Deadly Late Blight Emerges

Late tomato blight appears to be re-emerging again this growing season as mentioned in the last past. Some of the latest cases have been discovered in Connecticut. However, other previous cases have also been confirmed in other east coast states: Pennsylvania and Delaware.For the latest updates, check , here ;this is an excellent update with good information. It could be another bad year.

The blight, not harmful to humans is deadly to tomatoes and potatoes. Diseased plants need to be destroyed as soon as possible. Late blight can spread very quickly from neighborhood to neighborhood, state to state.

There are some commercial organic sprays which can be used but they must be applied by the fungal diseases arrives. Some claim that home made remedies can also be helpful such as manure tea and a baking soda spray. Mulch can be helpful for other tomato diseases but is not a cure for late blight. Staking tomatoes is also a good garden practice to help eliminate other tomato diseases, but will not thwart the late blight.

Currently, all tomato varieties can be infected; however, there have been claims that some varieties show more resistance than others. This could vary from region to region and one control measure is to keep posted with county agricultural and garden organizations.

All potatoes eventually succumb to the disease and seed potatoes from last year can harbor the fungus. It is hard but best to destroy saved seed potatoes; however, if the blight was present last year, chances are the seed potatoes are infected. Likewise, it is important to dig and destroy any volunteer potato seedlings sprouting in the garden from last year.

For more information: What to do when Tomato Blight Strikes.

                                     How to control tomato blight.

The Topsy Turvy Fad

Pictured is my topsy turvy tomato plant which seems to be growing quite well, at least as good as the same plants in the ground. It is a Roman Speckled Tomato variety which is an attractive tomato shaped similar to a large Roma.These hanging baskets are easy make at home for next to no cost. These plants were started on Earth Day, April 20th; most went in the ground around May 20th.

The late blight had better stay away!

I also started a topsy turvy jalapeno which is slower than the tomato but growing perhaps better than the plants in the ground. Read more on how to do this at home with little or no expense.
On the top of the tomato hanging basket, I planted basil which just germinated about a week ago. They can be seen growing already.

The Jalapeno Experiment 

On the top of the jalapeno basket I planted some dwarf dahlias, Unwins Mix. They were old seeds from several years ago. They were really nice plants but I didn’t use the entire seed pack and saved them. They were just planted a couple days ago so we’ll give them another week or so and see what happens.

Garlic Scape

The garlic scapes appeared this week. Scapes are odd, twisty seedheads which appear on hardneck varieties. Most growers clipped the scape in order to send energy to the growing bulb. It is believed the bulb grows larger. Scapes are delicious eating and can be used in just about anything. Theyare great chopped and added to hamburg just before grilling.

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The Big Garden

Yike. It is a lot of work but others are involved but somehow it seems I am the working it most. But that’s not a problem. It is an isolated spot away from a lot of noise and confusion.

This year we are trying watermelon. It might be a tad late; the seed package claims eighty days.That would be sometime in mid-September and usually a frost will hold off for another four weeks, maybe mid-October.
Now to stay ahead of the weeds with hoes....

Just a cool photo - at least I thought so

Working the big garden sometimes means not taking care of the other smaller garden and missing some of the magic.

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Stawberry Pots Forever

Important Update Tomato Late Blight Appears, See Post Below

Strawberries

June is strawberry month. Many small growers are reporting early, bumper crops. Mine are doing fantastic for the first year.
I received the plants, actually runners, from a friend who lives in a really tiny town about fifty miles away, Torpedo, Pennsylvania. It was late July last summer, a period hot and sultry weather, when he picked the runners, showed up at my door, and gave them to me. I didn't have much time to prepare.
But I did have an old aluminum pot of sorts, which use to be the housing for a large exhaust fan in some factory.
The "pot" was filled with a mixture of dirt and compost, watered, and the strawberries planted. They were  pretty much forgotten until this spring. I am uncertain which variety they are but I am going to find out. I never pinched blossoms and they grew and grew and every morning I am able to get a handful of great tasting berries. Everyone who passes by the "strawberry pot" grabs a few as well. They are abundant, large and sweet.
The runners I see now will be rooted and I am going to fill in some dead spaces in the pot; I only had a dozen plants, not quite enough to fill the pot. I might even build or find something similar to the old exhaust fan housing and begin a second strawberry pot.
As mentioned, the strawberries this year in many regions are plentiful. Buy from a local grower. And be sure to ask if they were sprayed with a pesticide. Buy local, buy organic. Strawberries are one crop which retains harmful pesticide residue even after washing and rank high on the Dirty Dozen List.
The list was complied by the Environmental Working Group and lists non-organic fruits and vegetables which likely contain high amounts of chemical pesticides.

The Damn Oil Leak and SolarDay

Oil continues to leak into the Gulf and is spreading. It is time to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, even if it means initially staring off with solar lights for the yard. June 19th is national SolarDay. Learn more about clean, renewable energy. Many states are offering rebates or similar programs for consumers who act to reduce fossil fuel usage.

Late Tomato Blight Re-appears!

There have been reports of the often always fatal late tomato blight appearing in several states. Last year, the blight destroyed hundreds of acres of commercial tomatoes and potatoes. Home vegetable growers really took a hit and many lost their entire crop.
Here is some information from last year: How to control late tomato blight
                                                             What is late tomato blight?

This is a really great resource from the U of Amerherst Mass. Be Prepared

Get the information out so gardeners are aware. Click the sharebutton, in this post,  for the opportunity to email this info. The more people know, the better for all. 

Special Note: Fellow blogger and Helium writer, Kathleen Richardson alerted me to the problems with feed burners and following with this blog. Hopefully, the problem (computers can be evil) is corrected. But if not, and your having some problems, let me know.
Kathleen writes On Your Way to the Top, New Yorks's Southern Tier, both listed below. Be sure to visit. She has recently updated her On Your Way to the Top and has added new material to New York"s Souther Tier, a travel destination. Kathleen is also a writer at Helium.

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Or learn about an old fishing lure; there is some good history and muskie information
How about a Christmas Fern?
Lovage: an alternative to non-organic celery.
Flea and Ticks meds, safe for you pet?

Demand Better

The damn oil leak in the Gulf will eventually impact all of us, not just the unfortunate residents of the coast. The damage is significant. We are all going to pay a hefty price. And as this story continues to unravel, I suspect the idiocy in the lack of preparation, the greed for money and lack of environmental concern will become more pronounced.
Eleven workers lost their lives, the real human tragedy often overlooked in the aftermath, when the first explosion on Deepwater Horizon rig rumbled at 9:56 pm on April 20th. It was the first of three explosions and 11 workers lost their lives, their bodies never recovered. The workers were from small towns in the region, many had families. Lives have been forever shattered.
May they rest in peace: Donald Clark, Newellton, LA; Stephen Curtis, Georgetown, LA; Blair Manuel, Eunice, LA; Gordon James, Baton Rogue, LA; Roy Wyatt Kemp, Jonesville, LA; Karl Kleppinger, Jr., Natchez, MS; Dewey Revette, State Line, MS; Aaron Dale Burheen, Philadelphia, MS; Adam Weise, Yorktown, Texas; and Jason Anderson, Bay City, Texas.

Fossil fuels are dangerous and an environmental hazard waiting to blow up in our faces. None of us are immune. Recently, on June 3rd a Marcellus Shale gas well malfunctioned near Clearfield, Pennsylvania, sending a plume of polluted water and natural gas spewing into the atmosphere for 16 hours before the well was controlled.
The Marcellus Gas Shale deposit are rich and cover a large area of the eastern United States, including Pennsylvania and New York. The rich deposits promise to bring economic good news to many of the small communities, similar to the small Gulf communities. But at what cost?
It is not the first time a Marcellus Gas well threatened the fragile environment and there have been previous fish kills and polluted waters in the drilling process. In the Clearfield incident, initial investigations indicate blowoff relief valves malfunctioned, similar to the Deepwater Horizon incident.
The company drilling the Clearfied well was EOG of Houston, Texas. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources has suspended and restricted the company from drilling anymore wells in Pennsylvania. No one was injured in the incident and allegedly no environmental damage was discovered. But the danger remains as other companies continue to drill for gas.


June 19 is listed as national SolarDay, a day set aside to promote clean solar energy. Governments and fossil fuel energy companies will not act effectively until homeowners and citizens begin to learn and about and use solar energy a renewable, non-polluting energy source. Money talks, everything else walks. The technology is here and will get better, learn more, take action to help the environment, the fossil fuel binge needs to end. No customers, no money no drilling; go green for the children's sake.
For more information, check out the link above for SolarDay. Many states now have programs and rebates to become involved with solar power. The time has come to retire the old fossil fuels. Enough is enough.

Brandywine Tomato
early May:


This heirloom variety is respected for being one of the best tasting. They are also hardy. This past week, I started to plant mine. The seeds were sown in an old flower box and covered with an old clear plastic garbage bag and left outside. It snowed and on several occasions the temps dropped to 25 degree F. It didn't seem to phase the seedlings.
Brandywines are a potato leaf variety and are beginning to ripen in mid-August. I'm not exactly sure who first gave me the seeds; it has been a number of years ago and every year I save a new batch.
Last week:


The Dirty Dozen non-organic Vegetables:

Celery is number one for ranking on the list of vegetables which contains hazardous pesticide residue. To learn more, read this article with links. Eat healthy this summer and learn about the celery substitute.

More Outdoor and Garden Updates:


Got a late spring start with the vegetable garden? July and August can be a good time to plant a fall garden and still get a good harvest.

Aphids being a problem? Read some natural controls to aphids.

Slugs and Snails? There's been a lot of rain and the critters are all over. Here are some actions.

Grasshoppers bugging your garden? Read about these natural controls.

Need a good plant for a shady and moist area? Here is a suggestion and it will be Christmas year round.
Or how about this woodland favorite?

Darn Mosquitoes? Natural Controls


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The "Dirty Dozen": Celery in the lead

Lovage is a good herb to have around. The flavor is very similar to celery and the leaves, stems, and roots can be used in many recipes. It produces a rather large flower and seed head. The dried seeds taste just like celery seed.
Perhaps, it is time to start eating more of this herb, or planting it following the recent release of a study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit environmental group. According to their list of the top 12 “Dirty Dozens” vegetables which can the most pesticide residue, non-organic celery ranks NUMBER ONE. According to this report, if you eat non-organic celery, you could be consuming 67 different pesticides.
Something to think about when you think your eating healthy eating raw veggies on the vegetable tray.
Washing and peeling doesn't eliminate these harmful substances found in non-organic vegetables and fruits, according to the study based on data from the USDA. So, if your eating fruits and vegetables from non-organic sources every day, you could be slowly poising yourself and family.
The looming question remains the cumulative effect of eating habits, medications, water and other environmentally toxic substances which are deem “healthy” on our health.
Some of the most persuasive arguments, I have heard for raising your own organic crops or buying from organic growers in your local area. Sure pulling weeds, weather, bugs, and other gardening headaches are troublesome, but when compared to the health benefits, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the answer.
The EWG has a download available for shoppers, as well as other recommendations. It is really an eye opener and informative.
The others on the “Dirty Dozen” list on non-organic fruits and vegetables which contain high amounts of pesticide residue ranked in order are: peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, kale, cherries, potatoes and imported grapes.
For more information on lovage and it's uses, please click this article.

The Upside Down Jalapeno Hanging Basket -the project

The garden fad is topsy turvy tomatoes this year. One can be made inexpensively at home as well as a upside down jalapeno hanging basket. Memorial Day is generally sort of a kick-off time for vegetable gardens and planting can take place for most of June. Pictured is an attempt at a topsy turvy jalapeno basket, planted on Memorial Day weekend. It's not “hung” yet; I think the plant needs to get a little larger. It was a smaller left over pepper plant from a seed tray.
As usual, the some of the garden is late but it will all get done before Labor Day.

Nasturtiums


A good vegetable garden plant. They are attractive to look at and good for many beneficial insects. They also can used as a trap crop for aphids. Pictured is a movable garden planted and the nasturtiums are just beginning to germinate. It will be moved around the garden to trap aphids away from veggie they like to eat. Once the plant is full of the tiny insects, the planter will be moved to a different location and sprayed with water. The aphids don't like that, fall off the plant (they don't hurt the narturtium), and break their legs. Read more about aphid control, here.


Grasshoppers:

Normally not considered a common, every year pest for home gardeners, grasshopper could be a problem this year particularly in the mid-west and west. There are some rangelands in the western states which are experiencing quite a cyclic problem this year.
For vegetable gardeners, if the grasshoppers are becoming a problem, there are some natural and organic solutions to manage the insect.

A Bumblebee on Chives in Bloom


Chives are good for kitchen use and a nice plant in the garden. The bees also enjoy the flowers.

Blogs to Read

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New York's Southern Tier

Tomatoes and Frogs

The mayapples, wildflower plants which grow in shady areas, have been emerging for several weeks. They are also called umbrella plants or Indian apples. Last week they were blooming, pictured above. The blossom is is unique and eye catching. I have never paid very close attention to them before. Mayapples are a good wildflower and a good choice for the shady areas of the yard.
The hummingbirds also started to buzz around last week and the wild columbines began to flower. Now, if the weather would start to cooperate; it has been cold, and rainy for weeks now after a really good spring start in April. We are lucky though, other areas have had some serious weather and numerous fatalities.

But even the frogs around here are tired of the weather and looking forward to warmr and sunnier days. Pictured is a male Green frog or Rana clamitans. A male green frog has a large tympanum (the large spot just down from the eye) which is larger than the eye. A female green frog has a smaller than the eye, or equal to the size of the eye tympanum. And than to BW for the information and corrections on this guy.

Tomatoes

According to the National Gardening Association, tomatoes are one of the top, favorite vegetables in North America. Potatoes and onions are also on the top ten list. Last year was a bad year for tomatoes and potatoes because of the late blight, an almost always fatal disease.

Last year the blight was introduced by several box stores, according to reports and spread quickly because of the rainy and cool weather; perfect conditions for a wild fire blight. This year, be sure to get rid of any potatoes which were missed over the fall and winter and begin to emerge. Underground, the late blight fungus can over-winter.

Tomato plants should have been cleaned out of the garden area in the fall and preferably burned if they had symptoms of the late blight. If some were missed, and the weather was cold, freezing and snowy, it is likely the blight spores did not survive. But to be sure collect the dead plants, do not till them under, or compost them; be cautious and burn them or place in a garbage and keep them in the hot sun before they can be disposed.

One good control measure against the late blight, as well as other tomato diseases, is mulch after the soil has warmed. Mulch helps to prevent disease spores in the soil from splashing up on the tomato leaves. Mulch, besides helping to control weeds, also retains moisture in the soil. Tomatoes need about an inch of rain (water) a week. If the tomatoes need to be watered, try soaking the soil rather than overhead watering.

Mulch also helps to prevent cracked tomatoes and blossom end rot. The mulch works to even out the moisture in the soil and both diseases are caused by irregular watering or soil moisture.

Tomato Tricks

Tomato seeds are easy to get started and the seedlings are money savers. It is cheaper to get a package of seeds rather than buying plants. Many times, the seedlings emerge in the compost pile and can be dug out and re-planted successfully. I am always amazed they survived the winter weather.
Naturally, if you had several different species (heirlooms), what the final result is will be a mystery until the end. Hybrid tomatoes are even a more foggy mystery. The seeds will not produce a plant anywhere close to the parent plant.

One day, a friend told me his method of successfully starting tomatoes. I tried it this year and so far so good. I planted excess seeds of a heirloom Brandywine which I have been growing for the ten or twelve years and saving the seeds.. The Brandywines, whose origins I have since lost, might be a late season tomato, usually the end of August, but for my taste are the best and the most abundant.

The seeds were planted in an old plastic flower box on April 15 and placed outside covered in a clear, heavy duty plastic garbage bag. April 15 is early for anything outside around here; it can snow, freeze and be cloudy and cool for days on end. It was like that this year and one night it froze hard; the outside temperature was 26 F. To grow good tomatoes is actually very simple.

But they are growing just fine, in fact, maybe too good because I'll need to transplant them since I basically threw the seeds on the soil and covered them with dirt/compost. Sunny windows can be used as well as the top of the refrigerator for easy sprouting, but for my money and space, outside in that old flower box seems to be working. We'll be tracking the progress throughout the season. They'll likely be planted in the garden on Memorial Weekend,well, weather permitting.

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Pests: Fake and Real

Dandelion
The dandelion is more than an obnoxious weed; it is, rather, an important wildflower, and not a pest at all. It is one of the first to bloom providing a much needed food source for the honey bees and other native pollinators. It is also one of the last to bloom as the season ends and winter is knocking on the front door. It is the last meal many pollinators have.

The honey bees have been loosing for the last couple years to a mysterious disease called Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD for short. Researchers still don't know what is causing this fatal disease which has wiped out countless hives. It could be the result of a mulitude factors including chemical sprays, a new invasive mite or fungus, or any combination of environmental factors.

At the same time, researchers have noticed a noticeable decline in native pollinators, mason bees for example and other pollinating insects. All of these pollinators are responsible for much of the food we eat. Some suggest that as much as every third bite of food we eat is the result of pollinators like the honey bees and native bees.

This has been a long hard winter for the honey bees in northwestern Pennsylvania, according to Charles Vorisek, the president of the Northwestern Pennsylvania Beekeepers Association. In a recent email (May 7), he told me that the thirty member association has lost 66 percent of the hives. That means that out of 471 hives, only 161 survived. Vorisek called that pitiful. And he is right, that is a serious drop and should concern home gardeners, larger farms and homeowners.

The pollinators are needed for many home vegetable crops particularly the vines such as cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons. The pollinators also help boost yields with carrots, broccoli, onions and they are needed for seed savers for such vegetables as leafy greens and lettuce. Tomatoes and peppers do much better when they are also pollinated by the bees.

According to the USDA, the dandelion is one of the healthiest foods around. It can be used in a variety of ways. Some prefer the roots, others the leaves, and some the flowers. It can be used in salads, soups and stews, brewed as a coffee or a tea, used to make wine or a rustic beer. For more on the health benefits of the dandelion, see this link. For more information on recipes, click this link.

Dandelions, as an early spring flower, are important for the pollinators like the honey bee and native bees. They are more important than a neatly manicured lawn which doesn't do much for the food we all eat. Some sprays and chemicals used in dandelion control are deadly to all insects good and bad; there is no reason for a scorched earth policy against this ancient herb/wildflower. Besides chemical sprays are a waste of money; guess what will return next year minus the insects?

Certainly, the dandelion grows where it shouldn't and where it is not wanted. There are natural controls, organic and natural sprays, and hand digging. Sometimes, mowing the lawn before the dandelion goes to seed helps, but the wildflower does have an ability to escape the mower blades, although frequent mowing does help. It helps to remove the seed heads before the seeds start to spread; cut the dandelion as it goes to seed. Those seeds go everywhere, ask any kid or remember when.

There is just no reason to kill everything just because of an early yellow flower. The dandelion is an imaginary pest, it is a good plant when under control.


Mosquito's :the Real Summer Pest

The ancient mosquito is probably summer's worst pest and a dangerous insect. They can transmit any number of very serious diseases, some of which can be fatal, to humans, pets and wildlife.

One of the first steps in getting rid of these things is to eliminate standing water in pots, pails, old tires, anything that holds water. The mosquito, and there are hundreds of different species, all need water to breed.

Other actions to take include planting plants which help to repel the mosquito. Click the above mosquito link for more plant information.

Okra - a pod with a dandelion-like reputation.

While not considered a pest but regarded as not edible by some and a highly regarded vegetable by others, it is a good garden plant. Okra can be used as a defensive garden weapon against the dreaded Japanese Beetle, click the okra link for more information.

I plant three every year. It is an attractive plant and besides I like it in stewed tomatoes and other dishes. They aren't even in the cold frame just yet. It has been miserable cold, windy and too rainy.

Wildlife

Some animals in the garden area are good, like the turtle pictured above. Snakes, toads, frogs and birds are also good. But then there are others which can be pests.
Unwanted animals from cats to possum's also like to tromp through vegetable and flower garden's; some can cause a lot of destruction. Read about my solution, which I sort of stumbled upon and had some fun writing. How to Keep Wildlife Out of the Garden.

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May: The Discovery Month

The Full Moon last week (April 28) brought a hard frost to the region for a couple nights. One of the names for the April moon is the Full Fish Moon. The next full moon is on May 27. The name had nothing to do with trout season opening; stocking trout is rather new. But see native trout below.
The upcoming May moon is called the Full Flower Moon.
It was called this long before flower shows, seed companies and garden centers. The woodlands are alive right now with dozens of wild flowers. The trout lilies were first, followed by the Mayapples and Jack in the Pulpit plants.
Mayapples are strange, almost tropical looking plants. They are also called Indian apples and the umbrella plant. They do produce a small fruit which looks like a yellow crabapple in late summer. They can be used when fully ripe in jellies, sauces, pies and to make a juice drink. Discover more about this unique plant and how it can be used, here.
Marsh marigolds are also blooming at about the same time as the mayapples. These bog plants last a long time, are hardy and attractive. They make a good choice to plant in wet areas.

Flowers, especially the brilliant annuals can, and perhaps should be, always included in the veggie garden. Annual flowers attract many good insects, some repel harmful insects, while others are good companion plants and help the veggies grow. Annual flowers and herbs are good to have and May is the perfect time to get them in the garden.
May is also a good time to plant and think about fall. A fall vegetable garden can help save money and extend the summer harvest. May is the time to get the soil ready for a late summer planting. Many cover crops can be planted now which help to enrich the soil. For more information on getting ready for a fall vegetable, see this article.
Sure warm weather is here or at least at the front door, thankfully, and so are some pesky insects, like mosquito which can be dangerous because of the diseases they can transmit. There are some effective natural controls and plants that can be used to thwart the insect. For more information on some good plants for mosquito, click on this article.

Native Trout

Trout season opened in many states over the last several weeks. In Pennsylvania, the opening day in the western parts of the state opened on April 17. Trout fishing is immensely popular in Pennsylvania and estimates indicate that about a million anglers went to streams and creeks.
Most went after stocked trout which are bred and raised in Pennsylvania fish hatcheries. However, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is beginning to promote more of the native trout. The agency is seeking to identify creeks and streams which have naturally reproducing trout.
Once a stream is designated as a wild trout stream, it can be fully protected under existing laws governing pollution and water inflows. The new attention to native, wild populations is partially linked to gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale beds.
The drilling has been blamed on several degraded streams and rivers in the state since discharged water, used in the drilling process has been dumped back on the ground surface. Millions of gallons of water are used in the drilling process to get the gas out of the ground. The new technologies used by the drilling operators promises to be a significant economic boom for many rural regions and have set up something of a conflict between the industry, anglers and environmentalists. It is a good issue to follow.
No one is claiming a Gulf of Mexico scenario but the potential for an environmental disaster remains high and the problem needs to be reasonably addressed. Here is a great link to further understand the current situation.

Trilliums


About the same times as the mayapples emerge, the trilliums begin to bloom. May has the best flower show around in woodland areas. The leeks are also in their prime.

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