Enjoy Time OutdoorsIt's a great day to get outdoors…

It doesn’t matter if you are simply enjoying some time outdoors or in dangerous weather can wreck your day and possibly your life!  That’s why it’s so important to have a good quality, working, emergency weather radio on standby.

Keeping  the radio within ear-shot and on! (with good backup batteries) can make all the difference between an incredible story about how your life was saved because of, or possibly lost due to the lack of, early notification of an oncoming storm, tornado, hurricane, or other natural or man-made disaster.

Listen the audio podcast and full article I’ve written on ‘five key features to consider when evaluating weather radios’.   They can both be found at The PrepForToday podcast.

Propagating Blueberries

I absolutely love blueberries!  They are definitely my favorite berry, and probably my favorite fruit- if I had to pick a favorite

For several years, whenever the Michigan blueberries were in season (and on sale), I would stock up.  At the great sale prices I could put pounds of blueberries in the deep freeze for future use and make large batches of blueberry jam (see my previous post for my recipe).

A strange thing happened this year- the ‘in season’ sale never occurred.  Here in late July the price for blueberries, like nearly all other food and commodity products, are still very high.  I believe that this trend of shrinking/disappearing sales and steadily increasing food prices will continue.

Fortunately our blueberry plants provided us with a fair amount berries this season.  However,  there weren’t enough for anything other than fresh eating.

Enter operation blueberry!  My goal for 2012 is to double or possibly triple our home-grown blueberry plant population.  Within a couple of years we should be able to produce enough blueberries for our needs, reducing our dependence on the retail distribution channel.

I’ve considered buying new plants but decided to try propagating our existing plants by rooting some softwood cuttings, first.

To validate the ‘proof of concept’ I’m starting with four cuttings.  Two each of this year’s most productive varieties.

The propagation process I’m using is very simple.

First, cut several four to five inch cuttings from healthy branches.  Remove the lower leaves from the cuttings, dip the cuttings in a rooting hormone, and place the cuttings into a growing medium, being careful not to rub off the root hormone powder.

Place the containers in a sunny location and monitor their progress and moisture content.  I expect to see new leaves within a few weeks.  I’m planning to post an update, when ready.  Hopefully I’ll be showing off our new blueberry patch!

How long do you think it will take for the first set of leaves to appear?

It’s never too early to begin putting up the harvest.

One of my favorite evening delights is unwinding at the end of a long day with a good book and a large cup (or two) of lemon balm tea. I like my tea simple- no sweetener or cream, just the flavors of the ingredients.

In years past I’ve purchased my lemon balm fresh at the local farmer’s market or in bulk from a local spice company.

I have been rather disappointed with the quality and price for the latter, so last summer I decided to grow my own from seed.

My seeds sprouted successfully, grew well in a container through the late summer, and was eventually planted in one of the house beds (on the East side of the house).

This spring the lemon balm was one of the first plants to emerge from our long, cold, snowy winter and has been growing very well ever since!

This spring I’ve been very happy to be able to pinch off a small handful of leaves for my daily tea regimen.

To avoid having to buy the spice store’s dusty, stem laden lemon balm (grown who knows where and under who knows what conditions) I’ve decided to begin putting up some of my own whenever I enjoy some fresh.

I figure that by saving some along the way I will be better prepared in the event anything happens to my plant. Plus I will know the quality of the harvest that I’m putting up.

I often air dry my lemon balm or dry it in my electric food dehydrator. If I use the dehydrator I take care to keep the temperature as low as possible and stop as soon as they are dry- avoiding over drying them. I then store them in large mason jars.

I am hoping to have enough to make it through the winter. So far it looks as if this goal will be easily met, if I can stick to my plan.

Ten Quick Tips to Prepare Your Yard for Winter
by Steve White, http://enjoytimeoutdoors.com

With the season change in full swing, now is the time to make sure YOUR ‘outdoors’ is ready for the cold, snowy, and freezing weather.

Here are ten tips to help get your landscape ready for winter…

1.) Final haircut of the season
With the blade set high, mow the lawn one final time for the season. Try to let the mower run out of gas when finished. This can eliminate the need to drain the gas tank for winter storage.

2.) Rake and shred leaves
Shredded leaves make wonderful insulation for your beds, bushes, and trees. If you have a leaf shredder-great! If not, just run your lawnmower over the leaf piles and rake up your shredded leaves. If you have a surplus add some to your garden and compost bin, or store them for spring use.

3.) Remove dead perennials
Resist the urge to pull them out, roots and all. By cutting them down to the ground you leave the roots in the ground, leaving them to bio-degrade. This adds additional nutrients for the soil micro-organisms. Leaving them also prevents disturbing the soil that will be sitting dormant during the winter months. If you are a seed-saver, be sure to capture, label and store the seeds.  A great place to share/trade your seeds for FREE is the Seed Exchange at HeirloomSeedSwap.com.

4.) Put away patio containers
If you have patio containers and pots, empty them into the compost bin or around the landscape beds. Wash them with a mild detergent and strong brush and store for the winter.

5.) Protect your patio furniture
Ice and snow can cause a lot of damage to patio furniture, especially marble top tables. Ten dollars in tarps and bungee cords can go a long way in extending the life of your patio furniture. Stack and cover your chairs, tables, umbrellas, etc.

6.) Prevent burst garden hoses
Freezing water can crack and split garden hoses. If the hose is still attached to the house it can cause damage to the spigot.  Drain and store the garden hoses now to prevent damage and ensure they are ready to go come springtime.

7.) Avoid spigot/water damage
If you have shutoffs in your basement be sure to use them and drain the lines. Don’t risk ice-damaged spigots/ water lines, if possible.

8.) Dry firewood burns better
If you leave your firewood rack open throughout the summer, covering it with a tarp and bungee cords will keep out the snow, ice and water, ensuing you have nice, dry firewood for that cold winter night.

9.) Clean gutters drain better
Ensuring that the gutters are clean and draining properly will help prevent ice buildup throughout the winter. Ice buildup in the gutters is very heavy and can literally rip the gutters right off the house. Proper drainage is critical for when the spring showers arrive in a few short months. This fall I’ve incorporated Gutter Filters to help keep our gutters clean. So far, they are doing a great job! Read this post for more information.

10.) The rub with trees/shrubs
Branches and shrubs that come in contact with the house not only wear the surface of the house, they also create damage points on the tree/shrub, making them vulnerable for disease and insects. Depending on the location, overgrown shrubs and trees too close to the house retains moisture, resulting in mildew, rot, and/or pest damage. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

11.) Bonus item- What’s your grade?
Sometimes the mulch around the foundation settles unevenly throughout the seasons. Take a few minutes to check that mulch materials around your foundation grades away from the house. This helps the water run off away from the house, reducing the risk of foundation damage, water infiltration, and/or pest damage.

Thoughts, suggestions, or comments?  Please leave a comment below or email me at enjoytimeoutdoors at gmail dot com …

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This has been a very good week!  

I achieved another of my 2010 goals, to harvest over ten pounds of food from our first-year container garden.

I set this goal back in January, not really knowing what I was going to grow or how I was going to grow it.

In March I started a wide assortment of seeds, with minimal success.  Even with all the failures, I learned alot about starting seeds, watering, temperature, cabbage loopers, properly hardening off seedlings, the importance of securing a growhouse (so the wind doesn’t blow it over), and protecting starts from the darn rabbits.

All season long I kept meticulous records whenever I harvested the tomatoes, onions, and an assortment of hot and sweet peppers. 

I didn’t keep track of the lettuces, green onions, strawberries, raspberries, or assorted herbs.  If I had tracked these ‘small’ harvests, I probably would have achieved this goal over a month ago.

I still have a number of sweet peppers and tomatoes finishing up.  I estimate there is at least one more pound ready to harvest this coming week.

By cross referencing the weather station data with the detailed harvest log it should be interesting to see how cool/heat spells and rainfall impacted the garden production.

Overall, I consider this season a success.  I gained alot of experience that will help me hit the ground running next spring.  

I’m already making plans for next year’s garden, both the garden itself and it’s New Year’s Goal.

First batch of blueberry jam

I LOVE blueberry jam! For several years I’ve wanted to try making my own but never tried- until now. 

Every year when fresh blueberries are in season I’ll buy ten pounds of fresh Michigan blueberries.  In past years I’ve either eaten them fresh or froze them for the long-cold winter. 

This year is different.  Not only have I dehydrated them to make blueberry raisins, I made my first batch of blueberry jam. 

There are many great resources and recipes out there, but here’s the process I used. 

My recipe only uses two ingredients, blueberries and sugar (no pectin, no additives) 

The recipe- 

approx 4.5lbs of fresh blueberries (processed in a blender until smooth, it nets nine cups.  Its’ really more like a blueberry jelly when finished) 

6-cups pure cane sugar 

Preparation- 

1.) Boil canning jars (my batch netted approx six pints) 

2.) Sterilize lids in hot water (I heard you want them near a boil, but not to actually boil.  Mine were removed from heat when they were just about to start a rolling boil) 

3.) place several large spoons in the freezer to cool (I used three, so I could test and retest without having to wait for the spoon to re-cool)  

note- before I started filling the jars I added the funnel  and jar tongs into the jar pan boiling water- to help ensure they were sterile. 

The process- 

1. ) Sort, wash and blend blueberries until smooth (like a smoothie) 

2.) Combine blueberries and sugar in med/large pan and bring to slow rolling boil, stirring frequently.  Keep boiling and stirring until the mixture thickens and some remains on side of pan when you stop stirring.  I let mine boil for a long time (I’m guessing about 1/2hr to 1hr, but I didn’t time it). 

3.) Test the mixture- scoop a spoonful of mixture and hold over a plate (not over the heat).  Let it cool for a few seconds and turn the spoon vertical.  If the mixture drips off quickly, it’s not ready- if it slowly runs off as a clump, it’s ready. 

4.) Remove jars from hot water and set on towel 

5.) Ladle mixture into jars- leaving 1/2 inch headroom (I tried to fill them to the bottom of the lid threads) 

6.) Wipe top lip of jar and place sterile lid and lid ring (hand tighten) 

7.) Process in a water bath for 15 minutes (starting the timer after the water returns to a boil).  Be sure to have at least 1/2 inch of water above the top of the jars. 

8.) Remove from water and let cool.  The lids should pop on their own as the jars cool. 

9.) After cooled, wipe dry and label jars. 

10.) Enjoy 

11.) Share with friends and family (or not  

If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment.

Here’s the weekly vlog update for 18 July 2010 …

I finally shot a video update of the container garden and posted it on YouTube.

I’ve been adding new containers almost weekly and plan to continue through the growing season.

It’s been a while since an update…

Strawberries and raspberries are ripening about a combined (small) handful per week.  Just enough for a nice snack every now and then.  The blueberries are growing but not producing, but I didn’t really expect anything this year.

The lettuce blend is doing great.  We’ve harvested salads for two about four times so far, and it’s ready for another two large salads.  Two rounds of hand-picking cabbage loopers, but the lettuce bounced back great.

Peppers and tomatoes are all blossoming and setting fruit like crazy!  The first sweet pepper is about the size of a baseball, this past week about five peppers and a dozen tomatoes are growing to about the size of a gobstopper.

So far so good…  More updates and photos coming soon.

With the spring cleanup of the landscape underway, I’ve realized that there is an abundance of good fire starting tinder all around.

The river birch out front drops a lot of small twigs all winter (actually year round).  It also provides an amble supply of loose birch bark which I can save for months worth of fires.

In the back, the white pine’s sappy pine cones, which dropped in the fall, are now open and dry.  In addition, there is an ample supply of small dry branches that were never pruned out.  While I’ll leave most of these in place to serve as an animal safe habitat, I can use some for kindling.  Some of the large twigs will work well for featherstick practice.

Thanks to the winter winds, there were strips of white birch bark scattered about the landscape.  While I wouldn’t remove any of the loose bark from these young trees, anything they naturally donate is much appreciated.

I’ve also saved the fluffy tops from the ornamental grasses I cut down a few weeks ago.  These wil provide a nice experiment to see how well they take a spark.

This past winter we lost one of our white pines.   I’m hoping that, since it died during the winter, most of the resin dropped to the stump.  If this is the case, there might be an opportunity to make some resin sticks from the stump.  The diameter of this tree is only between four or five inches, so I’m not sure if it’s big enough, but it’s worth a try.

However things work out with white pine, I should have plenty of tinder material to practice my fire starting  and bushcraft skills this spring and summer.  Fun times to come, right in my own backyard.