How many of you have ever been frustrated with the weatherman’s forecast when it turned out to be wrong and it ruined your outdoor activities? Believe it or not, you can be just as good – or even better – in “reading” the signs of nature in your own backyard! All you need is a bit of weather wisdom and experience.

Watching the skies, the actions of birds and bugs, tree and floral indicators, dew drops on the ground, even the taste in the air, and the famous “aching in the bones” are just a few of thousands of natural signs in weather forecasting. Before the invention of resources such as the Doppler Radar, people watched nature for the “weather news report.” And generally, these natural indicators were even more accurate.

So what is this natural way of predicting the weather?

It has been called “weather lore predicting,” “observation forecasting,” or simply “weather wisdom.” This is not a new practice. It has been around since man first walked the earth. Whether they were growing their own food or staying protected from the elements, the importance of getting it right had many implications. The Egyptians, Greeks, and even religious writers in history all made use of it. For example, the Old and New Testaments of the Bible both speak of weather wisdom. The book of Matthew has one I’m sure we’ve all heard one way or another.

“When it is evening, ye say, it will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” (Matthew 16:2-3)

Ancient seamen said the same thing in their own poetic way:

“Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.

Red sky at night, sailors delight!”

As for the Midwestern American farmer, his version reads:

“Evening red, morning gray

Sets the traveler on his way;

Evening gray, morning red,

Brings down rain upon his head.”

Predicting the weather is important in today’s world. If it wasn’t, why do newscasts have continual weather updates? Or 24 hour weather hotlines? Or even up-to-the-minute internet weather sites? It affects every one of us. Now imagine learning to do it yourself “the old way.” Think of the tell-tale signs and of the enjoyment of finding them! It’s unfortunate that anyone nowadays would see this method as being outdated in comparison to modern technology, when in fact the two should go hand in hand.

Correct weather predictions have proven to make all the difference. Everyone from farmers to sailors to construction workers know and rely on this. Learn to know beforehand and spare yourself a headache!

Diane and I sure could have used some natural weather wisdom last year when we were finishing up some outside work around the house. We learned from that unfortunate experience that concrete and certain conditions do not mix!

It all started for me when I found an old book hidden on our dusty shelf, appropriately titled Weather Wisdom by Albert Lee. From there, I have gone on to test many folklore remedies and natural methods. I’ve been surprised at how easy it really is.

Too often in our modern world we forget our past. The old timer’s wisdom of yesteryear is ridiculed, passed over, and discarded in our “fast food” mentality of life. May we keep our families from falling prey to this. We’re trying to re-implement this weather wisdom in our family’s lives and we hope you will too. Next time I’ll pass on to you some methods to try. Till then… don’t forget your umbrella or heavy coat!

Garden season has come to an end for 2024. You’ve dreamed, you’ve toiled, you’ve harvested, and now it’s time to rest. Or so you think.

Despite the plants turning brown and vines drying up, it may not be time to say goodbye to your garden just yet. Let me ask you a couple questions…

Have you sat on your porch with a glass of iced tea and reviewed your garden season’s successes and failures?

What crops did well and which ones didn’t?

What crops did you try and want to grow again or which ones were a waste of time?

Most people start planning for next year’s garden when it’s cold outside and the seed catalogs start arriving in the mail with all those awesome pictures. While that’s not a bad plan, I’m going to suggest a few things to help prepare the ground for better plant health and definitely larger harvests.

First off, your soil worked hard for you this year. It most likely used up a vast portion of the nutrients that were available. Those nutrients MUST be replaced! If your garden didn’t produce well, my guess it those nutrients were never there to begin with. Now is the time to change that!

Fall is the best time to do a soil test. There is more time to amend pH levels or mineral deficiencies (like N-P-K) if needed. Don’t forget the all important trace minerals too. (like boron, magnesium, etc…)

Here’s a few easy tips:

Add lime to raise acid
Add sulfur to raise alkaline
Add manure/compost and soil amendments to raise mineral

Fall also has the benefit of naturally providing some of the things needed for these amendments. Fallen leaves chopped up thru the mower will provide a rich amendment when composted thru the winter. Grass clippings too! Even those pesky weeds, when properly composted, are valuable. WARNING! Be sure to not use diseased plants or cuttings!

Next, plan and prep ahead for gardening planning. Always keep in mind to rotate crops. Never plant the same type of vegetable (with the same botanical family name) in the same spot year after year.

If you have prepared the soil ahead of time, plants will have a head start to producing.

Here are just a few examples:

Carrots- cover area with leaves/leaf mold and mulch into soil. Then re-cover with another layer and leave for winter breakdown. You should see a dramatic difference in next year’s crop.

Cabbage family crops- If you had trouble with club root, add lime or wood ash to the area to raise the pH.

Acid loving plants- work in peat moss, pine needles, or saw dust to have plenty of time to break down.

Asparagus- Heavy feeder so apply minimum of 1 inch of rich compost to bed and cover with a heavy layer to protect roots from freezing.

Plant cover crops like rye, buckwheat, crimson clover, oats, wheat, cowpeas, soybeans, and millet in next year’s garden area. This will naturally add key microbes and nutrients through the winter. Leave your garden covered with some sort of mulch or cover crop over winter to keep soil from freezing as soon as harvest and clean up are finished. This will help worms, microbes etc… remain active longer and will make soil easier to work in spring.

One more little nugget. People have asked me if they should burn off their garden each fall.

Yes and No. It is a good, easy practice to prevent weeds from coming back next year but it also burns up the nitrogen that remains there. Nitro is one of the big three elements plants need. So if you burn off, BE SURE to add nitrogen back into the soil before planting in the Spring!

Hope this helps! Till next time, May God Bless Your Family!

Mike