See pic above – when walking in the woods you need to watch where you walk – not only to avoid a copperhead but also to see what is going on down there – the different fungi and this small guy for whom my misstep would have been fatal.
My last post was Aug 28 and since then I unfortunately had to focus on other matters. The garden has transitioned with the approach of Fall.
What little time I had for growing I tried to spend wisely. I pulled the fading squash plants which had done an excellent job shading with their large leaves the raised beds they inhabited. So, once they were out minimal weeding was required. I seeded with mixtures of late season greens (collard, kale, mustard, lettuce, chard) – when I say mixture I mean I loaded the different seeds into the hopper of the seed spreader and expelled them all together whereas in the past I seeded different types in straight rows. My new approach means that if a particular variety does not do well it will be superseded by another green rather than by a weed. A negative is they will be on top of each other and not realize full growth. But we will snip frequently for the kitchen and they will cover the beds well and dissuade weeds.
Some 4 weeks later the beds had really taken off.
Some of the beds did not do as well and I surmise 2 reasons – they were planted a few days after the others and missed the rains; and I seeded them with Austrian winter peas and several other peas and I have a rabbit population which preyed on my peas throughout the season and probably nailed these as well.
A favorite all rounder is chard – it grows well in spring, somehow survives our summers and comes back strongly in fall.
I previously mentioned a volunteer butternut squash plant which took up residence on the compost head and has done magnificently. A week ago we picked from this plant 5 butternut and have subsequently picked more.
I have 2 varieties of persimmon – American and Asian and I planted them 4 years ago and they are still not producing. However at the gate to the woods I noticed some cherry looking fruit on a tree and I think these are self grown American persimmon. Impossibly bitter to eat until they have matured.
Eight years ago when I purchased the woods I decided to grow black walnut. I ordered 25 at a very reasonable price from the Georgia Forestry Commission and gave some to neighbors in Atlanta and planted 3 at our Atlanta house. I thought shading from larger trees would be an issue and it sure was. None of the trees in the woods did well and at the Atlanta house the one which did the very best, unsurprisingly got the most light. One of my sons visiting from the west coast decided it would be great to eat a black walnut. The first step is dehusking.
Here they are with their husks removed.
Finally, goldenrod has flowered to the delight of the bees.
