New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

Greetings from the Garden:

After a few weeks spending time in the garden I have now seen its huge potential. Many hours have been spent trimming, pruning, and doing a thorough pest investigation of  the blackberries and red raspberries. I found raspberry crown borer. The borer lives in the roots and crown of the plant.  It can be identified by knots at the base of the canes and sawdust like material around the plant base. The swelling at the base of the cane is the most common way to identify. There is also a cane borer that lays the larva in the cane of the plant. It is also identified by knots or bulges in the upper sections of the cane. The infestation can kill prima canes (first year growth). The removal of damaged canes and crowns is the most efficient and organic method for the removal of borers.  Now they are just about ready for spring.  Our next project will be building the trellis to make for easier picking and better sunlight for the fruiting canes.  Right now is a great time for anyone to catch up on winter pruning especially for brambles.

Plans for the season are starting to develop. Many of my goals will be focused on providing food throughout the season. This will be achieved with multiple plantings, up to four times, of the same crop.  I am planning on three plantings of green beans, multiple plantings of beets, lettuce, kale, and more.  I will be trying some new plants such as yellow watermelon and pumpkin eggplant. Also, for both their beauty and their bounty of edible seeds I am planning on a large plating of sunflowers. Looking forward to our first spring plantings. This week I would like to end with a quote by Francis Bacon~ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures.