Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
With all the rain this year, the weeds have taken over everything!
I planted three varieties of ground cherries but only one variety is thriving even though they were planted at the same time, transplanted at the same time, in the same general location. I planted aunt molly ground cherries which has a flavor profile of "sweet like tangerines, pineapple, and citrus mixed together" and hanover ground cherries which has a flavor profile of "more like yellow tomato taste, slightly sweet but slightly acidic too". There was also an unknown variety I planted so an unknown taste profile. All of the seeds came from baker creek seeds. The only variety thriving is hanover. The aunt molly and unknown variety got destroyed by bugs (maybe aphids) but the hanover is doing great and bloomed and fruits forming.
I also planted Chinese lanterns which resemble ground cherries but are multi-colored. Chinese lanterns are toxic to humans so I planted them in a different location. They were started from baker creek seeds at the same time as the ground cherries. They were growing much faster and a lot larger in size when I looked at them Wednesday but on the following Sunday, something ate the entire tops off of them .... probably deer. I hope they are toxic to deer too because .... its a never ending battle out here with the deer population always eating everything.
But I did forage a handful of primeark 45 blackberries that I had for breakfast while looking at the ground cherries, elderberries, and Chinese lanterns. Elderberries are a separate video but they always produce a LOT, except this year the berries are much smaller than usual and I assume that is due to all the rain. I normally harvest elderberries in early august and right now they are about 80% ripe and 20% green so will be another few days to a week or so. I haven't checked on pawpaws or muscadines yet this week ...... they generally don't get bothered by the deer but you just never know.
Another interesting fact, it seems the deer know my schedule because they always destroy everything when I am at work lol
With all the rain this year, the weeds have taken over everything!
I planted three varieties of ground cherries but only one variety is thriving even though they were planted at the same time, transplanted at the same time, in the same general location. I planted aunt molly ground cherries which has a flavor profile of "sweet like tangerines, pineapple, and citrus mixed together" and hanover ground cherries which has a flavor profile of "more like yellow tomato taste, slightly sweet but slightly acidic too". There was also an unknown variety I planted so an unknown taste profile. All of the seeds came from baker creek seeds. The only variety thriving is hanover. The aunt molly and unknown variety got destroyed by bugs (maybe aphids) but the hanover is doing great and bloomed and fruits forming.
I also planted Chinese lanterns which resemble ground cherries but are multi-colored. Chinese lanterns are toxic to humans so I planted them in a different location. They were started from baker creek seeds at the same time as the ground cherries. They were growing much faster and a lot larger in size when I looked at them Wednesday but on the following Sunday, something ate the entire tops off of them .... probably deer. I hope they are toxic to deer too because .... its a never ending battle out here with the deer population always eating everything.
But I did forage a handful of primeark 45 blackberries that I had for breakfast while looking at the ground cherries, elderberries, and Chinese lanterns. Elderberries are a separate video but they always produce a LOT, except this year the berries are much smaller than usual and I assume that is due to all the rain. I normally harvest elderberries in early august and right now they are about 80% ripe and 20% green so will be another few days to a week or so. I haven't checked on pawpaws or muscadines yet this week ...... they generally don't get bothered by the deer but you just never know.
Another interesting fact, it seems the deer know my schedule because they always destroy everything when I am at work lol
