Amerindian Magic, Japanese Genius, and Mother Nature.

[MrFista]

Tomatoes in greenhouse have succumbed to some fungus. It has attacked the fruit as well. On a side note I've been growing a diseased tomato for 3 years to see if it can shake off it's virus companion. It still hasn't but appears to be getting hardier. The virus onset to new vegetation is slower, and the fruit is setting more, and more often. There are a few fungi vying for a place on this experimental plant but for the most part they don't seem to be able to spread very easily. PM occurs where leaves rub up against the window pane but spreads very little. Scale, aphids, shield beetles etc have all had a turn at harming this plant. I'm tempted to get some spores from the greenhouse fungi and see if they'll kill it but this would be a bit silly. Next season I'll do cutting of the plant and see how they fare outdoors (and vs the greenhouse tom killer fungi). It is just a crazy idea, a plant that lives indefinately might over time grow resistance to pests and diseases through changes in metabolism. Then the cuttings will be hard bastards. TBC...

Commented on your comments on entropy ML. You are looking at it short term, entropy is an overall progression towards a lower energy state, life appears to lock energy into complex molecules but when considering the loss of 90% of energy as it is passed up through trophic levels, and the inevitable death of all organisms, the overall picture is a loss of erergy and movement towards entropy. Took ages to get my head around this I believed life fought with the universal law too - not so.

Chickens still haven't laid. They've grown a lot must've been very young when I got them. Getting a bit impatient now, ah well, soon enough.

Grwoing my favourite strain from seed at present. Seeds take forever in cold weather, more patience needed there too.

Having the best mushroom season though, they're everywhere and many species not typically seen are fruiting all around. Huge difference between the fungi Ifind in the city and the bush. Very significant. In the city it appears there are many generalist species that handle disturbance and a variety of substrates. In the bush are many more specialists who work with specific tree species/substrates/conditions etc.

City fungi from disturbed sites are probably better for breaking down your organic matter than bush varieties.

 

[mad librettist]

Commented on your comments on entropy ML. You are looking at it short term, entropy is an overall progression towards a lower energy state, life appears to lock energy into complex molecules but when considering the loss of 90% of energy as it is passed up through trophic levels, and the inevitable death of all organisms, the overall picture is a loss of erergy and movement towards entropy. Took ages to get my head around this I believed life fought with the universal law too - not so.

I vacillate between your point of view and a more struggle-oriented point of view.

There is a spark in me that rebels at the very idea of dying.

 

[h.h.]

Extended season tomatoes are prone to nematodes in the soil. Certain fungi live off of the nematodes.
Marigolds planted close to the tomatoes with a common root area is a deterrent.
Almost forgot the basil. Also a good companion plant for tomatoes.

 

[mad librettist]

Also a good companion plant for tomatoes.

for some reason - basil and nasturtium.

but of course, basil does best in poor, sandy soil, and nasturtium grow best in soil for annuals.

so I wonder if the true point of planting them together was to ensure one was weaker and more vulnerable than the other.

I think it would be interesting to have tomatoes in a more fungal (1:1) soil, along with some aliums or other perennials.

 

[h.h.]

So what's the deal on beneficial nematodes?
I don't know much about them except to rotate my tomatoes...
http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/beneficial-nematodes

What type of fungus attacks them?

 

[self]

Greenhouse tomatoes are up to my breast now and are setting fruit. A fungus has got them at the base though, and something else is hitting random parts though I don't recognise symptoms to say what it is. Still, it's been near 100% humidity for some time only the wind brings the humidity down. Very unusual season, warmest May days recorded ever.

Global warming is a real event. If you listen to the smear campaign funded by oil money you will be letting all your progeny down. Corrupt govts and pseudo science in the pocket of short sighted assholes, the world is in trouble people, fuck the naysayers they are either taking money or don't want to think about it. Doing nothing is a decision in itself. Be part of the planet and fight for it.

THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES - wake up!

yeah, indigenous peoples all over the world know that weather patterns have changed/are changing, are not patterns anymore. Anywhere peoples are in touch with the seasons/weather/ecosystem there's no question. change is the only constant now.

 

[MrFista]

Yes, change is the only constant now. It is smart to look at slightly lower latitudes than you are at and see what they are growing there, and their seasons etc. Gives you the jump on new markets, and keeps the table supplied.

Oyster mushrooms trap nematodes. Nematodes are a crucial part of ecosystems and are extremely prolific. They fill many trophic niches being predators of other things, of each other, of fungi, roots, etc. Beneficial nematodes will come in your compost/castings, I never pay for things I can generate for free... It's about disconnecting from the stupidity of consumerism. We are slaves to marketing hype as we have lost our basic skill set for living: Gardening, cooking, preserving. We have lost the ability to think and research we read blurbs and quote them as gospel. Advertising is ever more invasive coming in new guises all the time. Professional psychologists work round the clock trying to determine new ways to sell you bullshit.

Wake up and grow the coffee.

 

[h.h.]

Too hot outside for oysters. besides I'd have to buy the spores as well.
Just looking for protection for some long term outside plantings. Started reading about nematodes, Googled beneficial nematode which led to the ad. No promotion on their part.
Living in an island in a sea of pesticides on previously soiled property of sterile sand, I'm not sure what's going to make it's way back on it's own or at what rate. Thinking of seeding some earthworms and thought why not some roundworms as well.

 

[heady blunts]

hh-

you might find it helpful to try and build your soil by starting at the smallest spectrum of biology. if you culture the bacteria and protozoa populations in your soil, the larger species will find their way in.

put down as much high quality, bacterially dominated compost as you can afford. mulch with weeds and green materials. spray it with ACT regularly. get something growing in there.

i'm pretty sure it's gonna be a waste to try and "seed" earthworms before you've dealt with the chemical residues and built up some organic material.

 

[mad librettist]

for chemical residue I go with EM.

Get a culture high in PNB. Purple nonsulfur bacteria can dine happily on aromatic hydrocarbons.

 

[MrFista]

Thanks for clarifying HH, I understand completely. Good advice from ML and heady there. EM is indeed a great way to start the ball rolling. I'd also advise some carbon rich mulch to attract fungi, they're the real deal when dealing with hydrocarbons. Oysters yet again.

Fungi live all year round we only see the fruits mainly. Keep it damp (mulched) and keep substrate available they'll arrive. Fungi from disturbed sites are the best bet if collecting wild species to deal with your disturbed site. Forest fungi are typically specialists and don't fare well in disturbed habitats being evolved to live with trees.

I empathise with your situation. My place was a poison dump when I got here nothing except grasses grew, all my veg just curled up and died. Now I have over 60 varieties of food around the place and more gets added wherever I can. The trick was EM, compost, compost tea and mulches. I'm also using weeds to advantage now, letting them tap deep and cutting the tops for mulch (thanks ML you'd love my greenhouse experiment, from concrete hard clay to dense vegetation in a few short months. Got big healthy tap rooters coming through now, YAY!).

 

[h.h.]

No chemical residue to speak of. Just regular pesticide use, herbicides and fertilizers for probably the last 5 years, organic for the ten before that.
Getting a good bit of mulch scattered from the trees and from overplanting and letting stuff die. Weeds are pulled and dropped. Need to haul in additional mulch and manure compost. Gas being the main expense. I did seed around the trees with EWC, kind of thought Worms would be a waste so I was hesitating. I'm thinking under the grape arbor where the soil is shaded and well mulched. I doubt they'd move into the dryer stuff. Probably do a bin anyway. Using teas with composted material brought in from native growth, blackstrap and an occasional bit of commercial product.
It's getting there, soil's getting spongy, just no dang worms.

 

[h.h.]

Beets work as well for the roots. Cut and eat the greens and leave the beets behind.

 

[heady blunts]

No chemical residue to speak of. Just regular pesticide use, herbicides and fertilizers for probably the last 5 years, organic for the ten before that.

 

[h.h.]

I know, that's contradictory. I just don't want to over exaggerate and give an impression of an oil dump. The past residents did use a fair amount of chemicals is what I'm trying to purvey.
Anyway, enough about me...

 

[mad librettist]

in that case you got good advice...

 

[h.h.]

Good advice if not a bit redundant to what's already happening here. I was just trying to find out about nematodes.

 

[MrFista]

Too long since updated but am a VERY busy boy lately.

Chickens are all laying and the eggs are sublime. I made a run for them the tractor seems so small. They leap the fence and tear shit up but so far no real problem. They love weeds - wandering jew, oxalis, onion weed... go the chickens! They will tear all the mulch out of place though they've learned the fastest way to get a feed of insects is turn over thick mulch.

Did an experiment with my backyard (partial light) vs full light, and 6 cauliflower in each spot. In the low light I had large leaves and small heads, compared to the sunny spot with leaves 1/2 the size and heads 4x the size. Both tasted great but the low light cauliflower was so good you can just eat it raw.

Conclusion - low light levels give less food but the quality is outstanding.

Winter here so just spreading lots of chicken manure and compost up a strip to convert to garden come spring (full light). I've not gardened in full light for a long time, the results from cauliflower trial point to the rise in yield being dramatic.

 

[h.h.]

Always look forward to your posts and find them most interesting.
I wonder about your conclusion however.
Asparagus has a history of being grown with and with out light. Many find the white tastier due to the mild flavor and higher sugar content which equates to less nutrition and more calories. There's nothing like the sun.
Palatable does come into play. It's not good for you if you don't eat it, in which case, you may be right.
Keep on farmin'.

 

[MrFista]

Hmm, food for thought. Thanks H.H.

Another conclusion (no conclusions being conclusive...) low light = lots of leaves and hardly any heads (seen this in weed too). BUT - the weed was also outstanding.

There are exceptions to every rule in nature, the variety just in stem cross sections (this weeks lab) is amazing.