Funny Garden Moments

Can a Gardener Go On Vacation

Can  a gardener go on vacation in the summer time?  You depart, however, with a heavy heart, full of fears and cares for your garden; and you say, “Look here. There is nothing to be done in the garden and flowerbeds, if you come and look once in three days, that will be quite enough.”

So, when I leave, having laid my garden upon the heart of an obliging neighbor or friend. Next day the fellow-creature receives a call from me: “I forgot to tell you that the garden has to be checked for moisture every day, the best times for doing it are five in the morning and toward seven in the evening. It is practically nothing, you only fasten the hose to the hydrant and water for a few moments.”

“Will you please water the new planted apple trees and thoroughly, and the lawn as well? If you see any weeds, pull them out. That’s all,

oh I forgot the perennials, which are now in flower, ought to have a good deal of water. Withered stalks must be cut off! It would be a good thing if you loosened all the beds with a hoe; the soil breathes much better then. If there are aphids on the roses, buy a systemic insecticide and spray.”

The third day: “I forgot to tell you that the lawn must be cut; you can do it easily with the mower, and what the mower does not take, you cut with clippers. But beware! after mowing the grass it must be well raked, and afterwards swept with a sweeper! Otherwise the lawn gets bald patches! And water, plenty of water!”

The fourth day: “If a storm comes, will you please run and look at my garden? A heavy rain sometimes causes damage, and it is good to be on the spot. If mildew appears on the roses, sprinkle them early in the morning while the dew is still on them with flowers of sulfur. Tie high perennials to sticks so that the wind does not break them. Don’t forget to water every day the hostas near the house, it is too dry for it there. I hope that you have already mowed the lawns.”

The fifth day: “I am sending you a box of plants, which I dug up here. They are various wildflowers, wild lilies, Pasque flowers, bugworts, and others. Immediately you have got the box, open it, and damp the seedlings, and plant them somewhere in a shady place! Plant immediately and water three times a day! Please cut the spent branches of the roses.”

The sixth day: “I am sending a box of plants from a nursery . . . They must go into the ground at once . . . At night you are to go into the garden with a lamp and destroy slugs and hornworms. It would be good to weed the paths. I hope that looking after my garden doesn’t take up much of your time, and that you are enjoying it.” “I hope that you have already mowed the lawn. You needn’t do anything else.”

And in the meantime, I wonder with uneasiness of the flowers and lawns, sleep badly, curse because the garden caretaker is not sending me reports every day on the state of the garden.

I have not even mention taking care of the dogs and cats which no one is trusted to do!  Guess I will stay home!

Garden Pests

Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes

By this time of the year, most people are during tomato harvest. I have been noticing blossom end rot is showing up now.  This show up as a black or brown rotten area on the bottom of the tomatoes. There are several causes of this, all coming together at the same time.  The main causes are when watering is inconsistent, when temperature in either too hot or cool which interferes with water uptake, soil has a lot of clay or salt content, and during fruit set the calcium in the soil cannot maintain uptake to the fruit.

Prevention is the most method of control on blossom end rot.

Blossom end rot cannot be reversed on a tomato once it’s set in, but you can take these steps to slow and halt it. Add calcium to the soil before planting and preserve affected plants by applying calcium immediately. You can use products specifically developed to treat, prevent, and slow blossom end rot in tomatoes like Tomato Rot-Stop Follow package directions for application.

Pick affected fruit to reduce stress on the plant and allow it to direct its energy to other tomatoes.

You cut out spots on harvested fruit and eat remainder. Blossom end rot does not make the rest of the tomato inedible. However, if tomatoes have been infected by fungi or mold, discard them.

Also, Work in plenty of compost and organic matter into the soil before planting, so that the plant’s root system has a better chance to grow strong and deep. Add quick-release lime when planting tomatoes so that there’s plenty of calcium in the soil and it’s absorbed quickly. Tomatoes grow best when the soil pH is about 6.5. DO NOT OVERDOSE THE SOIL WITH TOO MUCH CALCIUM.

Keep your tomatoes’ water supply even throughout the season so that calcium uptake is regular. Tomatoes need 1-3 inches of water a week. They perform best when watered deeply a couple of times a week rather than superficially every day. The best prevention in mulch plants once established to maintain moisture levels. Once blossoms emerge, apply tomato fertilizer that is high in phosphorus (the second number in a fertilizer’s three-number series), like 4-12-4 or 5-20-Too much nitrogen (the first number) or large amounts of fresh manure can prevent calcium uptake.

If their plants are severely damaged by Septoria leaf blight, fruit size will be reduced, and further development and ripening will be slowed.

Heavy rain can also lead to fruit cracking as nearly mature fruit take up more water from the plant than they can really use. Harvesting fruit before it is fully ripe can help avoid the problem if more rain is expected. Certain varieties are more prone to cracking than others like Early Girl, so do some research on the varieties you select before planting next spring. They should mention that they are crack resistant.

Landscaping

Garden Art: Something from Nothing

Adding some garden art to your backyard does no require a lot of money, who doesn’t love something made from nothing? Gardens seem to be a natural home for all things re-used and up-cycled…it just seems to make nature happy, doesn’t it? And, it lets us be uber-creative as well… So, time to visit the local junk shop, because here are some ideas for garden art that will give personality to any yard, porch or garden!

Using old glass insulators on copper rigid tubes

Using old glass bottles on wooden dowels