David Wall/Contributing Writer
For those who, for whatever reason, choose to cut the corn off the cob after cooking and before eating, holding on without burning or scalding you hand is always a problem. Fortunately, a simple, easy, and mess-free solution is to use an angel food cake pan. Simply place the stem end in the center hole and then slice downward with a knife to remove the kernels.
Plants don’t just emit water vapor to the sky, they send up the nucleus for future rain drops. Rain drops don’t just condense in the sky. They have to condense on something, whether it be microscopic grains, bacteria & fungal spores, plus other things. The plants are sending up future water drops for the sky to bring them back down.
Foliar sprays are known to improve the efficiency of photosynthesis and thus the sugars produced, 1/3-1/2 of which will become root exudates feeding the soil biology, which will return needed minerals to the roots. All this results in a continuing cycle of increased efficiency, growth, and fruit production. Healthy plants are better able to defend themselves without the need for fungicides and/or insecticides. Don’t spray if plants are drought stressed, due to stomates being closed.
Plant heat stress is continuing to grow as summer temperatures continue to increase. Crop losses during intense heat periods can cause up to a 60% reduction in produce. Using some sort of plant shielding may help reduce heat stress, but the potential loss in photosynthesis will also reduce produce totals.
A redbud unfamiliar to most is the Heart A’fire redbud. While it flowers like other redbuds, the subsequent foliage starts out as burgundy, red, tangerine and gold. They mature in mid-summers as reddish green. Unfortunately, growers don’t want to sell seeds. Negatively, a 2-gallon tree brings anywhere from $120-200!!!