Chores - late July 07

Some chores and observations from this weekend:

• pruned back some of the pecan branches scraping on the roof. the pecans are a menace.
• pulled out the tomato plants and put some Natural Gardener "Revitalizer" compost on the beds. i decided to leave the beans (they aren't producing, but i know they are fixing nitrogen, which is good for the soil). getting ready for the fall garden.
  
• buried a stem of the cherry tomatoes to see if we get any resprouting. pulled weeds.
  
• cucumbers are still producing. okra is fruiting. i can't figure out the "fairy eggplant" - probably won't plant that again. peppers have taken a break until the fall? (not clear on that one)
• pruned some hackberry (a constant chore)
  
• did some minor weeding in the perennial beds and noticed that the lyre-leaf sage is spreading by seed in the back.
  
• scarlet sage is blooming again and spreading by seed in the front.
• Brad Blackshear of Black Forest Tree pruned a large limb from the pecan last Thursday
• John Dromgoole (who is extremely nice, knowledgeable and helpful) at Natural Gardener talked to me a little about amending our clay soil. He recommended using expanded shale and "dairy" compost, saying that both would last a long time for a perennial bed. we aren't going to get rid of the clay, but these two things should help open it up a little bit. he advised spreading about 2 inches of shale and 2 inches of compost on the beds and then digging that into the existing soil. sounds like a project for the fall!