October 25, 2018
The fall broccoli is sweet and delicious. I don't dislike broccoli anymore. My problem with it was probably because I kept harvesting the florets long into the hot months of summer. It got tough and bitter so I trashed it. Young broccolini is great, but I'll need to stop harvesting and pull the plants out before they turn into bushes. My fall broccolini has aphids. The full crowns do not..
It makes me think that when I cut the main head off, the plant sends out a distress signal that attracts them. I've heard that they are more likely to appear on a plant that isn't up to par in the health department. Excess nitrogen can attract them too, so discontinuing fertilizer after they start to crown might help. Aphid seem so helpless when they fly, like butterflies they get buffeted by the slightest breeze. It's a wonder they can follow a scent to it's source..
October 26, 2018
The Fall cabbage that got the least water are forming heads first. We can communicate with our plants through water. The fully hydrated plants are growing leaves the size of elephant ears, so I may need to cut the water back to make them head before the hard freezes. The back row of corn that was on the outer bounds of the sprinkler throw never recovered. The lowering of the sun reduced their light and they didn't produce ears. There will always be a back row of corn but it isn't a problem until the Fall..
The oak trees are now in glorious colors. From bright yellows, through all shades of orange, to bright reds, they are aflame. The leaves on the ground are all the same shade of tan. They have to lose their colors before they fall. (Insert metaphor here)..
October 27, 2018
The woodland pathways strewn with acorns are also littered with Sugar pine cones devoid of their nuts. Apparently the squirrels, like me, prefer pine nuts. Harvesting them first makes sense though because they can bury the acorns for later. Harvesting Rose hips is also on the Fall woodland schedule. Next month begins the mushroom harvest..
The crunchy cadence of my footsteps on all the dried leaves makes me want to rake them up and bring them home. If I could get enough leaves on my garden pathways I could kill the weeds now that they are all weed-eated to the ground. I got another meal of beans picked, much to my surprise. I'm going to leave the plants go to see how long they'll last, without any expectations concerning more picking..
