A huge shout out to all of you that placed orders for today – it was just like mid-season here! That reminded me of why this is what my time is spent doing. All of you and your enthusiasm for the things that are grown, made, or produced here. Thank you just seems inadequate. But, Thank You!
As the week begins, my eye will be on the forecast for Saturday morning. If it looks clear and fairly calm, we’ll do a 2 hour farmstand on the driveway. There should be lettuce, radishes, flowers, jams, and plenty of baked goods. Feedback on the mini coffee cakes has been positive, so let’s plan on more of those. Granola, which is a favorite energy snack of mine, has been enjoyed by several of you (some more than once). There are a couple of additional recipes that will be added to the rotation.
After all the orders were in the hands of customers, the afternoon was pretty lazy around here. But, it was the perfect time this afternoon to get out in the gardens for an inspection. Here’s what I found: ANTS! They are literally everywhere! So, tomorrow, diatomaceous earth (DE) will be applied to their hills and tunnels. In addition, there is insect activity in one of the broccoli beds, so DE will get sprinkled under them, too.
Are you growing any food crops? If so, this is the perfect time to do your own check-in. Disinfect your pruners or snips and remove the lowest leaves from your tomatoes to keep them up off the soil and encourage new top growth. It’s the perfect time to check your stakes and ties, too. Several ties here need to be moved up on the plants.
Growing green crops like herbs, lettuce, spinach, kale and such? Go take a look at them and pick! The biggest key to keeping them happy and productive is to keep picking regularly. Here, in the peak of growth, the salad crops could get picked 2-3 times a week and herbs just as often when they’re more mature.
While you’re in the herbs, make sure to pinch off any buds or flower growth to put the plant back on track for making more leaves. The basil is getting fuller already, so my eyes will be looking to see if this heatwave signals flower production. Those tips will get snipped right off and the plant will get fuller and more productive within a week.
If you have weeds peeking out after the rain and high temps, go get after them now while they’re tiny and vulnerable. You can thank me later 🙂
It’s also time to prune your lilacs, forsythia, and other spring flowering shrubs. Follow the 1/3 plus 1/3 method. Prune back up to 1/3 of the height and width to get the shape/size that you want. Then, get in and remove 1/3 (that’s one out of every three) branches down low to promote leaves and branching low on the shrub. When you see woody shrubs with tall, bare legs and leaves only at the top (affectionately called the French Fry Guy look) it means that the pruning only happens on the top of the plant. That top-only pruning signals new growth only at the top and it removes the plant’s instinct to branch out. When I see French Fry Guy shrubs, I SO want to go home and get the loppers…
If you have time, cut back the flower stems of your spring blooms like tulips, daffodils, and other herbaceous plants to keep them tidy and healthy. Give your bulbs some bone meal worked into the soil to help store enough for next spring’s flowers.
Take a look around your landscape and see if you have spots for irises. Mine need to be divided in 4-6 weeks. This year, every single patch has been filled with big, beautiful flowers! Irises are easy to grow, get planted shallowly, and flower with little care needed. There are some purple & white, dark purple, light purple, yellow & pink, and vibrant yellow. If you want some, use the Contact Me button in the lower right and let me know what you’d like. They’ll be trimmed to about half their size and sold as bare root – ready to plant. The price will be $3 for a small clump.
Here’s hoping for a great week as we close out Sunday night. It’s time for a shower, my glasses and a little bit of TV watching. Thanks again for being on this journey with me. It means the world <3