Hummingbird feeders

ATTRACTING HUMMINGBIRDS

 

 

 

Hummingbirds have amazed humans for thousands of years, darting though the air so fast it's hard to spot them before they disappear. Now with hummingbird feeders it is easier than ever to attract these delightful birds into our own gardens.

Following the flowers as they bloom though the seasons, hummingbirds journey from Central America as far north as Alaska and Canada every year. Acrobats of the air, they are able to hover and stop in midair as they scout out the environment. Feeding five to eight times an hour, it isn't long before they are off in search of fresh flowers and their next meal. Hummingbirds have the greatest energy output, gram for gram, of any known warm-blooded animal.

 

The recipe for the syrup is simple. Bring one cup sugar and four cups spring water to a boil for one minute. Let it cool to room temp before filling feeders and store extra nectar in the refrigerator. Keep your feeders clean and the sugar water fresh, replacing it every three or four days.

 

Hummingbirds rely on established food supplies, so once you have attracted them they will become a welcomed repeat visitor.

 

One of the great benefits of a feeding station is that hummingbirds often take a short rest, allowing time to observe them up close. Keep your binoculars close by and you might even see it's tongue, twice as long as its beak dip into the feeder to  lap up nectar.

 

In addition to a feeder you can help attract hummingbirds by planting flowers, especially red as well as tubular shaped such as salvias which these little critters love to visit. Besides nectar, hummingbirds consume protein in the form of insects which they find inside flowers, on plants and in trees, in spider webs and in midair as they travel through your yard. Consider that when using pesticides in your yard and gardens. Hummingbirds also drink plenty of  water.

 

Due to our depleting forest and wild spaces, hummingbirds have less natural places to live and feed.  Your hummingbird feeder will not only bring you years of enjoyment, but you will be helping these beautiful creatures survive for future  generations to enjoy.

 

Happy Gardening,
James

 

 

 

Organic Garden "Tea'

ORGANIC &  COMPOST 'TEAS'

 

Most gardeners know the advantages of adding compost to the soil when planting. We mix the ingredients, heat up, turn and tend the pile until we are rewarded with the beautiful rich compost, ‘garden gold’.

 

 

At this time of year we can still take advantage of this valuable amendment by making a bucket of ‘compost tea’. This can be as simple as soaking a few handfuls of compost in a bucket of water for a few days and then using it to fertilize your plants. Stir the tea once a day to blend. Teas are organic so they are healthy for the plants, the soil, and most importantly you, though we shouldn't drink it.

 

 Compost tea can be strained and sprayed onto your plants. This is a practice used by many organic gardeners.

Dried cow manure can also be used to make ‘manure tea’.  Before commercial fertilizers, it was common for New Jersey gardeners to use this on tomatoes. When I make this tea, I put a handful of the dried cow manure in an old sock  knotted at the end. When the tea is done, I toss the sock away and manure tea is ready to use. Feed this into the soil and avoid splashing it on the leaves to prevent burning.

When applying any fertilizer, lightly soak the ground first. This will avoid run off and permit the fertilizer to easily move deep in the soil to the root system of your plants.

 

To prevent a breeding ground for mosquitoes brew these teas for only a few days and avoid letting them stand for very long. Once I got too busy so I had to knock over the bucket.  Better than hosting a mosquito breeding ground. If you can see mosquito 'swimmers' on top.....use it or lose it.*

For gardeners with little time or space to blend your own teas 'Liquid Seaweed' is an alterative organic you can easily purchase in most garden centers. This is sold commercially as a liquid concentrate which is then diluted in your water bucket. You can also put this in a spray bottle to use on the leaves. 

*Remember to clean your bird bath twice a week to avoid mosquitos from breeding in it.

Happy Gardening,
James