By Staff
Michelle Blaylock, Mom's Corner
Dear Mom's Corner,
Do you have a tip for watering newly planted trees? The nursery said we should give it small amounts of water frequently instead of lots of water once or twice a day. I just hate to leave the garden hose on drizzle all day long while we're at work. Do you have any ideas?
When we lived in Kentucky we were told the same thing about watering newly planted trees.
Our neighbor had a wonderful idea. He took 5-gallon buckets and drilled a hole 1/16 to 1/8 inch in diameter down toward the bottom of the bucket. He sat the bucket by the tree and filled it full of water. The tree was drizzled all day long.
I had another friend that watered her newly planted trees in a similar method. She used a large bucket, but instead of drilling hole she used a long medium weight towel.
She put one end in the water and the other end on the ground next to the tree. The towel wicked the water out of the bucket giving the tree even amounts of water.
This method also works well for indoor plants if you have to go out of town for a several days.
There are also timers available for your water hose or sprinkler that allow you to set how often and how long the water runs.
Also, a few tips from S.K. to retain water: mulch well around your plants; plant trees in the fall so they put more energy into growing roots than into growing branches and leaves; and, if at all, possible water grass early in the morning to so that the excess has a chance to burn off. If the water stagnates it can cause harmful molds and bacteria to grow.
Dear Mom's Corner,
What do you do about your kids snacking all summer? It seems that's all mine want to do.
Well, in defense of the little snack monsters, if they are out playing, healthy snacking probably isn't going to hurt them. Key word here is healthy. However, if your kids are like mine they swear the word healthy only has four letters!
I try to keep a variety of healthy options available and easily obtainable.
Let's face it. It's just so much easier to grab that candy and unwrap it than it is to wash and peel a peach.
So to encourage my snack monsters to snack on the right stuff, I do several things.
First of all, I don't keep a lot of stuff around the house I don't want them (or me) to munch on.
When I bring home fresh produce I immediately ready it to eat. I rinse the fruit ( I usually don't peel it, however) and, if possible, set it on the counter so it's handy.
I will rinse, peel and cut things like green peppers, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, broccoli, etc. as soon as I possible. I will also have a healthy dip available to use for veggies.
My favorite is: 1 cup Hellmann's mayo (low fat or light if you like); 1/2 cup small curd cottage cheese; 1/2 cup sour cream; one envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix. Mix well either by hand or in blender for a smooth consistency.
There are many things on the market today that are not really too terrible. Things like rice cakes, granola bars, popcorn, cheese, etc. are fairly healthy.
If you have a suggestion for our hungry little monsters, just let me know and I'll be sure to include it in my next column. Please send your hints, tips, and comments to Mom's Corner, P.O. Box 1496, Hartselle, AL 35640 or moms-corner@juno.com.