Alright, it’s still raining periodically, but that’s no excuse. It was much worse last year, and I have too much to do to be idle. But oh what a mess.
It’s just wall to wall shrooms in the shade herb bed- but that’s not the only fungus among us.
The weird cat hair like mycelium is in the mostly empty chayote bed as well, which is odd. Once it’s a little drier I’m gonna have to remove a lot of soil and use some copper fungicide to inoculate the soil.
Ah weeds. The rain waters my crops- but also everything else. But what’s the harm of weeds?
MMMM found the source of the scale infection! Going whole hog and getting rid of everything weed like is bad for the environment and the water table. But you got to hand pull the big boys or else they become reservoirs for nasty pests like scale. I also had a little moment and sprayed diatomaceous earth powder around everything to the point where half the garden looks like someone spilled cocaine over everything; but nah, that’s the microscopic diatoms that should hopefully kill any ants that walk across it.
Speaking of common garden pests, I finally started the process of re-potting my slightly drowned baby tarragons and… nope. Nope nope nope. Those right there? Slug eggs.
Now was screeching like a pterodactyl and dumping the contaminated tarragon into my compost bin the best action filled with dignity and poise? Of course not.
Did it anyways. Of course in-between the screech and the dump I went upstairs to show my mom the slug eggs because… invertebrates are cool. Except for the whole eating my veggies thing.
So my brave re-sprouting tarragon is the lone tarragon once again. Just to give it and all my herbs the best chance I fertilized them heavily. Then I fertilized the veggies heavily. I’m taking no chances.
The tatsoi I planted has essentially become a trap crop which is annoying but what I expected with those savoy-ed leaves. I have the other batch waiting to be planted tomorrow- but as long as the bugs are leaving other plants to eat this poor bastard I’m gonna keep him in to save the rest.
This is my first year growing Brussels’s sprouts. This may be my last year growing Brussels’s sprouts. The cabbage aphid issue is bad this year, no doubt like the scale being spread by ants. I also dusted the top of the Brussels with diatomaceous earth, as well as a good spray of insecticidal soap. I swear I’ll get sprouts from these guys if it kills me. I love sprouts!
I wanted to end on a high note. This is the base of my blackberries, protected by fir needles. And that is a re-sprouting comfrey creeping out from underneath. It’s alive! So my green mulch/bruise salve dreams are back which is nice.
And of course, I ripped out my broken and battered pea plant and the last of the moldy bok choy so I have space for the remaining tatsoi. The leafy stuff is the mystery brassica- which I’m not sure is sea kale at this point. I’ll have to give it a taste, but whatever it is- it’s growing nicely!
And considering all the stuff that isn’t growing nicely- this I’ll take!
The Neanderthal Gardens 
It is easy to forget that it was still raining a month ago. It sure is getting dry now.
Anyway, the ‘scale’ on your cheeseweed is an infestation of rust. It is fungal pathogen that is common on cheeseweed, but may affect nothing else in your garden. It, or perhaps another type of rust, can be a problem for okra, and is often a problem for hollyhock.
Oh that’s good to know!
I would still recommend getting rid of it anyway, just because there are a few related plants that are susceptible to the same rust. I think they get whitefly too, which could be a problem for crucifers.