Organic Weed & Feed
We try not to use lawn chemicals or pesticides here at Chiot’s Run, I believe that we really need to reduce our use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides before we do too much damage to the natural ecosystem. I read a book recently that streams were more polluted in residential areas than in agricultural areas because homeowners use far too many and too much product when the treat their lawns.
We live in a lake community and phosphate use has been banned, so the first year we lived here I bought phosphate-free weed & feed. I started reading about how much damage those products do to the environment and decided not to use them. For several years, I didn’t use anything on the lawn, I didn’t want to pollute the lake or any of the surrounding streams.
I finally found out about corn gluten meal, it’s a natural pre-emergent (meaning it inhibits seed germination) and it’s nitrogen rich (just what grass needs to be green and lush). So I ordered some bags of corn gluten from my local garden center. It’s actually cheaper than regular lawn chemicals if you can find a good source (I paid $29.99 for a 40lb bag – last year I paid $19.99 for a 40lb bag). It is applied just like regular fertilizer but you don’t have to worry about chemical burns on the lawn, so you can apply anytime. (In some cases you can buy it from you local farm supply store since it is also used as animal feed). Corn gluten is applied at 20 – 40 lbs per 1000sq ft and needs to be applied every 4-6 weeks depending on rain fall.
It is applied with a lawn spreader just like your normal weed and feed products. It’s also high in nitrogen so it greens up the grass beautifully!
It worked great the first year I applied it. I have also read that it starts working better and better each year. I must say, my front lawn has never looked better! I apply it 3 times per summer, once when the Forsythia is blooming, once again at the beginning of July, and then once again in early September.
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Seeing Green
Every day when I go out to check on the edible garden I hope I’ll see a hint of red on one of my tomatoes. No luck so far. I’m not sure how long it will be until I get a ripe one. I suppose if they got a few more hours of sun I would already be enjoying home-grown tomatoes. Oh well.
I do have one Lemon Boy tomato that’s starting to show some yellow! I can’t wait to have that with some fresh basil & olive oil.
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More Seeds
I ordered some more seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
They have just about anything you’re looking for. I ordered mainly lettuces for august growing and a few things for the fall & winter garden. What did I order?
Simpson Elite Lettuce
Crimson Clover (Green Manure)
Spargo Spinach
Jericho Lettuce
Napoli Carrot for Overwintering
Ruby Perfection Cabbage
Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce
Totem Endive
VIT Mache (for Fall & Winter Growing)
Red Russian Kale (for Fall & Winter Growing)
Red Sails Lettuce
Purple Top White Globe Turnip
Bright Lights Swiss Chard
This should keep me busy for the rest of the season.
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Blooming Hens
I planted some Sempervivum (Hen & Chicks) in the rock wall on our front hillside. A few of them are starting to bloom. They truly are interesting plants!
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Pollinating Squash
A couple weeks ago I notided that some of the small pumpkins and zucchini were shriveling up on the vine and falling off. I thought it was from all the rain we were having, then I was reading and realized it was due to poor pollination. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and started pollinating the squash myself. Here’s what I learned.
This is what happens when you have poor pollination.
Squash plants has 2 different kinds of blossoms: male and female. The male blossoms produce the pollen and the female blossoms produce the fruit. Usually several male blossoms are produced for every female blossom. How do you tell the difference between a male and a female blossom? There are 2 ways to do it.
First the male blossom is usually on a long straight stem as you can see here.
They also have a single stamen on the inside with pollen on it, as you can see here.
The female blossoms are close the main vine attached to what appear to be small fruits (this is a butternut squash as you can tell by the shape).
The female blossom as a multi-stemmed stigma on the inside as you can see here.
So how to you pollinate your own squash? First you check to make sure the male blossom is mature and producing pollen. A little pollen will come off on your finger when you touch the stamen.
Pick a mature male blossom and peel back the flower petals.
Now all you have to do is rub the male stamen on the all parts of the female stigma and you’re finished. This is what your squash will look like if they’re properly pollinated. This zucchini blossom fell off the next day and the zucchini will be eaten today for lunch.
Make sure you check your plants every day for mature female blossoms. They wilt quickly!
