So excited for this new book by Jennifer Jewell. Here's to hoping its a good one!
Rules for growing tomatoes in the PNW:
1. Thou shalt not panic in September
2. Pick tomatoes at the first sign of blush.
3. Strip 2/3 of all foliage (especially lower foliage)
4. Pinch off all newly set fruit
Let's talk about yellowjackets! Tis the season 😁😅
1. They actually are NOT bees! They're a member of the wasp family! The easiest way to identify them are the very clear black and YELLOW striping. (Honeybees tend to have more caramel and soft brown markings)
2. They get annoying and 'more aggressive' this time every year (it's totally normal)
3. Why? Well they basically get kicked out of the house (colony) and are left to fend for themselves! They're desperate to fend for themselves bc the colony is no longer supporting their eating habits.
4. The queen is actually the only insect in the colony to survive the winter. Everyone else will die soon! It's normal.
Im overwhelmed with how much you all donated this year. Together we raised over 600$ for the 2023 burn camp 🪸🌊 🐠🐟. I decided to draw THREE winners this year. Winner number 1 (Wendy) gets my BIG JAR OF HONEY. Winners 2 and 3 (Lauren and Cindi) will receive a smaller gift bag of items. I've managed to purchase so many wonderful things to make this years at camp extra special 🌈 and I'm so grateful to everyone who participated to help these guys out this year. I'm messaging the winners shortly to arrange pickup (available starting tomorrow morning )
I'll be gone to volunteer at the Arthur C. Luf's Children's Burn Camp this year from 16-28th of this month. I do a fundraiser to help offset the costs to help make their week extra special. I always feel really vulnerable talking about camp so apologies for the tears. This year it's ocean themed at camp and I'll also be in charge of the art projects. For a chance to win a honey jar and gift basket venmo @mayafarm or drop a check/cash off at the farm stand. 5$ gets you one raffle ticket. More tickets = more chances to win.
THINE RULES OF PRINCESS BASIL
-thou shall plant all basil in a pot (ideally on concrete/very warm spot) or in a hoophouse
-thou shalt pinch the basil aggressively to allow it to bush out
-thou shall not OVERWATER or UNDERWATER
I affectionately call basil the princess of all herbs. She likes it hot but not :too: hot. She likes to be consistently damp but don't over water her. She doesn't like her soil super dry but she DOES need warm soil. Basil does most of its growing at night so if you aren't providing a warm soil environment at night for her (like concrete or a hoophouse) she will not grow much. As with all rules this doesn't apply to everyone but if you struggle with basil try these rules and you might your neighbors jealous over your basil plants.
For the love of peppers everywhere. CHOP THEM. I know it's terrifying but soon you'll be hacking them without fear. Also pluck your flowers. Don't let these guys set fruit yet - it's too early and your peppers probably aren't as big as mine. You want your peppers to get BIG AND BUSHY before allowing them to set fruit.
Also pick the flowers that are easy to pick off - don't freak if you can't get every flower right away. if it's hard to grab them wait a few days and they'll be easier to grab.
SURPRISE! I managed to clone myself tomorrow and be in 2 places at once! Jk - my friend Corey is gonna help me at Coupeville farmers market so I can be at the Fidalgo Mental Health Street Faire (on fidalgo ave in Oak Harbor NOT fidalgo island 😂).
Ollas are an inexpensive water saving technique. Using the unglazed terra Cotta pots are an excellent way to save your plants from heat waves and save you from frequent waterings!
Bolting is a term we use when plants decide to throw their energy to creating seed. They stop growing in size, will lengthen their stalks and the greens will become bitter as they devote their sugars and carbohydrates towards producing the next generation. It is best to harvest your produce at the first sign of bolting -unless you're seed saving (however I do not recommend saving seed from plants that stress easily. this perpetuates the issue)
Chicken pumpkin carving on the farm
It's the little things in life.
