Tulsa City Farm

 This past week was mostly wet. But it dried up at the end of the week and I had to "Mow The Garden"! Yes, I mow our garden.We have a living mulch of clover and grasses growing between the rows.And it was growing out of control with all the rain.We have mostly sand for soil that does not retain moisture or nutrients very well.I could not make enough compost,so we grow our compost. We are trying to mimic nature.As plants die they lay down organic material,for the worms and other creatures to break down and make humus.So by mowing with a mulch mower we are laying down organic material and keeping the soil from drying out so fast.And why till between the rows?So after work last Thursday and Friday I mowed the garden.

 Saturday was a long day.I had a couple hundred tomato plants that were growing out of control.Some of the suckering plants already had tomatoes on the suckers.I taught my daughter about how to prune tomatoes.It took all day and we both got sun burn.She could not believe we were cutting 3/4 of the plants back. She carried many full wheel barrows of cuttings to the compost bins.She discovered many bugs and larva of many little creatures.This was another chance to help her learn to identify bugs good and bad.Then I cut the end of my finger off  as I teaching her how not to cut herself! She liked that lesson.Then we tried to Florida weave the tomato plants.This is a first for me also.

 Then my daughter found not one,but two box turtles and I lost my little helper. I was now telling about my pet turtles when I was a child and she started saying things like I wish I had a pet turtle! The little child in her was there in her eyes and I said If you want another pet,just ask and I told her the rules.That was the end of her that day,but heck you need to be a child