Garden 2017

[bower]

Randall, I love the fruit quality you're getting outdoors. Do you use any sprays etc to reduce risk of fungus and insect damage? Any other tips and tricks?

I don't use any sprays and I have pretty much given up on the idea of an outdoor beefsteak after the losses last year... the stem end of a beef is like a deluxe rot hotel in this environment! Not to mention the many that 'disappeared' by squirrel.

[Randall]

I use BT and Actinovate and plenty of good old fashioned air flow. I try to keep the plants as open as possible.

[bower]

Hmmm! The profile for Actinovate is really impressive. Botrytis and the mildews are among the worst tomato enemies here.
Gotta love air flow. I see it, I like it!!!
It's a big learning year for my tomato pruning, being in charge of pruning and tying the tomatoes at my friend's farm on a once weekly schedule, since she is looking after her new infant daughter! I guess I am stupidly lucky because disease issues this year have been magically zero, on account of unprecedented dry weather all season. None of the regulars have had a chance to get a foothold. But that won't last forever, so "air flow" is gonna be an even bigger theme in the weeks to come.
I already had one crisis management week, when I went in and found suckers the size of tree trunks running amock. I am a greedy animal anyway, and always keep too many stems.

[Randall]

I have to break out the pruners every once in awhile for a sucker that slipped past me and somehow grew the length of my arm!

I've found airflow is my friend. Actinovate does some work out there but it's not a cure all and I suspect it's nothing as powerful as some of the chemical fungicides.

[Randall]

A couple of shots from yesterday.

A Brandywine (Sudduth's) and an Orange Jazz. Platinum cucumbers.

[Randall]

Set out some of the Fall Broccoli and checked the Shiitake logs for slugs.

[GrowingCoastal]

Oh! Too cool Randal.

I once read an article about log 'farming' of mushrooms in Japan. Yours sure look good.

[Randall]

Thanks! Here's how things are looking this evening.

[Worth1]

Now that is what I'm talking about.
Worth

[Spartanburg123]

Gorgeous shrooms! A lot prettier than the ones we used to grow up in WV in the cow patties

Just love your simple pictures of garden life. Thanks for sharing Randall!!

Darin

[Randall]

This morning, I harvested some Oyster Mushrooms.

This is a culture I isolated from wild and named Pleurotus ostreatus Volcano.

It's fruiting on Tulip Poplar totems I made roughly 2 years ago.

Oysters are one of my favorites!

[Ricky Shaw]

Sometimes I think I know a little bit about growing things, threads like this remind me I don't.

Gorgeous, Randall. Are you selling these? Or drying / preserving / ? for your own use?

[GrowingCoastal]

They are so beautiful! They may be the only mushrooms I see growing this year as we are having a droughty summer, no rain at all, maybe a drop tonight, just enough to mold tomatoes.....

Thanks for sharing those beauties with us.

[imp]

Never had an oyster mushroom. How do you cook them and tell me about the taste and textures please.