The balcony garden is suffering at the moment. I am convinced the tomatoes have a bacterial wilt, or something, because slowly but surely there is a wilt creeping up the stem, keeping leaves green but wilting them, removing the moisture and causing them to die. May be misdiagnosed but either way my lovely late season tomatoes are dying faster than I can type. So alas today will be the day they go. I know I have to take all of them out, sterilise the pots and clean the area, but a couple are so close to fruiting properly that they might stay in. This wont fix the problem but I want to give them a few more weeks. They will be isolated to their own place but on a small balcony quarantine is simply just a state of mind.
The Zinnias have always been aphid infested. And now, after several attempts at eradication they too have got to go. So it is bye bye Zinnias, hello something new and pretty for the hanging pot (probably more beetroots)
The various basils in the garden have been lovely over summer, but in the changing weather they have suffered as much as I (grr to this bug i caught). So the lemon basil and lime basil are coming out, along with the last surviving strawberry spinach caught within. The citrusy basils will make a fine dessert pesto bound for my freezer. The thai basil and purple basil are coming out too - will make a nice marinade out of them. That should clear up the balcony substantially. Then i can sweep and mop and disinfect and try to get rid of whatever nasties are plaguing the place.
Then I will collapse on the couch!
5 comments:
Did you catch the bug from the plants, or vice versa? I hope no bugs fell into the coffee pot yesterday arvo... Lovely blog and lovely plants!
Great post. I share your passion for basils. I so love their lovely little blooms. You can soak some basil leaves in warm water for say, an hour and drink it and chew the leaves - it's the best medicine for almost everything. Keeps you healthy.
I hope you recover quickly. Could your tomato have late blight? The dessert pesto sounds interesting. Yum.
You make my day!!!! First the good news about mortgage lifter tomatoes. Then I see in your profile you are a fan of Iggy Pop. I am a big fan and it is unusual for anyone to mention him. Anyway, when you're in California I'll have to treat you to a coffee. Cheers.
Sigmund Marx - I hope none of you got sick! Glad you like the blog and plants
Chandramouli - basils are the yummiest - the pesto we had with the spicy basil was really tasty. Might have to try that medicine trick though.
Grace - thanks, need to sleep but keep having to do things which make recovery slower.
Suburban Gardener - ooh Coffee on California, sounds good! Iggy is such a legend, he once held my hand for like a second at a gig, I just about melted. He and mortgage lifters - the perfect dinner companions!
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