I wear contact lenses so I can see distance. As I've gotten older, the lenses actually make my reading vision worse. With naked eye, I can read just fine - even pill bottles! So if I have my contact lenses in, I have to wear reading glasses. Damned if you, damned if you don't.
Anyway, I went out the other morning to have a look around -with my naked eyes.
Damn it. Aloe mite on Aloe fievetii. Aloe mites are not visible, but eventually their existence IS. These ugly galls caused by their injecting a chemical into the plant while feeding.
Again yesterday morning, walkaround. *Photo taken after snip-snip.
DAMMIT JANET! Planted in a clay pipe, Aloe johannis-bernardii also has a telltale gall.
Thankfully both plants had new pups that don't look affected. I cut off both of the older growths, bagged tightly and threw them in the garbage. I treated both with BioAdvanced 3-in-1 Insecticide. I've had luck treating aloes with this before, after removal of galls. Of course I've killed aloes doing this as well. I'll keep a close eye on these (without my contacts inserted) and throw them out completely if I see any weirdness.
I did a very thorough check and don't see signs of it anywhere else, yet. The whole issue had me wondering, how many aloes do I have? I did a haphazard counting, I'm sure some were missed. 52 aloes in the front garden and 119 in the back. Whaaaaaat? Small 4" potted aloes in waiting not included.
In good aloe news... Aloe africana seems to be spouting extra early? I'll have to check last year's bloomtime.
closer...
And Aloe megalacantha is shouting fall orangey-ness. *Sorry for hose and cat.
Such a cool bloom, orange with purple tips.
And planted in the meteor in the front, an aloe that grows on rock -aloe molederana
has locked in and showing new growth.
Other notes from the walkaround. I don't grow fuchsias, except this one... Fuchsia corymbiflora from the old Annie's Annuals made it through the great front garden reno last year. I'm so glad it did, there's something refreshing about it flowering in the midst of this heatwave.
The plants here get mostly shaded by the front porch, some early morning sun then nada.
It is supposed to cool to the mid 80°'s after today. I'm going to brave the heat and clean up the farm a bit. Trim pumpkin leaves so the fruit will color up. The pumpkin leaves give me hives, so this will be a barrel of monkeys. This Cinderella pumpkin is ready!
The little black (blackjack) ones are my favorite. Dang, the corn is good. I'll admit I have had corn & cornbread for dinner more than one night.
I put a few blackjack pumpkins on the mantel.
Happy September!
Dang critters...
ReplyDeleteThere's a solution for the contacts thing. Monovision. You get one contact to see far, one contact to see close, and your brain compensates. It sounded weird to me when my optometrist suggested it, but I love it.
and you save money on contacts, too. Unfortunately, I have a few different eye issues, I've tried that but it doesn't work for me.
DeleteTracy, I wear prescription glasses and sunglasses all the time now, with progressive lenses that allow me to see both near and far in the same pair of glasses. I had considered contacts at one point (cuz I hate wearing glasses), but when I was told contacts would only help me for distance, and I'd still need reading glasses, I decided glasses just made my life simpler overall. Though I had to give up on cool wrap sunglasses, as my Rx won't work with those curved lenses.
DeleteSorry, just seeing this. Blogger has been weird. I do have a pair of progressive lenses in my glasses. I prefer running with my contacts in, at some point I'll make the switch!
DeleteOh! Those blackjack pumpkins are the cutest things. I added reading glasses to my contact situ a couple years ago. Oh well. Now, I have to remember to take them to the store to read the catfood labels for our super picky - oh you loved this last time but now you can't stand it because I bought a case - eater. IMO Dr. Feelgood improves every photo - no need to apologize.
ReplyDeleteAren't they? And they grow fairly tidy, close to the base vs. regular pumpkins sprawling far & wide. Ugh! the cat food. Picky finicky little furballs. I've just read to him what you wrote, he's very pleased.
DeleteIn my last 15 or so years of teaching, I wore bifocals, not because I needed them for reading but because the far-vision part threw of my reading. I manage without glasses for the most part now. My eyes actually improved a little at a certain point, and I am no longer required to wear glasses while driving.
ReplyDeleteThe same thing happened to my Dad when he was in his 40's, threw the glasses out for a decade. I wasn't so lucky!
DeleteI have exactly the same vision issues. Except I don't walk around looking for aloe mite, haha.
ReplyDeleteCut off as much of the nasty stuff as you can and try this. It works on agave mites.
https://www.succulentsandmore.com/2024/04/holly-krocks-organic-approach-to.html
Yuck, I hate seeing it. Oh hey, I did read that post & order the suggestion... thank you for the reminder. Both bottles are sitting in the garage unopened.
DeleteGerhard, had seen your comment, otherwise I would have made the same suggestion!
DeleteThe abundance is astounding! Regarding your garden, dare I say it's aloe-t? Ha. (Sorry.)
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha, I like it!
DeleteWell I guess there's one good thing about not being able to grow Aloes in the ground, I'll never have to deal with Aloe mite (of course now that I've typed that I realize I've cursed the few Aloes I have in containers). I love the black pumpkins and the teddy bear sunflowers, so fun!
ReplyDeleteOh I bet you're safe in Portland! Honestly, I've not had many cases of it...can count on one hand. I learned last time I was at Ruth Bancroft Garden they just cut it off and don't sweat it.
DeleteWell, natural curly hair and I have the same trouble with my eyes. We are two peas in a pod.
ReplyDeleteI now need bifocals. Ha!!
I no longer wear glasses to garden, I only go naked.. naked eyed that is.
LOVE the blackjack pumpkins.
And never be sorry about the cat in the photos. Hee Hee ... or the hose, keep it real.
xo
Naked gardening Carla! Hahaha.
DeleteI'm with Jerry: your sweet Dr. makes any photo better!
ReplyDeleteI don't grow fuchsias either and not really into them but OMG: Fuchsia corymbiflora is absolutely stunning! So glad it survived the renovation.
I grew Delicata squash this year, tiny but satisfying harvest. I'm fascinated by your blackjack pumpkins! I'm gonna look into them for next year.
Chavli
Delicata, now why didn't I plant that? I think that is the king of squash - it's perfect!
DeleteA wonderful garden. I was thinking of yours as I humbly plated a couple of things!
ReplyDeleteI had the same issue. Contacts and reading glasses. Then, I could tolerate contacts after menopause. I had progressive. Then I had laser surgery, but only distance, so I am truly back to where I was!
Oh wow, I'd do the lasik but it doesn't last forever? The progressive lenses really got uncomfortable for me. At some point I'll switch to glasses.
DeleteCorn--yum! We got some from our CSA food share, but I never get enough of it. Fresh sweet corn is the best! You are fortunate to have so many Aloes! I have some teeny ones in my container rock gardens, but it would be so fun to live in a climate where the big ones really thrive. I guess I'm fortunate to not need vision correction for anything but reading, photography, and close detail. But it's frustrating because I always have to have readers in my bag or on my head. LOL.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like all of us have vision "issues". The corn was fun and delicious. I don't know that it was any different than getting it fresh from a farm stand? I should probably just accept the readers as life, and get one of those little chains to wear them on.
DeleteNice to get a glimpse of nature from the other side of the world, even photographed with your 'naked eyes'! 😉 Greetings from Sicily.
ReplyDeleteHello Diana from Sicily! I've visited and love it there :)
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