Many Moons and the Full Corn Moon

Manyel and Speckled Roman Ripen on the Full Corn Moon

The Manyel and Speckled Romans are starting to turn ripe with more vigor. It has been a late year year for tomatoes and, to date luckily, no late blight has appeared.

Manyel is a heirloom variety said to be of Native American origins. While a lot of sources make that claim and even translate the name “Manyel” to mean, “many moons”, I can't find any hard documentation (yet). But it is a great tasting yellow tomato with what I think is a great flavor. It's hardy and productive. The plants I grew this year, as in the past, were started from seeds saved in previous years.

I did spray the Manyels with compost tea and a baking soda spray several times a week over the rainy summer, both reputed to help against the blight. Perhaps, the sprays worked, perhaps the variety is more resistant to late blight. There are a lot of questions and few answers.

My second favorite is a variety called “Speckled Roman”. It is something like a giant Roma, a lot of pulp, very few seeds and flavorful. It makes a great sauce and often I have to add some juicier tomatoes. The Speckled Roman is also one of the best for drying. Like Manyel, it is indeterminate, open pollinated, and a heavy producer. It too was sprayed with home remedies for the blight.

It really isn't a heirloom but rather a newer introduction, a cross between a Banana Leg and an Antique Roman. It was developed by a plant breeder, John Swenson. This tomato is an orange-ish red color with yellow streaks, with the Manyel, it makes a great colorful combination in the garden.

For color, flavor and production, these two tomatoes are worth consideration next year.
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Buy a Book
Shop for books at your local independent bookstore. How about a book on tomatoes? Or one by Sam Hossler, who writes fictional novels based on historical events of northwestern PA or new author, Vincent di Fondi, Blessed Abduction. Click the ad below to order and purchase.

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Fleas and Ticks – Be Careful


Now that summer has arrived in early September with the Full Corn Moon, fleas and ticks are a problem. Be careful using the the spot on treatments, be sure to follow the directions carefully if you use the stuff. Click here to get more information, these products can be harmful and in some cases fatal to children and pets.

H1N1

Be prepared. Get informed, Click the ad to keep updated.


Adopt a Horse



National Adopt a Horse Day is scheduled for September 26 in 19 locations. If you have the space and the time, consider adopting and helping these beautiful animals. Click here for more information. Congratulations to Linda Nickerson who will be writing more about horses on the national level.

Mountain Ash Lore


Some folklore says that an abundance of mountain ash berries predicts a mild winter. Well, the trees here in northwestern Pennsylvania have lots and lots of berries this year. The berries, for the creative cooks, can be used to make jams and jellies and wine. Learn more about our native Mountain Ash trees.

Clean Water Festival



If your in the area and free, check out the Clean Water Festival at the Woodcock Nature Center September 26. It's free and a lot of fun activities for the entire family. For more information, festival@crawfordconservation.com
or call Brian Pilarcik at 814-763-5269

For the Heck of It:

Elderberries are getting ripe. They do make a great pie and some of the best jelly. There's been some talk how the berries might help reduce H1N1 flu symptoms, well, maybe they did that many moons agop, stick with modern medicine, but I wouldn't dismiss the idea. There will be lots of those claims but natural foods do have benefits.

Joe Pye Weed is blooming. The plant attracts a good many pollinators and is a good wildflower to have in an ornamental garden. No one seems to know for sure where the name originated but it sure isn't a weed in an obnoxious sense.



Many moons of eating fresh corn, even the frogs on the lily pads in the background agree.


Informative and Good Reading Blogs

Vincent di Fondi- Vincent just published his first novel, Blessed Abduction, available through the Indie link. Or check his blog to learn more about the novel and his new home in Costa Rica.

On Your Way to the Top – Kathleen always has good insights

New York's Southern Tier – A travel destination in nearby New York by Richardson

Urban Veggie Blog – Dan is located in nearby Ontario and he has tips on saving tomato seeds.

Simply Snickers - a Blog by Linda Nickerson

Other articles I have written for Helium can be found by clicking the title; others can be found below in the box at HubPages.

more »
HubPages

Hatch Hollow Fame

Hatch Hollow

It has been a tough season for home vegetable gardens but Morgan and Mike's vegetable plot in Hatch Hollow is doing really well. The one problem seems to be cucumbers which are dying. Here's Morgan's description in an email the other day:

“Got tons of broccoli, beans, peas, lettuce, beets, tomatoes, cabbage, celery, kale, and my pumpkin patch, as I call it, is doing awesome too. No pictures, but HUGE pumpkins, I planted mt squash plants with them and have tons of zucchini and summer squash! Planted tons of sunflowers and Indian corn also for wedding decorations.”

Mike and Morgan will tie the knot in October and I am sure there will be garden foods and, from the garden, decorations for the big event.

They use a lot of companion plantings in their garden, and Morgan, is currently working on putting together a pollinator/perennial garden this fall in between wedding plans.

Hatch Hollow is a small community, a blink and miss it sort of place. There is no grocery store, no gas station, but a small church and cemetery and a cluster of homes.

The place had one former resident who reached national prominence, Ida Tarbell. Tarbell was born in a small cabin not far from the pictured garden. She and her family moved later to Pithole during the great oil boom there around 1866 and then when the oil ran out in the Pithole area, moved to Titusville. Ida Tarbell is best known for her still respected biography of Abraham Lincoln, and the classic History of Standard Oil.

Note: If you want to send a garden picture with some notes, please leave a comment at the end of the blog. Thanks.

Fall Garden and Think Spring

August and September are good gardening months. There are many vegetables which can still be planted and harvested before winter arrives. Peas, beets, turnips, broccoli, lettuce and other greens are good options.

This is also a good time to re-do or establish perennial beds for pollinators and to get the compost pile started again for better soil nutrients for next year. August and September are also good months to think about and plant cover crops like buckwheat and oats which will help to suppress weeds while adding good nutrients to the soil. Cover crops also give added protection to the microbes living unseen in the soil but which are critical to organic gardening success.
Fall Vegetable Plantings: A Good Opportunity
A fall vegetable garden offers many opportunities for an extended harvest season and a spring head-start next year.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/2048567/fall_vegetable_plantings_a_good_opportunity.html

Independent Book Stores keep the money local. Buy from your Independent Book Store. Click on the link below to buy a book from the nearest Independent Book Store.


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H1N1


There will likely be a lot of sick people, down with the flu. Government estimates indicate that half of the population will suffer from the flu and upwards of 90,000 could die. Eat healthy, wash your hands frequently and if you feel sick, stay home. For more information and CDC updates click on the link below. The flu season is coming early and in fact has already begun in several US communities.



Fleas and Ticks

Darn critters bother us and the pets. But be careful using some of the spot-on treatments. They could harm you and your pets. Use caution and read the link below for further information.
Fleas and Ticks: A Nightmare for Pets and You
Some flea and tick treatments pose risks to humans and pets.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/2084141/fleas_and_ticks_a_nightmare_for_pets.html

For the Heck of IT:

In some regions, a weather folklore claims an abundance of American Mountain Ash berries in August and September indicates a mild winter. This year there seems to be an abundance of berries (could we be so lucky) The berries can also be used to make a jelly or jam. As far as the prediction, we'll have to wait and see; what happens, happens. But it is fun to dream.

Yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery, today is a Gift.

Blogs that are good to read and informative:
Vincent di Fondi- Vincent just published his first novel, Blessed Abduction, available through the link above, Indie Books. Or check his blog to learn more about the novel and his new home in Costa Rica.

On Your Way to the Top – Kathleen always has good insights.

New York's Southern Tier – A travel destination in nearby New York by Richardson

Urban Veggie Blog – Dan is located in nearby Ontario and is a good gardener.Dan has some creative meals from the garden.

Other articles I have written for Helium can be found by clicking the title; other articles can be found below in the box at HubPages.

more »
HubPages

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