No pics today...as I seem to be coming down with the same crap as the near rest of the family has! Oh joy! Sore throat and achy limbs.
I have been suffering the past two day with a problem that came up with the black-eyed pea crop! The leaves on 75% of the plants started to shrivel and turn yellow! They seriously looked like they were dying. The interesting part (VERY interesting) is that they ones I had left in the laundry basket in pure compost and manure, are looking strong and pristine. The leaves and stems are gorgeous...standing all tall and purdy! Yesterday morning, I ran to the Home Depot and bought 3 bags more of the compost/manure and put two bags down on top of the bed and watered well. Well....this morning looking out the window, things had a slightly different look to them. They still looked really crappy, but I put on my Crocs and went out (still in nightgown) to water and have a closer look.
Guess what??? I have HOPE suddenly for all but ONE of the plants!!! There are new sets of leaves all green and pretty coming from the center of the shrivled ones!!! YEAHHH!!! I am watering well every day. My Mom feels I need to keep up the water and wash whatever was in the soil out. I did read that black-eyed peas do not need or want any added Nitrogen, and maybe the Miracle Gro soil I added had that in it. I know it has fertilizer in it, which normally has nitrogen added...so maybe that was the problem.
I do have some leaf miner damage on the healthy leaves in the laundry basket...so I garlic powdered everything I have out there this morning and watered well. That will stop those little devils right in their paths!!! Take that, leaf miners!!!
Oh...at Home Depot they had the pretties eggplant plants EVER...so I bought a japanese purple one and one that makes 4 inch white eggplants. I don't like them that well, but my husband and vegetarian DIL love them grilled. The leaves were so gorgeous, I basically bought them for decorative purposes (for my own eye) as they grow!!! Hee hee hee!!! I planted both of them together in one big pot. They got the garlic powder treatment as well.
I tell ya, if the black eyed peas don't make it, I will be so sad. It is emotionally draining to work at a garden and then some damn thing mess it up. I can only imagine being a commercial grower, or a small farm trying to live on your produce and sales, and then something takes out your crops! It certainly gives you a new perspective!
The grands went back to school today and I am having a morning of rest for these old achy bones. My throat actually feels better after my morning coffee...and you can bet I am on the way to the store today to get some smooth, freezing cold ice cream for the calming effect!
Remember the pretty yellow sunflower my neighbor planted on the other side of the fence??? Well, there was another one next to it that grew about 2 feet taller with no blooms at all, until a few days ago...and they are a burnt orange color! When one show ended , another began...now thats what I call timing! If I feel better later or tomorrow I will get a pic to show!
Hope everyone has a lovely Earth Day. It is my favorite day of the year!!!
xoxo- Julie
9 comments:
My goodness, so many gardening things happening a your place. You are such a good caretaker.
Crocs and nightgown-what a sight. lol
Yes, I do want to see a pic of that sunflower!
Happy Earth day my friend. HOpe you are feeling better soon. Enough with these illnesss.
Alright, young lady, straighten up! We can't have any of this sick business with you!!
All kidding aside, hope you and the black eye peas are feeling better bit by bit, minute by minute.....we'd hate to have to spread you with compost/manure and water you!!!!!!!! ;•)
After reading your post I tossed a handful of black eyed peas in my lunch salad. Thanks for the great idea! I hope they grow well for you. Post about it, cuz I've never done that sort of bean in garden. I plan to do black beans this year--we eat so many. I want to see how much work it is to dry/pick. I've gotten used to using dry beans instead of canned in the kitchen and its great.
I also think a lot of vegetables/fruits have great potential for just lookin' pretty in the garden. I LOVE huge squash leaves, and I think asparagus looks so pretty and swishy in the wind.
Hope the eggplants and the rest turn out well!!
Happy Earth Day...good luck with the peas and hope your are feeling better real real soon, no sooner than that even!
I hope by now you are feeling much better Julie. Happy Earth Day.
Not a good time of the year to be feeling sick....too much to do in the garden. Get well, stay well.
I like the idea of planting the pretty eggplants for decorative purposes.
I wish you and your black eyed peas well because it sounds like you're emotionally invested in them. It really does make you feel for farmers (big and small) who grow crops.
donna
Hi Julie
I'm sorry you were feeling sick and hope you are all better now.
That seems to be the way I am feeling today. I have a sore throat and I'm achy too...I just never get sick..hmmmm...
Oh dear you must have been devestated to see your plants dying but it sounds like you have things under control.
I love eggplant. Yum. I do the into the egg and into the parmesan cheese and bread crumbs and then I fry them..yum!
Well hope you've had a good day...feel good.
Judi
I hope you're feeling better by now Julie. I love the sunflower story. And you are amazing, saving all those peas. You work so hard. I hate the work part. I love growing pumpkins and last year they were the only thing doing well in the garden until they got attacked my some kind of bug and I just let it all happen and felt so sad.
I like your proaractive approach.
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