Tag: organic growing

first apple harvest

My Pristine apple tree is the first to ripen in my orchard and each day drops many apples.  In Atlanta and northwest Georgia we have had record making rains, so the apples are relatively large, very juicy and, for the Pristine, relatively sweet. I do not spray so, inevitably, there are occasional visitors but these are easily removed with my pocket knife as I gorge away.   Nice thing about not spraying is I don't wash my fruit and I eat the skin. Since there are too many apples for consumption Read more [...]

planting out the tomatoes

My main ritual early each summer is the planting out of the tomatoes.  I grow these from seed, initially in the basement (0.75" soil blocks) then in the greenhouse (2" soil blocks).  My first year was a glorious year, since then hard going.  Not beginner's luck but a case of slipping under the radar the first time.  Now each year the pests and problems await me.  Though I rotate the growing site, this does not thwart the soil borne diseases - there is an interesting piece in this morning's NYT Read more [...]