Tomatillo issues

The tomatillos have been looking very sad all summer. In fact, we have had barely a pound of fruit off it. I was ready to give in. I don't know what is wrong with them, but I doubted I would be able to fix it this year. I just wanted to know since I did promise Pooka we would try it again next year. 

Sad looking tomatillos

I picked some fruit and some leaves before Pooka and I went to the nursery on Saturday. We went inside and asked them if they knew what was wrong with the plant. They thought it needed fertilized at first, and so did I, so I told them we had fertilized them twice.

See the sad state of the leaves

 They said they didn't see any real insect damage, so they don't think that was it, which left the tomatillos with a fungus. The nice man at the nursery showed me a fungicide that WOULD be safe to use on food. He even said it would be safe to pick after 24 hours. I asked him if it was worth even trying seeing as the season was ending and he told me if I tried this, I should be able to get one really good harvest for Pooka. He then talked to Pooka a bit about what she wanted to make with the tomatillos.

Some of the leaves even have a yellow tint to them

As much as I generally hate using chemicals on the garden, this was a have to do/it can't hurt too much I guess. We are going to try it and then see what happens. Worst case is it doesn't help and we give up and wait for next year. Best case, Pooka gets more then one jar of Salsa verde. 

A simple trip into the garden

Everytime we walk outside, Pooka finds at least one caterpillar "friend" that we need to raise. In fact, the other day I walked outside just to take some pictures of the 5 color pepper plants, and we came inside with 5 new friends. I think the "nursery" house as Pooka calls it is looking a bit crowded.

Can I post a no vacancy sign?

I was able to move one cocoon to the hatching pen, but really, 5 more friends. Some were very tiny, like this little guy. I still have no idea how Pooka saw him hiding on a dill plant.

Itty bitty black dot - I mean caterpillar

But at least we got to release Sabooga. Pooka was sad to see him go, but she was okay with it overall. Although I think her new caterpillar names are just trying to see how weird she can make them.

Bye Sabooga. Good luck in the wild

At least this means that Pooka has the butterfly habitat thing figured out and will be a huge help when we do her school garden. Until then, Excuse me while I help a Pooka feed her caterpillars.

Sharing the bounty (of caterpillars and knowledge)

Pooka is a very giving creature. I see am so lucky and happy to be able to see this almost daily.

She is adjusting to kindergarten in her own way. She is making friends and adjusting to being with so many people for so long very well. The other day she asked if she could take some of the caterpillars up to the school to share with her friends. I thought it was a great idea (and was glad to see some of them leave the house), but reminded her I had to ask her teacher. Fortunately, her teacher loved the idea. They normally learn about caterpillars and butterflies in the spring, but was more then willing to let Pooka give the class a jump start. She even told me that Pooka was a very good "little teacher" the day she brought her caterpillars walking them up and down the rows so all her friends could see them and answering their questions.These caterpillars have even been helpful in the room as a "calming presence" for some of the kids when they need a minute to recollect themselves.

I swear there are 2 in here that went to school

Pooka's giving spirit is also seen in her desire to help at the school. They have a butterfly garden that sadly has become a bit overgrown. Her friend K's mom asked if we would be willing to make it a "2 family" project to rip it all out and rebuild. Pooka immediately said they could have some of the Pooka sunflower seeds and some of her milkweed seeds. She then told K's mom and I that we need to plant dill, carrots and parsley for the Black swallowtails. I did wonder briefly if this was another way for Pooka to work on "training my butterflies to come when I call." What she will be calling them for is only in her head, and hopefully not some butterfly army. But all in all, she is already excited to give back to her school and not let it just be "Brother's Big Kid school."

In what seems pre-determined destiny, this is the first year the school has decided to have a Garden club. Do I even have to tell you how quickly I was asked about it after Pooka found out? It does involve some parental involvement (which didn't bother me since people joked I lived up there BEFORE Pooka was in school there.) The first meeting is Tuesday for Pooka so hopefully she enjoys it and it encourages her to make more new friends.

I am always happy to watch Pooka grow and mature, but to see her so excited to find her own place. Now I can only hope with her love of learning, she continues to love school past the first 2 weeks.

Basil Jelly???

What do you do when you have basil going bonkers outside??

Old picture, but you can see the basil hiding everything else. 

Don't get me wrong, we love the fresh basil, and are drying basil to put away for the winter, but we still have plenty so we decided to try making Basil Jelly. No, this not just me going "Let's make Jam out of everything" and no this is not me trying to justify what we have, but me trying to find more ways to use the basil.

Basil anyone??

First we took a ton of basil, and washed it all very well. Then we followed the directions on Sweet Domesticity. They were very easy to follow and she tends to have great ideas. In the end, we got 5 half pints. Enough to decide if we like it, not enough we are stuck with it if we don't. Daddy came up with the idea to try and make canned pesto yesterday. Now to find a recipe. Good thing no one here is afraid of work.

5 half pints of jelly

Colors

Pooka has always loved her pretty purple peppers. She knows she is not allowed to eat them, but she loves the vibrant purple color of them.She has waited and wondered what other colors they may have.

Purple peppers

Her wait is over. Yesterday she was walking through the garden and screamed "It's red Mommy, The pepper turned red." Sure enough, one of her peppers had finally turned red. The rest of the bush shows all the other colors the peppers turned. Now to see if the when they turn red if they get any milder. That is a test for Daddy

Lots of colors

Thinking for fall

The last few weeks, Pooka and I have been wondering about what fall will bring. We know it will mean less tomatoes and peppers, but we are trying to extend our harvest of at least some of the veggies. Peas are one that have taken off this year and may do well as the temperatures begin to drop.

Soon to be peas and beans

So the last few weeks, Pooka and I have been begining to think of getting the sugar snap peas, the green beans and the carrot seeds planted. Most have begun to sprout.

Another group of carrots

The pak choi is doing well, and we will be transplanting it soon. Then we will be restarting the spinach and the lettuce again. Daddy and I even agreed to go to the nursery and buy some more broccoli plants to get in the ground so we will have plenty of broccoli. If it is anything like last year, the broccoli lived past when the snow had begun to fall.

Butterflies and caterpillars oh my

Around here, we seem to be on a butterfly and caterpilar rollercoaster. We are constantly finding new caterpillars in the garden that we have to "raise" In fact, as soon as ones go into cocoons, we are bringing in more caterpillars. I think Pooka is on her 4th Generation this summer. 

Everyone takes a nap

Time to move guys

Once the caterpillars are in their cocoons, I gently take out the cocoons (which would be much easier if they would use the darn stick instead of the walls 

New babies

Then we clean out the old/dried herbs and frass (yes thats the term for caterpillar poop). Then the new inhabitants of the bug house are placed in their new home. Generally they are sometimes even collected off the carrots or parsley before the bug house is vacant. Good thing I keep enough jars around.

Look at them growing up

Then the cycle starts over where we feed them daily to make sure they get enough food and are happy. The upside to bringing them inside, I can decide what they eat instead of them eating all of one plant. Pooka says they are getting a more balanced diet.

Someone woke up

Meanwhile the cocoons we removed from the bug house move into Pooka's butterfly house. This house sits in the garage and we give the butterflies time to develop.

Fly free Sushi

Once they are awake and happy, Pooka is allowed to spend an afternoon with them and watching and naming them before we release them back into the yard to do their thing and make more caterpillars for Pooka. The butterflies also help to pollinate the garden.