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.