Radish Report

This year has been a mixed-up, don't know which end is up, I am ready to give-up, kind of year.  The bugs have all been worked out now, and here is the final, ......well maybe-not....... decision.

*CSA deliveries will only be available in Roosevelt.

FARMER'S MARKETS

I WILL BE ATTENDING

*  St. George, sporadically..... I will be sending my produce down for my sister Shelly to sell,

 check out her booth on the north/east corner of the square

*Cedar City, will attend when we are at the farm on a Saturday or Wednesday evening

*Thursday afternoons in Roosevelt at the old city park

*Saturday mornings in Vernal on Main Street

crops that I have available now for market:

beans:  yellow wax, Cherokee, purple, and green

carrots

cabbage

chard

fennel

lettuce: red oak, green bib, black seeded simson, mesclum mix

onions 

peppers: green bell, sweet banana, big jim's

tomatoes: roma, heirloom, cherry,

cucumbers: boston pickling, Armenian, European, 

radish: cherry belle, french breakfast, watermelon, and pods

summer squash: green bennings, yellow straight neck, zucchini, and golden

WEEDS ARE G-R-E-A-T!!!!

"What good are WEEDS?" asked my son as the above picture is what greeted us when we arrived home from an extended time away.  "Oh weeds have lots of use" I replied.  "They helped keep the ground cool while we were away and the plants didn't dry out and die".  The tomato patch (above) was completely overgrown and the task seemed almost too much for a sleepy, worked until 1:00 a.m., mom made him get up EARLY to weed before it got too hot, teen-age boy.  I went on to say," they are a good, nitrogen rich, mulch to lay between the rows, and remember...... I can sell them at market."

click here

MOM's selling WEED(S) at market

this post has a great recipe using Lamb's Quarter

After several hours of work the squash and tomatoes slowly began to appear

We even found that many of the plants had set on tomatoes while we were away

 Weeds make an excellent layer of mulch between the rows of carrots.

I oft times use them as a cover crop.

USING WEEDS AS A GREEN MANURE or COVER CROP

Remember, a weed is just a nondescript, sometimes noxious, flower growing in the wrong spot.

Marigolds

Marigolds planted in the garden are happy, sun-shinny flowers, they are easy to start from seed and grow without much coddling.  Several varieties of marigolds can serve several purposes.  Thirty years ago in my organic garden I had an unusual year for aphids, hordes and hordes of aphids.  They were so thick working in the garden became almost unbearable.  One evening out pulling weeds, I happened to notice at dusk they all swarmed over to my large 24" tall yellow marigolds.  Every evening for several weeks I would wait until just after dark, break the stem off the large marigolds and place the flowers and at least a kazillion aphids in a plastic bag.  Tying the bag tight I would place it where the sun could COOK those little pests.  My garden was clear of the bugs in a very short time.  Marigolds will always be planted in my gardens.
Keep in mind that to benefit your garden, you must purchase the marigolds with a distinct smell.  The French Marigold ( Tagetes patula) and the African (Tagetes spp.) help mask the sent of vegetables which may confuse flying pests.  Their roots also emit a substance that repels nematodes in the immediate area.  Nematodes, microscopic roundworms, make little knots along roots that result in stunted carrots, potatoes and other root crops. Nematodes also attack the roots of tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and other plants.  Affected plants grow poorly and may die. For serious problems plant the whole area with marigolds the prior year before planting crops.
The South American, sweet marigold, (Tagetes lucida) makes and excellent substitute for French Tarragon.  Note:  I have not tried this.

Marigolds stand as a cheerful barrier along my garden path.

American marigolds can be tall plants, growing up to 36".  They have large, fully double flowers in yellow, gold and orange.  French marigolds have smaller flowers and usually only grow to 12" high.  They come in all colors from a deep orangeish red, to bright yellow.  I like to plant the bi-colored red and orange varieties.  Triploids, a cross between the French and American marigolds have larger flowers, but grow about the height of the French Marigold.  Signet (Tagetes tenuifolia) bear many small flowers.  Marigolds also come in single-flowered varieties, 'Disco' and 'Espana'.

I just can't seem to remember

Something funny happened the other day that would have made a great story and had you laughing until your sides hurt.  But as I sit here and rack my brain I can't for the life of me remember what it was.  I even had it all typed up in my mind, using correct grammar of course (something I don't seem to get right in real life).   Just simply can't remember what it was.  Well....... I am getting up there in years, ya know.  The other day as we were on the road we stopped to have a buffet dinner.  The lady rang us up and collected the money.  It wasn't until half way through the meal I noticed she had given us the Senior Citizen discount!  Didn't even ask if we were old enough, just rung us up.  Yep, my husband can qualify for a discount at some eating joints, but I am not as old as he is, I have all my teeth, I can read a menu if he holds it up for me from across the table, (my arms are not long enough anymore) and I can still get into our 4 wheel drive outfit if he parks right next to the curb.  Senior Discount indeed.  Sure wish I could remember what is was that was so funny I wanted to write about it.......hummm, if I remember, I'll let you know.

On the road again

Stopped to stretch my legs and fill up the tank with gas.  While wandering around I found this.

It was a calm, extremely hot, dry and dusty day.  Wish it would have been blowing, raining, or even snowing.  Thank heavens for an air conditioned vehicle, I am going to need it where I'm going!

Variegated Sage

The Golden Variegated Sage plant is a beautiful addition to the garden.   Plant in full sun and within easy reach from the kitchen door.  It is a tender perennial, zone 5-10, and has a tendency to winter kill in my area.  I plant it among rocks that gather in the winter's warm sun to help it make it through my long, cold winter nights.  A cardboard box placed over the plant and filled with straw also helps it survive the winter.   It does not like wet feet so plant in loamy soil with good drainage.  This variety of sage is a smaller bush variety growing to about 12 inches tall.  The leaves can be harvested and used as regular garden sage, however I find the flavor less intense.

             Rub the freshly picked leaves over your gums to help fight bad breath and gum disease.

Battered Sage Leaves:

Make your favorite deep-fry batter.  Coat large, washed leaves and fry until golden brown.  These leaves make a great appetizer served with dipping sauce.

                          Recipe for Harvest Stew and Sage Biscuits:

Morning Doves

Birds are always welcome at the farm.  We do not grow fruit or berries (one of a birds favorite food) so we have made our little farm a haven for our fine feathered friends.  The morning doves are one of my favorite.
As I tend to the gardens early in the morning they accompany me, softly cooing as they gather weed seeds, and then flying up high to sit in a tree or on a power line to digest the bounty.  Plenty of weed seeds on this little farm.

Morning doves mate for life.  Two eggs are laid in a nest built of loosely in twined sticks, pine needles, weed stems, and grasses.  The male sits on the eggs during the day, the female sits through the night.  In about 15 days the eggs will hatch and both parents take responsibility feeding the young.  In 2 weeks time the little ones will fledge from the nest and new eggs will be lain.  Several broods will be raised during the summer.

 I perched this little one on my knee and took his picture.  He was just a bit to adventuresome and left the nest before he should have, I gently placed him back in the nest and explained to him the perils of leaving home before you know how to fly.

\
Several broods were raised during the summer on the roof of the sun room.  I could watch their progress daily through the plastic sheeting.  Hope these little ones will come back year after year to raise a family of their own.

A Garden Shed

A quaint rock and timber shed sits kitty-corner of our house in Roosevelt. 

I have claimed it for a garden shed,

 a place to hide away from the sun,

yet still be outside where I can watch the garden grow.

We have been working hard to clear away all the old growth and weeds.  A garden has been planted out behind the shed and along the south side.

The back of the shed keeps the old tractor out of the weather.  It is used for digging us out of the snow in the winter time.

Fire-wood is loaded in through the back door.  

Rocks gathered off the property make a nice pathway and step to the shed.

Geraniums planted in old wooden boxes found in the ancient chicken coop add a splash of color.

  An old, rusty, plow horse shoe was unearthed as we tilled the garden.  It is hung upside down...so the luck won't run out.... over an old window frame.

Beautifully laid stones cover the floor.  Violets make their home in the cracks between the rocks.

I am going to fix up the area under the roof.  I am thinking of a large crystal chandelier, an old vintage couch, a chair or two for company, and a potting bench of course.  

In a Pinch

Sometimes when you "live out in the middle of nowhere", you have to improvise.  

Couldn't find any ear plugs when I needed my kids to do some hand tilling with our big rear-tined, noisy tiller, so as I rummaged around in the  "odd stuff you need on a farm" drawer full of bolts in all sizes, bells for the goats, keys to the various sheds, door knobs, hinges, nails, wire nuts, fencing staples, batteries, switch plates, pliers, extra well fuses, etc. I came across a couple of pencil erasers.........Humm...

Worked great!

also use them when mowing lawns, running the chain saw cutting firewood,

 or on days when mom is giving out directions for way too many work  projects!



Use an empty oil jug as a funnel, just cut the bottom out of it

Farm Ideas:  (tried and true remedies)

loose the cap end of your sprinkler line...just push in enough sage brush to block the stream,

or try hay or even weeds.

can't find your belt to hold your britches up....use a balin' twine, or one of your husbands old neck ties

forget to put on your shoes before you go to town....just hope they don't see your bare feet in the food joint, better yet, just go through the drive through.......ya, I have forgotten them more than once!

It is inevitable that when I am in the middle of a meal

I can't find what I know was in the cupboard yesterday.... 

and the grocery store is an hour's drive away......

(not that I go that often any-how)......

well, with teenage boys around 

things disappear from the cupboard faster than you can stock it. 

 Here are a few of my in a pinch cooking suggestions

add vinegar to milk to make imitation butter milk

if you made your powder sugar icing to runny and used the last of your sugar just add a little flour to thicken

wheat berries soaked and boiled until semi-soft make a pretty good nut substitute.

What are your "in a pinch" suggestions?

N-P-K

N-P-K

The 3 most important Nutrients

N- NITROGEN- promotes healthy leaf and plant growth.

Nitrogen Sources- animal manure ( I prefer GOAT), green cover crops, compost, cotton seed meal, hoof and horn meal, dried blood, feathers,  fish meal

Nitrogen Deficiency-  yellowish leaves, small leaves, weak tissues and stems, more susceptible to frost and wind damage, too much nitrogen promotes leaf growth without fruiting

P-PHOSPHOROUS- promotes root growth, blooming, and fruit production

Phosphorous Sources- compost, rock phosphate, cotton seed meal, dried poultry and goat manure, fish meal, wool waste, bone meal

Phosphorous Deficiency- a red/purple discoloration of the stems, leaf veins, and leaves

K-POTASSIUM-(potash)  helps plants resist disease and promotes an over-all healthy plant

Potassium Sources- wood ashes, granite dust, fresh grass clippings, kelp meal, dried goat and sheep manure, alfalfa, wool waste

Potassium Deficiency- poor yield, yellow streaks or spots in leaves, leaf edges become dry and scorched, poorly developed root system

N- for leaf and plant growth,  P- blossom, fruit, and root growth, K- for overall general health of your plant.

LEGUMES are nitrogen fixers.  Small nodules on the roots capture and hold nitrogen, releasing it slowly into the soil.  Till your spent peas and bean plants into the soil to add a rich source of nitrogen.  Plant legumes after a heavy feeder crop to add important nutrients back into the soil.  I rotate my old 25 pound bags of beans out of my food storage and plant them in large squares as a green cover crop.  When they are 8 to 10 inches tall they are tilled into the soil and followed by a heavy feeder crop.
Crimson Clover is an annual legume.  It converts nitrogen from the air into the form plants use.  Chop the clover and turn it under before it blooms to add nitrogen to your soil.
"A MANURE PILE IS LIKE MONEY IN THE BANK" 
says Vick's Illustrated Catalogue and Floral Guide, in 1872
I agree!  A layer several inches thick of composted goat manure placed in the gardens does wonders for your plants.  It is priceless when it comes to improving  soil and adds all important mineral elements needed for growth.  Now go out and offer to clean out your neighbor's pens.......that is if they will let you.  A man with a big pile of manure is a RICH MAN INDEED!

WATER in the GARDEN

The sound of water trickling over rocks is not only soothing to the soul, but it will entice a variety of wild life into your garden.  

I found this rock with a natural indentation.  I placed it by my front steps and fill it with water.  Butterflies softly land and drink from it on hot summer days.

even lizards appreciate the murky depth of this small pond

I place several home-made bird baths throughout the gardens.  They catch the water from the over head sprinklers, and provide a  refreshingly,cool dip  for the many beautiful birds eating bugs in the garden.

HOW TO MAKE A RHUBARB LEAF BIRD BATH

click here for easy instructions to make a unique bird bath or feeder

FEEDING YOUR SOIL TO MIDIGATE THE "pH" RATIO

A simple test can give you a fairly accurate reading of the pH (the acidity or alkalinity) of your soil.  Here in the South West high deserts our soil is more on the alkaline side.  However if your soil is clay, you will probably have a neutral or 6.0 to 7.0 reading.  

 pH requirements for plants:

ASPARAGUS 6.5-7.5

BEANS 5.2-7.2

BEETS 5.8-7.3

CABBAGE 5.8-7.3

CARROTS 5.8-7.3

CAULIFLOWER 6.0-7.5

CORN 5.2-7.2

CUCUMBER 5.2-7.2

LETTUCE 5.8-7.5

ONIONS 5.8-7.5

PEAS 5.5-7.5

SQUASH 5.2-7.2

STRAWBERRIES 5.2-6.8

TOMATO 5.5-7.5

  For many years I have worked on improving my soil.  It actually tests neutral, however it is heavy, heavy clay.  Thousands of wheelbarrow loads of aged GOAT MANURE  (I have used all types of manure, but I prefer the goat) has been added to the soil over the years. Now I have beautiful, loamy, crumbly soil that grows the most beautiful, nutrient dense vegetables.  The best way to moderate your alkaline soil is to add 1/2 inch layer of composted manure over the garden and till in.  If you have thick heavy clay soil, add 1/2 inch layer of sawdust and an inch layer of manure.  The decomposition of the sawdust will help take up the excess nitrogen from the manure thus inhibiting the lush leaf growth and less fruiting caused by an abundance of nitrogen.  Tilling in this excess amount will also help break up the heavy clay.  I suggest letting your plants get a good 2 or 3 inch start, and then add a layer of compost as a thick mulch.  I then carry it one step further and add a thick layer of old hay or straw.  This is left in place after the plants die, breaking down over the winter and tilled under in the spring.  Then the gardens are re-manured, sheet-composted, and mulched.

Adding a thick layer of mulch cuts down on the water needed for proper plant growth.  The soil stays moist, allowing the roots to take in the needed water and nutrients.  It insulates the soil, keeping the temperature even, and aids in the growth of plant roots.  It provides food and habitat for earthworms and burrowing insects whose tunnels loosen and aerate the soil.  Mulch keeps vegetables that sprawl on the ground: tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, melons, etc. from mildew or decay.  Transplanted vegetables can be mulched soon after the plants are set.  Weeding is kept to a minimum.

Many items can be used as a mulch; hay, straw, leaves, un-sprayed grass clippings, corn husks, shredded corn stalks, pine needles (great for acid loving plants like strawberries), sawdust, weeds, native grasses, and even wood chips raked up from your winter wood pile.  If you haven't natural mulches available, try using dampened newspaper, shredded paper or cardboard.  They will break down over time, adding organic matter to the soil. 

Recycled Vegetable Basket from a Lamp Shade

As you know by now, I don't sleep more than a couple of hours at night so most of the long dark hours my mind is conjuring up all kind of ideas, making to do lists,  counting endless sheep, and even trying to figure out why, if the letters....... d and o say do..... and t and o say to..... 

why does s and o say "so", with an "O" sound?

As I lay there one long sleepless night I came up with this idea for a 

VEGETABLE HARVEST BASKET

I always try to recycle everything I can

we are even going to cancel our weekly garbage can pick-up.

We generally only have one little plastic sack, that you bring your groceries home in, 

 full of garbage a week.

I think I will just sneak it over into the neighbors can

(after I ask for permission of course)

Anyway, back to the project...........

Gather your supplies:

1.  a sturdy welded wire lamp shade, cover removed,

 make certain the center support is flush with the bottom ring

2.  jute twine

3. scissors

4. wire cutters

5. old chicken wire

use the smallest gage available

this will help keep the smaller vegetables in the basket
or use a hardware cloth or window screen if desired

6. a cordless, or regular hand-saw

cut green branches, limbs, or twigs,

 to form around the edges and to make a sturdy handle

attach the chicken wire (wish I had smaller wire) around the larger edge first

there will be a little excess wire as you near the smaller diameter bottom, just work it in,

over-lap the wire under the basket and attach to the center supports

using the jute twine wrap a twig around the edge

when choosing the sticks to use, look for a natural curve in the branch

I used limbs from a tree we just felled in the garden area

the branches need to be green and pliable

Attach a sturdy branch for a handle.

I caught the twine between 2 limb nodules for better support

 

I also placed a couple of twigs around the bottom,

sticks cut to the right length could also be placed on the sides

attached to the vertical lamp shade wire 

This makes a great Harvest Basket!

Make several of these to go in your root cellar or basement to store squash, potatoes, and other vegetables that need good air circulation.

For my next basket I will try wrapping a frame with grape vines, or split willow,  maybe even long strands of bindweed!

Note: as the twigs dry, you may need to tighten the jute wrappings.

SOIL

                    If you take care of your soil, the plants will take care of themselves.

Creating the proper soil conditions requires a little manipulation of the natural soil.

AERATION:  Plants and soil organisms will suffocate if insufficient air flow in the root system is unavailable.  Plant roots absorb oxygen from the air and give off carbon dioxide.  The leaves absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen.  Plants must be able to breathe.  Dense or compacted soil does not allow for air flow to the root system causing impaired growth and failure.

WATER:  The gravitational pull of the water percolates down into the roots.  As it flows downward it is replaced by fresh air from above.  In heavy, dense soil the water does not drain off fast enough and plants can literally drown.  Water vegetation with and inch of water weekly.  Not all water flows downward, some remains in the tiny spaces between the soil particles or is captured in humus.  This is the water taken in by the roots to hydrate and transfer minerals to the plants.  Good soil is both well drained and also has the ability to hold capillary water.

BALANCED NUTRIENTS:  Nutrients are the source of the plant growth.  They consist of mineral subsistence's found in the soil.  Plants require a balanced supply of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, and other trace elements.  If a plant has an overall balance of nutrients it will produce good crops.  In deficient amounts, the plants will have poor health, slow growth and crop failure.

BALANCED PH:  "Potential Hydrogen" (ph) is a measure of the acidity and alkalinity of any substance.  Purchase a test kit at your local garden center or nursery.  PH is measured on a scale from 0-14.  Seven is neutral.  Most garden vegetables will grow in a soil PH of 6.0-7.0.  In acidic conditions, plant nutrients are attached tightly to the soil and cannot be absorbed by the roots.  In alkaline soils the nutrients combine through chemical bonds into substances the plants are unable to utilize.

BUILDING BETTER SOIL

To improve your soil first determine the PH ratio, the humus content, and the type of soil; clay, sandy or loam.

This simple method will help you determine what your soil content is:

Use a quart jar and add one cup of your garden soil.

Fill with water .  Place on the lid and shake the jar vigorously.

Let the soil in the jar settle for about an hour.  It  will separate into layers.  The ideal soil contains equal parts of clay, sand, silt or loam.  This test will help determine what to add to your existing soil.  If it is heavy clay, add sand, compost , and organic matter.  Add compost, humus, and organic matter to sandy soil to help it retain moisture.  COMPOST is beneficial to all soil types.  Compost mitigates both PH extremes.  The higher the organic matter content, the higher the soil quality.  The benefits of organic matter are biological, physical, and chemical, it influences microbial populations, it affects the stability of the soil structure, adding air to the soil, breaks up clay, binds together sand particles, and is an important nutrient source.  It improves drainage, prevents erosion, neutralizes toxins, and creates a  healthy soil for worms and fungi.  Compost contains some nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but is especially important for trace elements it adds to the soil.  The humic acids in compost dissolve soil minerals and trace elements that make them available to the plants.  Compost hold 6 times its own weight and regulates the supply of water to be absorbed by the vegetation.  Fewer nutrients will leach out of the soil if it has adequate organic matter.  There are 16 elements known to be essentials to plants if they are to grow and re-produce.  They are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, boron, manganese, iron, copper, molybdenum, zinc, and chlorine.  A soil rich in organic matter supplies plants with adequate amounts of the trace minerals.  If a soil is deficient in a mineral, only a small amount is needed to correct proper balance.  By using compost, mineral deficiencies are practically non-existent. 

COMPOST MADE EASY

for more info about composting

Clear as MUD

I just wanted to let everyone know who attended my gardening class last night that over the next few weeks I will be posting more in dept gardening info.  Trying to cover the basics of gardening in just a short time makes everything about as clear as mud!  I had such a good time and enjoyed your  friendship, comments and suggestions.

.

In the meantime, pull up a chair and read earlier posts about gardening by looking under the TAGS 

section in the right hand column.  For example, if you want to read about POTATOES, click on the word potato, and all the posts I have written about potatoes will pull up on your screen.   Thanks again for inviting me to share my little farm with all of you!