Farm School is back in session.
Last weekend at the same time the daytime temps
were in the 60's.
This weekend it's felt more like summer.
Sad as I was to learn that most of the lettuce is finished until fall,
and the beets are tiring of the heat
and will soon be harvested for storage,
it's all a part of farming.
Our growing season is so different than most others',
but we have to accept that as an inevitable part
of being a Florida gardener.
The good news is that we will be harvesting fresh veggies
when others are gearing up for winter.
It's all a trade off.
We're back and ready to enjoy all of God's beauty that abides here.
This week, we started after lunch,
as Faye and Lynn had a successful morning at the farmer's market.
Temperature?
A breezy 91 degrees in the shade.
Our mission today was to get these pepper plants staked and caged.
Several have grown so quickly that they are now leaning.
Lynn has many uses for these particular cages.
He keeps them handy near the garden where they will be utilzed.
The stakes are repurposed from Lynn's citrus plants.
His trees are mature and no longer need staking,
so he reuses them for other crops.
Any plant that may be askew due to growth or wind
gets two or three of these rods placed around the stem.
It's a delicate process, as peppers can be extremely sensitive.
It's a delicate process, as peppers can be extremely sensitive.
They allow enough support when properly placed
that no ties are needed.
After staking, the cages are ready to be placed.
A small puncture is made in the black plastic where the cage legs sit.
This material is self-sealing, so the process must be done quickly.
The beauty of this product is that it eliminates the need for weeding.
A couple of rows down, a few more to go...
The farm grows bell and banana peppers
as well as a few hot varieties.
Mission accomplished!
Okra is one of the few plants that do well here in summer
and being a Southern crop, the demand is high.
So many unusual sights on this land...
as well as scenes created by Mother Nature's helping hand.
It's all beautiful, wonderful and fosters tranquility.
Another family has been busy.
These are mockingbird eggs.
They were noticed a couple of weeks ago.
Winken, Blinken and Nod
made their debut sometime last week.
Momma was not far away.
It felt good to accomplish a unified goal.
Another task completed means that attention can be focused
on the next objective.
See ya next week for another lesson!
Lovely photos and post ! WOW Lots of work there ! We had summer like temps and sunshine for the past 3 weeks but mother nature did a turn on us and provided us with frost and chilly winds along with rain , sun, hail and sleet ! Hoping the weather gets back to how it should be here in a day or two , sunny and warm ! Thanks for sharing. Have a good day !
ReplyDeleteThe weather is so unpredictable! Hope you have lots of sunshine heading your way! ;0)
DeleteAww, baby birds! They are teeny tiny!
ReplyDeleteYou guys are having some hot days! We are supposed to be in the 80s this week and I'm looking forward to it.
Enjoy your mild temps!
DeleteWhat a wonderful picture of the mockingbirds! They look so fragile. Their beaks almost look like flowers.
ReplyDeleteThey are fragile, but it seems their momma is taking good care of them!
Delete