No doubt about it, here in Central Texas we have been getting lots of rain! It seems hard to get anything done in the garden. I am finding that the weeds are winning the battle right now because they are growing faster than I can pull them.
So what can you do when it seems like it won't stop raining? Lots actually!
Dry your herbs!
All the rain is making everything grow at a rapid pace and my herbs are no exception. The best time to dry them is right before they flower so I didn't want to wait too long. Drying herbs is easy and doesn't take long. You can use a dehydrator or even hang them, but that takes a while and we have too many to use that method. I dried mine in the oven stem and all. I used cookie sheets and made sure they were not too crowded. Then I popped them in the oven on low for about an hour and a half. You want them to be nice and crunchy so they don't mold. Then you take them right off the stems and crush them up as much as you like.
Ever wonder why herbs are so expensive?
Because they go from this.......
So what can you do when it seems like it won't stop raining? Lots actually!
Dry your herbs!
All the rain is making everything grow at a rapid pace and my herbs are no exception. The best time to dry them is right before they flower so I didn't want to wait too long. Drying herbs is easy and doesn't take long. You can use a dehydrator or even hang them, but that takes a while and we have too many to use that method. I dried mine in the oven stem and all. I used cookie sheets and made sure they were not too crowded. Then I popped them in the oven on low for about an hour and a half. You want them to be nice and crunchy so they don't mold. Then you take them right off the stems and crush them up as much as you like.
Ever wonder why herbs are so expensive?
Because they go from this.......
To this.......
The drying process is time consuming and you don't end up with a lot of product for all that work.
Another thing you can do on rainy or muddy days is to gather seed for your fall plantings and get them packaged and labeled.
This is two types of lettuce. Each of the buds has enough seed to get several plants.
Another thing you can do on rainy or muddy days is to gather seed for your fall plantings and get them packaged and labeled.
This is two types of lettuce. Each of the buds has enough seed to get several plants.
I put some of the buds aside to dry and then I will save the seed. I opened one so you can see how many seed there are in one bud.
Why save seed? Isn't it just easier to buy seed?
We like to save seed of varieties that we notice are more disease resistant, attract less bugs, grow well in the heat, or that customers(or us) love. The more varieties we are able to plant that are already proven, the less waste and the more cost effective.
If the rain stops,but it's still a muddy mess, it's also a good time to look for bugs. The bugs are going to take advantage of a break in the rain so it's the perfect time to look for them.
I have seen lots of squash bugs, cucumber beetles, and harlequin bugs on my plants. The quickest way to get rid of them is to hand pick them and throw them in a bucket of soapy water. Anything else that you could put on them is most likely going to be washed away shortly by more rain, and you will be surprised how many bugs you can get rid of by just hand picking for 20 minutes.
Another great thing to do in muddy weather, is mulch. If you have ever tried to put newspaper, hay, or feed sacks down in dry, windy weather, you know why this is a good plan. Work smarter, not harder.
So remember there are still plenty of things that can be done in the garden despite all the rain.
We like to save seed of varieties that we notice are more disease resistant, attract less bugs, grow well in the heat, or that customers(or us) love. The more varieties we are able to plant that are already proven, the less waste and the more cost effective.
If the rain stops,but it's still a muddy mess, it's also a good time to look for bugs. The bugs are going to take advantage of a break in the rain so it's the perfect time to look for them.
I have seen lots of squash bugs, cucumber beetles, and harlequin bugs on my plants. The quickest way to get rid of them is to hand pick them and throw them in a bucket of soapy water. Anything else that you could put on them is most likely going to be washed away shortly by more rain, and you will be surprised how many bugs you can get rid of by just hand picking for 20 minutes.
Another great thing to do in muddy weather, is mulch. If you have ever tried to put newspaper, hay, or feed sacks down in dry, windy weather, you know why this is a good plan. Work smarter, not harder.
So remember there are still plenty of things that can be done in the garden despite all the rain.