deluxestogie Grow Log 2017

[deluxestogie]

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moutarde_des_champs

The mustard of fields was indicated as responsible for poisonings of the cattle in Canada, due to the consumption of hay by containing a big quantity.

Interesting citation. The toxicity report in Canada was from 1943. The incident seems to have been associated with the consumption of large quantities of mature mustard seed pods within the hay. (Imagine eating an entire jar of mustard at one meal!)

The manner in which the farmer mows the pasture beside my house, and his method of bailing the hay should result in less than about 10% of several different bales being wild mustard. It will likely be mowed before the seed pods have fully formed. His cattle should tolerated this easily.

All brassica vegetables contain varying quantities of thiol-based toxins, like isothiocyanate. An exclusive diet of brassicas (in people as well as livestock) can result in hemolytic anemia and in thyroid imbalance (goiter). That's not to mention gastrointestinal upset and possible nephritis. The prepared mustard that many of us use contains those same toxins. That's what gives mustard its unique, pungent flavor.

Everything in moderation.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

I sent my son the photo of the sea of mustard. In reply, he asked if I could smell all the mustard from the house. I had not given it any thought. Do mustard plants smell like mustard?

From my front porch, I smell pear blossoms. My pear trees are on the far side of the house.

This morning, I walked out to the sea of mustard to clarify the issue. The mustard is just a pretty face. I can put my nose nearly touching the yellow mustard flowers, and smell zero.

So there you have it. Despite the rich and pungent and easily recognizable scent of crushed mustard seeds, mustard blossoms have no scent.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Not Much To See

These are photos of my 4 1020 trays of seedlings. They're all doing alright. Some plants are ahead of others. Ho hum.

Most have required some clipping already. I won't be thinking about transplanting to the beds for another two weeks.

Bob

 

[Tutu]

The panorama-like photos are nice. Personally I like it when at the early stage the plants stretch a bit, reaching for the sun, because that way they're easier to fix when transplanting. You can trim the lowest leafs and shove more dirt up the stem. Would you agree are do you avoid having stretched plants so to speak?

 

[greenmonster714]

Next year I've gotta find a spot like that. Out of the weather but plenty of sunshine. As it stands I have many plants on the front porch in direct sun. The only real downfall is every time rain it rains I have to move them all indoors. I do plan on getting two more lamps and making a 4 tier setup but nothing outdoes sunshine. And its a lot cheaper. Nice crop Bob.

 

[deluxestogie]

The panorama-like photos are nice. ...do you avoid having stretched plants so to speak?

The dramatic panorama is what is left after I crop the image to avoid showing all the junk on the floor beneath the wire shelves, and the tobacco hanging above.

As far as stretch, I just let them do whatever they do. No particular planning is involved. And when they are sturdy enough and the weather is right, I transplant to the ground. If they are short and thick, then I place them just below their current soil level. The ones that are too lanky are planted a little deeper. For the few that are truly long and floppy, I also lay part of the stalk horizontally beneath the soil, with the expectation that some roots will sprout from the buried stalk. This last arrangement sounds better in theory than it usually works out to be. While the buried stalk does form roots, they are often pretty skimpy. The hope is that they prevent the stalk from later flopping in the wind.

...every time rain it rains I have to move them all indoors.

You could just rig a crude canopy frame (or a couple of lawn chairs), and drape them with plastic or a tarp when it rains. With a lot of trays, draping and undraping has to be less work than moving them.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Indonesian Island

This one 1020 tray contains my 3 Besuki cultivars (8 of each), as well as Prancak N-1 (24 plants). What is evident is the difference in seedling growth between the two Besuki cultivars grown from Indonesian seed (from Tutu) versus the Besuki (originally from tabakanbau) grown from my own seed. I suppose it is possible that simple epigenetic factors have given my own seed an advantage, since the soil mix is identical to what the parent was grown in. I will be interested to see if the mature plants show a difference as well.

The growth of the Prancak N-1 resembles seedlings of Izmir, which is one of its ancestors.

Bob

 

[Tutu]

Those parents of Kesilir and Ambulu seedlings sure had a different climate to grow in last season! Very interesting that the other Besuki's are so much faster!

 

[greenmonster714]

You could just rig a crude canopy frame (or a couple of lawn chairs), and drape them with plastic or a tarp when it rains. With a lot of trays, draping and undraping has to be less work than moving them.

Bob

That would work but if the storm has any wind to it it could be a mess..lol. Today we've had a small rain and they did fine. I can just watch them and make sure they are not drowning in a tray. Shouldn't be much longer and I won't have to worry about them.

 

[Charly]

The same here, the strains from Indonesia I am growing this year are the slower.
I am sure it has something to do with the weather they are familiar with (its much much colder in France than in Indonesia !
You can see the Besuki in the picture below, smaller than it's neighbours (Adonis and Criollo Colorado, started the same day).



I will see if they like the weather when they are in full ground, and I will see if the seeds will acclimate from year to year.

 

[Gavroche]

Charles, I think that there are slow varieties. My orinoco is also late.

Charles,je pense qu' il existe des variétés lentes. Mes orinoco sont aussi en retard.

 

[deluxestogie]

Aerial View of My Garden

I may have moved the camera too far away when shooting this selfie. I'm that bright, white dot in the center. (If you squint, you can see the Moon just to the left of me.)

Now that I think about it, that photo may be a view of most of our gardens, all posturing and smiling, crowded together for the camera. A fleeting moment.

Bob

 

[rainmax]

You lucky star...

 

[Gavroche]

Venus ?...

 

[deluxestogie]

Taken by the Cassini spacecraft last week, that is a view of Earth (and our Moon), as seen through a gap in the rings of Saturn. Tiny and isolated. It's a picture of us.

Bob

 

[Gavroche]

Oh... sorry

 

[Brown Thumb]

Oh... sorry

WHY, Its Tobacco Growing Season and SpringTurkey Season

 

[greenmonster714]

Cool picture. I love science. Facts are much more exciting than fantasy.

 

[deluxestogie]

Cool picture. I love science. Facts are much more exciting than fantasy.

If you were out there taking that picture, you would be ~3/4 billion miles from the nearest restroom. That tiny white dot in the photo contains the only known toilets in the universe.

In 1984, I found it to be unsettling to look out at the curvature of Earth, while flying at 50,000 feet. It allows the mind to conceptualize the actual size of this planet. Our one and only habitable zone is finite.

Bob

 

[Chris A]

I see ya Bob. You need to mow the lawn.