Oh, Yeah...

And let us ne'er forget how well my Chia Professor is doing (thanks to my thoughtful father-in-law)!

Green Thumbs and Red Aphids

Well, our tomato plants seem to be negotiating the hazards of city life fairly well. I have an eerie feeling, however, that my lack of knowledge and adequate research into the subject of growing tomatoes in a pot on a patio will prevent us from having a nice crop of fleshy red vegetables/fruits in our kitchen and, consequently, in our bellies.


That, and the fact that these nasty little creatures are absolutely loving the heck out of the tender undersides of my tomato plants. It is difficult to tell in this photo, but I'm pretty sure these little nasties are potato aphids. Supposedly they rarely end up killing the plant, but they can reduce yield and lead to stunted growth due to their feasting on the nutritious and delicious sap in the plant. I want to get rid of the buggers.

We have of late been attempting to fill our pantry (metaphorically speaking, since we have no actual pantry to speak of) when we can with chemical-free goods from local, sustainable sources. (The dogmatic slumber that has taken over after having once ingested much of Wendell Berry's and other contemporary agrarian types' work has recently been reawakened by a second reading of The Omnivore's Dilemma. We'll see how long it takes for me to fall back asleep.) So, I hesitate to take the advice of the plumber who woke us up this morning to fix the shower: just sprinkle the plants with insecticide. Hmph. I'm sure he is right that his friend grows tomato plants 10 feet high, perhaps as a result of protecting them from the aphids that are chomping on mine, but that ain't gonna happen in a pot on a porch.

Nonetheless, I will attempt to engage in a bit of local sustainable agriculture on my back porch rather than give in to the all-too-easy solution of chemical overburn. I read that mint is a natural repellent to aphids. Fortuitously, we started growing some mint (along with basil, oregano, and rosemary) in pots on the porch as well. Not-so-fortuitously, the mint has yet to produce very much. And there are a LOT of aphids on my tomato plants. I just put some mint seeds at the base of my tomato plants to see what will happen.

I also read that lady bugs find the aphids quite the delicacy. So, now to search for lady bugs. If I can get a colony of them going on my porch, hopefully that will take care of my tomato plant munchers and yield decreasing horrors.

Being reminded from my plumber friend, who thankfully pointed out the aphids to me, that I need to be more husbandly toward the plants under my care, I underwent a closer inspection of our herbs. I found this fat worm half-buried in our basil-mint planter.

I'm not sure what he is, but I'm pretty sure he's been getting his gushy bulk from my basil plants. You can see below that some of the leaves have been eaten in half, while others are riddled with holes.

The seed package says to thin out the plants after they've grown a couple of inches, but I really want to keep them all. The classic paradox: in order for there to be maximum potential yield for the plant, sometimes potentially productive parts need to be taken away. The parts are sacrificed for the whole. Utilitarianism in the garden? I prefer the phrase biotic holism myself.

That reminds me...I need to go kill that fat little worm.

Whaaa?

Part of a recent email sent by a student of mine:

also, if the properties do not show up I can meet you at your continence to show you the original from my laptop.

I can't imagine what was behind this slip-up. In fact, I don't WANT to imagine it.

Odds 'N' Ends

Since my last sleep disorders post, I went in for another sleep study to try a CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) machine. It continuously shoots air, via a mask around the nose, down one's throat to keep the air passageway open to keep one from not breathing during the night. I got my CPAP machine yesterday and tried it out last night. (If I can figure out how to download pics from K's camera, I'll post a few for laughs!) It will take some getting used to--I kept waking up during the night 'cause I couldn't get into a comfortable position with the alien object attached to my face and head. The mask itself is comfortable enough, though some red marks on my face suggests I had it on too tight...or else I'm allergic to the soft gel outer rim.

K and I went on a camping trip last weekend. (Again, if I can figure out her camera...) We didn't have too many fights. :) Seriously, it was a good time in NE Georgia, camping Friday night near Three Forks and then hiking up Rabun Bald on Saturday. We found a good car-camping spot, with decent toilets and everything (for the girls :)). I still peed in the woods.

We started a compost pile in the only plot of ground we have at the apartment: a 3' x 5' space. We don't know a heck of a whole lot about composting, but it sure cuts down on the trash. Perhaps in a few months it will be ready to feed the new tomato plants and herbs we've got growing on the patio! Man, I LOVE home-grown tomatoes. I planted them a bit early--it's been too cold the past couple of nights for them--but I think the cold spells are about over. At least I hope so, 'cause the planter that one of the plants is in is HEAVY! We've got basil, oregano, mint, and rosemary growing in a couple of other planters that someone left behind when they moved and which we have claimed as our own. At least until WE move. I've been looking at getting--or making, more likely--a compost bin. There are little flying bugs hanging out quite a bit around the pile, and I imagine they'll only get worse once it gets good and hot during the summer.

I have been issued an ultimatum to purchase a grill this month. Time is running out, but I think I found a good one at Lowe's the other day. Can't wait to do some grillin' soon!