Still No Peach Leaf Curl

Posted on April 14, 2009 by thomas

Peach Flower

So far the young peach tree is doing well behind the plastic canopy I built earlier. Fortunately there’s no sign of peach leaf curl, so hopefully the canopy is keeping the tree dry. When the spring sun is shining from a clear sky the temperature is quite high behind the plastic. It’s almost like a greenhouse although the canopy is open in each side to allow bees to pollinate. I have seen a few big bumble bees around already, but I think I have to help the tree by doing some artificial pollination with a brush. (Check out Gill’s post about peach pollination by hand on mytinyplot.co.uk.)

Peach Flowers

The leaves still look normal. The flowers are reaching for the sun and inviting the bees. Yep – I think we’ll have peaches this year

How To Grow Lemon Balm

Posted on April 8, 2009 by thomas

Lemon Balm Flower
Photo by Carl E Lewis.

Lemon balm attracts a number of beneficial insects to your garden and can also be used in the kitchen. It’s a member of the Lamiaceae family with the Latin name Melissa officinalis. Lemon balm is a perennial plant with 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 inch) long leaves. The flowers are light blue to white.

Location

Lemon balm prefers full sun outdoors but is mildly shade tolerant. The soil pH can be in the range 5.6 to 9.0, but preferably it should be 6.0 to 7.5.
The height of lemon balm is between 30 to 120 cm (12 to 47 inch) and the width is between 30 to 60 cm (12 to 24 inch).

Planting

Seedlings are grown indoors from seeds resting uncovered on top of the soil. Keep the soil wet during germination, which will take from 10 to 21 days at a temperature of 21 deg. C (70 deg. F). When the seedlings appear lower the temperature to 16 deg. C (60 deg. F).

Growing

Plant the seedlings outdoors after the last frost has passed. Keep the soil moist. In mild climates the stem of the full developed plant will die in the beginning of winter, but shoots will appear again in spring.
There’s a risk that Lemon balm is attacked by Whitefly, Spider mites, Thrips or affected by powdery mildew.

Harvest

Lemon balm should be harvested before flowering to get the best fragrance. Cut down to 5 cm (2 inch) above ground.

Storage

Dry within 2 days at a temperature of 32 to 38 deg. C (90 to 100 deg. F) and store in an airtight container.

How To Grow Dill

Posted on April 7, 2009 by thomas

Dill Flower
Photo by juicyverve.

Dill attracts all kinds of beneficial insect to your garden and it can be used in the kitchen as well. That’s why it makes a lot of sense to grow dill along with your usual vegetables. The Latin name for dill is Anethum graveolens.

Soil
Find a spot with well drained soil, protected from wind and with full sun, or at least 6 hours of sun per day. Dill is a perennial plant that lasts for several years. Dig the soil well down to 45 cm (18 inch) since the roots are long making it difficult to transplant. It tolerates frost down to -4 deg. C (25 deg. F).
Soil pH should be in the range 5.5 to 7.5, preferably only up to 6.5.

Sowing
Dill can be grown from seed sowed in the spring outside in the garden after the last frost has passed, sometime in April or May. Cover the seeds lightly with soil. Rows should be between 30 to 46 cm (12 to 18 inch) apart.

Growing
Seedlings emerge in 1 to 2 weeks after sowing. Thin the plants so they will be 24 cm (9 inch) apart. Dill grows on a single stem to a height of 60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 feet) and the plant looks like fennel.

Harvest
When the flower heads appear no more leaves will be produced. This takes about 4 to 8 weeks after planting. Seeds can be harvested after the heads have turned brown.