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Angels in My Garden Week 15, April 12, 2010 |
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"In
the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”
Margaret Atwood Hello
Fellow Gardeners, Another
glorious weekend – what a gift. So, are you smelling like dirt at
the end of the day? Have you developed “gardener's fingernails” yet,
or are you one of the smart ones who wear gloves? It's
time to plant your broccoli and cauliflower seedlings this week. Tomato
and eggplant seedlings should be 3 or 4 inches tall by now, but we won't
be planting them for a few weeks. When you transplant the seedlings to
the garden, make a slight depression, like a saucer, in the soil. It
should be about one inch deep. Plant your seedling in the middle of it.
This will facilitate watering - which is our subject for this week. I'm
going to assume that you have filled your garden with loose, easily
workable soil. Soil that is too dense or clayey has different watering
requirements. As
mentioned previously, seeds and tiny seedlings should be watered with a
fine spray. They should be kept moist but not soaked. It's okay to spray
them a couple of times a day on sunny days. Once the plants are
well-established they will need deeper, less frequent watering. But
different types of plants have different watering requirements. The
root, leaf and head crops, like those that we're planting now (carrots,
beets, radishes, lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, and broccoli) like a
fairly constant, moderate supply of water. The fruit and seed crops that
we'll be planting later in the season have deeper root systems and
therefore require deeper, but less frequent watering. Keep that in
mind when you have your garden planted in these various types of plants.
The
best time of day to water is early morning, before the heat of the day.
If that's not an option for you, late afternoon or early evening is the
second best choice. When the weather is windy, your plant leaves and the
surface soil will dry out more quickly, especially if it's windy and
sunny, so your plants will require more frequent watering. The
best way to water is at the ground level. It takes more time than
overhead watering but uses far less water and gets the water to the
roots, where it's needed. Wetting down the leaves with the overhead
method can lead to plant diseases, such as fungus, and may also attract
insects. Mel
Bartholomew, the man who developed square foot gardening, recommends the
bucket and cup method of watering. To do this you fill a bucket with
water and let it stand for 24 hours. This allows the chlorine to
evaporate and the water to warm up. Plants prefer warm water to
cold, which is a shock to their system, just like it is to our's. Dip
the cup in the bucket of water and give each plant a drink by slowly
pouring the water around the base of the plant. With a small garden,
like the square foot garden, this will only take 5-10 minutes a day. Another
option is to use the garden hose with an extender, or wand, that has
several settings on it (mist, shower, flat, etc.). This will allow you
to give the seeds and seedlings a light spraying and also direct water
to the base of the established plants. Common
sense plays a major role in deciding how frequently to water. There are
various “rules of thumb” such as making sure your plants get two
inches of rain per week. Using this criteria, if you get an inch of rain
one week, your garden will need a lot less water from you. In hot dry
weather you're going to need to water more frequently, maybe even every
day. If the soil is dry to the touch or if your plants are drooping, you
should water. However, in hot weather some plants, tomatoes in
particular, may droop every day, even if you've watered them, and then
perk up in the evening when the sun is not so intense. Remember, too
much water can be just as fatal to your plants as too little. So, keep
the soil moist but don't make your garden into a swamp. We'll
return to the subject of watering as the season progresses. Reflection: We
worship all the holy waters Which
do quench the thirst of the earth, All
the holy waters that the Creator hath made, And
all the plants which the Creator hath made, All
of which are holy. We
do worship the Water of Life, And
all waters upon the earth, Whether
standing, or running, or waters of the well, Or
spring-waters which perennially flow, Or
the blessed drippings of the rains, We
do sacrifice unto the good and holy waters Which
the Law hath created. Let
the sea roar, and all the waters, The
world, and they that dwell therein. Let
the floods clap their hands, Let
the hills be joyful together. The
voice of the Lord is upon the waters: The
God of Glory thundereth. Heavenly
Father! and thou, Angel of Water! We
are thankful to thee, and we bless thy name. A
flood of love welleth up From
the hidden places beneath the earth: The
Brotherhood is blessed forever In
the Holy Water of Life.
The
Essene Gospel of Peace Book 3, page 26 Until
next week,
Many blessings,
Rose
Mirabai Lord In
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