This is the first post in a new series that I am going to call Tuesdays Simple Tips. Basically every Tuesday I will be posting around 5 simple tips that are relevant to the vegetable garden in the given season!
Today’s Tips:
Save Water by Mulching – In the heat of the summer water evaporates from soil very quickly. Placing a layer of mulch on top of the soil will help with water retention. This will not only save water but will lead to happier and healthier plants.
Harvest Basil in the Early AM – The flavor in Basil is mostly found in the oils in the leaves. These oils are in their greatest concentration early in the morning. Harvest basil leaves for fresh use that day, or for drying early in the morning.
Harvest Okra at 4-6” – Well cared for Okra is harvestable up to and sometimes larger than 6”. If allowed to get much longer than that it can get tough and stringy. Harvesting between 4-6” insures a tasty and tender treat.
Wear gloves when harvesting Okra – Okra plants have small hair like spines all over the plant. These spines can be quite annoying if they come in contact with skin and cause massive itching. Wearing gloves and even long sleeves will cut down on this irritant.
Dry herbs to enjoy in the winter – Most herbs are not frost hardy and will either die off or growth will be so slow that harvesting will be impossible. The solution is to harvest a lot of basil during the summer when it grows like a weed and dry it out. Basil (and many other herbs) have a stronger flavor when dried, so the loss in mass is more than made up for in the increase in flavor!
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