Duck Crazy.

My organic growing has being having some ups and downs. I fully expected to have 10-25% of my crop damaged by insects growing organically, but instead what I seem to have is mini plagues that wipe out 90% of a a particular planting. To me this indicates the lack of balance. The need to develop a ecosystem again. Last year my project was  a tiny little pond, plagued by the raccoons, who trashed it every night. 

This year I picked up a cast iron bath tub (not clawfoot unfortunately) on the side of the road and the Pond is moving above ground for easier draining and growing. I will also work on adding more plants and hideouts now.

My research though has come up with the need for ducks, and I have narrowed it down to Indian Runner ducks. Now, I can buy a couple ducks from a number of places, but for the full experience, I decide to raise from egg. My friend has a number of chickens on a small holding 1 hour away and was very keen on ducks as well, so this city slicker is not in this alone.

So My plan is to build a incubator out of a cooler box per hundreds of youtube videos. I found a nearby source for eggs in Mid Feb (weather pending) as if they freeze, they wont hatch. That will give me 28 days to hatch and another month odd before we getting close to last frost and they be ready to move outdoors.

Too heat my incubator I first bought one of these Ceramic heaters. Then realizing at that temperature, I would have baked eggs, I decided I needed to control the heat a little better. These can later be used in the duck house in winter.  When these arrive, I can build my incubator. Yes, I am blending my day job with my passion. These will be hightech ducks, maybe I should consider wearable computers for them?

While driving down the road in found a dog carrier (yes scavenger I am) and so I have a home for the chicks already till they large enough to emerge. Should keep my floors cleaner. 

To say I feel like the old "person" who swallowed a fly, I don't know why...  is just the start of it. I had tiny bugs, I bought bigger bugs to eat them and now I buying ducks to eat the bigger bugs. 

BUT

Ek is n'Boer, en ek het 'n plan. 

Stay tuned for the adventures of hatching and raising 

2014 Garlic and FG Shallots Planted

17 November garden.

Well, I have to say I kind of dropped the ball on my blog these last couple months. My peppers seemed to be attacked - possibly pepper weevil although I also had a lot of earwigs, thanks to the very moist  and cool summer. My Tomatoes this year also did not have very good yields. I need to space them a little further I think.

Tuscan or as I prefer Dino Kale Still producing

Well first hard frost last week and things are mostly done. I moved a few things into my cold frame, and I hope they last there a little longer, possibly mature. (lettuce, a few herbs, some pak choy and some chard. The Tuscan (dino) kale is still doing wonderfully, and its now fining its ways into my fall stews, along with the parsnips, leeks and turnips. I must plant more turnips for fall next year, as they add a nice flavour to a good stew.

With most of the rest finished, I had room to plant my French Grey Shallots (year 2). They say plant smaller French Grey shallots and eat the larger. Last year, I bought a a bit over a pound from a farmers market, and planted them all in 3 rows of 4 feet. They did not grow as tall as I thought, and so the first row was badly shaded. This year, they in the front of the bed, and I planted 4 rows x 4 for 16 square foot. The first row with smallest and the second row with the largest of my seed stock. lets see if the smaller ones really do grow as well.

3rd attempt at Brussels Sprouts and I think I have some. 

My garlic (also Year 2) My garlic is become a little mixed, a local variety (from farmers market, music and my neighbors variety she has being growing for years. I can no longer tell them apart. I simply pick the nicer large bulbs to replant, with the idea that they are the ones that like my environment best. I planted a little less this year, 5 per foot in 16 squares foot as well\. 16 x 5 would be 80 bulbs if they all grow well.

End Of Summer - Success!

Well My 3 months no Fruit or Vegetable air-mile challenge was a success. Well mostly. I took a weeks vacation in Cuba and did not take my own veggies. Probably blew my air miles I saved as well. This is the first time I missed my veggies on a all inclusive though. I came back with a cold and so a little behind in the garden. Sooo, what did I learn

1) Early Summer is the hardest and no surprise late spring was known as the hungry months. Fruit wise strawberries, haskaps  are helpful. Vegetables are tougher as the "meaty" veggies have not had enough time. Peas rapidly became my staple with lettuce an other greens, kale (from last year) and radishes. Green onions this year I flopped on, but got to eat my Egyptian walking onions.

2) Mid summer is bounty. Fruit includes gooseberries, mulberries, currents etc Vegetables became another zucchini.  I way overdid zuchnini's this year, but found that only the very sunny spots produced. 3 plants should be enough, especially with hybrids. Tomatoes this year where late and I waited too long to plant my bush beans which could have gone in earlier. They kicked in late summer with huge impact. I have still had little luck with cauliflower and Broccoli and Brussels sprouts. I did get some leaf broccoli and kohlrabi, and even cabbage. I do need to find the right seeds for the others thought. Cucumbers this year where small but plentiful. I forget to eat them too often though. Dont lets forget onions. shallots and garlic!

3) Late Summer I was a little sparse on fruit. My apples, and pears being too small. Blackberries did kick in nicely and I still got some strawberries. Tomatoes were not huge success this year, but I still had an abundance. Black cherry still being my favourite snack. With the eggplant kicking in, I was back to an abundance and grilled they are spectacular. I need more varieties. Okra was slow. My late planted fillet climbing beans kicked in and even my South African Gem squash. Okra was late planted and slow, due to slugs. I have not had much of a harvest yet, but they loaded with flowers. Then there was peppers. early eating green peppers rock, especially liked my alma paprika, not really sweat or hot. Jalopenos in abundance 1 bush is all you need and onions still being eaten.

Next year, eggplant (more variety) and Okra must be seed planted earlier. New cucumbers (edible skin) and new broccoli / cauliflower/ Brussels Sweat onions rules, and wala wala buy the hundreds, but I need to get in some early green or other onions. Beans in the ground earlier and try for at least 3 crops of bush beans.

What I missed - Cherries and Mushrooms. Next year my cherry bushes may still be a bit small, but I may get a few. I need to get the mushroom log working! Thornless Blackberries have spread like crazy and all my fruit trees grown. on that front I think I am good.

2 Months - Zero Food Mile update

2 months (little over) of not buying any fruits or vegetables. I must say I am a little boarded of my diet. Its just TOO healthy. Eating grilled and fresh veggies every day, is leaving me with powerful cravings for junk food.

Still missing the mushrooms and the cherries and perhaps plumbs. Romance series cherries are growing well (except one I lost), and I think I may have cherries next year. Mushrooms may take more effort and my fruit choices will increase as the pears and apples trees mature.

A friend sent me this article on pesticides. Maybe that's what my body is craving. Or perhaps its the embalming ingredients in hour processed food. Its good to see that many of my favourites in my garden are on this list!

Mid Season update

 Well the beds are pretty bare with my new seedlings for the second crop just in. Some of the full seasons though are kicking in nicely and I thought I do an update. I purchased some hops from a far in BC and in its second year its gone crazy on the old washing line pole. I can see the hops buds, but have no idea when I am suppose to pick them. Anyone?

 My Poona Kheera cucumbers are producing heavily. In fact, I missed a few and cant seem to keep up. Seems many are a little turned off by their yellow / brown colour, yet they do taste very crisp clean when eaten.

My family lived in South Africa for 400+ years before I immigrated to Canada. A very common squash there is a Gem Cucurbita pepo. Common in that it is every store and eaten all year. I have no idea why, given its apparent heritage its so common there. Well I obtained a few seeds and last year, the cucumber beetles killed the vine after 1. This year it seems to be doing well and I have a couple edible sized ones on the vine already. I holding off as I want to use the seeds for next year.

 Yes my pictures are not as good as most the bloggers, mainly since I snap them with my phone in bad light. But my purple climbing beans are starting to produce. Not sure I like these more than Kentucky wonder I grew last year, but they are far more delicate and beautiful.

 Well I had almost given up on my Ocra, it was so slow to get going and seemed a real magnet for slugs. It seems I have 3 plants (out of 8 seedlings) that have survived and they have tiny little fruits on them now. We going to have a hot week this week, so I expect I be eating the red burgundy Ocra this week. A very attractive plant with the red stems and red veined leaves, and bright red fruits.

 Another that was superbly slow this year was my Ping Tung Long eggplant. Also extremely attractive plant with more purple tones. Looks like its eventually fruiting although the plants are also pretty stunted.

I pulled out 4 Zucchini plants, I simply could not eat them as fast as they producing and even giving them away has become problematic. How does one miss a zucchini that size. The straight-neck I left, to turn to seed. Never tried to keep these styled seeds, but thats what I doing, learning.

Lastly I picked my Aronia and Elderberries and  plan on making a juice. Elderberry has proven effective against flu and Aronia is apparently the highest antioxidant. how I going to make this, I have no idea yet, I need to do a little google. let you know how it works out.

Beneficial's (I hope)

This year I wanted to try get balance back into my garden. This was mostly around putting in the small water source and trying to make sure I have a flowering plant to feed wasps and other beneficial's in bloom at all times. This plant I was given by the my polish neighbor after I noticed just how many wasps it attracted (can you see them?). Its a self seeding annual that blooms from now till frost. Sage is my other favourite and seems to attract more bees.

My roses and grapes are still being eaten by Japanese Beatles, but otherwise, I seem to have had less problems than my first year (last year) with pests. Slugs and earwigs still, but little in the line of caterpillars so far. One idea I read about was making a mason bee nest, and so I took a cutoff from a 6 x 6 and drilled holes in it and attached it to the side of the shed.  I was very pleasantly surprised to see that most of the holes had an occupant. and mud and straw seems to have being stuffed in many of the holes. I have a second one of these near the composter, for crawlie animals. Hoping they can hide there in winter. Now if only could find a Japanese beetle predator.

Mr Zucchini!

So the kids (early school age) that moved in across the road came from an town house with no garden. Earlier in spring they were amazed at the garden, and so I let them both pick a lettuce and take home. In response I was apparently names Mr Lettuce in their home. Now Mr Lettuce is just so... - plain.

Daily harvest

Well I am drowning in Zucchini. Whats worse, is that half my plants where planted much later and are only starting to flower. I have given away 2 or 3 zucchini every day. My Italian neighbor made zucchini lasagna (with no dough) for me in return. I ate the spooning straight-neck squash. That was good! But if I keep giving neighbours zucchini will I get a new nick name?

My older zuchini plants have started with the powdery mildew that killed my plants last year. I cut off leaves, and tried to keep it under control. The last of my garlic is out and my Jimmy Nardello and early Jalapeno are now producing. Tomato's this year are still pretty slim pickings. A small Black Krim (at least I think so since this plant label is lost), and a couple of cherry (sun gold and Black) wrapped up my dinner picking.

The Romano 2 beans, must be some of the most productive things I have every grown. Low bush beans (my first) hung heavy with large green flat beans. This weekend, I pulled the 4 feet square garden for 2 colanders full of beans and planted 3 feet of new plants. This was after picking from the bushes for dinner every night for last 2-3 weeks. I tend to forget things in the fridge, with so much in the garden now though so perhaps I freeze them.

Must Plan Better

As July comes to a close, I have harvested most of the garlic and earlier summer crops. The heat from a couple weeks ago put most of my lettuce etc into seed mode and so this weekend was spent pulling out and preparing the beds for second season planting. In the interim, the beds are pretty sparse and empty. Ideally I should have planted a few seed trays about 4 weeks ago and transplanted them in to the the beds now.