Last fall Susan and I were roaming Old Montreal when we discovered several artichokes plants alive and thriving. I couldn’t believe it. So I did a little research.
Lo and behold, I discovered that the Imperial Star hybrid is able to grow and produce as an annual even this far north. So, in addition to the Cuore Di Bue tomatoes, Imperial Star artichoke are on my “Must Plant” list for summer 2011.
Burpee offers the seeds, so I’ve just placed the order. Here’s how they describe Imperial star artichokes:
“Grow your own artichokes and enjoy the large, edible flower buds at their prime. Attractive plants with grey-green foliage grow 4′ tall with a similar spread.Grows best in full sun. Produces buds the first year. High yields of sweet, mild tasting flower buds, 4-1/2″ in diameter, which are very slow to open when mature.”
Starting next month I’ll be germinating my first ever homegrown artichokes to be propagated this summer in Rosslyn’s vegetable garden. Optimism abounds!
Plum Premature Fruit Drop: Rosslyn, July 15, 2015 (Photo: virtualDavis)
For weeks I’ve been anticipating our first crop of plums. A small crop, but proof that the last few years nurturing our plum trees to health despite hail storms and severe Adirondack winters, Japanese beetles and a zero pesticide regimen was worth it. And then this! Plum premature fruit drop…
Today is July 15, 2015 and of the only two plum trees that successfully fruited this year in Rosslyn orchard, only about a half dozen small plums still remain on the trees. The rest were on the ground beneath the trees when I made my daily rounds.
Yes, daily rounds. I’m that eager. Or anal?
[pullquote]I grabbed the two ripest fruit for a taste test. A quick spit shine and “Aaahhh…”[/pullquote]Despite the fact that a nutritionalist would likely discourage me from eating fruit off the ground (parasites? evil spirits?) I grabbed the two ripest fruit for a taste test. A quick spit shine and “Aaahhh…”
Delicious!
Actually, that’s a twinge hyperbolic. Promising, perhaps. Still start, but distinctly plum-flavored. Not 100% sweet yet, but encouraging.
Encouraging, that is, except for the fact that they’d all fallen from the tree. Why did we suffer plum premature fruit drop?
The verdict’s still out, but I’m thinking that yesterday’s (and today’s) heavy winds are responsible. And the fact that these tress are not properly tethered, allowing far too much movement in heavy wind.
Supporting your young tree with tree stakes help prevent damage to the tree during windstorms. (Source: Shedding Light on Fruit Drop)
Plum Premature Fruit Drop: Rosslyn orchard, July 15, 2015 (Photo: virtualDavis)
Needless to say, I’ve quickly staked one of the trees, and I’ll tackle the second tomorrow. It’s worth noting that all of these fruit trees were originally staked, but I’ve eliminated some of the stakes as they gotten larger. I’ve been meaning to retake the plums since they have so much windage and still somewhat slender trunks. Also because I’ve read that the plums will actually become healthier and more productive if I can train the branches to open up into more of a “goblet” form. Better late than never!
I would like to find some suitable steel stakes that will not rot quickly, but for now I’m using wood. Maybe two foot lengths of steel REBAR could be bent into large staples that would work well? I’ll experiment and post and update anon.
And one last good bit of news about our plum premature fruit drop. It may be due to the age of the trees.
Premature fruit fall usually occurs in trees less than five years old. (Source: Premature Fruit Drop)
I’ll check my notes, but I think that these plums were planted three to four years ago. Good news?
Why are my cucumbers orange? They’re turning yellow-orange, to be precise…
This summer we have enjoyed more productive cucumber plants than ever before, but recently the enormous fruit are discoloring from green to yellow to orange before we can eat them. Here’s the reason why.
Cucumbers turn orange when they grow excessively ripe before harvesting, explains Veggie Gardener. The cucumbers first turn yellow, and if left on the vine, they quickly develop a vibrant orange hue. This happens because chlorophyll levels decrease past the point of peak ripeness… [They become] very bitter and unsuitable for human consumption. (Source: Ask.com)
Bitter. It’s true. I taste tested just to make sure they were no longer suitable for human consumption. They aren’t, though our caretaker assured us that his wife can still turn them into pickles. I encouraged him to take all he could haul!
Our yellow and/or orange cucumbers are an unfortunate result of the extended heat wave and drought we’ve been enduring. It’s true we may have overplanted. But our beautiful cukes growing, greening, and spoiling before our eyes is heartbreaking. What to do?
The only way to prevent cucumbers from turning yellow and orange is to harvest them at the proper time. Ripe cucumbers have firm flesh with a medium-green rind and feel heavy for their size. Most varieties ripen between 50 and 70 days after planting. Size is also an important indicator of ripeness. Each cucumber variety has a different optimal size and quickly develops a bitter flavor if allowed to grow larger. Some cucumbers, such as those used for pickling, are naturally smaller than other varieties. Consequently, gardeners must know what type of cucumber they have planted and the target size for ripe specimens in that category. The most common cause of orange and yellow cucumbers is over-ripening, but the discoloration is sometimes a symptom of the Cucumber Mosaic Virus. According to Gardening Know How, the Mosaic Virus produces soft, mushy cucumbers with mottled patches and curled, withered leaves. This incurable virus also affects peppers. When a cucumber displays symptoms of the Mosaic Virus, the best course of action is to remove it from the garden. (Source: Ask.com)
The good news is that we don’t have Cucumber Mosaic Virus. But the bad news is that our compost is becoming overwhelmed with yellow and orange cucumbers. Perhaps we should redistribute these technicolor cukes to our wild neighbors for their enjoyment? (See Woodchucks & Cucumbers!)
