Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Citrus: Don't be afraid to cut

Right now is a great time. Cut citrus as hard as you like. It'll thank you. I've cut mine pretty hard and laid cow manure underneath. In early september I'll throw out some granular citrus food (yes, chemical) and spray with eco oil.

In mid October I'll do a foliar spray of zinc and manganese,  and some eddha iron chelates into the soil.

It's not magic, its just that nature needs a little hand here.

In many cases cutting hard really is required otherwise the citrus gall wasps will stay on the march.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

That's no hen! Free now.

"Malteser" the rooster goes free. When Jonah asked if I could take one of the chicks that they raised in class at the end of last year I was bloodyminded.

"Make sure it's female because if it's a rooster I'll kill it, and cook it."

Jonah assured me that a chicken sexer had come out and that I was, for sure, getting a girl. Bupbowwwww.

Fast forward six months to where it starts trying to hump my hens, stands a foot and a half tall, has laid no eggs and recently has crowed from 6am until 2pm.

The good news, Jonah and myself had agreed that being male (for Malteser) did not warrant execution. So I rolled up to a pleasant place in the hills, and he has his freedom. That may last only one night or he may live longer than me. But he's free now.

And so are we.



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