We're at the halfway point, woohoo! The weeks have been flying here, for sure.
On the farm this week, we've been dealing with some formidable rain showers. Some varieties, like the ammi and gypsophila, were pretty well flattened by the rain. Others, like the zinnias and strawflowers, have had to contend with some pretty serious disease pressure. This wet weather and humidity, coupled with the increased leaf density (and decreased air flow) of maturing and branching plants, has provided prime conditions for foliar disease. I suspect I'm dealing with alternaria leaf spot and/or botrytis blight. Both are pretty demoralizing! I'm using organic practices here, and my response has been to strip infected leaves, pull up necrotic plants, and spray with diluted neem oil. I had hoped that my plant spacing, and commitment to putting only the healthiest transplants into the plot, would reduce my chances of getting hit by pests and disease. And maybe it has! But I've certainly got something now, and all I can do is mitigate the effects to the best of my ability. And hope that the sun comes up and dries out this field!
Here are some before and after photos of my triage mission:
Pretty rugged, right? On the bright side, in your shares this week, you will find:
Ageratum
Ammi
Calendula
Celosia
Cerinthe (aka, Honeywort)
Cosmos
Cynoglossum
Delphinium
Frosted Explosion Switch Grass
Globe Amaranth
Orlaya
Salvia
Snapdragon
Statice
Sunflowers
Zinnia
And hello to this lovely pollinator, who braved the wind and rain to visit the sunflowers.
Stay dry, my friends. Wishing you the best!
Stacy
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