I know a few of us have chickens so here are a couple tips. When the weather climbs into the 90s, water, shade, and airflow come first to cool our chickens. Chickens do not sweat like we do. They cool themselves by panting, holding their wings away from their body, and moving heat through their combs and wattles. Once these basics are in place, a few herbs and moisture-rich plants can add another layer of summer support. Fresh spearmint and lemon balm are commonly offered during hot weather. They are traditionally cooling herbs, and many chickens enjoy pecking at the fresh leaves. Purslane is another excellent summer plant because it naturally holds a lot of water while providing good nutrition. Chickweed, broadleaf plantain, and mallow can also make good additions when foraging or when finding them growing around the garden. One thing we want to remember is that herbs are not a replacement for good flock management. They are simply one more piece of the system. A handful of fresh herbs, a patch of edible weeds, or a few moisture-rich garden plants can help support the flock, although the foundation is still water, shade, and airflow. The goal is not to overcomplicate chicken care. It is to notice what the flock needs, use what is already growing around the home, and add support in a steady way. What herbs or garden plants do your chickens seem to enjoy most during the heat?

That word gets used a lot, and it can mean different things depending on where someone is standing. For me, regenerative starts with one question, "Is this system gaining life over time?" Is the soil becoming more alive? Is water soaking in better? Are roots going deeper? Are worms, fungi, insects, and birds showing up? Is the garden becoming less dependent on constant rescue? In a backyard, regenerative does not have to mean a perfect system. It may start with one covered bed, one compost pile, one perennial plant, one pollinator patch, or one family learning to observe before reacting. When you hear the word “regenerative,” what comes to mind first?

I recently received a load of arbor wood chips for $20. What many people consider waste is actually one of nature’s favorite building materials. Every chip is stored carbon, minerals pulled from deep in the soil, and future food for fungi, microbes, insects, and earthworms. Spread over gardens, pathways, orchards, or food forests, wood chips can help:• retain moisture• suppress weeds• moderate soil temperatures• build organic matter• feed soil biology• slowly return nutrients to the earth Forests have been using this system for thousands of years. Trees grow, leaves and branches fall, and everything eventually becomes soil again. Sometimes building fertility doesn’t start with buying inputs. Sometimes it starts with accepting a truckload of what someone else thought was waste. 🍂

I've been interested in planting some of the things that long ago people used to grow, such as: Skirret, Good King Henry, Sea kale, Turkish rocket, Sorrel, etc... Have you looked into any of these? Are you growing any of them?

Last week I wrote about watering the soil system, not just the plant. The next step is learning to check what the soil is doing before adding more water. A watering schedule can be useful, although the garden does not live by the calendar alone. Heat can pull moisture out faster. Wind can dry the surface even when the lower soil still has water. Mulch can slow evaporation and protect the soil. Larger plants need more water because they are moving more moisture through their leaves. Soil texture changes how water moves and holds. Organic matter helps the bed act more like a sponge. Rain may count toward the weekly need, but only if it soaks into the root zone. Root depth matters because shallow roots dry out faster. Shade can lower stress and slow water loss although also slows photosynthesis. The top of the soil may look dry while the layer underneath is still holding moisture. The surface may also look fine while the root zone is getting too dry. That is why we check before we water. Pull the mulch back so you can see what is happening below the surface, not just what the sun and wind have dried on top. Feel the soil below the surface because your hand will often tell you more than the calendar. Watch how fast water soaks in because slow soaking usually means the bed is receiving water well. Notice if water runs off because that often means the soil surface is sealed, sloped, compacted, or being watered too quickly. Notice if water puddles because the bed may already be saturated or may not have enough air movement through the soil. Notice if water disappears too quickly because dry soil, sandy soil, or unfinished organic matter may not be holding moisture yet. Look at the plants in the morning, not only during the hottest part of the day. Morning tells us more about the actual moisture condition. Afternoon wilt can happen during heat stress even when there is still moisture in the soil, especially with young plants, shallow roots, or sudden hot weather. The goal is not to keep the surface wet all the time.