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| "New" potatoes and peas |
While peaches, sweet corn and tomatoes get all of the attention, there is a lot more to like in the local food scene. “Foodies” have been enjoying garlic scapes for the last 3 weeks. The strawberry crop was exceptionally early and delicious this year. If you have never enjoyed “new” potatoes and peas a visit to the local farmers market will introduce you to a June treat.
Looking of something special? European-style artisanal cheese? Champagne? Duck eggs? Lamb? Grass-fed beef? You will find it all in Fresh From Bucks County Farms.
What's blooming? What's chewing on my trees? What's that bug? When is the last frost? We'll explore timely horticultural happenings and observations of Nature in this blog. For the most part, these observations will be made in Southeastern Pennsylvania... with occasional notes from afar.Penn State Extension has tremendous resources related to much of what will appear here. I'll link you to sites that will provide more in-depth information.
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2 comments:
Scott! Where have you been all my life? Just came across your post about comosting diseased tomato plants, and I'm relieved.
I've never bought the idea that you have to burn diseased plants; based partly on intuition and partly on the book "Teaming with Microbes", I think encouraging biodiversity and exposing diseases to things that eat or compete with them will keep pathogens in check. I THINK that's what you're saying here.
I posted this on that entry, too, but I'll duplicate to increase my chances of being noticed. . .
I'm dealing with peach trees - brown rot, canker, I think. I usually chop up diseased branches I prune under the tree, because I'm sort of holistic and, well, lazy. Plus, it seems to me fungal diseases are always abundant in the environs, no matter what you do, right? Right? Thanks!
Diane,
Be aware that late blight is a special disease and "in-season" we do not recommend composting late blight diseased plants. The reason is that every day those dying plants lay around they are capable of creating new infections. And, late blight spores can spred as much as 30 miles under favorable conditions. So, best to bag those plants up and cook them in the sun to minimize additional infections.
Also, infected potatoe tubers should not be composted because tubers can survive the winter and serve as early season inoculum.
Now, at the end of the growing season, the tomato story changes. See original blog. The point there is that late blight requires living tissue to survive and elaborate rotations and disinfections are not needed.
I'll stand by the idea that most garden diseases can be composted without negative consequence for gardeners... but late blight requires special attention during the growing seson to minimize inifection spread.
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