End of season stragglers - Mom and Dad’s garden.
This season starts with mixed feelings. My plan for starting all my plants from seed was kiboshed by a fungus gnat infestation, but it finally looks like the summer is on its way and I was able to save a few goodies.
Today, I went through the lot, groomed and purged. I ended up repotting most of the habaneros, a handful of tomatos, the chives, sage, thyme, ground cherries, and a few grand amaranth plants.
Green thumb fail.
/I thought the aphids were eating my ground cherries. For the past couple weeks all the cherries, which grow in a husk similar to a chinese lantern or tomatillo, would turn brown and then fall off. Me, the knowledgeable green thumb, went straight to blaming those blasted aphids and have been throwing all of the ‘spoiled’ ground cherries into the compost.
The other day my Mom mentioned that she ate some of the cherries from the plant I gave her (she also mentioned that my Dad was convinced there is no such thing as ground cherries and whatever my Mom ate would surly poison her…but that’s besides the point). Mom said that when the cherry husks turn brown and the cherry falls off the plant they are ready to eat.
Blarg.
I probably should have looked that up before throwing all those cherries away. Anyhow, lesson learned. I did pick a few today…not as ripe as they should be, but still delicious.
