I like to trim them every second year in the fall after all of the fruit is ripe and has been picked, but before they lose their leaves. It's like giving them a haircut, they love it!
You can trim them anytime of year. The saying goes "the best time to trim is when the trimmers are sharp". But It's best not to trim them while they are flowering, fruiting, or when they are dormant in winter. Trim off all of the new growth, don't forget to do the inside as well as the outside.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Best Organic Weed Control Methods
- Garden and Planters: Use blackout mesh, it's made out of natural fibers and it lasts for a few years.
- Lawn: Let your grass grow longer (at least 5 inches) and it will choke out weeds naturally
*Don't bag the grass when you mow: it's easier, faster, and the mulch is really good for the lawn
*spread grass seed in problem areas in the fall before it snows.
*If you don't like mowing, get some sheep or lamas or goats
- Lawn: Let your grass grow longer (at least 5 inches) and it will choke out weeds naturally
*Don't bag the grass when you mow: it's easier, faster, and the mulch is really good for the lawn
*spread grass seed in problem areas in the fall before it snows.
*If you don't like mowing, get some sheep or lamas or goats
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Organic Farming: part 2
Apples:
How to make dried fruit:
- Chop apples into rings and place on a baking sheet. (in the oven) Set your oven on the lowest setting. You will know when the apples are done drying when all of the moisture has evaporated. Or (in the sun) Cover with some cheese cloth and place the baking sheet in a warm shady spot. This only works on warm sunny days, bring the apples inside if it is raining and at night.
Easy Apple Pie Recipe:
Fork Pastry: 2 Cups of flour, 3 tbsp of water, and 4 tbsp of butter. - 1lb (4 small) apples, honey, cinnamon, and sugar.
- mix water with butter and mix together with a fork.
- add the flour a little at a time until a workable dough forms. (add more butter if needed)
- refrigerate for 30 mins.
- line pie plate with pastry
- chop apples into small chunks and place in the pie plate
- cover apples with honey and sprinkle on cinnamon
- cover pie with pastry, decorate your pie, and cut a slit in the middle so the heat can vent.
- sprinkle sugar on top of the pie
- Bake @ 350F for 35 mins
- Cover with wax paper if the crust browns too quickly
No Sugar Apple Plum Jam Recipe:
Prep for jarring:
-set aside screw bands
- wash jars and lids, place jars in a canner & cover with water.
- Heat to a simmer
- Heat sealing lids in hot water & keep warm until you use them
2 lbs plums, 2 lbs apples, 1 cup of fruit juice, 1 pkg no sugar needed pectin and 1 cup of honey.
- Remove pits from plums, peel and core apples.
- Place in a deep pan & add juice and pectin.
- Cook until pulpy.
- Stir in honey & boil until set.
- Put jam in hot jars *Do not use metal utensils for touching jars or stirring the bubbles out of the jam
- Stir out any air bubbles before putting the jar back in the canner.
- Wipe off the jar rim,place hot sealing lid on the jar, and screw on the band.
- Return the jar to the canner and cover with 1/4 in. of water.
- Boil for 10 mins ( 15 if you are at a higher altitude)
- Remove jars from canner without tilting them and let them cool on a wire rack.
- Once they have cooled, loosen screw bands and store jars.
How to make dried fruit:
- Chop apples into rings and place on a baking sheet. (in the oven) Set your oven on the lowest setting. You will know when the apples are done drying when all of the moisture has evaporated. Or (in the sun) Cover with some cheese cloth and place the baking sheet in a warm shady spot. This only works on warm sunny days, bring the apples inside if it is raining and at night.
Easy Apple Pie Recipe:
Fork Pastry: 2 Cups of flour, 3 tbsp of water, and 4 tbsp of butter. - 1lb (4 small) apples, honey, cinnamon, and sugar.
- mix water with butter and mix together with a fork.
- add the flour a little at a time until a workable dough forms. (add more butter if needed)
- refrigerate for 30 mins.
- line pie plate with pastry
- chop apples into small chunks and place in the pie plate
- cover apples with honey and sprinkle on cinnamon
- cover pie with pastry, decorate your pie, and cut a slit in the middle so the heat can vent.
- sprinkle sugar on top of the pie
- Bake @ 350F for 35 mins
- Cover with wax paper if the crust browns too quickly
No Sugar Apple Plum Jam Recipe:
Prep for jarring:
-set aside screw bands
- wash jars and lids, place jars in a canner & cover with water.
- Heat to a simmer
- Heat sealing lids in hot water & keep warm until you use them
2 lbs plums, 2 lbs apples, 1 cup of fruit juice, 1 pkg no sugar needed pectin and 1 cup of honey.
- Remove pits from plums, peel and core apples.
- Place in a deep pan & add juice and pectin.
- Cook until pulpy.
- Stir in honey & boil until set.
- Put jam in hot jars *Do not use metal utensils for touching jars or stirring the bubbles out of the jam
- Stir out any air bubbles before putting the jar back in the canner.
- Wipe off the jar rim,place hot sealing lid on the jar, and screw on the band.
- Return the jar to the canner and cover with 1/4 in. of water.
- Boil for 10 mins ( 15 if you are at a higher altitude)
- Remove jars from canner without tilting them and let them cool on a wire rack.
- Once they have cooled, loosen screw bands and store jars.
Monday, October 18, 2010
disclosure policy
This policy is valid from 18 October 2010
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact Ashley Weber at chaddaze@telus.net.
This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.
The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.
The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact Ashley Weber at chaddaze@telus.net.
This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.
The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.
The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Organic Gardening
Make your own bug spray:
Chop up some garlic, onions and red peppers
Put them in mineral oil and let that soak overnight
add fish emulsion, and dilute with water
The garlic, onions and peppers get rid of the bugs. The mineral oil will stay on the leaves and repel insects. The fish emulsion acts as a foliar spray and replenishes the leaves.
For Weeds:
Boil water, add salt and vinegar, put the mixture directly on the weeds (at the root)
Chop up some garlic, onions and red peppers
Put them in mineral oil and let that soak overnight
add fish emulsion, and dilute with water
The garlic, onions and peppers get rid of the bugs. The mineral oil will stay on the leaves and repel insects. The fish emulsion acts as a foliar spray and replenishes the leaves.
For Weeds:
Boil water, add salt and vinegar, put the mixture directly on the weeds (at the root)
Bearded Dragons
Today's Topic: Bearded Dragons
Bearded Dragons are the perfect pet! It costs me $10.00 a month or less to feed my dragon. Every few months I need to replace a burnt out bulb (they are around $14.00). They are very low maintenance pets!
You will need a large cage, because they grow to fit the size of their environment. I use sand to line the bottom of his area (my bathtub) because it is what is natural to his environment. You will need a bathing area, a few rocks for him to lay on and climb on, a piece of driftwood, and a vine for climbing. You will also need two heat lamps (one for a daylight bulb, and one for a nigtlight bulb) and a timer.
You may also want to consider getting your dragon a friend from the beginning. You can put other dragons in after, but there is a bigger risk they may have conflict. Dragons are very friendly, but they take some time and effort to get used to different things. You have to build their trust in the beginning. They enjoy being held and touched when they are used to it.
What do bearded dragons eat?
My dragon loves cilantro, crickets, carrots, and bananas as a treat once and awhile. Try to keep the food off of the sand, because if dragons eat too much of the sand their bowels may get impacted.
I keep crickets in a separate habitat. It has egg cartons for them to live in. They also need food and water. As long as you keep their food and water supply and a clean environment they will reproduce and you can keep them for a very long time.
Bearded Dragons are the perfect pet! It costs me $10.00 a month or less to feed my dragon. Every few months I need to replace a burnt out bulb (they are around $14.00). They are very low maintenance pets!
You will need a large cage, because they grow to fit the size of their environment. I use sand to line the bottom of his area (my bathtub) because it is what is natural to his environment. You will need a bathing area, a few rocks for him to lay on and climb on, a piece of driftwood, and a vine for climbing. You will also need two heat lamps (one for a daylight bulb, and one for a nigtlight bulb) and a timer.
You may also want to consider getting your dragon a friend from the beginning. You can put other dragons in after, but there is a bigger risk they may have conflict. Dragons are very friendly, but they take some time and effort to get used to different things. You have to build their trust in the beginning. They enjoy being held and touched when they are used to it.
What do bearded dragons eat?
My dragon loves cilantro, crickets, carrots, and bananas as a treat once and awhile. Try to keep the food off of the sand, because if dragons eat too much of the sand their bowels may get impacted.
I keep crickets in a separate habitat. It has egg cartons for them to live in. They also need food and water. As long as you keep their food and water supply and a clean environment they will reproduce and you can keep them for a very long time.
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