We’ve got water!
And I’ve canceled my plan to rent out our kids to the highest bidder to pay for it.
Turns out we had a hole inside the water tank and it ultimately shorted out the electrical connection to the pump. I’ll spare you all the mechanical details, not because it is boring, but because I’ll butcher it to the point of personal embarrassment. Oh yeah, I also learned a shower is very underrated.
My initial concern with the water issue was that I didn’t do something I should have to keep up with the proper maintenance. Turns out the answer was “no” so I felt relieved. But, the experience did get me into “proactive” mode knowing I need to develop a much more robust maintenance schedule throughout the house. And that can be an effort when this stuff doesn’t come naturally to you. In fact, I bet one day it will be determined that there is a “home improvement” gene and that over the years that gene has escaped from my family bloodlines.
Of course it is much easier for me to relate to outdoors “maintenance” so I analyzed my preventative efforts there and realized there were none. Seriously, I have never sprayed or fertilized a plant. EVER.
And that also includes the lawn.
Maybe I’ve fertilized an annual in a container but that’s it. Isn’t that a good thing? I was “green” before it became all the rage. I’ve read up on fertilizer and it’s real role in plant development and was never that impressed enough to bother.
To my credit (can’t say that often), I am a smart waterer (sp?). I stick my finger into the soil around every plant before I water, never water overhead getting the foliage wet and promoting disease and do my best to water early in the morning.
Now that doesn’t excuse me from not using natural options. That is where the lazy part comes in. This is the first year I’ve actually composted with a real effort. My motto for the past six years has been, I’ll give a plant one shot to survive my harsh conditions and if they don’t cut it, off with their heads. Is that smart and a means to keep things simple? I don’t know, but I will make a concerted effort this winter to educate myself and we’ll see what the spring will bring.
What are your thoughts on fertilizer, preventative spraying,etc?
I do fertilize and I have seen a difference, particularly in the lawn. This year I tried a new fertilizer with corn gluten to suppress weed seeds. Guess what? It ended up being expensive food for the neighborhood crows and magpies!
Fertilizer? I put down compost when I install a bed. Then I leave the leaves that fall in the fall right in the bed. Then in summer I mulch with a hardwood mulch. The end result is a rich layer of organic material at the top of the soil. Works for most plants.
My lawn? I mulch the leaves in place by running the lawn mower a couple of times in the fall. By the time the snow melts in the spring there is no evidence of leaves.
As far as preventative spraying – I don’t want those chemicals in my Garden. If a plant requires drugs I’ll chose a different plant, thanks. That said I’ve found that good soil equals healthy plants equals little in the way of disease. And so we’re back to the joys of compost.
Diane is correct about composting. Trouble is many of us do not make our own compost; those that do recommend investing in a rotating, suspended, barrel shaped composter that prevents animals from entering the compost pile, and buying it bagged at garden centers can be costly.
Some horticultural scientists do not believe that spraying the foliage of plants with chemical fertilizer is beneficial to plants.
I find sparing application with chemical fertilizer is fine, if not doing an organic garden; at present house, I have native arid-region plants on well-draining to rocky desert soils, and it does not hurt 1x year…only helps replenish all the nutrients that leach out. On the sandy and calcareous clay at the old house, it helped even more.
I have not used compost, with so little to compost or time to maintain that process. I have used regular NPK fertilizer, fish emulsion (foliar spray), a humic acid-based product w/ mychorizae, and a non-humic acid based product w/o mychorizae but with polymers. All better than nothing, none better than the other, except the 3rd by a narrow margin.
Like others, I only use plants that thrive here, so if they struggle, out they go. I am the same way with clients’ projects, no matter where. And I also do not ever amend the planting backfill, nor do I specify that on my clients’ plans, though they usually question that.
But me thinks this is a Daphne question…
I’m kinda like you, plants need to be able to hold their own around my garden & that goes for the veggies too. I start with good soil, add compost & worm castings if necessary & I mulch with a layer of compost as well. The only fertilizing I do ia a few applications of compost tea that I make myself. If you can afford it, good quality compost in bags is okay. I use bulk greenwaste compost similar to what is available in most rock yards & a little bit of worm castings, which I am also lucky enough to have bulk access to. Foliar applications of compost tea is supposed to eliminate powdery mildew, but I’ve never bothered personally. Happy gardening.
Very glad to hear your water problems weren’t bigger, like needing to dig a new well. That can get costly real fast! We’ve also had to pull our well once when the leak was down in the bottom…and when it’s 20 below zero and you’re yanking a well casing out of the ground 100 feet deep-fun, fun. Isn’t it amazing how we truly don’t miss the water til the well runs dry? 😉
Thanks for becoming a follower on my blog!! Awesome post, I will be sure to check in often. Our soils teacher who is a Phd in all that soil stuff had only two words for us the whole semester–ORGANIC MATTER. She said that every nutrient you could ever want or need will be in compost. Nice job on the morning watering–I am a sucker for sleeping in 🙂
I’m a fan of horse manure. Does it make a difference? Don’t know; I’ve only grown for one season and I used it in all my beds. Some stuff lived, some stuff died.
Frankly, I haven’t got a clue!