Garden tools and Rabbits

When your focused on one thing in particular, a lot of things can fall to the wayside without you knowing it. This week I've been really worried about the state of some of my smaller tomato plants, knowing that we planted them a little late for the California summer has made me very aware of what is going on with them. Unfortunately I wasn't paying attention and the weeds are suddenly everywhere.For those who know the nature of weeds, the fact that they waited until I wasn't looking to grow into a weed version of the hulk will probably not surprise you. This just really means that me and the stirrup hoe will be getting to know each other really well this week.
I'm not sure how many people know of the stirrup hoe. I was introduced to it one weekend by a friend at the community garden and it was as though the heavens opened up and gave me a gift.  This last weekend though someone showed me their miniature version of this ingenious contraption called the mini-hula hoe.

It is a hand held version of the big one, and has changed my entire feeling about the stress I put on my back while I try to use a hoe that is a little to big for me. I'm not exactly tall and the stirrup hoe that is available to us in the garden shed is a little lengthy. This brings me much closer to the ground, relieving some of the stress put on my back and also allows me to put more force on the handle when I need it. Since I am working in a relatively small space, and for those of you who might be working in a bed that requires weeding, this is one of the nicer products out there. 20 minutes with this and I was sold.

One of the reasons I prefer a stirrup hoe to another method of weeding is the need to return necessary elements to the ground. Roots will die back before the weed will start to grow again. The worms eat those and make them into nutrient rich fertilizer which helps also feed your micro-organisms in the ground. This is a wonderful way to help keep those elements in your soil. While you may end up weeding again in the future, your plants get the benefit of soil nutrients and increased organism activity.

Another item of interest is the bunnies have reached over a pound and a half and still have some growing to do. While I can honestly say I didn't believe the girl when she said they wouldn't grow too much more, I'm happy to see that they are filling out and enjoying their hay. At six months I can expect to see a fully grown rabbit but at the moment they are obviously still babies and still growing. The fact that they are catching some serious air when in their pen has forced us to create a higher barrier. They often get living room floor time but when I've got laundry or want to do something when I'm not paying attention it's really necessary to keep them in the larger playpen. Hopefully they won't learn to jump over that or we may be in some trouble. Hope you enjoyed Father's Day. Check out my picture blog if you want to see what we were up to.

Happy weeding!