7 Reasons to Cover-Crop with Wheat

Since beginning gardening two years ago when we first bought our house, I have been researching ways to make our garden more time and cost efficient.  The first year we tilled/fertilized/weeded in an ongoing cycle of weed growth and plant disruption.  Since then we began incorporating using lawn clippings as mulch and fertllizing with chicken poop from our coop.  This has really helped save time and money and benefits garden's healthcare regimen.  Last fall we decided to choose a nitrogen-fixing cover crop that would function in many ways.  Here are my top 7 reasons reasons why this worked out so well for this years garden. 

1.  To decrease weed growth

2.  To bring nitrogen to the surface where beneficial bacteria "fix" it into nitrogen that is usable by other plants. 

3.  To prevent soil erosion. 

4.  As chicken fodder. 

5.  To use as a mulch when it is ready to cut. 

6.  To help promote good habitat for worms and beneficial insects. 

7.  To help maintain moisture in the soil.

These are just some of the benefits, but if we add in the time it has saved us in weeding and on mulches and fertilizer the pros would far surpass any cons. 

Fall 2012, winter wheat growing in.  The red building at the back left is the chicken coop. 

May 2013, the wheat was still green but starting to seed out.  We tilled it down in between the rows so we could plant garden veggies. 

The tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, sunflowers, squash, zucchini, okra and melons getting big and the wheat drying out. 

Pickling cucumbers using some wheat stalks for support. 

The cut wheat providing hours of fun for the chickens, walking paths for us and most importantly mulch so I don't have to weed as much!

 

The 2013 summer garden!

Off to a great start thanks to cover-cropping. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 Ingredient Liquid Washing Detergent

We have been using this liquid washing detergent for several months now and I can definitely vouch for its smell, effectiveness and cost savings. 

For about 10 dollars in supplies at Walmart you can make your own washing detergent for 1/10 of the price of buying it.  Plus it only takes about 15 minutes and a 2 gallon bucket.  

Here's how we made the switch from $10.98 a jug Tide to about $0.50 a jug homemade stuff!

 

We saved a couple of old Tide jugs to put our homemade detergent in to make it easier to handle than the bucket. 

So here's is what you'll need:

2 empty washing detergent containers

2 gallon bucket

1/3 Fels-Naptha bar of soap

1/2 cup Arm and Hammer washing soda

1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

*optional laundry scent

All ingredients can be found in the laundry aisle of Walmart. 

Directions:

1.  Grate 1/3 bar of Fels-Naptha and place in a large pot, add 6 cups of water and heat until soap is melted. 

 

2.  Add 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup Borax, stir until dissolved. 

3.  Remove from heat, to the 2 gallon bucket add 4 cups HOT water.  Next add the soap mixture to bucket.  Stir.

4. Then add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water.  If desired add 1/2 to 1 ounce of scented laundry oil (I use Linen scented).  Stir. 

5.  Let sit about 24 hours to gel.  Stir it up again and using a funnel pour it in to empty detergent containers.  Now your homemade detergent is ready to use!

Make sure you shake the detergent well before each wash because it tends to separate. 

 

 

Gardening Goals of 2013

I enjoy setting goals for myself; spiritual, financial, physical, etc.  I believe it is important I continue that practice in order to 'grow' my gardening skills, excuse the pun please.  Last year one of my goals was to make "Garden Salsa" without purchasing any ingredients, save the spices.  I grew the tomatoes, onions, jalepenos and cilantro.  The cilantro was by far the most difficult for me, though I have had multiple people tell me how easy it is for them, huh.  I guess we all have our Achilles heel.

So without further ado...my 2013 Gardening Goals:

1. Make a salad with only organic, grow from seed veggies. 
2. Can a whole years supply of salsa, pasta sauce and chili tomatoes. 
3. Track and weigh my harvest so I can better estimate how much to preserve. (Freezing lightly breaded okra included!)
4. Grow and figure out how to cook an eggplant.  I read they like hot, dry weather so I guess that means they will LOVE Arkansas!

I am pleased to announce that as of tonight I have achieved Goal #1!

BEFORE

AFTER!

Healthy, totally organic, totally grown from seed by my own hand.

Succulent Table Arrangement

I have been wanting to do a succulent arrangement to put on the table on the deck.  I love the colors and textures of succulents and them seem pretty hard to kill (except if you overwater them).  So I stopped at the "home improvement place" and picked out 9 of my favorite succulents and a bag of cactus mix potting soil. 

I stuck with the arrangement motto that you need a "thriller, filler and a spiller". 

Pick a well draining bowl or container.

Fill it with cactus mix soil.

Then start adding the plants. 

I started by already having a plan laid out in mind.  I like to use the tallest plant in the center for my "thriller", then do my "fillers" opposite each other based on color and leaf shape.  Then I went back with the "spillers" and put them on the outer edge so they would grow out and hang down.  

Then I went back and added a few pebbles to provide extra support and cover any bare spots. 

 

I think it turned out beautifully.  Hopefully they will be happy outside all summer (Lord knows we never get much rain anyways) and this fall I'll bring it inside to live as a houseplant. 

 

 

Photo Book for Mother's Day

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For months now I have been gathering and photographing my grandmother's old recipes in order to preserve them. 

At Christmastime, I helped her bake her "Christmas candy" which took three people, 8 hours and even more patience.  She told me all the tips, tricks and techniques {there are many} for making a good batch of Divinity down to the best weather conditions for baking.  We had a great time and now I have committed some of her best recipes and a few pictures from Christmas 2012 into print in this picture book.  A few of my favorite recipes: strawberry freezer jam, cheeseball and apple pie have already been featured on my recipes link and on my canning page.

I purchased two copies and I intend to give my mother one and keep one for myself {after showing it off to my grandmother, of course}.

I can't wait until it comes in and I can show it off to everyone!

Homemade Iced Coffee

With warmer weather in the forecast it is time that I transitioned my morning wake-me-up to something that won't get me sweating before 8 a.m.   Since it gets very hot here in the summer I prefer iced coffee when temps rise about 80F.  This usually happens May through September! 

My iced coffee recipe is super easy and only requires three things: coffee, ice and creamer.

1. Make coffee using half the normal amount of water, use your regular amount of coffee grounds.
2. Fill the decanter up with ice so the coffee will be further diluted and chilled.
3. Add more ice to your thermos/mason jar.
4. If desired, add your usual amount of creamer.
5. Pour in coffee, mix well and you are ready to face your day.

Propagating Jasmine

My dad asked me to propagate some jasmine for him.  It had been planted on the arbor of a house they bought a couple of years ago and since I had not heard of yellow flowered jasmine I was not completely confident in his ID of it.  The vines are numerous, evergreen, cold hardy and drough-tolerant, oh and they smell like heaven.  First I wanted to identify it to be sure.

I looked on several websites and confirmed that it was Carolina Jasmine. Other species have white flowers and are less winter hardy so I am pretty sure that the Carolina yellow vining species is what we have growing here in Zone 7. 

• First I got out my rooting hormone powder. 

• Then I removed the petals and leaves from the bottom 2/3 of an 8 inch cutting of NEW vine. 
• The older woody stems will not root as easily as the flexible new growth. 

• Then I wet a few inches at the base of the plant and dipped it into the rooting powder. 

• Here is where the controls for my scientific experiment come in.  What can I say I will always be a science nerd!

I decided to use three different mediums and placements for planting the propagations.

1. I used water with a bit of rooting hormone powder mixed in and placed the vase out of the way on the kitchen counter.  
2. I used a soil starting mixture and put my container in the greenhouse.  
3. I used regular potting mix and placed it in a sunny spot on the windowsill. 

I expect to see some new roots in 4-6 weeks, I will update you then.

Which method do YOU think will work best?