The Yellow Farmhouse Garden

March 3, 2011

Making Maple Syrup at Home

Filed under: Maple Syrup and Honey — bob @ 2:08 pm

February and March is the time for making maple syrup in Michigan. This short season is entirely dependent upon the weather.  Sunny days and cold nights are the weather features maple syrup producers look for.  Under those conditions the “sap is running”.

If you are interested in making homemade maple syrup here is a pamphlet that was developed by the good folks at Michigan State University exactly 40 years ago.  Even though this is an older publication the basic information contained in it is not outdated. 

February 18, 2011

Healthier Tomatoes

Filed under: Vegetables — bob @ 1:49 pm

During the last few years tomatoes have been gaining ground as one of the healthiest foods that can be grown in the garden.  They contain lots of vitamin C,  have very few calories and are a rich source of lycopene.

Lycopene,  a nutrient produced by tomatoes and other red colored vegetables,  has been found to be an antioxidant that helps people resist certain diseases and health disorders.  Maybe you have seen some ketchup labels extolling the virtues of lycopene.

Until recently red tomatoes were thought to deliver the highest amounts of lycopene.  Now according to a report published in the February issue of USDA Agricultural Research Magazine, preliminary research has shown that an orange colored heirloom tomato called ‘Tangerine’ actually has more usable lycopene than the typical red tomato.

The difference seems to be in the different types of lycopene produced by red vs. Tangerine tomatoes.  The lycopene in the Tangerine variety is of a form that is more easily absorbed by our bodies.

It sounds like ‘Tangerine’ was the only orange colored variety tested in this study. It remains to be seen if other orange colored varieties produce similar results.

I’m sure there will be a run on Tangerine tomato seeds this spring, so it may be a good idea to get your order in early. Another  good thing about this variety is that like most old heirloom varieties it is not a hybrid.  Seeds saved from these tomatoes will come back true to type year after year.

February 10, 2011

Snow and the Garden

Filed under: Weather — bob @ 12:51 pm

“Think snow!” the skiers say. That’s something gardeners should say as well.

When most people see snow the first thing they think of is how to get it off of the sidewalk and driveway.  For me and many other gardeners, shoveling snow is the second thing we think of. The first thought is how thankful we are that mother nature has provided a blanket to protect our plants from the harsh extremes of winter.

I'm sure your driveway looks much like mine.

Many folks don’t realize that snow is a good thing.  I’ve had people say to me that they hated to see the snow because it would damage their plants by freezing them.  The only way snow can damage a plant is by breaking branches due to excessive amounts accumulating on trees and shrubs.

Snow acts as a natural blanket that keeps the soil from freezing too deeply or thawing too quickly during winter time warm-ups. The alternating freezing and thawing of soil can wreak havoc on plant roots by heaving them.  The roots are actually pushed up through the soil causing much damage. Mulching around plants can reduce this effect but there is nothing like a good snow cover like the one we have this winter.

Farmers who grow winter wheat love snow because it protects their fields in the winter.  Winter wheat is planted in the fall and left to overwinter. Wheat plants that are exposed to winter winds can dry out.  If it gets bad enough the plants will die. With snow on the ground wheat can survive most anything old man winter can throw at it.

In years gone by snow was called “the poor man’s fertilizer” and indeed it does have some fertilizing value. Back in the 1920′s a study was done to measure the fertilizing value of precipitation.  Over a period of ten years  snow and rainfall in the area of study averaged around 33 inches of equivalent water per year, which is close to what we get around here. The scientists found that this precipitation provided over 6500 lbs. of nitrogen (a critical plant nutrient) per acre annually. That’s a lot of fertilizer.

What about all of that snow in the driveway? Fortunately I did get my snow thrower fixed this year after two years of sitting in storage.  It’s all in the timing. :)

Bob

January 26, 2011

Seed Catalog Time

Filed under: Catalogs — bob @ 1:25 pm

For most gardeners in our area not much is happening in the garden this time of year. January does bring a harvest of its own though in the form of garden catalogs. They really do seem to have a way of multiplying on their own, sort of like when zucchini gets out of control.  A few years ago we had dozens of catalogs all from different companies sprouting from our mailbox.

Like most gardeners Judy and I enjoy thumbing through the pages and imagining how much better this year’s garden is going to be. It’s not the same as actually being in the garden but it’ll do for now.    I always say ” this will be the best year yet!” and it usually is at least in some small way.

Seed catalogs have been around for a long time.

Even though the internet has made seed and plant shopping virtually instantaneous I still like to peruse the catalogs first. Web sites have gotten better through the years but still have room for improvement.

I guess I still prefer the tactile feel of the pages in my hands as opposed to the feel of the key board and mouse of the computer.  Plus a lot of catalogs have specific, detailed growing information tailored to each plant.

I have to admit however that when all is said and done, more often that not I end up placing my order on line anyway.

Bob

January 4, 2011

Warm New Year's Eve Welcomed By the Bees

Filed under: Bees — bob @ 9:47 am

Honeybees and their beekeepers all around our area were delighted by the 50F temperatures during the day on New Year’s Eve.

During the winter honeybees are not dormant, various things happen inside the hive depending on what’s happening with the weather.

Consuming honey is the primary activity of bees this time of the year. The energy they get from their stored food allows them to generate the warmth that is needed to keep them alive through the winter. The heat each individual bee produces is not very much and if left alone by itself, a single bee will die from the cold.

Honeybees are not solitary insects. They cooperate with one another in running the hive, that includes keeping themselves at a temperature warm enough to survive the winter. They manage to do that by bunching  together in a spherical cluster. This cluster will be smaller and tighter when the temperatures are cold so that the heat is held in.  If temperatures rise, the cluster of bees will expand somewhat.  If the temperature rises enough, they will break out of the cluster and begin moving around the hive.

You have to keep in mind that all of the honey that they consume is digested by the bee’s body and waste products are produced.

On New Year’s Eve, the temperature in our area reached 50F.  This along with the couple of hours of sunshine motivated the bees to fly from the hive in what is known as a “cleansing flight”.

Honeybees will not defecate in their hive if they can help it.  So they hold “it” for as long as they can waiting for a chance to take to the air and relieve themselves outside away from the hive.

After the bees returned from their cleansing flight, they took advantage of the mild temperatures to do some housekeeping.

The bees I captured this fall were out in large numbers during the day on New Year’s Eve. The air was filled with the sound of flying bees for a couple of hours until the rain moved in and forced them back into the hive.

This break from the winter weather helped them a lot.  Hopefully this small colony of bees will make it through the winter and eventually become a productive hive.

The most uncertain period for them still lies ahead.

Bob

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