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Comment by Chief Walks on April 11, 2019 at 12:04pm

Comment by Chief Walks on April 11, 2019 at 11:59am

Comment by Chief Walks on April 11, 2019 at 11:45am

Comment by Chief Walks on April 11, 2019 at 9:02am

Free Wood Mulch! Some for Me, Some for You

Rather than buying mulch in bags, contact local tree-trimming companies to inquire whether free mulch is an option.

Free mulch is easier to get than you may think.

I’ve found a way to obtain piles of free mulch for my gardens, and to still have plenty left to share with friends and neighbors as well. Some tree-trimming companies will dump a truckload of their mulched trimmings in a person’s driveway for no charge. The company who is contracted by our local power utility to trim the trees near power lines is happy to dump mulch for any resident who calls and asks. I tip the guys who drop it off, save hundreds of dollars in mulch costs, and avoid the packaging waste of buying mulch in bags. Plus, I enjoy the opportunity to share with my neighbors. It’s a win for everyone!

Two added bonuses are that my grandkids have a great time playing on the pile before it disappears, and my neighbors use less herbicide now that the extra mulch keeps their weeds at bay.

Comment by Chief Walks on April 7, 2019 at 10:16am

Saving Kale Seeds – Learn How To Harvest Kale Seeds

In recent years, nutrient dense kale has gained popularity among mainstream culture, as well as with home gardeners. Noted for its use in the kitchen, kale is an easy-to-grow leafy green [1] that thrives in cooler temperatures. A wide range of open pollinated kale varieties offer growers delicious and extremely beautiful additions to the vegetable garden.

Unlike many common garden vegetables, kale plants are actually biennials. Simply, biennial plants [2] are those that produce leafy, green growth in the first growing season. After the growing season, plants will overwinter in the garden.In the following spring, these biennials will resume growth and begin the process of setting seed. In this article, we will discuss how to harvest kale seeds so you can plant another crop.

How to Harvest Kale Seed
Beginner growers may be quite surprised by the presence of bolted kale plants in the garden. However, this scenario presents the perfect opportunity for collecting kale seeds. The process of saving kale seeds is really quite simple.

First, gardeners will need to pay close attention to when kale has gone to seed. For optimal seed production, growers will want to leave the plants until the seed pods and stalks have started to dry and turn brown. This will help to ensure that the seeds are mature at harvest time.

After the seed pods have turned brown, there are a few choices. Growers can either cut the main stem of the plant to harvest all the pods at once, or they can remove individual pods from the plant. It is important to remove the pods promptly. If you wait too long, it is possible that the pods may open and drop the seeds onto the soil.

Once the pods have been harvested, place them in a dry location for several days to a couple weeks. This will ensure that moisture has been removed, and will make collecting kale seeds from the pods much easier.

When the pods are fully dry, they can be placed in a brown paper bag. Close the bag and shake it vigorously. This should release any mature seeds from the pods. After the seeds have been collected and removed from the plant matter, store the seeds in a cool and dry place until ready to plant in the garden.

Comment by Chief Walks on March 27, 2019 at 9:35am

Dirt is mostly made of bits and pieces of this rock, which is broken down into smaller and smaller pieces.

Dirt is the thin layer of soil that covers our planet. In most places, it is just a few feet thick, because nearly all of the Earth is a big, hard, solid rock, with an inner liquid core.

Dirt is mostly made of bits and pieces of this rock, which is broken down into smaller and smaller pieces because of weathering and microorganisms breaking down plant matter. Moisture, temperature, wind, rain, freezing, and thawing are all part of the weathering process. Over hundreds of years, rocks break down into tiny grains, and these small grains, mixed with plant and animal matter — decayed roots, leaves, dead bugs and worms, and other organic matter thrown in, along with water and air, is what we call dirt or soil.

The type of rock determines the alkalinity and texture of the soil. Limestone produces soils that are fertile, neutral (not base or acid), and finely textured. We have a lot of limestone-based soils where I’m from in Wisconsin. Soft shale rock yields a heavy clay soil. Sandstone becomes a coarse, sandy soil. Granite gives a sandy loam and acidic soil.

Dirt that is dark and black has a lot of old plants in it. The dark soils of southern Minnesota are some of the richest on Earth. Dirt that is light-colored contains a lot of silicate or sand. Sandy soils drain quickly and tend to need a lot of water to grow productive crops, which is why you often see irrigation systems on land with sandy soil.

Clay soils are composed of extremely fine minerals and flat particles that pack together tightly. Clay soils tend to be reddish, harden when dry, and drain poorly. They tend to feel sticky when wet. The southern states of Georgia and Alabama are examples of areas with clay-based soils.

On a lighter note, dirt is what you track in on your mother’s floor. The soil is what plants grow in. Dirt is what you get on your uniform sliding into second base. The soil is vital to the crops that feed people. Every state has selected a state soil, twenty of which have been established by their states’ legislatures. In the state of Wisconsin, the 1983 legislature named Antigo silt loam as the official state soil. It is a well-drained soil suited for forests, dairy, and potatoes.

Comment by Chief Walks on March 27, 2019 at 8:04am

Children love to water plants. Generally this is good news, and watering is a helpful chore the children can take on in the garden. Sometimes, though, overenthusiastic watering can be bad news — plants can become waterlogged and seedlings can rot away. Sometimes seedlings can be damaged in a deluge, and sometimes, especially in a class garden, you simply don’t have enough watering cans to go around. This DIY watering can with a rose head could be the ideal solution. Made from a plastic milk bottle or similar carton, it’s free and a great way to upcycle your junk into something practical. It’s easy to make and holds just the right amount of water, so it’s not too heavy for young children, and everyone can take a turn at watering without causing a flood.

Materials

• 1-quart plastic milk or juice bottle with a lid
• Craft knife or scissors

Instructions

1. Start by washing out your milk bottle. We use a quart-size bottle, which gives enough room to fill with a good amount of water without the bottle’s being too heavy.
2. Use a knife or a pair of scissors to make small holes in the bottle’s lid. Give the knife a little wiggle to create a hole rather than a slit, to allow the water to come out freely. Always consider safety: this might be a job for an adult.
3. Remove the bottle top to fill your new watering can with water, pop the lid back on, and you’re ready to go. The handle on the bottle makes it comfortable to hold, and if necessary, a gentle squeeze can help the water come out.

Comment by Chief Walks on March 27, 2019 at 6:55am

Comment by Chief Walks on March 21, 2019 at 6:47am

How Do I Attract Earthworms to My Garden?

Practical ways to increase the earthworm population in your soil.

Organic amendments earthworms 
Organic amendments and regular watering go a long way toward encouraging earthworms to take up residence in your gardens.

Organic amendments earthworms 
Q: How can I encourage more earthworms in my soil? — Tracy Musicc

A: Any and all natural, organic amendments and fertilizers will encourage earthworms. Well-made compost may be the most efficient way to go, especially if made with pumpkin, which worms love. Rock minerals, such as lava sand, basalt, and Azomite, are also important for encouraging worms.
While adding good stuff to the soil, stop using toxic pesticides and high-nitrogen synthetic fertilizers, which are damaging to soil microbes and other life, including earthworms.
Watering properly and keeping the bare soil around plants covered with a mulch of shredded native tree trimmings is the final step to encourage beneficial soil life. I also have good results drenching my soil monthly with a mixture of 1 cup of concentrated compost tea and 1 ounce each of apple cider vinegar, liquid seaweed, and liquid molasses per gallon of water.

Comment by Chief Walks on March 7, 2019 at 6:14am

Homegrown Herbal Bug Spray Recipe
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon each herb, finely chopped
4 to 6 ounces almond or olive oil
2 ounces neem oil or cedar-infused oil (recommended)
4 ounces witch hazel
Instructions:
Make sure everything is dry because water increases the chance of mold. Combine chopped herbs in a glass half-pint jar; add oil.
Use a spoon to push herbs down. Add extra oil if needed to submerge.
Label jar, and infuse 1 to 3 weeks in a cool place.
Strain oil, pressing as much oil out of the herbs as possible.
Add neem or cedar oil and witch hazel, then shake until well combined.
Fill a spray bottle or perfume roller, and shake well before each use.
Store leftovers in a cool, dark place. To store for more than a few months, place the bug spray in a refrigerator.
Note on Consistency: If you prefer a thinner spray, add more witch hazel; for a thicker, lotion-like texture, use vegetable glycerine instead of witch hazel.

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