High summer garden
Written by: adekun on 7 August, 2008 2:12 pm - Filed under: garden — No Comments »
- Along the back from the left:
- Empty space where the spuds were
- Asparagus
- Basil
- Peanuts
- Middle and front:
- Sweet Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Peppers & aubergines
- Soy Beans
- Okra
- Recently vacated kabocha and watermelon
It really looks dry out there. I’ve barely been out with either the hose or watering can. The sweet potatoes are thriving nonetheless. Expect the cucumber to have finished. Perhaps earlier with a bit more watering and mulch they may have lasted a bit longer. 
Steaming weeds
Written by: adekun on 27 July, 2008 11:49 pm - Filed under: blog — No Comments »
Instead of knocking something up in the kitchen a couple of hours were spent in the sweltering heat pulling up weeds. Only a week prior had a strip been cleared but that was already engulfed. The relaxed ‘living mulch’ approach isn’t working at this time of year. Following a thunderstorm seemed like a better time to set about the task. The bulk of the weeds are grasses in addition to the ubiquitous kudzu and Japanese knotweed. I’d quite like to find out the names of to of the other weeds. One is a grass that produces a big clump of roots and the other little rootlets or perhaps weedlets.
Sniffing potatoes
Written by: adekun on 25 July, 2008 4:09 pm - Filed under: blog — 2 Comments »
I’ve just whittled away the afternoon smelling potatoes. The spuds have been hanging up in the garage waiting to turn green. Despite checking them when digging them up, a few had turned putrid. The smell was horrid; hot cat shit.
I am anxious about storing them without anywhere cool to store them. The humidity is a real problem. The spuds were spaced out between layers of newspaper in a few boxes. Hopefully the orderly three layers will make checking them easier.
Kabocha
Written by: adekun on 22 July, 2008 4:02 pm - Filed under: food — No Comments »
Kabocha a few days old
These are a variety of mini kabocha; both the fruit and leaves are smaller than the usual. From the two plants only three squashes are good. The majority of the vines are now yellowing. This is in part to my idea of growing some of them up poles to make better use of space. Besides what I think was a pollination problem, many of those that did start to bear fruit soon died. I shall certainly aim to try again; in the meantime there is some new foliage to gaze at.
Kabocha harvested
July main crop harvest
Written by: adekun on 17 July, 2008 4:10 pm - Filed under: garden — 2 Comments »
It is so humid at the moment. As a result, a paltry target of harvesting one row of potatoes was set. Day four and mission accomplished, just has the rain arrives. I’m happy with the yield. Despite giving several bags away prior, the spuds created a nice mound in the wheelbarrow. Two of the rows had the haulms cut to two or three in an attempt to see if the average size of the tubers would increase. While there isn’t an astonishing difference overall I think it worked. Jacket potatoes once the skins harden.
First watermelon
Written by: adekun on 3 July, 2008 4:10 pm - Filed under: garden — 8 Comments »
Japanese watermelons tend to range from expensive upwards. The prefecture is renowned for its crop and production methods. Warned off previously, because of the sprawling vines; this year with a bit more space, a young plant was transferred amongst the kabocha. Not looking to win awards, I’m content just to grow a couple and felt rather excited to spot the first swelling. After taking a photo, dry grass was laid on top of the ground as bedding. It should prevent an excess of weeds and keep the melons clean.
Okayish onions
Written by: adekun on 30 June, 2008 6:53 am - Filed under: blog — 1 Comment »
Over the past month the small and sometimes misshapen onions have been harvested. Early on, those that had bolted were taken a used in curries and soup. There were quite a few of these; I think the cold may have stressed them. Kento heaved several out in the manner rather like in the story of the Giant Turnip. A little out of character Ritsue, spent the majority of two days weeding. 
With the onions gone the garden had the appearance of a chemist’s dimple tray. I practised tying a few red onions up, leaving me with purple fingers and what looked like a bunch of giant grapes.
