The Farmer's Garden: Wind and Standing Up Plants

Rain mixed with high wind is almost always a bad combination for blowing over tall plants that have weak stems and/or heavy fruit. When this happens, they need to be stood back up to prevent trampling, stay off mold due to the leaves staying contact with a wet ground, enable ease of access to nearby plants, allow for future plowing, ensuring sunlight gets back into contact with the plant, etc.

Recently, a big rain and wind storm came in that blew my corn over. Most didn't break because they're flimsy (high-tech term) enough to withstand breakage, but they did have to be stood up right again. Here are some tips on standing plants back up again.

1. Though plants like tomatoes can be stood back up when young, they really need a structure. If not, when they're taller, they'll most likely break off in a bad wind storm. Corn stalks blow over, but the stalk is strong enough not to break.

2. Be gentle because the stalk/stem is saturated with water and is probably tender. If you are too rough with the plant, it may break and thus defeat the whole purpose.

3. Don't try to stand everything up when the mud is still relatively sloshy. It's too loose and want keep the plant in place when you try to stand it back up. Wait until the mud dries a little just after the storm.

4. Don't wait more than a day or so to stand plants back up. Otherwise, they will begin to take root in their blown over position. Once this occurs, trying to straighten the plant will probably break the stalk/stem and cause further damage.

5. If the plant has been left blown over for too long and roots have already entrenched themselves again, try stand it up some but not too much. At this point, you just have to let the plant grow in an odd direction. This brings much aggravation because it is difficult to get in between plants at this point and various critters are more likely to trample on a plant that is not meant to withstand trampling.

6. Within a few hours, especially if the sun comes out or if it's warm, the ground will begin to firm up as the water evaporates and drains a bit. At this time, bring dirt near the plant, but don't just chunk dirt on the plant, or it may break. Rather, hold the plant up, and then pack dirt around the base of the plant going up 2-6 inches depending on the size of the plant. If the plant still falls down, you may need to pack it more, go up higher on the stem/stalk, or use drier dirt if available (let the mud dry if no extra stored dried dirt is available).

This whole process involved getting dirty, so just put on some old clothes, and get to it. Happy Straigtening!

Northchase ESL

ESL continues to go well with the family I am working with, and I enjoy the friendship that has been built up over time. My Nepali is slowly coming around as I continue to get more familiar with the different looking characters. I hope to make great strides in that language over the next year and then be able to write some basic tracts as well. I'm not sure, but I may do more house-to-house ESL, for this method seems to work well, and it gives both sides a great opportunity to build relationships that is hard to get with a large class. You become family and not just a teacher or student.

May the Lord continue to bless efforts there! To Him be the glory! Amen!

The Farmer's Garden: Those Pesky Weeds

Weeds are a constant threat to your garden. They grow quickly and choke out everything in their path. Here are some tips to control weeds in your garden that does not require strong herbicides (ie chemicals used to kill and/or prevent weeds).

1) When initially preparing the soil, pull out the exisiting weeds and their respective root systems. By tilling the ground well, it levels the playing field. This will not eliminate weeds, but it does get everything off on the right foot.

2) As soon as you see weeds sprout, immediately pull them up. This takes consistent discipline; however, keeping out weeds will help your garden thrive. Not only will their be less competition between your garden plants and weeds, but this will ensure that the weeds are not stealing all the water and nutrients.

3) Check daily to see if new weeds have come up, especially after big rains. A small weed is much easier to uproot than a large one, and rooting out small ones prevent them from multiplying when they are old enough to reproduce.

4) A fast way to get rid of weeds between rows is to plow between the rows of plants. Not only does this kick dirt back up to the plants, but it also tears out weeds. If the rows are narrow, I reccomend just using a good hoe and/or a steel toothed rake.

5) Pull weeds when the grond is moist. If the ground is hard, you need to water the garden anyway. Don't wait until a rain comes to pull weeds; just shower the garden, and pull out the weeds when the soil has been softened up enough to pull them out by the root.

6) Many of your garden plants will have broad leaves, so, if you keep the garden thinned of weeds while the plants are young, the broad leaves of squash and such will block out the sun and keep weeds from growing underneath them as they grow larger.

7) Remember, as your plants grow, they will be able to fight off weeds when they are large and strong because they are now the dominant plants in the garden and not the weeds. This does not mean that weeds won't grow, but strong healthy plants can compete much better than unhealthy plants. Therefore, baby your plants with food, water, structuring, etc.

8) Don't pull weeds in the heat of the day! It's too hot and not worth the heat stroke. Just get up early or pull weeds late in the afternoon and evening. I recall a funny scene where I saw a lady at a local park who apparently seemed to have little experience in gardening/farm life. It was really hot, and I saw her out there pulling weeds. Sweat was pouring off, and the weeds were out of control. The weeds had gotten out of hand, and the heat was draining her every last breath. It was amusing because many people don't realize how much work a garden can take. They think you just throw some seeds, and wallah! A bountiful harvest! That's not how it works; it takes time and discipline, yet knowing what time of day to do things makes garden a whole lot easier and more fruitful.

In light of the Fall, weeds are part of gardening. Nevertheless, God has granted common grace, which means that He has given us insight in numerous ways to help prevent and reduce weed growth. For that I am immensely thankful. Glory to Him! Amen!

The mind of God Sundays: Proverbs 4

Proverbs 4 (English Standard Version)

¹Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
and be attentive, that you may gain insight,
²for I give you good precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
³When I was a son with my father,
tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
⁴he taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live.
⁵Get wisdom; get insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
⁶Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.
⁷The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
⁸Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
⁹She will place on your head a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown."

¹⁰Hear, my son, and accept my words,
that the years of your life may be many.
¹¹I have taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
¹²When you walk, your step will not be hampered,
and if you run, you will not stumble.
¹³Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life.
¹⁴Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
¹⁵Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
¹⁶For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
¹⁸But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
¹⁹The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know over what they stumble.

²⁰My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
²¹Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
²²For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their flesh.
²³Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
²⁴Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.
²⁵Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
²⁶Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
²⁷Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.

Heart of God Saturdays: Psalm 5

Psalm 5 (English Standard Version)

To the choirmaster: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.

¹Give ear to my words, O LORD;
consider my groaning.
²Give attention to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you do I pray.
³O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

⁴For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.
⁵The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
⁶You destroy those who speak lies;
the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

⁷But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in the fear of you.
⁸Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.

⁹For there is no truth in their mouth;
their inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongue.
¹⁰Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let themfall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.

¹¹But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may exult in you.
¹²For you bless the righteous, O LORD;
you cover him with favor as with a shield.

Worldview Wednesday: Need For Basic Sufficiency

From an early age, I was raised in an environment on the farm that I would call basic sufficiency. What I mean by this is that the average farming family had enough skills to take care of itself to provide for basic needs. Some would say self-sufficiency, but I would venture to say that, though we could do a lot for ourselves, we would still benefit from a specialist in a particular field (ie a doctor) or even machines that we were not capable of constructing but found useful.

To further elaborate, basic sufficiency went something like this. For starters, we grew a large amount of what we ate, so we did not have to rely on the grocery store for everything. However, it went much further than this. My grandmother was an incredibly gifted and skilled seamstress. For the most part she made curtains, but she was also competent in making and mending clothes. Therefore, anytime a hem needed to be done, we didn't need to go elsewhere; we would just ask her. The list could go on to many other things, but one gets the idea.

Today, we have been indoctrinated to believe that each person is to be specialized in a single skill and to rely on everyone else to meet the rest one's needs. It is as though it is taboo to learn how to do other tasks that do require skill so as to save money and be able to spend more time at home. For example, instead of learning how to maintain your own yard, fix a plethora of things in your home, grown your own food, etc., one is taught to work longer hours at a specialized job and then pay someone else to other skilled tasks.

Whether one realizes it or wants to admit it, this type of mentality is somewhat communistic because in a communistic society each person does a specialized task and relies on everyone else to do other tasks for them. Is this Biblical? No.

God created man in the garden to tend it, and this would have required Adam to be able to do many different tasks well. The difference is that work is arduous now because of the Fall. Even so, a small garden requires one to plant, water, harvest, etc. Each of those tasks are unique, and man is given satisfaction when he sits down and eats what he as meticulously cared for from seed to table--a table he may have even built.

In an attitude of humility and thankfulness to God for blessing his labor, much joy is gained, but it can and does turn into pride and haughtiness when man is exalted and not God. Nevertheless, man was not created to live a life where he only did one thing all of the time so much so that he was incompetent at everything else. Man was not created to soley have competence in doing this one task all his days and little of anything else.

This particular attitude has carried itself over into child-rearing, for now a child is sent off to day-care so that the mother can go and do her specialized task for society. It is the whole 'it takes a village to raise a child approach.' On the contrary, God has ordained that it takes 'a family to raise a child' and not 'a village.' Humans are not mere robotic drones; on the contrary, we are created in the image of God and are capable of doing many tasks well, especially with regard to all of the complexities involved in child-rearing.

In no way do I demean specialization, and its usefulness, for I am thankful for the surgeon who has spent a great quantity of time in developing his skill on a particular part of the body. I also find benefit in machines like cars that are produced more efficiently in an assembly line like fashion where each person is specialized in their particular skill. The artist or musician who has attained great skill through many hours of labor often times brings great pleasure to my eyes and ears.

However, this does not mean that one should not learn other basic tasks well in order to save money and be able to spend more time at home with one's family. For example, I currently work as a dispatcher, but that does not mean that I cannot take care of my own yard, grow at least some of my own food, build my own furniture, etc. As our family grows larger, each person is able to do more for the benefit of our small family, which, in turn, fosters greater loving unity and loyalty to each other. In time, this will enable each of our children to take all of these learned and developed skills (whether more specialized or general) and put them into practice when they raise their own families.

One of the great beauties of God's created order within humanity is that each family is capable of learning many tasks well, yet each person can become more specialized in a skill that they enjoy. For example, though I can do neccessary yardwork without the need for a 'professional' in every single thing, I enjoy developing agricultural and carpentry skills the most. However, when I needed some limbs removed from over my house, I was more than willing to hire someone else to trim the trees back. In time, I may have a child that can do this, but, ultimately, specializiation does prove beneficial when tasks require a specific skillset like a skilled theologion, surgeon, or a lawyer that may take quite some time to develop.

For this reason, God has designed man to be basically sufficient but not totally self-sufficient. We are given the privilege of knowing how to do many things well as individuals so as to cultivate strong family bonds, yet we are also kept in our place as no man knows everything about all things. In this way, we are interdependent upon one another within the Church and society in general. Ultimately, God in Christ is back of all things to His glory alone.

In a fallen world, it is difficult to maintain a balance between general and specialized skills, yet the common grace that God gives enables us to achieve at least some semblance of that in the present. Therefore, let us seek to balance these two as we raise our families on the one hand and yet graciously accept the specialized skills that others bring to the table on the other.

To Him be the glory! Amen!

The Farmer's Garden: Good Structures Around Limber Plants

Notice Tomato and Pepper Stakes: May 13, 2010

Green Bean Stake & Trellis: May 13, 2010

Tomato Stakes: May 13, 2010

Certain plants are more prone to catastrophic breakage when faced with harsh weather. They tend to be plants that grow several feet tall, have weak stems, and produce a heavy fruit. Tomatoes are like this especially. At times, they can suffer even if no storms have come, for the sheer weight of the large tomatoes makes the plant lean severely and even break.

Therefore, proper structures set up around the plants not only improve stability, but they also keep the fruit well off the ground. There are several ways to do this. A popular way is to use stakes, whether wood or bamboo. Trellises are also used, but they can be expensive if made from metal.

I use some kind of stake and trellis combo, and this year I decided to buy a large number of bamboo stakes. They are much less expensive if bought in bulk, but they need to be dried out before use to reduce rotting at the base. Here are some tips on structuring:

1. It is important to structure the plants when they are young so that plant survivability is increased from the beginning. This can be done when the plants are older, but you do run the risk of damaging the root system at this point.

2. With regard to the rope used for the stakes/trellis, I use a strong twine that is not expensive and does not cut into the stem of the plant. Aesthetically, brown twine tends to blend in against the bamboo.

3. When tying the plants to the stake/trellis, be careful not to 'cut' into the stem. The plant should be firmly bound, but the stem should not be severed. This could kill the plant immediately or open it up to infection and disease. This is why I do not reccomend fishing line. Furthermore, as the plants grows taller, continue to tie the main stem to the stake/trellis every 6-12 inches.

4. Stakes should be pounded into the ground at least a foot if at all possible to help stablize the plants when wind and hail approach. If the the stake is driven too shallow, it could fall over and do more harm than good by breaking the plant it is attached to or even other surrounding plants.

5. Tall stakes are preferable because this allows for plenty of height should the plant increase in height substantially. For example, right now, my tomato plants are about six weeks old and at or almost 2 1/2 feet tall. If I had short stakes, they would have already almost out-grown them very early in the growing season. My stakes are 7 feet long, and one foot of that is in the ground, so the plants have plenty of growing height left.

6. Three common garden varieties that I reccommend staking/trellising are tomatoes, peppers, and beans/peas. I even encourage giving the peppers plenty of potential growing height, for last year my pepper plants were tall, and the jalapeno plant was about 6 feet or more!

Staking/trellissing does take time and effort, but the rewards are well worth the work. The structures don't have to cost a lot, but they do require some effort, and the long term benefits will put a smile on your face and the face of those who enjoy the fruit of your labor!

Happy Gardening! To Him be glory! Amen!

The Mind of God Sundays: Proverbs 3

Proverbs 3 (English Standard Version)

¹My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
²for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.

³Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴So you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
⁷Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
⁸It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.

⁹Honor the LORD with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
¹⁰then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.

¹¹My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
¹²for the LORD reproves him whom he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.

¹³Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding,
¹⁴for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
and her profit better than gold.
¹⁵She is more precious than jewels,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
¹⁶Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
¹⁷Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called blessed.

¹⁹The LORD by wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding he established the heavens;
²⁰by his knowledge the deeps broke open,
and the clouds drop down the dew.

²¹My son, do not lose sight of these—
keep sound wisdom and discretion,
²²and they will be life for your soul
and adornment for your neck.
²³Then you will walk on your way securely,
and your foot will not stumble.
²⁴If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
²⁵Do not be afraid of sudden terror
or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,
²⁶for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being caught.
²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to do it.

²⁸Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again,
tomorrow I will give it"—when you have it with you.
²⁹Do not plan evil against your neighbor,
who dwells trustingly beside you.
³⁰Do not contend with a man for no reason,
when he has done you no harm.
³¹Do not envy a man of violence
and do not choose any of his ways,
³²for the devious person is an abomination to the LORD,
but the upright are in his confidence.
³³The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
³⁴Toward the scorners he is scornful,
but to the humble he gives favor.
³⁵The wise will inherit honor,
but fools get disgrace.

Heart of God Saturdays: Psalm 4

Psalm 4 (English Standard Version)

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

¹Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

²O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies?
Selah

³But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
the LORD hears when I call to him.

⁴Be angry, and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.
Selah

⁵Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the LORD.

⁶There are many who say, "Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!"
⁷You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.

⁸In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Homeschool Co-op Creation Seminar

Last Friday's Creation Seminar for a Homeschool Co-op went well. There were ten students scheduled to come, and everyone was able to make it out. The seminar covered a broad range of topics, though the Genesis Flood was a central theme. The students especially enjoyed the Flood Initiation clip which shows a hypothetical model of the fountains of the great deep breaking open.

We appreciate all of the donations, and may God continue to open up doors within various homeschool organizations in the future.

For all of the notes, click here.

For Session 1: Worldview Clash In Genesis Modern Lie: Naturalism = Science; Intelligent Design = Religion audio, click here.

For Session 1 Power Point slides, click here.

For Session 2:The Flooded Globe Washes Away Eons Modern Catastrophes Provide Insight Into The Genesis Flood audio, click here.

For Session 2 Power Point slides, click here.

For Session 3: The Post-Flood World To Christ The Ice Age, Language Confusion, & Diverse People Groups audio, click here.

For Session 3 Power Point slides, click here.

ESL

I continue to enjoy teaching ESL on Thursdays, and may God continue to grant perseverance in that. My wife and I had one family over a couple nights ago, and everyone seemed to have a good time. I pray we are able to continue to develop a friendship with these folks, and may God bless them as they continue to make inroads in this new land they find themselves in. Most of all, may God open the eyes of their heart to see the glorious light of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Amen!

The Farmer's Garden: Moisture Check

Baby Corn Plants

Moisture content is one of the highest priorites to keep tabs on; after all, plants suffer with too much or too little water. Here are some easy ways to check moisture content in your garden and resolve any potential hazards.

1. Scratch the ground near the plants. If the soil feels moist after a couple inches (inch or two for very young tiny plants), the plants probably don't need watering. During prolonged periods of heavy rain, the ground can become quite saturated, so don't feel like you're not watering enough when the ground is clearly still moist. If you have to dig more than two-three inches to reach some kind of moisture, your plants probably need watering.

2. Watch for yellowing of leaves. Most garden plants bear perky brilliant green leaves, so if they start to turn yellow, something is wrong, and it is probably due to drought or drowning. If the moisture content is too high, then plant leaves will start to turn yellow and probably start to sag a bit. Scratching the ground will clue you in on that (see #1). If the ground is quite dry, then the plant is probably suffering from drought, so it needs watering. If it is really dry, and the ground is very hard, don't flood the garden. The ground needs to be moistened first so that it will actually absorb the water and not run off somewhere or form a 'small pond' that attracts unwanted critters and possible mold growth at the base of the plant. Also, if the ground is hard and the plants cannot sway much without snapping, heavy watering can cause them to snap as they bend under the high pressure before the ground can loosen up to prevent this. Therefore, give it a slow evening soak.

3. Watch for mold growth. If you notice mold or other fungi growth on the plants or on the ground near the plants, your garden is too wet. Do not water it, or you will make it worse. Let the sun dry your garden out.

4. Watch for flimsy plants. As plants grow taller, they will sway without support structures. However, if your plants appear to totter easily, that's a sign that the ground is highly saturated. Don't water, and let the sun and breeze dry things out.

5. Watch for burn spots and browning of the leaves at the ends. Burn spots can be large or small, and they tend to be brown or reddish brown. This can also occur around the edges or at the tips of the leaves. This indicates that your plants are not receiving enough water, so scratch the ground. If the ground appears moist, then it may just be the intense heat of the summer, and your plants may be at the end of their harvesting cycle.

6. Watch for cracking or splitting of the stems. If the plants begin to split and crack open a lot, they're probably not receiving enough water. However, as indicated in #5, they could be at the end of their harvest cycle due to intense heat.

If a plant doesn't have enough water, it's not that hard to put water on, but it is hard to take it off. As my Daddy would say, "You can put water on, but you can't take it off." What he means by this is that it is much easier to irrigate than to keep the plant from drowning if the rains are relentless. I always prefer a drier year than a wetter year for that very reason; I'd rather do the work of irrigating that watch my plants drown. Therefore, prior preparation is critical when heavy prolonged rains come. Here are some suggestions:

1. Stay up do date on the weather. One of the worst combinations is heavy rain, high winds, and hail. The rain loosens the soil, and then heavy winds and hail beat the plants to death and/or blow them down causing catastropic damage if severe breakage occurs. By knowing when rains are coming several days in advance, you can do your garden favor by 1) having good structural supports, and 2) by not watering it when you know the wind is probably going to come right after that. If I perceive heavy rains are coming a few days out, I'll let the soil dry out a bit just to prepare for the rains. However, you don't want the ground to be rock hard either, for heavy wind and hail will snap plants off at the base. Soil that has a good balance between wet and dry will allow the plants to sway so as not to snap while at the same time be firm enough to withstand the wind and hail when it comes.

2. Plant on a slight (emphasis on slight) inline with high hilled rows that run parallel with the incline to help direct the flow of water out of the garden.

3. If your area is relatively flat, high hilled rows are even more critical. Not only do high hilled rows keep moisture in the plant and support the plant in general, but they really help to reduce flooding damage.

4. If you are planting in raised boxes, of which I have several this year, pile as much dirt as you can so that the box is less likely to develop 'small ponds'. Hills are just as needed here as well. I filled my boxes up to the brim, and I added more in some areas once the garden settled a bit more. In spite of all the heavy rain here of late, my boxes have not suffered from a lot of 'ponding'.

5. If your area of the country is prone to heavy rains, plant with greater density. The more plants you have in a given space, the more water they will need, so they will naturally need more water as they compete with each other which will most likely reduce drowning problems. If it does turn out to be a dry year, you'll just have to water more or simply thin out your plants. However, don't plant everything so close that your plant stems cannot develop properly.

6. Sandy soil will tend to retain less moisture, so mixing a bit in your garden is helpful if the area is prone to regulary heavy rains.

7. Clay soil will tend to retain more moisture, so high hilled rows on an incline or filled to the brim boxes are a must.

8. When you do irrigate, don't do it in the middle of the day if at all possible. Not only will the ground retain less of the water because of high evaporation rates, but it can also cause the roots to burn. Burning can occur as the roots detect moisture and immediately reach to the top but then are burned by the sun as they approach the area just below the surface. This can especially occur when it is dry and the plants receive a light shower and then high heat bears down on them from the sun right afterwards.

Ultimately, the Lord brings a good harvest, and a primary means by which this happens is acknowledging our dependence on Him and then following up on that with good stewardship to His glory! Amen!

The Farmer's Garden: Baby Your Plants!

Baby Squash

Baby tomato plants, Moriah. Be gentle!

Beginning of April

Growing A Bit: 2nd-3rd Week Of April

Garden crops are like children: they are needy! They get hungry, thirsty, hot, and cold. Wind and hail bear upon them. Weeds ravage them, and critters consume them. Whew! That's a tough life!

It is true that some things grow relatively easy, but most of the vegetables and fruits that we desire tend require steadfast labor because they are so needy. Therefore, if you don't baby your plants, they will not produce much and may even produce nothing. How sad :(

I call it babying your plants; the Bible calls this good stewardship. Tending the garden was work from the very beginning, yet it was far more pleasant and easy without all the potential disasters looming every minute of every day.

Here are some key ways to baby your plants, and, by all means, let the kids help:

1. Pray, pray, pray that God will bless your work, work, work.

2. Check on them every day and even twice a day if at all possible.

3. Different plants require different amounts of sunshine; plant accordingly.

4. Be aware of the forecast, and prepare your garden ahead of time.

5. Be watchful for dry or swampy soil; moisture content is critical for their health.

6. Take note of critter tracks and/or bug bites; a fence or some bug spray (organic or conventional) may be required.

7. If you see yellowing of the bright green leaves, this usually means something is wrong: either or too dry or too wet, so check the moisture content of the ground.

8. Ensure that your plants have strong supports if needed.

9. Keep them fertilized whether with organic or conventional methods.

10. Finally, don't let those weeds get out of control; pull them as soon as you see them!

A great garden does take work, but the end rewards are worth all the work. Not only is the final harvest fresh and healthy, but it is also economical because you will be able to store up for the winter through canning, freezing, drying, etc.

Ultimately, God alone can make something grow. Therefore, let us praise Him and bask in His glory as He blesses the fruit of our labor according to His good pleasure! Amen!