# Gardening Thread 2021



## Alaskan

A place for us all to share our gardening stories and progress.

Me... I can't find my little table top grow light...  sent kids to search...

No idea where I put it ..  

Bummed...  

Put a few basil seeds in a pot a month back... but house temps are too cold, so no sprouts...

I am thinking of trying again....


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch

I have a grow light, and I think at least two heat mats. I know where one mat is but not the other stuff. One if the fun things that comes with having lots of people help you pack your stuff to move. I'll find them eventually...after growing season I bet. 

I have fig cuttings rooting in the living room, I think I need to upgrade their pots and figure out if they will do ok outside. I want to start some seeds soon and build some raised beds.


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## Baymule

@Alaskan edit the title and add 2021. Then next year we’ll start a new garden thread so this one doesn’t go on forever. Looks like you got 2 threads going, delete the other one. If you don’t know how ask @Support or @Nifty for help.

Hooray! A garden thread!

I got out potting soil, flats and plastic pots yesterday. I have 8 flats ready to plant.

I already planted 3 bundles of white onion sets. Before our 100 year record breaking winter storm, I planted English peas, mustard greens and turnips right before the storm. I planted garlic and potato onions last fall. Then the storm hit and everything got buried under 10” of snow.


My garden looked like a seed graveyard 









Believe it or not, the garlic and onions got freeze burnt, but survived -6F temperatures. The mustard, turnips and English peas hadn’t come up yet, so were insulated under the snow and are coming up now! Kinda spotty in places, but coming up!

Today I’ll plant my flats. I’m ready to rock n’ roll!

@CLSranch its time to start seeds. What ‘cha gonna plant?


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## CLSranch

Baymule said:


> @CLSranch its time to start seeds. What ‘cha gonna plant?


I usually start the herbs inside. I've had some garlic out side in a planter that just never got ready. I noticed the other day the leaves were completely wilted and dug them up to find baby bulds rooting out so I replanted them. It's kinda late but I do have some potatoes that are past ripe and starting to bud that I can plant.


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## CLSranch

I well the wife took 1 of 3 "pockets" of elephant ears out of the flower bed last fall. It turned into 3 pots in the kids closet with several bulbs in each container. They are 2' tall with no light or water. The one's still in the flower bed haven't came up yet. It's about time to replant them and give some blue berries another try before they are not in the dormant stage. Thinking about doing raised beds this time for the blue berries to help with the alky soil.


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## Baymule

I mixed potting soils and filled pots and flats. I got out my seeds and planted broccoli and purple cauliflower, 1 flat of each, 6-pack little pots. The seed packets were dated 2014, what the heck. I have a LOT of seed packets that I planted some out of, I'm gonna try to plant lots of old seed and see if any of it is any good. If it is, great, if it isn't, then it isn't taking up room anymore. If none of this comes up, then I'll go buy some plants. 
I need to get my tomato seeds planted!


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## CLSranch

I went to 2 different friends house's yesterday and forgot again to pick up some of their treated lumber for my blue berry raised bed. One has new wood leftover from a new porch the other is taking off a ramp to an existing porch.
I wanted it done before going to town today after church. Where we get feed they usually have blue berry and various others this time of year.
 They didn't make it last year so I have to re-plant. I added some fertilizer several times last year to bring up the acidity of that spot. Hopefully this year is better.


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## CLSranch

We got started on the tilling. Small patches by hand. Picked up new blue berry and raspberry plants. One raspberry is Fall Gold. I never heard of it it's golden like the name really looks like a clear to unripe berry but I'll give it a go. Got a few herbs that we always have trouble with as seeds and picked up more seeds. I also cut some boards to make my raised beds. A much lower quality wood from crates from work than the thicker pressure treated lumber that I forgot to pick up Sat.


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## CLSranch

My new raised beds


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## CLSranch

Built a new shelf in the laundry room to hold seed starter and moved the light over it. The old place on the counter is being used for actual kitchen stuff now.


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## Alaskan

CLSranch said:


> Built a new shelf in the laundry room to hold seed starter and moved the light over it. The old place on the counter is being used for actual kitchen stuff now.


Kitchen stuff is so important... kitchen stuff results in yummy food.


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## CLSranch

Alaskan said:


> Kitchen stuff is so important... kitchen stuff results in yummy food.


Technically so does the garden stuff.   But not interupting one for the other hopefully works. I may try to plant the elaphant ears today that have been growing in the closet, I should've yesterday before it became a mudhole. 1 set was made into 3 last fall and not sure where to plant the 2nd 2. I could have them side by side I suppose but I put other flowers beside the center 1 the last couple of years.


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## Alaskan

CLSranch said:


> Technically so does the garden stuff.   But not interupting one for the other hopefully works. I may try to plant the elaphant ears today that have been growing in the closet, I should've yesterday before it became a mudhole. 1 set was made into 3 last fall and not sure where to plant the 2nd 2. I could have them side by side I suppose but I put other flowers beside the center 1 the last couple of years.


Elephant ears...  as in garlic?  Or that huge  inedible leafy thing warm climates can grow?


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## CLSranch

That huge inedible leafy thing. 1 of Mine got to 5' last year. That is the one that got dug up and split into 3. It's not in the edible garden. I have them in the little flower garden in the front between the steps and the garage.


Alaskan said:


> Elephant ears...  as in garlic?  Or that huge  inedible leafy thing warm climates can grow?


 They need a sunnier spot but it's the spot I have.


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## Jesusfreak101

I didn't know you could eat those. What would you do with them?


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## CLSranch

You can't that I know of. I just like the way they look. Grandma had some in front of her house when I was growing up.


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## Jesusfreak101

My bad lol i read inedible as edible i am going to find my brain some day lol


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## CLSranch

my not so dormant Elaphants out of the closet.


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## Baymule

Granddaughters went home yesterday.  While they were here, I did manage to get some tomato seeds planted. I also watered the mustard and turnips, tiny little sprouts alongside of tiny little weed sprouts. The English peas are about 4" high and the onion sets are recovering from their ice/snow/-6 freezing temperatures. I need to kick it into high gear and get busy!


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## CLSranch

I got the elaphant ears in the ground yesterday. Rain all day today. If not to wet tomorrow it would be a good time to start spinach outside.


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## Jesusfreak101

Rained last night so great time till and bonus dh is home is has agreed to help wooohooo


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## CLSranch

Glad you got your week with the granddaughters Bay


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## CLSranch

I got cucumbers seeds started in the garden along with spinach, some parsley in the ground. I'm going to get some cantalope and watermelon started inside today. Those 2 I've never started inside but thought I'd change it up because that's what the package says.


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## Alaskan

I think the catalope and watermelon need to be started in bigger parts, I think I remember their roots don't like being disturbed.


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## Jesusfreak101

I keep trying to calculate exactly how much I need to grow this year we keep adding a person and it's driving me nuts lol. So now I going to need enough for 7 people and canning....


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Jesusfreak101 said:


> I keep trying to calculate exactly how much I need to grow this year we keep adding a person and it's driving me nuts lol. So now I going to need enough for 7 people and canning....


I don't think the seventh is going to eat very much lol! Maybe try dehydrating too? I found a whole section on dehydrated baby food in the dehydrating book I bought. Basically just dehydrate and puree, some of it I bet adults would eat too.


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## Jesusfreak101

Lol that's true but almost all of mine at six month old were eating a toddler. Size portion lol plus I like to stock pile lol I am also thinking of my fall garden. And for later.... Okay I have issues lol


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Jesusfreak101 said:


> Lol that's true but almost all of mine at six month old were eating a toddler. Size portion lol plus I like to stock pile lol I am also thinking of my fall garden. And for later.... Okay I have issues lol


Planning ahead is smart


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## Grizzlyhackle

You guys are killing me.
Cucumber seeds in the ground and it's only March. I'm still waiting for the clover and rye to wake up and grow. I got some lettuce and italian dandelion planted last Saturday. It's still a couple weeks to a month until I start peppers or tomatoes. I'm dying for a fresh tomato


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## CLSranch

Grizzlyhackle said:


> I'm dying for a fresh tomato


I always think about doing them inside in the winter as soon as the summer plants die off. But I never do.


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## Alaskan

CLSranch said:


> I always think about doing them inside in the winter as soon as the summer plants die off. But I never do.


They are actually perennials.... if they don't get too cold...  

You could have a house plant.


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## CLSranch

After getting things started outside we got near freezing this morning and getting a light frost tomorrow.


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Anyone more familiar with rhubarb? Is it growing a seed stalk? Several of mine are doing this, they are 2-3 years old.


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## Alaskan

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> Anyone more familiar with rhubarb? Is it growing a seed stalk? Several of mine are doing this, they are 2-3 years old.
> View attachment 83213


Huh... yes, looks like a seed stalk...

Is it growing in a pot?


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Yes, they are in fabric pots 


Alaskan said:


> Huh... yes, looks like a seed stalk...
> 
> Is it growing in a pot?


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## Alaskan

Ah... never seen one in a pot.....

They grow like weeds up here, as in HUGE mounds.


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Alaskan said:


> Ah... never seen one in a pot.....
> 
> They grow like weeds up here, as in HUGE mounds.


The deer like to munch on them, apparently they don't know the leaves are poisonous if eaten in quantity, or maybe it doesn't effect them the way it does humans. I bought the plants when I was at my prior house, and didn't want to leave anything behind so all my plants went into pots. These little fabric pots have held up very well and the plants might actually get big enough to harvest this year. I plan to put them in the ground once I figure out where they will go.


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## Alaskan

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> The deer like to munch on them, apparently they don't know the leaves are poisonous if eaten in quantity, or maybe it doesn't effect them the way it does humans.


Crazy... moose leave them alone (no deer here)


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## Mini Horses

Moose in the garden?  That's a big mouth eating!   Do they jump fences or just stomp them down?   No moose here in VA.  Out west I know they have to build a fortress for hay to keep elk herds out but gardens not as much as the elk move for higher pastures then, mostly.

Here the deer tend to go for the acres of farmed crops but sure will hit a garden if they like the things your growing.   My friend had a bad problem in her in town garden until I took her an electric box and wire!!   Even kept neighborhood dogs out....😁.   she had a patch of woods nearby...not a lot of deer, just a couple it seemed.


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## Alaskan

Mini Horses said:


> Moose in the garden


Moose are all over...

So, if you plant stuff that they like to eat, yes you have to have sturdy fence.

But... they aren't jumpers, so it doesn’t have to be as tall as deer fence.

5 feet is fine for veggies... but if you have trees or other tasty perennials then yes, the fence has to be taller because of the snow.

Moose love fruit trees.  One winter the the top rail of my orchard/ chicken yard failed... they ate the ENTIRE tree!!!  Trunk wasn't that thick, it was a short apple crab... maybe 2 inch diameter.


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## Mini Horses

That was the concern ... Jumping.   I can see they'd take out young trees.  Heck, my goats will do that!  They love the fruit trees.  Last winter one of my bucks took out a young apple, 3 figs bushes and trimmed up a plum pretty good!    Messed up some fence along the way!  Why not???


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## Alaskan

Yep...  before I sold the goats...  they ate up my last remaining aplle tree.


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## CLSranch

I want more a LOT more land and then to get some more goats. On that note I hate goats, you can't keep them in, they jump all over your car, the wife's, the neighbors vehicles and boats. I had one that would jump on my truck bed to the cab then on the trailer attached. Oh Ahh dern goats. My last bunch learned (well 1 nanny taught them all) how to back up and run through 3 runs of electric wire on the inside of the other fence. My neighbor asked about buying some kids. I said take ALL of them in exchange for 4 nanny's that respect hot wire next year or the year after. 
He moved and I still don't have goats.


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## Alaskan

CLSranch said:


> I want more a LOT more land and then to get some more goats. On that note I hate goats, you can't keep them in, they jump all over your car, the wife's, the neighbors vehicles and boats. I had one that would jump on my truck bed to the cab then on the trailer attached. Oh Ahh dern goats. My last bunch learned (well 1 nanny taught them all) how to back up and run through 3 runs of electric wire on the inside of the other fence. My neighbor asked about buying some kids. I said take ALL of them in exchange for 4 nanny's that respect hot wire next year or the year after.
> He moved and I still don't have goats.


Yeah...  I was a complete failure when it came to goat fence.


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## CLSranch

I wonder who has some mulch or wood chips for sale???




I think I could get a half dozen 55 gal barrels full If I wished to break out the rack and had a snow shovel. I could rack it into the tractor bucket 🤔 I may do my potatoes right this year.


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## Alaskan

What potato planting method do you follow?

I do the: toss cut up pieces on ground,  toss stuff on them to cover...  as they grow toss more.

Works for me.


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## CLSranch

Alaskan said:


> What potato planting method do you follow?
> 
> I do the: toss cut up pieces on ground,  toss stuff on them to cover...  as they grow toss more.
> 
> Works for me.


I've planted store bought that didn't get ate (and sprouted in the bag) without really mulching to very bad affects. I also used to plant them in side of the tomato cages/cattle panels. Then I found out they do not grow well together. I was trying to utilize space. I'm going to try left over bad ones and actual potato seed this year. I already planted some of the eaters that started sprouting.

 Today I planted tomato seeds yea a month late with seed starting. I told the wife to get plants she came back with seeds remembering last april/may when every thing was sold out. I said we are a month early and had a frost last wkend. Planting season hasn't started so no need to worry about that yet. We are 4-8 weeks behind you Bay. I started some Thyme, and several pepper seeds as well.
 On a Pepper note does anyone grow green Chile's??? I haven't really seen them anywhere as seeds or plants. Just regular chile peppers or some other pepper. I love canned green chiles and it may be one of my most common ingredients to just add for flavor. Besides my seasoning.


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## Grizzlyhackle

CLSranch said:


> On a Pepper note does anyone grow green Chile's??? I haven't really seen them anywhere as seeds or plants. Just regular chile peppers or some other pepper.


Just jalapeno and serrano. Way to early for plants here. Puckerbutt pepper company carrys lot of varieties so does Seeds n Such. Puckerbutt breeds reapers, ghost,scorpions plus the not so hots. I can't eat them. Ever try super chili little dudes turn red, great for drying and grinding. 4 or 5 of them in a pot of chili makes me sweat.😅


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## CLSranch

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Puckerbutt pepper company carrys lot of varieties so does Seeds n Such.


I'll have to give them a look. I've not noticed them "green chilies" in my seed catalogs. I don't know about the puckerbutt but if they sell the not so hot I'll take a look. A reason I like the green chilies is they don't pucker'my'butt, yet they still taste great.


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## Marie2020

CLSranch said:


> I've planted store bought that didn't get ate (and sprouted in the bag) without really mulching to very bad affects. I also used to plant them in side of the tomato cages/cattle panels. Then I found out they do not grow well together. I was trying to utilize space. I'm going to try left over bad ones and actual potato seed this year. I already planted some of the eaters that started sprouting.
> 
> Today I planted tomato seeds yea a month late with seed starting. I told the wife to get plants she came back with seeds remembering last april/may when every thing was sold out. I said we are a month early and had a frost last wkend. Planting season hasn't started so no need to worry about that yet. We are 4-8 weeks behind you Bay. I started some Thyme, and several pepper seeds as well.
> On a Pepper note does anyone grow green Chile's??? I haven't really seen them anywhere as seeds or plants. Just regular chile peppers or some other pepper. I love canned green chiles and it may be one of my most common ingredients to just add for flavor. Besides my seasoning.


I find you just cannot beat the real thing.  My butt is fine with them


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## Alaskan

Ha!  Snowed another inch yesterday 



BUT

I got some seeds planted today.  I ordered nothing this year... I decided to use up antique seeds (ok, not technically antique... but old)  so am soaking some in damp paper towels and planted some thick in pots.... we shall see what comes up.

I wanted to plant a bunch more... but ran out of dirt.

I think the oldest seeds were from 2011.


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## CLSranch

Some seeds last a real long time. I don't know about ten years but you seeded heavily. I'd imagine you'd need to always start seeds early inside to get much production time. Yet I've noticed in N.D. the season is months shorter than my house but they can get more grass in 5 months than we can in 9. Maybe there's some good dirt under the Explorer. lol.
 I planted okra and did some more hand tilling. A few years ago I bought the biggest tiller I could find and now doing it by hand. WTH


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## Alaskan

CLSranch said:


> A few years ago I bought the biggest tiller I could find


And why?  What happened to the huge tiller?


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## Mini Horses

I need to get tilling!   Yes, with a machine.   It takes a while to convert grassy pasture area to garden...especially no till.  So once it dries enough, till. Only yr 2 for the area.

Old seed here being used.  Need to clear out the stash.  That means give it a shot at growing.   Generally I make a couple mounds, add seed, transplant what sprouts.  Saves a lot of tedious pot time, and pots, for old seed.   I've  had decent results.

What I need is two weeks at home with perfect weather!   Have even considered hiring someone to do first round....against all rules.    But I don't have another here to help.

Love that name " Puckerbutt".   😁


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## CLSranch

Transmission locked up.


Alaskan said:


> What happened to the huge tiller?


This year I already have garden full of henbit. Since it's edible and so is dandelion I'm leaving them and white clover in the garden as a sort of cover crop. They're all short enough to not interfere with the rest of the garden except maybe a few herbs, and provide shade to keep the water from getting sucked up by the sun. 
  This way cuts down on a lot of the need to till leaving everything in between rows completely untilled. Just get Fescue and bermuda out and put into the bald spots in the yard.


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## Alaskan

CLSranch said:


> Since it's edible and so is dandelion


 
One summer my mom visted... and I found her in my yard pulling out the dandelions from my grass... roots and all.

I told her "NO!  Not my dandelions!  Leave them!"

Should have seen the look on her face!


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## CLSranch

Alaskan said:


> "NO! Not my dandelions! Leave them!"


I also like watching the bee's on them. I was blowing some across the yard with my son one day and a friend said "noo you'll spread the seeds all over." I said I know and it'll help attract bee's next year.


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## Grizzlyhackle

Mini Horses said:


> Love that name " Puckerbutt".   😁


Truly it is the name of a seed company.



CLSranch said:


> henbit


You talking about the weed that gets the purple flowers that draw bumble bees


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## CLSranch

Grizzlyhackle said:


> You talking about the weed that gets the purple flowers that draw bumble bees


Yes. It tends to like disturbed ground such as a previously tilled garden. Also liked by the honey bee's.


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## Grizzlyhackle

CLSranch said:


> Yes. It tends to like disturbed ground such as a previously tilled garden. Also liked by the honey bee's.


There's alot in my yard and the  fields. Thought it was just a  weed didn't know it was edible. Things ya learn , thanks.
I'm a wild dandelion fan too. Never ate the wild kind but I grow the  garden Italian type.


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## Alaskan

Well ... sheesh....

I was doing the wet paper towel thing with some seeds....  

And I hadn't poured enough water into the tray from which they were wicking water... they dried out... and what was super odd...  is one of the folded over paper towels opened up and spewed its many seeds all over the tray...

Maybe the parrot did a fly by....   

Anyway...  got it sort of set back up...

Here is a shot of my garden


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch

That's a lot of snow! Temps are rising here and we might be out of the rainy season. Grass (and weeds) are growing like crazy. The miner's lettuce is knee high in some places.

Grandma in law was over this weekend and she has grown rhubarb before, she instructed to cut off the stalks as the plants would concentrate on seeds instead of more leaves if I let them continue. She is going to share her sour cream rhubarb pie recipe, so hopefully I will be able to make that this summer.

I potted up cuttings and planted some canna bulbs. I trampled down all the weeds growing around my potted plants and watered everything. Some of my bare root plants are starting to get tiny leaves! The blueberry plants have flowers! Even the brand new 'jelly bean' variety I just bought a month or so ago!


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## CLSranch

Yesterday I didn't get much done in the garden but I did over seed the pasture where it's rutted up and over ate. And got some of the old hay moved to some of the low bare spots.


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## Grizzlyhackle

Still waiting on clover, rye and vetch to get some growth, make it worthwhile to turn under. Got some tilling done Saturday to make room for some red potatoes, carrots and radishes. Lettuce, dandelion, arugula have sprouted got them in raised split barrels. Rained off and on all day Sunday. Stupid shift I'm on 12-8:30pm leaves me with just the weekend to do much. Ready to get back on 6am-2:30.


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## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Still waiting on clover, rye and vetch to get some growth, make it worthwhile to turn under. Got some tilling done Saturday to make room for some red potatoes, carrots and radishes. Lettuce, dandelion, arugula have sprouted got them in raised split barrels. Rained off and on all day Sunday. Stupid shift I'm on 12-8:30pm leaves me with just the weekend to do much. Ready to get back on 6am-2:30.


Pictures of the garden??


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## Grizzlyhackle

Rye and vetch, hanging stuff on the right is  leftover from asparagus bed, poles on the right is for snap peas if they ever sprout.


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## Grizzlyhackle

Left of the pea trellis, clover in the back mix of rye,vetch,clover etc it's a fall mix I tried from Johnny's seeds. Little spot I tilled to kill chickweed. The circle of rat wire was to block of a cottontail that likes Italian Dandelion. Didn't matter it died.


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## Grizzlyhackle

Last part
Tall pole in front is a straight trellis that I grew Dr martin pole beans they get big. Google it they are huge beans. Trellis to the left is for sieva beans. The green is chickweed, a skinny row of wheat, orchard grass back left I keep for my rabbits. Tilled sections are for the taters, carrots. 
I didn't know that trellis was that straight.  Lunchtime is over and I've bored you enough for now.


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## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 83607
> Rye and vetch, hanging stuff on the right is  leftover from asparagus bed, poles on the right is for snap peas if they ever sprout.


Whoot!  Love all of the pictures!

As for peas... even though they grow great in cool and damp weather, I have found they don't always sprout that well that way..  

If you soak all of the seeds overnight,  so the peas start thinking of sprouting,  then plant, I have had better success. 

Also, if I have the space, I just barely start them in pots...  so as soon as they come up, transplant.


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## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> Whoot!  Love all of the pictures!
> 
> As for peas... even though they grow great in cool and damp weather, I have found they don't always sprout that well that way..
> 
> If you soak all of the seeds overnight,


Always heard plant by St.Patrick's day but it doesn't always work out to well. I should buy treated seed but it slips my mind until after I've planted and start wondering . I'll have to give the soak a try next time.


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## CLSranch

Grizzlyhackle said:


> The circle of rat wire was to block of a cottontail that likes Italian Dandelion. Didn't matter it died.


It will help for the next rabbit. You know there will be another.
I was a little upset I wasn't done with more planting outside. It works out since were having another freeze tomorrow morning. I may even have to replant the cucumber and okra.


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## Grizzlyhackle

In truth I'd rather have the rabbit. 2 years ago I came home to find a big mound of dirt with a hole in the middle. Scared I had a fox den in the garden turned out to be a ground hog. I flushed him out with the hose went in to get my pistol and it disappeared. Never came back thankfully. Neighbor said it lived under shed. It partied while I was work ate half a row of greens. 

This little dude was last summer. He liked cherry tomatoes.


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## Rabbitsbysara

Yes gardening! My favorite! So I mulched and turned my garden with rabbit manure/straw. 
I planted peas and carrots and beets and mustard and spinach and cilantro and turnips. And onion transplants. It has been super windy and dry here. Not a great combo for seeds so. I also put grass seed and clover mix on the lawn. I do have dandelions coming up, leave some for the bees, but my rabbits are so happy to have fresh greens. 
I have 2 trays of broccoli cabbage collards cauliflowers inside doing good. Still too cold to plant out. 
Just started my peppers and tomatoes, I know I am a little late but it should be fine. Every time I plant early it is cold and they are too big in my house. 
Garlic is up. 
I have my seed potatoes chiting.
To the others who are planting store potatoes, you will get much better results from seed potatoes, certified disease free. 
I pruned some of my blues and raspberries. 
The fall gold are my favorite as well as queen Anne. The yellow rasp are so delicious. I ordered a few more and blackberry and strawberries. I have lots of strawberries just plant more every year. I don't even know why I mess with the blue berry they are finicky. I can go to Blueberry farm and pick gallons super easy. 2.00 a pound. The birds eat alot of mine. I may net this year blackberry too. 
Comfrey is up no asparagus yet. 
Has anyone ever gotten a honeyberry aka Saskatoon? I have 4 bushes and have yet to have a berry. 
I can't wait for a fresh tomato too. And spinach. And asparagus. Cuke. Zuke. Kale. Carrot. Berries. 🤤
25 last nite and tonite, and tomorrow high 36 Burr. Not done with freezing yet.


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## CLSranch

Rabbitsbysara said:


> The fall gold are my favorite


I just got one this year. I've never had them before. Good to hear something good about them.


Rabbitsbysara said:


> I don't even know why I mess with the blue berry they are finicky.


I'm trying again for the 3rd year. The 1st year I put wood ash in the area to fertilize, then found out that it sent the alkaline numbers in the wrong direction.


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## Rabbitsbysara

CLSranch said:


> I just got one this year. I've never had them before. Good to hear something good about them.
> 
> I'm trying again for the 3rd year. The 1st year I put wood ash in the area to fertilize, then found out that it sent the alkaline numbers in the wrong direction.


I put peat and Sulphur and use acidic organic fertilizer once a year and mulch with rabbit manure/straw/leaves. Is best to buy the oldest bushes you can find.


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## Rabbitsbysara

At the Blueberry farm, it is like a forest of blueberries, the bushes are like 9 foot high in rows so long and thick. I love going there. In Michigan the soil is very sandy, they grow great there. Also blueberries need cross pollination. 
I'm much better at raspberries, but the spotted winged drosophila fly is a big problem. If you pull off the berry and the stem is red, look in the berry closely you will see tiny clear worms. Can't see them in the yellow ones. These are a huge problem. As far as I know they don't affect blueberries, but they say they can.


----------



## Alaskan

I used to have a long stretch of blueberries...  I bought 2 of ever kind offered from some fancy nursery....

I think I remember that they like coffee grounds?

Anyway...  one year we had a rodent explosion... no joke...  and the little voles stripped the bark and sap wood from every single teeny tiny blueberry branch and stem...  killed them all.

I never replanted.

For those with dandelions...  use the young leaves as the greens on pesto.  Tastes great. 

Also...  if dandelions are up, are the ferns up?  The fresh young ferns are also good.  (I think though... that i read that some ferns are toxic... better check what grows in your area before eating).


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Peas are coming but not as thick as I planted. Bought some treated snap peas seeds at the Southern states dealer this morning. Figure I'll go ahead and put some more out see what happens. 
I've got the market cornered on chickweed if anybody wants some, be glad to send it your way.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> I've got the market cornered on chickweed if anybody wants some, be glad to send it your way.


Supposedly that is a great health food.

Have at.

My seeds are being super slow at sprouting.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> Supposedly that is a great health food.
> 
> Have at.
> 
> My seeds are being super slow at sprouting.


That's what I've heard. Haven't been brave enough to try.
Sprouting seeds is like watching paint dry


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Sprouting seeds is like watching paint dry


YES!!!

BUT, tonight as I poked at them...  some of the antique seeds that I planted are sprouting!!!!

I am so excited!

Except for the fact that
1. A bunch are mystery seeds that had fallen out of packets...  so humm..  how to plant them, space them, etc.... and how do I know how many I want?
2. There are a bunch of peas!!  Way too early to plant peas!!  I have OVER 4 feet of snow still!  But.... they were so old, I really did not think that they would sprout... and now... they have sprouted!

Hummm. Luckily, I can make space, I do have pots...  but... I am worried that my waterproof trays are under a snow berm..

Ah, well... I will figure something out.

The jillion basil seeds I planted, no sprouts yet.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> YES!!!
> 
> BUT, tonight as I poked at them...  some of the antique seeds that I planted are sprouting!!!!
> 
> I am so excited!
> 
> Except for the fact that
> 1. A bunch are mystery seeds that had fallen out of packets...  so humm..  how to plant them, space them, etc.... and how do I know how many I want?
> 2. There are a bunch of peas!!  Way too early to plant peas!!  I have OVER 4 feet of snow still!  But.... they were so old, I really did not think that they would sprout... and now... they have sprouted!
> 
> Hummm. Luckily, I can make space, I do have pots...  but... I am worried that my waterproof trays are under a snow berm..
> 
> Ah, well... I will figure something out.
> 
> The jillion basil seeds I planted, no sprouts


Four FEET of snow I can't even imagine.
I've got clear fertile ground and your peas have sprouted. I just ain't praying right.
Or I've got no patience.


----------



## CLSranch

Dill, cilantro, and canteloupe got planted in the garden today along with replanting the cucumber that didn't come up. The 2 freezes after it got into the 70's didn't help them.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

CLSranch said:


> Dill, cilantro, and canteloupe got planted in the garden today along with replanting the cucumber that didn't come up. The 2 freezes after it got into the 70's didn't help them.


I keep reading all the stuff you guys are planting and I'm like HOW. Thinking I was confused I checked UMd ag. ext. I've got 6 more weeks at least. I don't trust the dates and wait til Memorial day for cucumbers, tomatoes.  I'm so ready it's not even funny.


----------



## caprines.n.me

I finally got some seeds buried today.  Some zucchini, yellow squash and winter squash.


----------



## Alaskan

caprines.n.me said:


> I finally got some seeds buried today.  Some zucchini, yellow squash and winter squash.


You can keep those. 

I do like patty pan squah though.


----------



## Alaskan

CLSranch said:


> Dill, cilantro, and canteloupe got planted in the garden today along with replanting the cucumber that didn't come up. The 2 freezes after it got into the 70's didn't help them.


I love dill!

Here with cilantro I feel like it needs to be planted every 2 seconds.  With the daylight we get it tries to bolt the second it has leaves.


----------



## CLSranch

Alaskan said:


> I love dill!
> 
> Here with cilantro I feel like it needs to be planted every 2 seconds.  With the daylight we get it tries to bolt the second it has leaves.


I'll have to check cilantro but MANY plants have several edible parts like the flower after it bolts and the target veg is no longer optimal.
   Yea I've been reading a lot of Mother Earth News, but it's informational.

 The wonderful daylight helps make up for your current 4' of snow and more coming. You have to make hay while the sun is shining.lol


----------



## Alaskan

Cilantro gets a bit bitter after sending up flowers...

The key is to watch it like a hawk, plant over time, and harvest fast.


----------



## Alasgun

You guys sound like a bunch of novices with the cilantro😳. And if you wait till it flowers, we consider it coriander and still useful in mescan food but not liked by many.
This picture is a tub ready to start cutting. Clear cut from one end to the other taking a hand size bunch and a tub like this last us 3 weeks eating it every day. Most times by the time i get to the end, i can go back over it another time. We grow it year round and find it does well indoors under lights and in the greenhouse once things warm up.
i use a johnny’s variety (calypso) and it never bolts, course we don't wait till its a rank weed to try and eat it either. Seed it thick like wheat grass, water it well and have at it. It’s one of the easiest things we grow.


----------



## Alaskan

Alasgun said:


> You guys sound like a bunch of novices with the cilantro😳. And if you wait till it flowers, we consider it coriander and still useful in mescan food but not liked by many.
> This picture is a tub ready to start cutting. Clear cut from one end to the other taking a hand size bunch and a tub like this last us 3 weeks eating it every day. Most times by the time i get to the end, i can go back over it another time. We grow it year round and find it does well indoors under lights and in the greenhouse once things warm up.
> i use a johnny’s variety (calypso) and it never bolts, course we don't wait till its a rank weed to try and eat it either. Seed it thick like wheat grass, water it well and have at it. It’s one of the easiest things we grow.


Maybe because I don't seed it thick????

What you are growing looks great.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Cilantro tastes like lemon scented soap to me.


----------



## Alasgun

Could be, it took a bit to get onto growing it this way. We eat enough of it that rows weren't cutting it, i would need 200 ft! then i noticed “in the instructions” them saying don't worry about seeding it thickly, it does just fine; and it dawned on me to seed it like wheat grass.

it’s one of the herb’s known to draw out heavy metal from your system and why we use so much of it.
We’ve grown it like you would think proper and dont care for it once it get’s some height and we never use it once it seeds.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

I wish I could grow cilantro. I bought a six pack of started ones last weekend. Dunno if I will get any decent amount out of it. Hubby absolutely loves it and cooks a lot of stir fries with it.


----------



## Alaskan

Alasgun said:


> Could be, it took a bit to get onto growing it this way. We eat enough of it that rows weren't cutting it, i would need 200 ft! then i noticed “in the instructions” them saying don't worry about seeding it thickly, it does just fine; and it dawned on me to seed it like wheat grass.
> 
> it’s one of the herb’s known to draw out heavy metal from your system and why we use so much of it.
> We’ve grown it like you would think proper and dont care for it once it get’s some height and we never use it once it seeds.


Well.... I will definitely give it a try growing the cilantro thick....

I have to find pots now for all of my sprouted peas... I am vacilating between stick a few in a huge permanent pot...  and put them in smaller pots to transplant out... in a month...  

But...  hummmmmmm


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Cilantro tastes like lemon scented soap to me.


Supposedly that is a genetic thing...  either you taste soap... or you don't.  Interesting.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

@Alaskan  that's what I was told also. 
What do vacillating mean..I think that's the first time I ever read that word in a sentence.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> @Alaskan  that's what I was told also.
> What do vacillating mean..I think that's the first time I ever read that word in a sentence.


Vacillating is going back on forth as to what to do...  so, indecisive.


----------



## Niele da Kine

Vacillating can be anything going back and forth; a choice, a decision, a needle on a gauge, etc.  Doesn't have to be a concrete object, but it can be.

Gardening around here has become landscaping since the bulldozer left a week ago.  We now have slopes scraped clean of Guinea grass and it's still rainy season, so I've been out there tossing grass seed around.  Not sure what to cover the slopes with.  Something that won't get too tall since there's a view we don't want blocked.  Something that will choke out Guinea grass and all other weeds.  Maybe something that smells nice since it's upwind of the lanai?

So far I've been considering Dragon's Beard mondo grass.  That's a very dark green grass-ish (I don't think technically it's a real grass) plant that once it is established, would probably be great.  It also likes to grow around rocks, so I can make a rock faced embankment and grow the mondo grass around the rocks and they will eventually cover the rocks and it will be a dark green slope that won't need mowing.  However, it would most likely take about three years before it fully filled in which would be three years of weeding by hand while that was happening.

'Golden Glory' perennial peanut has also been under consideration.  That will cover a slope and hold it in place, not sure about it's choking out the other weeds part, though.  I want whatever grows there to be the only thing there eventually.  It's also a yellow green overall color with yellow flowers.  No scent and no peanuts either, I don't think?

I did just find the Zephirine Drouhin climbing rose I'd been looking for for awhile.  Would a climbing rose make a good groundcover for a slope?  It would smell nice and it's also thornless so it would be able to be weeded while waiting for it to fill in the slope.  I only have the one plant at the moment, but it could be multiplied as it grows.

What else would make a good ground cover on a slope?  Lavender?  Gardenia?


----------



## Alaskan

I am pretty sure any rose will need to be weeded.

I think lavender grows thickly enough that it would be a good choice, and of course it smells great.

Does Salvia do well there?  There are many kinds.  They don't smell like anything,  but they produce nectar and pollen so bees and hummingbirds love them. 

Ok... you don't have hummingbirds...  but whatever nectar feeders you do have will love them.

Once established i didn't have to weed my Salvia (back in Texas, Salvia would cry if planted where I live in Alaska, no heat).  The Salvia does bloom way longer if you take the time to dead head the plants, but you do not have to.


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

Cilantro is delicious! Rabbits love it too. It likes cold. When it gets hot it flowers which is good for bugs. I use the dried seeds, ground fresh, coriander. Is wonderful and fresh tasting. You shouldn't buy cilantro plants they have short span in heat, as soon as you transplant they will bolt. Just direct sow in succession. Pro tip plant under tomatoes and other plants. Basil as well. I planted cilantro in my garlic beds this year. I can pull up at any time.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Tough to get anything done last few days. Left hip and leg sent me to the chiropractor, slow moving, ice packs and biofreeze.
Managed to get one row of red potatoes planted. Tilled another row yesterday. Rained last night, be good to plant my carrots and radishes today. It's 72 outside love to get out maybe get pepper seeds started today. Grow light and heat mat just sitting there waiting on me. Recliners calling my name....


----------



## CLSranch

I finally found some seed potatoes today. Probably going to play with the filly this afternoon instead of planting them, but I finally got some.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

CLSranch said:


> I finally found some seed potatoes today. Probably going to play with the filly this afternoon instead of planting them, but I finally got some.


Leave'em sit and let the eyes grow a couple of days, they'll keep. I went ahead planted my second row of reds. Short row of carrots and radishes also.
Started 4 ,6 packs of jalapeno, 1 of serrano's, 1 of the super chili. Grow mats reading 80 degrees.
Started some arugula  and dandelion out in my little greenhouse.  Need some biofreeze, but the pain reminds me I'm still here.  That's about how I feel today.


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

I had my daughter pick a huge bag of dandelion at the community garden today. For the bunnies of course! I planted out my cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Kale, collards, lettuce, parsley. Oh and strawberries, blackberries, and gooseberries. Planted potatoes almost 2 weeks ago. Hope it stays warm. Alot of seeds didn't come up, it has been very dry. Even with the little rain we had the past two the soil is still dry.


----------



## Alaskan

I never could get myself or anyone else in the family excited about gooseberries...  such a shame, they grow well up here.


----------



## R2elk

Alaskan said:


> I never could get myself or anyone else in the family excited about gooseberries...  such a shame, they grow well up here.


Gooseberry pie is awesome.


----------



## Alaskan

OK brilliant peeps, 

Remember I planted a bunch of mystery seeds, then in addition, the dog walked over some labeled seedlings and knocked the markers about... And...  there are a few things that I knew, but forgot to mark when I planted....       so now I have a BUNCH of things I am unsure of.

What is this seedling going to be?  Any guesses?  A bunch of this sprouted... so whatever it is has great viability.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Do you still have the seed packets? Maybe use search engine to look for seedling + 'plant type' to narrow down your options? Or you might have to wait until the true leaves grow in, those look like seed/baby leaves to me.


----------



## Alaskan

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> Do you still have the seed packets? Maybe use search engine to look for seedling + 'plant type' to narrow down your options? Or you might have to wait until the true leaves grow in, those look like seed/baby leaves to me.


Yes, they are the seed leaves...  but some babies are easy to recognize. 

Like the peas and the tomatoes...  I have those down. 

And... hummmmm...  i do still have seed packets, BUT, a bunch of mystery seeds were simply in the bottom of the seed tin, so could be almost anything.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Anyone else go into the store and see the seed displays and HAVE to look despite knowing you have too many seeds already and you don't need more... And then buy more anyway...  Snagged a 72 cell starter kit, thought it was $10 but turned out to be only $5, shoulda grabbed another one. And more seeds, that I am 98% sure I already have at home.

Going to try to start lettuce tonight! My brother grew lettuce last year but only one maybe two types, his salads were very boring. Going to try to see if I can get a good mix going for him so he has more variety.


----------



## Alaskan

Once you start getting into it, lettuce is amazing. 

Crazy number of kinds and colors etc.

And yes on the seed packets buying. 

I bought 2 more...


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

Those look like beets or broc or chard or cabbage or cauliflower collards mustard turnips or Kale. Lol any help? 
You will just have to wait a little longer to see what they are lol. Surprise seedlings!


----------



## Alaskan

Rabbitsbysara said:


> Those look like beets or broc or chard or cabbage or cauliflower collards mustard turnips or Kale. Lol any help?
> You will just have to wait a little longer to see what they are lol. Surprise seedlings!




That actually narrows it down!

Most likely beets then...  low chance of cabbage, cauliflower or broccoli.

It has been forever since I had turnip seeds, so probably not, never in my life planted Kale...  but now that I am older I finally like the stuff... so I should, it loves the climate here.

Almost positive that I never had mustard or collards... but wait....  I did do mustard sprouts for a few years, had loads of seeds to keep a constant yield of sprouts.... 

Ok...  beets or mustard, most likely.  

That helps a bunch!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

See all that taller stuff. That's from a seed packet from Johnnys in Maine called cheap frills. I'm not sure what any of it is but sharp and bitter is about the flavor. The shorter on the right is arugula.Thats tomorrow's lunch with olive oil and Roma tomato.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Tall stuff is what's left of last years italian dandelion. Little green in the front is dandelion I planted in late March. Its kinda bitter but I like it. When it bolts my rabbits tear it up. 
Y'all talking about kale. I wouldn't eat it until 3 years ago I tried it raw. Old folks always cooked it with grease and boiled till it looked like seaweed and to me was terrible. Then they'd soak it with vinegar....oh its nasty to me. Turnip greens same way. I'd just as well eat grass along a ditchbank.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Old folks always cooked it with grease and boiled till it looked like seaweed and to me was terrible.


Yep, x2.

But just wilted in the pan and served with eggs and toast it is great.


----------



## CLSranch

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Leave'em sit and let the eyes grow a couple of days, they'll keep. I went ahead planted my second row of reds. Short row of carrots and radishes also.


Oh I let them set and could barely get the red's out of the bag. Most of them had 2 eyes over 6" long. The Kennebec not as bad but I could see a lot of eyes when I bought the bag. I need longer rows to cut them and get full use out of them. I got 2 tubs and going to make 2 more out of old lick tubs to plant more in.
  I got a lot of the hay & manure from last years round bales piled in a spot in the garden. I didn't count but about 4-5 tractor buckets full for composting/mulching and hilling the taters and maters when they get in the ground.


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 84104
> 
> Tall stuff is what's left of last years italian dandelion. Little green in the front is dandelion I planted in late March. Its kinda bitter but I like it. When it bolts my rabbits tear it up.
> Y'all talking about kale. I wouldn't eat it until 3 years ago I tried it raw. Old folks always cooked it with grease and boiled till it looked like seaweed and to me was terrible. Then they'd soak it with vinegar....oh its nasty to me. Turnip greens same way. I'd just as well eat grass along a ditchbank.


That is mizuna which is a mustard. Kale is delicious in juice. My favorite way to consume. Also  dehydrated as chips. I put some Kale sprouts from my over wintered Kale in my lentil soup I made the other day, was yummy. Dandelion is bitter. Turnip greens are only good mixed with other greens with smoked turkey! But rabbits love it all! 
Hope my potatoes do good this year, I spent 70.00 on 15lbs of seed potatoes! Gave half to my dad. He made a wire tower and layer it with straw and Soil and potatoes. Shame his will probably be better than mine! I will hill mine with straw/rabbit manure.


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

I know these are small, but it is cold here. They are calling for snow Tuesday!


----------



## Alaskan

Rabbitsbysara said:


> I know these are small, but it is cold here. They are calling for snow Tuesday!


They look great!

I can't see them clearly enough... are those tomatoes?

Dandelion when young has only the smallest trace of bitter...  at that age it is pretty good... we make it up into pesto.

For potatoes I just put the cut up pieces on the flat ground,  and mound up.  Less work.


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

Yes tomatoes and peppers 
I planted my potatoes in pots and root pouch beds. None have come up yet though, it is cold now. I hope they don't rot.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> Dandelion when young has only the smallest trace of bitter...  at that age it is pretty good... we make it up into pesto.
> 
> For potatoes I just put the cut up pieces on the flat ground,  and mound up.  Less work.


I had never heard of the cultivated dandelion until couple years ago. One grocery had them and I've grown them ever since. Dummy me I never thought to eat shorter younger.

I always put taters about 4" down and hill as they grow. Biggest I had last year came out of my compost pile. I'm gonna try that again.


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

I always have butternut squash growing out my compost. Every year. I never plant them but always end up with them lol.


----------



## Alaskan

Rabbitsbysara said:


> I always have butternut squash growing out my compost. Every year. I never plant them but always end up with them lol.




Awesome... but that also means your compost isn't hot enough.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> I had never heard of the cultivated dandelion until couple years ago.


I don't think I have ever tried the cultivated dandelion. 

We just eat the stuff growing in our "lawn".


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

__





						Clio - (F1) Italian Dandelion Seed | Johnny's Selected Seeds
					

Tender and uniform Italian dandelion. Clio is similar but superior to Catalogna Special. It is more upright and more uniform, and delivers a higher marketable ...




					www.johnnyseeds.com
				



I have wanted to try the wild type. But I can't get passed thinking where the dog has been. I know I can wash it. Do you pick it before or after it flowers?


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

I heard  some organic seed growers that used to grow seed for Johnnys, that they stopped buying seed from them. They started having their seed grown by growers from China. So I don't buy Johnnys expensive seed anymore. 
My compost is very hot in some places, but the problem is I only have one pile so I run out of places to add new stuff to it. And when the sprouts sprout out I don't turn that part anymore. It is pretty hot right now, I added some horse manure to get it cooking. I have to water it a alittle more, it has been very dry here. Very dry. I turned it some yesterday, it was smoking. I don't have a soil thermometer. I always forget to buy one. I just got a bag of compost starter too. I will try to turn and water and add that. Should get nice and hot. It's mostly stuff from last year so I will spread it out before the warm season gets started. It should be okay. I still have some butternut from last year I haven't put in there yet lol. I don't eat it much and I like to can them for my dogs but it is so much work. Didn't get around to it. I still have to shell the dry beans and can them! 
Northern gardeners, do you know the trick for sweet potatoes? Put your grow bags on the concrete. The sweet potatoes get huge. I had one almost as big as a 5 gallon bucket. Last year my peppers were great. I planted them in with my cabbage. Some cabbages I get early others are long season big ones. Has anyone else noticed peppers and cabbage growing good together or was it a coincidence? I haven't found anything useful about it.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Rabbitsbysara said:


> I heard  some organic seed growers that used to grow seed for Johnnys, that they stopped buying seed from them. They started having their seed grown by growers from China. So I don't buy Johnnys expensive seed anymore.


Now that's something I'll have to check out. I agree they are high priced and only get a few items.
Have you ever tried homemade compost activator using beer and ammonia? Saw it online and was thinking about it.


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

Never heard that! I usually just use pee! Lol


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Rabbitsbysara said:


> Never heard that! I usually just use pee! Lol


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> __
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Clio - (F1) Italian Dandelion Seed | Johnny's Selected Seeds
> 
> 
> Tender and uniform Italian dandelion. Clio is similar but superior to Catalogna Special. It is more upright and more uniform, and delivers a higher marketable ...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.johnnyseeds.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have wanted to try the wild type. But I can't get passed thinking where the dog has been. I know I can wash it. Do you pick it before or after it flowers?


Young leaves... doesn't matter if it has flowered yet, as long as the leaves are young ones.


----------



## CLSranch

Rabbitsbysara said:


> Never heard that! I usually just use pee! Lol


You just need a lot of beer to pee enough. I'll bring a case of budlight and come help.


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

Ha! I don't drink beer, only tea! But it has the same effect!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

So there I was all fat and happy on Sunday, all but the serrano's I started were popping in the seed tray ,life was good.
Monday morning I turn on the grow light and half of them are gone. Tuesday morning now all of them are gone and potting soil is scattered. I caught him last night with a glue trap. I hate a mouse.
I got inside just in time. Raining hard outside now. This morning was bright and sunny. Cut my grass, cut the rye and vetch.
Now to replant all those peppers and  watch something on the boob tube.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> So there I was all fat and happy on Sunday, all but the serrano's I started were popping in the seed tray ,life was good.
> Monday morning I turn on the grow light and half of them are gone. Tuesday morning now all of them are gone and potting soil is scattered. I caught him last night with a glue trap. I hate a mouse.
> I got inside just in time. Raining hard outside now. This morning was bright and sunny. Cut my grass, cut the rye and vetch.
> Now to replant all those peppers and  watch something on the boob tube.




The tragedy!!!!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Anybody got a clue what this is? I think a squirrel raided somebody's flowerbed and hid it for later.


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

Freezing here. Snow on and off. Windy and cold. They say 30 tonite. I am trying to figure out how to cover my stuff and what's important to cover. Plus I threw out all my remay last year forgot about it and it may rain too so I don't want to use sheets. Ugghh freaking chicago. Last freeze gets later and later every year!


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 84340
> Anybody got a clue what this is? I think a squirrel raided somebody's flowerbed and hid it for later.


Some kind of cool bulb.  what it is though.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Grizzlyhackle said:


> So there I was all fat and happy on Sunday, all but the serrano's I started were popping in the seed tray ,life was good.
> Monday morning I turn on the grow light and half of them are gone. Tuesday morning now all of them are gone and potting soil is scattered. I caught him last night with a glue trap. I hate a mouse.
> I got inside just in time. Raining hard outside now. This morning was bright and sunny. Cut my grass, cut the rye and vetch.
> Now to replant all those peppers and  watch something on the boob tube.


Umm, can you install a cat in that room? I have found they are quite effective against mice.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

@Larsen Poultry Ranch we talked about it, don't miss cleaning a litter box. Had our last cat 17 years. The end wasn't pretty and still fresh in DW's mind.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Grizzlyhackle said:


> @Larsen Poultry Ranch we talked about it, don't miss cleaning a litter box. Had our last cat 17 years. The end wasn't pretty and still fresh in DW's mind.


It's hard losing a pet after that long.


----------



## Mini Horses

The plant looks somewhat like a hyacinth but it isn't as tight and close flowered as here.   Does it smell sweet?   Nice the squirrel forgot it.   Hey, mice....usually go for bread and cheese not hot peppers.    😁    Hope there isn't a friend still there....


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

@Mini Horses I'll try and pick one tomorrow. 
I think that mouse was on steroids the way it was pulling that glue trap around. I would never have thought one would eat plants like that. At first I thought I had a cutworm. I've got snap and glue traps all over the house now.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

I finally got some seeds started! Might be a little late for the peppers but better to try and fail than just give up without trying. I think I counted about 39 different seed types. Some was older seed so not sure it'll come up. Now I need to get the raised beds ready so I will have somewhere to transplant and I can get beans, beets, and carrots started.


----------



## Alaskan

A bunch of my seeds didn't come up..

It is time for me to replant the seed pots that have zero sprouts, and put the seedlings that did grow into bigger pots.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

These will be going in tomorrow...


----------



## Alaskan

HomeOnTheRange said:


> These will be going in tomorrow...
> 
> View attachment 84492View attachment 84493


What are those?

I recognized tomatoes... what else?


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Jalapenos, Green/Red Sweet Peppers, and Eggplant.  Everything else will be direct sow.


----------



## CLSranch

I tilled a few more spots today, we did yesterday. I planted corn and replanted okra, spincach and cilantro. I think the spinach was from a non consistent watering the others the additional late frost after it got so nice.


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

We have a drought here! Was 85 today! Windy. Dry. My garden and seeds are thirsty! Rough start to the season. I love those huge heat mats where can i get them? I need to resow a lot of seeds that didn't come up because of cold and dry. Now the clock is ticking! Oh and watch out for the ticks, found 2 on my dogs ear the other day. It


----------



## CLSranch

Rabbitsbysara said:


> We have a drought here! Was 85 today! Windy. Dry. My garden and seeds are thirsty! Rough start to the season. I love those huge heat mats where can i get them? I need to resow a lot of seeds that didn't come up because of cold and dry. Now the clock is ticking! Oh and watch out for the ticks, found 2 on my dogs ear the other day. It


About the same here. Ticks are dependent on your area here. A few weeks ago, I was at the neighbors the (the neighbor) wife was complaining about the ticks on the dogs and the grand kids. I've had 1 I think was from here. I suggested the $200 worth of 7 dust and permetheryin in my tractor sprayer in trade for well $200 of product and my sprayer to use with my tractor to spray it with. It's still not fixed. I also noticed yesterday I went to a neighbors ranch to look at house with a bee colony in it and to move my swarm trap. I noticed I got several on me with a few on my son, who was barefoot.
 The reason to give away the pesticide was to not have it in my yard, not because my ants left. I have a lot of chickens and the neighbors guineas cover every side of the property.


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

I used de in duster last year. I have a 40lb bag this year. Maybe rain today? If it's dry this weekend I will mow and apply the de.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

I bought a Sevin product at Walmart maybe 8$. It's a pellet not dust. So far haven't found any on me or the dog. It has to be watered in. I got it down before it rained end of March.
My potatoes all came up
I think that flower I asked about is a bluebell.
I won the mouse war, just waiting for the jalapeno's to sprout.


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

Organic over here. So no sevin lol. Haven't seen any more ticks yet. I did mow but didn't dust yet cuz it's too windy! Some of my potatoes are coming up. Now I have to find some straw to hill them. Straw is 8.00 a bale here! Anyway I was thinking about getting a new raised bed. Idk alot of money but I want really nice tomatoes this year. A nice garden! Picked some spindly asparagus. My collards from last year are starting to bloom. Gonna save some seed. I've been watering. It's so dry and windy. My water bill is going to be so much! Griz you are late on your seeds no? I'm trying to harden my plants off but it's so windy. Beat up my tomatoes pretty bad, poor things. Hope to garden much more tomorrow, less windy🤞. 
So I went to this huge rabbit farm, and they put all the manure in their garden. The guy had like 300 rabbits maybe more. It was a huge amount of manure. I asked if his soil was only manure and he said yes pretty much. Is there such a thing as too much rabbit manure in your garden?


----------



## CLSranch

Rabbitsbysara said:


> Is there such a thing as too much rabbit manure in your garden?


I know with chicken manure it's easy. Most like to let everything not chicken set for a while before dumping it in the garden. Horse manure can be dumped on top of tomatoes  with out hurting, but not planted in it as well. I think rabbit manure isn't over powering but never raised any and not experienced with is.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

In the past I used regular Sevin dust everywhere. Now I just use the pellets down one fence line. I get deer and dog ticks and lyme disease ain't funny. 2 beagles got it even using revolution.
I am kinda late with the tomato and peppers. I was good before the mouse. I don't plant any outside before Memorial day so I should be ok. For certain then I don't have cold nights. I've tried tomatoes earlier and they didn't  do any better. No matter it's always the last week of July before I get a red tomato.
I don't know about overload on rabbit manure. To much chicken house manure will cause problems. To quote my Pop, " she's gonna burn that garden with all that chicken crap". I don't know if it's too much nitrogen but sure enough some of the neighbors stuff would wither. I put out alot of rabbit poop in wide rows with straw then cover it with weed barrier and leave it sit fall to spring. 4 or 5" deep. I don't use it fresh but I've read that it's safe.
I would rather use horse but man it gets heavy. A full bucket of dry bunny feels like it's empty.  It's an interesting question.
I did get 6 stalks of asparagus today. DW likes it steamed. Dang mess one day it's 2 or 3" next day seems like it shoots to 2 feet. But she likes it so I grow it. Makes a nice screen when it spreads out.


----------



## CLSranch

Grizzlyhackle said:


> To much chicken house manure will cause problems. To quote my Pop, " she's gonna burn that garden with all that chicken crap". I don't know if it's too much nitrogen


Yes nitrogen. Way to much.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

I looked it up and found 200 - 400 lbs per 1000 square feet. Fat fingers can't get the link copied it was sf gates home gardening.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

CLSranch said:


> Yes nitrogen. Way to much.


Because of runoff  the farmers had to put up pole buildings and have to file nutrient plans. Sooo many chicken farms here. Back in the 90's caused an outbreak of something called phisteria (probably spelled wrong) was making watermen sick.


----------



## Mini Horses

Chicken manure needs compost for heavy use.   Light applications ok, light side dress...keep off plants, lightly work into soil...doesn't take much!   Rabbit and goat can be worked in without such concern...ready to use, so to speak...but winter application to compost in is best.

Too much chicken manure will kill stuff, burn it right up.  Even grasses near chicken houses have been shown to have grass that cause nitrogen poisoning to animals eating it.   But you can cut and use that grass as fertilizing mulch.  The free range hens fertilize grasses in amounts that aren't dangerous....unless too many on small area.

Comfrey leaves are a good fertilizer and ready to use.  Or you can make stinky comfrey tea.   Manure teas can be used, also.   My goats and chickens love the comfrey and it's a nutrition plus in small amounts.  I have to fence mine off to save it from snack attacks... 😁


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

My comfrey is beautiful right now! The bees are hapoy to have it. I do make a comfrey and nettle tea for fert. We use mothers day as when to plant. It is usually dry and windy though. Gonna start warming up fast I think. I know no one likes ticks. Nasty bastards. The rats bring them here. Dogs killed one yesterday. Horse manure has too many weed seeds. I did out some in my compost pile to heat it up. But I don't want to spread it on my garden. Correct you can use rabbit manure with out composting. I have a constant supply. All my beds were topped in it mixed with some straw, hay, or pine shavings. Soon it will just be going Straight to the compost pile. I have a pretty big pile right now pretty much done, going to fill a new raised bed with it and top it off with dirt. I really need two piles but I just don't have the space.


----------



## CLSranch

I like getting (really just seeing) the first few ticks of the year. It means it's finally warming up and the depressing winter is over.  The silver lining.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Raining pretty steady now, so much for garden work tonight.


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

Actually ticks are active any day the temp is above freezing. Doesn't have to be hot for ticks. Here anyway. A tiny bit of rain here, supposed to get more. Feeling bad for anyone affected by the tornadoes. Pray for a great garden for everyone who puts forth the effort!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Looks like I've got a new tenant in my greenhouse.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 84680
> Looks like I've got a new tenant in my greenhouse.


Don't leave us guessing. 

What is it?


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> Don't leave us guessing.
> 
> What is it?


I don't know. Assuming it's a bird, little bird put a nest in an open bag of pro mix couple years ago. Kinda scared to move it.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Grizzlyhackle said:


> I don't know. Assuming it's a bird, little bird put a nest in an open bag of pro mix couple years ago. Kinda scared to move it.


Are there eggs yet? If no eggs, maybe you can build a shelf and move the nest so it's out of the way? It might abandon the nest but at least it won't have started laying yet.


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

Unless it's a rat nest?  🐁🐀🐭Looks kinda big for your mouse friends, lol. 
Greenhouse! I'm jealous!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> Are there eggs yet? If no eggs, maybe you can build a shelf and move the nest so it's out of the way? It might abandon the nest butt at least it won't have started laying yet.


I looked inside no eggs yet. I saw bird droppings so at least it's not a mouse or rat. I'm going leave it cuz it's pretty cool when there's babies. They really aren't in my. I moved some stuff so I won't bother it. If it's the wrens I'm thinking of they've been in there before. I can't believe how big it is and how quick it got built. Wasn't there for certain on Saturday cuz I watered that pot.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Rabbitsbysara said:


> Unless it's a rat nest?  🐁🐀🐭Looks kinda big for your mouse friends, lol.
> Greenhouse! I'm jealous!


Nope mice are in the people house
Don't be jealous it's not all that. Harbor freight 6x8. Sun's burning up the roof panels. Somebody will say different, I'll tell you they are alot of work. The only advantage I see over a cold frame is I can stand up in it and store stuff in it. Earlier it was 110 in there. Need to put my shade cloth over it. Can you say lazy.


----------



## Mini Horses

CLSranch said:


> I like getting (really just seeing) the first few ticks of the year. It means it's finally warming up and the depressing winter is over.  The silver lining.


A cardinal tells me that ... It s pretty and doesn't bite me.      Instead of ticks.


Rain here, too.  Strange....saw it coming across the field, it came down good and within a few minutes sunshine there, rain stopped.  I can see more black clouds,  hear a little thunder.  More coming.   I need some rain.   It's been pretty hot and dry.  Farmer next door was working his field earlier as dust clouds were all around him.    The ground can handle more and I'm not working the garden until Fri or Sat.   Should be perfect    😁  Let's hope.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Mini Horses said:


> A cardinal tells me that ... It s pretty and doesn't bite me.      Instead of ticks.
> 
> 
> Rain here, too.  Strange....saw it coming across the field, it came down good and within a few minutes sunshine there, rain stopped.  I can see more black clouds,  hear a little thunder.  More coming.   I need some rain.   It's been pretty hot and dry.  Farmer next door was working his field earlier as dust clouds were all around him.    The ground can handle more and I'm not working the garden until Fri or Sat.   Should be perfect    😁  Let's hope.


Booming outside be here in about 20 minutes I figure

Just pulled that off my belly. So much for the Sevin granules.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

No doubt it's a bird now.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 84942
> No doubt it's a bird now.


Nice!!!!


----------



## Baymule

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Peas are coming but not as thick as I planted. Bought some treated snap peas seeds at the Southern states dealer this morning. Figure I'll go ahead and put some more out see what happens.
> I've got the market cornered on chickweed if anybody wants some, be glad to send it your way.


Chickweed is good! I made salads with it and used chickweed instead of lettuce in tacos. I dehydrate tomatoes for winter salads. I can’t abide store bought tomatoes so I dehydrate my own. I picked chickweed, washed, drained and stored in zip lock bags in the refrigerator for several days as I used it. I’ve read that you can also make pesto with it, maybe I’ll try that next year. It warmed up now, chickweed went to seed so I’ll pick it again next year.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> Chickweed is good! I made salads with it and used chickweed instead of lettuce in tacos. I dehydrate tomatoes for winter salads. I can’t abide store bought tomatoes so I dehydrate my own. I picked chickweed, washed, drained and stored in zip lock bags in the refrigerator for several days as I used it. I’ve read that you can also make pesto with it, maybe I’ll try that next year. It warmed up now, chickweed went to seed so I’ll pick it again next year.
> 
> View attachment 84957
> 
> View attachment 84956


Man says I see you got the chickweed ,knew you would, brought that chicken house manure home happen everytime. And I've heard that from lots of people. They think it's something Perdue puts in the feed. So nobody I know eats it. My retired vet told me come get all you want your quail will tear it up. It's all gone now but when it comes back I'll take a picture make sure it's the right stuff and try it. We used to spray it in spring with roundup. Course that didn't work ,now I know it had already reseeded.


----------



## Baymule

Finally we got in the garden yesterday. So far, I’ve picked turnip and mustard greens, got some in the freezer. Green onions have been good, they are making onions now, so I stopped pulling them. I’ve had a bodacious crop of rye grass, lambs quarters and ragweed. We’ve had a lot of rainy weather and when there was a decent day, we always had appointments that seem to take all day. We did get a late frost, so I felt vindicated at being so late in the garden.

So yesterday we laid out cardboard and covered it with well composted wood chips, already broke down, black and crumbly. We also use paper feed sacks. I have 3 rolls of weed cloth that we are going to lay out this morning. I used weed cloth last year, it still grew crabgrass under it. Had to roll it up and pull the darned crabgrass! This morning we are going to lay out feed sacks with the weed cloth over it, held down by bricks.

This is my entire 2021 harvest of English peas. Epic failure. We ate them all for supper.





My weed choked 2 rows of purple mustard greens. I’m going to get them weeded, pull most of them but save a few to go to seed.





This is the tomato trellis we prepared yesterday. I use cow panels on T posts, set 20” apart. I put up 3 cow panels, making 2 double rows. They work great and I never take them down. That’s my tomato plants happy place, they grow over the top, get to 10-12’ high. I totally recommend cow panels for super easy permanent tomato trellis.





The green plants you see in the trellis are black eyed Susan’s. I just go around them, I enjoy their flowers. The mulched area to the right is for planting beans. The trellis is double row, 32 feet long. I have another tomato trellis, double row, 16 feet long.

We have sunshine today, clouding up tomorrow and the rains come back Sunday.


----------



## Mini Horses

Looking good out there!  

 That mustard is sure pretty.  Peas..I like them sauted with butter and dried oregano.  Just a nice combo.

Starting is always hard for me.   I brought some big cardboard boxes home from jobs.  I have a stack of 8.5x11 sheets of lightweight cardboard...comes in my job pkgs...and I'm going to try using them around my tomato plants.  Cut hole in center, make a cut to edge to open as I lay it around the plant.   You lay out the aboard and cut into...same results...I just have a lot of these.  Not as heavy as a box but, enough.   I used to use newspaper and wet it.  It stuck like glue.  Not so much newsprint around now.

I've disc twice. Gotta rake to smooth and drag stuff out....then plant!   Working!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Stuffs getting ahead of me. There's the one row of green arrow peas and two rows of red taters. All that tall stuff needs to get cut but I let some of the red clover flower for the honeybees. I won't even talk about the pitiful snap peas.
Working 12 to 8 not enough time in the morning. Dark when I get home. Little row of Lima beans has sprouted.  I love them with slick dumplings.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Little row of Lima beans has sprouted.  I love them with slick dumplings.


What are slick dumplings?


----------



## Alaskan

Up here snow is finally gone from the garden beds... I have to put clear plastic over the rows to warm the soil....  and kick the chickens out of the greenhouse and water the excess nitrogen away.


----------



## Baymule

@Grizzlyhackle with the hours you are working, just plant and do what you can. If you part the weeds and bring forth food, then I call that success. A garden doesn’t have to be pretty to be productive.


----------



## Mini Horses

Slick dumplings...never heard that but, I suspect they're the flat noodle type as opposed to ones you drop like a hush puppy....???   He'll tell us.  

Woohoo....Alaskan has dirt!    👍   That snow went fast once it started to melt.

I missed all early cool crops this year.  Will just do them in Fall...I hope😁  I'm working on tomatoes and peppers!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> What are slick dumplings?


Drop dumplings just rolled real flat. They taste better , don't get doughy. Good with spring peas and black pepper. Slide em into a pot of limas. Really best way is in the pot after you take out the chicken or beef. Boil them couple minutes.  Love em. Thin looong strips. Eastern shore style is just flour, water and crisco.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Mini Horses said:


> Slick dumplings...never heard that but, I suspect they're the flat noodle type as opposed to ones you drop like a hush puppy....???   He'll tell us.


Yes ma'am.  Eastern Shore cooking at it's finest.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

@Baymule  yes Ma'am, I'm trying to play the fiddle at both ends. I went to a neurosurgeon this afternoon who said about the same. My bend over don't have a lot of straighten up no more and she said cut it out before I have to. All them years Mom and Granny said boy get off your knees. Bent over, back hurting pulling weeds and picking. Steady fussing gonna ruin your pants.  Scoliosis who knew.


----------



## Baymule

@Grizzlyhackle perhaps you should consider raised beds. 3’ wide so you could reach the middle without stretching. Make them out of capped cinderblocks and you’d have a seat to sit on.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> @Grizzlyhackle perhaps you should consider raised beds. 3’ wide so you could reach the middle without stretching. Make them out of capped cinderblocks and you’d have a seat to sit on.


That's a good idea. I have one but of lumber it's low but I can sit on a bucket. I keep my digging fork close so I can get up. I thought about one of the wheel seats in the garden catalog until I thought about falling off. Been using raised split barrels for salad greens, scallions.  Built those stands waist high. Do you think radishes and carrots would grow  ok in a barrel split lengthwise?


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> That's a good idea. I have one but of lumber it's low but I can sit on a bucket. I keep my digging fork close so I can get up. I thought about one of the wheel seats in the garden catalog until I thought about falling off. Been using raised split barrels for salad greens, scallions.  Built those stands waist high. Do you think radishes and carrots would grow  ok in a barrel split lengthwise?


Radishes most definitely. 

Carrots, as long as the carrots aren't the super long ones, would work well too.


----------



## Baymule

Thursday  and Friday we finally got the garden ready. Today I start planting. Tomorrow night it starts raining and will rain all week. It rained all last week, Thursday to  today were the only clear days. Today will be cloudy until it starts raining. But maybe I can run out between rains to plant something. We have hit it as fast and as hard as we could yesterday and today. We are sore and tired. The tomato trellises are ready to plant. We laid down paper feed sacks and covered with well composted wood chips mulch. It is well broken down, black and crumbly.

The green strip to the left is mustard greens peeping out from a blanket of ragweed, lambs quarters, chickweed and other assorted weeds bent on taking over the world.








To the right of the Long tomato trellis is where I’ll plant beans.






Last year we put down weed cloth on this place in the garden. It let in enough light for crabgrass and lambs quarters to grow, which lifted the weed cloth up. Had to roll up the weed cloth, pull the fanged crabgrass and lambs quarters, then roll the weed cloth back out. So yesterday we laid out paper feed sacks, cut open, then rolled weed cloth out over them.







After we finished that, we stopped for lunch. Then we came back out, I laid down cardboard while DH brought wood chip mulch in the tractor bucket and dumped it.






Then we moved to a strip on the other side of the mustard greens and laid cardboard down and mulch over it. I haven’t raked it all out yet, we were exhausted and stopped. DH will rake it out today while I plant.


----------



## Mini Horses

WOW....talk about work.    Will be interested to hear how that works out.     Guess you won't need to till or weed.....hopefully.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

@Baymule wow that's a big garden. I've wished for years I had that much ground. 
I think you have to put weed cloth down in two layers for it two really work good. I do and don't have much trouble. I use the staples, tougher to push through doubled but they hold pretty well. Nothing wrong with bricks just lighter to carry. Loose myself for hours in a garden that big.


----------



## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> Thursday  and Friday we finally got the garden ready. Today I start planting. Tomorrow night it starts raining and will rain all week. It rained all last week, Thursday to  today were the only clear days. Today will be cloudy until it starts raining. But maybe I can run out between rains to plant something. We have hit it as fast and as hard as we could yesterday and today. We are sore and tired. The tomato trellises are ready to plant. We laid down paper feed sacks and covered with well composted wood chips mulch. It is well broken down, black and crumbly.
> 
> The green strip to the left is mustard greens peeping out from a blanket of ragweed, lambs quarters, chickweed and other assorted weeds bent on taking over the world.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> To the right of the Long tomato trellis is where I’ll plant beans.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Last year we put down weed cloth on this place in the garden. It let in enough light for crabgrass and lambs quarters to grow, which lifted the weed cloth up. Had to roll up the weed cloth, pull the fanged crabgrass and lambs quarters, then roll the weed cloth back out. So yesterday we laid out paper feed sacks, cut open, then rolled weed cloth out over them.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> After we finished that, we stopped for lunch. Then we came back out, I laid down cardboard while DH brought wood chip mulch in the tractor bucket and dumped it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then we moved to a strip on the other side of the mustard greens and laid cardboard down and mulch over it. I haven’t raked it all out yet, we were exhausted and stopped. DH will rake it out today while I plant.


How do you weed and tend between those fences?


----------



## Alaskan

Bought some seedlings since my seed sprouting was very spotty.

I will now wait a few days for that plastic on my beds to warm the soil...  

And in the greenhouse I need a few more days of thorough soaking to wash out the extra nitrogen.


----------



## Baymule

Alaskan said:


> Fence line  is the hard part. It also has chicken wire hog ringed on the bottom 2 feet and 2 feet laid on the ground to keep rabbits out. Weeds grow into both fence and chicken wire. I don’t know how I quoted Alaskan with no quote. LOL


----------



## Baymule

@Grizzlyhackle the garden is 100’X70’ I used to garden in small beds in town at our old house. Sometimes it gets away from me. I’ve turned sheep in it at the end of the season and the weeds were so high and so thick, you couldn’t see the sheep! That’s why all the cardboard, paper feed sacks and mulch.

@Mini Horses just look at that lovely strip of green that the mustard greens are hiding in. If I don’t pull them out, they will get over 5 feet tall with roots and a thick stalk that I have to cut down.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

@Baymule 100x70!!!
With all those animals you've got..... I'd have so much sweet corn growing.
Those aren't weeds that's fresh pasture. My house I say it's erosion control.


----------



## Baymule

Just planted 20 rows 32’ long of Painted Mountain corn, 32-36 seeds per row. And a 32’ row of purple podded green beans. Got my tomatoes planted today too. DH pounded in T posts for 3 rows of pole beans, 32’ long. Only got one planted. Tired. Sitting in lawn chair with dog trying to give me a stick and lambs sticking their nose in my face. “What’cha doing?” LOL LOL


----------



## Mini Horses

After getting mower running, I went to raking.  My garden is just a little Bigger than Bays, 110x110.  Some Is underutilized. It's dry, I was filthy!!!!  I pull this little rake that actually does a good job smoothing out the rough ground disc left.  Stop a lot to remove debris, go again.  Then pitchfork grass to wheelbarrow.  A job.  So here's where I am....pile of debris was just burned.  It's setting where it hasn't been raked, see chunky dirt?   Other is raked.   About 85% done.  Finish tomorrow, plant, moisten, crawl into house!    This is real work!   I have one of the 3' wide tillers you pull.  Hope to use that tomorrow.   Walk behind one needs a cable that's on order.

Here's 8 barrows of dried roots and stuff piled...






This is piles as raked, to pitchfork up...


This is raked area...




I do plan to plant a good amount for animals...pumpkins, turnips, etc late, for winter treats.  Good amount of corn this year.  Some sweet, some decorative dent...to eat and sell in fall, dried, if it does well.  Have painted mountain and bloody butcher plus a blue and white one, forgot name.  Rain Sun night and most of Mon will be welcome!

I am working on it!!! 🤪 😁


----------



## Mini Horses

Baymule said:


> @Mini Horses just look at that lovely strip of green that the mustard greens are hiding in. If I don’t pull them out, they will get over 5 feet tall with roots and a thick stalk that I have to cut down.



They may be in weeds but, just lovely leaf and color.  You know it takes very little please a gardener!  Mine isn't always pretty but, productive.  That's what counts!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

After dinner used the weed wacker cut all the orchard grass and clover.  Found that while raking it.
It's natural not having legs, sticks shouldn't move, things should make noise and flee from my presence like birds do. I'm not a fan and this just from a garter snake.


----------



## Baymule

That is some pretty dirt! I KNOW the work that went into getting the garden ready to plant. 

We came in filthy, sweaty and tired too. 

Thanks for the compliment on the mustard, it's my favorite. When cooked, it turns green, the pot liquor turns purple. It does dress up those weeds, doesn't it? 









						Japanese Giant Red Mustard
					

40 days. Beautiful, large, Japanese type. Purple-red leaves with a delicious, strong, sharp, almost garlic-like, mustard flavor. Tasty stir-fried or boiled and makes a great pickling variety.   6-12 hours of Sun Sprouts in 5-8 Days Ideal Temperature: 55-70 Degrees F Seed Depth: 1/4" Plant...




					www.rareseeds.com


----------



## Baymule

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 85047
> After dinner used the weed wacker cut all the orchard grass and clover.  Found that while raking it.
> It's natural not having legs, sticks shouldn't move, things should make noise and flee from my presence like birds do. I'm not a fan and this just from a garter snake.


Haha, that's funny. We have an aging female Great Pyrenees that hates snakes and kills them. It is fascinating to watch her stalk a snake. She feints, lunges, jumps back, circles until the snake strikes, then she grabs it and shakes it and flings it. Repeat. She shakes them to pieces, then kills each piece over and over. She was a messed up dog when we got her and even though she has come a long way, she is still crazy. I call her the Psycho B!tch.


----------



## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> for 3 rows of pole beans, 32’ long


 

That is a huge mess of beans!!!!!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> Haha, that's funny. We have an aging female Great Pyrenees that hates snakes and kills them. It is fascinating to watch her stalk a snake. She feints, lunges, jumps back, circles until the snake strikes, then she grabs it and shakes it and flings it. Repeat. She shakes them to pieces, then kills each piece over and over. She was a messed up dog when we got her and even though she has come a long way, she is still crazy. I call her the Psycho B!tch.


I'd buy that sweet puppy a steak for everyone she got. One day I was barefooted picking strawberries and a blacksnake struck at me. Last time I went out there with no shoes, last season we had strawberries, last blacksnake that escaped me SSS.


----------



## Mini Horses

Rains that were coming are now breaking up!  .   That dirt which looks gray, is really very dark brown.  It's a dust bowl right now!    Ride thru and you are covered with a dust cloud....when I showered the water bouncing off body onto wall was running down As black.   My pants gave off a cloud of dust as i took them off.   Haven't seen this in a while....we so need rain!!     Actually watered a section of ground before raking to help, and it did.  Dry did help separate weed and dirt.  Get a fork full, shake, dirt just fell out.

Today, I'm thinking I will water a section to plant.  Leaving the last to rake a couple days.   My nose can't take but so much dirt.   Plus, I work all week and NEED TO PLANT!   Need to see something growing.    Hope to have rain by next weekend.   I'll water plants until.  Have hoses, sprinklers and a well......I'm ready.  😁


----------



## Baymule

Alaskan said:


> That is a huge mess of beans!!!!!


I had a 32’ row of green beans last year, it took so long to pick them! So I asked on TEG If anyone had purple podded green bean seeds to share and got 3 different kinds of pole beans plus a bush bean that is good as a dried bean. Planting them all to see what I like best fresh and for canning. We sell some vegetables from the garden, not a lot, but some. Mostly we share around the neighborhood. There is a poor couple on disability and we try to give them all we can. All those beans will find a home.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

@Mini Horses NWS shows maybe scattered showers tonight thru tomorrow. High pressure moving in again. Least it's cool.  Been over a week since more than a sprinkle and not looking good thru this week. I watered last night, stuff was looking a little droopy.


----------



## Mini Horses

Yep "maybe".  Rain was a good happening, now may fizzle out West of me.  

I had to make an unplanned trip to town, so went ahead and did a few other shopping things while there.  Since I didn't start plants back when I should, I bought a couple tomato starts to have some on time, the rest can be later.    Will sow direct.   Of course, hating prices, I found 2  that had more than one in each.  I'm so cheap!!  😁  Purple Cherokee.  Then I have 4 paste a friend gave me.  Those starts will carry me to happy until the seeded ones come on and provide.    

Will be out sowing summer squash, zucs, melons, beans, corn, peppers, tomato, eggplant and setting potato starts in a while.   Anything else I find will be considered, as long as I can hold out!   Loaded with seeds!!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Cloudy got dark for  awhile nary a drop. Cut my grass. I didn't realize how dry it was made a dust storm. Transplanted some dandelions and arugula ( like that word) repotted some plum and cherry tomatoes. Since the little bird moved in my greenhouse the wasps have left. Might make her a permanent guest.


----------



## Baymule

We worked in the garden again today, got two varieties of purple podded green beans planted, then we went blackberry picking. I figured we had an hour before the rains hit. It sprinkled and stopped. Sprinkled and stopped. It sprinkled and stopped several times. By this time we were pretty wet. Then the bottom fell out. We were drenched, went to the house. We picked over 2 quart bags.


----------



## Mini Horses

No rain here.....I had to WATER the garden dirt to plant!  So, so dry.    Of course, that settling of dirt seemed to show just a lot of ungathered clumps of dead --?-- grass and root.   Really more work!!    So, I did plant, except the corn.  Later in week I'll get that and more. Next week I'll be hovering over every row for germination results.  

Looks like TX is getting their rain and mine too!!!    Not fair.


----------



## Baymule

We certainly have our share of dry around here. Our white sugar sand is devoid of nutrients, humus and usually moisture. Good thing is no mud, LOL. Water soaks right in or runs off. We have spent the past 6, almost 7 years working on our garden plot. It now has a good foot of black, rich soil that grows an abundance of bodacious WEEDS! Haha.
So now we are getting pounded with storms, raining now, not going out in a downpour to do chores. I’ll wait for a break.
@Mini Horses ill stand outside and blow real hard and send some rain your way. If that fails, do a rain dance.
Rain dance; build small fire in garden, dress in tattered garden clothing and mud boots. Put mud streaks on face, play some good ol’ rock n roll LOUD at the stroke of midnight and DANCE!


----------



## Mini Horses

Felt droplets!  No, wait, it was the sprinkler coming round.....

I'm gonna stack some old boards now,  already in tattered clothes, just waiting for midnight......I'm only watering dirt.


----------



## CLSranch

We got some of the rain. 2 1/2". West of us a ways they got .6" nw of that 5" nw of that .46" like FL weather a 4 1/2" difference on each side of that strip.


Baymule said:


> This is the tomato trellis we prepared yesterday. I use cow panels on T posts, set 20” apart. I put up 3 cow panels, making 2 double rows. They work great and I never take them down. That’s my tomato plants happy place, they grow over the top, get to 10-12’ high. I totally recommend cow panels for super easy permanent tomato trellis.


I use the hoop method with my tomato's. I plant them on the inside  grow them out then tie them up on top. I do the same with cantelope and cucumbers.


Grizzlyhackle said:


> I let some of the red clover flower for the honeybees.


Bee's don't really do much with the Crimson clover. Which is odd they LOVE the little white flowers of clover.


Baymule said:


> Rain dance; build small fire in garden, dress in tattered garden clothing and mud boots. Put mud streaks on face, play some good ol’ rock n roll LOUD at the stroke of midnight and DANCE!


If it don't rain the neighbors may come out and spray you with water hose. The garden still gets watered.
   I go with water the garden heavily then go wash your truck. It's bound to rain once you don't need it.


----------



## Mini Horses

Washing clothes now....will hang on clothesline!   Could go buy some hay and leave on truck!    😁  Surely, it will rain then....if I washed the truck it would just die on me.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

CLSranch said:


> Bee's don't really do much with the Crimson clover. Which is odd they LOVE the little white flowers of clover.


About 2 weeks ago I tried to take a picture the flowers were full and I had bunch of bees.  But they wouldn't hold still. It's been so long since I had seen any I was gonna to ask if they were  for sure honeybees. 

It was all cloudy yesterday and I knew it was gonna rain. Wife called on her way home to say she was at the carwash. I even said it's gonna rain.  Woke up and nothing.


----------



## CLSranch

Grizzlyhackle said:


> I was gonna to ask if they were for sure honeybees.



Do they look like this???


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

CLSranch said:


> View attachment 85069View attachment 85070Do they look like this???


Yep.


----------



## CLSranch

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Yep.


Then you have honey bees or I got screwed and have done some really bad research.lol


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

CLSranch said:


> Then you have honey bees or I got screwed and have done some really bad research.lol


It could just be there's not alot blooming here and it's too good to pass by. White clover is supposed to make the best honey. 
I bought some honey at an Amish market called Wild Meadow. I don't know what was in it but I sneezed like crazy.  Finally chunked it. It did taste good but one spoonful would set me off.


----------



## Mini Horses

Strong looking hive ya got there! 

I used to get honey in FL from avocado  farms.  It was really dark and tasted like molasses....was delish!


----------



## Alaskan

Google is failing me...

I have a leggy basil plant...  can I super deep plant it like a tomato plant when transplanting?


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> Google is failing me...
> 
> I have a leggy basil plant...  can I super deep plant it like a tomato plant when transplanting?


 I wouldn't think you could. Goofing off at work when the boss leaves I'll look.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Grizzlyhackle said:


> I wouldn't think you could. Goofing off at work when the boss leaves I'll look.


Not finding anything either. I've never tried planting it that way. Try it and see.


----------



## Alaskan

Well... I do have 4.... maybe I will on one.


----------



## Alaskan

Thanks for looking too.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> Thanks for looking too.


----------



## Mini Horses

At least something growing.  I watered garden dirt where I planted seeds.    😁   Some grass is sprouting, guess it's possible the seeds will.   

Good luck with the basil.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Mini Horses said:


> At least something growing.  I watered garden dirt where I planted seeds.    😁   Some grass is sprouting, guess it's possible the seeds will.
> 
> Good luck with the basil.


I watered when I came home from work. Out in the dark, I imagine something got missed. I've got maples sprouting everywhere. Some dummy bought 2 at Wally worldin the early 90's. That hurricane last August snapped a big piece higher than I can climb on the one out front. 
So when we gonna do the rain dance? Nothing showing on the weather report. Tuesday night when I got home the college kids across the street had their backyard lit up with a bonfire. I stood outside for awhile. Sparks going every where. Lord let me hit the Powerball.


----------



## Alaskan

Rain up here... all today and yesterday. 

I am blah...  have a bunch of plants to plant outside.... but highs are hitting 41!!!!

And with rain and wind...  gusts so strong my car was rocking....

So I repotted and shifted stuff around... trying to make sure the plants stay happy and get enough light.....   while they live inside.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> Rain up here... all today and yesterday.
> 
> I am blah...  have a bunch of plants to plant outside.... but highs are hitting 41!!!!
> 
> And with rain and wind...  gusts so strong my car was rocking....
> 
> So I repotted and shifted stuff around... trying to make sure the plants stay happy and get enough light.....   while they live inside.


Your May sounds like my February.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Figures don't it long range forecast  shows rain memorial day weekend


----------



## Baymule

Rain. Drizzle. Mist. Stop. Start over again. In less than 2 weeks we hav got 8 3/4” of rain. It showered a moment ago, enough to send my 135 pound male Great Pyrenees bolting to the porch begging to come inside. Of course I let him in. Big quivering drooling lug. Gotta love him!

We have 48 Cornish Cross chickens we need to start slaughtering. Rain. Boo. It may slack up Sunday for awhile, hope so.

In other news, the purple podded green beans I planted are coming up. I have 3 varieties thanks to generous members on TEG. I’m going to grow them, we are going to eat them fresh and canned. Then we’ll select the one we like best.






The Painted Mountain corn I planted is coming up.


----------



## Alaskan

It is true... picking green pole beans...  was always a bit of a search.

Purple pods would be a nice change.

I tried funky colored pea pods once... I think yellow and a purple-ish one, they were NOT as sweet as regular green.

That was years back though.... stayed with green since...

But from what I understand the purple podded beans do taste good.


----------



## Mini Horses

Green beans canned can be soggy.  I tend to like the KY pole type for canning...they hold up to the processing well.   Normally I grow a few bush type for fresh cook and sharing.

Just ate a bunch of yellow squash  & onion tonight for dinner.  Had grown them last year and froze some to heat and eat, when I had cooked a big batch.  Nice to have them ready to go.  Need to eat more because I'll be having a new crop in a couple months.  Still some in freezer.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Just walked in and sat down found this dude crawling on my arm. Crappy picture of a tick. Tomorrow I'm going to Farmers and Planters uptown getting the biggest bag of Sevin dust they have. Good bugs better run cuz I've had it with ticks. Granules don't get it or I didn't spread enough. My skins crawling now.


----------



## Alaskan

I just don't remember tick borne diseases when I was a kid....   

We just....  went and got ticks.  

I remember getting a huge mess of them when I was picking pole beans!!

One bean leaf was solid ticks...  I brushed against the pole bean plants, thought a dead bean leaf got on me....  then that brown leaf started moving... a jillion tiny ticks running to get supper.

I dashed into the house shucking clothes...  

There sure are a bunch of tick diseases now a days...


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

In the 40s my Pop got spotted fever spent some time in the hospital. That was all I knew about and then Lyme popped up in the late 80s early 90s.


----------



## Baymule

@Grizzlyhackle can you keep poultry? They are good tick catchers, especially Guineas.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> @Grizzlyhackle can you keep poultry? They are good tick catchers, especially Guineas.


I've thought about it alot. I would like Guinea's but there kinda wild. Doubt the neighbors would appreciate them. My experience has been poultry eats grain, grain draws mice, mice draw snakes, snakes scare fat old men, fat old man's heart stops. I end up in a ginger jar and she spends my retirement money.
Sevin ain't the answer either. Pick to much around the yard for the rabbits. I was just ticked off  . Hadn't been home maybe 20 minutes from work when that happened.


----------



## Mini Horses

Sooooo...Spray yourself with bug repellent.     🥴


----------



## Baymule

Get 4 or 6 hens. Keep feed in metal trash can. Pick up feeder at night so nighttime visitors don’t come to the feast. No mice, no snakes, no ticks.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> Get 4 or 6 hens. Keep feed in metal trash can. Pick up feeder at night so nighttime visitors don’t come to the feast. No mice, no snakes, no ticks.


So if I raise the feeder they won't be able to scratch thru it. 
Guess I'll try and find some.


----------



## Niele da Kine

Guinea hens are gawdsawful noisy, not sure if your neighbors would appreciate them.   We had one who would sit on top of the shed and screech really loudly at us anytime and all the time we were in the yard.  They are very tasty, though, much tastier than chickens.  And the feathers have cool spots on them.  Polka dots all over.  But they are too noisy to keep anywhere nearby.

There's three hens around here, they took over a bit of the bunny hutch to lay eggs where the mongoose can't get to them so now we get eggs which is a plus.  We can also gather the droppings for the garden, although what with the way many more bunnies than hens, there's a lot more rabbit manure for the gardens than chicken manure.  Bunny berries don't need to be aged or composted, so the chickens are more for bug patrol than fertilizing.  They get fenced out of the actual garden, but since the gardens are small raised beds, they can get a lot of the bugs anyway.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Yeah Guinea's are cool looking. Was a farm real close and he had a huge flock. Whole bunch would fly across the field. Never wandered out to the highway just sometimes little bunches would wander the neighborhood.
@Baymule  probably don't remember but she's tried talking me into chickens before. She might of won this time. People on my right think I'm nuts with all the rabbits anyway. Wait till the babies come Memorial Day. Long as I don't draw attention I'm ok. It's legal here, just get tired of the questions and the looks.  Can't have roosters though somebody has one. I like hearing him in the distance.
Now to sell the wife on the idea.


----------



## Mini Horses

I just pulled out an old -- !!! -- sprinkler hose from my barn stash.   I don't think they even make them now but they are flat with tiny holes all along one side.  So place upward and they spray a fine mist several feet, both up and out, lay downward and you have a drip hose by keeping pressure lower.   75' of it, so added hose length and a cool thing to have tucked away in my "someday you'll need this" arsenal.  Good day for this old gal.   😁  Today I needed it!   No $ spent.   Better go thru some more boxes....No telling what I'll find.  . A heads up to you keepers.

Right now, dirt and bean seeds are being watered....


----------



## CLSranch

Alaskan said:


> I just don't remember tick borne diseases when I was a kid....
> 
> We just....  went and got ticks.
> 
> I remember getting a huge mess of them when I was picking pole beans!!
> 
> One bean leaf was solid ticks...  I brushed against the pole bean plants, thought a dead bean leaf got on me....  then that brown leaf started moving... a jillion tiny ticks running to get supper.
> 
> I dashed into the house shucking clothes...
> 
> There sure are a bunch of tick diseases now a days...


That can still be my normal if I go anywhere but the house. Well that's out side like cutting wood at a friends. I just don't worry about a few ticks. In those places if you don't get any you didn't go anywhere or do anything. My mom has Lyme's disease and sometimes wonder if I do. I stayed at a place a long time ago and after going for a walk through a batch of sea ticks I showed them to someone and she thought I was lying that they were ticks. It was the tiny see ticks that just looked like a little glitter on my leg. You had to look to see them moving. The so little it's bleach or shaving then put a lighter to your knife repeat.
  The bad places I like to get a bottle of horse fly spray and add an ounce of ivermectin pour on and spray my legs and boots and the kids as well. I know a guy who used to put an ounce or so in his hunting laundry while washing.


Grizzlyhackle said:


> I've thought about it alot. I would like Guinea's but there kinda wild. Doubt the neighbors would appreciate them. My experience has been poultry eats grain, grain draws mice, mice draw snakes, snakes scare fat old men, fat old man's heart stops. I end up in a ginger jar and she spends my retirement money.





Mini Horses said:


> Sooooo...Spray yourself with bug repellent.     🥴


Ditto


Baymule said:


> Get 4 or 6 hens. Keep feed in metal trash can. Pick up feeder at night so nighttime visitors don’t come to the feast. No mice, no snakes, no ticks.


Ditto
Spilled grain attracts mice. Again metal trash can's can fix that. I wouldn't bother with picking it up at night unless your really that paranoid about the snakes. And don't you feed the rabbits grain. If not, anything they eat, a mouse will love also Alphalfa etc....
 Selling point for wife    LESS ticks.   
 I jumped the fence earlier this week to the flower bed to catch a garter snake about 2' long. Good sized for a garter, just to show the kiddos.


----------



## farmerjan

Saw my first black snake of the season going across the road on a trip up from the stone house.  BIG one, at least 3 ft long.  I slowed down and he pulled back like he wanted to strike, the older bigger ones will do that sometimes... but after I went by he continued on....off the pavement into the grass.  I hate to see them get run over because they do eat alot of stuff.  Just as long as they stay out of the house, and out of the chickens when I have them, and all, I'm fine with them.  We usually see a few when making hay.  I try to not catch them up in the rake...


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Saw a gopher snake today, maybe 3-4 foot long. Hubby saw him in the road as we were leaving the in-laws and stopped. We decided it wasn't a rattlesnake since it had no rattles and head was narrow. He then grabbed it by the tail and moved it off the road where it slithered off into the greenery. I'm glad we didn't run it over and hopefully it will eat more ground squirrels. Darn squirrels are so bold they climb the peach tree and snag the just barely ripe peaches (as big or bigger than the squirrel) and drag them off to eat.


----------



## Baymule

My other row of purple podded green beans is coming up! I’m gonna be swarmed with green beans! LOL


----------



## R2elk

Mini Horses said:


> I just pulled out an old -- !!! -- sprinkler hose from my barn stash. I don't think they even make them now but they are flat with tiny holes all along one side.


They still make and sell them.


----------



## Mini Horses

Wow...been so long, figured not.  Amazing!   Haven't seen one anywhere in well over 15 yrs.    They work well, just not fun to move much.   But, several in a nicely rowed garden and leave in place.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Mini Horses said:


> Wow...been so long, figured not.  Amazing!   Haven't seen one anywhere in well over 15 yrs.    They work well, just not fun to move much.   But, several in a nicely rowed garden and leave in place.


I just use these (see below).  They have really gone up this year.  Paid $7 for them last year.  Bought the store out of them.  Will last me about 4 or 5 years in our harsh sun.





__





						Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977
					

Harbor Freight buys their top quality tools from the same factories that supply our competitors. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you!




					www.harborfreight.com
				






Alaskan said:


> I have a leggy basil plant... can I super deep plant it like a tomato plant when transplanting?


Yes, you can deep plant basil.  Just like a tomato, you can start basil cuttings by rooting them in water.  This is a great way to get more basil plants quickly.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Couple of questions for the group.
1.) Has anyone ever started a CSA?  If so, what are the things to watch out for?  What software do you use?
2.) Are you a CSA member?  If so, what do you like about it and what would you change to make it better?
3.) Has anyone started or used a Seed Library?  We are looking to start one in our small community.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

HomeOnTheRange said:


> Couple of questions for the group.
> 1.) Has anyone ever started a CSA?  If so, what are the things to watch out for?  What software do you use?
> 2.) Are you a CSA member?  If so, what do you like about it and what would you change to make it better?
> 3.) Has anyone started or used a Seed Library?  We are looking to start one in our small community.


I am part of a seed swap group. Covid kind of put everything on hold, but before that we'd have monthly meetups at one of the group member's houses for a potluck and swapping seeds or started plants. I think one of the members started a seed library in their city. 

Be aware that a seed library could lead to heartache or annoyance as some people don't follow the rules or just like to take/destroy. Most people are decent though.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

CLSranch said:


> Ditto
> Spilled grain attracts mice. Again metal trash can's can fix that. I wouldn't bother with picking it up at night unless your really that paranoid about the snakes. And don't you feed the rabbits grain. If not, anything they eat, a mouse will love also Alphalfa etc....
> Selling point for wife    LESS ticks.
> I jumped the fence earlier this week to the flower bed to catch a garter snake about 2' long. Good sized for a garter, just to show the kiddos.


Paranoid, kinda they show up where you don't expect. I don't trust what don't run on legs.
Yeah I feed the rabbits pellets but unless they get an attitude they don't spill it. Hay and poop hits the deck and the worms, slugs, crickets show up. Just found out Garter snakes eat the bugs and worms. He was peaking out at me yesterday underneath a hutch. I thought he was gone I chased him in the morning. 
It's better now that the neighbors got rid of the backyard lily pond. A lot of black snakes, thought it was funny till he got one in the house.

On a good note we
finally got a sprinkle of rain today.


----------



## Alaskan

Took plants out to the greenhouse yesterday...

Didn't yet pop them into the ground....  greenhouse needed a bit more ground leveling work.

I am thinking I will transplant the peas today...  and the cabbage and lettuce....

Finally warming up, ya know... high 40s, maybe even low 50s.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Big rain coming tonight airs cooled off winds shifted getting cloudy west of here. Got hot today 92.


----------



## Alaskan

Well...  getting hot, i think we hit 61.

I got almost all greenhouse stuff planted. 

And we got about 1/2 of the veggies garden stuff planted....

And as always there is the "ack!  Not enough room!!!!"

This year I kept some of several things in pots...  I am going to try to keep them as houseplants after the growing season.

Not sure if it will work, since my house tends towards frigid in the winter... but we shall see.

I have some herbs and a tomato plant in pots


----------



## CLSranch

@Alaskan  Are you going to try peppers in the house this winter as well. I'm going to try after things in the garden start dying out.. We shall see.
 Just remember if you want hot peppers don't keep them in the same room.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Thunder and lightning and all over in 10 minutes. So much for weather alerts on my phone.

Blossoms and pods on the green arrow peas. My snap peas are pitiful.Next year no untreated seed. Potato plants look good hopefully they get decent sized instead of egg sized. Need rain soon or the soaker hoses come out. This weekend tomato and peppers are getting planted. Took some of each to some people at work. I still have cherry, 2 kinds of plum, and two kinds of slicers and 3 plants I lost the tag. 28 in all and need maybe 10. Need to figure out where the cucumbers and watermelon are going.
Kentucky wonder and seiva beans , black eyed peas to plant yet. Gonna be a busy weekend.


----------



## Mini Horses

Still no rain!  Been couple of weeks, plus we were already 3-4" short for months before that.  Pastures drying up!!!!!!   It's really a problem if this continues.

But watered last night, a good deep one.   Seeds are popping little plants.   Checking where water spray was hitting before I left it for it's long drink, I saw several birds taking a shower.   😁  They were happy to see the nice misty tunnel of water.

I did score some rolls of Kraft shipping wrap yesterday...free....mgr was scanning off to trash.  Said I could have.   It's the brown stuff, like old butcher wrap, not waxed.  Figure to use on ground, under mulch, weed control.   Wet it after laying out and sticks like glue.   Should be enough to do a row for eggplant and couple for peppers.  I'll row, lay  this out and wet, cut hole to insert plant.   Also got several rows of clear bubble wrap, same deal.    Good row cover material for early plants next yr.  Free is good!  

Planting some tomatoes this weekend.   Have some seed started -- finally! -- and those plants will go out late, harvest late...but, these few plants will give me slicers until.  Gotta have those sandwiches!!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Woke up to wet ground but not enough to register in the rain gauge.
 Found another garter snake this one's shorter and smart. Turned my back a second and it bailed. I know it went in my shed. It's gonna move and I'll freak and trip over something.


----------



## Alaskan

CLSranch said:


> @Alaskan  Are you going to try peppers in the house this winter as well. I'm going to try after things in the garden start dying out.. We shall see.
> Just remember if you want hot peppers don't keep them in the same room.


Not sure why...  but I was thinking a tomato plant would be heartier than a pepper plant....   

But...  I have 2 pepper plants that aren't yet planted...  maybe I will pot one up.


----------



## Mini Horses

Plans to work garden over weekend....they SAY we will get rain, maybe...some...not much...all around but, not here....  🥴

This morning, officially they said "We are in drought"......finally they know it.    

Ain't changing my plans.   They sometimes lie.


----------



## Baymule

We finally had a couple of days with no rain, but it came back last night. Heavy downpours and thunder woke me up several times last night, still raining but heavy storms have rolled south of us. At least the pigs are happy.


----------



## farmerjan

Sun out at 7 a.m.;  clouds by 8 and sprinkles at 9.  Mostly cloudy all day, with rain on radar coming in after noon.  Comfortable temps in the 60's and 70's.  Going down to the rental house to do some more cleaning out.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Earwigs/pincher bugs ate most of the seedlings I put outside.


----------



## Alaskan

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> Earwigs/pincher bugs ate most of the seedlings I put outside.


  

Nightmare!!!


----------



## Alaskan

Cold here.   


Our few days of heat sure were nice.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

I called it about a week ago. Memorial Day is coming it'll rain. Sure enough started last night hasn't stopped yet. Supposed to rain through tomorrow late afternoon. Other day it was 92 now it's 53.
Worked day shift yesterday, got home set to planting. Put 14 tomato plants in. Put straw around them as wind block.
Clumsy me I broke a plant off close to the potting soil. I planted it anyway. Top and bottom. It should grow, might get two plants. It happened once before and worked out. Rest of the plants will go to work Tuesday.


----------



## Mini Horses

We have rain here, the lower temps and I am really ok with it!    No party plans and need the rain, temps ok after high temps for couple weeks.   😁   Pulls us out of weeks of NO rain, light drought.   It's an all day affair.

Here's my latest consideration....Epsom salt.   Anyone use?    I've put it in planting holes for tomatoes but, when looking for ways to discourage a groundhog who wants to move onto my property, again!, I came upon Epsom salt as deterrent.  Reading further, it can help with slugs, snakes, skunk, some of our plant insects and help the plants.   Plus small amounts actually help such as chickens.

With my rainy day time, I'll  research further.   Anyone already use?  If so, how and results?


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

I have never used Epsom salts for much of anything. I read that spreading it around and on the plants will stop them. Hanging Irish spring soap on the fence is supposed to work but it takes a lot of soap and your garden is huge. Supposed to hang it every 3 feet. You'd grow broke. Fox urine will stop some animals. I read human urine will deter groundhogs. 3 years ago I came home and found a huge burrow in my garden. Couple plants were shredded. I grabbed the garden hose put it at the top of the hole stepped away and turned it on. Not knowing what it was I stayed outside the fence. Took about a minute and out comes the groundhog soaking wet. I chased it, cornered it and kept soaking it with the hose. Poor feller was scared to death, quit moving. I ran too get an implement of destruction. It got out the fence I don't know how and never returned. Neighbors said it had been living under their shed. Dogs will chase them but it's an even fight unless it's 2 dogs. I saw a dog after it tangled with one. I don't know who won but the dog looked pretty well whooped.


----------



## Mini Horses

😁  Fortunately, he hasn't found my garden....but did have one visit some yrs ago!  Big eaters.  LOL.  He is by the chicken coops, about 800 ft away.   I flooded, dug and refilled it last yr.  Guess it likes it here.   There are several living along a no longer used RR track adjacent to me.      But, finding this as a deterrent was interesting and led me to more garden uses.  Plus other animals that don't like the smell....and on to if it would hurt any of my own who may eat.  Seems it's actually good for chickens.

I'll backhoe the tunnel, again, then refill.   But will use the epsom salts all along the fence line.   Moth balls work under the coop where chickens can't go.  Runs off the skunks.   Don't want any animals to eat the moth balls!!   Snakes don't like moth balls so those are good in some areas.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Mini Horses said:


> Here's my latest consideration....Epsom salt. Anyone use?


Yes, I use it for my peppers and tomatoes.  When planting I use a mixture of organic fertilizer (5-6-5) and Rock Phosphate in the hole.  Then I put some Epsom Salt on the top of the bare ground and cover with wood mulch.  Right before heavy fruiting season, I will top dress again with the fertilizer and rock phosphate on a wide circle of each plant.  Will try and get some pictures of the plants if you would like...


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Mini Horses said:


> Moth balls work under the coop where chickens can't go.  Runs off the skunks.   Don't want any animals to eat the moth balls!!   Snakes don't like moth balls so those are good in some areas.


Moth balls...wow I didn't know that. Definitely get some tomorrow. I just want the snakes to stay away. Thanks.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

HomeOnTheRange said:


> Yes, I use it for my peppers and tomatoes.  When planting I use a mixture of organic fertilizer (5-6-5) and Rock Phosphate in the hole.  Then I put some Epsom Salt on the top of the bare ground and cover with wood mulch.  Right before heavy fruiting season, I will top dress again with the fertilizer and rock phosphate on a wide circle of each plant.  Will try and get some pictures of the plants if you would like...


Pictures definitely. What types of pepper and tomato did you plant?


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

I was able to harvest some garlic


----------



## Alaskan

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> I was able to harvest some garlic
> 
> View attachment 85565


I thought garlic was supposed to be harvested in the fall?

Is it done differently down there?  Or are you just thinning beds?


----------



## Alaskan

Mini Horses said:


> We have rain here, the lower temps and I am really ok with it!    No party plans and need the rain, temps ok after high temps for couple weeks.   😁   Pulls us out of weeks of NO rain, light drought.   It's an all day affair.
> 
> Here's my latest consideration....Epsom salt.   Anyone use?    I've put it in planting holes for tomatoes but, when looking for ways to discourage a groundhog who wants to move onto my property, again!, I came upon Epsom salt as deterrent.  Reading further, it can help with slugs, snakes, skunk, some of our plant insects and help the plants.   Plus small amounts actually help such as chickens.
> 
> With my rainy day time, I'll  research further.   Anyone already use?  If so, how and results?


I have only used Epsom salts for tomatoes...  it is great if you are having issues with blossom end rot...  

Well...  and foot soaks....


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Alaskan said:


> I thought garlic was supposed to be harvested in the fall?
> 
> Is it done differently down there?  Or are you just thinning beds?


I've never done garlic before, and the plants looked like they were dying. The onions I planted at the same time are going to seed.


----------



## Alaskan

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> I've never done garlic before, and the plants looked like they were dying. The onions I planted at the same time are going to seed.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

For planting garlic "Tradition says plant on the shortest day and harvest on the longest" according to the timber press guide to vegetable gardening in the southeast. Don't feel to bad before I bought the book I planted garlic in late spring and it didn't work. After the book I bought garlic cloves when the catalogs came out and forgot to plant it in the fall.
I gave up and go with McCormick Garlic Powder.


----------



## Alaskan

Up here you plant them in the fall,  mulch really well over winter... and then harvest and replant in the fall


I am trying to remember when my grandmother harvested and planted garlic in Texas.... blank...


----------



## Mini Horses

Also, the garlic stalks will start dying when, before, harvest.  Think dried corn stalks before harvest for grinding, etc.   I hope to plant some this fall....I love garlic!  Use a lot.

Since finally being blessed with rain for couple days,  I'll go out there and see when I can work it again.  Suspect a couple days and that's ok!   Need to light till, row and plant more.  At least it won't be a dust bowl now.  Of course, grass is showing up!!!  Need to get that stopped.   Maybe my been seeds have popped up


----------



## Baymule

Rain finally stopped, we slaughtered chickens and I got them processed. Still have 23 more to go. DD and granddaughters are coming for the week. I’ll get back to my garden after they leave. Most gardens around here aren’t doing much, too much rain and cool temperatures. So I guess I haven’t missed out.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Sun's shining. Need to go finish with the peppers and get the beans in. Definitely need to see the does, put in the nest boxes.Babies due soon. Recliner has me in its death grip....


----------



## Baymule

We also have Butt Drop Disease! Our butt drops, feet go up, lean back...... pure bliss!


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Well, even if I harvested at the wrong time, I planted single cloves and harvested bulbs. So I did at least increase the amount of garlic. Dunno if I should try to save some to replant or just eat all the ones I dug up.


----------



## CLSranch

Mine finally wilted early this year and were so small i just replanted them with hopes of bigger and better next year.
I've read plant in fall then pick next spring-fall depending on when they wilt. I think they are from 2 years ago and never wilted last year. I don't really remember though.


Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> Well, even if I harvested at the wrong time, I planted single cloves and harvested bulbs. So I did at least increase the amount of garlic. Dunno if I should try to save some to replant or just eat all the ones I dug up.


Eat some plant some, then you will have more again.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> Well, even if I harvested at the wrong time, I planted single cloves and harvested bulbs. So I did at least increase the amount of garlic. Dunno if I should try to save some to replant or just eat all the ones I dug up.


Looks like from the picture you have a couple big ones. Did better than I ever did.
I planted some Chinese garlic couple of years ago. All you eat is the leaf. Strong stuff little bit goes a looong way. I've kept it mostly for the flower that comes in August.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Dr says you need exercise. Got it today. Bend down tie the string,reach above my head tie the string. 2 rows 30 plus strings each row. Thighs started burning. One paste tomato plant was dying. Think it was the one I broke Friday. Replaced that. Planted 7 jalapeno, 6 super chili. Raked spent hay from the rabbits and mulched all around those plants. Planted one row of Cobra green beans from Parks,something new. Last year I bought Kentucky wonder from the Slipshod seed company. Half Kentucky, half flat green beans. Everything else from them has always been good but I decided to try the new from Parks. 
Have 2 old packs of Sieva beans. Planted one row. One pack was marked 2019 and hadn't been opened so I mixed them. Hope they grow couldn't find any new from any company this spring. Even had a guy on the garden site search for me and nothing.  Started some basil finally. Planted Russian mammoth sunflowers couple places. Feed the leaves to my rabbits, let the birds have the seeds.  I've raked and hoed, laid out cardboard in spots for weed barrier. The sun's going down and so am I.


----------



## Mini Horses

We are getting the rains we needed, should have gotten, during almost a month with none.  But I did water the little seeds I got out.  Then, a little rain one day last week -- now couple all day rains.      Needed!   Squash & zucs should shoot up now.  Had broke ground and began leafing.   Eggplant, peppers and beans....maybe soon.  Bought a few cheap starts 2 days ago.   Will get them planted over weekend, peppers and tomatoes.  Means the seed I put out will sprout now.  . Hey, what's a few xtra???

I feel I need this garden growing, even if late producing, with all the crap going on everywhere.   Will can and freeze plenty.  Security.  I see work slowing so should have way more at home time, soon.    Looking forward to it.   So much to plant and harvest!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Mini Horses said:


> We are getting the rains we needed, should have gotten, during almost a month with none.  But I did water the little seeds I got out.  Then, a little rain one day last week -- now couple all day rains.      Needed!   Squash & zucs should shoot up now.  Had broke ground and began leafing.   Eggplant, peppers and beans....maybe soon.  Bought a few cheap starts 2 days ago.   Will get them planted over weekend, peppers and tomatoes.  Means the seed I put out will sprout now.  . Hey, what's a few xtra???
> 
> I feel I need this garden growing, even if late producing, with all the crap going on everywhere.   Will can and freeze plenty.  Security.  I see work slowing so should have way more at home time, soon.    Looking forward to it.   So much to plant and harvest!


Yes rain. Got 1/4 inch overnight still overcast promising more
Need to check if my peas are ready but not while it's wet.
Even though they're water proof I just don't like wet shoes.


----------



## Alaskan

It has been so cold and rainy here that plants aren't doing much.

Deciduous plants are still in half leafed stage....

Not enough heat.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Here's my buddy this morning patrolling the tomatoes
And the only Hollyhock that came back
Tall as I am tops not even in the picture.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Look close under the asparagus

The dark silhouette is a cottontail first time I've seen him. I can hear my Granny see son he took one and gave ya one.


----------



## Mini Horses

It appears I just might have a rabbit living near (or under) one of my chicken coops.  I've seen it several times in pretty much same area and they don't travel far, I've read.   Cute little thing.     No where near the garden....it's good.  Plenty of grass.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Look close under the asparagus
> View attachment 85698
> The dark silhouette is a cottontail first time I've seen him. I can hear my Granny see son he took one and gave ya one.


  Ack!  He will eat all of the goodies!!!!


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Here's my buddy this morning patrolling the tomatoesView attachment 85694
> And the only Hollyhock that came backView attachment 85695
> Tall as I am tops not even in the picture.


I love hollyhocks, they remind me of my grandmother. 

I don't think I could grow them here


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> I love hollyhocks, they remind me of my grandmother.
> 
> I don't think I could grow them here


Can you try them in your greenhouse?


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Can you try them in your greenhouse?


 

My greenhouse is pretty small... just 8x16,so edibles only.

No pretty,take up space, plants.   


I did get a pot plant this year...  actually 2, in honor of my grandmother.   A hoya, and a rosemary.


----------



## Alaskan

Oh!  And I took pictures to share with you all...

Left side... first cucumber wants to die... not sure why... second one is fine.... the rest of the things in the ground are tomatoes and peppers. 

stuff in pots are things that I hope to bring inside at end of season....  herbs(thyme, oregano, and another basil or 2) ,  2 tomatoes and 1 pepper,   and a few calendulas..  we eat the flowers.






Right side, only pot is a rosemary. 

tomatoes and peppers.   At the front basil (green and purple) and one wanting to die sage.   





Full shot.  Doesn't show the trashcan to the right that hold water.  My well water is ice cold... so I fill the trashcan,  let it warm up for a day, then water from the trashcan.


----------



## Alaskan

Forgot to take photos of the outside garden... or maybe the weeds and wilty lettuce deterred me.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> Forgot to take photos of the outside garden... or maybe the weeds and wilty lettuce deterred me.


There is no such thing as weeds. It's erosion control or pasture. Just say it with conviction.


----------



## Baymule

I planted some Thai long green beans yesterday and about 20 beans that were Black Cattle beans when I planted them last year, but the seed was speckled in other colors. We’ll see what I get this year. Was looking for my squash seed, but obviously I put them somewhere safe-from me.


----------



## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> I planted some Thai long green beans yesterday and about 20 beans that were Black Cattle beans when I planted them last year, but the seed was speckled in other colors. We’ll see what I get this year. Was looking for my squash seed, but obviously I put them somewhere safe-from me.


As soon as I put something in a "safe place" that guarantees that I can never find it again.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

It's called CRS. 
Can't remember stuff.


----------



## Mini Horses

Yeah, boy....gets us all!!!   I need a chain for my phone, glasses, keys....  

I used to use my landline to call my cell....don't have that now.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Mini Horses said:


> Yeah, boy....gets us all!!!   I need a chain for my phone, glasses, keys....
> 
> I used to use my landline to call my cell....don't have that now.


I went to work like that not once but twice. This was past April.


----------



## Baymule

After turning the house upside down and standing in the middle of rooms........if I was a seed packet, where would I be? Feeling and looking stupid, never found the darned seeds. So we went to town to get the itch gel for DH's redbug bites (that we forgot yesterday). Walmart had no seeds, sent them all back. Must be time to bring in the Christmas decorations. So went to Lowes garden center and got yellow and zucchini seeds and cucumber seeds. 

I got a row of each squash planted and rescued my onions from the 4' weeds. Then it rained and stormed. We got an inch of rain. 

CRS


----------



## Mini Horses

My squash, zuc and cukes are growing!   Hope that's not all I get this year.     Still watering tomato and pepper plants.   I need a few days at home!!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

I've picked another meals worth of peas this morning. Beans I planted last week are coming up.  Rumors of rain again, yesterday it said today. Today it shows tomorrow. I should just hook up the soaker hoses and be done with it.


----------



## Baymule

Watching tornado warning, possibly on the ground, about 20-ish miles east of us. Moving east. While I don’t wish that on anyone, I durned sure don’t want it. Raining. Sheep run out in the yard to graze, then run back to the barn when it rains hard. Lol


----------



## Baymule

Great. Another one south of us, but moving to the east too. Thunder is booming, Trip, Great Pyrenees, is on the porch pacing and freaking out. Sheep are back out in the yard. Frying pork chops for lunch and supper. DH has a dental appointment at 1:30.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

You be careful out there.
They aren't frequent here but scare the @#$+ out of me. One dropped 1/4 mile from home 3 years ago in a small parking lot. Flipped cars. 
Protect them pork chops


----------



## Baymule

Been through many hurricanes, tornadoes come with those too, but are more sneaky. Tornado warning expires in a little bit, not coming at us. Pork chops were good, leftovers tonight. Garden is well watered.


----------



## Alaskan

I have run out of garden space... I have a bunch of baby tomato seedlings, and so many potato chunks that still need to be planted...

I have decided to take over a huge part of flower bed that was mostly weeds anyway.....  hopefully that will be enough for the potatoes.


----------



## Baymule

Wind blew down a lot of my corn, it's just about a foot tall. So I packed dirt around the bottom of the stalks.  I pulled a few weeds and tossed them to the pigs. While I was doing that, I heard bubbles. I walked to the fence and the Hampshire pig had his snout in a big puddle, blowing bubbles and having fun. Silly pig, snorkling in a puddle.


----------



## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> Wind blew down a lot of my corn, it's just about a foot tall. So I packed dirt around the bottom of the stalks.  I pulled a few weeds and tossed them to the pigs. While I was doing that, I heard bubbles. I walked to the fence and the Hampshire pig had his snout in a big puddle, blowing bubbles and having fun. Silly pig, snorkling in a puddle.


Was the corn all save-able?


----------



## Baymule

Alaskan said:


> Was the corn all save-able?


Yes. I just had to straighten it and pack dirt around it.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Thunder and lightning all the way home just a trace of rain in the guage.


----------



## Baymule

Thunder and lightning storms that barely stir the dust on the rain gauge are no fair!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> Thunder and lightning storms that barely stir the dust on the rain gauge are no fair!


Yesterday it happened again. Where I work 26 miles away it poured from 4 pm until about 5:30. Metal roof and so loud. Wal-Mart parking lot had waves as you drove thru. Here a trace. I went out with a flashlight and under the potato plants was dry. Cloudy again calling for more today.
Thinking about taking a nitro tablet and try a rain dance. Be a sight for the EMT's won't it.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Been raining like this for a solid hour. At home I'll put money on it, be another sprinkle.


----------



## Baymule

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Thinking about taking a nitro tablet and try a rain dance. Be a sight for the EMT's won't it.


Dancing naked wearing a garland of flowers and swinging a dirty sock while chanting, “I need RAIN and will scandalize the neighbors until it rains” That is guaranteed to work! The neighbors will squirt you with the water hose to get you to stop. Lol


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> Dancing naked wearing a garland of flowers and swinging a dirty sock while chanting, “I need RAIN and will scandalize the neighbors until it rains” That is guaranteed to work! The neighbors will squirt you with the water hose to get you to stop. Lol


It's safe wife texted me it was raining home.
Saved me a trip to the loony bin.
I do have to say you are definitely funny 😜


----------



## Baymule

Grizzlyhackle said:


> It's safe wife texted me it was raining home.
> Saved me a trip to the loony bin.
> I do have to say you are definitely funny 😜


I have a warped sense of humor.


----------



## Mini Horses

Same weather here.  At work 24 miles from home...poured!!!  Just as they said, about 3:30 until after 7.   Fields were like swimming holes all along, until about 10 miles from home.  Slowed to easy shower, sprinkles and only clouds at my farm!   Still more coming, they say.  I work tomorrow, so whatever!😲

i do see a green haze on the garden. Grass!  ☹️


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Ditch runs through the industrial park every bit 6-8 feet deep normally your ankles would get wet. In two days of hour long downpour it's about to breach. Big lot between my job and next think football field there was ducks swimming out in the middle. My boss is in the volunteer fire co. They had 2 house fires from lightning strikes between 5-6 pm yesterday during that down pour. Sussex county is so flat and water just lays.


----------



## Baymule

Our daughter and family lives in Odessa, Texas. Recently they got 2" of rain. In all their wisdom, the city planners did not put in drains. Why go to the expense when in a desert? So the streets flood in rains that we consider normal. Cars float  and she posted a picture on her FB of a dumpster floating down the street. LOL LOL


----------



## farmerjan

Sometimes you just have to wonder about all the "smart people"... engineers and the "planners" that design and build subdivisions and such.... I mean really... NO DRAINS ?????..... Even if it is desert.... there are things you just plan for at the OUTSIDE chance.... Sure, I can see not having drains every 20 ft like in the wet side of Washington state.... but really.....


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

I'm probably getting nothing but plant but they look good and no potato beetles.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 85918
> I'm probably getting nothing but plant but they look good and no potato beetles.


Looks great!!!

Still blasted cold here.. nothing wants to grow much.    Brrrrrr

Not sure my potatoes have even sprouted.

The greenhouse looks better.... getting some more flowers on the tomato plants.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> The greenhouse looks better.... getting some more flowers on the tomato plants.


Fairly warm in your greenhouse?


----------



## Rabbitsbysara

I can't take garden pics yet. My stuff still too small. Hope the garlic is ready to come out soon so I can have more room. I've been picking lots of strawberries and raspberries though. I got 3 tiny tiny honeyberries. Blue berries looking okay. I have been watering every day no rain here at all. Super hot. You would think since it's so dry it would be nice, but no humid as hell!! Planted some sweet potatoes they aren't looking great yet. Beans squash cukes zukes barely sprouting. Onions look okay. I don't know. Planted so late will be September or October until I harvest anything. I did get some broccoli, have to pick some more. Cabbage doesn't look great though. Potatoes are tall and leggy, I need some more straw to hill them. I need to weed and fertilize, but I am spending an hour and half watering every day! Time just runs out.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Fairly warm in your greenhouse?


Warm compared to outside



Not hard since outside is 52!!!


----------



## Mini Horses

Last month, too dry...drought like.  This month, rains almost daily.   Ok for rain except the grass is growing there in the garden     Need a magneto for the pull tiller.   Hope to get that today.  Haven't had time all week, having worked 63 hrs!  Home today and thinking I'll go to a livestock auction to "visit"... relax, look, maybe have a hotdog!  😁

Slept until 7,  slowly got up.  Finishing coffee fix.   Need to have a walk in some fields, see what's going on out there this week, check fences, pasture growth. Say hello to animals as I haven't had time to do more than fill troughs and toss feed all week.  Looks like it could rain at any minute.  Muggy and hot out.

It's time to slow down and smell the roses!


----------



## Baymule

My Painted Mountain corn is dark green and growing. The green beans are growing. I haven’t been in the garden the last couple of days to see if the squash is coming up. Got 15 big Cornish Cross chickens on ice to cut up and vacuum seal, will probably take me two days. Then only 8 more to do. THEN I can get back in my garden to plant some sweet corn and purple hull peas


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> . THEN I can get back in my garden to plant some sweet corn and purple hull peas


Purple Hull..long pod,tan pea with a dark spot?


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

CRS.
I didn't mark them should sugar baby watermelon and the other tall ones should be cukes.
Question is why'd they get so leggy been in the greenhouse. Basil and flowers are ok I don't get it. Try plant them tomorrow.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Haven't seen the wren in about a week. Eggs have been there a month. Quail hatch about 21 days so I'm taking these out the greenhouse before they crack.


----------



## Baymule

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Purple Hull..long pod,tan pea with a dark spot?


Yup. Hulls turn purple when they are ready.


----------



## Baymule

I walked through the garden today and the zucchini and yellow squash are breaking ground.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> Yup. Hulls turn purple when they are ready.


Ok I had one called pink lady. Looked like and tasted like black eyed. Black eyed peas was a nice bush in the 70's now they get all viney. Don't get it. I'm the only that eats them. Boiled, salsa , add to my salad, mixed with corn, cold.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

I've always been a fan of rabbits and pretty hospitable. That little fella has now wore out all of his welcome. Cayenne pepper , the battle begins.


----------



## Baymule

My garden is fenced and I hog ringed chicken wire to the bottom 2 feet, plus laid a wire skirt all around it. Little stinkers still find a way in.


----------



## Alasgun

@Grizzlyhackle , black eyed peas are a favorite around here when slow cooked with a big hunk of Lamb!


----------



## Mini Horses

I can't pick anything if I don't get it planted!        first too hot and dry, now too wet...

But looking up!    Thinking this week I'll get tilled again and plants set out.   Maybe.  Hopeful. Planning.  .  Squashes and cukes growing!   Sure want other stuff growing. 😁.   Rabbits don't even want to be in my "garden".....need to fix that.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

CRS is real
I transplanted those leggy cukes and watermelons. I figured I'd back them up and drop a few seeds. Got the cukes done and that's where I went mental. I had the sugarbaby pack in my pocket. How did it end up on the dryer. I have retraced my steps for over an hour and just now found it.
This morning I checked the rabbits. Went to the store come  home and the old one is sitting on the bench beside his hutch. I need a keeper.


----------



## Alasgun

@Grizzlyhackle , what is CRS? I forgot😳


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alasgun said:


> @Grizzlyhackle , what is CRS? I forgot😳


----------



## Alaskan

Babies!!!!!   






sweet pepper




And..WHAT got my cucumber?  Looks like something nibbled its stem.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

OMG you got salsa growing already hot dog!
Your poor cucumber

Was it chewed, looks like it shriveled, more like a fungus


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> OMG you got salsa growing already hot dog!
> Your poor cucumber
> 
> Was it chewed, looks like it shriveled, more like a fungus


No idea on the cucumber...  looks maybe chewed.....  could be just shriveled????

Odd.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Fourth picture down has a  resemblance


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Fourth picture down has a View attachment 86006 resemblance


  ACK!

E GADS!

I looked it up, and yes, quite likely!!!  

The page i found was pretty much "you are screwed... no treatment."

I hope it doesn't spread.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

A set of peppers and a few tomato plants BEFORE that got trimmed!

Been in the low 100s here and is going to continue for the next 10 days...


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

@HomeOnTheRange those are some serious raised beds.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Got tired of bending over all the time!  They are about 4' wide and 50' long.  More on the other side of the house.


----------



## Baymule

Grizzlyhackle said:


> @HomeOnTheRange those are some serious raised beds.


That's what I'm talking about! I have some serious raised bed envy. Beautiful garden you got there @HomeOnTheRange  Get out your box of crayons and color me IMPRESSED!


----------



## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> That's what I'm talking about! I have some serious raised bed envy. Beautiful garden you got there @HomeOnTheRange  Get out your box of crayons and color me IMPRESSED!


X2!

Fantastic!

And... not a weed in sight!!!!


----------



## Mini Horses

Dang....that's an impressive set up.   My yard isn't even that well kept!    .
Are you sure that isn't from a garden magazine???  😁 🤔🤫 too nice!!
Don't think I'll  be posting pics of mine any time soon.      they sure aren't raised.   Heck. Lucky to be rowed.  😁


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

I buy square bales usually Timothy 1 or 2 at a time. Last time they only had canary reed grass. Looked ok, real soft, kid said his horses eat it. I figured one bale mix it with Timothy, nothing else something soft for the nest boxes. I always store my hay in real big tote, nearly bale length and deep enough to break off a section lay on top close the lid. Keeps it clean, sits in the shed. Today I open it and it feels slightly damp, felt a warm spot. Didn't smell sour, but I think it's going thru a heat in the tote. I broke it up in sections on a tarp in the sun. Have I basically bought an 8 dollar bale of garden mulch?
Going on 5 yrs first time with that kind of hay or with this happening.


----------



## Baymule

We bought 40 bales 2 years ago, and every one of them spoiled from being baled too green. The guy felt bad and on his next cutting, replaced all of it. He even delivered it.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

That was good of him. Buying and storing it is always a pain for me. I can't store enough to buy in any big quantity or I'd load up on Timothy or orchard grass. One round bale would last me a year. Picture bringing that home in an  S-10. Oh well it should make good mulch.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Thanks for all of the kind words!!  If we have a rainy season this year, the weeds will show up in force.  Not to bad for living in really dry climate.  Temps still staying in the low 100s for the next 10 days...


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> That was good of him. Buying and storing it is always a pain for me. I can't store enough to buy in any big quantity or I'd load up on Timothy or orchard grass. One round bale would last me a year. Picture bringing that home in an  S-10. Oh well it should make good mulch.


If you caught it before it went bad...  and finished drying it out...  I would think it would still be good to feed.

Getting hot simply means it was too wet when bailed,  not that it was bad.

If you break the bail open before it molds,  or rots, or self combusts, it should still be good


----------



## Baymule

HomeOnTheRange said:


> Thanks for all of the kind words!!  If we have a rainy season this year, the weeds will show up in force.  Not to bad for living in really dry climate.  Temps still staying in the low 100s for the next 10 days...


We are in the high 90’s with humidity to match. From all the rain we have a bumper crop of flies and gnats. Gnats bit around my left eye and it swelled up, itched like mad and drove me crazy.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> If you caught it before it went bad...  and finished drying it out...  I would think it would still be good to feed.
> 
> Getting hot simply means it was too wet when bailed,  not that it was bad.
> 
> If you break the bail open before it molds,  or rots, or self combusts, it should still be good


That's what I did and it feels dry. Sitting 2 days now in the sun on a big tarp.
Smells good. My biggest worry was using it in the nest box, afraid I would make the kits sick. Cool , thank you.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

HomeOnTheRange said:


> Thanks for all of the kind words!!  If we have a rainy season this year, the weeds will show up in force.  Not to bad for living in really dry climate.  Temps still staying in the low 100s for the next 10 days...


100 degrees wow. When it's hot here high 90's and the humidity is matching you get 2 showers. One in the house, one
 when you go outside.
I'm with you on the bending. I'm slowly switching from bush beans to all pole. Hoeing weeds was always stress relief, I'm giving up on that and using cardboard, weed cloth, spent hay. Gotta make gardening fun.


----------



## Mini Horses

Gardening is fun.  --  on the first day it's nicely plowed. Rowed. Planted.  AND on last day when it's mowed down.   In between,  not normally "fun".    It's work!   We just hope for a return with veggies.       over the years I've had various set ups, tried most everything.  Never had no weeds.   Crops good and not so....but. There it is, still planting!    It's an addiction, I tell ya!


----------



## Alaskan

Mini Horses said:


> Gardening is fun.  --  on the first day it's nicely plowed. Rowed. Planted.  AND on last day when it's mowed down.   In between,  not normally "fun".    It's work!   We just hope for a return with veggies.       over the years I've had various set ups, tried most everything.  Never had no weeds.   Crops good and not so....but. There it is, still planting!    It's an addiction, I tell ya!


At least it is a good addition,  more productive and less damaging than most.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

I just hated shoveling horse manure...and running from snakes.


----------



## Mini Horses

I'd rather shovel than run, in that scenario.  😁  😁  lesser of 2 evils.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Guys and gals, what is ARUGUGA.......


----------



## Mini Horses

It's something used by the people selling "bread goats".......? 😂.


----------



## Baymule

Arugula—it’s a salad green. Somebody needs spell check. LOL


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Arugula right there. 
That's a  U Penn college educated retired veterinarian and his hippie chick wife.


----------



## Alaskan

Maybe they ran out of the letter L.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

Baymule said:


> Somebody needs spell check.



There was no red line under the word, so they thought it was all good!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Got 1/2" of rain  and now it's 59 degrees.


----------



## Mini Horses

About same here...66 and got just over 1.5".   Really needed the rain.  So things are wet out there  but smells so clean!    Staying cool mid 70 today with sun, a few clouds.  Grass and plants are loving it!.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Phone app shows 58 now. Outside does smell so good. Birds always seem to sing a little louder. Yard full of wiregrass, be above my ankles or higher by Friday. Rains always a mixed blessing. Garden looks good, grass to cut.


----------



## Baymule

I’m sure glad y’all got some rain! And cool temperatures sure are nice. We won’t see cool again until late September, maybe October.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Told my neighbor what you said about my rain dance without hesitation he asked would bird shot reach that far.


----------



## Baymule

I reckon birdshot would put a stinging deterrent on your backside.


----------



## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> I reckon birdshot would put a stinging deterrent on your backside.


Would the resultant crying count as rain?


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

We just had a downpour. We looked out and saw this sitting on our porch rail. I think it's a Saw whet. Definitely smallest owl I ever saw that wasn't in a zoo.
Planned on yard and garden work today. Humidity at 90 % 
everything's wet. Turning into a recliner day.


----------



## Baymule

Adorable! What a cool experience to have a visitor like that! 90% humidity? AC sure feels good!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

@Baymule  thank the Lord it's only 81°. In about 15 mins an 1" fell. AC is on constant now. 
Owl made the day. Saw it dash under a bush by the house. As the rain left off it went to the tree base. It was looking at me while I try to get a picture. Then it flew to the porch. Went from one rail to the other. Hardhead ,alias DW ,opens the door and takes the picture. He was 3 ft away. Imagine trying to catch it if it came in the house. With those claws.
I think I need a trail cam. I saw one  a week ago by my shed. Caught it in my headlights as I pulled in.


----------



## farmerjan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> That was good of him. Buying and storing it is always a pain for me. I can't store enough to buy in any big quantity or I'd load up on Timothy or orchard grass. One round bale would last me a year. Picture bringing that home in an  S-10. Oh well it should make good mulch.


Used to haul a round bale on my toyota... the little pick up... all the time.   Would decide where I wanted it, then back up real fast and hit the brakes & it would roll out.... when no one was around to help.  Just always made sure they did not put it in flat side down.....


----------



## Baymule

That’s how we used to unload a round bale. Now we just get it delivered. Slamming on the brakes sure works!


----------



## Alaskan

Something has eaten a few of my cabbages all up....



No idea what.



Only a few garden goodies from the outside garden this year... just been one thing or another. 

Luckily the Greenhouse still looks good.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle




----------



## Baymule

Those are some beautiful carrots!


----------



## R2elk

I picked a head of cauliflower yesterday




.


----------



## Baymule

Nice!


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 86404


Is that a yellow carrot at the top of the picture?

And do you eat them all fresh...  or do any long storage?


----------



## Alaskan

R2elk said:


> I picked a head of cauliflower yesterday
> View attachment 86409View attachment 86411.


Wow! That is huge!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> Is that a yellow carrot at the top of the picture?
> 
> And do you eat them all fresh...  or do any long storage?


Yes it is and I don't know why. Should have been Nantes or Danvers half long.....

Have always eaten them fresh. They won't be around long.


----------



## Mini Horses

Both nice successes...carrots and cauli.    I'm hoping for both in a fall garden.  Well, hoping for fall garden!! 😁   so far spring and summer are a bust.


----------



## Baymule

I have green beans! They are purple podded, turn green when cooked. I canned green beans last year and we only have 1 jar left.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

@Baymule  they ready to pick?


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Lousy picture but that brown thing I underlined is a snake. Can't even go the Dr. without seeing them.


----------



## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> I have green beans! They are purple podded, turn green when cooked. I canned green beans last year and we only have 1 jar left.
> 
> View attachment 86413


Do they turn more purple?

So... Start green and then turn?

Those look ready to pick, without much purple. 

Huh.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 86416
> Lousy picture but that brown thing I underlined is a snake. Can't even go the Dr. without seeing them.


Why up in your bush??

I did NOT think Maryland was the land of snakes....


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> Why up in your bush?


I dunno. Drs. bush, maybe bugs nothing I saw.


Alaskan said:


> I did NOT think Maryland was the land of snakes....


Me either, State capital is pretty bad.


----------



## Alaskan

I actually lived in MD for 4 years...  I don't remember ever seeing one...  maybe you are just _special_.   


Grizzlyhackle said:


> I dunno. Drs. bush, maybe bugs nothing I saw.
> 
> Me either, State capital is pretty bad.


----------



## farmerjan

R2elk said:


> I picked a head of cauliflower yesterday
> View attachment 86409View attachment 86411.


Real NICE...


----------



## Baymule

The green beans turn purple when ready to pick. I got these so they would be easier to see and pick. Nobody told me the durned stems are purple too!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> The green beans turn purple when ready to pick. I got these so they would be easier to see and pick. Nobody told me the durned stems are purple too!


That's about how my luck would go.
My  green beans are 2-3'  tall maybe by August they'll be ready and 6 ' tall like the add said. Bush Lima beans have little pods. Sieva beans are finally growing. I counted 9 cherry tomatoes on one bush. Bout the size peas right now. Eating store tomato's is getting really old.
Next 3 days NWS is promising rain.
And I got the grass cut this morning before work.
No bird shot or swinging dirty socks.


----------



## Baymule

@Grizzlyhackle put on your speedo and dance in the rain to KC and The Sunshine Band song Shake Your Bootie. Surely your neighbor would approve since it’s raining!


----------



## R2elk

Alaskan said:


> Wow! That is huge!


Yesterday's head was even bigger.


----------



## Baymule

Cauliflower salad is good!


----------



## Alaskan

R2elk said:


> Yesterday's head was even bigger.
> View attachment 86574


You getting some gorgeous heads!

I am impressed!

How will you eat it?


----------



## Kusanar

Hey guys, hope you don't mind if I join.

I have a little 4x8 garden bed that currently has 8 Jelly Beans red cherry tomatoes, 2 San Marzano paste Tomatoes, 1 yellow cherry tomato (can't remember variety), and a slicing tomato (can't remember the variety), plus 8 each of Bell Peppers and Thai hot peppers, plus 1 sweet basil plant. I also have a pineapple mint in a pot next to the garden.

My plans for this fall, once the tomatoes and peppers are done are to overwinter the best pepper plants and then till the gardens and plant white clover as a cover crop / living mulch. I don't direct sow much anyway, so as long as my seedlings are more than 3-4" tall, they should be fine being planted in with the clover in the spring. 

I will also be expanding the bed into a horseshoe shape with another 4x8 bad next to it with a 2x4' connecting piece. I will be putting peppers in one bed, tomatoes in the other and then doing salad mix in the middle bit. All of it is drip irrigated.


----------



## Alaskan

Kusanar said:


> Hey guys, hope you don't mind if I join.
> 
> I have a little 4x8 garden bed that currently has 8 Jelly Beans red cherry tomatoes, 2 San Marzano paste Tomatoes, 1 yellow cherry tomato (can't remember variety), and a slicing tomato (can't remember the variety), plus 8 each of Bell Peppers and Thai hot peppers, plus 1 sweet basil plant. I also have a pineapple mint in a pot next to the garden.
> 
> My plans for this fall, once the tomatoes and peppers are done are to overwinter the best pepper plants and then till the gardens and plant white clover as a cover crop / living mulch. I don't direct sow much anyway, so as long as my seedlings are more than 3-4" tall, they should be fine being planted in with the clover in the spring.
> 
> I will also be expanding the bed into a horseshoe shape with another 4x8 bad next to it with a 2x4' connecting piece. I will be putting peppers in one bed, tomatoes in the other and then doing salad mix in the middle bit. All of it is drip irrigated.


Sounds like a great plan. 

Have any pictures?


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> Cauliflower salad is good!


One of them would for sure hit the deep fryer and get dipped in melted cheddar.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> One of them would for sure hit the deep fryer and get dipped in melted cheddar.


Oh good gravy!!!!!!!   Yum!


----------



## R2elk

Baymule said:


> Cauliflower salad is good!


I just eat it raw dipped in ranch dressing.


----------



## R2elk

Alaskan said:


> You getting some gorgeous heads!
> 
> I am impressed!
> 
> How will you eat it?


Raw dipped in ranch dressing.  Occasionally lightly boiled with butter, salt and pepper and sometimes a little melted cheese.  It is good pickled too.


----------



## Alaskan

R2elk said:


> Raw dipped in ranch dressing.  Occasionally lightly boiled with butter, salt and pepper and sometimes a little melted cheese.  It is good pickled too.


Or pureed in a dip...  or in a cream soup...


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

After 2 days of storm we got 2.5 inches of rain. 1" fell yesterday between 5 and 6 pm,rest was last night to this morning. Tornado dropped about 20 miles north of where I work in Delaware. Some property and tree damage thankfully nobody reported as hurt. Blowing so hard rain was coming sideways on that first round.
No Speedo or booty shakin' for at least a week.


----------



## Baymule

Grizzlyhackle said:


> No Speedo or booty shakin' for at least a week.


What a relief for the neighborhood! LOL


----------



## Alaskan

Ker-humpf.

I have an aphid explosion on 2 indoor basils.  I put them outside,  put outside the other pot plants (herbs)  that were next to them..

I am now doing a combo of putting my head in the sand and praying.   They were close to my huge rubber tree.    THAT will be a pain if the rubber tree got infected.

My... whatever it is called houseplant bush that is finally growing like gangbusters... was closer to the typhoid Mary basil than I would like.... I moved it far away from ground zero. .  And hopefully it too will be fine.

And....  spouse let our Cockatoo out unsupervised   and she "pruned" my pot of thyme and oregano.  When I saw the damage I just signed and kept walking.  Maybe later tonight I will have the heart to look more closely at it and see if it can recover (not sure if she just pruned severely or also dug in the roots since I saw plant trimmings and some dirt scattered about).

Anyway.. ....

I didn't even stick my head into the greenhouse today,but it looked great yesterday.   Getting more green tomatoes. 

The peppers have been healthy and growing but WAY slower at setting flowers than the tomatoes.

I have only a single bell pepper growing.

The rest of the peppers are only now finally starting to open flower buds.


----------



## Alaskan

Oh!

I never uprooted and chucked my 2 dead and potentially terribly diseased cucumber plants.

One if them is now feeling better and trying to grow!  Shocker


----------



## Mini Horses

A goat are all the leaves off of 3 cuke plants.  They're still growing.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

I gotta check tomorrow in better light the base of the vines of mine don't look healthy.
Started raining but I got some weeding done before it got to dark.
Pulling morning glories again. Years ago before I new better I put them along my garden fence cuz DW thought they were pretty. Came home all excited with this pack of seeds she was gonna help me plant. 
Then they took over.


----------



## Alaskan

Mini Horses said:


> A goat are all the leaves off of 3 cuke plants.  They're still growing.


Wow!  I am shocked that they didn't devour the stems as well.


----------



## Mini Horses

Me too...but just leaves.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Vines look good, got flowers but they all look flattened at the base. New one on me.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 86616
> Vines look good, got flowers but they all look flattened at the base. New one on me.


Vines of what?

What are we looking at??


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Cucumbers


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Cucumbers


Oh!

So flattened at the base flowers, you mean the infant cucumber is messed up from the get go?

I think I remember that was a soil something...  needed nutrients or some such...


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> Oh!
> 
> So flattened at the base flowers, you mean the infant cucumber is messed up from the get go?
> 
> I think I remember that was a soil something...  needed nutrients or some such...


No ma'am right where it comes out the ground. It's like it became 2 veins of the same stem.  I take lousy pictures but I'll try another.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Better close up three different plants. Looks like it split then hardened over. Maybe all the rain at once. Never seen that before.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 86625
> 
> View attachment 86626
> Better close up three different plants. Looks like it split then hardened over. Maybe all the rain at once. Never seen that before.


Ah!  Now I see it.

I agree, looks like it split open.

Nice it didn't die.


----------



## R2elk

Alaskan said:


> Or pureed in a dip...  or in a cream soup...


Never going to happen here.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Cucumbers have took off.
Zinnias are blooming. Their all volunteers from last few years. I let them go wherever they pop up.  Lousy picture but I see morning glories are popping up again, time to weed dang things are a nuisance.


----------



## R2elk

Pumpkins are going nuts.


----------



## Alaskan

R2elk said:


> Pumpkins are going nuts.
> View attachment 86838


What kind of pumpkins?


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

​Went from thinking they were dying to oh boy.

These are called super chili about 50,000 scoville , turn red then dried for pizza and chili.


----------



## R2elk

Alaskan said:


> What kind of pumpkins?


Big Moose, Cinnamon Girl, Early Giant and two kinds of pie pumpkins.


----------



## Alaskan

R2elk said:


> Big Moose, Cinnamon Girl, Early Giant and two kinds of pie pumpkins.


Wow!  Lots!


----------



## R2elk

Alaskan said:


> Wow!  Lots!


All of them are the shorter season ones that can reach maturity here.  I have gotten as big as 83 lbs. from the Big Moose.


----------



## Alaskan

R2elk said:


> All of them are the shorter season ones that can reach maturity here.  I have gotten as big as 83 lbs. from the Big Moose.


That is HUGE!!

Very impressive!


----------



## R2elk

Alaskan said:


> That is HUGE!!
> 
> Very impressive!


Yes and it is a very good cooking pumpkin.  I made the best pumpkin muffins using the flesh from a Big Moose.


----------



## Alaskan

R2elk said:


> Yes and it is a very good cooking pumpkin.  I made the best pumpkin muffins using the flesh from a Big Moose.


I love most things pumpkin!

Nothing better than saying...but I HAVE to have a second slice of that pie!  My vitamin A ya know!!!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

First one


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 86917
> First one


Microscopic tomato????


----------



## Alaskan

Well.....

I THOUGHT I had planted several pots of calendulas.......

Turns out that more than half are NOT Calendulas.... but rather..... radishes?  Which... being planted in not very deep pots have not made good radishes... but have flowered.

I kept looking at them.... as the flower stalk went up.... wondering why they looked so odd....  but it wasn't until I was staring at a bunch of little white flowers.... instead of a big calendula flower....that I realized what must have happened.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> Well.....
> 
> I THOUGHT I had planted several pots of calendulas.......
> 
> Turns out that more than half are NOT Calendulas.... but rather..... radishes?  Which... being planted in not very deep pots have not made good radishes... but have flowered.
> 
> I kept looking at them.... as the flower stalk went up.... wondering why they looked so odd....  but it wasn't until I was staring at a bunch of little white flowers.... instead of a big calendula flower....that I realized what must have happened.


I remember you saying something like that might happen. 
Don't feel bad, I don't remember the last time I bought black eyed pea seed and I know I mixed the packets I had. Well I have 5 plants in what should be  a 30' row.


Alaskan said:


> Microscopic tomato????


You're funny. No it's a Sweet 100 cherry or  I've got really big hands.​


----------



## R2elk

King Arthur bell pepper


----------



## Alaskan

R2elk said:


> King Arthur bell pepper
> View attachment 86921


Nice!

Looks perfect!


----------



## Baymule

Wow! That is beautiful!


----------



## R2elk

Alaskan said:


> Nice!
> 
> Looks perfect!





Baymule said:


> Wow! That is beautiful!


Thanks.  King Arthur is a really good short season, cool weather bell pepper.  If left to full maturity, they will turn red.  I currently have four out there that are even bigger than this one.  This one got turned into delicious pepper, eggs and bacon.


----------



## Mini Horses

R2elk said:


> delicious pepper, eggs and bacon.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Beans the magical fruit


----------



## Baymule

I haven't checked in here in weeks. I have done a little in the garden, not a lot, but something. Only had Painted Mountain corn, harvested that for corneal, green beans, yellow squash and zucchini growing. And lots of weeds and grass. So I'll get all caught up on posting. I posted on TEG, so I'll copy it to here. 

I posted this on July 18

Grandma Robert’s Purple Pole Beans! I picked a big bowl full on July 7 and canned 6 pints from the first picking! They are beautiful growing on the vines AND easy to find!
















That evening we got our 3 granddaughters and their 3 dogs. Their parents spent the night and left the next morning to fly to Rome, Italy. They came back yesterday, stayed awhile, then left to go to my sister’s house in Willis. From there they left this morning to go to Corpus Christi to see the house that they are buying. Their offer was accepted but they haven’t actually seen it yet. Since hotel rooms are $300 and up per night, they are going back to my sisters tonight. 4 hour drive one way. In the morning they will leave for Odessa to start packing. Needless to say, we have been busy playing with granddaughters. The 14 year old went to a friends house, her vacation from her little sisters. LOL We went to the movies twice, Dairy Queen twice, a water park, city park with splash pad, rode Pearl the horse and to a KOA campground to see friends from California and swam in the pool there. Friday my freezer died, I had a side of home raised beef in it, and shifted into crisis mode. NO freezers at Sam’s Club, none at Home Depit, Lowe’s only had a 5 cubic foot chest freezer, what good would THAT do? Finally found one at a local appliance and furniture store, they had gotten in 4 the day before. Short version is DH kept the girls, I went to Tyler to get it, got home, we got it in the house and I finished putting meat in new freezer at 7 PM.

I finally went to the garden yesterday. The squash that was blooming when the kids got here, got busy. I brought in 2 arm loads of zucchini plus a couple of yellow squash. This morning I picked Grandma Robert’s purple beans again. I got half a wash tub full! My husband snapped them for me and I canned 12 pints.


----------



## Baymule

Posted on TEG on July 23

I pulled and shucked all the Painted Mountain corn yesterday. Some was moldy, some was starting to sprout. Pigs enjoyed it. Rain and more rain, naturally when I needed sunshine! But I still got a LOT of beautiful corn. I have some on the table and some in washtubs to finish drying.
What beautiful colors! And it makes the best cornbread!


----------



## Baymule

I have to pull before it gets totally dry. Last year I just pulled the shucks back and tied in bunches. I hung the bunches from rafters in the porch to finish drying, but it got weevils in it. This time I have it in the house to finish drying.

I use a Family Grain Mill.

Family Grain Mill – Family Grain Mill
I bought the electric motor, the hand crank was free. It will not grind flint corn, it’s too hard. I’m ok with that, never grew flint corn types anyway.

I got my best deal at everythingkitchens.com but look around for your best price and shipping cost.


----------



## Baymule

Posted on TEG July 25

Here’s one that was sprouting in the husks from the rain. The other side was good, I just shelled around the bad kernels. It’s not totally dry, but I’m shelling out a few so I don’t have it all to do at once.


----------



## Baymule

Posted on TEG July 28

I made cornmeal today with corn I had from last year. 9 cups of corn yielded 14 cups of cornmeal. So the ratio is 1.5555 cups cornmeal to 1 cup of corn. LOL






I made cornbread for supper, baked chicken, pinto beans and carrot salad. Tomorrow I’ll make dressing from the leftover cornbread.

Funny story on myself. I was maybe 20, when I hosted Thanksgiving dinner. I used an old cookbook that called for STALE cornbread for the dressing. I hit the panic button. I didn’t HAVE any stale cornbread. So I baked a couple batches of cornbread, crumbled them up and put it in a low oven to make it “stale”. Yeah, I was a dummy.

Cornbread.


----------



## Baymule

And I'm all caught up now!

I went to the garden after the grandkids left and picked zucchini logs. LOL I made lasagna!

Lasagna noodle recipe.

2 1/2 cups grated zucchini, in small handfuls, squeeze the liquid out
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Combine the ingredients. prepare 2 cookie sheets, cover with parchment paper. Spread mixture over the cookie sheets about 1/4" thick. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes until golden. Let cool 10 minutes. Cut into strips and use as noodles. 

Use your favorite lasagna recipe. It makes a 9x13 pan.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> And I'm all caught up now!
> 
> I went to the garden after the grandkids left and picked zucchini logs. LOL I made lasagna!
> 
> Lasagna noodle recipe.
> 
> 2 1/2 cups grated zucchini, in small handfuls, squeeze the liquid out
> 6 eggs, beaten
> 1 cup shredded mozzarella
> 
> Combine the ingredients. prepare 2 cookie sheets, cover with parchment paper. Spread mixture over the cookie sheets about 1/4" thick. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes until golden. Let cool 10 minutes. Cut into strips and use as noodles.
> 
> Use your favorite lasagna recipe. It makes


Couple years ago I grew bullhorn peppers. Had a bunch and my wife got the idea to split the peppers like noodles and made lasagna. Crazy what tomato sauce and cheese make taste good ain't it.


----------



## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> Posted on TEG July 28
> 
> I made cornmeal today with corn I had from last year. 9 cups of corn yielded 14 cups of cornmeal. So the ratio is 1.5555 cups cornmeal to 1 cup of corn. LOL
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I made cornbread for supper, baked chicken, pinto beans and carrot salad. Tomorrow I’ll make dressing from the leftover cornbread.
> 
> Funny story on myself. I was maybe 20, when I hosted Thanksgiving dinner. I used an old cookbook that called for STALE cornbread for the dressing. I hit the panic button. I didn’t HAVE any stale cornbread. So I baked a couple batches of cornbread, crumbled them up and put it in a low oven to make it “stale”. Yeah, I was a dummy.
> 
> Cornbread.


Ok.....  I am stuck....

What is the deal with stale cornbread?


----------



## Alaskan

Great updates @Baymule 

My greenhouse


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## Baymule

Alaskan said:


> Ok.....  I am stuck....
> 
> What is the deal with stale cornbread?


The old cookbook I was using said to use stale cornbread to make the dressing. As in LEFTOVER cornbread. The cookbook came from a time when housewives made corn bread for almost every meal. It was cheap and filling. Thus they would have leftovers to go stale. Not to waste it, use it to make the dressing.

Being young and inexperienced, I thought I had to use stale cornbread like the recipe said.


----------



## Baymule

@Alaskan that is a super nice greenhouse!


----------



## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> @Alaskan that is a super nice greenhouse!


Thanks ! 

It is attached to my chicken shed.... they get access in the winter.

I am always wishing it were bigger....


----------



## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> The old cookbook I was using said to use stale cornbread to make the dressing. As in LEFTOVER cornbread. The cookbook came from a time when housewives made corn bread for almost every meal. It was cheap and filling. Thus they would have leftovers to go stale. Not to waste it, use it to make the dressing.
> 
> Being young and inexperienced, I thought I had to use stale cornbread like the recipe said.


Ah!  Thanks.


And yes. I grew up with cornbread, spoonbread, corn meal everything.


----------



## Mini Horses

Back in the day, corn was grown as a staple.  You ate fresh, canned, and fed all else as dried or meal to animals and people alike!   Many of the old flint and dent corns are tasty, even tho not as sweet or tender, as today's varieties of sweet.


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## Baymule

I grew up on yellow dent corn. My grandpa raised corn for the cows, he picked it dry, shucked it, then had it ground with the cob too. Stored in barrels, he doled it out to his cows in the winter.

I’ve got 4 pints of green beans in the canner. This will make 30 jars total, so far. My goal is 60. Hope I make it before heat and grasshoppers take it away.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> I grew up on yellow dent corn. My grandpa raised corn for the cows, he picked it dry, shucked it, then had it ground with the cob too. Stored in barrels, he doled it out to his cows in the winter.
> 
> I’ve got 4 pints of green beans in the canner. This will make 30 jars total, so far. My goal is 60. Hope I make it before heat and grasshoppers take it away.


I've eaten it years ago, Mom would add sugar to the pot. I didn't know there was a difference until I had silver queen. Growing up I was told it was too much a bother for too little return in a garden.
@Alaskan  I am jealous of your greenhouse. Mine is Harbor Freight, it's a potting shed at best good for starting stuff, wasps and birds.

That pitiful ziplock bag is the second picking of green beans.
2 weeks ago I had 6 or 7 and gave them to my rabbits.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

One cherry and one of the paste tomato plants has got some kind of disease.
I'd rather have a bowl of homegrown cherry tomatoes than eat ice cream.


----------



## Baymule

Aww that’s too bad on your tomatoes!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> Aww that’s too bad on your tomatoes!


Yep it's frustrating, 10 months of waiting, a grown man could cry.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 87122
> One cherry and one of the paste tomato plants has got some kind of disease.
> I'd rather have a bowl of homegrown cherry tomatoes than eat ice cream.


Dang...

No idea...   looks bad.


My 2 diseased cucumbers...  one recovered and is now growing great.  

I am surprised.


----------



## Baymule

I should post a picture of my entire garden. It would make @Grizzlyhackle feel better........ everything is BIG and bodacious, weeds, that is!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

At least these are going ok. Got one so far. supposed to be ok against vnftptsdcovid etc.

I looked up the home extension thru U of Md looks like verticillium wilt on the cherry and paste. not all of them yet but it's spreading.

@Baymule weedy garden pictures would just give me snake nightmares. I'm about over 2021.

Buried in the cucumbers I found 2 watermelons, the sunflowers are staring to bloom. Potatoes about ready to dig up. Even got a handful of jalapenos. 
But the cherries......


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 87141
> At least these are going ok. Got one so far. supposed to be ok against vnftptsdcovid etc.
> 
> I looked up the home extension thru U of Md looks like verticillium wilt on the cherry and paste. not all of them yet but it's spreading.
> 
> @Baymule weedy garden pictures would just give me snake nightmares. I'm about over 2021.
> 
> Buried in the cucumbers I found 2 watermelons, the sunflowers are staring to bloom. Potatoes about ready to dig up. Even got a handful of jalapenos.
> But the cherries......


Well.... some stuff is better than no stuff. 

And anyway....  

@Baymule 

Remember,  some weeds are super good for you!    some people pay for dandelion seeds!


----------



## Baymule

@Grizzlyhackle weedy pictures coming up! You could find an Anaconda in there!

@Alaskan ive made dandelion tea, jelly and wine. LOL But the weeds I have make dandelions look like a slacker, yep, dandelions are gonna have to chug steroids to catch up with my weeds!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> @Grizzlyhackle weedy pictures coming up! You could find an Anaconda in there!
> 
> @Alaskan ive made dandelion tea, jelly and wine. LOL But the weeds I have make dandelions look like a slacker, yep, dandelions are gonna have to chug steroids to catch up with my weeds!


----------



## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> @Grizzlyhackle weedy pictures coming up! You could find an Anaconda in there!
> 
> @Alaskan ive made dandelion tea, jelly and wine. LOL But the weeds I have make dandelions look like a slacker, yep, dandelions are gonna have to chug steroids to catch up with my weeds!


Turn young leaves into pesto.


----------



## Baymule

My garden weeds on steroids. @Grizzlyhackle   want to take a walk in the garden? LOL


----------



## Baymule

My husband weed eated  trails for me. I used lopper shears to cut the lambs quarters and ragweed off, piled in the wagon and threw it over the fence to the sheep.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Pittsburgh Hardy fig cutting from this spring has decided to fruit. It's growing roots out through the bottom of the pot.






Tacoma Violet cutting from this spring is also fruiting. I didn't notice extra roots when I moved the pot last.





The other cuttings from this spring that grew don't show fruit. I'm ok with that, next year should be awesome once these guys are in the ground where that can get huge. I think I'll order more cuttings from the same vendor as the ones that didn't grow were my fault.

I'm also not sure if the ones that didn't grow, might try to grow this coming spring. The cutting wood still looks ok, at least the upper area I see above the soil. Is there a way to tell if they are truly dead or just dormant?


----------



## Alaskan

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> It's growing roots out through the bottom of the pot.


 Figs are great about that!  They will plant themselves if you don't do it for them.



Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> Is there a way to tell if they are truly dead or just dormant?



Dead = all dried out stem.

But... even if the top is dead and dried out, the bottom might be ok....


----------



## Kusanar

Speaking of weeds.... 

This is my zucchini plant, the tomatoes are under the cattle panel arch to the left. 





My harvest yesterday, the zucchini is 10" long!






Panoramic of the garden area, the black thing is a trash can, then the tomatoes are slightly to the right, then the small cleared area, then the monster zucchini before you get back into weeds





My horses, just because they are pretty, and they are also standing in weeds (there are 3 in the picture)


----------



## Baymule

@Kusanar your horse picture reminds me of fall weeds when the garden is done and I turn the sheep in it. Instant disappearing sheep! Haha


----------



## Kusanar

Baymule said:


> @Kusanar your horse picture reminds me of fall weeds when the garden is done and I turn the sheep in it. Instant disappearing sheep! Haha


You should see it when they wade down in the pigweed patch, the big horses (15.3-16hh) barely show, the little guy (32") doesn't stand a chance down there.


----------



## Mini Horses

Thank you both!  I feel better about my garden failure....turned my goats in much earlier!   

Really, right now, the won't stop rain is getting their belly wet on tall grass.  🤭


----------



## Kusanar

Mini Horses said:


> Thank you both!  I feel better about my garden failure....turned my goats in much earlier!
> 
> Really, right now, the won't stop rain is getting their belly wet on tall grass.  🤭


Glad my weeds can make you feel better. That was the intention, but still funny.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> My garden weeds on steroids. @Grizzlyhackle   want to take a walk in the garden? LOL
> View attachment 87158
> 
> 
> View attachment 87157
> 
> 
> View attachment 87159
> 
> View attachment 87161


My God NO. In Texas  not without my weed Wacker, .410 and a snakebite kit.
Go to the tastee freeze in Ozona on I10 , the picture made with rattles uhuh noway


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Dug up some redskins just to see , pulled 4 plants they're ugly but they taste good. Voles are back, saw some bite marks. Don't know how to stop them.



That's ALL the russets I try them every year. Look bigger than they are.


----------



## Baymule

At least you got potatoes. The best potatoes I ever grew was planted in a big pile of leaves. I mixed horse manure and lime in the leaves, let them sit for a couple of months and planted potatoes in them. Biggest and prettiest potatoes i ever grew!


----------



## Baymule

weed picture! I used the long handled lopping shears and cut 7 wagon loads for the sheep. Plus a dozen too big to go on the wagon. I wanted to clear down the remaining side of the tomato trellis, bu didn’t make it to the end. Got too hot, drenched in sweat, came in and took a shower. I took a selfie of me standing in front of the weeds. That’s me, down at the bottom! LOL BTW, I’m 5’7”.


----------



## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> weed picture! I used the long handled lopping shears and cut 7 wagon loads for the sheep. Plus a dozen too big to go on the wagon. I wanted to clear down the remaining side of the tomato trellis, bu didn’t make it to the end. Got too hot, drenched in sweat, came in and took a shower. I took a selfie of me standing in front of the weeds. That’s me, down at the bottom! LOL BTW, I’m 5’7”.
> 
> View attachment 87220


Impressive!!


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Onions! Hubby ate two (not pictured) with breakfast. He said they tasted good even though they were small. I harvested about 6-8 seed heads so I can grow baby onions.


----------



## Alaskan

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> Onions! Hubby ate two (not pictured) with breakfast. He said they tasted good even though they were small. I harvested about 6-8 seed heads so I can grow baby onions.
> View attachment 87222


Well..... they look cute.  

I am sure they were tasty


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Volunteers from the compost pile.
See my shirt that's how humid it is right now.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 87263
> Volunteers from the compost pile.View attachment 87264
> See my shirt that's how humid it is right now.


Are those little red things potatoes?


----------



## Baymule

Oh you poor thing, it's HUMID! Hahaha, welcome to my world.


----------



## Baymule

It’s August 11, 2021. Normally the tomatoes 
would have produced a bounty, an overload, of tomatoes. The vines would be spent by now, burned and crisp by the heat.

But this ain’t a normal weather year.

Today I picked my first tomatoes. By now, I should have gleaming jars of canned tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, BBQ sauce, pizza sauce, salsa, plain tomato sauce and dehydrated tomatoes. Nope. Nada.

My first tomatoes and a few long green beans, second picking


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## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> Are those little red things potatoes?


Yes..


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> It’s August 11, 2021. Normally the tomatoes
> would have produced a bounty, an overload, of tomatoes. The vines would be spent by now, burned and crisp by the heat.
> 
> But this ain’t a normal weather year.
> 
> Today I picked my first tomatoes. By now, I should have gleaming jars of canned tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, BBQ sauce, pizza sauce, salsa, plain tomato sauce and dehydrated tomatoes. Nope. Nada.
> 
> My first tomatoes and a few long green beans, second picking
> 
> View attachment 87288


And I was bummed out..but yeah I should be carrying bags to work


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

I picked those last night. Never tried this variety before. Normal year there would at least twice that with Kentucky wonder. Taste good though with a spoon of bacon grease almost sweet for a green bean.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> Oh you poor thing, it's HUMID! Hahaha, welcome to my world.


Yep it's August air you can wear, with mosquitos to chase you in the house


----------



## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> But this ain’t a normal weather year.


True that!

I just spent a bunch of time in my greenhouse picking off all flowers....

I probably should have picked off all super tiny fruit as well....

Maybe tomorrow. 



Very little production this year.  .    Except for the basil.  With so little sun and warmth it did great, and didn't even try to flower until last week.


----------



## Baymule

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Yep it's August air you can wear, with mosquitos to chase you in the house


Ain’t that the truth!


----------



## R2elk

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Voles are back, saw some bite marks. Don't know how to stop them.


I stuff bait blocks down their entrance/exit holes.


----------



## R2elk

I never would have believed that this would actually produce here.
Artichoke


----------



## R2elk

Big Moose pumpkin.  It probably weighs around 80 lbs.


----------



## Baymule

What a nice artichoke and pumpkin. Congratulations!


----------



## R2elk

Northern Exposure tomatoes


----------



## Alaskan

R2elk said:


> I never would have believed that this would actually produce here.
> Artichoke


Fantastic garden produce!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Spun the needle back to zero so I figure it's at least a lb. It's already odd shaped so I pulled it before it cracked. Should be  a Parks Whopper. I mixed my plants up again


----------



## Baymule

Looks like an Orange Buttocks to me! It’s plenty cracked too!


----------



## Mini Horses

@ Grizzlyhackle at least someone had some garden success!!  Good job.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> Looks like an Orange Buttocks to me! It’s plenty cracked too!


OMG I didn't notice


----------



## Baymule

I grew this one in 2014.


----------



## R2elk

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 87351
> Spun the needle back to zero so I figure it's at least a lb. It's already odd shaped so I pulled it before it cracked. Should be  a Parks Whopper. I mixed my plants up again


I planted Park's Big Whopper one year.  It produced well but the biggest tomato I got from them was 10 oz.


----------



## R2elk

I picked cucumbers today.  5 gallon bucket.




The longest is 12" and the thickest is 2 3/4" in diameter.


----------



## Baymule

R2elk said:


> I picked cucumbers today.  5 gallon bucket.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The longest is 12" and the thickest is 2 3/4" in diameter.


Pickles! here is my recipe. These make the BEST pickles on hamburgers and deviled eggs. Heck, I eat them by themselves. 





__





						CRISP pickle recipe!! For ya'll that are tired of soggy pickles!
					

Mamma Wall's Spicy Sweet Pickles  My spicy sweet pickle recipe came from my great grandmother to my grandmother to me. I made 20 pints and 4 quarts this summer. I make it from memory, better write it down before I lose my mind LOL!   Start this process early in the morning so you will have time...



					www.theeasygarden.com


----------



## Alaskan

R2elk said:


> I picked cucumbers today.  5 gallon bucket.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The longest is 12" and the thickest is 2 3/4" in diameter.


What are the snake looking things?

Great produce again!


----------



## R2elk

Baymule said:


> Pickles! here is my recipe. These make the BEST pickles on hamburgers and deviled eggs. Heck, I eat them by themselves.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> __
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> CRISP pickle recipe!! For ya'll that are tired of soggy pickles!
> 
> 
> Mamma Wall's Spicy Sweet Pickles  My spicy sweet pickle recipe came from my great grandmother to my grandmother to me. I made 20 pints and 4 quarts this summer. I make it from memory, better write it down before I lose my mind LOL!   Start this process early in the morning so you will have time...
> 
> 
> 
> www.theeasygarden.com


I developed my own recipe for hot sweet pickles and hot dill pickles.  For some unknown reason the hot sweer pickles are slightly addictive and can cause mild withdrawal symptoms when a person runs out of the,.

Do not think of these as being similar to store bought sweet pickles.  While these have a sweetness to them it is nothing similar to store bought ones.

I just finished 12 quarts of the hot sweet ones and barely made a dent in the bucket.


----------



## R2elk

Alaskan said:


> What are the snake looking things?
> 
> Great produce again!


They are Painted Serpent aka Armenian cucumbers.  They can get huge.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




From last year.  It was 27" long by 2" in diameter.


----------



## Baymule

Do they make good pickles?


----------



## R2elk

Baymule said:


> Do they make good pickles?


When they are small they make excellent pickles.  They end up not being solid when they get really big.


----------



## Alaskan

R2elk said:


> When they are small they make excellent pickles.  They end up not being solid when they get really big.


And then what do you do with them?


----------



## Kusanar

Alaskan said:


> And then what do you do with them?


Per google:

Armenian cucumbers are popularly used *raw in green leaf, chopped salads, and pasta salads*. Their delicate flavor allows them to become a perfect textural component in sandwiches and sushi. They can be sliced lengthwise, widthwise, diced, and julienned. The Armenian cucumber can also be grilled, puréed, or pickled.

So, it appears that they are the sushi cucumbers.


----------



## Alaskan

But if they get older and hollow in the middle?

Do you then name them guord?


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> But if they get older and hollow in the middle?
> 
> Do you then name them guord?


When I grew them they got only so big turned softer then rotted. Not like a gourd. Mine never made it as big @R2elk has. I also picked them sooner. Maybe 20" max 1" in width and then got the usual cucumber brown spots, started going bad. Small, they're kinda crisp nice flavor.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

My gardening buddy. I picked tomatoes he supervised.


----------



## Mini Horses

Awesome, cute garden partner!!


----------



## R2elk

Alaskan said:


> And then what do you do with them?


Peel and slice them up in my cucumber salad.  My preferred dressing is equal parts sucralose (sugar can be used), Miracle Whip (mayo can be used) and vinegar (ACV can be used).


----------



## Baymule

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 87379
> My gardening buddy. I picked tomatoes he supervised.


Having a supervisor as cute as that is a great help! He’s precious.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

@Mini Horses and @Baymule  thank you both.


----------



## Mini Horses

Listen, if I came to your garden, I'd pick that one!   😁


----------



## R2elk

I am making ham & bean soup and ran out of carrots so I pulled a couple from the garden.


----------



## R2elk

Turned out I was short on potatoes too.  Back out to the garden I went.


----------



## Baymule

Nothing like fresh veggies from the garden! How was the soup?


----------



## R2elk

Baymule said:


> Nothing like fresh veggies from the garden! How was the soup?


Delicious.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

R2elk said:


> Turned out I was short on potatoes too.  Back out to the garden I went.


What variety?
They look really good.


----------



## R2elk

Grizzlyhackle said:


> What variety?
> They look really good.


Red Pontiac.  They are an excellent non-waxy red skinned, white fleshed potato.  I find them excellent for mashed, fried, baked and french fries.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

R2elk said:


> Red Pontiac.  They are an excellent non-waxy red skinned, white fleshed potato.  I find them excellent for mashed, fried, baked and french fries.


I can't remember if mine are Pontiac or red Norland. 
Yours look better than mine.  I've got to do some reading. The ones from the garden are scabby, really rough skin. Out of the compost pile they're nice and red like yours. I think they were from sprouted peelings from grocery store spuds.
I like growing them it's always a surprise and reds are more versatile, good for everything.


----------



## Baymule

Grizzlyhackle said:


> I can't remember if mine are Pontiac or red Norland.
> Yours look better than mine.  I've got to do some reading. The ones from the garden are scabby, really rough skin. Out of the compost pile they're nice and red like yours. I think they were from sprouted peelings from grocery store spuds.
> I like growing them it's always a surprise and reds are more versatile, good for everything.


Try mixing lime in the soil for scabby potatoes. Compost is wonderful but fresh horse manure will make scabby potatoes. One year I got a huge pile of leaves, mixed with fresh horse manure and lime. I had read that the lime would prevent scab. It must have worked, the potatoes were big, beautiful and not a blemish on them.


----------



## farmerjan

Yeah, the scabby ones from the garden need some lime... and don't grow potatoes there for a year or 2 at least... it stays in the soil.


----------



## farmerjan

Copied the 2 recipes you referenced... I like recipes that do not require all the water bath and processing....


----------



## R2elk

Grizzlyhackle said:


> I can't remember if mine are Pontiac or red Norland.
> Yours look better than mine.  I've got to do some reading. The ones from the garden are scabby, really rough skin. Out of the compost pile they're nice and red like yours. I think they were from sprouted peelings from grocery store spuds.
> I like growing them it's always a surprise and reds are more versatile, good for everything.


Norland are a waxy red skinned potato that are not good in mashed potatoes.  Many of the store bought reds are either Norland or Red La Soda.  Red La Soda are even waxier and really make disgusting mashed potatoes.

Before I got enough organic material into my sand based garden the skins of all the potatoes were rough and scabby.  With enough organic material (bales of peat moss ground into the sand) mine are finally becoming smooth skinned.


----------



## R2elk

Be sure to test the pH of your soil before adding lime to it.  If your soil is basic to start, adding lime will make it worse.  Adding lime to my soil would be a bad thing.


----------



## farmerjan

Yeah, potatoes like a slightly acidic soil.  But for some reason, I have found that lime will help to stop the scabbiness... maybe because it attacks the pathogens that cause the scab???? Maybe it was just that the soil I had at the time was rather too acidic??? I do know that fresh manure seems to make it worse.  
I have been told that the best potatoes always come from fresh tilled ground that had not been used for a garden previously.  And potatoes do not do as well if grown where tomatoes were because they are both in the nightshade family.  That is why both seem to aggravate people with arthritis too....


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

I can't remember the last time I added lime, it's been awhile though. 
I started adding compost regular and either grow vetch or crimson clover. Before that I got mostly smaller ones but last 2 years they really started in with the scab.
All these years I never tested the soil, guess it's time.
I recently had read about tomatoes and arthritis and I wonder why my hip starts hurting in late July, coincides with when I quit eating store bought. Now potatoes too....Dr said "if it tastes good spit it out".

Thank you both, all you say matches what I've been reading.


----------



## R2elk

farmerjan said:


> Yeah, potatoes like a slightly acidic soil.  But for some reason, I have found that lime will help to stop the scabbiness... maybe because it attacks the pathogens that cause the scab???? Maybe it was just that the soil I had at the time was rather too acidic??? I do know that fresh manure seems to make it worse.
> I have been told that the best potatoes always come from fresh tilled ground that had not been used for a garden previously.  And potatoes do not do as well if grown where tomatoes were because they are both in the nightshade family.  That is why both seem to aggravate people with arthritis too....


The absolute best crop of potatoes that I ever grew were planted in a long decomposed sawdust dump.  It was extremely soft and would turn to powder if it got dry.  I planted 8 lbs. of Red Pontiac potatoes and dug up in excess of 200 lbs. of potatoes.  Many were in the 3 to 4 lb. per potato range.  The biggest was 7 1'2 lbs.

Instead of having a steak and potatoes, I had steaks and a potato.


----------



## Baymule

My Mother couldn't eat from the nightshade family. Eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes-were off the menu for her.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> My Mother couldn't eat from the nightshade family. Eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes-were off the menu for her.


I was tested for allergies years ago. Not supposed to eat tomatoes, potatoes, dairy. How you gonna have a cheese burger without tomato,cheese, ketchup and french fries and not follow it with a milkshake. Sneeze like crazy. Yep I'm hardheaded.
Heart Dr said it too...


----------



## Alaskan

Be miserable and live forever, or be happy and die young.    

Gotta find the balance.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> Be miserable and live forever, or be happy and die young.
> 
> Gotta find the balance.


Indeed 

Have y'all got cicadas up there in the ice box? I walked outside just now OMG I don't what they buzz about , you talk about loud.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Indeed
> 
> Have y'all got cicadas up there in the ice box? I walked outside just now OMG I don't what they buzz about , you talk about loud.


Nope. None up here.

Up here the noise makers are birds and squirrels. 

Had cicadas in Texas, loved them... such a hoot.  And their exoskeletons are cool.


----------



## Baymule

I love the cicadas too. To me, they are the sound of deep summer, hot, lazy and cicadas.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

I think I finally have tomatillos!! There's two plants, overflowing a 4'*4' planter and about 5' tall, they looked like they were doing nothing forever. How do I know when to pick them?


----------



## Alaskan

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> I think I finally have tomatillos!! There's two plants, overflowing a 4'*4' planter and about 5' tall, they looked like they were doing nothing forever. How do I know when to pick them?
> 
> View attachment 87436


No earthly 

Tell us how it goes


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Palmated hibiscus 
One or two blossoms a day now for maybe 2 weeks. It'll wilt and fall off by dark. It's an annual I bought at Monticello gift shop in 16. Saved the seeds that first summer, growing ever since. Seed pods covered in little spines. Tough on your fingers and I wear gloves now to break them open. I planted these late June so the stalk isn't as tall as normal. All around 3 ' normally would be close to 5. No aroma but I think their pretty.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> I think I finally have tomatillos!! There's two plants, overflowing a 4'*4' planter and about 5' tall, they looked like they were doing nothing forever. How do I know when to pick them?
> 
> View attachment 87436











						Growing Tomatillo Plants | General Planting & Growing Tips
					

Learn expert tips for growing tomatillos, a crucial ingredient in salsa verde, in your own home vegetable or salsa garden.




					bonnieplants.com
				




Check YouTube also, I should have copied the link, sorry.


----------



## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 87440
> Palmated hibiscus
> One or two blossoms a day now for maybe 2 weeks. It'll wilt and fall off by dark. It's an annual I bought at Monticello gift shop in 16. Saved the seeds that first summer, growing ever since. Seed pods covered in little spines. Tough on your fingers and I wear gloves now to break them open. I planted these late June so the stalk isn't as tall as normal. All around 3 ' normally would be close to 5. No aroma but I think their pretty.


I have a potted hibiscus up here. 

Baby tree size now.....  so you could pot it up if you want.

It just can't freeze, but it isn't actually an annual.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

We had a big Lord Baltimore with the big red blossoms lasted one year. Some kind of worms destroyed it the begining the following summer. When it was growing hummingbirds were all over it.
I always liked them as a kid we picked the spent ones and used them like badminton birdies. Didn't last long.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

That is small stink bug.
What will kill them?


----------



## Mini Horses

A hammer.   😁    I used BT on mine.   They liked my summer squash and just covered them.  Watched them squirm an drop.  No remorse.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Had one fly into my forehead couple days ago, rascal hung on.
Dang things are everywhere, on the tomatoes and Lima beans really thick. Yet another useless import from China.


----------



## Baymule

I hate those things.


----------



## farmerjan

We have the miserable stink bugs here too and nothing likes them.  Chickens won't eat them... I smash them too.  Didn't know that BT would kill em... good to know. 

Have seen lots of Hibiscus here in the last week or 2,  in different places/yards when driving.  Some real pretty ones. From their locations in gardens I am assuming they come up every year.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> I hate those things.











						Brown marmorated stink bug - Wikipedia
					






					en.m.wikipedia.org
				




If you trust Wikipedia here's an interesting article about them.
I had heard, read somewhere that smashing them attracts more as it releases an aroma. IDK about all that. They are a dang nuisance for sure, get in the house and over winter. 
Other insects generally hit one or two crops, these things get on nearly everything. I didn't read about bt working but once this hurricane passes, I'm going to try it. Should be dry enough to spray this weekend. Seasons ending but to kill some outside before they get cold and start moving in, it's worth trying.


----------



## R2elk

Gladiator roma tomato


----------



## Mini Horses

Well, I used BT.....maybe I drowned them!    😁   But they died.  

At any rate, BT is good for many bugs and organic.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Mini Horses said:


> Well, I used BT.....maybe I drowned them!    😁   But they died.
> 
> At any rate, BT is good for many bugs and organic.


Sounds good to me I'm seeing small hornworms and bean beetle larvae too.


----------



## Kusanar

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Sounds good to me I'm seeing small hornworms and bean beetle larvae too.


I'm getting my 2nd wave of hornworms. Only found 3-4 this spring, pulled about 10 off on Sunday.


----------



## farmerjan

Kusanar said:


> I'm getting my 2nd wave of hornworms. Only found 3-4 this spring, pulled about 10 off on Sunday.


Since I don't have a garden this year, I hadn't heard but do you think it has to do with the weather now... getting more rain?


----------



## Kusanar

farmerjan said:


> Since I don't have a garden this year, I hadn't heard but do you think it has to do with the weather now... getting more rain?


Not sure, it has been pretty dry out there. But my garden stays borderline wet. I have drip irrigation that turns on for 20 minutes 4 times a day which is a lot more than most people run it. 

I have heard that the eggs are in the bed it's self so they shouldn't be getting a lot of differences in water. We have had a few flash floods out there lately though.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

This is the first I'm seeing of the hornworms this year and they're kind of small like they haven't hatched to long ago. Barely could make out the white stripes on the side but that horn sure sticks out. 
Funny how stuff changes. Always had potato beetles, and cabbage moth worms.
First time I saw a hornworm didn't know what it was, probably in my thirties. Now stink bugs and hornworms.
Honestly cannot remember last time I had potato bugs. 
This year, since the screech owls moved in I haven't lost any tomatoes to squirrels. Last year they stole every Roma tomato I had. I even box trapped a couple didn't matter. Little owl is my new best buddy.
Squirrels had gotten so bad I don't bother with corn or pumpkins. Sunflowers I had to hide where they were planted.


----------



## Baymule

I usually have Summer Tanagers, pretty red birds that haunt the tomatoes and eat the hornworms. I was so late with my garden this year, no hornworms and no Tanagers. Tanagers peck the tomatoes too, so I just pick them a little early.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Cardinals peck at mine usually when it's really hot and dry. I keep the bird bath changed and full, can't swear that it helped. The male is usually the one I see. I don't think they do me any favors but they nest close, sometimes get to see young ones.


----------



## R2elk

I wiped out my tomato hornworms by putting praying mantis egg cases in the garden.  Haven't had any tomato hornworms in years.  I do get an occasional  grape hornworm.


----------



## Baymule

R2elk said:


> I wiped out my tomato hornworms by putting praying mantis egg cases in the garden.  Haven't had any tomato hornworms in years.  I do get an occasional  grape hornworm.


Are praying mantises good for grasshoppers?  I have millions of those things. Got 2 old hens working the jungle that masquerades as a garden, to eat the grasshoppers.


----------



## R2elk

Baymule said:


> Are praying mantises good for grasshoppers?  I have millions of those things. Got 2 old hens working the jungle that masquerades as a garden, to eat the grasshoppers.


The claim is that Blister beetles eat grasshopper eggs.  Turkeys (if they aren't broody) are super good for grasshopper control.  The praying mantises don't do much for grasshopper control.

When there is a really bad year, I use Eco Bran.  I can get it at a really reasonable price from our local County Weed & Pest.  It is probably higher now but 2 years ago I got a 50 lb. sack from them for $25.


----------



## R2elk

R2elk said:


> The claim is that Blister beetles eat grasshopper eggs.  Turkeys (if they aren't broody) are super good for grasshopper control.  The praying mantises don't do much for grasshopper control.
> 
> When there is a really bad year, I use Eco Bran.  I can get it at a really reasonable price from our local County Weed & Pest.  It is probably higher but 2 years ago I got a 50 lb. sack from them for $25.


I had thousands of blister beetles in the garden last year.  This year I have had very few grasshoppers around.  Of course it didn't hurt that there have been a couple of Wild Turkey hens move, one of which was never broody this year.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Planted these in front of my compost.
My pictures don't do them justice. 
Missed out on all the bad weather from Ida. There was a big tornado over in Dorchester cty. came down in a big field so nothing bad happened.  Best part is after 2 months of humidity and hot the temp is in the low 70's humidity in the 50's. I have shut off the a/c and opened windows.
Now I hear the cicadas...


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

R2elk said:


> I wiped out my tomato hornworms by putting praying mantis egg cases in the garden.  Haven't had any tomato hornworms in years.  I do get an occasional  grape hornworm.


I tried it a couple times, find one in the fall 
hide it good out in the garden and nothing.
Might see an adult late August. I've even caught adults brought them home and next summer zilch.


----------



## Alaskan

Well.... we had maybe 5 days of summer weather and are now back to rainy fall. 

I REALLY wanted a few more days of heat to help ripen my tomatoes and peppers. 

The cucumber looks like it is still ok...but the basil looks sad.


----------



## Finnie

Grizzlyhackle said:


> temp is in the low 70's humidity in the 50's. I have shut off the a/c and opened windows.
> Now I hear the cicadas...


Same here. But now I can hear my own roosters!


----------



## R2elk

Grizzlyhackle said:


> I tried it a couple times, find one in the fall
> hide it good out in the garden and nothing.
> Might see an adult late August. I've even caught adults brought them home and next summer zilch.


I buy the egg cases in the spring and put them out when I get them.  I usually stuff a few in the greenhouse and manage to see those hatch.  I rarely see any outside of the greenhouse but I notice their handiwork by the lack of problem bugs.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

R2elk said:


> I buy the egg cases in the spring and put them out when I get them.  I usually stuff a few in the greenhouse and manage to see those hatch.  I rarely see any outside of the greenhouse but I notice their handiwork by the lack of problem bugs.


Don't remember where I heard this, t.v. or radio some years back that if they were the size of average dogs human beings would be an endangered species.


----------



## R2elk

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Don't remember where I heard this, t.v. or radio some years back that if they were the size of average dogs human beings would be an endangered species.


Years ago I saw a video of one capturing a hummingbird.

I had a fight between a week old one and a jumping spider happen in my kitchen.  The spider won and dined on the praying mantis.


----------



## Baymule

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Don't remember where I heard this, t.v. or radio some years back that if they were the size of average dogs human beings would be an endangered species.


If chickens were 6’ tall, we’d de on the menu!


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> If chickens were 6’ tall, we’d de on the menu!


Jurassic part comes to mind , Velociraptor.


----------



## Kusanar

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Jurassic part comes to mind , Velociraptor.


Fun fact, Velociraptors were only about the size of a turkey. The ones in the movies are much too large and are actually probably Utah Raptors.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

I thought maybe the price was wrong. It ain't.
That's a quart.
I went to feed store to buy some bt. All sold out. So I got something called Eight supposed to be permethrin based. It says to spray around the door to keep stink bugs out. Maybe it'll chase them away from the garden.
 Got to be careful says it's toxic to bees.


----------



## farmerjan

What is the dilution factor?  I can't read it....  everything is going to continue to go up.... I am not surprised by the price...  the last bottle of Draxxin antibiotic I bought was $1150.00 for 250 ml bottle.....dose is,  1 ml per 110 lbs of animal.... they just came out with a rebate since the patent is off now and there is a generic... but it still is running about $950 for that.  We only use it for pinkeye and then only if it is bad and mostly for the dart gun for cattle out on pasture where there is no catch pen facilities..... NOTHING is cheap anymore and it is going to get worse.  This year has been worse for pinkeye in the cattle than most years....


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

farmerjan said:


> What is the dilution factor?  I can't read it....  everything is going to continue to go up.... I am not surprised by the price...  the last bottle of Draxxin antibiotic I bought was $1150.00 for 250 ml bottle.....dose is,  1 ml per 110 lbs of animal.... they just came out with a rebate since the patent is off now and there is a generic... but it still is running about $950 for that.  We only use it for pinkeye and then only if it is bad and mostly for the dart gun for cattle out on pasture where there is no catch pen facilities..... NOTHING is cheap anymore and it is going to get worse.  This year has been worse for pinkeye in the cattle than most years....


I don't know I didn't look that far. 
I feel like I hemorrhage money every week. I'm hoping whoever can afford that bug killer would offer to adopt me.


----------



## Alaskan

farmerjan said:


> What is the dilution factor?  I can't read it....  everything is going to continue to go up.... I am not surprised by the price...  the last bottle of Draxxin antibiotic I bought was $1150.00 for 250 ml bottle.....dose is,  1 ml per 110 lbs of animal.... they just came out with a rebate since the patent is off now and there is a generic... but it still is running about $950 for that.  We only use it for pinkeye and then only if it is bad and mostly for the dart gun for cattle out on pasture where there is no catch pen facilities..... NOTHING is cheap anymore and it is going to get worse.  This year has been worse for pinkeye in the cattle than most years....


Your cattle getting pink eye, is the skin around their eyes white?

My grandfather always said it was cattle with white skin around the eyes that were more susceptible.   Never looked into it though....


----------



## farmerjan

Herefords with the white/pink pigment around their eyes,  were thought to be more susceptible to pinkeye.  We see no more problems with the herefords than any others.  In fact, we have 75-80% black cattle.  Mostly angus and angus crosses.  It has hit every color cattle we have... black, the few herefords, a couple of the char x angus, one of the few red hided cattle.  No one seems immune to it and it has hit a couple of pastures more than others.  A couple years ago there was a couple friends with cattle that were having a horrible time with it and it seemed to be a new strain, and we had maybe 2 cases in all the cattle.  
So it seems this is our year.  We vaccinated for pinkeye several years and actually seemed to see our cases rise from very few to quite a few.  Quit vaccinating and it dropped way down.  Haven't vaccinated for it in at least 10 years. 

One thing we do find is that some of the animals seem to have a natural resistance to it and when we keep heifers out of these families of cows, the off spring seem to be more immune to it also.  So we have been keeping more heifers from the "more immune" cows.  Another thing, I think that they do build up immunity because we very often get pinkeye in cattle that we buy and bring in.  Hence it seems to follow out that they do not have the immunity to the "bugs" on our place like the cattle that are born and raised here. 

But, you are right, there was thoughts around that pink and white skin/hair around the eyes meant that they were more likely to get pinkeye.  Yet, straight bred charolais cattle, with the pink noses, seldom seem to get it.  The ones that have the dark/grey/black noses are usually a cross with a black hided animal, and often their hair coats are more smokey in color, yet they get it just as much proportionately as the blacks.


----------



## Alaskan

farmerjan said:


> Herefords with the white/pink pigment around their eyes,  were thought to be more susceptible to pinkeye.  We see no more problems with the herefords than any others.  In fact, we have 75-80% black cattle.  Mostly angus and angus crosses.  It has hit every color cattle we have... black, the few herefords, a couple of the char x angus, one of the few red hided cattle.  No one seems immune to it and it has hit a couple of pastures more than others.  A couple years ago there was a couple friends with cattle that were having a horrible time with it and it seemed to be a new strain, and we had maybe 2 cases in all the cattle.
> So it seems this is our year.  We vaccinated for pinkeye several years and actually seemed to see our cases rise from very few to quite a few.  Quit vaccinating and it dropped way down.  Haven't vaccinated for it in at least 10 years.
> 
> One thing we do find is that some of the animals seem to have a natural resistance to it and when we keep heifers out of these families of cows, the off spring seem to be more immune to it also.  So we have been keeping more heifers from the "more immune" cows.  Another thing, I think that they do build up immunity because we very often get pinkeye in cattle that we buy and bring in.  Hence it seems to follow out that they do not have the immunity to the "bugs" on our place like the cattle that are born and raised here.
> 
> But, you are right, there was thoughts around that pink and white skin/hair around the eyes meant that they were more likely to get pinkeye.  Yet, straight bred charolais cattle, with the pink noses, seldom seem to get it.  The ones that have the dark/grey/black noses are usually a cross with a black hided animal, and often their hair coats are more smokey in color, yet they get it just as much proportionately as the blacks.


Thanks for the long explanation.  Interesting. 

I guess it is like worms...  and everything else... breed for animals that don't have issues with it.

Since my grandfather thought it was the white eye ring, my grandfather bred herefords with brown eyeliner.  He used a jersey to bring it in.

So his herd looked just like proper herefords, but with the thinnest brown eyeliner.

He also bred them that way to avoid cancer eye.

But then again......  maybe he stopped getting pink eye and cancer eye since he sold those.....

Interesting.


----------



## Mike CHS

I haven't bought any BT in a long time but at that price it will be a lot longer.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

We do all of our liquid measurements by weight, so we use 2.8g per gallon when using AzaGuard on food crops.  We also mix in a non-phytotoxic crop oil.


----------



## farmerjan

Alaskan said:


> Thanks for the long explanation.  Interesting.
> 
> I guess it is like worms...  and everything else... breed for animals that don't have issues with it.
> 
> Since my grandfather thought it was the white eye ring, my grandfather bred herefords with brown eyeliner.  He used a jersey to bring it in.
> 
> So his herd looked just like proper herefords, but with the thinnest brown eyeliner.
> 
> He also bred them that way to avoid cancer eye.
> 
> But then again......  maybe he stopped getting pink eye and cancer eye since he sold those.....
> 
> Interesting.


Interesting on the crossing in the jersey for the eye ring..... I have had jerseys with it and right now have a 1/2 hol 1/2 angus, mostly black cow with black face/head that has it in one eye..... had a jersey with it a couple years ago.... but for the most part it seems random and we might get 2 or 3 cases a year for years then seem to get a full blown outbreak like this year.


----------



## Alaskan

farmerjan said:


> Interesting on the crossing in the jersey for the eye ring..... I have had jerseys with it and right now have a 1/2 hol 1/2 angus, mostly black cow with black face/head that has it in one eye..... had a jersey with it a couple years ago.... but for the most part it seems random and we might get 2 or 3 cases a year for years then seem to get a full blown outbreak like this year.


Crazy interesting.


----------



## R2elk

Picked some of the pumpkins this morning.
The biggest 2 in this pic are the Early Giants.  The one on the left is 23 lbs. and the one on the right is 30 lbs.





The Big Moose in this one is 93 lbs.


----------



## R2elk

62 lbs


----------



## Alaskan

R2elk said:


> 62 lbs


Crazy nice!


----------



## Finnie

Very nice pumpkins, R2elk!


----------



## R2elk

Finnie said:


> Very nice pumpkins, R2elk!


Thank you.


----------



## R2elk

I couldn't pick this one up.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Rumor has it temps supposed to go down tonight 50's maybe hit the 40's.  I'm ready for it.
I've picked my last tomato for the season. 
Got another quart of blackeyed peas. The cool weather probably make the few remaining blossoms drop. I'm still confused how blackeyes have become a vine after all those years they were a bush. The tops are close to 6' weird.
Not one watermelon ripened. There are four out there now about the size of a softball. They get close and end up rotting.
Oh well. Get a soil sample, plant some clover and vetch. Prepare for next year.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

R2elk said:


> I couldn't pick this one up.
> View attachment 87706View attachment 87707


WOW. My biggest ever was 95 that's a BIG pumpkin. You gonna save some seeds?


----------



## R2elk

Grizzlyhackle said:


> WOW. My biggest ever was 95 that's a BIG pumpkin. You gonna save some seeds?


No, it's a hybrid.  It is Big Moose readily available from Johnnyseeds and other suppliers.  Unlike other pumpkins it starts out yellow (not green) and turns orange when ripe.  It has yellow flesh that is extremely good for cooking.  But who needs that much pumpkin to cook.


----------



## R2elk

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Rumor has it temps supposed to go down tonight 50's maybe hit the 40's.  I'm ready for it.
> I've picked my last tomato for the season.
> Got another quart of blackeyed peas. The cool weather probably make the few remaining blossoms drop. I'm still confused how blackeyes have become a vine after all those years they were a bush. The tops are close to 6' weird.
> Not one watermelon ripened. There are four out there now about the size of a softball. They get close and end up rotting.
> Oh well. Get a soil sample, plant some clover and vetch. Prepare for next year.


I got an 18 3/4 lb. watermelon from a seed saved from a seedless watermelon.  It was ripe the first week of September and was pink fleshed, sweet and delicious.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

R2elk said:


> No, it's a hybrid.  It is Big Moose readily available from Johnnyseeds and other suppliers.  Unlike other pumpkins it starts out yellow (not green) and turns orange when ripe.  It has yellow flesh that is extremely good for cooking.  But who needs that much pumpkin to cook.


I don't remember the type I had. Squirrels liked them so much they dig up the transplants for the seed. After that I let the kid pick a store bought one out  for carving and bought a Mrs Smith's for dinner.


----------



## R2elk

Grizzlyhackle said:


> I don't remember the type I had. Squirrels liked them so much they dig up the transplants for the seed. After that I let the kid pick a store bought one out  for carving and bought a Mrs Smith's for dinner.


Some idiot released squirrels from town out here last year.  I ate the problem and they gave up on their relocation efforts.  They whined on Facebook about why the squirrels they were feeding were disappearing.  Someone said it was natural predators and right after that one got hit on the road.  No more squirrels here now.


----------



## Alaskan

R2elk said:


> Some idiot released squirrels from town out here last year.  I ate the problem and they gave up on their relocation efforts.  They whined on Facebook about why the squirrels they were feeding were disappearing.  Someone said it was natural predators and right after that one got hit on the road.  No more squirrels here now.


Well... humans are their natural predators...  and fed squirrels are probably fat and tasty!


----------



## Alaskan

I had harvested maybe 5 nice cucumbers,  and 6 or so little tomatoes. 

And now since it is so cold...  I harvested everything else from the greenhouse. 

And THIS IS IT FOR THIS YEAR!!  






Wow.... what a COLD summer.


----------



## Mini Horses

More than I got from my "couldn't get it in" garden experience for this yr.   That phrase "next year" cometh to mind.  😁  maybe I needed a greenhouse 🤔.   I'm bummed over nothing here but looking forward to a better 2022 for everyone.

Sunny out this morning.  I love that.  Temp says 64.  Crisp.  But just fine.  Expecting maybe 75 tops.  Having my morning cuppa and thinking about what I need to do this weekend.....need a plan


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Mini Horses said:


> More than I got from my "couldn't get it in" garden experience for this yr.   That phrase "next year" cometh to mind.  😁  maybe I needed a greenhouse 🤔.   I'm bummed over nothing here but looking forward to a better 2022 for everyone.
> 
> Sunny out this morning.  I love that.  Temp says 64.  Crisp.  But just fine.  Expecting maybe 75 tops.  Having my morning cuppa and thinking about what I need to do this weekend.....need a plan


Just don't waste your money on a harbor freight greenhouse, dimension directions are off, sun rots the panels, etc,etc,

It was 53 at 5am. Sun's out now in the 60's ,maybe we'll get an actual fall???


----------



## Baymule

I need to get the weed cloth that I never planted anything through, all picked up and thrown away. Then I need to let the sheep in the garden and let them go to town on those bodacious weeds! 

This was not a good garden year. Going to take up my tomato trellis and run the disc around the garden and keep it clean all winter.


----------



## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> I need to get the weed cloth that I never planted anything through, all picked up and thrown away. Then I need to let the sheep in the garden and let them go to town on those bodacious weeds!
> 
> This was not a good garden year. Going to take up my tomato trellis and run the disc around the garden and keep it clean all winter.


But the sheep will be thrilled!!


----------



## R2elk

I pulled beets today.  Got two 5 gallon buckets plus one from a 12' row.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

@R2elk  Wow


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

Today is shoveling hay and bunny marbles. Been killing jap beetle grubs like crazy. Old man broke a sweat, it was 80 earlier breeze picked up thankfully.
Still got some peppers and Lima beans.
Does 10 $ sound right for a soil sample, took one in finally this morning.


----------



## R2elk

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Today is shoveling hay and bunny marbles. Been killing jap beetle grubs like crazy. Old man broke a sweat, it was 80 earlier breeze picked up thankfully.
> Still got some peppers and Lima beans.
> Does 10 $ sound right for a soil sample, took one in finally this morning.


It got up to 52°F here when I was out pulling the beets from under the snow.


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## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Today is shoveling hay and bunny marbles. Been killing jap beetle grubs like crazy. Old man broke a sweat, it was 80 earlier breeze picked up thankfully.
> Still got some peppers and Lima beans.
> Does 10 $ sound right for a soil sample, took one in finally this morning.


Sounds low cost to me.


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## Baymule

I've turned the sheep in the garden. They can eat the grass and weeds. Today I bent over some the ragweed so they could eat the tops. I'm going to take my tomato trellis down and keep the garden turned with the tractor and disc. I'm putting the farm up for sale in the spring.


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## Mini Horses

We're those huge beets regular types or mangels?   Huge!


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## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> I've turned the sheep in the garden. They can eat the grass and weeds. Today I bent over some the ragweed so they could eat the tops. I'm going to take my tomato trellis down and keep the garden turned with the tractor and disc. I'm putting the farm up for sale in the spring.


Happy for those sheep!

They will be in heaven!  Which reminds me....


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## R2elk

Mini Horses said:


> We're those huge beets regular types or mangels?   Huge!


Perfected Detroit Beet seeds

They were allowed to grow all season instead of being picked at a normal size.  I canned 16 quarts of pickled beets last night and still have about 4 gallons of beets left.


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## Baymule

I love pickled spiced beets! I had a bumper crop in 2020 and still have some left.


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## Finnie

R2elk said:


> I pulled beets today.  Got two 5 gallon buckets plus one from a 12' row.


Man, R2Elk! You just like to grow everything huge, don’t you!


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## Alaskan

Finnie said:


> Man, R2Elk! You just like to grow everything huge, don’t you!


Clearly yes!!


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## Mini Horses

@R2elk  these beautiful, overgrow beets...still nice all the way thru?   Not wanting that size but, love I could get some oversized that stay firm...not woody, etc.


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## R2elk

Mini Horses said:


> @R2elk  these beautiful, overgrow beets...still nice all the way thru?   Not wanting that size but, love I could get some oversized that stay firm...not woody, etc.


The beets are firm and sweet the whole way through.  I have not had beets get woody inside.  The bigger they are the longer it takes to cook them.  I just did all but the big one.  Ended up with 24 quarts of pickled beets.  It took a lot of extra cutting to get them all into normal size pieces for canning.  The biggest one that I did do filled one and a half quarts all by itself.


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## Mini Horses

No garden this year is killing me!     I am chomping for 2022!!!

Beets normally stay good but I have never seen any THAT big.  I love pickled beets.


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## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> Sounds low cost to me.


The way everything else costs I expected it to be higher. The lab is 40 minutes up the hiway in Delaware and they pick it up at the store on Tuesdays. Sounded good to me but its the first time Ive done it.


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## Marie2020

Would anyone know if we can get hold of chemical free straw.
I'm in the UK and it's for my chickens.  With all the searching I've done today it's like searching for a needle or strand of straw in a haystack


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## Marie2020

Mini Horses said:


> No garden this year is killing me!     I am chomping for 2022!!!
> 
> Beets normally stay good but I have never seen any THAT big.  I love pickled beets.


I love pickled beetroot too


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## Mini Horses

Marie2020 said:


> Would anyone know if we can get hold of chemical free straw.


Stateside it's hard to come by.  Have you considered hay?  I can find that organically grown easier than the straw.  And I have used my own grass clippings for my chickens as I don't use chemicals.

I do have a farmer near me who raises barley chem free and bale's that straw.  Won't help YOU at all...but has sure made me happy!    😁   maybe a small, private farm over there has something similar.


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## Marie2020

Mini Horses said:


> Stateside it's hard to come by.  Have you considered hay?  I can find that organically grown easier than the straw.  And I have used my own grass clippings for my chickens as I don't use chemicals.
> 
> I do have a farmer near me who raises barley chem free and bale's that straw.  Won't help YOU at all...but has sure made me happy!    😁   maybe a small, private farm over there has something similar.


I'm pleased to say that I found straw that is chemically free. It was delivered today. I called the provider and they sent me a text to confirm, it's right from a field that had never been sprayed


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## Grizzlyhackle

Picked these just before dark.


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## Grizzlyhackle

All those pretty yellow flowers turn into these hairy ugly seed pods.

All those hairs are just like cactus spines.
Thought I was smart and would cut them off with scissors. 
Yes I should have put the  leather gloves on sooner.
I swear there's at least one stuck in my thumb but I can't see it.


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## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 88046
> All those pretty yellow flowers turn into these hairy ugly seed pods.
> View attachment 88047
> All those hairs are just like cactus spines.
> Thought I was smart and would cut them off with scissors.
> Yes I should have put the  leather gloves on sooner.
> I swear there's at least one stuck in my thumb but I can't see it.


 

So I take it not edible?  It is in fact a horrid invasive weed?


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## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> So I take it not edible?  It is in fact a horrid invasive weed?


Edible, not that I know of. Insects don't even come around that I've noticed.

It could become invasive. Some popped up where I didn't expect this year. Pods open and drop seeds so I was picking them off to save and plant where I want. 
Actually an annual ornamental type of hibiscus. I'm just stupid and forget the gloves every time I do it.


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## Marie2020

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 88046
> All those pretty yellow flowers turn into these hairy ugly seed pods.
> View attachment 88047
> All those hairs are just like cactus spines.
> Thought I was smart and would cut them off with scissors.
> Yes I should have put the  leather gloves on sooner.
> I swear there's at least one stuck in my thumb but I can't see it.


Thats painful I've had a tiny splinter like that.
Soak your thumb or hand regularly the more it soaks the easier it will come out naturally overtime.


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## Mini Horses

If you can get the tip out, super glue, dry, pull.


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## Baymule

Yesterday I worked in my garden. I have cow panel tomato trellises that I'm taking with me because I can use those cow panels for temporary sheep pens until I find a place I want to buy. Yesterday I took down 7 cow panels, I have to pull up tomato vines today and then I can take down the last 2. I pulled up 18 T-posts and have another 19 to pull today. 

Cow panels I took down yesterday.







I'll still have end of season clean up to do, usually wait for a hard freeze to kill everything off. then pull and toss on burn pile. I'll disc it up and make it look good for prospective buyers.


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## Alaskan

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Actually an annual ornamental type of hibiscus. I'm just stupid and forget the gloves every time I do it.


I have an ornamental hibiscus and it doesn't bite like that one.

How about you switch to a nice tame plant... like hollyhocks?


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## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> Yesterday I worked in my garden. I have cow panel tomato trellises that I'm taking with me because I can use those cow panels for temporary sheep pens until I find a place I want to buy. Yesterday I took down 7 cow panels, I have to pull up tomato vines today and then I can take down the last 2. I pulled up 18 T-posts and have another 19 to pull today.
> 
> Cow panels I took down yesterday.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'll still have end of season clean up to do, usually wait for a hard freeze to kill everything off. then pull and toss on burn pile. I'll disc it up and make it look good for prospective buyers.


Look how GREEN it still is there!!!!


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## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> How about you switch to a nice tame plant... like hollyhocks?


Got them too


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## Grizzlyhackle

Alaskan said:


> Look how GREEN it still is there!!!!


Im jealous too , nor'easter blew all morning poured this afternoon.  on the way home coming from the grocery I saw this.  Going down the road it doubled long enough to see it then the double disappeared.


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## Grizzlyhackle

Mini Horses said:


> If you can get the tip out, super glue, dry, pull.


@Marie2020  I soaked it awhile last night.
This morning at work wrapped it with box tape, pulled and it's gone.


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## Grizzlyhackle

Baymule said:


> Yesterday I worked in my garden. I have cow panel tomato trellises that I'm taking with me because I can use those cow panels for temporary sheep pens until I find a place I want to buy. Yesterday I took down 7 cow panels, I have to pull up tomato vines today and then I can take down the last 2. I pulled up 18 T-posts and have another 19 to pull today.
> 
> Cow panels I took down yesterday.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'll still have end of season clean up to do, usually wait for a hard freeze to kill everything off. then pull and toss on burn pile. I'll disc it up and make it look good for prospective buyers.


Have you ever made an arbor with the panels? I thought I'd try it with  pole beans and use the shade for something that could use less direct sun. They look heavy and hard to bend?


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## Baymule

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Have you ever made an arbor with the panels? I thought I'd try it with  pole beans and use the shade for something that could use less direct sun. They look heavy and hard to bend?


Cow panels are heavy wire, but they are 16’ long and surprisingly flexible. I’ve bowed them over and made hoop chicken coops with tin roofs, screwed to 1x4 slats on the inside, and hoop runs, covered in hardware cloth. An arbor would be a great idea. Cow panels are very useful.


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## Marie2020

Grizzlyhackle said:


> @Marie2020  I soaked it awhile last night.
> This morning at work wrapped it with box tape, pulled and it's gone.


That's great.  I know that a splinter works it's way out eventually.  As I said I've had that happen a few times


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## Grizzlyhackle

Supposed to get down to 40 tonight so I picked what I could before dark of these super chilies. Plants are still loaded with green ones. Shame summer's over. Pulled what was left of the jalapenos.  Take them all to work tomorrow. By Friday one of the ladies from Guatemala will bring me something homemade and spicy. 

Yesterday I spread compost and planted red clover and hairy vetch. Watched a big praying mantis walk across the garden. I don't know about global warming but I've never seen one of those that late in the year still alive. Weird, maybe cuz it was Halloween idk.


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## R2elk

Grizzlyhackle said:


> Supposed to get down to 40 tonight


My high for today was 37°F.


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## Mini Horses

Has been low to mid 40 nights all week.  Oddly, I saw a praying mantis on my back porch Saturday.  Thought strange but it was moving along nicely.   We haven't had but one night below 40 yet this year...38 about a week ago.  Was 46 this morn.


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## Grizzlyhackle

If you've read much of this gardening thread you may have noticed I'm not a fan of snakes. I took this picture this morning at work. Made it thru the factory into the clean room. They worry about dust particles.

It was scooped into a dustpan and released unharmed outside. Thankfully 27 miles from home.


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## Marie2020

Grizzlyhackle said:


> View attachment 88059
> Supposed to get down to 40 tonight so I picked what I could before dark of these super chilies. Plants are still loaded with green ones. Shame summer's over. Pulled what was left of the jalapenos.  Take them all to work tomorrow. By Friday one of the ladies from Guatemala will bring me something homemade and spicy.
> 
> Yesterday I spread compost and planted red clover and hairy vetch. Watched a big praying mantis walk across the garden. I don't know about global warming but I've never seen one of those that late in the year still alive. Weird, maybe cuz it was Halloween idk.


I'm seeing a few ladybirds and it's November. 

Freezing cold night's and morning's then sunny for a while with a grey overcast sky to follow 🤫 
We live in a very peculiar time me thinks


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## Grizzlyhackle

Strange times indeed. 30 yrs ago that tree would not be green. Most of the leaves would have fallen before Halloween. Used to rake them and put in a big pumpkin bag.
First frost I've seen was this morning used to be early October. My Pop bless his heart " govt messing with the weather punching holes in the atmosphere with all those rockets". He also swore the moon landing was staged in Arizona at night.


----------



## Alaskan

But then freaky stuff happens.... and you start to think maybe your Pops was right... and you start searching for a tinfoil hat.


----------



## Grizzlyhackle

You ride across Arizona on rt 40 and go to that big crater  I forget what they call it but yeah made me think.


----------



## Baymule

Glad you didn’t have to deal with the snake. Snake phobia is real. My neighbor is 6’8”, well over 300 pounds, he’s a big ‘ol boy! A tiny pencil sized grass snake would send him running to safely. This man doesn’t back down from anything, but you just say snake and he’s ready to run.


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## Marie2020

Alaskan said:


> But then freaky stuff happens.... and you start to think maybe your Pops was right... and you start searching for a tinfoil hat.


I've got my tin foil hat on all the time.   . It keeps my bald head warm


----------



## HomeOnTheRange




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## Grizzlyhackle

View attachment 88177


----------



## Goat Shaman

R2elk said:


> Some idiot released squirrels from town out here last year.  I ate the problem and they gave up on their relocation efforts.  They whined on Facebook about why the squirrels they were feeding were disappearing.  Someone said it was natural predators and right after that one got hit on the road.  No more squirrels here now.


There's nothing wrong with feeding squirrels and being their friend.  They have been my favorite wild animals for over 25 years now.  I know everyone's experience, opinions, and brain wiring differ, but I think squirrels are awesome, interesting, and cute.  Can you give me the address of their Facebook page?  I am an expert on squirrels and I could give them better advice on where to release the squirrels.


----------



## R2elk

Goat Shaman said:


> There's nothing wrong with feeding squirrels and being their friend.  They have been my favorite wild animals for over 25 years now.  I know everyone's experience, opinions, and brain wiring differ, but I think squirrels are awesome, interesting, and cute.  Can you give me the address of their Facebook page?  I am an expert on squirrels and I could give them better advice on where to release the squirrels.


I don't do Facebook.  In this state relocating wild animals is illegal.


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## Marie2020

HomeOnTheRange said:


> View attachment 88177


----------

