Songs of Summer

A noise I will long for come winter.

Broccoli

The harvest is coming in! This is the first time I have had enough broccoli to save. It may not be much but it is more than I care to eat in one sitting!

First step is to cut the heads up and remove all the leaves. Rinse well. I think a water rinse is fine. If it doesn't come off during the rinse it will definitely come off when you boil it.

Next step is to blanch for three minutes. Blanch translates to boil or cook slightly. Make sure you stick to the three minutes.

Lastly, transfer to your freezer bags and label with the date and contents!

Active Composting

In general I am a pretty lazy composter. I throw it in the bin, water it and maybe turn twice a year. When I get overwhelmed with more material than the compost bin can handle, I turn to the chickens for a more rapid result. You would be surprised how much these little ladies and go through! I just dump the weeds in and they do the rest! Scratching, eating, shredding...they love it. The extra bugs and nutrients they get are fabulous for them especially if you don't have the luxury of being able to let them roam. So, I say let someone else do the work! You have more important things to do right? We'll call it the hen house enrichment program.

Let's Not Talk About It

I have heard multiple times this week "Fall is just around the corner" or "Fall will be here soon". I must say I am really not interested in hearing any of it. Summer got started late and I am not that fond of cold. Near as I can tell, summer season does not officially end until September 22. That is a long time from now and we could have an Indian Summer to stretch things out a bit. So I propose that we just don't talk about it. Let's let that sleeping dog lie and enjoy where we are right now!

Taking a Break

Finally, a much needed rain shower! It has been a while to say the least. It has been hot and dry here. I love a good summer shower for its ability to give me a break from watering. How do you know if you can really take that watering break? It is imperative that you have a rain gauge. Nothing fancy is needed. I think mine is a freebie from a bank that is now defunct. You just want one that is easy to read. The next step is to place it in a good spot. Make sure it is in an open location where something like an over hanging tree will not block the rain as it comes down. A popular spot is the top of a tall fence. Sometimes a quick summer shower will seem like a down pour but will really not drop that much rain. One or two tenths is not that much in the heat of the summer. I would suggest you need at least a half an inch to give yourself a day off. Rain gauges are typically read in tenths of an inch. Each line equals one tenth. The proper way to read is at the bottom of the meniscus. As you look at the water in the gauge, it will have a slight curve, that curve is the meniscus and you want to take your reading at the bottom. My gauge says five tenths or half an inch so, I will be on the porch enjoying the smell of rain!

Can You Keep Up?

I water my entire half acre yard with a hose. Nothing automated here. When we have several consecutive days near 100 I cannot keep up and things begin to look a bit stressed around here. I worked at a nursery for a lady who told me that once the plants wilted damage had already been done. Well, I am not sure that I believe that. I cannot tell you how many times I have watered things back from the brink and they seem no worse for the wear. This however does not go for the vegetable garden. Limited or irregular water can effect your harvest. Each time you water, be sure to water deeply. You want to make sure the roots are going down into the earth and not looking for water in the top two inches. That is the part that dries out the most rapidly. The best way to make sure you are watering long enough is to get out the shovel and check your soil moisture for several consecutive days after you water. A hand spade is really all you need to make sure you are getting a good 8-10 inches or more of soil penetration. Its good check you lawn in the same manner if you have doubts.

Are You Sharing in the Bounty?

I hope you are sharing the bounty of your crops! A client of mine did while I was in her yard last week. She even made it sound like I was doing her a favor by taking some cherries from her tree. Indeed I most likely did as I know the feeling of seeing that hard work rot on the tree. So remember, when you have eaten all the zucchini you can stand, or frozen and pitted all the cherries you care to eat, invite your friends over! There really is no reason for it to go to waste and what may currently be a burden to you is most likely a delight to the lucky recipient of your gift!