Archive for July, 2006
When the summer sun starts beating down, some people think that it’s the perfect time to start pruning, but that’s not the case. As the temperature rises, plants actually grow slower, so there’s not as much need for fertilizer, or pruning. In fact, if you prune when it’s too hot, the plant might get sun burnt from too much exposure to the hot sun.
Also, when you do fertilize, water your plants first, and then put the fertilizer on. This prevents burning the roots because the first water that you put onto a dry plant goes right through the soil and to the bottom of the plants roots. If you are using liquid or crystal fertilizer (like Miracle Grow), only use half of the recommend amount. The manufactures directions are usually a lot more than your plant really needs, but it will keep you coming back to the store for more!
July 30th, 2006
I mentioned before in a previous post that South Dakota was going through a drought. The other day they got up to 120 degrees! I guess I’ll stop complaining that Seattle has not been up to 80 degrees since June and enjoy our “cool” 75 degree weather.
My Mom’s funny though, she calls the yard her blond lawn now – everything is dying, except for the cactus like desert plants and sticker bushes, which have now decided to take over – the dogs are full of them! She also told me that it’s so dry that the Fire Trucks have to get their water out of the Lagoon! For those of you who don’t know, the Lagoon is where the town wastewater sits and ferments until it is processed and clean enough to be drained into other places (not usually fire trucks though). It really is sad, it’s been about 8 years since they’ve had any water. If you’re a prayer, please pray for rain in South Dakota.
She also told me that the farmers have started to feed their chickens ice chips. I thought this was to keep them cool, but then she told me it was to keep them from laying BOILED EGGS! HAA Haaaaa Haa! That one is not true, of course, but it shows that at least people can keep their sense of humor in hard times.
If this keeps up, I’ll have to send her some Accents for her Garden, since there won’t be much else there. A birdfeeder might be nice. . .
Take care, hope you’re all enjoying summer wherever you are.
July 18th, 2006
A lady in one of the forums I subscribe to was concerned because her daughter swallowed a cherry seed. One forum member posted this reply:
“LOL If I had a dime for every cherry pit I swallowed when I was a kid I could afford to landscape my lawn! If they don’t get stuck in the throat, they won’t do a bit of damage. “this, too, will pass”
As I laughed at this “passing” joke, I kept reading and saw this post from another member:
“Whole cherry pits aren’t a problem; they will pass thru the system. But the seed within contains cyanide. If you don’t break the pit you should be ok. Canned cherries could be a problem, between cooking, and breaking of the pit itself, exposing the seed. One seed hasn’t enough cyanide to do damage. But 1/4 cup or more can easily kill. Beware.”
Who knew cherry seeds could kill? I sure didn’t, until today!
Find Tons of interesting reading material at the Online Nature Mall.
July 14th, 2006
Bug Zappers – I hate them! Most people hate them, but since there are so many bugs flying around the lights in the summertime, there seems to be no other choice.
I don’t get it though – they make me nervous. You are aware of every bug that is killed and you can hear it frying on the light, I HATE them. I remember one year at my mom’s house in South Dakota there was an infestation of moths (it seems like there’s something new there every year, one time it was grasshoppers, then snakes, and now a drought and very bad sticker bushes), anyway, the moths were so bad, we decided to put up a bug zapper. I’ll tell you, I never heard so much zapping and saw so many “feathers” flying! We almost started a fire!
That’s not exactly a funny story, but it is true. The problem with the zappers though is they can destroy the beneficial insects that keep the harmful insects away, and this makes the problem even worse.
The best thing to do is to try to get rid of any standing water you have around, and maybe even try the mosquito larva killer if you have a pond. Fish in a pond will also eat mosquito larva, so that’s an even better option.
July 11th, 2006
