Written by: adekun on 17 August, 2008 7:05 am - Filed under: garden — 4 Comments »
Bum shaped tomato
On Friday we had a heavy downpour which is worth noting for my own benefit. With the ground being damp the crows returned to dig up more peanuts. Not much going on elsewhere in the garden. The unruly sweet potato vines should be clipped; there’s a chance they will turn out all vine and no tuber. I did spot a tomato (maybe it’s two) that looks arse shaped. Holding it in my hand it really looks like two tomatoes stuck together.
Tags: garden, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, weather
Written by: adekun on 14 June, 2008 4:29 pm - Filed under: blog — 2 Comments »
I decided to evacuate one legume bed as a tide of weeds enveloped. The evacuees perked up after a nights rest. It leaves a question, what to grow. Getting some tubers in to break up the soil would be nice, that however will have to wait a season. Elsewhere, weeds of choking the tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and aubergines. The compost is giving the seeds that should have been sterilized a good start. I don’t really want to yank all of them out as the ground is already drying out, but even a few remainders seem to rapidly multiply. I should have thought about using the bags to collect some free mulch before laying a path on them.
Sweet potatoes got planted yesterday; two rows of beniazuma and three rows of beniaka (popularly known as kintoki). Having just reclaimed the land, thought they would be ideal as the ground is fairly poor. Little time was spent making shallow rows and inserting the slips at an angle somewhere between 30° and 45°.
Tags: garden, sweet potatoes, weeds
Written by: adekun on 9 November, 2007 11:07 pm - Filed under: blog — 4 Comments »
What little motivation I had was sapped by a lingering cold. Beginning to get the better of it, I harvested the rest of the sweet potatoes. Later in the day, my wife brought back some sushi. After eating it, we both took Kento for an evening walk. I was just about to heat up my cup sake when I thought I best take to the toilet. By my second hurried appointment, I was having to debate which way to face first. I felt dreadful. It was suggested I go to hospital as I might be infected with Anisakis; a parasitic nematode. After another hour of it, I relented and at half ten my wife drove me to the San-in Rosa hospital. Incidentally, over here you check the local newspaper to find which hospital to visit, since they rotate the aliments they treat.
Upon arrival, we had our insurance details taken and joined the back of the queue. I am glad I didn’t have to queue for the only toilet as I was still going both ends and quite explosively too. After sometime, I was then examined and soon found myself prone and on a drip, but not before getting an injection in the arse. There I lay for a good hour and a half thinking about the toilet. Towards the end of my course, I did take to my feet to relieve myself. Sadly, it was another toilet with an empty soap dispenser. Just before two we set off home.
I didn’t get a good explanation of my malady, although the word taichyo was mentioned a few times; something to do with being run down and getting ill. Whilst I was being treated, a father there said both himself and his son had the same sushi. His son took a turn for the worst though, having had a cold. It could be there is higher bacteria count in the fish this time of year. Having a weakened immune system gives rise to the chance of food poisoning. Although over that, I am yet to shake off the cold.
Tags: sweet potatoes
Written by: adekun on 27 October, 2007 4:03 pm - Filed under: blog — 4 Comments »
The latest typhoon has brought heavy rain to Honshū. It’s passing south of Tokyo at the moment. The brassicas have taken a weathering as the gusts have been strong.
I took a photo a few days prior on what was a nice day. From the left:
Garlic
Sweet Potatoes
Hakusai, Cabbages, Broccoli
Spinach
Carrots
Beetroot
Mizuna
Potatoes (jumble of oddments in front)
Asparagus at the back
Tags: garden, sweet potatoes, weather
Written by: adekun on 25 October, 2007 8:41 pm - Filed under: blog — 1 Comment »
A day during the past week I was left to fend for myself. Having got a few beers, I took to the garden to see what could be dinner. It was an opportune time to give the sweet potatoes a test. Regrettably, my garden nemesis had the same idea, only a few months previous and is still at it. The first pulled was a surprise as it was sprouting, normally the shoots (called slips) are planted rather than growing them from the tubers.
Fumbling around a bit more, I came to one that wouldn’t budge. Rather like in the story of the Giant Turnip. After some effort, it came free to reveal a gnawed outside. Several plump nekirimushi were unearthed at the same time. I wanted to bake a large sweet potato in the oven, but this one would have taken hours. They are sometimes sold for ¥88 per 100g instead of by quantity; this weighed one and a half kilos.
My wife came home early as I was prepping thick slices in the microwave. We went out to a sushi restaurant instead.
Over the following days, it got finished off, despite being of bad flavour. Although the same problems persist from the bugs, the more modest sized ones taken today are much more agreeable. As is Kirin’s latest beer.
Tags: garden, sweet potatoes
Written by: adekun on 19 July, 2007 10:01 pm - Filed under: blog — 5 Comments »
From a distance it looked like tiny metallic baubles stuck to the underside of a sweet potato leaf. Uncertain what laid them or what they are going to develop into, the shadow offers a hint? I guess whatever grows isn’t going to restrict it’s feeding to wee hours. My elderly neighbour has spent the past week, dancing around his peas with his butterfly net. Hopefully I can find these again, amongst the sea of leaves and vines and check up on their progress.
Yesterday the potatoes got harvested. The area they occupied along with the onions and garlic was dug over.
When I was putting away the tools I spotted a Kamikirimushi that had expired, the ants already at it.
Although the spuds didn’t get earthed up, I am content with the crop. Really pleased with the Danshaku, considering the lack of attention.
My wife did slap some sun lotion on my back, the finger marks can still be seen against the sunburn. As a result, I didn’t spend too much time outside today. A load of weeds were turned in, along with the mother-in-law’s tulip bulbs. Two consecutive days of sunshine and it’s nearly August.
Tags: garden, sweet potatoes
Written by: adekun on 27 April, 2007 12:49 pm - Filed under: blog — 2 Comments »
After a long and tiring day under the unrelenting sun, the summer vegetables were planted yesterday. There is still a little space to accommodate something else, perhaps a cucumber plant.
From the left:
- Tomatoes (iko, momotaro & tsugi momotaro)
- Aubergines, Peppers
- Sweet Potatoes
- Cucumbers
- Red Onions
- Garlic
- Potatoes
- White Onions
Although I didn’t cadge any cowpats, I did cadge some greens for the compost heap. After being offered a few barrow loads of compost from my neighbour’s compost mountain, the offer of a similar sized stack of shungiku (chrysanthemum) came.
I had made a short deviation from my no chemical strategy and treated my own heap with some pellets to deal with only* beetle larvae and woodlice.
It seems quite timely; it will make an excellent addition. I shall be spending the next week clipping away with the secateurs.
* I can only hope so.
Tags: garden, sweet potatoes
