Corn Eclipsed!
Corn Eclipsed! After working all afternoon to plant my ten new organic corn seedlings, my neighbor, C.L., came over with a welding mask so we wouldn’t miss the eclipse. It’ll be 12 more years till the next one, so thought I would take a few photos. I shot through the green glass till the sun sank behind some clouds and I was able to get this photo.
I had spent a few hours conditioning my soil (that means putting my adobe soil through a wire screen, removing rocks, breaking up the clods, layering with alfalfa like a layer cake), and then planted eight seedlings in this 6’x 3′ slice of my parkway.
Yeah, I crammed them into the spot where I had 3 purple cabbages. I harvested two of the purple cabbages (which you will see in my next episode of “Late Bloomer,” “Purple Cabbage Saga,”) and transplanted the smaller one, so that I would have a clear rectangle for corn. I hear they love to be crowded together so they cross-pollinate. They are all the same variety, Double Standard. Nearly each seedling has two shafts. I happened to look closely at my more advanced cornstalks and discovered black aphid eggs! I got out my spray bottle and blasted them.
While I had my sprayer out (loaded with water, a few drops of plant-based dish soap, a sprig of fresh rosemary, and a splash of apple cider vinegar for good measure), I inspected my six remaining cabbages and found two were LOADED with grey aphid eggs! Does anyone have a non-toxic solution for aphids, or must I have my bottle in hand every time I step into the garden? Thanks for reading! – Kaye
Category: Pests, Vegetables
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