Okra and Its Storage
Okra is a great veggie for Southern U.S. gardens — it takes the heat and continues to produce as long as the okra have not progressed to fully developed seed pods (tough and brown in appearance). But — how to preserve and store such a voracious producer? Continue reading
Daylily Proliferation, July, 2014.
Daylilies can be propagated by “proliferations” (or by seed, or by division).
Proliferations are the small plants that arise from “joints” in the scape (see photo left); these small plants can emerge at any time after the scape develops. All daylilies are capable of producing proliferations—if environmental conditions are favorable. There is one daylily in my collection that produces viable proliferations each year; the others do not.
Notice that the proliferation on this scape is beneath a seed pod. The plant will keep the seed pod alive and that, in turn, keeps the proliferation alive. If the seed pod dies, the scape also dies and turns brown, destroying any immature proliferations still attached to the scape.
Zipper cream peas are easily grown in the Southern US. They can be picked green when still immature snap beans, or when mature enough to be easily “unzipped” to release the peas. If left on the plant, they will eventually dry.
Once the peas dry, the plant will die. If continuous fresh peas are desired, pick the mature green peas (don’t allow them to dry on the plant) and peas will continue to produce—as long as environmental conditions are favorable.
Whether fresh or dried peas are harvested, compost the waste.
Corn-Smut Disease
Corn-smut is a disease caused by the fungus, Ustilago maydis. In this disease, the fungal spores enter through the corn silks (Note: each silk represents a single kernel created when the corn silk is pollinated). Once pollination is completed and the silks appear darkened brown; the silks do not distinguish between a pollen grain and a fungal spore–it simply appears as if pollination has taken place. At this point, the infection has already begun. Continue reading
Seed Pod and Seeds
Ways to get more Daylilies: physical division of plants, seed production and proliferation shoots. Seed propagation is discussed in this post. Continue reading
Veggies, July 4, 2014
Each June my table become a distribution center for fresh garden veggies (with mild weather this year, we’ll be sorting well into July). So, this posting is about how we process the fresh veggies. Continue reading
Chiltepin Peppers, July 2, 2014
These tiny peppers (about 1/4 inch in length) pack quite a punch— one of the highest on the scoville heat list, often packing a punch that is 30 to 40 times hotter than jalapenos. Continue reading
The Art & Science of Gardening 