The desert is finally in bloom. With all the winter snow and rain, the plants here at Winterpast are sprouting even though they haven’t done well in the past. Saturday, MM and I went to each tree to identify them with the use of an phone app. The phone becomes a more important part of life each day, doesn’t it?.
The app, “Picture This”, works this way. You open the app and point your phone’s camera toward the plant. It takes a photo and tells you all about the plant. I learned the type of apple and cherry trees I have. I own a Chinese plum. The messiest tree in the backyard is the Crab Apple tree. Pretty for one week, nasty for the rest of the summer and fall. I also learned that I have berries that are blue, but they aren’t called Blue Berries.
By using this application, you can find necessary information to help your plant thrive. Last year, I didn’t pay much attention to the back yard. Other than keeping it weed free, pruned and mowed, life at Winterpast went on without a lot of real gardening. This year will be different.
MM is the REAL gardener. He knows stuff that, (I’m embarrassed to say), I never learned after a lifetime growing up on a farm AND farming for 17 years. MM is a Master Gardener. Watching him plant is a thing of beauty. Lovingly, he unpots his seedlings, carefully inspecting them for signs of bound roots. He digs his holes carefully and places his plants ever so gently into his garden boxes. Generous with the feed and water, MM’s garden boxes are thriving. Garlic, onions, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, flowers, and more.
Now, here at Winterpast, if the plants make it through the days of neglect before planting, they get plopped in the quickly dug holes, sprinkled, and are left to figure things out. I need to do better.
My biggest problem has been the intricate sprinker box.
Really??????? This is really, really, really my box. When calculating all the possible settings, I came up with 1,972,423 possible combinations. Well, okay. You got me. I’m not that good at math, but just look at all those switches and dials!
Although my box is very similar to the one pictured, mine has a C cycles. Then, it has 12 stations. It needs to run twice a day, but not on Station 3 and 4, because the front lawn was removed long ago. There are directional questions like this…… Just why is the North Flowerbed labeled NORTH when it sits to the WEST of the driveway? All these things were already labeled when I acquired Winterpast. All these things are major puzzlements.
Add one little dog that loves to eat emitters, and you might now understand, there is a time to sprinkle and a time to throw up one’s hands and leave the system for another day.
Troubleshooting your system is a perfect task to tackle this week. Although MM might disagree, my method seems to have kept the plants alive for three years now.
- Turn your system to manual and start with Station #1. Go for a walk about and find the running water. Check each emitter for clogs or animal damage. Check the amount of water that is coming out of the line. Does the plant look wilted or is it drowing? Adjust accordingly.
- While checking the plants, check for leaks along the line.
- Continue with the remaining stations.
Lawn sprinkler heads can become clogged after a long, quiet winter. If they are not spraying nicely, go to You Tube and watch a few videos on unclogging sprinkler heads. With a vice grip, a needle-nose plyer, and patience, I was victorious. Some heads have filters and some don’t. Adjust the sprinklers to make sure the entire lawn is getting water.
Don’t forget to weed and feed.
Now, for the last bit of advice. If you haven’t been to the garden center to make your first purchases of the year, be aware. At our Lowe’s, the average sized garden plants are $10 and up. Some are as much as $25 a piece. A nice size potted arrangement was over $60. This is for normal flowering plants. My geraniums? $10 each. Spices? $4 for $12. These are small little plants that used to be $1.59. No more is gardening an inexpensive hobby. Our world is such a different place these days.
Whatever you do today, plant something. Seeds are great, too. Just remember to follow the directions on the package. There is nothing better than fresh cherry tomatoes on a hot summer day. The garden……to avoid the shrink, go there to think.
More tomorrow.