May 10, 2025
On Monday (May 10), I was very sore and stiff from pulling poison ivy up by the roots for 5 1/2 hours on Sunday
I decided not to do much and let my body recover and recharge.
I was very lazy in the morning, then I decided to take a walk around the yard with Nox.
Nox made up the hill to the garden beds. That was as far as she wanted to walk. She lay down and relaxed by the garden.
I inspected the plants in the garden beds and the potato towers. I added leaves to the last potato tower from the cart Bruce had filled up. After I put leaves on top of the dirt in the potato tower, Bruce drove the mower and cart to the blueberries. This would allow me to sheet mulch the last of the blueberries.
Bruce went and mowed around the pine trees now the poison ivy had been cleared. I finished mulching the blueberries.
During my inspection, I was not happy to discover cabbageworms were eating my turnip and mustard greens for breakfast, lunch and supper, with snacks thrown in for good measure.
I decided to harvest my greens. I didn’t want to keep trying to fight the cabbageworms.
After harvesting the greens, I put the greens in the sink to soak in cold water.
I then washed them, picking off the cabbageworms and turnip flea beetles, dropping them into soapy water. I decided to compost the very lacy leaves. There wasn’t enough on them to try and eat.
After cleaning the turnip greens and mustard greens, I chopped the turnip greens and mustard greens.
I happen to look out the kitchen window and saw our neighbors’ cats sitting near area we cleared. (It needs mowing.) I wanted to get a picture of the cat, so I headed to the sliding back door.
Nox saw me heading over to the sliding back door and came out of her crate.
I made corn pudding, a cornbread spoon bread, to eat with the greens.
I cooked the greens in a big pot as the corn pudding was in the last minutes of cooking.
The induction stove heated up the water to boiling in a less time than seems possible!
While the greens cooked, I heated up a slice of country ham.
After supper, we sat on the front porch, enjoying the light breeze, bringing the scent of honeysuckle to us.
Blackberry Homestead 
How disappointing to lose so many plants, or at least, leaves.
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It was a bit disappointing. I was still able to harvest a significant amount of greens.
I consider it a defeat for the wee beasts munching their way through my turnips and mustards.
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Do marigolds work to repel insects from greens?
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Sadly, “research conducted at Rutgers University concluded that marigolds failed to repel cabbage, carrot and onion pests. In fact the USDA lists a total of 15 pests that attack marigolds; included on their list are aphids, Japanese beetles, snails, and spider mites, just to name a few.”
The same research proved that marigolds do control nematodes if planted 2 months before the vegetables and in the same location as the vegetables will be planted.
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No one is happier to see your farm come to town than the wee evil beasties!
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I’m glad you got to eat some of the greens!
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I still got a lot of greens, at least a large sink full!
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