Working for food

August was a tough month and blogspot says I didn't post anything. Well, we finished the new area and moved the plants to it. Then, with no rain, and all the plants screaming for mercy, I decided that the most important thing was to implement the liquid-fertilizing system.

I've concluded that the primary adaptation of native plants to the heat is to go dormant. That's fine for survival but, if you want to eventually sell those plants, it's not so great. For example, the Texas Ash shed many of their leaves. Many of the remaining leaves are burned and ugly.

Here's how it goes: When it's hot, you have to water more. That washes out the nutrients. In order to keep plants healthy and vigorous (ESPECIALLY if they're in containers!), you need to give them some easy-to-absorb nutrition. Thus the liquid-feeding system, which was SUPPOSED to be ready in March.

Anyhow, I started using it two weeks ago, with a dilute solution of fish emulsion. It was too late to avoid some of the damage, but I do believe the plants are perking up.

Having implemented that, and realizing that tempus was still fugit-ing, I turned attention to our own food. I completed construction of a modified raised bed that I'm calling a Spiral-9. Now what to plant?

Also, I reading Dave Jacke's Edible Forest Gardens, which is the best overview of this topic that I've found. With that inspiration, I'm working to establish an area for fuit trees and shrubs adjacent to one of the nursery areas.

Our fifth annual Open House is September 20, 21. Hope to see you there.

Running Low

As hurricane Dolly taunts us with a possibility of rain, I find myself running low on enthusiasm. We finally received the shade frames, erected them and moved and arranged the plants. It looks great, and we tore into the Hoop House to repot the seedlings and move them into the new areas. After several days of repotting, it's becoming clear that we didn't know how much remained to be done. Gosh; there sure were a lot of seedlings in there!

Summer Developments

In Central Texas, gardens happen in the Fall and Spring. Summer is a Dead Zone. When we resume commercial operations in September, our newsletter refers to the "Second Season". Fall is really the nicest time around here and it's the time to plant trees. Consequently, if WE have any projects, they are to be done. When. It's. HOT.

This Summer started well enough, though about six weeks early. Mid-May ushered in July weather - no rain, 100 degree daily highs. Somehow - it seemed a good idea at at the time - we decided to expand our growing area about 40% to accommodate successful propagation efforts. Digging in, we got most of it done, even though the floods in Iowa have delayed our shade frames. Repotted plants are currently stacked wherever we can find shade, still waiting for the shade frames.

Then, too, six weeks of drought and 100 degree days can sharpen one's concern for water supplies. If 5,000 trees need to be watered every day, the thought of extended well outages can make sleep difficult. It was on one of those nights that the idea of a solar powered well surfaced. Turns out that direct solar wells are one of the very best applications of solar power, so it looks like this Summer is going to have some very interesting developments. Stay tuned.