Mrs. David's Garden Seeds®

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Pruning A Plant

Pruning a plant is an important of gardening. This week, we will learn how to do this properly. A vital part of any healthy garden is pruning and is a natural part of plant growth.  Although nature’s way looks a little different than someone holding pruning sheers, pruning occurs organically when dead limbs fall off trees or when animals or storms break stems or branches.   Pruning is a great way to improve the look of your garden, remove dead or decaying branches, improve the health or appearance of a plant, maintain plants and protect people and property.

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Pruning A Plant - December 25-31, 2023

Monday, December 25, 2023

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful day with friends and family. If you are alone, know that the Lord Jesus is with you. If you are not a believer, know that He came to save you and He can be your best friend if you will let him.

I have been up since early. All of the animals are taken care of. It was 46° when I went out there and I nearly froze. My zinnias are still looking beautiful.

When I went out to feed the fish, the butterflies were all over them this morning.

David and I got busy in the kitchen after all of the animals were fed. David started the prime rib which came out delicious. I baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, roasted carrots and mushrooms. I also made a broccoli casserole and zucchini bites from a zucchini out of the garden that David found on Sunday. Last night I made an applesauce cake for dessert from The Laura Ingalls Wilder Recipe book. It came out very tasty.

Matt came over. We ate our Christmas prime rib at 12:30pm and we ended up watching four Christmas movies that were free on Amazon Prime.

We finally opened presents after 4pm. Guess what was under the blanket? A curio cabinet for my figurines and such! What a great idea David had!

After gifts for us, we gave the three dogs their gifts and then Kitty got a nice bag of treats. Then Matt took care of the animals out back and collected eggs while I went out front, fed the fish, and locked everything up. Then back to the den to continue the movie watching. Matt went home at 9pm and I cleaned up the kitchen and then got ready for bed. It was a fun day that flew by way too quickly.

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Pruning A Plant

Be sure to do some research on the best methods for pruning a plant for your specific plant, tree or shrub before beginning. Improper pruning can injure, stunt growth or leave the plant looking unhealthy or unattractive.

While pruning can technically be performed any time of year, recommendations for the best time vary by plant. Pruning during the wrong season won’t kill the plant, but it may result in a weakened or damaged plant. 

David had one of our team members out pruning all of our orchard trees. I hope the trees were done correctly. Some of  them look pretty naked right now, missing branches. Many leaves are now gone with the rest blowing off by January. Here in Texas, most leaves don't drop in October.

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Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Here it is, Tuesday morning. Time to go back to work after a four day break. It is 37° Fahrenheit at 6:15am. I have printed out orders and I have to get dressed. Then I will hit the ground running. First, I need breakfast.

It is so cold today. I have filled all orders except for two that just came in at lunch time. I heated up Christmas Day dinner for David and me for our lunch. It was good.

The mailman came and picked up two bags of outgoing mail. He said he did not have any mail and that another truck would be bringing the mail because there was too much. What? I know we are getting a lot because I get an email each day with a preview. It has been about 45 minutes and no one has come with the mail yet...

The sky is bright blue but the wind keeps on blowing. There have been no customers yet today and it is already 1:20pm.

No customers came the entire day. It got cold again, down in the 30s tonight. This evening, we finished off our Christmas prime rib and all of the sides. That is good because I was getting a bit sick of them. I took the beef tenderloin out of the freezer so we can make Beef Wellington a la Gordon Ramsay for Saturday, maybe a ham for New Year's Day.

I have to go to the doctor on Friday morning so he can check on my hypertension and weight loss.

I started cleaning up from Christmas. I pulled the dirty red tablecloth off and replaced it with a silvery one. I added three lovely blue candles. Then I started taking gifts off to the appropriate rooms of the house. Then there is putting away all gift bags and tissue paper, not to mention all ornaments and other Christmas items and putting them back in their appropriate places. It was the final year for this tree. I never did figure out how to light up the top portion of the tree this year. It goes bye bye.

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Pruning A Plant - Trees

For established, it’s best to prune in late winter or early spring when the tree is still dormant. The worst time to prune for these types of trees is later in spring when new growth is forming. The tree stored up quite a bit of energy to develop the new growth and it’s a good idea to wait until the tree has time to replenish this energy before removing any new, unwanted growth. In the case of dead or decaying branches, it’s a good idea to remove those immediately for safety reasons.

When pruning a plant, start by removing all of the dead and diseased branches and stems first. Stand back and check the effect. This is frequently all you need to revitalize the look of your trees and shrubs.

To prune a vertical stem less than one inch in diameter, simply cut off the desired piece at a 45 degree angle, just above the bud or branch at the desired height. It’s important not to cut too close to the bud or branch so that it doesn’t dry out and die, but at the same time not leave too much extra left over, which will die and potentially cause problems for your tree.

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Wednesday, December 27, 2023

It is now 3pm. I turned my computer on early this morning to a black screen. That was it. I have been using it for over four years and have had some minor problems with it recently but this morning it decided no more. I sent David a text and he sent Matt on to the store to get me a new computer.

If you don't understand how important a computer is to an online business, you probably don't work online at all. I build three websites, do social media, add products to our website store, print and fill orders including postage, and so much more using my computer. It gets used 365 days a year, for many hours per day. I am amazed it lasted as long as it did. I finally got my new computer up and running, trying to remember logins and passwords.

In between filling orders this morning, I have been dealing with customers. Today is the day where half the known state of Texas decided to visit us! Didn't make it today? Come tomorrow. Our 15% off sale when you spend $25 or more will still be going on. It expires at 6am on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. Until then, as long as you spend at least $25, I will take off 15% of your purchase in our Farm Store. The sale is also on the online store.

The local butterflies and bees are still out there, all over my pretty zinnias. All of our guests were excited over the amount of butterflies showing themselves on the zinnias.

Nacho and his son are here today doing various projects for David. I am not sure exactly what they are doing since I have been very busy today.

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Pruning A Plant - Trees Part 2

When pruning the branch of a tree that is larger than one inch in diameter, it is important to make three cuts to keep the bark from tearing. The bark protects it from disease and insects. Make your first cut six  to twelve inches from the collar. (The collar is the area near the base of the branch where it connects to the tree. It protects the tree from disease and helps the tree heal when branches die and fall away.) 

Cut first from the under side about 1/3 to ½ way through the branch. Then, a little closer to the collar, make the second cut from the top side of the branch about 1/3 to ½ way through the branch. Make your final cut all the way through the branch so that the cut is flush with the collar, leaving the collar intact. If the branch is particularly heavy or there is the possibility of danger when it falls, use a rope to secure the branch and gently lower it to the ground.

When training young trees, be careful not to prune too much off the top initially. While this may lead to bushier growth, it reduces the amount of energy the tree has for developing a healthy root system. It is better to train your tree slowly, over time. Tree branches can be left within 6 to 12 inches of the ground for trees that are to serve as screens or windbreaks, while trees near patios or streets usually have the lowest branches 7 or more feet above the ground. Again, you want to prune the lower, undesired branches off slowly, over time. If you strip a young tree of all of its lower branches right away, it won’t develop as healthy of a trunk as it could. It’s best to wait until the young branches reach at least one inch in diameter before cutting.

For mature trees, it’s best only to cut the branches that are at or near ground level. Leave the higher branches for professionals because pruning those can be dangerous.

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Thursday, December 28, 2023

Good Thursday morning! What a nice change to wake up to a brand new computer that works perfectly! The indoor animals are fed and I have had my first cup of chocolate covered cherry Keurig coffee that I got from HEB. It is so good!

It is 36° outside. I had to go out there with Ethel in the dark and it is so cold. Pamela and Sue Ellen would not come in for the longest time. I guess they were enjoying the freezing temperatures. It is now 7am. It is another work day so I need to get dressed and ready for the day. Tomorrow morning, I see my family doctor to get my thyroid medication renewed. At least I am down about 12 pounds from the last time I saw him so that is a good thing.

I saw our new TV commercial yesterday and I think it came out pretty good. We sent it to the TV station.

Tomatoes

We are packing up tomato seeds for the Tomato Conference coming up so the details are down below as well as Tomato Companion Planting information. If you are in Texas, it is time to start your tomato plants between now and the end of January. Otherwise, you will not have tomatoes before the heat hits. Once the heat really hits, the tomatoes will not put any fruit out.

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Tomato Conference

The Tomato Conference is coming up in about two weeks and if you are interested in going, here is the link for it. If you love growing tomatoes, you should be there. We will be attending and we will be bringing some tomato seeds available for purchase. We also gave some tomato seeds for the goodie bags that attendees will get. Come on out and meet us as well as many of your favorite Texas gardeners. Meet the owner of Texas Gardener Magazine who is putting this conference on. Tickets are $100 and it is on Saturday, January 13, 2024 in Independence, Texas.

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Tomato Companion Planting

Tomatoes get along well with basil, beans, chives, cucumber, lettuce, marigolds, nasturtiums, onion, parsley, peppers, sage, and thyme. Be sure not to put the beans near the peppers or the onions. Do not plant tomatoes near carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, or dill.

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This morning, I cleaned out the pond and refilled it. I filled numerous orders, including re-doing some orders that the USPS lost per tracking before they ever reached the local post office. They are probably stuck between the seats of one of the cars used. We have rural carriers out here who use their own vehicles to carry the mail.

David and I planned the next phase in changing the Farm Store up a bit. We are going to add a coffee bar so customers can sample our pecan coffees. We will need to add a sink in the store and buy a bigger coffee pot.

This afternoon, I took Christmas down and got it all put away. It took me several hours. It was an exhausting process. My sister decorated so I wish she were here to put it all away! She keeps her own Christmas decorations up way after Christmas. I am happy to get rid of the clutter once Christmas is over.

The paperwork has been with the title company signed by both the seller and us, the buyers to buy the next four acres by our fence. We wanted to close before the new year but the title company apparently is not working this week. I find that strange because when we were there in person, the lady we spoke with did not say they would not be available. Today is the last day of the year for them to handle the transaction so I guess we will buy the land next year.

Earlier this week, David took Ethel to the vet to have her nails trimmed. It used to cost $17 but now it cost $63! She didn't even see the actual doctor, just a technician. They have been getting more and more expensive than they were four years ago. Time for a new vet...When we first moved out here, the Lytle vet place was owned by one doctor and prices were lower than in San Antonio.

David called a vet in Devine and a nail cutting is $18. This clinic is owned by one doctor, not a conglomerate. So we had them request records from the Lytle clinic and in January, we will take Pamela and Sue Ellen there for their rabies shots and everything else they get yearly. They will soon turn two.

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Pruning A Plant - Shrubs

Pruning a plant, for instance, shrubs,will have the best results when it is performed at the right time of year. It is best to best prune shrubs during late winter or early spring before the formation of new growth.  As with trees, begin by removing any dead or diseased branches and stems. Then, you can do any thinning out or shaping of the shrubs. Do not simply remove all the top growth of your shrubs in a flat or curved line. You will lose the natural shape of the plant, growth will be less vigorous, and it won’t have as many blooms.

Thinning is a great way to maintain shrubs, while keeping their natural shape. To thin out your shrubs, it’s best to cut back branches and stems to their point of origin: either all the way down to the ground, or to the place where they connect to another branch. It’s a good idea to stand back and walk around the tree from time to time to make sure you’re not over pruning a plant in one area, leaving an unbalanced look to your shrub.

We don't have any shrubs on the farm. The closest thing we have to shrubs would be grapevines.

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Friday, December 29, 2023

I woke up at 5:27am to 36° Fahrenheit. I must remember to bring in the plants on the Farm Store porch or they are going to die. It should be colder tonight. By the way, I sold two large aloe vera plants to customers yesterday that were actually in the store. It is a bit easier when the plants are in there. They are getting light from the grow lights on my hydroponics tower.

We are cleaning up and changing the store. Soon, we will add a sink with a coffee bar for customers to enjoy our pecan flavored coffee while they shop. We will also be putting up a Christmas village as well as other things to see with the possibility of purchasing some of my handmade ornaments. Yes, before I was Mrs. David's Garden Seeds®, I loved to craft.

I have to go see my doctor this morning to renew my thyroid medication. I have lost 12 pounds since I was there last so that is a good thing.

It is now 7:30am. Matt texted me to unlock things as he is at Morales Feed but they don't open until 8am. I went out to unlock everything and Brendon is already here, sleeping in his cold car. It went down to 34° now. That is insane.

Just now, Sue Ellen started barking. Someone was out on the porch. Of course, I thought it was Brendon so I opened the door. It is a man from Hughes Electric wanting to put more electrical outlets in the greenhouse. I got David. The guy freaked me out because he did not knock, just walked around on the porch. I had no idea he would be here.

Matt drove me to the doctor in my vehicle and it is a good thing he did. He started saying it was hard for him to steer. By the time we got to the doctor's office, it was bad. He checked the power steering fluid and it was way down. I did not even know where to look to find that out until he showed me.

I got a good report from the doctor. I lost ten pounds and my blood pressure was pretty good for me. We left and went to Walmart for some power steering fluid which Matt got. He poured it in and steering returned to normal. We then went to Tractor Supply for some chicken supplies and then took a package to UPS. Ordinarily, UPS is here at the farm every single day during the week. For three days now, no UPS at all so we had to take the package in.

We got home and there was a customer. I went out to help and it was a return customer from last year who spent a good amount of money.

Then I made lunch at 1pm for David and me. After that, I have been filling online orders. We will be closed tomorrow and Monday for the New Year's holiday. We'll be back to normal hours starting Tuesday, January 2, 2024.

Once the orders were filled, I went in the house to start vacuuming. Even though I put Christmas away, I did not have time to vacuum up the needles and such left over.

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Pruning A Plant - Hedges And Rose Bushes

When you select a hedge plant from a nursery, choose one that is one to two feet tall, preferably with several branches. After planting, cut it back to about six to eight inches tall to encourage lower branches. Late in the first year, prune back half of the new growth. In year two, do the same: trim off half of the new growth. In the third year, trim your hedge to the desired shape. It will probably not be the final size yet. 

The shape of your hedge is important. Flat-topped hedges collect more snow, which can be a problem.  Straight lines, such as triangles or squares require more pruning, while rounded shapes require less pruning and accumulate less snow. After the shrub has developed lower branches, it’s a good idea to prune your shrubs so that the base of the plant is wider than the top so that sunlight can easily reach all the leaves of the plant.

Here on the farm, we don't have hedges, but we have a lot of roses in our rose garden. You can see it if you take our paid tour. We have about 20 rose bushes that were planted about three years ago. The important thing about having rosebushes is that you have to dead head the rose after it has turned brown.

Pruning a plant includes rosebushes. They should be pruned in early spring. Prune about 1/4 of an inch above a tiny bud. Be sure to cut at a 45 degree angle. Pruning a plant like the the rose encourages new growth.

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Saturday, December 30, 2023

This morning, I woke up at 5:50am. Alexa said it was 31°. I remembered a snake plant I had out on the deck. I got up, went outside, grabbed it, and brought it in. I hope it is okay. Then the three dogs got up and wanted to go out so out the backdoor we all went. I cannot believe how cold it is out there.

At night, there is something glowing purple out in the back. It is some sort of a new grow light in the high tunnel that David really likes. I finally snapped a photo of it just now.

Our Farm Store is closed today for the New Year's holiday. I will be doing some deep cleaning in the house. It needs it badly. So many things are not being dusted and cleaned by the housekeeper. I am starting with my office. I still have one and a half bookshelves to clean.

I just took down our Christmas seed sale and replaced it with our Pre-Spring Seed Sale. Spend $25 or more and save 10% on all seed and garden supply orders. We have germination kits, germination mix, rabbit manure, planting trays, as well as seed sets to order for spring planting. If you are in Texas, it is time to start your tomatoes.

It is now 7:30am and the temperature has dropped down to 28° Fahrenheit! That is insane and I still have to go out and feed the outdoor animals and fish.

Every morning now, I am finding eggs that they lay before I get out there. This morning I found six and here they are, raw and uncleaned. The eggs that you buy from me are cleaned so you don't need to worry.

Tonight for Svengoolie, we will be having shrimp, deviled eggs, Hawaiian rolls and sliced bell peppers, some from the garden that David harvested yesterday! Good thing he picked them then or they would be mushy today with the temperature so low.

I boiled 18 eggs last night that were from December 10. No one bought them so I brought them home to cook. Right now, I have 13 dozen in the store so if you are looking for eggs, come see us on Tuesday when I will have more...The chickens are all laying now so there are even brown eggs again.

I have started laundry and I made the deviled eggs. Ate some for lunch. Now to get cleaning...

Even though the store was closed today, the gates were open so delivery people could get in such as Amazon and the mailman. Some customers came and I waited on them. Of course, I was in the house cleaning and David texted me.

I did a lot in my office. I moved the loveseat after I vacuumed it well and there were so many dog chewies plus a lot of dog kibble pieces under it. I got all of that up and then I put a brand new slip cover on the loveseat. It looks good. I moved all of the dog food containers and extra waters out of here so I can actually move across the floor. Ethel still insists that the loveseat is her bed and hangout area.

I dusted the three bookshelves and books. I still have to go through and get rid of some that I no longer want to keep but the whole room looks and feels so much better.

Tonight, we had a meal of shrimp, raw veggies, deviled eggs, and Hawaiian rolls. We watched the movie, The Undead, which was weird and sort of gross but a lot of it was hilarious even though it wasn't supposed to be. It was made in 1957 so it was in black and white.

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Pruning A Plant - Tomatoes

A favorite among home gardeners, pruning a plant is not a requirement for tomatoes, but recommended.  In the case of tomato plants, you want to remove any dead or diseased sections, as with any other pruning a plant job, first. Next, you can remove some of the extra branches so that all of the leaves have access to sunlight.

You don’t want to over prune, but granting all leaves access to sunlight can encourage more tomatoes as the plant’s leaves won’t be competing with tomatoes. Another important consideration in tomatoes is airflow. Tomatoes need plenty of airflow to maintain healthy foliage. Pruning can help ensure all the leaves have adequate airflow, which will help reduce the likelihood of disease.

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Sunday, December 31, 2023

Good morning! It is the last day of 2023! This year just flew by. It is currently 7am and 37°. I got up at 6:10am and I've been printing out orders and working with a cup of pan dulce coffee made with HEB K-cups. David is still sleeping which is strange but it is the weekend. The sunrise is gorgeous so I took a photo for you.

It seems that the spring orders are pouring in now. Thank you to everyone who is ordering seeds for their spring garden from David's Garden Seeds®.

I need to go out and feed the chickens and rabbits in the cold again. Then we have to get ready for church.

We went to church. There was a wasp in the window in the seat ahead of us. Every once in a while the wasp would fly back by me. I would pick up a hymnal, getting ready to defend myself and then it would fly back to the window. This went on for the whole sermon. I got out of there pretty quick.

We met Matt in Devine at Charlie's Daughter On The Green for lunch. Then he went home and we came home. David is napping and I am trying to get some things done. We already have close to 200 seed orders to pull on Tuesday. Some are small. Others are four and five pages long. We are grateful!

We are planning a quiet night at home this evening. Tomorrow we are planning to make and enjoy Gordon Ramsay's Beef Wellington for Happy New Year! I wish you all a Happy 2024!

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Pruning A Plant - Herbs

Many herbs grow fine on their own, but some benefit from being cut back by about a third once they reach six to eight inches. Pruning a plant can encourage a bushier growth. It is important to do some research first to determine whether or not this is necessary for the types of herbs you are growing. Perennial herbs can be cut down to just a few inches above the soil every year in late fall as a means of harvesting the entire plant. They will regrow in the spring. Pruning a plant correctly means having a much healthier plant next spring.

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Return from Pruning A Plant to Year Five On The Farm

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Since 2009, over 1,500,000 home gardeners, all across the USA, have relied on David's Garden Seeds® to grow beautiful gardens. Trust is at the heart of it. Our customers know David's Garden Seeds® stocks only the highest quality seeds available. Our mission is to become your lifetime supplier of quality seeds. It isn't just to serve you once; we want to earn your trust as your primary supplier.

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Watch Our 2022 TV Commercial!

Sing Along To Our Jingle

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Peppers and peas

And lots of yummy greens

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With Squash This Long

At David's Garden Seeds

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Our New 2024 TV Ad

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Please like and subscribe on YouTube and come visit us at our Farm Store! The music on our TV ad was written, played, and sung by our son, Matthew Schulze. You can meet him when you come to the farm. He just might give you a tour. Ask him to grab a guitar and sing our jingle that he wrote.

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