Monday, May 12, 2008

Coming new to the garden

I don't have a photo today, but wanted to post a garden update. Everything is growing strong, except my pole beans , which are pale and scraggly. I am not sure what the problem is. I imagine that this bed has no nitrogen fixing bacteria to colonize the bean roots, but the fertilizer in the bed should make up for that. (Did you know that beans develop a relationship with special bacteria that form nitrogen "fixing" nodules on the beans roots? In the nodules the nitrogen is put into a form available to the plants.) The tomato crop has especially heavy main stems and sturdy leaves (a real plus in this past weekend's massive winds). Oh, and the orangequat now is covered with blossoms (not just one or two as it was a few weeks ago). I am very, very excited about possibly harvesting citrus in my yard.

The big news: Some new additions to the garden have arrived, and will be planted this week. I have 2 muscadine grape vines, 2 varieties of hardy kiwi (tiny, grape sized kiwi that you eat skin and all), a pomegranate bush, and a plum (a risk, I know, in our environment). The best part is the combination kiwi arbor and new chicken coop that was just completed this weekend! Photos to come as all these new fruits are added to the landscape.