Gardening tips

Cool tips copied from the Internet.

Who would have thought that something as seemingly innocuous as cornmeal would have such potent fungicidal properties? Researchers at Texas A&M Research Station in Stephenville, TX, noticed that a peanut crop planted following a crop of corn didn’t suffer the usual fungus diseases. Further research showed that cornmeal contained beneficial organisms that were at least as effective as common chemical fungicides. Somehow cornmeal is able to attract a member of the Trichoderma fungus family, which is a good fungus that kills off disease causing fungi in a matter of weeks.
Howard Garrett, the Dirt Doctor, has continued the study and finds cornmeal effective on most everything from turf grass to black spot on roses. Furthermore, since it is entirely organic, it can be used on edible crops.
How To Apply
Dry: Work 2 pounds of cornmeal into the soil for every 100 square feet. Water well, to activate the fungus killing properties. One application per season is usually sufficient, but repeat applications won’t hurt anything.
Spray: What’s called ‘cornmeal juice’ can be made by soaking 1 cup of cornmeal in 1 gallon of water overnight. Strain the liquid and use as a spray on susceptible plants.
Cornmeal vs. Horticultural Cornmeal vs. Corn Gluten Any type of cornmeal can be used as a fungicide.
Food grade cornmeal, found in grocery stores, will work just fine, but it is more expensive and comes in smaller quantities than horticultural cornmeal.
Horticultural cornmeal has not been stored under the stricter guidelines required for food grade cornmeal. Hort cornmeal is general used for livestock feed. It too will work just fine as a fungicide and it comes in bulk.
***Corn Gluten should not be used as a fungicide. Corn Gluten is cornmeal that has been processed to have a higher protein content. Iowa State researchers discovered that cornmeal gluten can inhibit seed germination. It is now used as a pre-emergent weed killer. That’s a great tip, but don’t confuse corn gluten with the fungicidal properties of corn meal.
A final bonus, cornmeal also appears to be a source of nutrients for the soil.

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Soil testing at home:
1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top.
2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.
3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart.
4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell.
5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.
Is your soil clay, sand, loam, gravel? What is the level of organic matter in that soil, the humus level?

Estes Park and Grand Lake

Our trip continued as we set out on Trail Ridge Road, through the park. We made lots of stops. We saw a marmot sunning itself on a rock and stopped for hot chocolate at the Alpine Visitor's Center. We then went on to the Holzworth Historic Site and walked back to the cabins from a 1917 Dude Ranch. The kids dipped their toes into the headwaters of the Colorado River and then we drove to Grand Lake Village. Conner had a blast playing in the water and destroying the sand castles of the other kids. We enjoyed music provided by the Funkfest in the background, and wondered how many beaches have pine needles all over them like Grand Lake.

We then drove back through Rocky Mountain National Park and saw several nice herds of elk. We heard the elk bugling and saw some cute half grown calves. When we returned to the Visitor's Center in Estes, we saw two gorgeous bull elk on the golf course and several cows and calves.

Allenspark and Estes Day 1

We went up to Peggy and Roy's cabin in Allenspark for an overnight and had a great time. I went with the four kids, and my friend Lauren and her kids, Jack and Amy. The first day we checked in at the cabin and walked around Lily Lake. Chipmunk feeding was great at Lily Lake, as usual, and the kids had lots of fun. We waded in the water and walked the little circle around the lake.

We then drove down to Estes and walked around the grounds of the Stanley Hotel. The kids couldn't wait to get back to the cabin to start playing the games they brought and to start a campfire so we opted to head back.

We then had a glorious dinner of roasted hot dogs, chile and mac n cheese. Followed by cocoa with whip cream and dark chocolate s'mores. Maddie and I also popped popcorn over the campfire. Stargazing was fantastic and was one of my favorite things about the trip.