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.