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

Goodbye - Weeds, Fleas and Ticks: Welcome Buckwheat

Buckwheat Sprouts - Four Days

The buckwheat seeds sprouted in the old garlic bed in four days.The buckwheat seeds were planted on a hot Friday; the following Tuesday little green shoots made the brown earth almost invisible.

Garlic use to grow in the new buckwheat bed. The garlic was harvested one day last week in between rainstorms. Hopefully,some buckwheat will mature before the killing frost arrives. Most information I have found claims buckwheat is rapid grower and ready for harvest in 8 to 12 weeks.

Buckwheat is a good cover crop; it improves the soil and it helps to suppress weed growth. The buckwheat did germinate faster than any weeds, and everyday seems to grow faster; so maybe it will give the weeds a taste of their own medicine. The plan is re-planted the bed back into garlic before Jack Frosts comes along.

There is another advantage. Buckwheat should bloom when it is four weeks old. This bed should start to bloom by mid September. The buckwheat, on this schedule, should be helpful to the late season bees and other pollinators. Most everything else will be dying back as the buckwheat begins. At least, that's my theory.

Read, Buy a Book from your Local Independent Book Store. Click the logo below.




Fleas and Ticks: Bad, Bad, Creatures

Fleas and ticks are nasty critters for both people and pets. Many of the available spot-on treatments contain some powerful insecticides. If you need to use these dangerous chemicals, be careful, follow the directions closely, and save the container in case there is an emergency with you or your pet. The FDA has listed some new advisories and warnings on their Web site linked below.

More natural and organic methods for being a responsible pet owner include brushing the cat or dog with a flea comb, herbal collars and bedding and daily household vacuuming.
No Fleas and Ticks without toxic chemicals makes for happy pets and people, like Yaw and Mike (photo - try to find the hidden beer - hint-in the flowers.) Yaw's real name is Yahataw, a Sioux word meaning "coyote".

More information can be found at the EPA Web site, Humane Society and the Center for Public Integrity. These sites can be a real eye opener for some people who don't get much of a chance to follow some of these issues.

Consumer Note:

While researching material about fleas and ticks, I happened on a natural fly repellent. The flies yesterday were flat out nasty o I went with this. In a spray bottle. Add a couple drops of dish soap and fill with water. Dang it work. Amazing. It kills these pests. Now to my quart spray bottle I have added a little baking soda (½ teaspoon) and ½ teaspoon of cooking oil. Now I've been spraying Yaw before and after using the flea comb and getting flies in between. It seems to help.


For the Heck of It:
There are two kinds of people in this world. There are those who walk into a room and say, “There you are.” and others who say: “Here I am.”

The Lemon Queen Sunflowers, photo above, should bloom this week....finally.


Blogs I like to read and recommend:

Vincent di Fondi- Vincent just published his first novel, Blessed Abduction, available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. 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.

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