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Henbit is a cool-season annual that completes its entire life cycle before June. Debbie Kaiser set me this pic of the plant covering a soybean field in Warren County back weeks ago. If the field has not been sprayed or hasn’t been worked over the past year, hebit will fill in. It really is free organic matter in that it builds soil when it is worked in & will then die & seed once the hotter weather sets in.
It is beautiful to look at, but it can make the soil cooler & wetter & in much wetter, cooler years, this can be a hindrance to timely corn or soybean planting for growers. Nonetheless, it does provide early source of pollen for bees & always brings aesthetic value to the countryside as the warmth sets in late March through April.
I had quite a bit of it re-sprouting in the garden back last week. I’ll let it re-grow back in a bit, then till it up & plant warm, later-season crops.
Tomatoes by the house are a hair burned, but re-sprouting just fine after the frost & freeze. Nasturtiums faired well. I am waiting to plant herb (Sweet Basil, etc.) & Green Pepper plants in here. I find that peppers & those tender big herb plants are even more sensitive to chill than tomatoes.
The native birds have been in big flocks in the yard for a couple of weeks as the dandelions shed seed. They have devoured the seed heads! Flocks of House Finches, American Goldfinches & even some Chipping Sparrows to the last of the Pine Siskins (stay here in Winter) were eating up!
The new tomato plants were put out this past week after the frost & freeze AWAY from the house. It is a bit cooler out here in the yard, so I waited to get that last frost & freeze done before I put these out. It will be 36-37 next weekend, but they will be ok.
Note how I only left a small stem & tuft os leaves above ground the rest of the 10” plant is underground. Plant the stems deep as those will root at the sides & give you a stronger plant in the long run.
My Grandpa always said to put a banana peel in the planting hole & fill it with milk. I do that every year. It makes sense what he said as the peel provides K or Potassium & milk provides the Ca or Calcium. Tomatoes are hungry for both & feed on these readily.
