I love working in an ecosystem, even if it occasionally means I discover a rather large female spider preparing a nest while harvesting! This lady was hanging out on our komatsuna, and I opted to leave her leaf in the bed rather than evict her and babies. I'm not entirely sure what species she is or what role she plays in the ecosystem, but I'm willing to bet it's important.
Speaking of komatsuna, I've never grown it before but I'm quite liking it. This batch got a bit of flea beetle damage - likely because it's a brassica planted in between strawberries, and I've tried to optimize the soil food web for the strawberries, which like more fungi than brassicas. But regardless, the taste on the komatsuna is amazing! I can see how it got the nickname "mustard spinach" - it's juicy with just a bit of tang. And thus far it has been tolerating the heat, where my Tokyo bekana and even some of the lettuce are bolting without putting on leaves. I'll definitely be planting more of these! It'll be in the csa for the next couple of weeks, so grab a bunch for salads or sandwiches.
