IT'S TIME TO HUNKER DOWN!

 

 

 

 

The crops are in and the garden is at rest.  Now it is time to start planning next year's activities.  Just make sure the garden is clean and as free of old dried plants as possible.  Any thing that may be left is a great place for pests to hide.  We had pests as most of us did but if no old plant material is left, there are fewer places for disease, bugs or rodents to hide.  We found this especiall true of mice!  We must have trapped and gotten rid of well over one hundred mice over the course of only about two months.  We even saw some of our kale slowly being pulled down into the ground!  Oh well! We still had a good year even though beans and corn came up in strange places. 

 

With colder weather here now, you can take time to  plan on what new tools to get or what needs to be sharpened or if that tiller needs repaired.  Then too, make sure your mechanic is the best you can find.  Get that mower tune-up and engine repair done before you need it done the very next day!

 

One last thing to remember.  This is the best time to just stay inside and enjoy a good fire in the fireplace and dream about next year's bug-free, pest-free perfect garden.



IT"S PRODUCE TIME!

               

DOESN"T THIS LOOK YUMMY?

Just think.  This could be your's from your own garden!



We are now at the time of year when we can reap the rewards of all the work we have done.  As we go through the garden, we see the ripe tomatoes hanging from the bushes and think of the tasty sandwiches we can make.  We see the different types and marvel at the range of tastes there are.  This is all the way from the different types of reds to yellow and even purple.  Then there are the Romas, Beefsteakes and even the Cherry tomatoes.

It will also soon be time to dig the potatoes to store for the fall and winter.  There are the Yukon Golds, the Pontiacs and Russets to name just a few.

Whatever you harvest, remenber the work you did and enjoy the results.





Potassium for a healthy, heavy-fruiting plants

All gardens need Potassium, or another name for it is "potash", helps vegetable crops stay healthy and fight off diseases also yield tasty produce. All gardens need potassium that is for sure. When your soil test shows a lack of potassium, spring is a good time to mix it in the soil.  Wood ashes are a good source of potassium, even if you have a pile of ashes, go easy because wood ashes raise the soil pH. The best way is to mix one or two 10-quart pails for each 1,000 square feet of garden.

Potassium is also available in a natural product called "greensand," which you can find in some garden centers, it is rather pricey. Greensand comes from the ocean floor and has small quantities of many nutrients in addition to potassium.  It is best if you add 5-6 pounds for every 100 square feet a week or so before planting.

In some stores you might find a bag of fertilizer labeled "muriate of potash", this will also work well for adding potassium to your soil.

A small potassium deficiency is often times hard to detect because it shows up as a general reduction in growth. A more serious deficiency is indicated when the leaves turn yellow on the tips and along the edges.  In corn, the tips of the yellow area get broader and the leaf edges turn brown.  The stalks will be weak and short and poorly filled ears.  Tomatoes will not produce fruit, beets will grow in the shape of a carrot rather than the round plump bulbs they are suppose to be.

For making your garden more attractive go to our web site at www.limberlostgardencenter.com.

MORNINGTIME IN THE GARDEN

MORNING IS BEST

When morning is here, it is so cool and restful!  That is when we find one can get more done.  The humidity makes the mist to rise and each leaf has a rim of dew drops around the edge.  These make it so beautiful and relaxing.  It almost seems as if the food picked tastes better.

Whenever you are able to work in your garden, enjoy it but find the best time to be there.  That is one reason we like the early morninghours.  Then to, it is too hot later on so that is another reason early morning is best  for us a least.

ENJOY YOUR GARDEN TIME!

WE NEED FLOWERS NOW!

Can you remember all those beautiful flowers we had this spring?  Remember how you went to your garden with great anticipation to see the first buds and then were so excited when they finally opened out?  Well, now that summer is here and it is so hot and dry, we need to look back and know that even though it is dry, those trees and bushes will again produce those beautiful flowers again.

There are a few things to remember, though, if you want a repeat of this spring.  Of course, the most important is to keep all your plants including trees watered.  They do not need to be soaked, but do need to be checked enough to be sure they are not drying out.  Check the soil to make sure it is moist enough.

Another thing to be careful about is that it is time to fertilize your trees so they have enough nutrition to survive.  The best is tree fertilizer placed out at the drip lines and then watered enough to get the fertilizer into the soil where it is needed.

If you follow these few suggestions, you can be sure your trees will survive the dry hot summer and give you more enjoyment next spring.

WELL TENDED GARDENS ARE BEST

       There are only two rules for watering the garden correctly: water at the proper time and water deeply.

Too many gardeners, especially beginners, feel they must water a garden.  But you should water your plants only when they really need it.  How do you tell?  Look at your plants in the morning.  If they are wilted, it's a sure sign that the soil has very little moisture left to provide the plants.  IT'S TIME TO WATER!

Plants often look fine in the morning but start to droop in the afternoon when it gets hot.  Drooping plants mean they are loosing more water than they are absorbing.  Don''t rush to the water hose if you see this.  Hold off for a while.  Plants usually recover in the evening and overnight when the sun goes down and moisture goes up in the soil.  but is your plants are wilted in the morning, GET BUSY AND WATER THEM!

HAPPY GARDENING!

DECORATE YOUR YARD WITH BEAUTY

Your yard and garden is the place to enjoy and one way is to place some decorations here and there.  While the garden is for growing produce, still it needs fun places  too.  Something whimsical or funny may be there.  You may even find something like the little boy and girl near the corn patch to smooth the day.

           Sometimes a stepping stone placed at strategic spots can make the garden more enjoyable too.  They can be purchased or if you are very adventurous, you could even be make some!  We do. however, have some available on our website found at  www.limberlostgardencenter.com. We will be adding more items  as time goes on.  Which ever way you get one, try it out and see if it is the right thing.

          

DON'T FORGET THE PHOSPHORUS!

The root vegetables love Phosphorus (P) this nutrient helps grow terrific potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets and turnips. Phosphorus is also important for the early growth of young plants because it stimulates root growth.  It is very important to any vegetable that forms roots underground.

Soil test is the best way to find out if you need more phosphorus, many plants will produce telltale signs of deficiency.  Lower plant leaves will turn a purple or an unusually deep green.  When you dig up these vegetables you will find stunted roots as well.

Spreading commercial phosphorus fertilizer, marked 0-20-0 on the bag, will correct the deficiency.  This fertilizer is often called "superphosphate" it is rock phosphate treated with an acid to help spread through the soil.

Rock phosphate is a good natural source of phosphorus which you can find in many garden centers.
The best rule of thumb is to spread 6 - 8 pounds of rock phosphate per 100 square feet of garden, this application will take care of this deficiency.

It is also helpful to mix a little bone meal, which is high in phosphorus, into the seedbead where I will be planting my root vegetables. The advantage of using bonemeal is that it won't burn the seeds so I can sprinkle it right over the seeds and plants.

Keep Soil Stocked With Plant Food

 Vegetables use 16 different foods. Fortunately these 16 nutrients are taken from the soil in very small quanities under normal conditions they are already present in the soil.  Only three of the 16 elements are taken up by plants in large doses and those elements are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.  It is very important for every garden to have these three major nutrients available, if these elements are missing your garden will not do well.

Nitrogen is essential to almost all the complex chemical activities in every plant. Greens such as spinach, lettuce and chard especially like it because it gives the plants lots of healthy, tender, dark green leaves.  Sweet corn, onions and potatoes all need plenty of nitrogen.  So how can we supply our garden with nitrogen?  Steady, slow release supply comes from decomposing organic matter in your garden soil.   Commercial nitrogen fertilizer is very important in the early spring when the soil is still cool. The bacteria that breaks down organic matter and released nitrogen will not become active until the soil warms up.  Providing a little nitrogen boost at planting time this will give your plants a fast start in the spring.

Most plants use more nigrogen than any other nutrient.  The plants will let you know that the soil is low in nitrogen because the leaves will turn a pale yellow color.  Then you will know that you need to add nitrogen fertilizer to you garden during the growing season.  You must be very careful when added nitrogen to your soil.  Keep the supplement 8 - 10 inches away from the plant, as it is very easy to"burn" the plant with too much fertilizer.

www.limberlostgardencenter.com

SUMMERTIME ACTIVITIES

It's summertime!  there's hazards to face and things to do!

The biggest job for the summer is making sure tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are not falling all over the place.  Of course, the best way to control that is when the plants are small but it can be done even now. 

Let's consider tomatoes this time.  If they have been planted in rows, it will be fairly easy to tie them up so you can pick the ripe fruit.  Place tall stakes at each end and between every second orthird plant.  Tie a hemp or sisal string near the top of the shortest stem and place the string on the outside and go to your next stake. Wind the string around this stake and do the same to the next stake.  Repeat this process until you get to the end of the row.  As the plants grow, you can do this again and as offten as needed.  This is an excelent way to keep tomatoes visible so the ripe fruit can be picked.  Until the fruit is all gone, happy picking and enjoy your labors.  Another time we will talk about what to do if the plants are not in rows.  Just remember, this will be much harder and time consuming

Healthy Garden

Here are some key steps in having a healthy garden.  First of all in the fall the soil must be prepared for the winter sleep.  Compost should be put on the beds and black plastic placed over it so it cooks the weed seeds all winter long.  In the spring the soil needs to be tilled up, then the garden is ready for planting.

Weeding needs to be done on a very regular basis.  Try not to let the weeds get more than an inch or two tall.  Their roots are usually quite shallow which makes it easier in weeding.

Another way to keep the plants healthy is to mulch with straw this help to eliminate so much watering and the straw holds in the moisture.  Fertilizing the plants every two weeks is also very helpful.  Check your soil for nutrient value.  Watch the appearance of the plants as they begin to mature.  Be watchful for insects that will eat your plants as well and lay eggs, also watch for plant disease. 

The most exciting part about gardening is to see those little flowers forming because you know fruit will follow close behind then the fun really begins picking all the produce and enjoy eating and sharing with your neighbors is so very rewarding. 

Flower garden soil is easier to prepare especially if you have prenniels just cut down the old flower stocks and then mulch the soil for the winter sleep.  It is also fun to leave the seed head stocks there for the birds winter feast. Gardening is very rewarding for the eyes as well as the helping the neighbors with their supply for fresh produce.