Need To Know
Enemy #2
Originally uploaded by Contrary Goddess.
The first enemy of corn is crows. Oh, and probably mice and voles and such that would eat the seed out of the ground, but mostly we have trouble with crows pulling the baby plants up. Except something as simple as black thread thwarts them.
The second enemy is this, usually: corn borers. It is just a chewing worm. The plant on the left had one in its center and the one on the right didn't. A good spray with BT gets them. As I have said more than once, there is no food without a face.
Many other enemies of the corn will follow, but met, one at a time and we should hopefully have a reserve of hard corn. I have a feeling that this might be a good year to have a supply of food laid in.
Purslane
Originally uploaded by Contrary Goddess.
This is purslane, one of the many really terrific weeds. There are a surprising number of things that grow in disturbed soil and most of them are terrific for you. No need to look far and wide to find health -- look down at your feet and try not the hoe the good stuff.
It's What's For Dinner
Originally uploaded by Contrary Goddess.
And this was dinner. And lunch tomorrow. You should see it for real. That turnip is bigger than a softball and much tastier.
6 comments:
Crows never seem to bother my corn, but the squirrels and I are in a state of all out war. Over the winter I eliminate as many of the arboreal rodents as I am able.
.....Alan.
it all looks good.
I've been giving purslane to our CSA members, trying to convert them to its wonderful taste and nutritional value.
I haven't tried lamb's quarters yet, but I need to—definitely next spring.
no need to wait 'til spring -- it is good and coming on all summer. Grows into big ole trees if you let it, and all you do is pull the leaves off and steam it.
Cool. I pulled all of it from my kitchen garden this year, which is why I said next spring. But I now have a bunch growing down by the market garden that I didn't pull. Can you eat it even when it's big? Or just when they're the tender new shoots?
Oh, and funny about the raab—it's Italian mustard. And man do the flea beetles love it!
We pull the leaves and tender new shoots off of it no matter if it is small or big.
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