Nut Drop on Pecans

Dropping pecan nuts may be due to inadequate water, zinc deficiency, or insects. If you still have a good supply in the tree, don't worry, you'll have nuts this fall. If not, next year keep trees well watered, fertilized, and control insects.

Using Pepperment

Peppermint is a type of mint. Normally one simply uses the leaves, either fresh or dried. The leaves have the best flavor if harvested just before the plant blooms. Fresh leaves are good in iced teas, lemonade, fruit salad, cucumber salad and so on. Dried leaves can be used in Middle Eastern recipes and tea as well as in baking.

To dry, cut the mint near the base of each stem, tie the stems into bundles using rubber bands at the cut ends. Then hook the rubber bands on bent paper clips and use those as hooks to hang the bundles--hook them onto an ordinary coat hanger, for instance. Hang them in a cool, dark, dry, well ventilated spot until crispy. Then remove the leaves from the stems and store in airtight packages such as jars or zipper bags, again in a cool, dark, dry location. Make sure there is no condensation in the container--that means it is not dry enough yet.

Soak Plants Thoroughly

Be wise when watering. Most plants grow best with a thorough soaking and then allowed to dry out before watering again. If you keep the soil too wet, plant roots will be starved for oxygen and die.