Stephanie Says
August 25th:
The plants are loving this rain!!!
To prepare
your vegetable garden for next spring, remove all decaying plant material. This will prevent diseases from harboring over the winter. Lime your garden this fall, the dry weather has reduced the soil's pH.
Your perennials will enjoy a "haircut" after blooming. "Mother Nature" favors her seeds versus her roots. This means that energy goes to the roots. Remove the seed heads and the energy will go to the roots, resulting in a stronger, healthier plant.
Hydrangeas want to have their dead flowers removed in the fall, not in the spring.
Cut back your Butterfly Bush (Buddelia) to about three feet high in the Fall.
July 5th:
The Weather men are predicting a very HOT week this week, with little or no rain in the forecast.. Your flower and vegatable gardens are going to need some extra watering.
July 1st:
It has been a hot couple of days!! Make sure you keep all your plants watered!
Vegetables are starting to produce fruit now. Make sure to check for bugs and fungus.
Cover developing blueberries with netting or the birds will reap the benefits of your hard work.
Prune back annual plant stems by a third to keep them from getting leggy.
May 31st:
Are you vegetable plants planted yet?
Plant your vegetables plants in black plastic because; it helps with weed control, it keeps warmth in the soil to help the veggies grow faster, and keeps moisture in.
Cut your peony buds when they are completely closed and keep them in the refridgeration for later months to enjoy.
Stephanie's tasks of the week:
I planted our vegetable garden this week; inculding pumpkins, gourds, winter squash, tomatoes, and peppers.
I cut our hay this week. We make high moisture round bales and wrap them in white plastic. The white plasitc wrap allows protein to be stored so when we open and feed them out to the beef cattle in the winter they more nutrious.
May 10th:
Temperatures are below normal this week. Make sure to bring all of your tender annuals in at night to prevent frost bite!!
- It is time to plant sweet corn and green beans seeds every two weeks until the end of June.
- Identify insects before deciding if control in necessary, many insects are beneficial.
- Harvest rhubarb stems by pulling, not cutting.
Stephanie's tasks of the week.
- I have been harrowing our fields this week to prepare the soil to be planted with vegetables and our corn silage for the beef cows.
- I have also been working with our two and three month old calves, teaching them how to walk and stand pretty so i can show them this summer and in the fall.
Stephanie going to harrow the vegetable fields!
Rosy, Ruthy, and Rachel taking a nap after a long walk with Stephanie!!
