Daybook 8

This week I decided to try something different with my Daybook post- a vlog! 

Many thanks to my sister Lilia who managed the shots I couldn't. :)

May 20, 21 & 22

May 20- Turtle

A painted mud turtle (covered in duckweed) ventured out of our pond onto the lawn.

May 21- Muffins

Delicious banana muffins. 

May 22- Dandelion

Mollie- blowing dandelion fluff.

Smart Water for the Garden

Gallardia Grandiflora soaking up root strengthening brew of manure tea and "smart" water before planting.

How's this for a glamour shot? 

What you're witnessing is the working end of our garden.  This sophisticated set-up (ahem) is what we use to catch precious rain water...which seems to be non-existent this year.  However, even if these 30 gal wonders aren't catching rain, they're being topped off with hose water.  Why, you ask?



We're on a city water system which is disinfected by chlorine.  It's a widely known fact that man nor beast nor flower thrives on the stuff.  However, if you let chlorinated water sit for 24 hrs, the gases burn off.  That's all I'm doing here, filling my water station and letting the chlorine gases burn off before watering.  I also have my manure tea soaking nearby so I can easily dilute the brew with the "smart water".  

For me, this system is smart and, convenient.  Dragging the hose all over the garden to water flowers and pots is a pain!  I do use hose water too but whenever I can, I prefer using the smarter water.


Here's a link to an interesting article in Scientific American on the subject of chlorine in our drinking water if you're interested in learning more on the subject.

INCOMING!

Rebecca

Please Don't Drink the Sweet Manure Tea!

It looks good enough to drink...

I'm darn excited to bring more manure into your life!  It's high time manure tea makes a mainstream comeback, for it's a sad thing that this valuable by-product has been replaced by the likes of MiracleGro and other chemical based fertilizers.  I won't preach...well, just a little...but why the heck are we throwing our money at that crap? (pun!)  The MiracleGro may give you bigger flowers but you're killing your soil and all of it's beneficial flora and fauna in the process therefore, your flowers and edibles will suffer in the long run...not to mention your health?  

Which leads me here.  To the lowly bucket of broken down, sundried manure.  

In Wyoming, manure is everywhere! But, I come from the big city (Long Beach, CA) and I could find it there too.  Every city has horses, and every horse owner will love you for hauling away their manure!  If, you absolutely cannot locate manure, a bag of cow manure from your local garden center will do.  At about a buck a bag, it's still an economical option!

This here is a photo of broken down (composted), sundried horse manure.  Brown gold! 

If you're going to make your own manure tea, it's very, very, extremely important to use OLD manure.  Got it?  Good!

Fresh manure is very hot and will burn foliage because of the excessive amounts of nitrogen. 

The benefits of manure tea are numerous!

1. Organic fertilizer such as manure tea, feeds the soil.  We need a myriad of microbes to get biologically active soil.  Healthy soil will welcome earthworms and beneficial nematodes, your dirt's natural defense against pests and disease.  Simply put: if earthworms like it, so should we.  Chemical fertilizers will chase earthworms away, not mention leach your soil with salt and chlorine.
2. Manure tea is fast acting.  
3. Use of manure is the poster child of recycle, re-purpose, renew.  
4. Applying manure tea to your plants is comparable to us drinking a power-shake.  Easily absorbed, giving your plants the energy they need to get through hard times.  
5. Manure tea can be poured directly into your compost pile to speed decomposition.
6. The tea is a super transplant, rooting solution.  Dip your plant, pot and all into manure tea to saturate before planting.
7. It's free!

In summary, manure tea is great stuff!  I just can't think of a downside.  I get great satisfaction using it...but then I'm apparently easily amused.

Okay, lets get dirty!


There are different methods, but this one works for me.




This is my set up:  a 20 gal garbage can, a big bucket of composted manure, a pail and an old pillowcase for steeping and straining.

Take a Ralph Lauren pillowcase and fill it with 2 shovels full of manure.  

Sorry Ralph *love you!*


P.S.  It was a thrift store find many moons ago.


Tie off your manure filled pillowcase and drop into your garbage can filled halfway with water.

Now all that needs to happen is a 2 day soak.  You might want to cover the brew with screen or a lid to prevent twinkly fairy bugs (flies) from invading.

Here are the results of your efforts.  As the Clampetts would say... black gold, Texas Wyo tea!  And, it kind of looks like bubblin crud...I mean, crude.   Okay, I digress...

The end product (pun!) and bounty.  

I filled a 1 - 15 gal plastic bottle and 3 - 1/2 gal mason jars which I give as gifts to appreciative gardeners.   Keep in mind, this is manure tea concentrate!  Dilute one part water to one part tea when fertilizing.

More happy news for you!  Use your hose feeder bottle, it works great!  This is my old MiracleGro feeder that I fill full with tea concentrate, attach to hose and fertilize.  Dilution will take place through the hose feeder (thx Luna).  It's so handy and easy!


That's it folks.  All I can say is...give manure tea a chance.  It truly is a sweet tea, for the garden of course.  If you use aged horse manure, there is only a sweet, earthy smell...nothing repellent about it.  But it is manure...so be prudent and wash your hands after using.  

Go forth and sprinkle tea!

Rebecca

May 17, 18 & 19

May 17- Boots

I found these boots second hand.

Thrift stores, I love thee. :D

May 18- Rainbow

Between two thunderstorms a rainbow briefly filled the sky.

May 19- Piano Book

Best. Piano book. Ever. 

My favorite, anyway. :)

How to Care for Tulips When the Bloom is Gone

I love my tulips, all two of them.  It's such a happy state of affairs when they bloom, signifying Spring and all that follows!


For the longest time though, I didn't know what the heck to do with them once they bloomed.  I knew not to cut them back because all that pretty energy they just expended in flowers needs to go back into the bulb.  But, they're kind of ugly after the big show, don't you think?

Even though your tulips may have bloomed and faded away already, here in WY ours are just losing their flowers.  So file this information away for next year's tulips if you're lucky enough to have an earlier Spring than wonderful Wyoming.

mrbrownthumb has a nice tutorial on this subject...let's see what he has to say because I think I adore him.  When you get a chance and if you like to laugh while reading garden stuff... 


Check him out, he's legit despite his proclaimed brown thumb.

When the petals on the tulip start to wilt and fall off,  you can start the tucking them in for the summer.  The petals will fall off one by one until just the stem and the seed pod are left.

Now is a the time to do a little trimming.  Snip off the stem just above the highest set of leaves.  Don't cut off any leaves and definitely not the entire stem.  For the next few weeks your tulips will look like H E double toothpicks but, we just have to deal with it.  As I mentioned earlier...this is how the bulb re-energizes itself.  It's okay to continue to fertilize your tulips as long as there's foliage.

mrbrownthumb has a shortcut that's worthy of sharing.

Above, you can see the seed pods that are left.  These are what your bulb will expend energy on if you don't cut the stems back.  If you like, you can easily snip off the seed pods rather than the stem.  If you do cut back the stem, please make sure your garden shears are clean to prevent spread of any tulip viruses.

You may have thought of this already but if not, plant something near your tulips that will be filling out when your tulips are at their worst.  I like to plant catmint (Nepata) near mine, it's getting big and boisterous about the same time my tulips are going bye bye, does a good job of hiding the brown foliage of my tulips.

Not much to it is there?  Important none the less!

Rebecca

May 14, 15 & 16

May 14- Tortillas

 I made tortillas for the first time ever. They were surprisingly easy to make- and delicious to eat. :)

 May 15- Lilacs

Our lilacs are blooming.

Are you all tired of all these flower pictures yet? ;)

 May 16- Chicks

Lilia holding one of her new chicks.