A Gardener's Prayer

Now I lay my garden to sleep.
At least I have some salsa to keep.
But if a store-bought tomato should cross my plate,
Bleh—
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

Sad day.

But on a positive note, it's a good time to get ready for next spring by getting some sulfur and fertilizer tilled in to the garden. Give it some compost if you have it. Here's the cocktail that you can give your soil (per 180 square feet):

3 cups 16-16-8 fertilizer
1 cup ironite

Also add sulfur. This lowers the pH of your soil to a more optimal level for your plants. This only applies to our Rocky Mountain soil here in Utah along the Wasatch Front. In other areas the pH is already too low and adding sulfur would be the wrong thing. Optimal level is 6.5. The first year you treat your garden with sulfur you should add 8 cups per 180 square feet. The second year add 4 cups sulfur, and each year after that add just 2 cups. You'll notice a difference.

If you don't add in the sulfur now, you can try adding humic acid in the spring, or loads of Miracid. More in the spring on that. I recommend the sulfur.

Sigh. Bring on the soup.

Your neighbors DO notice your dandelions

If your yard is a breeding ground for every noxious weed this side of the Mississippi, rest assured your neighbor is cursing you while they deal with the effects in their own yard. Don't ask me how I know that.

Now is the time to really kill the dandelions and morning glory.

Here's how. Dandelions are relatively easy but you have to spray them at the right time. Right now they are sending energy into their root systems so they can survive the winter. So fill their leaves with Weed-B-Gone or another spray with 2-4 D in it so what they send to their roots will be TOXIC. He he he.

Morning Glory is wicked stuff. It produces new flowers every day. Each flower produces 4 seeds. The seeds are valid for over 100 years. And they are tough to kill. Give it a cocktail of Weed-B-Gone and Round Up. If you can't mix the two in a sprayer, then give it the Weed-B-Gone first and then the Round Up.

If the morning glory is in your lawn, you have to create a little cone out of plastic (like a cone for dogs when they have surgery). Place the plastic cone around the morning glory, trying to gather up all the leaves and vines so you spray it ALL with the cocktail. Douse it well, then move to the next vine.

NOTE: This will take some time. And you may have to do it again in 7-10 days if there is any green remaining on the vines. Your neighbors will wonder what you are doing. But they will thank you. And it will work.

Something new I'm going to try

As the first frost looms, we gotta say good-bye to fresh produce from the garden. But now that I have a garage, I have something I've been meaning to try. You know you can pick the green tomatoes from your vines and they will still eventually ripen on their own. But they still lack a little compared to a vine ripen tomato. So someone told me to just cut the ENTIRE tomato plant at the base and hang it upside down in your garage. The tomatoes are supposed to draw nutrients from the vines as they ripen. It can't be worse. And your tomato "picking" can continue through the new year!

Lessons Learned

I must say it has not been a banner year for my garden. I used to grab my breakfast and go out to the garden. Now I look at it from the window and think, "I need to go out there."

But there are some interesting observations and lessons learned this year:

1) Do not send your daughter to Lowe's to buy your twine for the tomato plants. Cotton twine does not hold up your tomato plants. I started out tying up these beautiful plants and then the string stretched out. It was a lost cause so now they are just a scrambled mess. I think I have some pretty big tomatoes under there somewhere. Next year: nylon twine.

2) Ever wonder what happens when you plant seeds from a hybrid tomato--You get unpredictable plants.

All of these tomatoes came from three different plants, but the seeds came from the same "Russian" tomato the year before. The correct fruit is the large one that is shaped like a cute apple. I obviously got some cross-pollination the year before. I have a Mandarin Pepper plant that I have no choice but to save seeds from it. I'm nervous what will result. I LOVE that mandarin pepper!

3) I am allergic to okra plants. Every time I pick them I come in itching my hands and arms like I just rolled in poison ivy. But it tastes so good. I've had a lot of okra to pick. And in case you wonder, the best way to prepare it is to slice it up, soak it in a beaten egg for a while so it gets nice and slimy, then dredge in equal parts cornmeal and flour, with plenty of salt and pepper mixed in. Fry in shortenin'--but not fresh shortenin'. It's gotta be used a couple of times to be *just right*. Mmm. Can't be beat.

4) Orange Wellington is a delicious tomato! Every year I carefully plan out where I'm gonna plant what. I fill the entire garden on paper. Then when I go to the garden center I find something I can't resist adding in. So I picked up an "Orange Wellington" tomato because of the scrumptious orange color. I squeezed it into the garden plan and it has done really well! (tied it up on one tall stake). It tastes amazing! It has a tougher skin, but the texture inside is creamy like a perfectly ripe peach, and tastes very sweet, too. I will buy another next year--I've learned my lesson about planting seeds from my favorite tomatoes.

Perfect lunch: toasted onion bagel, spread with cream cheese and topped with a sliced Orange Wellington.

5) Organic material is crucial for a successful garden. I have neglected that task for a couple of seasons. It showed this year in the vigor of my plants. I have TWO neighbors with chickens, so I'll be adding lots of...uh...stuff...to the garden next spring. With the other lessons learned, it should be a great year!

No more spraying the fruit trees, things are getting good

Are you so happy? This is where I tell you NOT to do something. It's so easy. Don't spray your fruit trees anymore because you'll be EATING the fruit soon. The chemicals will naturally break down over the next 30 days so it will be safe to eat that fruit.

We've been working a lot so far. Now is when the harvest really starts to kick into high gear! Tomatoes, peppers, onions, beans, zucchini, cucumbers, melons, peaches, OKRA. That means salsa, bruschetta, pickles, zucchini quesadillas, veggie quiche, veggie pizzas, and of course, fried okra. Oh, and don't forget to get yourself a big slice of beefsteak tomato and smash it into a toasted onion bagel from Costco (or Einstein Bros.) with a slice of cheese melted on.

Oh yes, things get really good from here on out!

Fall garden. Get ready.

I know we're in the heat of summer, but it's time to get the fall garden going. It's the time to plant a new crop of lettuce, carrots, beets, broccoli, cabbage. Use the spot where you had your spring crops. Pull out that old lettuce, it's way too bitter now in this heat.

It can be tough to get seeds to germinate and survive in this heat. So cover the rows with something to keep in the moisture until the seedlings emerge. Burlap works great. You can water right through it and easily lift it off when the time is right. Or assign your kids to water it continuously. By this time of summer, they are complaining about being bored. So tell them, "go watch the lettuce grow."

Okay, truth be told: July is when you're actually supposed to plant the fall garden, and here I am at the end of it. But the first week of July is an insane time of life for me. I think I'll never be able to get the fall garden done until the end of July so there's no sense in letting it hang over my head with a timely (thymely) reminder when I know I can't do it. So we're all in this together. This Saturday. Let's get it done (and spray the Birch and stone fruit trees with a second application of borer spray).

Treat stone fruit trees and birch for borers

Stone fruits are fruits with pits: peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots. They are susceptible to invasion by borers. When we first bought our house we had a nice apricot tree in the back yard and a peach tree. The peach tree had just one healthy branch that first year and the next year it had one single leaf. Borer Infestation. The apricot died shortly after that. Dang borers. The prevention for this is to spray the trunk and lower branches with Dursban on July 1 and August 1. But Dursban is no longer sold. So see what replacements are available where you shop and spray the trees on July 1. (Okay June 2 is a Saturday and that will suffice).

Birch trees are also vulnerable to borers so give them the same treatment.

IF you have a tree that dies of a borer infestation, do not save the trunk for firewood. The insects will leave the tree and look for another host--like a neighboring apricot tree :). Get it out and away from your trees and your neighbors.

Snow Peas cool off a 94° day

Better than popcorn for my movie tonight.

Thin the fruit on your trees/insect control on the lawn

Remember that bag of fertilizer with insect control I told you to get last week? This weekend fertilize your lawn with it. Those blasted ants are driving me crazy all over my yard. I'm gonna send 'em to that big family reunion in the sky...

AND, if you have fruit trees, you've got to thin the fruit. For apples, reduce the fruit in each cluster to one or two of the healthiest looking fruits. CUT them off with scissors, it will be much easier than pulling them off. For peaches and plums, reduce the fruit to about one every 4-6 inches. I usually end up just climbing up in the tree to do this. You'll feel like a kid again. And I know if feels like you are taking off a lot, but you'll be surprised how much is left at the end of the season. And you'd much rather have one LARGE fruit than several teeny fruits with full-sized pits. The tree has only so much energy, you want to focus it on the fleshy part you can enjoy, rather than 5x as many seeds and pits.

Fertilize your annuals

This weekend, give your annual plants a little boost with some fertilizer. A nice easy granular kind is good if you have sprinklers to help you water it in. If you have a drip system, you may need to use some Miracle Grow mixed with water. And while you're at the garden center, get some fertilizer for your lawn with insect control in it. Next week it will be time to apply that.

I am SOMEBODY!

I got some free seeds from Twilley Seed Company. It is so fun to order things online and have them arrive. And, it is SUPER fun to get things you didn't even have to order. They want me to plant these bush beans, grow them, eat them, and tell them what I think. They have no idea I am SO good at telling people what I think. The only problem is finding more space in the garden...

Little Okra Babies

I'll be bringing lots of okra to my classes this summer. I planted 24 seeds and they are emerging!  Why do I just LOVE seeing them emerge? This was the last of my seeds so I have to be sure and save some for next summer. This variety ('North and South') is off the market but grows well in this climate.

Lettuce coming up everywhere!

I always let one or two lettuce plants go to seed each year so that in the spring I get lettuce coming up all over the garden. It doesn't require any additional work. This year it is coming up all over my side yard because we don't have grass in yet. AND I found this cutie in my driveway!

I like pulling weeds

I think I really like yanking weeds. It's a satisfying sensation when you get a good grip on the base of a plant and the soil has just the right amount of moisture and the roots rip right out. Maybe I like the constructive way to work out my aggression.

But here's what I don't like:

These are shamrocks, also known as oxalis.

And this is what they look like when they are embedded among the plants you want to keep.
So I just spent the sunny afternoon digging up this entire plant and several others. I performed surgery by carefully separately the shamrock roots from the ice plant roots. Then I replanted the ice plant.

This is why the shamrocks are so vicious:

They reproduce by underground roots. They spread like crazy. This one was pretty small compared to some of the intricate shamrock mafia systems that I unthreaded from the plant. But I didn't want to touch my camera with my dirty hands again.

My grandmother was very proud of our Irish roots. I do NOT like these roots.

My neighbor is making sure I will be fighting this and many other weeds for decades. I've found that a cocktail of Roundup and Weed-B-Gone are very effective against morning glory. I'm starting to get control of that one. But the shamrocks are tough because the seedlings are so teeny and hard to catch. Before you know it, you have a full blown infestation.

At least I like pulling weeds on a sunny day.

Spray the Fruit Trees

When the blossoms on your fruit trees fade, it is time to start spraying them on a regular schedule. I use Imidan that needs to be applied every 17 days.

Here I go...

Make your own hotcaps!

I was at the garden center yesterday and right next to the official HotKaps (for 89 cents EACH) was this sample homemade hotcap. You cut an X in the bottom of a milk carton and then 2" up the sides. Flare out the triangular pieces. Cover your plant and throw dirt on the flared out portion to secure them down so they don't blow away. This is great! They stand a little taller than just cutting off the bottom of the milk carton and are more secure.

NOTE: I tried milk carton hotcaps last year and my plants got too hot. So keep the lid of the milk carton off unless it gets really cold. Then you can just go out and put the lids on for a day or two.

Thanks to Vineyard Garden Center for this great tip.

Don't be watering that lawn yet

It's too early to be watering the lawn. Temperatures are low, there is plenty of water in the ground and the longer you wait to provide extra water, the further down the roots of your grass will reach to access whatever water remains. Deep roots makes your grass more resilient to drought. Usually there is no need to water until at least the first week of May.

Get a jump start for melons and squash

Melons and squash are very tender starts and don't like to have their root systems disturbed. For that reason, most people plant them directly in the garden when the weather is warm. They start easily and grow quickly so the starts you buy at the garden center are usually only about a week old. But the fruits from these plants will continue growing as long as there is no frost to kill them off, so it makes sense to extend the life of the plant by starting them earlier in doors. If you have a large container you can give them (like a big and WIDE), you can start them now and then transplant them outdoors in late-May.

Peas are up!

Yay! I thought the seeds were duds because they took so long. Aren't they cute?

To Do this Saturday

In addition to fertilizing the lawn, I've got to trim up my sedge grasses. They are "evergreen" but they really look horrible right now. If I trim them too early (in March) the new growing tips will also turn brown and I have to trim them again. Also give them some fertilizer.

And those dang ice plants. They are gorgeous and I absolutely love how reliable they are, but I have to give them a "haircut" every spring to get the dead bloom heads off. They will bloom like crazy in May and then bloom more gracefully for the rest of the season and be a nice ground cover for this dry climate.

Fertilize the lawn April 16

Time for a general "weed and feed" fertilizer for your lawn. If you didn't already have your lawn aerated, get that done beforehand so the water and nutrients have a better chance of getting down to the grass roots.

Some varieties from Sun River

I just got a newsletter from Sun River Gardens. I think I'll try number 1 and number 8. I have to say that I prefer 'Sunsugar' over 'Sungold' on number 10 for cherry tomatoes. The 'Sunsugar' is super sweet. They rarely make it inside my house because we eat them right off the vine.

Sun River Newsletter

Now is a good time to buy your tomato plants

Pick out your tomato plants now before the varieties you want are sold out. Keep them in a sunny window, under grow lights, or protected place while you wait to plant them. Tomato plants can be planted around April 15. I love that day! Plant them under hot caps (white paper domes from the garden center). Plant them as deeply as you can. More roots will develop along the stem. Water them well and place the hot cap over the top. Secure the hot cap with dirt in the paper "moat" to keep it from blowing away. You should be able to leave it alone with no additional watering until mid- to late-May.