It's supposed to be August but I tell you the cooler weather of earlier this week has me in the fall mood. I wore blue jeans outside one day as I was working and didn't sweat until noon. I couldn't believe it. I've enjoyed not sweating as much to say the least. Did you enjoy that little bit of coolness too? You may wonder why I talk about he weather so much-probably as much as I talk about the flowers. Well, the weather can really dictate what I do around the farm. Full day of rain-well I'm going to work on stuff inside or in the tunnel or try to get in the field when it's not an all out downpour. Sometimes I am covered in mud from harvesting flowers after (or during) the rain-it all depends on on the harvest schedule. If it's super hot we try to work in small amounts of time or work earlier in the day.
I try to keep my schedule of harvesting pretty consistent though because it effects how and when the flowers produce. Cut them in days too close together-less flowers to cut at next harvest. Cut them too far apart-slow down the productions of the next round of flowers or miss the window of harvesting some very important crops. That's not good!
Every flower has a best harvest window and that allows for maximum vase life-vase life for you or me-either way I want maximum vase life for everything we harvest whether it's for me or my clients. Those harvest windows apply to fresh florals for arrangements or for flowers we dry as well. If we don't harvest some flowers at just the right stage to dry-they don't dry well at all. So keeping a regular schedule helps us to produce all the abundance we possibly can. And that's what we want. We want to send out the best beauty and joy as we possibly can!
So since this time of year is upon us, we are getting ready to get the tunnel is shape for fall planting. Right now I call the tunnel "the amaranth forest". The reason for that is because amaranth has seeded itself in there and grown like weeds. Mind you, it's a crop I love to use in our fall arrangements and bouquets. But it has taken over and I feel like it's such a mountain of a mess to overcome. My sweet husband is in for a treat when he starts to help me with it-he knows what he's getting into anyway.
If the weather stays cooler like this it will be a great time to split and move some of your own plantings. Typically I wait until mid September to October but the weather has been so kooky this year. The goal is to get your fresh planting in the ground and settled at least a month before the first frost. That is so the roots of the plant can take hold and you will have a beautiful and robust plant come spring- you can add a great deal of wiggle room by mulching over the top of the plant. This wiggle room is super important if you replant too early and it's hot (the mulch will keep the roots cool so keep it watered). The mulch will also help if you replant too late (the mulch will keep the roots warm). There is never really a best perfect time-it's all just a guessing game in the end. I have probably lost as many plants as I have had live. But I do believe some sort of mulch is good for most plants.
So that's it for this time. Hope you have a great August! See you in September!
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