[gardeners] Grasshoppers, birthday wishes and sick puppies.
Ron Hay (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 27 Sep 1999 10:10:54 -0700
Good morning!
Belated birthday wishes to all the birthday boys and girls, and a get
well wish for boots.
We in Southern California are in the neither/nor-both/and season. It is
neither summer nor the rainy season, but is both hot and dry and damp
and chilly by turns.
This morning at 5:30 it was 63, by tonight it will be 90. Overnight it
will go down to about 64, then with the Santa Ana Winds, the fog will
burn off early, the offshore flow will rapidly increase in speed, the
temperature will head for the century mark, and the humidity will drop
like a stone. In short, it's a difficult time of year to plant a cool
season garden.
My task this year is being made even more difficult by grasshoppers. I
try not to use pesticices, but I am being driven to it by my broccoli's
leaves being munched, along with my cosmos. Any suggestions as to what
to do about those wretched critters?
The rest of the garden is fine; just planted some fall-blooming
crocuses, and am awaiting delivery of ranunculus and copo de oro bulbs
to be planted.
The passion fruit is still churning out new flowers and fruit, of which
we have harvested about 16 which are turning a yummy, wrinkly purple on
the window sill in the kitchen. Any suggestion as to what to do with
this bumper crop.
Our 4 serrano chile plants have already produced over 400 chiles which
we have dehydrated, and more flowers and fruit are being set daily.
The fuyu persimmons are ripening beautifully under their hairnet (after
the birds got one!)
We are looking forward to cooler weather and to the onset of rain in
about 2 months' time, since we have not had any measurable rain since
the end of April, which is usual for us.
Happy gardening!
Ron