It is pea season in the garden....Hmm.good!. It reminds me of all the times I shucked peas with my maternal Grandfather, Albert Major who lived in LaPorte In.. The are so sweet...that's why the call them "sugar" snap peas.
Ironwoodbob reflects on the simple ways to create a sustainable, harmonious garden and to eat healthy foods that benefit you and our earth's ecosystem.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Peas from garden
It is pea season in the garden....Hmm.good!. It reminds me of all the times I shucked peas with my maternal Grandfather, Albert Major who lived in LaPorte In.. The are so sweet...that's why the call them "sugar" snap peas. 
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Serendipity in the garden
The garden becomes alive with Mushrooms under the Swiss Chard and a nearby Black Widow Lair.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Bird House Gourd from my garden morphed
Can you guess what the name of the plant below is? Yesterday, I took this photo in my garden and enhanced it today in Photoshop.. This is a planet for mold and bacteria. It is just another Mandala for me.
Answer: Birdhouse Gourd
Glass Gem Corn
I won the lottery.... for Glass Gem Corn Seeds that is. These seeds are vary rare and I will be planting them this week and selling seeds next fall if all goes well for those who are interested. Check out this link. This sweet corn is too beautiful to eat.
Come For the Beautiful "Glass Gem" Corn; Stay for a Dose of Genetics.
No, this isn’t Photoshop or a gemstone-studded trinket—just an ear of corn.
Honey and Carpenter bees feast
Honey bees and Carpenter bees feast on Broccoli flowers in my garden today. The honey bees seemed pretty calm so I don't thing they are killer bees. Did you know that plants change the electrical field around their flowers when they "sense" honey bees. This gives the bees a special invite to come and feed. It is very subtle. It is time to take out my large format camera. The Arugula is flowering too.
Sting me Sting me just one more time.
LOL
Here is another reason to celebrate diversity and to live in harmony with bees!
Current research show the melittin destroys some viruses and malignant tumor cells
Melittin is a powerful toxin found ...in bee venom. It can poke holes in the protective viral envelope that surrounds the human immunodeficiency virus, as well as other viruses. Free melittin in large-enough quantities can cause considerable damage.
Here is another reason to celebrate diversity and to live in harmony with bees!
Current research show the melittin destroys some viruses and malignant tumor cells
Melittin is a powerful toxin found ...in bee venom. It can poke holes in the protective viral envelope that surrounds the human immunodeficiency virus, as well as other viruses. Free melittin in large-enough quantities can cause considerable damage.
The Power of ONE
Never Underestimate the Power of One!!
For a good portion of my life I have been involved landscaping and site development. When I read this article, I wanted to gain perspective. Landscaping 13 miles of Pima Road took 1 year with 100 people, landscaping 7 miles of Bell road too...k 80 people 1 year are two projects that came to mind that would be easy to compare. This means it took 180 men to landscape 120 arcres. This man landscaped by himself 1360 arce in 30 years. Thats 45 acres a year. AMAZING! NOW THIS IS SUCCESS. Thank you Jadav Molai Payeng for your contribution to the planet earth.
Lone Indian Man Plants 1,360 Acre Forest single-handedly!!
A little over 30 years ago, a teenager named Jadav “Molai” Payeng began burying seeds along a barren sandbar near his birthpla...ce in northern India’s Assam region to grow a refuge for wildlife. Not long after, he decided to dedicate his life to this endeavor, so he moved to the site where he could work full-time creating a lush new forest ecosystem. Incredibly, the spot today hosts a sprawling 1,360 acre of jungle that Payeng planted single-handedly.
It all started way back in 1979 when floods washed a large number of snakes ashore on the sandbar. One day, after the waters had receded, Payeng , only 16 then, found the place dotted with the dead reptiles. That was the turning point of his life.
“The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage. I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested,” says Payeng, now 47.
While it’s taken years for Payeng’s remarkable dedication to planting to receive some well-deserved recognition internationally, it didn’t take long for wildlife in the region to benefit from the manufactured forest. Demonstrating a keen understanding of ecological balance, Payeng even transplanted ants to his burgeoning ecosystem to bolster its natural harmony. Soon the shadeless sandbar was transformed into a self-functioning environment where a menagerie of creatures could dwell. The forest, called the Molai woods, now serves as a safe haven for numerous birds, deers, rhinos, tigers, and elephants — species increasingly at risk from habitat loss elsewhere.
Despite the conspicuousness of Payeng’s project, Forestry officials in the region first learned of this new forest in 2008 — and since then they’ve come to recognize his efforts as truly remarkable, but perhaps not enough.
“We’re amazed at Payeng,” says Assistant Conservator of Forests, Gunin Saikia. “He has been at it for 30 years. Had he been in any other country, he would have been made a hero.”
A little over 30 years ago, a teenager named Jadav “Molai” Payeng began burying seeds along a barren sandbar near his birthpla...ce in northern India’s Assam region to grow a refuge for wildlife. Not long after, he decided to dedicate his life to this endeavor, so he moved to the site where he could work full-time creating a lush new forest ecosystem. Incredibly, the spot today hosts a sprawling 1,360 acre of jungle that Payeng planted single-handedly.
It all started way back in 1979 when floods washed a large number of snakes ashore on the sandbar. One day, after the waters had receded, Payeng , only 16 then, found the place dotted with the dead reptiles. That was the turning point of his life.
“The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage. I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested,” says Payeng, now 47.
While it’s taken years for Payeng’s remarkable dedication to planting to receive some well-deserved recognition internationally, it didn’t take long for wildlife in the region to benefit from the manufactured forest. Demonstrating a keen understanding of ecological balance, Payeng even transplanted ants to his burgeoning ecosystem to bolster its natural harmony. Soon the shadeless sandbar was transformed into a self-functioning environment where a menagerie of creatures could dwell. The forest, called the Molai woods, now serves as a safe haven for numerous birds, deers, rhinos, tigers, and elephants — species increasingly at risk from habitat loss elsewhere.
Despite the conspicuousness of Payeng’s project, Forestry officials in the region first learned of this new forest in 2008 — and since then they’ve come to recognize his efforts as truly remarkable, but perhaps not enough.
“We’re amazed at Payeng,” says Assistant Conservator of Forests, Gunin Saikia. “He has been at it for 30 years. Had he been in any other country, he would have been made a hero.”
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Weather Links & Optimal Soil Temperatures of Vegatable Germination
LINKS TO CURRENT WEATHER INFO
Real Time World Weather Stations (Locate a Closeby Weather Station)
Real time Mesa, AZ Weather Station (My Garden Weather Station)
Yesterday's Cities of AZ Ground Temperatures (Column ST1) and more
OPTIMAL GERMINATION CHART
The chart below shows the effect of soil temperature on sown seeds showing the percentage of vegetable seedlings germinated and the days to emergence at different soil temperatures.
The percentage of any seeds to germinate is maximum at the optimal temperature for that species. While the percentage of seeds to germinate decreases, the number of days to germination increases. For every species of seed, there is an optimal soil temperature for germination, At that optimal temperature, the maximum number of seeds will germinate and in less time than at any other temperature.
Percentage of Normal Vegetable Seedlings
Produced at
Different Temperatures
Numbers in ( ) are the days to seedling emergence. () in ITALIC is optimal soil temperatures
| Crops | 32ºF | 41ºF | 50ºF | 59ºF | 68ºF | 77ºF | 86ºF | 95ºF | 104ºF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asparagus | 0 | 0 | 61(53) | 80(24) | 88(15) | 95(10) | 79(12) | 37(19) | 0 |
| Beans, lima | 0 | 0 | 1 | 52(31) | 82(18) | 90(7) | 88(7) | 2 | 0 |
| Beans, snap | 0 | 0 | 1 | 97(16) | 90(11) | 97(8) | 47(6) | 39(6) | 0 |
| Beets | 0 | 53(42) | 72(17) | 88(10) | 90(6) | 97(5) | 89(5) | 35(5) | 0 |
| Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Cabbage |
0 | 27 | 78(15) | 93(9) | 0(6) | 65-75(5) 68-75(5) 99(5) |
0(4) | 0 | 0 |
| Carrots | 0 | 48(51) | 93(17) | 95(10) | 96(7) | 96(6) | 95(6) | 74(9) | 0 |
Cantaloupe Carrot Cauliflower |
0 |
0 |
58(20) |
60(10) |
60(6) |
(80-85)(5) 63(5) |
45(5) |
0 |
0 |
| Celery | 0 | 72(41) | 70(16) | 40(12) | 97(7) | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Collard Corn Cucumber |
0 |
0 |
0 |
95(13) |
99(6) |
75-85(10) 99(4) |
99(3) |
99(3) |
49(3) |
| Eggplant | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21(13) | 53(8) | 60(5) | 0 | 0 |
| Endive Kale Kohlrabi Lettuce |
98(49) |
98(15) |
98(7) |
99(4) |
99(3) |
99(2) |
12(3) |
0 |
0 |
| Muskmelon Mustard Greens |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38(8) | 94(4) | 90(3) | 0 | 0 |
| Okra | 0 | 0 | 0 | 74(27) | 89(17) | 92(13) | 88(7) | 85(6) | 35(7) |
| Onions Onions |
90(136) |
98(31) |
98(13) |
98(7) |
99(5) |
97(4) |
91(4) |
73(13) |
2 |
| Parsley | 0 | 0 | 63(29) | 70(17) | 69(14) | 64(13) | 50(12) | 0 | 0 |
| Parsnips | 82(172) | 87(57) | 79(27) | 85(19) | 89(14) | 77(15) | 51(32) | 1 | 0 |
| Peas | 0 | 89(36) | 94(14) | 93(9) | 93(8) | 94(6) | 86(6) | 0 | 0 |
| Peppers | 0 | 0 | 1 | 70(25) | 96(13) | 98(8) | 95(8) | 70(9) | 0 |
| Pumpkin Radish |
0 |
42(29) |
76(11) |
97(6) |
95(4) |
97(4) |
95(3) |
0 |
0 |
| Rutabaga Spinach New Zealand Spinach |
83(63) | 96(23) | 91(12) | 82(7) | 52(6) | 28(5) | 32(6) | 0 | 0 |
| Sweet Corn Swiss Chard |
0 | 0 | 47(22) | 97(12) | 97(7) | 98(4) | 91(4) | 88(3) | 10 |
| Tomatoes | 0 | 0 | 82(43) | 98(14) | 98(8) | 97(6) | 83(6) | 46(9) | 0 |
| Turnips | 1 | 14 | 79(5) | 98(3) | 99(2) | 100(1) | 99(1) | 99(1) | 88(3) |
| Watermelon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 94(12) | 90(5) | 92(4) | 96(3) | 0 |
New Seeds and Planting in March 2013- March 2014
A list of garden planting in March 2013- March 2014
|
a = Planted in March 2013 b = Planted in Sept 2013 c = Planted in January February 2014 Vegetables
a Glass gem corn
a Candy mountain corn a Pepino verde sabrosa cucumber
a Slicing cucumber marketmore 76
a National picking cucumber
a Empereur alexander cucumber
a Strait 8 cucumber
a Burpee pepino hibrido II cucumber
a Lemon cucumber
a Armenian cucumber
a Yellow crookneck summer squash a Spaghetti winter squash a Hopi squash a Hopi crenshaw winter squash
a Grey zucchini squash
a Yellow grape tomato transplant
a c Siberian tomato galina
a c Chico 111 tomato plum shaped
a c Roma tomato a c Cayenne pepper a c Jalapeno pepper a c Serrano pepper a Yellow bell pepper a French breakfast garden radish a b c Scarlet nantes carrot 65 days b c Cherry Belle Radish 22 days b Easter Egg Radish b c Romain Lettuce c Rouquette Arugula c Red White & Blue Potatoes Van Zyverden |
Melons a Minnesota midget cantelope a Sugar baby watermelon a Honeydew melon Grains a Quinoa a Amaranth a Safflower Beans a c Tamahunaua purple pole bean a c Tamahunaua marron cream stripe pole bean a Bluelake Burpee pole bean Gourds a Bitter gourd vine a Birdhouse gourd a Nest egg gourd a Ugly gourd Herbs a c Mint a Basil ac Parsely a c Catnip Misc a Wonderberry ground cherry a Vitex a b c Single bloom Chocolate Hollock b Chinese Lanterns b Catnip b Red Acre Cabbage 80 days b Trafalgar F1 Brussel sprouts 240 days b Brussel sprouts transplants b c Walla Walla Onion b De Cicco Broccoli 90 days b c Nasturtium b c Sweet Pea mixed c John F Kennedy hybrid tea Rose c Tropicana Hybrid Tea Rose c Oklahoma hybrid tea Rose c Climbing Joseph's Coat climbing rose c Dorsett Golden Apple |
|---|
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)