RE: [gardeners] Weekend report
Ron Hay (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 18 Aug 2003 07:38:05 -0700 (PDT)
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Hello, Anne,
I think these sorts of courses vary widely from state to state, depending upon the dictates of the State Boards of Education.
Now, on a gardening note. This past 10 days we have had nothing but temps in the high 90s to low 100s, with humidity in the 14 percent range or so. You should see what has become of our roses! They look as if they have been deep fried! The color is off, the sizes are puny and the petals curl within a few hours of opening. It's a bit disheartening to have to deadhead every bush.
But our late tomato and eggplant gardens are another matter. The tomatoes are beginning to come on like gang busters; so are our eggplants, if we can just keep ahead of the red spiders!
Have any of you had major problems with cukes and squash? We lost our whole row of Armenian cukes to mildew. I had thought it was some sort of mite and kept spraying, when all the time it was mildew. How the heck can one have mildew if the humidity is as low as a snake's belly and the temps are on the order of a blast furnace?!
Now to keep that scuzzy stuff off our adjancent chard row!
Macadamias anyone? I think the descriptive adjective for our tree is "fecund." Just about every branch is hanging low with nuts in one or another state of ripeness, as our variety, Beaumont, produces flowers and nuts most of the year.
Last year, after having purchased a special Mac cracker from Golden Crown Coop. down in Fallbrook ( 70 bux!), I can well understand the prices the commercial producers charge, as it is devilishly difficult to crack out whole macs. But you know what? We don't really care They never last long enough around our house to be subjected to any sort of white glove inspection.
Have any of you grown poincianas, also known as Barbados Bird of Paradise? After a couple of years of sort of hanging in there, this year they have burst forth with the most riotous brilliant orange blossoms, to the delight of the neighborhood hummingbirds and bees. The clusters of about a dozen blossoms on a foot long flower stalk at the ends of the branches are breathtaking. Every morning, the catch the first light of dawn, and when I go out to fetch the paper, I just stand there, with my mouth open with amazement, watching the hummers doing their thing. We certainly don't regret, any more, the 30 bux a plant we spent for the two of them, two years ago.
If any of you in warm climes would like seeds in the fall, just give a shout. They like it dry and hot.
Ron
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<DIV>Hello, Anne,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I think these sorts of courses vary widely from state to state, depending upon the dictates of the State Boards of Education.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Now, on a gardening note. This past 10 days we have had nothing but temps in the high 90s to low 100s, with humidity in the 14 percent range or so. You should see what has become of our roses! They look as if they have been deep fried! The color is off, the sizes are puny and the petals curl within a few hours of opening. It's a bit disheartening to have to deadhead every bush.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But our late tomato and eggplant gardens are another matter. The tomatoes are beginning to come on like gang busters; so are our eggplants, if we can just keep ahead of the red spiders!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Have any of you had major problems with cukes and squash? We lost our whole row of Armenian cukes to mildew. I had thought it was some sort of mite and kept spraying, when all the time it was mildew. How the heck can one have mildew if the humidity is as low as a snake's belly and the temps are on the order of a blast furnace?! </DIV>
<DIV>Now to keep that scuzzy stuff off our adjancent chard row!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Macadamias anyone? I think the descriptive adjective for our tree is "fecund." Just about every branch is hanging low with nuts in one or another state of ripeness, as our variety, Beaumont, produces flowers and nuts most of the year.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Last year, after having purchased a special Mac cracker from Golden Crown Coop. down in Fallbrook ( 70 bux!), I can well understand the prices the commercial producers charge, as it is devilishly difficult to crack out whole macs. But you know what? We don't really care<IMG src="http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/01.gif"> They never last long enough around our house to be subjected to any sort of white glove inspection.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Have any of you grown poincianas, also known as Barbados Bird of Paradise? After a couple of years of sort of hanging in there, this year they have burst forth with the most riotous brilliant orange blossoms, to the delight of the neighborhood hummingbirds and bees. The clusters of about a dozen blossoms on a foot long flower stalk at the ends of the branches are breathtaking. Every morning, the catch the first light of dawn, and when I go out to fetch the paper, I just stand there, with my mouth open with amazement, watching the hummers doing their thing. We certainly don't regret, any more, the 30 bux a plant we spent for the two of them, two years ago.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If any of you in warm climes would like seeds in the fall, just give a shout. They like it dry and hot.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Ron</DIV>
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