June 15: Clean-Up, Ears & Hojas

Earlier this week, I went out into the garden and was overcome with what I saw. Through all the research I had been reading about stinkbugs, I realized that what I feared was happening to our garden. Last we learned that if Stinkbugs take over your garden it can potentially ruin your crop. Anything sucked of its nutrients can wither and die.

Our garden looked in bad shape! Saturday (June 15) we went out to the garden to do and discuss a few things: survey damage, cut down dead stalks, decide what we would do with corn, figure out what was salvageable and make a plan to keep what we could do to maintain a healthy garden.

Here are some notes of the day:
Corn

• Many stalks were damaged, however once we viewed them closely quite a few were salvageable. So we removed what we felt like we had to. 
• To remove the corn, we decided to cut the base instead of pulling out- to ensure new squash/bean seedling roots weren't interrupted. Reminder: squash/Beans can both grow without the corn stalk.
• The corn we chose is absolutely beautiful! When you look at it it shines, literally, it looks shimmery, it was so beautiful to hold.
• We have hojas to save for Tamales!

Amaranth

• Is big! The inflorescenes (tassel-like parts) are getting huge!
• Weeds grow really fast! Gotta keep an eye on the imposters...

Sunflowers

• The 1st sprouted sunflower, although wilted looks like it can survive with more care and water. We will leave it as is.

Tomatoes

• We need to watch out for the Caterpillar attacking the tomato. However in the time being we have quite a few small bulbs!!!

Onions

• Are growing, need to do reserach about harvesting.

Seed Saving

• We need to figure when/how to seed save for amaranth and corn!

Pests

• Ants! They can be nasty little things with their friends Aphids! We found 1 stalk that had damage from Aphids (no we didn't put it in the compost), but we do need to treat with grits/coffee more
• We need to get more coffee grounds from people... 

Compost

• This is hard for me to do, because in my home we eat every inch of a vegetable, except the little colitas of fruits and vegetables... Either way, I thought I would attach a friendly link of items you can compost for reference.

Watering

• Decided that we needed to water more. The damage had to be a combination of both lack of enough water and the stinkbugs. 
• Solution: Dee will water in the morning, and I will (most) evenings.

Juanes- Thank you for trimming the weeds around the garden. We appreciate both you and Juana's patience with us and for the space! Jane- Thank You for the wisdom and experience you have shared from your gardening. It is much appreciated.

Loss & Gain

I don't know how to write this- but a blog that is supposed to be about keeping you up to date on the jardin has to be truthful- has to maintain the reality of what is happening- to the food and to the people that plant it..and today, we suffered together.
Over the weekend, kids that were next door to the garden for a party, apparently went unsupervised and destroyed a portion of the jardin while no one watched them.


I'd spent Sunday indoors painting, and Monday morning when I went to look out into the jardin, something was wrong and I looked at the floor space and saw a few stalks lying about. I took my keys and went out and found about 40% of the garden was damaged or knocked over..and I was at a loss.
My emotions turned me backwards as I looked on to something that had taken months in the making- to maintain- to build- to grow- and with a quick snap, it was hurting & I had to go to work in Gringolandia*..
Well, I sent out the text and let people know & within the hour that I was suffering from leaving the garden for 'work', comrades & familia were @ the spot with reinforcements- like bamboo sticks, garden tape, and care.
When I got out of work and to the garden, they were steady working at lifting tassels and stalks back towards the Sun to take in it's goodness.
We have a few more stalks to go, bamboo has been bought, and the jardin will be okay.
I felt loss today..and it weighed heavy. In my sadness & confusion, I reached for logic, strategy, and towards the energies that sustain us all - and said 'Mujer, everything happens for a reason.' All loss, all change, all pain..all growth.. it leads to paths that have to be walked and situations that need addressing.


So, we will be keeping a close close eye on the recovery of the maiz, and for those that will not recover- the land is still rich for more planting and planning..
We never forget to stop and remember why we planted the first seeds- because of our love and respect for the tierra y la gente de este mundo and our replenishing.

The garden is still peace.

*what I call the Galleria area - coined by Frida Khalo, when she visited America while Diego Rivera painted the Rockefeller Building walls.

Frijol Pinto

May 30, 2009- Pinto beans (Espanol- 'frijol pinto' literally 'painted bean') were planted in 2-3 seed holes on either side of each maize stalk in the jardin. The third sister has finally arrived!

As we were out there adding this element to our space, I began to have small musings and epiphanies under the cool shade of the maize leaves. I realized that this project is absolutely no small feat- it hadn't been up to there- yet, the realization that frijol is now in the picture made it that much more real for me. These are living things that are reacting to the care we can afford them and the care their environment provides them when we cannot afford them.
But, it's a funny word 'afford'. And I push myself out there because I look at these seeds and sprouts that we have planted thus far and see how incredibly valuable they really are. What a commodity the organic seed and environment has become. How much of my ignorance toward all of this, I know now, was staunching a part of my brain and self-realization.
Epiphanies.. didn't I warn you?

Oh and the maize stalks have started to show their male & female characteristics. The male flower, called the 'tassel' sit at the tip top of the corn stalk waiting on the wind to carry their pollen to the female part of the stalk called the silk. The silk sits a little higher than midway on the stalks in the jardin and are blushing with yellow-white & red silk. Each silk may become pollinated to produce one kernel of maize, and we are keeping up with the 3 - 4 day watering sessions to keep them health and productive.

Back to the beans, though. So the last sister has brought with her nutrients for the soil around the corn & will create an even richer place for more squash to be added on- along with chile plants we plant to also incorporate. The beans will grow in vines that will wrap around the stalks and leaves of the corn and from what i hear, this happens fast. The watering may have to become more frequent and the sowing of the beans will go on every 2 - 3 weeks until mid-Summer, for continuous harvest throughout the Summer.

In the meantime, we have been discussing ways to make the jardin more efficient and easy to keep up with. We need to come up with a system that allows us to account for every plant in the garden in every row- give them attention and acknowledge them for what they are- alive.

So, as that has begun, so has my research of uses for corn & frijol and on the different varieties of squash that can make an appearance if we so choose. I want to make sure that all the work we have put in does not go to waste in any way. And this can best come about by utilizing every piece of the maize that comes to harvest and paying attention to the bean sister making her way up the stalks to hold it all together.

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