Rose of Sharon Bush and a Friendship

Spring has sprung. The grass has become a luscious green, and weeds & perennial plants are starting to grow. Of course the weeds always do quite well, out growing everything else. Trees and bushes are beginning to leaf out, with the canopy in wooded areas closing in.

Yard work begins with picking up hundreds of sticks and moving them to big piles we've made over the years. These stick piles provide shelter and protection for little animals and birds.

The dead remains of the
Rose of Sharon Bush.

 A disappointment for me, was finding that my Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus Syriacus) had died. I was given a start by my friend - Bob. We had worked together. He was the oldest guy in the department - all jobs were male dominant trade careers, and he was the one most open to having female co-workers.

Bob was a plasterer, a master of his trade. Plastering is not drywall work. It is better than drywall and fireproof. Plastering is the old-fashion way of building walls, using lath and plaster, and it is an art which is being lost.

Bob was open to working with me and even teaching his trade. He taught me how to repair plaster walls. I never had an opportunity to build a whole wall on my own, but helped him with putting up the lath and mixing the plaster.

It was on many jobs that I watched Bob holding a hawk full of plaster and taking the edge of the trowel into the plaster, moving it out and away, while tipping the hawk towards his body. The first time he had me try this, I dumped the hawk full of plaster down the front of my dark green uniform. He chuckled, his big belly jiggling up and down, and told me, "Don't touch it. You'll make a bigger mess if you try to clean it off, because it will smear. Let it dry, and then it will come off in chucks."

Even after it dried and the chucks came off, I was still left with a filty uniform that I had to walk around in.

Bob and I would team up to do other kinds jobs as well. Once we went to check on a job - what needed to be done, what supplies we needed, etc. Bob was up on the ladder checking around a light fixture, when he suddenly let out a yip, jumping around on the ladder.

Startling me, I jumped back and away, thinking he was being shocked by electricity somehow. Then, with his hands over his head, Bob threw his hip towards me and shouted, "Get it, get it, get it!"

This only caused me to jump further back, but I said, "Get what?"

"Get my pager!"

I reached up and pulled his pager off his belt - it was vibrating. Bob always set his pager so he could hear it, but somehow it had been switched to vibrate. When it went off, it startled him...

I was so relieved that he wasn't being electrocuted, but I got so tickled at what happened, I started laughing until I had tears in my eyes....

Bob, his wife, and I became friends, even after he retired. When I finally became a homeowner, Bob gave me a start from his huge Rose of Sharon. That start just didn't want to grow, despite it being a plant that is suppose to grow well.

Two new shoots from the
Rose of Sharon Bush.
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2016

The interesting thing is that Rose of Sharon started to grow after Bob passed away suddenly. It even had two different colors of blooms, something Bob's didn't have. It grew to be over six feet tall, but then suddenly died for no apparent reason. This was upsetting, because it had become a way for me to remember Bob and the good times we had shared as friends and co-workers.

Last weekend, I trimmed off the dead branches. In the process, I found not one, but two new shoots from that Rose of Sharon bush. I feel like the Heavens above smiled down on me, causing that growth. And in return, I smiled back, was thankful, and remembered Bob.

Starting Vegetables and Perennials

Sometimes you learn the best through trial and error. I have done this while starting plants, and would like to pass on what I've learned to speed your progress in starting your own vegetables and flowers.

The items you will need to purchase:
* Grow Light
* Starter Soil
* Pots
* Seeds
* Fertilizer
* Container to hold pots

Grow Light - I purchased  a 4 foot fluorescent light fixture that holds two tubes (bulbs). You don't have to get an expensive fixture, but I do recommend that you make sure it is UL approved for safety. You will need to purchase the correct size growing lights to put in the fixture. (Growing lights are different than regular fluorescent lights.) I use a small-linked chain to hold my light. This allows me to adjust the height of the light from the plants.

Fluorescent Light Fixture with
Grow Light Tubes (bulbs).
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2016

Starter Soil - This is different than potting soil or top soil. It is lighter, making it easier for seeds to germinate and roots to grow down. I use organic starter soil.

Pots - I like to use 3 inch peat pots to start my plants. These pots allow you to transplant your plant into your garden - pot and all. This reduces the shock transplanting causes. As the pot breaks down, it adds nutrients to your soil. (When I am ready to transplant, I make vertical cuts in the side of the pot in the lower section. This allows the growing roots to get into your garden soil quicker and deeper.)

Seeds - your choice. If you want to grow perennial flowers, check the growing zone the perennial is rated for, making sure it is for your zone. If you get something that is for a warmer growing zone than you live in, the plant will not survive the winter - it basically becomes an annual. (Example - if you live in zone 4, and you buy perennial seeds rated for zone 6 and higher, it will grow the first year, but will not come back the next year. It will freeze out during the winter.) When it comes to vegetables seeds, they come in organic as well as non-organic. Organic seeds will not be genetically modified and will not have traces of harmful chemicals like pesticides on them.)

Fertilizer - Since I grow organically, I purchased fertilizers for organic use.

Container to hold pots - I use a plastic sweater totes. You need something because of watering pots/plants.

Now you are ready to get your seeds started. The starter soil must be moist. I pour it into a 5 gallon bucket and add water, mixing it around. This is the quicker method. You can just add water and wait for it to absorb into the starter soil, but it takes a lot longer.

Next fill your pots to just below the top, but don't pack the soil tightly.

Peat Pot with soil just
below the top.
Photo By T.R. Simmons 2016

Now it's time to add your seeds. Each variety of vegetable and flower has a different depths to plant the seed. You will have to read the planting instructions. Some seeds need light to germinate, others do not. In addition, seeds have different number of days it takes for them to germinate. This will all be on the planting instructions. (Starting plants should be done 6 to 8 weeks before frost for most plants. You can also start plants in the summer for fall planting.)

Since I start about 48 plants, I use a Popsicle stick to label each pot. You can keep it with the plant even after transplanting in your garden. The wood will decompose.

Once all your pots are ready with seeds planted, all you can do is wait for the seeds to germinate. Keep the pots moist, but not overly wet. You can add water to the whole tote and allow it to soak up through the peat pot.

Once your plants are visible, you will need to have your grow light just a couple of inches from the pots - this is what most people do not understand. Plants will reach for the light. If the light is far away from the plants, all growing energy will be put into the stem to get the leaves closer to the light source. An extremely long stem is thin and weak, so keep the light source close to the plants. As the plants grow, raise the light, but still keeping it close to the top of the plants. By doing this, your plants' stems will be thick and strong.

Grow Light just above the tomato plants.
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2016

When it comes to tomato plants, their first leaves are not the "true leaves". Once they get their true leaves, you need to start fertilizing them. All plants need fertilizer, but I use my tomato plants as a predictor of when to start using the fertilizer. (The starter soil doesn't have all the nutrients to keep plants growing strong. This is why you need to fertilize them.)

Banana Pepper and Perennial Flowers
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2016

Lastly, once your area is frost free, you can transplant your plants into your garden. Remember to make the vertical cuts in the side of the peat pot in the lower section to allow the roots to grow into your soil quicker.

Happy Planting!

How To Build a Simple Chick Brooder Box

There are various ideas for making your own brooder box to house your baby chicks. I had an extra large tote that was big enough to hold a six foot Christmas tree. It is 21 inches wide by 42 inches long.

You need to cut a hole in the lid and attach hardware cloth or small holed cage (1 X 1 inch) wire over it to allow for ventilation and light. I use the cage wire because it is a heavier gauge wire; and I can hang a feeder from it. The easiest way to do this is using a drill with a half inch drill bit and a jig saw.

First, using a ruler, draw the outline of the opening you want. Permanent marker works best for marking this. See photo:

(Use safety equipment - hearing and eye protection!)

Second, with the lid attached to its box, drill holes in the four corners of your rectangle, staying inside the marked area. These holes give you the starting point for the jigsaw blade and cutting around the corners. (I made my opening 9 inches by 15 inches.)

Third, using a blade that will cut plastic, lower the blade into one of the drilled holes and start cutting along the line you made. When you get to the next drilled hole, you will be able to make the turn easily. Before cutting the third and fourth sides, you will need to be very careful - hold the opposite cut edge to keep it from bouncing around as you cut the next two sides.

Fourth, once you have the hole cut out, the lid's edge maybe rough. You can use a file to smooth the rough edges.

Lastly, you can attach the cage wire, which has been cut at least an inch bigger all the way around than your hole, to the lid. (The wire cut edges will be sharp. They will need to be filed flat.) I drilled small holes an inch from the edge. At first, I used small bolts and nuts to attach the cage wire, but was afraid a nut would come loose and fall into the brooder box. This could be dangerous if a chick swallowed it. I realized heavy duty wire ties were the best choice. See the photo example:

When it comes to using a heat light above the hole. It is best to have it hang above the opening for safety. (The heat lights get very hot and you don't want to melt the plastic and have a fire.) Now you are ready to get chick supplies and your baby chicks. 

Your chicken fever has begun. Enjoy your babies!