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Most of the corn plants in our Three Sisters bed have reached the tassel stage, and some of them have also reached the silk stage.  This is important, because corn has both male and female parts — that is, the silk and the tassel. 

Alan was nice enough to snap this photo of the golden and red tassels formed on our popcorn plants:

Proper soil moisture, as well as air temperature, are both critical to having both the tassel and silk appear at the same time, and therefore create the proper circumstances for successful pollination.  Many of our crop plants are pollinated by insects, (e.g., bees, wasps, moths and ground beetles), but corn is different.  The corn plant depends on wind to carry the pollen from a tassel to the silk strands that form at the top of each potential ear of corn.

For more info, click here for the Top 5 Things to Know about Corn Pollination.

When we expanded the garden between years one and two, we added a parcel with a drop in elevation that was evident the day we paced out what our request to the Rec department would be.

It turns out that the drop is about 16 inches, as measured early this season by Alan Jones and I (mostly Alan). We weren’t seeking data for its own purpose, but to assess how high to stack stones to make a level bed in our southeast corner.

We found the rocks, it should come as no surprise, while double-digging other beds (which may well be my next blog-post topic). Just for this one bed, whose walls fade away to nothing about two-thirds up the slope, we used not only most of the big rocks we excavated this year, but reclaimed some we’d relocated along the park perimeter.

The stacking is as rudimentary (skill-less) as you can imagine. Steven Lee and I put the biggest rocks in the corners, the next largest along the bottom row, and for the rest, tried to match shapes that “interlocked” as best we could. We can say that, so far, the rocks are still standing.

One reason we wanted to try the raised bed is that last year, downhill flow during a rainstorm actually washed away some garlic we’d planted. By making a level planting field, we thought could mitigate, or redirect, any such future torrents. And, it looks nice, in a rustic, New England sort of way.

Holy basil, or Tulsi, (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is a plant that I would like to recommend for growing in our garden next year, both as a culinary herb, and as a medicinal.

   

Holy basil is used for treating the common cold, influenza (aka”the flu”), H1N1 (aka “swine flu”), diabetes, asthma, bronchitis, earache, headache, stomach ache, heart disease, fever, hepatitis (viral), malaria and tuberculosis.  It is also used to reduce stress, to treat mercury poisoning, to promote longevity, as a mosquito repellent, and to counteract snake and scorpion venoms.

Note:  Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) should not be confused with the more commonly grown basil varieties such as Genovese (Italian), Purple, Cinnamon, Nufar, Pistou, or Sweet Thai,  (Ocimum basilicum), Lemon (Ocimum basilicum citriodora), or Lime (Ocimum americanum).

(See Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

For more info on Holy Basil:
1.    www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1101-HOLY%20BASIL.aspx
2.    www.youbeauty.com/health/columns/whole-beauty/holy-basil-for-stress
3.    www.holy-basil.com/

 

Re:  Acidity, Asthma, Blood Circulation, Bronchitis, Cancer, Constipation, Dyspepsia, Gall Bladder, Gall Stones, Gallstones, Gastric Problems, Headache, Headaches, Insect Bites, Jaundice, Kidney, Kidney Disorder, Kidney Infections, Leucoderma, Liver, Nausea, Obesity, Piles, Respiratory Problems, Skin Care, Skin Infections, Skin Problems, Sore Throat, Urinary Tract, Weight Loss

Radish, the well-known salad ingredient, is a juicey root crop, pungent or sweet in taste. Radishes can be white, red, purple or black, long-cylindrical or spherical in shape. They are eaten raw, cooked or pickled. The oil obtained from the seeds is also used. The other parts of radish which are consumed are the leaves, the flowers, the seed pods and the seeds. The scientific name of radish is Raphanus Sativus, which belongs to the Brassicaceae family. Radish is also known as Daiken in some parts of the world.

For the huge health benefits of relishing radishes, click here.

On Saturday morning, July 14th, I discovered this 1/4-inch long, light-orange colored bug on the basil.  It proved difficult to photograph, since it really didn’t like to stand still.  However Alan, being very patient, finally captured these two shots — one for close-up detail, and the other with my hand for scale.

   

After many hours of searching the internet, I am now convinced that what I found is the nymph stage of a type of Stink Bug — the Spined Soldier Bug, Podisus maculiventris.  While many types of Stink Bugs are exceedingly damaging to many food crops in the U.S., this particular bug is actually beneficial because it’s a predator.  It kills other insects by literally sucking the life out of them!  

So, this is one of the good guys!  It’s a good thing that we don’t need to get rid of this bug, as stink bugs are very difficult to control, both organically and conventionally!

 

 

For more info on Spined Soldier Bugs:
1.  http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/insects/bugs/stinkbugs/stinkbugs.htm#nymph

2.  http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2010/08/02/immature-predatory-stink-bug-eats-monarch-caterpillar/

3.  http://bugguide.net/node/view/237854

4.  http://stinkbugsguide.net/infestation.htm

5.  http://www.motherearthnews.com/blogs/blog.aspx?id=142346&LangType=1033&blogid=1502

 

Chief Gardening Officer Mike Smith recently made us aware of Flower Sprouts, called the first new vegetable in 10 years, a cross between Kale and Brussels Sprouts. (See Mike’s post). At Mike’s suggestion we decided to try them in the Garden this year.

Flower Sprouts thriving in the Robbins Farm Garden, with proud parents Kale and Brussels Sprouts (not shown) close at hand.

Reportedly, the Flower Sprout was developed by Tozer Seeds, a family-owned business in Surrey, UK and was first introduced in 2010. Both an owner and a senior plant breeder from Tozer expressed pride to the press over this first new vegetable in a decade. Apparently, this enthusiasm is not shared by everybody in the UK, with the Daily Mail announcing “A New Vegetable for Your Children to Hate“. Even the BBC Surrey reporter interviewing the Tozer Seeds representatives seemed to be trying to overcome her timidity over veggies to faintly praise the Flower Sprout although Dr Frankenstein probably thought the same about his little project, the Flower Sprout is different.

Far from being some sort of hybrid monster, it has been developed over the last ten years using traditional breeding techniques…….. It has a Brussels sprout-like growing habit with its tall stem and rosettes forming all the way up to a frilly-leaved top. A bit like one of the more imaginative hats you see at Ascot Ladies Day. And its appeal may go further than just the aesthetic. Brussels Sprout haters around the world could possibly be won over by its milder, sweeter flavour. But for those of you who, like me, are of a nervous disposition and get easily frightened by funny shaped vegetables, be warned! “Funny-shaped”? We would take issue with that description, but, of course, we Robbins Farm Gardeners are particularly enthusiastic and welcoming to our veggies, be they “old standbys” or exotic newcomers. As the reporter notes, Flower Sprouts grow in a stalk like Brussels Sprout, but the “sprouts” remain open, forming small curly leaves like Kale. And, they’re a lovely deep green and purple. Many of us are excited for them to be ready to harvest but we hope you will come visit them in our Garden first.