03/ready-for-radishes.html">successful and tasty radish growing season</a> this spring, I decided to leave a few unharvested and let them go to seed. It didn't take long before the Blanche Transparente radishes I grew in a large ceramic pot sent their seed stalks skyward.<br />
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And I'll be honest, it seemed like a <i>Jack and the Beanstalk</i> experience. The radishes kept growing larger and fatter and the seed stalks kept growing higher and higher. Between March 28 and June 28 the radishes morphed into massive monsters. Have a look at these photos.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DlY9HVkgbDuHc0wUe6fbcWvc-3yk6HAyUEIkCClcFh3PATi9Ze-tvCY3OlxQvdI7NX-hjdhqJDx8AGOzSw5_LpmCF4gv_YJNFnPNjrYx3vOcqdstbSD04v2F4rUvdUCw-M-W5AyEQhfI/s1600/CIMG2138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DlY9HVkgbDuHc0wUe6fbcWvc-3yk6HAyUEIkCClcFh3PATi9Ze-tvCY3OlxQvdI7NX-hjdhqJDx8AGOzSw5_LpmCF4gv_YJNFnPNjrYx3vOcqdstbSD04v2F4rUvdUCw-M-W5AyEQhfI/s320/CIMG2138.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5-inch long Blanche Transparente radishes harvested on March 28, 2012.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgNg_QzpQhVFhyphenhyphenF1Br_0TG8_h0xqsnO_JrTUUYnj15xeHcusvE_GFWL-SW3ifeWVZzrFer0Z_Lw9Dej1vcCeJUl4LncjlV0bnoqtXvMlslatAr60KY-pMqgc60X9wnay7DR5P8w7adSDH/s1600/CIMG2538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgNg_QzpQhVFhyphenhyphenF1Br_0TG8_h0xqsnO_JrTUUYnj15xeHcusvE_GFWL-SW3ifeWVZzrFer0Z_Lw9Dej1vcCeJUl4LncjlV0bnoqtXvMlslatAr60KY-pMqgc60X9wnay7DR5P8w7adSDH/s320/CIMG2538.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5-foot long Blanche Transparente radish and seed stalk pulled on June 28, 2012.</td></tr>
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Yes, you read that correctly. This particular radish was over 5-feet long from root to seed pods. Here's a close-up of the root next to the pitchfork.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFH2N5nCB2QU870Ys6p3wjAtPxBvmENbC4yvXMSZgUXOckYr6w4-iTampcquyO6W499dvmjC6MzEgL415QoQgM7Sw5BY8FJ_Hh8D4cP33oNyPkNMUG9driK0L37pJloHHSRXaQ9V25Uygm/s1600/CIMG2540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFH2N5nCB2QU870Ys6p3wjAtPxBvmENbC4yvXMSZgUXOckYr6w4-iTampcquyO6W499dvmjC6MzEgL415QoQgM7Sw5BY8FJ_Hh8D4cP33oNyPkNMUG9driK0L37pJloHHSRXaQ9V25Uygm/s320/CIMG2540.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This radish root is longer than the business end of my pitchfork!</td></tr>
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Last but not least, here's a photo of me holding the root. Despite its ridiculous, elephant-trunk-like shape, it was actually fairly light for its size.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJS19b9rMfUmT9UgR-lbDqCCNbXXq4cFjo-RSZNti1dboirrHJ6FTNg-E9zwEf1jn_kgkt7KnYhqMoQ9Z_7n5qEjHX2m4hfOd8jviU6AhRaZ3EsDQhf48lntStLllh4nayVdqpAXhBnGN7/s1600/CIMG2545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJS19b9rMfUmT9UgR-lbDqCCNbXXq4cFjo-RSZNti1dboirrHJ6FTNg-E9zwEf1jn_kgkt7KnYhqMoQ9Z_7n5qEjHX2m4hfOd8jviU6AhRaZ3EsDQhf48lntStLllh4nayVdqpAXhBnGN7/s320/CIMG2545.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Massive Blanche Transparente radish harvested from a ceramic pot.</td></tr>
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I cut the seed stalks from each root and left the seed pods intact. They are now tied together and hanging from a rafter in my garden shed to dry out completely before I collect all the seeds.<br />
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Ridiculous radish indeed!</div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-92221215397435446442012-06-27T20:01:00.000-04:002012-06-27T20:01:52.540-04:00Espalier Fig IV<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2012/06/theyre-figgin-huge.html">most recent blog post about figs</a> quickly generated lots of good comments. But one comment in particular stood out from the crowd. Check it:<br />
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"When I saw the headline I was SOOO excited that finally I was going to
see what happened to the espalier you hacked off. What a tease... Please
don't make us wait too much longer... Helen"<br />
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Well Helen, this post is for you.<br />
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On <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2012/03/march-madness.html">March 15</a>, I did what some would consider a barbaric pruning job of my espalier fig. I sawed off all the vertical limbs just above the very bottom growth nodes. It was a job that even George Washington of great cherry tree chopping prowess would have to acknowledge with a tip of his hat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8jdVvmywGn0pHC7VRVPfR76JgMYOxa-68BudlG7El7fgKFUc15se9DKUNentr_oY0StraTRtLpB57-EiEvg8DcI-u0R1A20cZDv3mfDLmuZJSpjkn6Jw9rsYe7_j7HDm0RJcE3zo79MT/s1600/CIMG2069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8jdVvmywGn0pHC7VRVPfR76JgMYOxa-68BudlG7El7fgKFUc15se9DKUNentr_oY0StraTRtLpB57-EiEvg8DcI-u0R1A20cZDv3mfDLmuZJSpjkn6Jw9rsYe7_j7HDm0RJcE3zo79MT/s320/CIMG2069.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heavily pruned espalier fig on March 15, 2012</td></tr>
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I'll admit at first I was a bit worried about the recovery of this fig tree. But at the same time, I was aware that fig trees are nearly impossible to kill. So basically I sawed, then sweated, then decided to sit back and let Mother Nature take it from there.<br />
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What does the espalier fig look like approximately 100 days after pruning? You wouldn't even know that I laid my hands on it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzKD1Y-xHlXQSeQCG966KnZx9n53WL2MtH0YxtDAq0lm1_kQYOfCRurr1i9wUBbnOkeeyL9j6pgtrTbH_1yx12W4Zcg7snWhrpW2xZZk9Dly7KPL3K-kZh1jxbXFleOoztzmCbz2O5by4/s1600/1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzKD1Y-xHlXQSeQCG966KnZx9n53WL2MtH0YxtDAq0lm1_kQYOfCRurr1i9wUBbnOkeeyL9j6pgtrTbH_1yx12W4Zcg7snWhrpW2xZZk9Dly7KPL3K-kZh1jxbXFleOoztzmCbz2O5by4/s320/1.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Espalier fig on June 27, 2012. Most of the vertical limbs are nearly 7 feet tall. My dog Scout is in the picture to show you my fierce and formidable fig defender. I trained her so well to protect my fig trees from any number of different predators that she barely lets me near them without a promise from me to share the spoils.</td></tr>
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The majority of the vertical limbs are now 7 feet tall, covered in lush foliage, and loaded with unripe figs. I'm also attempting to extend the right-most horizontal arm of the espalier. Last year I accidentally broke it off and it didn't re-grow. This spring, it shot out another arm and I quickly started to train it horizontally.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz5i1zsyarjAXUUlkNYcQ8KJv_sJ15SQH1Sp-i0w8A74feZzN990lpYCLHR3z8nauvE8Mz1sFruqEPnI0t5fe9niLXkzEERnMYTtqJ9Bx_79Zsy5zduEL0efZZOEUU41JZUZmzvVgI7VIT/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz5i1zsyarjAXUUlkNYcQ8KJv_sJ15SQH1Sp-i0w8A74feZzN990lpYCLHR3z8nauvE8Mz1sFruqEPnI0t5fe9niLXkzEERnMYTtqJ9Bx_79Zsy5zduEL0efZZOEUU41JZUZmzvVgI7VIT/s320/2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slowly extending the length of the right-most vertical limb of my espalier fig near the shed door. I hope to train two vertical growths from this new extension over the next year or two.</td></tr>
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Because I'm a bit clumsy, I also accidentally broke off two vertical growths early this spring. I'm still kicking myself about it because one never grew back and the other caused some lasting damage to the tree.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTob2tknGiChcxTsHtRwndzToSUQFZ3J4gMxVApj6L_g7ix1J0Ghd8NFhyphenhyphenwIvyg1UJ_FSegXLwJ4FgnXHjAVBPttF9I3AGuapFXRzwFPXuUZ2-hitSukz7MBd20hZvJJjzqP1vKfOUr9-/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTob2tknGiChcxTsHtRwndzToSUQFZ3J4gMxVApj6L_g7ix1J0Ghd8NFhyphenhyphenwIvyg1UJ_FSegXLwJ4FgnXHjAVBPttF9I3AGuapFXRzwFPXuUZ2-hitSukz7MBd20hZvJJjzqP1vKfOUr9-/s320/7.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sad reminder of what dragging a heavy garden hose can do to the tender new growth of a fig tree. Snapped it right off. Now it's just an ugly stump.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjtOAfJS24BE-34rUmxR-ikst-_q5m4-RjeeTGyo8DuW74JTsDXk5Xmkptthmv6Yc4gWm-T1uxHxeC1ePWnGAcZMmapyAMp0b6mtI4KSX4gXhMmvdRFETF0-lqF-OnxXu9KiKjm0IoXZw/s1600/4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjtOAfJS24BE-34rUmxR-ikst-_q5m4-RjeeTGyo8DuW74JTsDXk5Xmkptthmv6Yc4gWm-T1uxHxeC1ePWnGAcZMmapyAMp0b6mtI4KSX4gXhMmvdRFETF0-lqF-OnxXu9KiKjm0IoXZw/s320/4.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This growth was also damaged by a garden hose that I was trying to un-kink. The hose swung up in the air and snapped off the original growth that started in March. This skinny shoot that is now almost horizontal is a second growth. I'm waiting for it to harden off a bit before I train it vertically, otherwise it may break off again.</td></tr>
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As a result of breaking off the growth in this second area, I exposed the fig tree's right horizontal limb to excessive direct sunlight due to lack of protective foliage. Believe it or not, a fig tree can get a pretty nasty sunburn and this is definitely the case with my tree. Have a look at the sun-damaged bark.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWV8-zfMLf2ven1uYbb31gsoceYzuEosuYbkIbcrKDhrT7gxVSveHGl_K3UNoxJW7Mu7gbRG90bvqRm1Sk1YwTUrjxZxP-OYvIzByIerSRlEv3QHERZJgRsmi4uLUgrd2NAkmU2vlHC_O/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWV8-zfMLf2ven1uYbb31gsoceYzuEosuYbkIbcrKDhrT7gxVSveHGl_K3UNoxJW7Mu7gbRG90bvqRm1Sk1YwTUrjxZxP-OYvIzByIerSRlEv3QHERZJgRsmi4uLUgrd2NAkmU2vlHC_O/s320/3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun damage on the right horizontal growth of my espalier fig. Hopefully it will recover. Some literature suggests that you can whitewash the exposed trunks of fig and other fruit trees to protect them from sun damage. Cue the SPF jokes...</td></tr>
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Lastly, here are two pictures showing the new vertical growths. The first pic shows the base of a growth, and the second pic is take from above to provide a different perspective.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICyzP22kLsTqdXvDdVG2l8iKZMFCD1xFnUsudi64TE9tADqDOMf5x_azP5KXx0TXuwLoshJ3onOfnoVGOLIuq4fDoCg_EkZENlTQBqXYzO2IqXsjKbtSeWkU8-sC2dYe08-lffs2Ka0ry/s1600/5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICyzP22kLsTqdXvDdVG2l8iKZMFCD1xFnUsudi64TE9tADqDOMf5x_azP5KXx0TXuwLoshJ3onOfnoVGOLIuq4fDoCg_EkZENlTQBqXYzO2IqXsjKbtSeWkU8-sC2dYe08-lffs2Ka0ry/s320/5.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This year's growth directly above a pruned area. I stripped off two leaves to expose this area for the photo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEaI4_D_8A9rlmmD0eI5i3INXDLvL1x6t9xPh8W2nx92NLl0ryidv3Hg9VYjtIYbBG2s9HjwRMOjEJPy4fG__EzOWAJtWdXJmNJCJ6eoyQs5dbONfUUYWETseEQczuIHWMLhySDQFi2cG/s1600/8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEaI4_D_8A9rlmmD0eI5i3INXDLvL1x6t9xPh8W2nx92NLl0ryidv3Hg9VYjtIYbBG2s9HjwRMOjEJPy4fG__EzOWAJtWdXJmNJCJ6eoyQs5dbONfUUYWETseEQczuIHWMLhySDQFi2cG/s320/8.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the same vertical growth depicted in the photo above. Note the figs growing above nearly every leaf. I can't wait for these babies to ripen, and neither can Scout (and every other bird, squirrel, ant, and creature in the yard).</td></tr>
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So there you have it, Helen! A post about my espalier fig just for you. Hope you enjoyed it.</div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-15421731695784432742012-06-14T23:56:00.000-04:002012-06-27T19:14:15.696-04:00They're Figgin' Huge!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When healthy and planted in a good location, fig trees can grow unbelievably quickly and become very productive. Here is a photo of my fig trees 15 months ago after I transferred them from pots into the ground.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnB9LIthDK_Z_KFDXcx0_Gd5-qr8N5KHZ3JWru_zRkAXQ-EUbHFJUjrCOBQtesA94Wmki391A61tdKRI5TqxECBUeLM0lLx8p7-n5ZpKiF_XwZCycG1meuYz_0x3h9Pdcat2WalLfrCGNX/s1600/Late+March+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnB9LIthDK_Z_KFDXcx0_Gd5-qr8N5KHZ3JWru_zRkAXQ-EUbHFJUjrCOBQtesA94Wmki391A61tdKRI5TqxECBUeLM0lLx8p7-n5ZpKiF_XwZCycG1meuYz_0x3h9Pdcat2WalLfrCGNX/s320/Late+March+2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig trees down the left wall of .09 Acres in late March, 2011.</td></tr>
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What do they look like today on June 14, 2012? Check it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRem12NVTTmE5qwrl0TXOM7zhrVYmN08nuAMnUP8aybsFqmJOgs0uE4yarqBlcy8P9Lf1_mqIwQRfqmt9H44SUf4PWfost_oTeJ6gge2IVtP6-B4kLEWs0kTFRPm97eqSjRSe53_i8Afk/s1600/Figs+Overall+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRem12NVTTmE5qwrl0TXOM7zhrVYmN08nuAMnUP8aybsFqmJOgs0uE4yarqBlcy8P9Lf1_mqIwQRfqmt9H44SUf4PWfost_oTeJ6gge2IVtP6-B4kLEWs0kTFRPm97eqSjRSe53_i8Afk/s320/Figs+Overall+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig trees down the left wall of .09 Acres in mid June, 2012.</td></tr>
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Yup, pretty darn beastly if I do say so myself. Let's take a look at them in more detail.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3eqi37QOY7h9uJqhO_Pr_FVjQRw9TzCBSsn0xporQaAFVccFmhtGWGUfo15YRno7Obk40bxlaHwiXoC9reyWr9dhWqPdP3ZX6hzc5xuZoYtAf25Pnc4SG1Yv49kE8SL2Le6ijz2uzLQk/s1600/Negronne+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3eqi37QOY7h9uJqhO_Pr_FVjQRw9TzCBSsn0xporQaAFVccFmhtGWGUfo15YRno7Obk40bxlaHwiXoC9reyWr9dhWqPdP3ZX6hzc5xuZoYtAf25Pnc4SG1Yv49kE8SL2Le6ijz2uzLQk/s320/Negronne+1.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 year old Negronne fig. This plant is almost 6 feet tall and equally as wide. I pruned it heavily in early March to encourage multiple branches to grow from the pruned areas. It is beginning to form a nice multi-stem shrub.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguodSb36bgSeDC1niuXhs1A1JibpuRdVQKn1L8prh4zJf1mtwoUEvYKzc8RapZHtGvyjxs6XuZvYiC5vC0FGbRIOpbuhphLhOVzX_bIg1EtjzRfpXQAcXzRNTxc7aRpKQkSoDoDGJbpIS7/s1600/VdB+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguodSb36bgSeDC1niuXhs1A1JibpuRdVQKn1L8prh4zJf1mtwoUEvYKzc8RapZHtGvyjxs6XuZvYiC5vC0FGbRIOpbuhphLhOVzX_bIg1EtjzRfpXQAcXzRNTxc7aRpKQkSoDoDGJbpIS7/s320/VdB+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 year old Violette de Bordeaux fig. This plant is almost 6 feet tall and nearly 8 feet wide. I also pruned it heavily in early March to maintain a mult-stem shrub. It is important for me to prune my figs to a manageable size in such a small yard.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLtFrIq6I3MDnZtvDuhn9xNp964bpMGcVAxpW4txaXQU24ZmlbO9ho5TwidTo6NUBh9Qj7bOvBuNIXASOQ_946zgAFQUNMn6NT4q8c4P06K_fR0xcmQVTa_CwUNnXShTOlmkMwqE7Y6Nu/s1600/Negronne+and+VdB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLtFrIq6I3MDnZtvDuhn9xNp964bpMGcVAxpW4txaXQU24ZmlbO9ho5TwidTo6NUBh9Qj7bOvBuNIXASOQ_946zgAFQUNMn6NT4q8c4P06K_fR0xcmQVTa_CwUNnXShTOlmkMwqE7Y6Nu/s320/Negronne+and+VdB.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Negronne and Violette de Bordeaux figs. Looking good.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFbCZqTo3ClltAcAWCTRVQaJZZnfimjJQdRpkJpx2AoJOHj3ERB1t-ukh-Lf3H_y18WBB4T1uQD3-69umOikG5RBxITeUhrfNfzXaBpM18RbK4dcpEA_OEGEFM1HQ86ueUVYneGyMYG75/s1600/LSU+Purple+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFbCZqTo3ClltAcAWCTRVQaJZZnfimjJQdRpkJpx2AoJOHj3ERB1t-ukh-Lf3H_y18WBB4T1uQD3-69umOikG5RBxITeUhrfNfzXaBpM18RbK4dcpEA_OEGEFM1HQ86ueUVYneGyMYG75/s320/LSU+Purple+1.jpg" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very young LSU Purple fig. This plant is just over 1 year old and has a long way to go. I actually dug out another fig tree (thought it was a Strawberry Verte fig but it turned out to be a Magnolia fig...they split heavily in high humidity) previously planted in this location and replaced it with the LSU Purple.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINobbt9PsqQON2LlzjpVOFCMFVbK8nX4QaCpbLwmwYva2OlvvT0VZ2HtuZXzD3CW-RlyO4ST1BHNeeK1xoW_xD07-Ig0MCOzCZIso_0L4cu4gxJILs41qNVhZpFy1i79ZFGGxfZXLMNYD/s1600/Celeste+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINobbt9PsqQON2LlzjpVOFCMFVbK8nX4QaCpbLwmwYva2OlvvT0VZ2HtuZXzD3CW-RlyO4ST1BHNeeK1xoW_xD07-Ig0MCOzCZIso_0L4cu4gxJILs41qNVhZpFy1i79ZFGGxfZXLMNYD/s320/Celeste+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6 year old Celeste fig from Paradise Nursery. This is the first fig tree I ever purchased, and now it has really settled into a permanent home. It is 7 feet tall and nearly 9 feet wide. This is always the first fig variety to ripen in my yard, usually in early July. Waiting...</td></tr>
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Some of you might be wondering if all the heavy pruning I do in early spring to maintain smaller plants significantly reduces the amount of figs that I harvest. The answer to that question is quite simple. No. Here are two pictures of figs on my Violette de Bordeux fig tree, which I have pruned heavily for 3 years.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpddBCVOg8aJqczhsQ5R_T-KIjRNpKR9fwILiH3D4cgxUUXI8M5iRUwy6BQCgO_8Pce_ndRZmgYMsdJup-y2xdnzVkokDjMGwsB5qfRUQ9dgQ2W0Eyoe0A_D-rdeKnSnZ_MTM4OfHyIkd/s1600/VdB+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpddBCVOg8aJqczhsQ5R_T-KIjRNpKR9fwILiH3D4cgxUUXI8M5iRUwy6BQCgO_8Pce_ndRZmgYMsdJup-y2xdnzVkokDjMGwsB5qfRUQ9dgQ2W0Eyoe0A_D-rdeKnSnZ_MTM4OfHyIkd/s320/VdB+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unbelievably prolific variety of fig. But it takes great patience to watch these little VdB figs grow and ripen.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmLxy7t6FSjbLecbwvkgntmJ3MfJ2ApaxTSgnk45jvxtLykIWbq4mQEhRorcEchZCSdn7ieSBa2nQC_RRGwb86medX5V_TaWgiF4sA_c3zbShWTm0eI9tCX-ifgkIkqeT3m2ihvvr8Pa7/s1600/VdB+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmLxy7t6FSjbLecbwvkgntmJ3MfJ2ApaxTSgnk45jvxtLykIWbq4mQEhRorcEchZCSdn7ieSBa2nQC_RRGwb86medX5V_TaWgiF4sA_c3zbShWTm0eI9tCX-ifgkIkqeT3m2ihvvr8Pa7/s320/VdB+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More young VdB figs. I'm optimistic that this will be an epic year for figs.</td></tr>
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I plan on taking pictures of these figs again in the winter after they have dropped all their leaves to show the overall form of each multi-stem shrub. I also plan on taking pics during the pruning process next March to better illustrate how I prune my figs. And stay tuned for an update on my <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2011/09/espalier-fig-iii.html">fig espalier</a> later this summer.<br />
<br />
Happy growing.</div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-48230440192100281012012-05-15T19:04:00.000-04:002012-05-15T19:04:40.669-04:00One Good Reason to Make Your Bed...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
...raised.<br />
<br />
Check out the standing water in my backyard this evening. Three to four inches deep in some locations and usually very slow to drain. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22u4drkt8qRj1RM305xIFWK_KbGjZJ9EYMsOz9Ac37RHCEt-ZeBOhHt2z8HJC2bOzjBDQi_-gCY3v_o2G2CYPQZO9EKXU2uVUbcY9E1HO8Pv6GqBQekan8hsWGlMkshbBLQvNA7tQBMrY/s1600/CIMG2400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22u4drkt8qRj1RM305xIFWK_KbGjZJ9EYMsOz9Ac37RHCEt-ZeBOhHt2z8HJC2bOzjBDQi_-gCY3v_o2G2CYPQZO9EKXU2uVUbcY9E1HO8Pv6GqBQekan8hsWGlMkshbBLQvNA7tQBMrY/s320/CIMG2400.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing water at .09 Acres. This is the primary reason I decided to build raised beds in early 2010.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After I purchased my home in 2009, it didn't take me very long to decide between in-ground vs. raised beds. I actually didn't have much of a choice. The low, slow-draining yard dictated what would be best. If I didn't want sopping wet soil and rotting roots, I would have to build raised beds.<br />
<br />
So that's what I did. Actually didn't take too long or much material; a weekend, a bunch of 2 x 8s, some wood screws, battery-powered screwdriver, saw, and lots of compost. I even decided to <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2011/02/extending-raised-beds.html">expand and connect my raised beds</a> because of the ease of use and multiple successful harvests.<br />
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Now I don't have much to worry about when I come home from work and see this...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aGtcmyj_mwVIsm5V0FOBwz03SimM5uz3INS5CAbhOWMF1ir9TxMr_SHXEW5g2OXzVGUCoC57fKI4F8HaBZlxt_Iu4RbRKLxkPdnGausltUfkvVcZ7jZK3dS4nAb3MYtzE2iBPJOvuoUy/s1600/CIMG2401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aGtcmyj_mwVIsm5V0FOBwz03SimM5uz3INS5CAbhOWMF1ir9TxMr_SHXEW5g2OXzVGUCoC57fKI4F8HaBZlxt_Iu4RbRKLxkPdnGausltUfkvVcZ7jZK3dS4nAb3MYtzE2iBPJOvuoUy/s320/CIMG2401.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
...because I already made my bed(s).</div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-12202411156919408492012-05-14T06:55:00.000-04:002012-05-14T06:57:51.082-04:00Simple Equation for Happy Citrus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here's a simple equation for happy citrus trees:<br />
<br />
Bright sunlight + warm temperatures + ample rain + organic citrus fertilizer = very happy potted lemon and lime trees.<br />
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It really is as simple as that. Here are a few pics of my productive lemon tree:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE-UTZ-O8Dw-kZGCKKG8QP0yowGTp4AIJMCmcJ-sAR1PGvtJoRNc53hWkQ94eBj-icccugZT7LwdwAek0TbK6vun0oiarD0RFshCqp0t-fA2eZ1cGxaxKuiKEQdQG11PfC2lOLLlRbx1ZS/s1600/CIMG2382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE-UTZ-O8Dw-kZGCKKG8QP0yowGTp4AIJMCmcJ-sAR1PGvtJoRNc53hWkQ94eBj-icccugZT7LwdwAek0TbK6vun0oiarD0RFshCqp0t-fA2eZ1cGxaxKuiKEQdQG11PfC2lOLLlRbx1ZS/s320/CIMG2382.JPG" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young lemons developing on the tip of a branch. These lemons grew from flowers that bloomed in early March inside my house. I actually hand-polinated them with the tip of my finger since I don't have a beehive in my house!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2-Ai9rUUdcLcrRw6sFwGClGpmTUykZZPJSTxjDX4arWda8IrpGkKEdILGQty2trsWAVKjTUXIknSEa-XOLUr1S_GIGWtlOe6c4ifbAbs6lPci_ky8QEVFfh67-0lXLS-p1dohbkj_bOy/s1600/CIMG2380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2-Ai9rUUdcLcrRw6sFwGClGpmTUykZZPJSTxjDX4arWda8IrpGkKEdILGQty2trsWAVKjTUXIknSEa-XOLUr1S_GIGWtlOe6c4ifbAbs6lPci_ky8QEVFfh67-0lXLS-p1dohbkj_bOy/s320/CIMG2380.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second flush of citrus blossoms in early May. Note the purple/pink buds that are not yet open, the newly opened bloom on the left, the recently pollinated bloom in the center, and the newly developing lemon on the top right portion of the picture.</td></tr>
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This year's growth has me very optimistic for a delicious crop of juicy limes and lemons in late fall/early winter, particularly after last year's mediocre citrus season. Actually, it was more my fault than anything else. I placed both potted trees on top of my outdoor table. They blew off during a thunderstorm and suffered some pretty bad damage. The top half of my lime tree snapped off completely! Bad news, but lesson learned. Fingers crossed for 2012.</div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-38796236515764880972012-05-12T22:14:00.000-04:002012-05-12T22:14:01.748-04:00Mulch Ado About Nothing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Mulch. Beginning gardeners don't think much about it. "What's the big deal, why all the fuss? It's not necessary, is it?! I can still grow veggies and fruit without it, so why bother?"<br />
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Here's my 2 cents on the subject. Mulch is a huge part of my backyard. I use it on my raised beds as well as on the ground beneath my fruit trees, berry canes, flowers, and herbs. Heck, I spread the stuff everywhere!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHu15xCNgv97tDNa1c1aAZy2eCpeYf1b47pmQA8CvYXgZ4wkkV82hhksiGr1sSc8GnTTxXb-u2qC3h9JQEaNn8SNdbOnF1XhpN24QRKqumK6_rBDDEGuSKZKJyvLMO4f4eXKUs2fRugdl-/s1600/CIMG2385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHu15xCNgv97tDNa1c1aAZy2eCpeYf1b47pmQA8CvYXgZ4wkkV82hhksiGr1sSc8GnTTxXb-u2qC3h9JQEaNn8SNdbOnF1XhpN24QRKqumK6_rBDDEGuSKZKJyvLMO4f4eXKUs2fRugdl-/s320/CIMG2385.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's what I'm talking about! 5 cubic yards of mulch delivered from a local garden center. I already spread 2 cubic yards the other weekend, but completely underestimated how much I needed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Why use mulch? I use mulch for multiple reasons. First, it helps maintain even moisture in my raised beds by minimizing moisture evaporation and blocking bright sunlight from "baking" the soil in brutal summer heat. I use considerably less water in the warm months for my raised beds when they are mulched. Second, it smothers growth from unwanted weeds, grass, and seeds. That's the main reason I use it over my entire backyard, and I will continue to use it so I never have to mow grass again. So far, so good. Third, mulch breaks down over time and adds nutrients and organic material back into to the soil. Fourth, appearance. Mulch adds a uniform look and rich color to any yard or raised beds.<br />
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What type of mulch? Mulch comes in dozens of varieties. Hardwood, softwood, ground up trees debris, wheat straw, pine needles (for acid loving plants), cut grass, leaves, rough and fine texture, even recycled tires and other "green" options. Basically, anything that can be applied in a thick layer for the reasons listed above.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-Zp_8w2Ml7M9I_3ylrHrrdJrvTgSzyL4C1_dO3JsaWOmk40ZLDTIWtYYZUebjs6guyOiccp0NfudtDKA9f_5VNpTnAdmRM1rF1tB0DOwZ6cSca5vM0wTLDEVQI7zEwGsPRJPL1WGsRXu/s1600/CIMG2386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-Zp_8w2Ml7M9I_3ylrHrrdJrvTgSzyL4C1_dO3JsaWOmk40ZLDTIWtYYZUebjs6guyOiccp0NfudtDKA9f_5VNpTnAdmRM1rF1tB0DOwZ6cSca5vM0wTLDEVQI7zEwGsPRJPL1WGsRXu/s320/CIMG2386.JPG" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail pic from the huge mulch pile. It's nearly impossible to shovel this stuff with a regular shovel or spade. Use a pitch fork or special mulch fork instead.</td></tr>
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Where can I get some? Most large nurseries and greenhouses carry mulch. I prefer to buy it in bulk (cubic yards) rather than the bagged version from the big box stores. It is considerably cheaper this way. You can also find it at city waste processing facilities. Hit the internet to find the best sources near your house or yard. I also like to look at and feel what I'm buying. All mulch is not the same in quality, color, or general appearance.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBRciC65TXgmjt-4GP7MfMSaMRNN6LrsgQvFSkft4LkOGbnQXowPN_Qe_hNGUXne8KD43p77HnV3op136K6INV4M-XynI-yNrViBmW7l_bdK6w2SwTycdBPvkwVaLTpYjPSMiQbbcvgc9/s1600/CIMG2373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBRciC65TXgmjt-4GP7MfMSaMRNN6LrsgQvFSkft4LkOGbnQXowPN_Qe_hNGUXne8KD43p77HnV3op136K6INV4M-XynI-yNrViBmW7l_bdK6w2SwTycdBPvkwVaLTpYjPSMiQbbcvgc9/s320/CIMG2373.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freshly applied wheat straw mulch around recently planted cucumber vines. I covered the entire raised bed with this straw mulch to conserve water and moderate soil temperatures. It also decomposes and adds organic material to the soil.</td></tr>
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How should I apply mulch to my yard or raised beds? I won't speak for every gardener because we all have different mulch preferences and uses. But I will tell you what I do at .09 Acres.<br />
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For raised beds: I apply 3-4" thick layers of wheat straw over all my raised beds. I simply pull sections of it off a compressed bale of straw and spread it over the beds. Sometimes after a few weeks or decent rain a few sprouts of wheat straw will grow from seeds in the bale, but it is easy to pull them by hand. I delay mulch application on warm-season crops that prefer higher soil temps, like sweet and hot peppers. I let the soil sit exposed in the sun until temps are generally warm, then I mulch. It is May 12 and I still haven't mulched my pepper beds. I likely won't until next month. I also mulch heavily for fall and winter crops. The added layer of protection often means that I can leave root vegetables and hardy greens uncovered (no hoop house or low tunnel).<br />
<br />
For the rest of my yard (walking paths and beneath fruit trees): First, I pull any existing weeds or unwanted seedlings from the ground before I spread any mulch. Then, I'm ready to spread a 3-4" thick layer of mulch over the entire yard. It will take me dozens of trips with a wheelbarrow, but I load it with a pitch fork and then push it into my backyard. I then dump the wheelbarrow and repeat the process. Only after I have dozens of piles scattered in my backyard do I attempt to spread it. I use a bow rake rather than a leaf rake because it is stronger and I can use it to push and pull the mulch into a uniformly thick layer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0-FVCC0hrQBkHyzTTbKPxiEUgJcuMa6-d-CwJ5tH04cx5s0bWV6JsD-pKu8UibNPvZFnEmpNaa6hUSzGviSuQFdKQyoOkRsn1mjfDuLw2IdVDBmC-AF_T-RasisH1r8YNCYvFOHR9BNx/s1600/CIMG2371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0-FVCC0hrQBkHyzTTbKPxiEUgJcuMa6-d-CwJ5tH04cx5s0bWV6JsD-pKu8UibNPvZFnEmpNaa6hUSzGviSuQFdKQyoOkRsn1mjfDuLw2IdVDBmC-AF_T-RasisH1r8YNCYvFOHR9BNx/s320/CIMG2371.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three distinct layers of mulch in my backyard. Last year's layer of mulch is visible on the right near the raised beds. This year's layer (not fully spread over entire yard yet) is the dark brown stuff visible on the left. I will eventually cover all of last year's mulch with a thick layer of new mulch. Also, note the wheat straw mulch directly beneath the fig trees.</td></tr>
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Will I still be singing the praises of mulch when I'm sweating my tail off in the midst of shoveling and spreading 5 cubic yards of mulch? Probably not. But as soon as I'm finished, showered, and standing out in the yard with a cold beer in my hand, I'll quickly remember why I do this every year. You should try it to.</div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-27834725060492156552012-03-29T19:05:00.000-04:002012-03-29T19:05:16.969-04:00Bee-ware!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">This is not good. Another major reason why we should all move toward natural and organic gardening methods. What would we do without our pollinators and honey?!<br />
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<a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/03/neonicotinoids-bee-collapse/">http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/03/neonicotinoids-bee-collapse/</a><br />
<br />
Put down the problematic poisons and protect our precious pollinators, please!</div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-67637465534694379982012-03-28T22:36:00.000-04:002012-03-28T22:36:10.782-04:00Ready for Radishes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I love radishes. Not the tough, woody, and "hot" store-bought varieties. I'm talking sweet, crisp, and "sharp" home-grown radishes.<br />
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When I first started gardening 8 years ago, I heard and read that radishes were one of the easiest vegetables to grow. A real no-brainer. Eager for a quick success, I planted radish seeds and crossed my fingers. What happened? Not much other than disappointment. I grew lots of green radish tops but they all had thin and spindly radish roots. No round edible radishes.<br />
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Not one to be easily deterred in the garden, I planted a second packet of radishes and hoped for better results. What happened this time? Same poor results, and an extra dose of disappointment. So much disappointment that I walked away from the radish game. Threw in the towel. Hung up my cleats.<br />
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After doing some reading, thinking, and head scratching, I eventually identified my previous mistakes. In past years I planted my radish seeds in nitrogen rich dirt or soil. I also didn't water very often after germination. These two factors almost certainly resulted in poor radish growth. Radishes won't develop large flavorful roots if they have too much nitrogen, but they will grow lush foliage. Radishes are also best when grown quickly. What does that mean? Radishes need a steady supply of water to guarantee rapid growth. Most great radishes will go from seed to harvest to table in less than 1 month. They need lots of moisture.<br />
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In recent years and particularly this spring, I think I finally figured out how to grow great radishes. Here are the main factors I try to control:<br />
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1. Location - I plant my seeds in a large (24" diameter), deep pot in full sun. The pot provides plenty of space for root growth. It is very thick glazed ceramic with 3 drain holes on the bottom. It holds moisture very well, but also drains properly.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFvxV7FdFeHXBFZjUskt1ecvSSKStIGKij7NaWvEJA9EqvabdAx7pSTLrIrIwKGEoRk9eRzSTBp346s5yRqDrOjWHizAjFSN-56QDkSC3vq6nhh33hE3I4AIGV5IaXT7RsMNcdUT3iqJD/s1600/CIMG2133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFvxV7FdFeHXBFZjUskt1ecvSSKStIGKij7NaWvEJA9EqvabdAx7pSTLrIrIwKGEoRk9eRzSTBp346s5yRqDrOjWHizAjFSN-56QDkSC3vq6nhh33hE3I4AIGV5IaXT7RsMNcdUT3iqJD/s320/CIMG2133.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">24" diameter ceramic pot filled with well-aged compost and radishes ready for harvest.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>2. Soil - I like to use well-aged compost. Not fresh stuff, I'm talking year-old rich compost that isn't loaded with nitrogen. It drains well, contains all nutrients and doesn't require additional fertilizer or minerals, and does the trick for me. I fill up my ceramic pot with 100% compost.<br />
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3. Seed spacing and planting - I generally scatter seed on the surface of already-moist compost. I'm not overly concerned with rows or spacing, as long as the seeds aren't clustered together. Then I take a handful of dry compost, scatter that over the seeds, then water again. My top layer of compost is not much more than a dusting. Some seeds are usually slightly exposed. No big deal.<br />
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4. Moisture - I keep my radishes well watered. Every day for the first week after sowing. Every third of fourth day after germination. No extra water if it rains. This sounds like a lot of water, but good compost drains rapidly yet still manages to retain the perfect amount of moisture.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZUQNpDhU3oExeweqGXZuyV7kq4suZYFf3OLL7pYFwnMtGBoepTfzlXTbnqqj2ji7V-jRbnhZJgxzsIr6Bl5It5QLGuHULJCAIuAmJ_mFdFXHVlY44Xajlc0-R_N8lNeetNQzNP87UqLT/s1600/CIMG2135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZUQNpDhU3oExeweqGXZuyV7kq4suZYFf3OLL7pYFwnMtGBoepTfzlXTbnqqj2ji7V-jRbnhZJgxzsIr6Bl5It5QLGuHULJCAIuAmJ_mFdFXHVlY44Xajlc0-R_N8lNeetNQzNP87UqLT/s320/CIMG2135.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blanche Transparente radishes peaking out of the compost. They are a long white, tapered variety of radish also called White Icicle. Note how the radishes are starting to crest out of the compost.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>5. Thinning - Radishes don't require tremendous space but also don't like loads of competition. I will usually thin my seedlings if they are stacked up too tightly.<br />
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6. Harvest - Harvest early. Most varieties are ready within 30 days. They taste fresh, crisp, and only mildly spicy when young. Use your best judgement, but don't wait too long before harvesting. I have found that most radishes are not like fine wine...they won't get better with age. Older radishes are tough, woody, and have an overbearing heat to them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8hY07xv0WruCJ_TvjpJwUWLBro7Zc13SGZaG_B6TEter6CaGqeUlmMJ0mSSXWJKUT7T-CbVMG9laXpFSes88nTmdwLpt_2T8rReCowcQdVwX467-t47CQvAlgZGDjOE_Ahz-zFxqzL_G/s1600/CIMG2138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8hY07xv0WruCJ_TvjpJwUWLBro7Zc13SGZaG_B6TEter6CaGqeUlmMJ0mSSXWJKUT7T-CbVMG9laXpFSes88nTmdwLpt_2T8rReCowcQdVwX467-t47CQvAlgZGDjOE_Ahz-zFxqzL_G/s320/CIMG2138.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blanche Transparente radishes on my cutting board. The largest radish was over 7" long, the shorter radishes about 4" long. They were crispy, mild, sweet, and tasted like proper radishes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>7. Varieties - Round; thin; tapered; cylindrical; red; pink; white. You name it, it probably exists. Experiment to find the varieties that you enjoy eating and grow well for you.<br />
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These are just my personal observations about growing radishes. Probably too much info and maybe overkill. I still know many gardeners who have great soil, simply toss in a few seeds, water well, then harvest. Simple is always best in the garden. Experiment. Find out what works best for you. Then try to simplify. The only thing left to do after that is eat and enjoy.<br />
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Bon Appétit!</div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-57481877481337224572012-03-18T14:00:00.003-04:002012-03-19T21:14:03.989-04:00March Madness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The madness has set in. Not college basketball madness. I'm talking spring garden madness. Average temps have been consistently warm for the past few weeks, and I think the plants in the yard believe it is April. Enjoy the following picture tour of March Madness at .09 Acres:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNARmbFTEHWO41P0hLs_Y1352Iu1oP93w13sHGNNSMCGs7jE7iHMx8AI2mwvR1QCSmrTg-onJVzmHgGT-d_IdRUfcyr-WDHniEgzhRb9zy6Vn5A0-xXHPy0N2GFNGgpyl85OLzDCzE7RX/s1600/CIMG2101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNARmbFTEHWO41P0hLs_Y1352Iu1oP93w13sHGNNSMCGs7jE7iHMx8AI2mwvR1QCSmrTg-onJVzmHgGT-d_IdRUfcyr-WDHniEgzhRb9zy6Vn5A0-xXHPy0N2GFNGgpyl85OLzDCzE7RX/s320/CIMG2101.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still harvesting Chantenay Red Core carrots from the garden.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzn_3Av9NLLyQ4JFuoACtL3bjCgEzWS3_TP2-Cs4f8MCsgv6ZylvU8GJ6KPnrI3QNWgYbPZx3f5GdeNSmll2E5FbMfAposFgo_spwDfNk4Rr-cyYT5rtMwSSsC8e253Fev6N_U3L5vufq/s1600/CIMG2046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzn_3Av9NLLyQ4JFuoACtL3bjCgEzWS3_TP2-Cs4f8MCsgv6ZylvU8GJ6KPnrI3QNWgYbPZx3f5GdeNSmll2E5FbMfAposFgo_spwDfNk4Rr-cyYT5rtMwSSsC8e253Fev6N_U3L5vufq/s320/CIMG2046.JPG" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This 18.5 oz carrot dwarfed the <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2012/02/141-ounce-carrot.html">14.1 oz carrot</a> I harvested 2 months ago. I don't have the largest hands, but this octopus-like carrot is ridiculous. This carrot is grown from seed I purchased from <a href="http://www.southernexposure.com/">Southern Exposure Seed Exchange</a> (SESE).</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5xzlzD4feuvYHsCci5b0YTTrhV0tkg6di6Buv2FSFhvjwGuEjaVinrDz-RzpkDIyzCiXE6ZpWYSHFs86HOCGNEXmbTSa4MHVMczc1G6HVdAjnR2oDXTJh_F5ccf6JU1hmILBWkyqFLZB/s1600/CIMG2050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5xzlzD4feuvYHsCci5b0YTTrhV0tkg6di6Buv2FSFhvjwGuEjaVinrDz-RzpkDIyzCiXE6ZpWYSHFs86HOCGNEXmbTSa4MHVMczc1G6HVdAjnR2oDXTJh_F5ccf6JU1hmILBWkyqFLZB/s320/CIMG2050.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese maple waking up from winter slumber. This tree was a seedling from parent's old house in Virginia Beach. I also gave a second seedling (now about 8 feet tall) to my friends Elsa and Matt in Norfolk.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewf7IpoJcgiQXnb4XuafEc3AM2UVbiuKzKDbgO5WukUtYNMlxEv5CR6XdrIFbnro5hUZmhz7wZ_aqO37i2xb3pdEOR0mzShg7Gu4AbOTsYqKabH3AVETWiXP3roJ3_yvIW_d-a2QoVZJL/s1600/CIMG2051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewf7IpoJcgiQXnb4XuafEc3AM2UVbiuKzKDbgO5WukUtYNMlxEv5CR6XdrIFbnro5hUZmhz7wZ_aqO37i2xb3pdEOR0mzShg7Gu4AbOTsYqKabH3AVETWiXP3roJ3_yvIW_d-a2QoVZJL/s320/CIMG2051.JPG" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gardeners know that mint is extremely invasive. Here is a half-barrel of mint scrambling for more real estate. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Kgn0tet5EGGg_IC1rZHleGVW6HyokrVln6lh6exHF0_hMMc1M9hJGiOEv3c7VeCaoZdPToflNIc77DxcBJwoXJ4o5j7-OOEYwymqmutmJEXLQ2K014hy_trNb6XSa_q_3-9glcYk8z3t/s1600/CIMG2066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Kgn0tet5EGGg_IC1rZHleGVW6HyokrVln6lh6exHF0_hMMc1M9hJGiOEv3c7VeCaoZdPToflNIc77DxcBJwoXJ4o5j7-OOEYwymqmutmJEXLQ2K014hy_trNb6XSa_q_3-9glcYk8z3t/s320/CIMG2066.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosemary. Yum.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOClS_cFy5RmfqrCqWhkBPQsFrxv2NOlMaUJQHb3yE9NKrxC2z56PCReePneLf0ylFUluS4tmu2UeMBojgITr1zkRETspkyih6WTDFVHZw2AZaeLJpjdh9ObNsOr1EVPrHGjTTAgz8dWK/s1600/CIMG2065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOClS_cFy5RmfqrCqWhkBPQsFrxv2NOlMaUJQHb3yE9NKrxC2z56PCReePneLf0ylFUluS4tmu2UeMBojgITr1zkRETspkyih6WTDFVHZw2AZaeLJpjdh9ObNsOr1EVPrHGjTTAgz8dWK/s320/CIMG2065.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosemary blooms. Yum?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJTuBNgfub38us38Cek_l9axJPWyPoyzLH1xPV-3t7KwGCtnrq_DmCv-aK49CqwB04CNMbrkxtBNFz1WmfyAOZU6W7kMZTxFnQS3b0NFHv8WBjaegJcGWlYT1zbHQ6SCMCkyaPxBH96Zg/s1600/CIMG2067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJTuBNgfub38us38Cek_l9axJPWyPoyzLH1xPV-3t7KwGCtnrq_DmCv-aK49CqwB04CNMbrkxtBNFz1WmfyAOZU6W7kMZTxFnQS3b0NFHv8WBjaegJcGWlYT1zbHQ6SCMCkyaPxBH96Zg/s320/CIMG2067.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cold hardy mache appears as if it will be going to seed very shortly. It doesn't like hot weather.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNO4jYEkOq0DND1clgHv_6Wue9TlrJvBcARcoYZpDJAcF3GABBfI8kCuE2GEi_gQA9foHKFiUVetqX4MJgwwsVWadIBMId3-gQx6z1qsDidbxipLxruCMYB69AtA5B7BsCc86CLDqRE5C/s1600/CIMG2082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNO4jYEkOq0DND1clgHv_6Wue9TlrJvBcARcoYZpDJAcF3GABBfI8kCuE2GEi_gQA9foHKFiUVetqX4MJgwwsVWadIBMId3-gQx6z1qsDidbxipLxruCMYB69AtA5B7BsCc86CLDqRE5C/s320/CIMG2082.JPG" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arugula in full bloom. I save seed from this plant every year. It's very easy. Just wait for the seed pods to dry on the plant, then cut the flower stalk and shake the dry pods in a brown bag. Voila! Seeds!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUelOOWCO5nNvvNCnr7hKkeMHD1UtBHgTLffAFY0LPRXtbuN-igjLzhyphenhyphen_jKvdxnFT1jweGZ_0Iriwg-lwW9DDQf437jRXgtpgbDN3TARE18lKOjafN0qyr1_g900yGrKygjrBUQaC7Bar/s1600/CIMG2088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUelOOWCO5nNvvNCnr7hKkeMHD1UtBHgTLffAFY0LPRXtbuN-igjLzhyphenhyphen_jKvdxnFT1jweGZ_0Iriwg-lwW9DDQf437jRXgtpgbDN3TARE18lKOjafN0qyr1_g900yGrKygjrBUQaC7Bar/s320/CIMG2088.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 4-foot row of various Swiss Chard. This stuff is versatile in the kitchen and grows in all weather conditions.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJCCIVJiey-bpFcJZVMsNWqR2vaiNDOlbO9LOqOxkSvDYkVKJOJkLwgLUNwVhGAZ2t4ag4rwpspg_zIshhXYku2YP_fZIUb3Su-rIFhVHnDyDdaAzxi0z6S9yusIkjf9KNeW1z0a5T8d_/s1600/CIMG2110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJCCIVJiey-bpFcJZVMsNWqR2vaiNDOlbO9LOqOxkSvDYkVKJOJkLwgLUNwVhGAZ2t4ag4rwpspg_zIshhXYku2YP_fZIUb3Su-rIFhVHnDyDdaAzxi0z6S9yusIkjf9KNeW1z0a5T8d_/s320/CIMG2110.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby Red Chard from SESE.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtIRThBx82LQzOVEoPNBuBLWcd7IBSV8KtNTH8ZHUTJMIaRVUKnGS-FXOTa7w0irlIVQpnYcmc_WzNM4XjbS2fsezQ9sUll0anrgrGitVkxKfSph6MUsFyi6Ch-gsun_HruNldLIxazkC/s1600/CIMG2107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtIRThBx82LQzOVEoPNBuBLWcd7IBSV8KtNTH8ZHUTJMIaRVUKnGS-FXOTa7w0irlIVQpnYcmc_WzNM4XjbS2fsezQ9sUll0anrgrGitVkxKfSph6MUsFyi6Ch-gsun_HruNldLIxazkC/s320/CIMG2107.JPG" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kale. I grew my kale exposed all winter. No plastic, floating row cover, or hoop house. Resilient for sure. Try kale soup with chorizo. You won't be disappointed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIuDknDbBaWFkkKeCB7YDspczQuoXx-zmlGXpsJw0notLPKMliiaZDsoxh3l0ZCj8YtdmE1E2rJWynkqFaN7x_bZNjrL2wAk9d0vI9XlMn7Mw4_Ribd0BGvQG7ezAKBiIbv5zSTyWl9lw/s1600/CIMG2111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIuDknDbBaWFkkKeCB7YDspczQuoXx-zmlGXpsJw0notLPKMliiaZDsoxh3l0ZCj8YtdmE1E2rJWynkqFaN7x_bZNjrL2wAk9d0vI9XlMn7Mw4_Ribd0BGvQG7ezAKBiIbv5zSTyWl9lw/s320/CIMG2111.JPG" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red bunching onion grown from SESE seed sown last fall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqE2YPY7BCrb4tRuhmFLOnfpLQCHHwKGX8kLH_J5W7pd7RQcuCdspNllCW2EFTUiI_8DQakJQijp93HUcocJZgSPOz8NZaz1Qu2fVgJ4mTRYFRQZNlDw25fKeK9tRocNVBS-p7_0g0tUv/s1600/CIMG2114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqE2YPY7BCrb4tRuhmFLOnfpLQCHHwKGX8kLH_J5W7pd7RQcuCdspNllCW2EFTUiI_8DQakJQijp93HUcocJZgSPOz8NZaz1Qu2fVgJ4mTRYFRQZNlDw25fKeK9tRocNVBS-p7_0g0tUv/s320/CIMG2114.JPG" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Calabrese broccoli is destined for pasta with olive oil and garlic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTYRyPXuGTufHTbxZM1ukRNAQicXm51oHxVjwUGXO9qJP6Gzibv1QweLJWy996O0SBgocgtkWz9ckHb1yjx8rAmJJo0AjrquEqKQeXsvBp5rplpFqpGf2kyopH8e3XvIUqH7Fne2b0yOS/s1600/CIMG2117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTYRyPXuGTufHTbxZM1ukRNAQicXm51oHxVjwUGXO9qJP6Gzibv1QweLJWy996O0SBgocgtkWz9ckHb1yjx8rAmJJo0AjrquEqKQeXsvBp5rplpFqpGf2kyopH8e3XvIUqH7Fne2b0yOS/s320/CIMG2117.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter Density has been the top lettuce producer in my garden for the past two years. The only problem I have is dealing with slugs and aphids that crawl inside the wrinkly leaves. Nothing a little water won't solve.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcE_zqhgNidSuiFlqIqjlEOhfgF719oLXI8PzCPnqM1BVmhLWe_1_Ahe1I9GiJEtORjSl3RqaaAA-ohTGbpclBmdLj8GljgKCjsnwAYpsxry8AzyQ3PJa2mWydIAnLCx7FsWW5zag5SWVC/s1600/CIMG2078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcE_zqhgNidSuiFlqIqjlEOhfgF719oLXI8PzCPnqM1BVmhLWe_1_Ahe1I9GiJEtORjSl3RqaaAA-ohTGbpclBmdLj8GljgKCjsnwAYpsxry8AzyQ3PJa2mWydIAnLCx7FsWW5zag5SWVC/s320/CIMG2078.JPG" width="188" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A row of trellised Fall Gold, Kiwi Gold, and Heritage Red raspberries. These are a must-grow in the Mid-Atlantic and Tidewater area.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPeZ_dFZYhx7ZE_OpbsweZy0Fz9KZIFBMRXCLHz5Gg-l11JDcaVqL05_0Fv3-hIGigxOpapWqPESqcBTd_wov6QQl8teAWeRkpyh9n0wUCI6hdGo9BkFCFQU5IYwgYzII9d-PgLbHpyx7/s1600/CIMG2122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPeZ_dFZYhx7ZE_OpbsweZy0Fz9KZIFBMRXCLHz5Gg-l11JDcaVqL05_0Fv3-hIGigxOpapWqPESqcBTd_wov6QQl8teAWeRkpyh9n0wUCI6hdGo9BkFCFQU5IYwgYzII9d-PgLbHpyx7/s320/CIMG2122.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thornless Ouachita blackberries busting loose.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CegaN-CEVIqzE0GO4dSFPersxJS9B29whv6fI8ptE7VlINhDCTtfYToKa11xDtuntz56Rl4658UMBcRk9QxD9ibE8PBUxynOThSnBppOkRwhfZJFaySkQvj7FDRBdjghqt8lXTAclFEj/s1600/CIMG2095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CegaN-CEVIqzE0GO4dSFPersxJS9B29whv6fI8ptE7VlINhDCTtfYToKa11xDtuntz56Rl4658UMBcRk9QxD9ibE8PBUxynOThSnBppOkRwhfZJFaySkQvj7FDRBdjghqt8lXTAclFEj/s320/CIMG2095.JPG" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potted lemon tree preparing to bloom. Looking forward to a better citrus harvest in 2012-13. This past year was disappointing. I only harvested a handful of lemons and limes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAl7kxGD-iqwINnpfPm2r4A5QrgpurZj7C2TA6_4T5kppXlFfz9qlEK-kZSuECFlM2tg1Ip5y2OU-DaX6_kVPePxJfUHhwnhKWCjKFHtKAQi6vfUWkgtZnygzRtq-WAZPlmNwvmSgJd362/s1600/CIMG2118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAl7kxGD-iqwINnpfPm2r4A5QrgpurZj7C2TA6_4T5kppXlFfz9qlEK-kZSuECFlM2tg1Ip5y2OU-DaX6_kVPePxJfUHhwnhKWCjKFHtKAQi6vfUWkgtZnygzRtq-WAZPlmNwvmSgJd362/s320/CIMG2118.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russian Red Pomegranate (8 feet tall) from Edible Landscaping in Afton, VA.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNHGBiyiOENcdBfvOldxOfDu53VCY_vYO-UMrAfwxzeTAlYU_e3qnT3UFzna3xKqErWadKwsjWOdmk10Z18WCywxGaROiUFn0CDfX97pmW3leEdDrnRQH427fCwqngy0XHC12ExtWPQRh/s1600/CIMG2120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNHGBiyiOENcdBfvOldxOfDu53VCY_vYO-UMrAfwxzeTAlYU_e3qnT3UFzna3xKqErWadKwsjWOdmk10Z18WCywxGaROiUFn0CDfX97pmW3leEdDrnRQH427fCwqngy0XHC12ExtWPQRh/s320/CIMG2120.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russian Red Pomegranate leaves reaching for the sun.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgys9wYw6bbtFY5W43Z910HU0vSfPI_N5Ys5PQOTiNpfVBGA2HtjyQNPhRQqr6iK3nHpzNARv40WgBhD_MYrBbGto9Q6NK85SGF6Hu0O0tU5xWdk5ps2LwrUFiEw6XVGvz4_bszXGoTCxsR/s1600/CIMG2103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgys9wYw6bbtFY5W43Z910HU0vSfPI_N5Ys5PQOTiNpfVBGA2HtjyQNPhRQqr6iK3nHpzNARv40WgBhD_MYrBbGto9Q6NK85SGF6Hu0O0tU5xWdk5ps2LwrUFiEw6XVGvz4_bszXGoTCxsR/s320/CIMG2103.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celeste fig tree (appx. 6 years old) from the now-closed Paradise Nursery. I've pruned this every year in order to encourage a low, wide shrub-like growth. More branches = more figs.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaPzgo4x8Myy_783br5IvHOVBWWyemXaWh2X_T-OBv5D_Gdz2NfhqeTBXaqQnGxjlOZWS87GbaGOue5a6w611KiBFhyphenhyphenL2P94bWyhl1UY9foJSX5M2v0EEkpCGstHuS_Ldl7ITC_q-Wkd0/s1600/CIMG2057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaPzgo4x8Myy_783br5IvHOVBWWyemXaWh2X_T-OBv5D_Gdz2NfhqeTBXaqQnGxjlOZWS87GbaGOue5a6w611KiBFhyphenhyphenL2P94bWyhl1UY9foJSX5M2v0EEkpCGstHuS_Ldl7ITC_q-Wkd0/s320/CIMG2057.JPG" width="189" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tip of a Celeste fig tree branch. Notice the combination of new leaves and tiny figs. Some varieties of figs produce 2 harvests per year. The early figs are called brebas.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2MW5C8O6yf6Apg_unzTLvWYbu0BLiFF3eoVtpn-yf6e5wZWjiEogeuKhrvK2iuWM_GfnmaUkTjYxbB4eoHESrFgkub_peV1MgPmdUffiY6RuZRp4Z5iWUPba0qMPlSRrPMSwSTeiK72i/s1600/CIMG2056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2MW5C8O6yf6Apg_unzTLvWYbu0BLiFF3eoVtpn-yf6e5wZWjiEogeuKhrvK2iuWM_GfnmaUkTjYxbB4eoHESrFgkub_peV1MgPmdUffiY6RuZRp4Z5iWUPba0qMPlSRrPMSwSTeiK72i/s320/CIMG2056.JPG" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the Celeste fig tree. Note the multiple growths on each branch. If I didn't prune, I would have a tall, lanky tree rather than a dense shrub.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUWZ9ixQhmc-n7vzEP2FcHHw1-VbNN50bd1QPbAsHnttOq2pTi7s4cgXuo_RYNH7QVEosHwxFrkDpW6DkE4jT6irYy43_bC32wtKE93QAP5UDHeSgTEuWgpLKOf8V4ootfVi1hIi2QlgV/s1600/CIMG2069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUWZ9ixQhmc-n7vzEP2FcHHw1-VbNN50bd1QPbAsHnttOq2pTi7s4cgXuo_RYNH7QVEosHwxFrkDpW6DkE4jT6irYy43_bC32wtKE93QAP5UDHeSgTEuWgpLKOf8V4ootfVi1hIi2QlgV/s320/CIMG2069.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My fig espalier at the corner of my garden shed. 3 days ago I pruned off all of last year's vertical growth near the two main horizontal arms. I left a single vertical node from last year's growth in order to allow the new branches to grow from those same locations this year. I will repeat this process year after year. Grow, harvest, prune. Grow, harvest, prune.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXp-YdG8ZpFt5UvM9dnI0nzuV0XveYPFWtO4L79AaO8OtPzyYO9mINR1sn0GZTiYJtdM3hrZynWk4aXdfqghKrcS7fnbZEy9UwsQsWlhFBAypNqEwb1cBvYjycQaso6DJ8dnAdECpq5QbV/s1600/CIMG2071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXp-YdG8ZpFt5UvM9dnI0nzuV0XveYPFWtO4L79AaO8OtPzyYO9mINR1sn0GZTiYJtdM3hrZynWk4aXdfqghKrcS7fnbZEy9UwsQsWlhFBAypNqEwb1cBvYjycQaso6DJ8dnAdECpq5QbV/s320/CIMG2071.JPG" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detailed photo of a vertical node extending from a horizontal branch of the Celeste fig espalier. New growth will appear on the rough area of the top portion of the vertical node. New growth will also likely appear elsewhere, but I will prune or rub off the new growth before it negatively impacts the desire appearance of the overall espalier. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>I hope you enjoyed your tour of March Madness at .09 Acres. My apologies for not posting here more consistently during the past few weeks. Work has been eating me alive, and it's great to be back outside again. Wishing you good growing and great harvests in your gardens!</div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-50997042289197639912012-02-23T22:08:00.001-05:002012-02-23T22:10:48.261-05:00Good Cause + Donation = Fig Cuttings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">My friend and fellow garden blogger Sybil is celebrating a milestone birthday by biking 200 miles for a charity fundraiser. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://usefulgardens.blogspot.com/2012/02/figs-figs-figs-cuttings-for-you-help.html">http://usefulgardens.blogspot.com/2012/02/figs-figs-figs-cuttings-for-you-help.html</a><br />
<br />
If you are interested in supporting her cause with a donation, she will send you your choice of a dozen fig cuttings from some of the most amazing varieties of fig trees. And Sybil knows her figs -- she and her husband owned Paradise Nursery, a well-respected and sorely missed nursery of fig trees and other edibles in Virginia Beach that closed a few years ago.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2DFT9fZQFDBowb9p7izE_gwzClva186oTheFaN8PKfjvlRZrleUUG7848ouWio3O5NYFClDsSskJE5TrmwlanM5ItIkil3XQt00n43P8rN7ra71xhAG-gEby_PovWFMapUdiacaa62N_/s1600/CIMG1204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2DFT9fZQFDBowb9p7izE_gwzClva186oTheFaN8PKfjvlRZrleUUG7848ouWio3O5NYFClDsSskJE5TrmwlanM5ItIkil3XQt00n43P8rN7ra71xhAG-gEby_PovWFMapUdiacaa62N_/s320/CIMG1204.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violette de Bordeaux figs ripening in late summer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Don't miss this opportunity. Support a good lady and good cause, help some teens, and get some incredible fig cuttings from one of the most respected fig growers on the East Coast!<br />
<br />
If you are interested in donating but unsure how to turn fig cuttings into fig trees, check out these two links:<br />
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<a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2011/07/propagating-figs.html">http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2011/07/propagating-figs.html</a><br />
<a href="http://figs4fun.com/basics_Rooting.html">http://figs4fun.com/basics_Rooting.html</a><br />
<br />
</div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-44346167338093754322012-02-19T19:03:00.000-05:002012-02-19T19:03:04.983-05:00Broccoli Double Vision<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I've been eating lots of hefty carrots recently. This should be evident by <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2012/02/141-ounce-carrot.html">my last blog post</a>. Carrots contain Vitamin A, which is an essential nutrient for good vision. Despite my prodigious intake of these health-supporting wonders, I discovered that something was wrong with my eyesight this afternoon.<br />
<br />
After lunch, I walked out into the rain to plant some radishes in my garden. I was a few feet from my potted Calabrese broccoli when I started seeing double. I could've sworn I <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2012/01/back-in-saddle.html">harvested my broccoli last month</a>, but sure enough...side shoots of broccoli had sprouted up everywhere! Double broccoli!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxc57ni2qke7uNpLaZECCc1VQTQEypM7_MATm7NJlYZ30Av8hv16Vgp5k4rWBqK6roEVqfiGFLDoJUvrRZ6VVuH61J9ybz0p70rbJFtxK5L5CgOCri3mDfOxStUsP2GvtWQdZ55Nk9qLN/s1600/CIMG1924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxc57ni2qke7uNpLaZECCc1VQTQEypM7_MATm7NJlYZ30Av8hv16Vgp5k4rWBqK6roEVqfiGFLDoJUvrRZ6VVuH61J9ybz0p70rbJFtxK5L5CgOCri3mDfOxStUsP2GvtWQdZ55Nk9qLN/s320/CIMG1924.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side shoots of Calabrese broccoli (left and bottom). I harvested the central head of broccoli on January 19. Notice the off-white area near the center of the picture where I cut the central head with a small knife. Exactly one month later I harvested the side shoots.<br />
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</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span">Calabrese broccoli is no one trick pony. It grows not once, but twice. </span>Exactly one month had passed from the time of my initial harvest to today's second harvest. Here's a close-up view of some side shoots.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWXhuDgKNb_c3I3FYkNpwQf86-XiJ5Ibx2XuHjWn0dB558N0gII1Ez4mVZ59G4V9OoUzpX70lDa5CwsK7po5p2iLxLMC8nNztQVyAmFAo_2lvCkoEYFxbEZFmbbiMUnhjryAt1pHH6xrA/s1600/CIMG1921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWXhuDgKNb_c3I3FYkNpwQf86-XiJ5Ibx2XuHjWn0dB558N0gII1Ez4mVZ59G4V9OoUzpX70lDa5CwsK7po5p2iLxLMC8nNztQVyAmFAo_2lvCkoEYFxbEZFmbbiMUnhjryAt1pHH6xrA/s320/CIMG1921.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Secondary shoots of Calabrese broccoli growing from the side of a potted plant.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Because of my relatively care-free harvest and positive experience with broccoli this year, I am planning on growing multiple varieties next fall. In addition to Calabrese, I will be sowing seeds of Super Rapini broccoli raab and Romanesco broccoli.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNMnCWVNwWTzLFk6P82WueoYHIpszR4qtV1lCESmBId1k908WX3csDpWEMGi16laMYdyu8u6nSznuzLZJqU_MGAlc2Kv4EEsYeI5mB2_ih4KsKJF-N9eL4lJ-2DIfd3MuTciewpVDozWo/s1600/CIMG1929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNMnCWVNwWTzLFk6P82WueoYHIpszR4qtV1lCESmBId1k908WX3csDpWEMGi16laMYdyu8u6nSznuzLZJqU_MGAlc2Kv4EEsYeI5mB2_ih4KsKJF-N9eL4lJ-2DIfd3MuTciewpVDozWo/s320/CIMG1929.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Broccoli varieties for future planting at .09 Acres.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I definitely recommend home-grown broccoli for every gardener, beginner or advanced. You will be pleasantly surprised with your harvest if the plant is grown in compost-rich soil and kept moist. Here's a list of the pros and cons of growing broccoli:<br />
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PROS:<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>large central heads of sweet, tender broccoli</li>
<li>secondary harvest of side shoots 3-4 weeks after main harvest</li>
<li>unbeatable flavor compared to insipid store-bought broccoli</li>
<li>extremely tolerant of hard frosts and variable weather</li>
<li>can be grown in large pots</li>
<li>beautiful blue/green foliage</li>
</ul><br />
CONS:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>young plants are prone to attack by caterpillars</li>
<li>needs steady supply of water as a seedling</li>
<li>large size when mature (appx. 36" in diameter in my garden) </li>
<li>long time from seed to harvest </li>
</ul></div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-2406872172457933272012-02-11T20:31:00.001-05:002012-02-11T20:32:19.535-05:0014.1 Ounce Carrot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I usually don't like posting about the same topic twice in a row, but I don't have a choice. You have to see the ridiculous carrot I harvested yesterday. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQb_izxoANhM78MbSxk97Ex8wPKnIqBt-286eUDMmyHgNs3WAL9a3VMoh5un6A-DUTRKB8Kv01lcSCtfmMGu3JovJPAVXA16qDYN_lI4FNuXVRZjAbK0cZB_ccbUBweBAl0sUlvP3hSvb3/s1600/CIMG1864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQb_izxoANhM78MbSxk97Ex8wPKnIqBt-286eUDMmyHgNs3WAL9a3VMoh5un6A-DUTRKB8Kv01lcSCtfmMGu3JovJPAVXA16qDYN_lI4FNuXVRZjAbK0cZB_ccbUBweBAl0sUlvP3hSvb3/s320/CIMG1864.JPG" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">14.1 ounce Chantenay Red Core carrot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I was blown away when I plucked this Chantenay Red Core carrot from the garden. It is the largest carrot I've ever grown and weighs in at a respectable <b>14.1 ounces</b>! The craziest part is that I didn't pay any attention to it after I planted it last fall. Sure, I watered religiously the first few weeks to make sure the soil was moist, but other than that I didn't do anything special or attempt to grow large veggies. No fertilizer, no plant growth hormone, nothing.<br />
<br />
The above picture doesn't really do it justice. Some people have large hands, others have small hands. Mine are somewhere in the middle. So I decided to take another photo for scale and perspective.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMFHLMuH86R7zg1ufDrmgUBgiU8ssoK1y7056Rfudse-zZIqLimKYq4ejNjjiXDXbQho69LLi553zTGYzqLT2WjiKkJmcDzsS_Lq6YDaMbWiCDmiTGAkpm6pld1R5_S579ahiU17mQFac/s1600/CIMG1868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMFHLMuH86R7zg1ufDrmgUBgiU8ssoK1y7056Rfudse-zZIqLimKYq4ejNjjiXDXbQho69LLi553zTGYzqLT2WjiKkJmcDzsS_Lq6YDaMbWiCDmiTGAkpm6pld1R5_S579ahiU17mQFac/s320/CIMG1868.JPG" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">14.1 ounce carrot meets a 12.0 ounce Newcastle Brown Ale.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>People like me who never go to the gym and enjoy a beer or two sometimes joke about doing 12 ounce curls to stay in shape. I think I may toughen my workout by doing some 14.1 ounce curls instead.<br />
<br />
Here's one final photo of the carrot. It's looking a little drab after spending the night in the fridge, but it is still a heavyweight. Check it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNmGQGsbIbnu5adMdIkmnCGiV6gKYKId3Gv9j6qyd_6fsXAmhQBjXv-ZKPDJ0ZQSbh0xEhomvp3HM07WcHl1J9LtcyrHssFmpnD3XAfAgE0V5N5QlyPYVs8b_YiwwditlhRY8Ga1MHExL/s1600/CIMG1876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNmGQGsbIbnu5adMdIkmnCGiV6gKYKId3Gv9j6qyd_6fsXAmhQBjXv-ZKPDJ0ZQSbh0xEhomvp3HM07WcHl1J9LtcyrHssFmpnD3XAfAgE0V5N5QlyPYVs8b_YiwwditlhRY8Ga1MHExL/s320/CIMG1876.JPG" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">14.1 ounce carrot meets a 1/2 gallon of Stonyfield milk.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Seriously. That's a single carrot holding its own against a 1/2 gallon of milk. No Photoshop. Anybody else hauling trophy root vegetables from their garden? </div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-41671216191310265382012-01-30T21:23:00.002-05:002012-01-30T22:45:25.635-05:00Area 52: Growswell<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>WARNING:</b> No flavors were harmed during the growing of these life forms.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Date:</b> January 30, 2012</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Time:</b> 5:27pm EST</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Location: </b>A tiny vegetable garden in southeastern Virginia</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Description:</b> A humble backyard gardener, eager to add some flavor and nutrition to his evening salad, harvests a carrot. The carrot pulls easily from the fluffy composted garden soil. He shakes off some loose soil, trims the top, and then rinses the carrot. A textbook appearance. Eager to eat a second carrot out of hand while preparing his salad, he reaches back into the garden. He tugs on a green stalk, but the root does not budge. He pulls harder, and the carrot only seems to resist even more. "Feels like this thing is gripping the earth," he thinks to himself. After uttering a few foul oaths and grunting harder, the gardener finally extracts something unfamiliar.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Uncertain of what he just harvested, he holds the unknown item under a bright beam from a spotlight on the house for a closer inspection. The hair on the back of his neck suddenly tingles and stands on end, and his skin crawls with goose bumps. A dull thump is heard as he drops the thing at his feet. A shriek rings out into the night. "Dear god what is this thing?!"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Fearing that he has created a monster, the gardener runs inside the house, bolts the back door, and turns off the lights. After taking a few seconds to gather his thoughts and steady his breathing, he realizes there is only one logical reason for this aberration: It was deposited in his yard by creatures from another planet!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">In a panic, he dashes back outside and scoops up the perfect carrot and anomalous beast. He snaps a quick photo to document the alien creature. </span>He saves the picture on a memory stick.<span class="Apple-style-span"> He wants proof of its existence. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Then the gardener hears a knock at his front door. Already panicked, he begins to get suspicious. The gardener stashes the memory stick in his dirty laundry basket and runs back to his kitchen, camera in hand. Suddenly, government agents come crashing through the front door, their silhouettes illuminated by the glow of a dozen unmarked black Chevy Suburbans. Simultaneously, he hears the thump of propeller blades overhead and men in black fatigues swing down on ropes and smash through his windows. Special Ops troops surge into the fenced yard and begin shooting at all vegetables in the raised beds. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">It was over in seconds. The camera was destroyed and the broken bits confiscated. The gardener could find no trace of the perfect carrot and its deviant alien counterpart. Completely gone. </span>Scientists quickly followed with all kinds of analytical gadgets, probing and sampling the soil and confiscated vegetables. The<span class="Apple-style-span"> interrogation began, but was brief. Regardless, it took the boogeymen mere minutes to set up a safety perimeter and restrict all access to the newly designated AREA 52: Growswell.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingz5hB2Li118qjNlkKkPzBAc08k3mbJkz7aNoPvt_661P0kzBpYKPadFdbqwlz-Kwb3CE7Q_yQnmjUV2IniyXqsK1Z71q77OkTRa9TWNx7LectxfW7hLNVAryRNihQ4B-5E-59vbY1p0o/s1600/Area+52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingz5hB2Li118qjNlkKkPzBAc08k3mbJkz7aNoPvt_661P0kzBpYKPadFdbqwlz-Kwb3CE7Q_yQnmjUV2IniyXqsK1Z71q77OkTRa9TWNx7LectxfW7hLNVAryRNihQ4B-5E-59vbY1p0o/s320/Area+52.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AREA 52: Growswell, VA.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">"Why Growswell," the gardener asked? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">"Because that thing grows well here," the agent said.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">"WHAT grows well here?!" the gardener yelled. Before he could even finish his sentence, they were gone.</span><br />
<br />
After the agents left, the gardener returned to his laundry basket and fished out the memory stick. Fearing for his own safety, but fearing for the safety of the planet if he didn't tell his story, the gardener uploaded the picture of his carrot and the extra-terrestrial being to his blog to offer proof of its existence. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgub4j_tUZk1IXvqhcQT2Ppb0KPpNLWbZdxkcNKxuUYTg4f4Tloqr2LBKIOYy-mN_SZjKbG4KRTsoxatYekbGOpTs-irxMo4CQLONAD3uxXuyJuCsbrVfd7UbDIYy_iz9GI99xIpvXwMDDO/s1600/CIMG1833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgub4j_tUZk1IXvqhcQT2Ppb0KPpNLWbZdxkcNKxuUYTg4f4Tloqr2LBKIOYy-mN_SZjKbG4KRTsoxatYekbGOpTs-irxMo4CQLONAD3uxXuyJuCsbrVfd7UbDIYy_iz9GI99xIpvXwMDDO/s320/CIMG1833.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Chantenay Red Core carrot of classic appearance and creature from another planet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The image of the alien grown in the gardener's backyard has now gone viral, carrying with it the intrigue it rightly deserves. Shrouded in mystery, the backyard vegetable garden alien now stands tall amidst the ranks of fabled beasts like Sasquatch, Loch Ness, the alien sighting at Roswell, and the <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2011/04/carrot-mustache.html">carrot mustache</a>. But know this: Nothing is as scary, intriguing, or mysterious as AREA 52: Growswell.</div></div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-64435687867158952012-01-25T21:49:00.000-05:002012-01-25T21:49:09.583-05:00Movin' On Up -- New USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The USDA recently released a new Plant Hardiness Zone Map (<a href="http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/Default.aspx">http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/Default.aspx</a>).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7_j_3FTsqmzViEpzLE_7b5UjClEV6Env3eKIG7PJOdPi-IO8w6bnzNIruVGT6Y4Skty3jmNffShjwEGFSPQrp96IWCDswAzM0A3RgIOAjbaT-DWhaZZMoDA6VRxw8YBLG1k3Xz5EtNJA/s1600/All_states_halfzones_title_legend_logos_300dpi+BIG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7_j_3FTsqmzViEpzLE_7b5UjClEV6Env3eKIG7PJOdPi-IO8w6bnzNIruVGT6Y4Skty3jmNffShjwEGFSPQrp96IWCDswAzM0A3RgIOAjbaT-DWhaZZMoDA6VRxw8YBLG1k3Xz5EtNJA/s320/All_states_halfzones_title_legend_logos_300dpi+BIG.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>What type of data is this mapped based upon, and how is it different from previous years? Here's what the USDA website states:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
"Zones in this edition of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) are based on 1976–2005 weather data. A trial check did not find that the addition of more recent years of data made a significant difference in the definition of these zones. Each zone represents the mean extreme minimum temperature for an area, calculated from the lowest daily minimum temperature recorded for each of the years 1976–2005. This does not represent the coldest it has ever been or ever will be in an area, but it simply is the average of lowest winter temperatures for a given location for this time period.<br />
<br />
The previous edition of the USDA PHZM, revised and published in 1990, was drawn from weather data for 1974–1986. The longer period (30 years) of data was selected by the group of horticultural, botanical, and climatological experts who led the review of the latest revision as the best balance between smoothing out the fluctuations of year-to-year weather variation and the concept that during their lifetimes, perennial plants mostly experience what is termed "weather" rather than "climate."</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Because this map was created digitally with GIS technology, it has a higher level of resolution and can show smaller areas of zone delineations than ever before. For example, cities tend to hold more heat because they have large amounts of concrete and blacktop, so a city or town may be assigned to a zone warmer than the surrounding countryside. Higher elevations tend to be colder than surrounding lower areas, so the top of a mountain may be an area of cooler zones. A location near a large body of unfrozen water may provide milder winter weather and be in a warmer zone."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">So what does this mean for gardeners in Virginia, particularly the Tidewater area? Minor zone changes for some gardeners, probably not too much change for most other gardeners. Here is the detailed map of Virginia reflecting the above changes:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVz9uvewiqN8KDjULmse9sOvvri0W2JNnt7TAUiu2c5H7phbbR_CF6Ur4mW9_edWopb1vVIT8Qj9nU0infG12_Wlm-zufxw8yKq1loJlSl2ErHV2KMf4aaIrtfyZ-yaDRD-_uuYM1QlPY/s1600/VA+BIG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVz9uvewiqN8KDjULmse9sOvvri0W2JNnt7TAUiu2c5H7phbbR_CF6Ur4mW9_edWopb1vVIT8Qj9nU0infG12_Wlm-zufxw8yKq1loJlSl2ErHV2KMf4aaIrtfyZ-yaDRD-_uuYM1QlPY/s320/VA+BIG.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for Virginia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font: inherit; line-height: 1.3em; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Many of the inland areas and some outlying coastal areas retained their previous zone designations. But it is interesting to note that GIS technology has allowed the USDA to define smaller zone delineations than in past versions of the map. </span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font: inherit; line-height: 1.3em; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">.09 Acres is located in Newport News, Virginia, two blocks from the James River and near the end of the Virginia Peninsula. The southern exposure of my neighborhood on the north bank of the James River and warmth-retaining properties of the river and Chesapeake Bay are factors that influence my hardiness zone. In previous years, I was in Zone 7b. The new map has moved up my location a notch to 8a, reflecting these characteristics and suggesting we have slightly warmer winter lows than indicated on past USDA hardiness maps. In reality, my fenced/protected backyard is likely another half-zone or zone higher, reflecting an even more defined micro-climate.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font: inherit; line-height: 1.3em; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It is important to note that there are always variations within these types of designations, but the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map can be a helpful general reference for gardeners. </div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font: inherit; line-height: 1.3em; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Did your hardiness zone remain the same or change from the past USDA map? Do you provide micro-climates for your plants to stretch the boundaries of your hardiness zone? Or do you say, "Phooey to all this this scientific mumbo jumbo! Mother Nature does what she wants and I have no control over her whims. This arbitrary designation doesn't mean a thing to me or my plants."</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font: inherit; line-height: 1.3em; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts.</div></div></div>.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-5229921365559026322012-01-19T21:23:00.001-05:002012-01-19T21:24:22.283-05:00Back in the Garden AgainMy apologies! It's been well over a month since my last post. The holidays and an INTENSE workload really put a dent in my gardening and blogging time. In the past 6 weeks I've done little in the yard and nothing with the blog.<br />
<br />
Considering my neglect of the garden during this period of time, I expected Mother Nature to force me to tighten my belt a notch or two by wreaking total havoc on my tasty veggies and herbs. I imagined hard frosts, harsh winds, and cold dry air conspiring against me. I pictured languishing lettuce, crusty carrots, and beat up beets.<br />
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What did I find? Beautiful broccoli.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qhDNbs1GVl3uZqutimT4vIshYD8p5PAeXMI3UAos-k_tU5yl4MJQiJyP8bJB6Hz8WupbRSgp_5L8n5-azeLYTyupdQWTxLQ8Q-ju-hM-ncv1Gjc7e6N0Bg8Y9a1hO3MllmtERW805TkV/s1600/CIMG1767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qhDNbs1GVl3uZqutimT4vIshYD8p5PAeXMI3UAos-k_tU5yl4MJQiJyP8bJB6Hz8WupbRSgp_5L8n5-azeLYTyupdQWTxLQ8Q-ju-hM-ncv1Gjc7e6N0Bg8Y9a1hO3MllmtERW805TkV/s320/CIMG1767.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calabrese broccoli head approximately 8" in diameter. This plant was grown in a glazed ceramic pot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Don't think broccoli is beautiful? How about now?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVZ1iTg7Oc-VAdySp0qpbLiVNOa0IWuJlybVwDiFeRH0t6p8RTc_TiUA2DxIcZOBYtOcxlTiZ1x-IkCzRCMQapkMb-FY1WYyACsI_-SCbQgNzgYSvrOTucJG5ByGcCSoJbTchbWwv0tW3/s1600/CIMG1771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVZ1iTg7Oc-VAdySp0qpbLiVNOa0IWuJlybVwDiFeRH0t6p8RTc_TiUA2DxIcZOBYtOcxlTiZ1x-IkCzRCMQapkMb-FY1WYyACsI_-SCbQgNzgYSvrOTucJG5ByGcCSoJbTchbWwv0tW3/s320/CIMG1771.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calabrese broccoli head.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This head of broccoli looks almost like a coral reef you'd expect to see off the Florida Keys rather than in a backyard garden in Newport News, Virginia. This plant was grown from seed in a large glazed ceramic pot. I mulched it with a thick layer of wheat straw after it germinated and haven't fussed over it since then. Yes, I hand-picked a few caterpillars but did little else. It is also growing smaller side shoots that I will only cut after I harvest the main head.<br />
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What else did I find that I didn't deserve? A cool cover crop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyfU8kVu25IG3S7ZUNO5ahY7lrLrMWSOwszOqxML_TNz5uhitil6hrqNRq6X5Y9jupfh_3Xy1ZkcK4CVRX6yJI-S_jasD6bd5Ldhw8f_1jZsG9X8qnNIJvlinMS_ZMPSh8_xv-vgWLu9w/s1600/CIMG1774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyfU8kVu25IG3S7ZUNO5ahY7lrLrMWSOwszOqxML_TNz5uhitil6hrqNRq6X5Y9jupfh_3Xy1ZkcK4CVRX6yJI-S_jasD6bd5Ldhw8f_1jZsG9X8qnNIJvlinMS_ZMPSh8_xv-vgWLu9w/s320/CIMG1774.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diego standing guard over a 4' x 8' bed of winter rye and hairy vetch cover crop.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I purchased Wren's Abruzzi Winter Rye and Hairy Vetch cover crop seeds last September from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange at the <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2011/09/heritage-harvest-festival.html">Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello</a>. I mixed and planted them in a 4' x 8' bed previously occupied by my <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2011/06/garlic-harvest.html">Inchelium Red garlic</a>. The seeds germinated easily and very quickly filled the bed. It's a vibrant addition to the otherwise muted colors of the winter landscape. I plan to cut and till the cover crop into the bed in early spring before planting tomatoes in late spring.<br />
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The cover crop is also important for another reason I did not anticipate. Dogs are natural foragers, and my two dogs often ate grass in my previous yard to aid in digestion. By successfully smothering my grass, I unintentionally eliminated one of their favorite diet supplements. Last summer, I often found my dogs sampling different weeds and other greens because they were looking for a suitable substitute for their favorite but now missing forage. As soon as the cover crop germinated and grew, Diego would regularly run over to the bed and dine on selected shoots of Winter Rye. He still does, seems to love the stuff! So in a way, it's a happy system. Soil feeds cover crop; cover crop feeds soil, dog, and future plants; plants feed human; human feeds cover crop to the soil; repeat. My only concern is that Diego doesn't get comfortable dining on whatever he choses from the raised beds. That could be a problem.<br />
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Maybe I'll construct a bone-shaped raised bed for dog edibles...then again, maybe not.<br />
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The broccoli and cover crops are just two of the many reasons why Diego and I are beginning to appreciate winter gardening more than summer gardening. There is little to do after planting and germination other than to harvest the rewards of Mother Nature. No toiling, no tilling, no sweating.<br />
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Many other veggies are doing very well despite my neglect, but I'll save them for another post. Hope all is well in your gardens..09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-18295996525211983162011-12-12T21:15:00.001-05:002011-12-12T21:16:00.827-05:00A Jekyll and Hyde December.09 Acres is having an identity crisis this December, and I fear that Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Edward Hyde are living in my garden shed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkOtPcTRLzY4n4Hhyphenhypheng3BGxFeaUu2QE3OUdG-Xd23JOPWBJGPz9DmY2pIwUeop0XvBndtW_YBvp8oaorqfTpwHR8dGwGUg5z2uTZFZIUz3If_MY0n-M2_oIMtX71kOn_VhRatrZ-Vk-MLB/s1600/800px-Dr_Jekyll_and_Mr_Hyde_poster_edit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkOtPcTRLzY4n4Hhyphenhypheng3BGxFeaUu2QE3OUdG-Xd23JOPWBJGPz9DmY2pIwUeop0XvBndtW_YBvp8oaorqfTpwHR8dGwGUg5z2uTZFZIUz3If_MY0n-M2_oIMtX71kOn_VhRatrZ-Vk-MLB/s320/800px-Dr_Jekyll_and_Mr_Hyde_poster_edit2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the well-appointed garden shed at .09 Acres. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Let's start with Dr. Jekyll, shall we?! The vegetables at .09 Acres are much like Jekyll. They are mature and respectable. The lettuces and chard are good looking, tasty, and protected by the mini hoop house. The carrots, beets, and broccoli are doing just fine while prominently exposed to the elements. At this point in the year, they are all content in their beds until harvest. I'm not one to boast, but <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2011/12/frost-protection.html">my greens</a> look like they belong in a gardening catalog. If you were to walk by the lettuce bed, you might even respectfully tip your cap as if you were passing Dr. Jekyll on the street.<br />
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On the flip-side, my fruit trees, shrubs, and brambles are behaving in an irrational and unpredictable Hyde-like fashion. The inconsistent weather, much like Mr. Hyde's strange potions, is triggering all kinds of strange reactions from the plants. <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2011/12/raspberries-in-december.html">Raspberries continue to mature</a> on a semi-regular basis almost like it's early fall. The Celeste fig tree and espalier dropped all their leaves weeks ago. In contrast, my Violette de Bordeaux and Negronne fig trees are still covered in leaves and figs. It is quite grotesque to see them <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2011/12/same-day-different-leaves.html">growing side-by-side</a>. My Red Russian pomegranate is the only "normal" tree in the yard, having gone dormant in November. But who knows...it may be inwardly lusting for some sinister transformation.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7LcmAs_qhyphenhyphenzDaG_yHFlaFBm9XWPCB8AMvP-S22KqYlFADMItDli69z9_g3gDVleOClXYZkQv3aBo3xfBUCGm5TFv12ccoE7evPwSLXRcHPuOPPmMAMeRvhpxP5ui2ruMy_t1Y1BoypU5/s1600/12-11-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7LcmAs_qhyphenhyphenzDaG_yHFlaFBm9XWPCB8AMvP-S22KqYlFADMItDli69z9_g3gDVleOClXYZkQv3aBo3xfBUCGm5TFv12ccoE7evPwSLXRcHPuOPPmMAMeRvhpxP5ui2ruMy_t1Y1BoypU5/s400/12-11-11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little bit of Jekyll, but certainly a lot more of Hyde at .09 Acres.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
If .09 Acres is Dr. Jekyll (and Mr. Hyde), I guess that makes me Jekyll's loyal servant Poole. This December I've been out in the yard early in the morning and late in the evening to cover the greens in plastic. I've also changed quite a few things in the yard to keep Jekyll happy and productive. I dug up and potted my in-ground blueberry bushes and replaced them with a young Angel Red pomegranate tree (visible on right side of above picture in middle of straw mulch). I also transplanted a Peter's Honey fig and an unknown fig from my yard to my aunt and uncle's property and replaced them with Strawberry Verte and Hardy Chicago figs (visible on left side of above picture in middle of straw mulch).<br />
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Hopefully this will decrease the likelihood that Mr. Hyde shows up again at .09 Acres, but I may be losing my mind in the process....09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-10051730022493732642011-12-10T10:04:00.001-05:002011-12-10T10:07:30.740-05:00Raspberries in DecemberIt's December 10th and my Kiwi Gold raspberry canes are still producing berries. I don't know what to say. I guess the warmer weather and protected location of my berry trellis has something to do with it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4FXbQlTX7szmquJvYtrC16cfp4qKvm-BkipWxHE443cULnGM7DzeDGldSsAPQYJWMWQnTvcsMyAaEzqlp5cPXRGP1SxbMKlI35lUX1nZBEkobGGcq3_ex24T8A4U4kRGOz5flT5OF3vP/s1600/CIMG1676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4FXbQlTX7szmquJvYtrC16cfp4qKvm-BkipWxHE443cULnGM7DzeDGldSsAPQYJWMWQnTvcsMyAaEzqlp5cPXRGP1SxbMKlI35lUX1nZBEkobGGcq3_ex24T8A4U4kRGOz5flT5OF3vP/s320/CIMG1676.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kiwi Gold raspberries in December. Definitely a rare occurrence in southeast Virginia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I regularly get a large early summer and <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2011/10/everbearing-raspberries.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">fall harvest</span></a>, but never a third harvest. Don't get me wrong...I'm not complaining. It's just strange for me to see these things in my yard in December!.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-8795770073858251472011-12-06T21:39:00.000-05:002011-12-06T21:39:30.970-05:00Same Day, Different LeavesCheck this out. Here is a picture taken last weekend of my Celeste fig. All leaves dropped, looking dormant and ready for winter.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzUzR2WvV1gA7IqMdJKroL7L8xcOK27qWxojbDldSAOhHAWXKThjIhhCztaO8k9N8YeI_ppbJJlEN1YQKrqbWhy8YsH0s_UgwiNIhiY0yuDKe3QfVUQwbt8eZNsIPRsPHZzrBtMQ4pkj1/s1600/CIMG1653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzUzR2WvV1gA7IqMdJKroL7L8xcOK27qWxojbDldSAOhHAWXKThjIhhCztaO8k9N8YeI_ppbJJlEN1YQKrqbWhy8YsH0s_UgwiNIhiY0yuDKe3QfVUQwbt8eZNsIPRsPHZzrBtMQ4pkj1/s320/CIMG1653.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celeste fig. I'm trying to keep it pruned as a multi-stem shrub.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And here's a pic of my Violette de Bordeaux (VdB) fig taken on the same day. Keep in mind that this fig is planted only about 15 feet away from my Celeste fig with the same general southerly exposure.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHL5u_5PoPnnowWnBTUuwmRpYUVjxS6F6o7M9UXZUMKgjJ4JU5NEalQhJ1qEzAE009Yoee8dYzIfT5qvOyXiOAwl1g9k75jWCQ1tM11aZ0u2cpNshBTFJrJ3OMMLeCfJVM-plMXJZ88gW2/s1600/CIMG1655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHL5u_5PoPnnowWnBTUuwmRpYUVjxS6F6o7M9UXZUMKgjJ4JU5NEalQhJ1qEzAE009Yoee8dYzIfT5qvOyXiOAwl1g9k75jWCQ1tM11aZ0u2cpNshBTFJrJ3OMMLeCfJVM-plMXJZ88gW2/s320/CIMG1655.JPG" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violette de Bordeaux fig fully leafed out in December.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This VdB fig has all of its leaves with only minor brown/dry damage from a recent frost, and it is also still loaded with figs. The difference between this tree and the Celeste is really quite amazing.<br />
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I guess variety is the spice of life, even in the world of figs!.09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-71333846077768370952011-12-03T18:41:00.000-05:002011-12-03T18:41:06.916-05:00Frost ProtectionWe had our first frosts of the year in late November. Two or three of them. Fortunately all the fall/winter veggies survived, but I'm making preparations to protect the crops once the temps remain consistently cold. <br />
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Last year I constructed two experimental mini <a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2011/01/somewhere-between-hoop-house-and-low.html">hoop houses</a> in mid January after the frost had already taken a nasty toll on the greens. This year I expanded the idea by building one long, continuous hoop house.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKe_UH2N8oM2Wyhzf54IijN9sIMrME3mvMtzfTYKRo4QUU7rDgCZzsjPqNqnRuls-F-JiYti6mvXWGhmzfjPkS0OQjdGe7sRv1isDmetkHJGmcrSvnORR7hcI6ZvpmCS7zj4D5Aw5UUc50/s1600/CIMG1640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKe_UH2N8oM2Wyhzf54IijN9sIMrME3mvMtzfTYKRo4QUU7rDgCZzsjPqNqnRuls-F-JiYti6mvXWGhmzfjPkS0OQjdGe7sRv1isDmetkHJGmcrSvnORR7hcI6ZvpmCS7zj4D5Aw5UUc50/s320/CIMG1640.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PVC hoop house frame built over raised beds of lettuce, spinach, chard, and other tender greens. Plastic will be attached soon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Currently only the PVC has been added to the raised beds. I used 10-foot sections of 1/2" PVC pipe and pushed it directly into the soil within the raised beds. I bent each pipe by hand over the bed, forming the "ribs". I then attached the "ribs" to a long "spine" with plastic zip-ties. The structure is fairly strong and will withstand wind and snow. We are expecting warmer weather for the next 5 days so I likely won't secure the plastic covering until sometime next week.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Pm8PSFx8-3VWNuOIQuVr4lKgz64ve-QXl2Gr_6R9gOUYvicGadoI4xwNIJFfzud4B1wEmGX6C8_zT5YVF6HMRDjbH4UALhzcZdDsafs_4QCSJ8-B-OGlD9j6BxxO9TWD6BhFCJ-3_IMu/s1600/CIMG1639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Pm8PSFx8-3VWNuOIQuVr4lKgz64ve-QXl2Gr_6R9gOUYvicGadoI4xwNIJFfzud4B1wEmGX6C8_zT5YVF6HMRDjbH4UALhzcZdDsafs_4QCSJ8-B-OGlD9j6BxxO9TWD6BhFCJ-3_IMu/s320/CIMG1639.JPG" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note how the PVC is pushed into the soil against the interior sides of the raised beds. No screws, brackets, or fasteners are required. It's an easy, effective, and inexpensive setup.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I only opted to cover my more tender vegetables like lettuce, arugula, spinach, and chard. I did not cover the kale and root crops like carrots and beets. They are, however, heavily mulched with a thick layer of wheat straw for protection. They withstood just about everything last year and I'm hoping they do the same this year.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3eNhyphenhyphenepJyttqUlc__2XNsNjii6xM-cJTQHgZ5IFJDnPgotUGZz5w4vAJpJHwsoMP8sabqqSI_UOE0Q8QfqBEWDIAa1IT81Q3UW6-2UKQ-KwGczgSMjtnENlCnMyLEu60-mQFAEQl195C/s1600/CIMG1641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3eNhyphenhyphenepJyttqUlc__2XNsNjii6xM-cJTQHgZ5IFJDnPgotUGZz5w4vAJpJHwsoMP8sabqqSI_UOE0Q8QfqBEWDIAa1IT81Q3UW6-2UKQ-KwGczgSMjtnENlCnMyLEu60-mQFAEQl195C/s320/CIMG1641.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right: Buttercrunch, Winter Density, Parris Island Cos, and Rouge d'Hiver lettuce. Spinach is barely visible farther down the bed. This hoop house will function like a mini refrigerator once it is covered with plastic, protecting the vegetables and keeping them cold but not frozen.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3HvlrjHV_1CAhUE2Z6FzP5xDvWsi7bpqxmfhOKXzrdT3kPD-EOOEEVf7XvPAhKJ88NjXxTR56s3kJZekrbzKdtHXeuX3sKwPDyIzXOKBx_KwUOILnsvYK_ZEWy_UehWgaRidQymhr32p/s1600/CIMG1643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3HvlrjHV_1CAhUE2Z6FzP5xDvWsi7bpqxmfhOKXzrdT3kPD-EOOEEVf7XvPAhKJ88NjXxTR56s3kJZekrbzKdtHXeuX3sKwPDyIzXOKBx_KwUOILnsvYK_ZEWy_UehWgaRidQymhr32p/s320/CIMG1643.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorful head of Rouge d'Hiver lettuce.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3NSXsnqQoW59AG13jAvo-LNtYQBjcbYaOdLQwq6sNfvnVRbWRzQY0mYnuTYzU9FuVm90Oniue-44VGaJ2cGpowMFF_VP9BWj-U-TQGexTutz0f_9UJcnrl7Hl42fxqOtaISelnfiKYYL/s1600/CIMG1644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3NSXsnqQoW59AG13jAvo-LNtYQBjcbYaOdLQwq6sNfvnVRbWRzQY0mYnuTYzU9FuVm90Oniue-44VGaJ2cGpowMFF_VP9BWj-U-TQGexTutz0f_9UJcnrl7Hl42fxqOtaISelnfiKYYL/s320/CIMG1644.JPG" width="261" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby Red Swiss chard. I planted these seeds on September 15, but they took a long time to germinate because of very hot temperatures in late September and early October.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Not everything in the garden looks great right now. I had a heck of a time battling caterpillars on my broccoli and kale. Fortunately they only seemed interested in those two plantings and not the other veggies, but it didn't take long for them to completely defoliate this poor plant.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT637U7OHNXQbFsNiDaYmvowN5yJcF6ZFX6-LcDgAf7KpnRrXpAnETnaRuXYmAbwj3WmIn5hhkdnVOIWVFDcp_WFC322nQ0WLxPu-3jJw5QubLD673EESJECONi6coD-iM6M544cje_3pj/s1600/CIMG1656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT637U7OHNXQbFsNiDaYmvowN5yJcF6ZFX6-LcDgAf7KpnRrXpAnETnaRuXYmAbwj3WmIn5hhkdnVOIWVFDcp_WFC322nQ0WLxPu-3jJw5QubLD673EESJECONi6coD-iM6M544cje_3pj/s320/CIMG1656.JPG" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kale that was completely devoured by caterpillars. Lots of carnage and not a lot of leftovers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>There are a handful of chemicals and products (organic ones too) to battle these beasts. I did buy a bag of powdered <a href="http://www.biocontrol.entomology.cornell.edu/pathogens/bacteria.html">Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)</a>, an organic bacteria that is effective on caterpillars, but I got lazy and never applied the stuff.<br />
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Now I just need somebody to play <i>Taps</i> on the trumpet while I add these remains to the compost pile and pay my respects..09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303089369353741704.post-29593857898977143812011-11-15T22:24:00.000-05:002011-11-15T22:24:41.970-05:00Pomegranates: What a Difference a Year Makes<a href="http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2010/11/november-update.html">Last year around this time</a>, I was really excited when I harvested 3 pomegranates from my Russian Red pomegranate tree. That tiny first harvest may not seem like a big deal to you, but it was a big deal to me. I felt like my little tree that I carefully grew and nurtured for a few years just graduated from grade school. It experienced some growing pains, but learned the basic skills it needed to survive.<br />
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What a difference a year makes! Last Sunday, I was beaming with pride as I harvested 24 pomegranates from the same tree. This was no small-time graduation...this was the equivalent of graduating from Harvard with honors.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIaadTUdj9hFOQbvE8FTo58Bo1kD7tryMk8QTcgb6jUoTUNwiqn-gWxKf822CBXv4jq1pgb3uVqZh9b3ZUXkSnwhyphenhyphenA03Cad17JyzvZ6LQvHE3cve86vTEtAljtbJ9vNHHvw5uiLrCsF16T/s1600/CIMG1542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIaadTUdj9hFOQbvE8FTo58Bo1kD7tryMk8QTcgb6jUoTUNwiqn-gWxKf822CBXv4jq1pgb3uVqZh9b3ZUXkSnwhyphenhyphenA03Cad17JyzvZ6LQvHE3cve86vTEtAljtbJ9vNHHvw5uiLrCsF16T/s320/CIMG1542.JPG" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basket loaded with freshly harvested Russian Red pomegranates.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The pomegranates are not as large as varieties you typically find in a grocery store, but they do the trick.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJr0c7PNOWumMx7lagkYkES3GkfivCqZHdiNkmFNWoNa6KwAx5aoNYnlDxT3xwTBPJkyOIuB4vmPjgLUwpERMkcDLqXIBIVBCVXPXVmA1ijLk4TvRfYqHFqYPLPHbzm_4Voa7dzzCDdK6M/s1600/CIMG1559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJr0c7PNOWumMx7lagkYkES3GkfivCqZHdiNkmFNWoNa6KwAx5aoNYnlDxT3xwTBPJkyOIuB4vmPjgLUwpERMkcDLqXIBIVBCVXPXVmA1ijLk4TvRfYqHFqYPLPHbzm_4Voa7dzzCDdK6M/s320/CIMG1559.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fist full o' pomegranates.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The pomegranate arils (seed casings) have a dark, rich color and the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPU2wHYkP6PPYvG_paauOHaTcrx88OpFF3uXVKp_-43DRLRAFyHYg_ZYh9m72HPKSaWVSZnLAqRQeVEQoTNizSt6k-PvFdZlUyGZ4q1pcw9twxtd0g52eJZZrDkyQmF9p5wRVTPrrpPTv3/s1600/Arils.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPU2wHYkP6PPYvG_paauOHaTcrx88OpFF3uXVKp_-43DRLRAFyHYg_ZYh9m72HPKSaWVSZnLAqRQeVEQoTNizSt6k-PvFdZlUyGZ4q1pcw9twxtd0g52eJZZrDkyQmF9p5wRVTPrrpPTv3/s320/Arils.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pomegranate arils.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And with a little sweat and patience balanced with a dash of swearing, these pomegranates made great juice. Much better than commercial juice, no fooling. Check it out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOFCOmNYLXgwYys2v6Wx2B6zcDk1UJ3DvMa0IQ2sWTXXsE6L5zhhzEPLJkJg0RXUAAB8fmrFC-kinK1QQd1tVLtArdgFXFARnc7NM-RQtM2qbBJdwyGyPfNYkRGKKcn2xcl7P39Hsiygz/s1600/CIMG1553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOFCOmNYLXgwYys2v6Wx2B6zcDk1UJ3DvMa0IQ2sWTXXsE6L5zhhzEPLJkJg0RXUAAB8fmrFC-kinK1QQd1tVLtArdgFXFARnc7NM-RQtM2qbBJdwyGyPfNYkRGKKcn2xcl7P39Hsiygz/s320/CIMG1553.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freshly made pomegranate juice. No sugar required, 100% natural.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Beware, many pomegranates were harmed in the making of this juice. My entire harvest of pomegranates only made about 2 quarts of juice.<br />
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But that only made me wonder what next year's harvest will produce....09 Acreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469496252952784993noreply@blogger.com9