nervous

Tomorrow I am joining a group of women selling knit goods at the farmer's market. I am very nervous. Pictures coming soon

Fungus among us

The super dry summer was hard on the garden. It stressed the plants and made them susceptible to all sorts of diseases. The cucumbers and the summer squash were both hit pretty hard with powdery mildew. The cukes kept producing up to the bitter end, but they were kind of funny looking.

To prevent the mildew from coming back next year, I yanked all the plants out and bagged them for the dump. If they were composted, the spores would have been put back into the garden next year and the cycle would repeat.

I have read that corn meal added to the soil encourages the growth of a harmless fungus that crowds out powdery mildew and other nasty bugs. or maybe the corn meal feeds a fungus that will eventually feed on other fungi. something like that. So I added a cup or two of corn meal and some compost and planted about 36 cloves of garlic. Next week is my seasonal manure pickup, and I will mulch give it a generous mulching of manure and peat. and maybe some limestone if my soil tests come back saying the dirt is too sour.

you'll have to excuse my rambling post. I have a new job and between getting Miss Critterpants to daycare and the drive, I have to wake up a little bit before 5am. It's a difficult schedule for my lazy stay-at-home-Mom ways.