Dig This!

I hope these pictures might encourage more of us to try this wonderful shrub. It is one of the first indicators that spring is nearing. Also , Spring is here, when the F all planted bulbs are popping, and for those lucky enough, the A zaleas are getting ready for their Spring Splash right now.  This flowering shrub is in the Rhododendron genus, blooms in the ear ly Spring and the flower can last several weeks. As with most Rhododendrons, they are acid loving, shade tolerant and prefer living near or under trees, conifers being their favorite.  They are shallow rooted and require well-drained soil.  They can be found as far North as Zone 3, but are their most reliable in Zone 6. That's us!! A lightly shaded site with loose, acidic humus rich soil is idea l. Al so not too dry or too moist. You can amend the soil by adding in compost and ferti liz ing with a fertilizer designed specifically for acid loving plants. M ulch with pine needles and why not ad...

As we all probably know, Hops, Humulus Lupulus , is the main ingredient in beer. Homemade and specialty beer drinks are becoming more and more popular. ..I'm thinking Happy St. Pat's Day and a strong cold one right now... yum yum... As a result of this increasing interest, there is a shortage of Hops availability to producers. Local farmers and backyard gardeners are picking up the slack and beginning to grow more Hops. See Michigan State University Extension website for the courses they offer in how to grow Hops at this link http://hops.msu.edu . Because Hops can easily be grown at home, one of our Reno County Master Gardeners did just that last year. Growing the Hop Bine Humulus, or hop, is frequently referred to as a hop vine. This is technically incorrect as the species H. lupulus of Humulus is technically a "bine". Bines have significant stems with stiff hairs that aid in their ability to climb while vines use suckers or tendri...

I bet you never thought about maple syrup from Kansas .   While Vermont still leads the US in production, it can be and is produced right here in the Land of Oz.   Sap can be collected about two months of the year, February and March, in our State, from Silver and Sugar Maple Trees. In order to collect the sap, the temperature must be above freezing during the day and drop below freezing at night.   The sap rises up thru the tree trunk during the day and drops at night.   In order to harvest, a hole is drilled in the trunk and a tap hammered into that hole. Below the tap a bucket is attached to collect the sap and should be collected daily or more often as needed.     The sap is then boiled to reduce the volume and form the syrup.   A general rule is 2 gallon of sap per tree.   50 - 60 gallon of sap will make about one gallon of syrup. There are brothers, teenagers, that tap 400 trees in Cloud and Republic County...