There was plans to attend a bbq, but with all these rain and the looming threat of severe storms, I think I might just play on the homestead today.
Today's blogroll features;
Longears Farm. The author has some wonderful stories about a woman and a stove, and another about the birth of goats. {She is also tempting us with sale of some baby goats!}
Ramblings From the Reservation, has left for the weekend, still that doesn't mean you can't stop by and read about her horses, flooding and just her thoughts on subjects.
Slowly she turned is obsessed with her back 40, of course I would be to if I had a back forty, I only have a back 4 ~grin~. Check out her ongoing saga of spring gardening.
The Back Forty: Over-the-hill-homesteading, who says you have to be under the hill to homestead {by the end of the day we all feel the same age, 140} Here you will find another neophyte, just trying to find a way that this simple living, is actually simple.
Be off with you! I am going to play in the rain.
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Saturday, March 31, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Now I am sleepy
4:30 am the weather alarm went off waking me. At that time of morning, panic tends to rule you as you stumble through the dark to turn the TV on. It turned out to only be a thunder storm warning and flash flood watch, but towns out west were destroyed by tornadoes.
We can not hear the tornado sirens were we are, and the news channels don't feel compelled to talk about us too often, that was convinced me to buy a weather alarm.
Looks like the severe parts of this storm are dying down here.
Tornado season in Kansas has opened.
We can not hear the tornado sirens were we are, and the news channels don't feel compelled to talk about us too often, that was convinced me to buy a weather alarm.
Looks like the severe parts of this storm are dying down here.
Tornado season in Kansas has opened.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Loud roared the dreadful thunder,
The rain a deluge showers. ~ Andrew Cherry
The sour cherry is one of the hardiest trees, standing up to just about anything that nature can throw its way. While your sweet cherry is more sensitive, and thrive well in light sandy soil.
Your young trees do not care for the cold, so do not plant them until after all threat of a spring frost has past. As cold air like to sink, your ideal spot to plant a cherry tree is on a slope that is higher than the surrounding area, and near a pond or stream if you have one. Water tends to reduce the dangers of frost. Plus it will prevent every young cherry trees nightmare, early spring flowering.
Your soil needs to be well drained. Though sandy loam is the best soil for all types of cherry trees, they will thrive in just about any type of soil.
Their roots rarely go deeper than 2 feet. You will need to help them get a little deeper to survive a long winter or flooding. To do this, add peat and compost with the soil you are working in around the root {only if you do not have sandy loam to begin with.}
The need lots of room. The amount of sunlight they get will add in fruit development. In the shade the fruits will fail to ripen. Choose a dwarf tree if you don't have a lot of space. Dwarf cherries need to have space of 18 feet, and standard will need a space between 25-30 feet.
Plant your cherry in an area that will be plowed in the fall. To plant you will need a cherry tree that is at least 2 years in age. Water the roots as soon as you get home. Never allow your roots to get dry.
Trim off any roots that have become damaged. Shorten up any stragglers. Plant so that they stand deeper in the ground than they did at the nursery.
Do not allow weed or grass competition with your tree. Mulch well if you are planting in sod, straw and cut up corn cobs are best to use. Cover crops like rye in the spring , and buckwheat in the summer.
At planting only have the main stem the tallest, trim back the others. Thin the stems to 4-6 inches apart, leave the lowest one about 16 inches from the ground. After that trim only the new branches on the main stem, the ones that will grow inward or cross over other branches.
What trees are you planting this year?
The sour cherry is one of the hardiest trees, standing up to just about anything that nature can throw its way. While your sweet cherry is more sensitive, and thrive well in light sandy soil.
Your young trees do not care for the cold, so do not plant them until after all threat of a spring frost has past. As cold air like to sink, your ideal spot to plant a cherry tree is on a slope that is higher than the surrounding area, and near a pond or stream if you have one. Water tends to reduce the dangers of frost. Plus it will prevent every young cherry trees nightmare, early spring flowering.
Your soil needs to be well drained. Though sandy loam is the best soil for all types of cherry trees, they will thrive in just about any type of soil.
Their roots rarely go deeper than 2 feet. You will need to help them get a little deeper to survive a long winter or flooding. To do this, add peat and compost with the soil you are working in around the root {only if you do not have sandy loam to begin with.}
The need lots of room. The amount of sunlight they get will add in fruit development. In the shade the fruits will fail to ripen. Choose a dwarf tree if you don't have a lot of space. Dwarf cherries need to have space of 18 feet, and standard will need a space between 25-30 feet.
Plant your cherry in an area that will be plowed in the fall. To plant you will need a cherry tree that is at least 2 years in age. Water the roots as soon as you get home. Never allow your roots to get dry.
Trim off any roots that have become damaged. Shorten up any stragglers. Plant so that they stand deeper in the ground than they did at the nursery.
Do not allow weed or grass competition with your tree. Mulch well if you are planting in sod, straw and cut up corn cobs are best to use. Cover crops like rye in the spring , and buckwheat in the summer.
At planting only have the main stem the tallest, trim back the others. Thin the stems to 4-6 inches apart, leave the lowest one about 16 inches from the ground. After that trim only the new branches on the main stem, the ones that will grow inward or cross over other branches.
What trees are you planting this year?
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
But, she's a giant blueberry!
So many bloggers making so many great things! Go check out this week's edition of Make it from Scratch.
I have had a terrible time with blueberries. My lost is due to drought and rabbits. We are hopeful that this year we can get past those things and produce some berries.
Here are some care tips for those of you that are thinking about blueberry bushes.
Blueberry shrub are natural insect resistant. They like humus and soft woodsy soil. Use only natural, organic fertilizer when cultivating.
They are not self pollinating, so be sure to plant more than one bush.
Soil should be 5. to 5.6 which is very acidic. A liberal amount of peat material is needed, if you need to add acid, use peat or compost made without lime. The peat should be dug into the earth and mix well with the soil.
Blueberries need an abundance of water, yet not standing. Make sure the area you plant in drains well.
After the plants 4th year, pruning should be done to keep the shrub manageable. You will find it necessary to clip the very slender stems, they may not produce at all, and the thick stems that have produce for several years, they may only produce at the tips. Keep you bush from over crowding to produce the best berries. Keep the stems not more then 1 foot is to much, less then 4 inches will be too close.
Weeding is very important. Keep the weeds at bay by smothering them in a thick layer of mulch with natural acid, like peat and oak leaves.
When you get your plants, it is important to keep the roots moist and out of the wind. Dig your hole big enough to where you will not have to bend the roots. Set the plant slightly deeper then the nursery had them. Once you fill your hole, like a saucer like depression to help catch water. add compost.
Young plants that are 8-15inches in height should be planted in early spring or fall.five by seven feet apart.
Now for those rabbits, sprinkle a little fox urine around your tender trees and shrubs and they tend to leave them alone.
I have had a terrible time with blueberries. My lost is due to drought and rabbits. We are hopeful that this year we can get past those things and produce some berries.
Here are some care tips for those of you that are thinking about blueberry bushes.
Blueberry shrub are natural insect resistant. They like humus and soft woodsy soil. Use only natural, organic fertilizer when cultivating.
They are not self pollinating, so be sure to plant more than one bush.
Soil should be 5. to 5.6 which is very acidic. A liberal amount of peat material is needed, if you need to add acid, use peat or compost made without lime. The peat should be dug into the earth and mix well with the soil.
Blueberries need an abundance of water, yet not standing. Make sure the area you plant in drains well.
After the plants 4th year, pruning should be done to keep the shrub manageable. You will find it necessary to clip the very slender stems, they may not produce at all, and the thick stems that have produce for several years, they may only produce at the tips. Keep you bush from over crowding to produce the best berries. Keep the stems not more then 1 foot is to much, less then 4 inches will be too close.
Weeding is very important. Keep the weeds at bay by smothering them in a thick layer of mulch with natural acid, like peat and oak leaves.
When you get your plants, it is important to keep the roots moist and out of the wind. Dig your hole big enough to where you will not have to bend the roots. Set the plant slightly deeper then the nursery had them. Once you fill your hole, like a saucer like depression to help catch water. add compost.
Young plants that are 8-15inches in height should be planted in early spring or fall.five by seven feet apart.
Now for those rabbits, sprinkle a little fox urine around your tender trees and shrubs and they tend to leave them alone.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Really love your peaches, want to shake your tree
Ellie over on The Cedar Chest is winking at me.
I grew up in a small town, this was only a few years before it officially became a suburb. {Once upon a time, the city was far far away} This small town was known as the Peach Capital of the World. The orchards are now gone and tract housing in their place. The town, sorry, burb, has now become ugly and cold. I no longer drive through, because it is a painful sight to all my childhood memories.
I bring all this up, because my Peach tree has flowered. This is its third year, and when they typically begin to fruit. When selecting your young tree, it should be relatively straight and have buds. When ready to plant, cut the tree back to 18 inches above ground level. Watering should be done once a week, and you need to keep weeds cleared, the peach trees root systems are not very deep and can suffer from weed competition and drought. Sucker growth needs to be trimmed with a knife, if not done, the sucker will grow faster than the trunk and soon your peach tree will be wild.
Your third year you will want to fertilize well before the fall rains. Prune it back before February, in many cases you will have to cut it back by 50%. Do not allow all the fruit to stay on the limbs, you can get 50 peaches on one small branch, these need to be thinned out to 10 -12 inches apart, possibly only leaving you 3 fruits or so per branch. This will give you a better quality and tasting peaches. Thinning is also an important part to keeping the tree alive. Too many fruits can damage and possible kill your tree. The first thinning should take place when the peaches are about the size of a pea, then again when they are marble sized. You will want to go over the tree at least three times.
If the winter is too mild, your tree will not be able to go through its natural dormant period. This will cause flowers to bloom without leaves, a process called delayed foiliation, and it can be dangerous for your tree. Without leaves, the tree will be unable to care for its fruit, when this happens you will need to remove most of the fruit and the leaves should arrive in late spring. Your tree will have weakened and will hopefully rebound the next year. Try keeping the ground wet around the base of your tree to keep it in its dormant state longer. This is also a good way to prevent early blooming and frost damage.
Keep your tree trimmed so that it will grow wide and not tall. Also keep the area well fertilized, but without chicken manure. Too much nitrogen content. Cover crops can also aid in the health of your tree. Rye and vetch seem to be the best.
Keep could care of your peach tree and the tree will keep you supplied in its wonderful fruits for years to come.
I grew up in a small town, this was only a few years before it officially became a suburb. {Once upon a time, the city was far far away} This small town was known as the Peach Capital of the World. The orchards are now gone and tract housing in their place. The town, sorry, burb, has now become ugly and cold. I no longer drive through, because it is a painful sight to all my childhood memories.
I bring all this up, because my Peach tree has flowered. This is its third year, and when they typically begin to fruit. When selecting your young tree, it should be relatively straight and have buds. When ready to plant, cut the tree back to 18 inches above ground level. Watering should be done once a week, and you need to keep weeds cleared, the peach trees root systems are not very deep and can suffer from weed competition and drought. Sucker growth needs to be trimmed with a knife, if not done, the sucker will grow faster than the trunk and soon your peach tree will be wild.
Your third year you will want to fertilize well before the fall rains. Prune it back before February, in many cases you will have to cut it back by 50%. Do not allow all the fruit to stay on the limbs, you can get 50 peaches on one small branch, these need to be thinned out to 10 -12 inches apart, possibly only leaving you 3 fruits or so per branch. This will give you a better quality and tasting peaches. Thinning is also an important part to keeping the tree alive. Too many fruits can damage and possible kill your tree. The first thinning should take place when the peaches are about the size of a pea, then again when they are marble sized. You will want to go over the tree at least three times.
If the winter is too mild, your tree will not be able to go through its natural dormant period. This will cause flowers to bloom without leaves, a process called delayed foiliation, and it can be dangerous for your tree. Without leaves, the tree will be unable to care for its fruit, when this happens you will need to remove most of the fruit and the leaves should arrive in late spring. Your tree will have weakened and will hopefully rebound the next year. Try keeping the ground wet around the base of your tree to keep it in its dormant state longer. This is also a good way to prevent early blooming and frost damage.
Keep your tree trimmed so that it will grow wide and not tall. Also keep the area well fertilized, but without chicken manure. Too much nitrogen content. Cover crops can also aid in the health of your tree. Rye and vetch seem to be the best.
Keep could care of your peach tree and the tree will keep you supplied in its wonderful fruits for years to come.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
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