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| Peach Leaf Spots |
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| The brown spots starting to fall off |
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| Yellowing Leaves |
M said the nursery people thought it was peach leaf curl, but, I don't think so. The pictures of peach leaf curl I've seen online look a lot different from what I am seeing, while the online descriptions of bacterial leaf spots (also known as leaf shot hole because when the brown spots fall off, the leaves look like they were shot with a pellet gun) seem to match what I am seeing. Apparently caused by a bacteria and more likely to appear after a wet winter/spring! There isn't a cure from what I've read, although, one can apply a dormant spray during the winter. The articles I've read recommend removing the diseased leaves and twigs, so, I might do that. So far, the fruit seems to be unaffected. I might have to pick them while they are still green and see what I can do with them!
M also texted me while he was at the nursery to let me know that they had moringa (Moringa oleifera) plants! They were $6.99 each, but, I asked him to buy me two plants. Growing up, the pods of this plant (which grows to be a tall tree) used to be one of my favorite vegetables. The pods are long, like drumsticks, and one of the common names for this plant is the drumsticks plant. We called it "murunga".
M also texted me while he was at the nursery to let me know that they had moringa (Moringa oleifera) plants! They were $6.99 each, but, I asked him to buy me two plants. Growing up, the pods of this plant (which grows to be a tall tree) used to be one of my favorite vegetables. The pods are long, like drumsticks, and one of the common names for this plant is the drumsticks plant. We called it "murunga".
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| Moringa (Moringa oleifera) Plants |
I watered the peach tree, again, this morning, and watered the orange tree, too. Then, in the evening, I watered the rest of the back garden and the front garden.
Apparently, the sweet potato vine didn't like being planted in the garden, for although I watered it, yesterday evening, I found it quite wilted this evening:
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| Wilted Sweet Potato Vine |
In addition to the gardening, today, I cleaned the other bathroom, did dishes, and cooked. One small bag of blanched whole green beans and three small bags (a couple of servings per bag) of sauteed, curried green beans have been frozen and I kept enough of the sauteed green beans in a container in the fridge for the next week's meals. I also curried the rest of the roasted chicken breast. For dinner, tonight, I had rice with the sauteed green beans and the curried chicken.
Today, I was grateful for:
- M buying the moringa plants for me
- M checking with the nursery people to see what might be wrong with the peach tree
- Water for the garden
- My prescription refills were delivered free of charge
- More food for the freezer
Today's joyful activity was buying moringa plants!
Plans for Sunday include sewing more masks and putting away the bags of cat food, etc., that were delivered on Thursday.
How was your Saturday? What are your plans for Sunday?
It's always fun to get a plant you've been longing for. I've never heard of this plant and will be curious to see the vegetables from it.
ReplyDeleteWe had our first warmish day Saturday - it's been a really cool spring here in Rhode Island.
We have a crab apple tree and a cherry tree in full bloom and yesterday for a bit when the breeze was blowing it was snowing blossoms for a few minutes and this morning the back yard is covered with petals.
It'll be a few years before these moringa plants grow big enough to produce the pods. They hang down like sticks from the tree, a foot or so in length. :)
DeleteOh, I'm so glad you are starting to have spring! Your crab apple tree and cherry tree must look lovely in bloom and I hope enough flowers remained on the trees to be pollinated and produce fruit!
Moringa plants are something new for me. I read that all parts of the plant are used for medicine. Do you use it that way?
ReplyDeleteI generally cook the leaves and the pods, Live and Learn. The leaves are often added to lentils and to crab curry. The pods cooked in a curry is one of my favorite vegetables. I have tried the canned and the frozen moringa pods and they really don't compare to the fresh. But, I have been able to approximate the taste with fresh asparagus cooked the same way, in coconut milk with onions, green chilies, and turmeric. :)
DeleteI've never heard of a moringa plant or of it's use in recipes. Is it similar to okra in texture and flavour?
ReplyDeleteMaybe your sweet potato vine will pick up again, and I do hope you can save your current crop of peaches and also the tree. I hope whatever it is cannot transfer to your other trees.
I'm having a restful Sunday, just reading, jigsaw, and piano playing. I've just cooked and eaten my main meal (roast pork) at 7pm and will now look for a film to watch on Netflix.
Eileen, the closest in taste to moringa pods is fresh asparagus, although, in my opinion, the moringa has a more delicate flavor.
DeleteI checked on the sweet potato vine this morning and it seems to have revived a little bit. I am thinking that we should have watered the hole before we planted it, because the roots were grown in water and are accustomed to having lots of water. Or, maybe I should have watered it yesterday morning, instead of waiting until evening. But, it looks a little less wilted this morning, so, I think it will survive.
Thank you; I checked on the peach tree and now the yellowed leaves are falling, but, so far the fruit seems OK. One or two look like they are almost ready for picking, but, still too firm to the touch to pick (although they will ripen in a brown paper bag on the kitchen counter, if necessary). Tree ripened fruit, picked just before eating, are the best, however.
Your Sunday sounds perfect. Enjoy the day!
I'm still waiting for my moringa trees to produce pods. I have two tress, each about 6 feet tall. I was told that it's better to keep them about 4 feet or so. They were kind of dormant last few months and just starting new leaves now.
ReplyDeleteDo you have a county extension office? We have one that run by the county and University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. They are very helpful and helped some of my friends when they had problems with their plants.
Maybe they'll produce pods this year!
DeleteWe do have a county extension office (a couple of them), but, they are closed, currently, due to the epidemic. I might still try to contact them through their website to see. Thank you for the suggestion!
I hope your vine picks up. My sunflowers often look like that when I first transplant them. X
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jules. It looked a little better, when I checked on it, yesterday. I haven't looked at it, yet, today, as it has been raining all morning, but, I am sure the rain would have helped. A lot of plants don't take kindly to being transplanted, do they?
DeleteI spent more time outdoors today moving dirt and I think I got a bit too much sun. I had to shower and do more laundry after I came in, had another little lie-down (this is becoming a habit), but I was awake and raring to go for our Trivia night. It was another fun evening.
ReplyDeleteWhen you described the moringa trees as having pods, I think I remember seeing them somewhere in my travels, but can't remember exactly where...some tropical location. Of course there may be many different kinds of trees that carry pods, but I remember being fascinated by the size and number of them hanging from the branches.
I hope you didn't get sun burned, Susan! I saw your photos of what you are doing in the garden and, my goodness, but, that's a lot of work! No wonder you needed a nap!
DeleteI think you went to Jamaica, a couple of years ago, didn't you? I think you might have seen moringa trees there as I recall one of my aunts saying she saw them growing there.