Elyssia001 - Homestead Adventure Journal

[Elyssia001]

Wanted to give a brief update on the potatoes. I called Urban Farmer Seeds and explained the situation with the potatoes to her. She said she would send me new potatoes, so I am excited to see if they show up.

 

[jodief100]

Glad they took care of it. Good luck with the garden, it sounds so nice.

 

[Elyssia001]

Thank you! I just received the new seed potatoes today. They're in great shape and ready to go.

 

[Elyssia001]

Saturday was an ugly day. The wind was high and cold, and the sky was dark and gloomy all day. But I convinced D to go to Lowes with me so I could buy a roll of landscaping fabric, wire, and clear plastic sheets. While we were there, we also foun a bamboo wind chime, which I have wanted to add to the garden for a while now.

Sunday turned out gorgeous. It was cool in the shade, but out in the sun it was almost too warm for two layers. I tilled the beds down 6 inches with my hand cultivator, and added composted manure to the beds as well, to get them off to a good start. That took the most time and really worked my muscles. But thanks to the effort, I managed to catch a whole bunch of grubs which I left for the robins in the lawn. I also continued by battle with the morning glory vines. I am certain I pushed them back fairly well. It's impossible to pull them out, as thy break under the least pressure and their root stems go deep down into the clay hardpan a foot under my beds. I'll have to be diligent this year and pull them as they surface, so that they can't go to seed or strangle my plants.

After I was done with the beds, I stapled the landscaping fabric to the bed frames. It is dark, and will supress the weeds while warming the soil. When I am ready to plant, I will cut X's in the fabric to plant.

The weather is really nice today. If we are able to eave early today from work, I will go ahead and plant out my broccoli and seed the chard, spinach, beets, and radishes. Then I will bend the wire into frames, and drape the clear tarps over them to create row covers for them to protect them from frost for all of April. I'm going wait another week or two before I put out the cauliflower and brussels sprout seedlings. The lettuce hasn't yet formed any true leaves, so it will wait as well.

In another news, I bough a pack of bulbs to plant at work, since we have this lovely mulch bed in the shadow of the store that is only growing weeds.

 

[Elyssia001]

Over the weekend I went out and bought a few 2mil clear painting drop cloths, which I then cut up and draped over several wire supports to make row covers for my plants, to protect them from any frost that might come for the rest of the month.

Afterward, I planted out my broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. I accidently cut one of the broccoli, I’m pretty sure I killed it, when removing some of the supports I had for it. I planted it anyways, just incase I am wrong. I also seeded for beets and radishes. This coming weekend I will put out the lettuce, swiss chard, and seed the spinach, in addition to more radishes.

Last year only a few of my carrot seeds germinated outside. So this year I started several carrot seeds in mini blocks, and as soon as they sprout I will put them outside so they can grow their tap roots. I am doing the same thing with the peas, only in bigger blocks.

When I received my seeds in the mail back in January, they also gifted me a packet of red romaine lettuce. I’m not a huge fan of romaine, to me it’s mostly just bitter tasting, but I know that to make the perfect Caesar salad you need romaine lettuce. So I’m sprouting just a few. If I still don’t care for the taste, I will feed it to Meggie for a treat.

Now that I’m finally ready to get a rabbit, I can’t find anyone with the breed I want! I didn’t realize how hard it would be to find American Chinchillas. It seems that everyone who is online with them has actually gotten out of breeding them. If this keeps up, I may have to plan a very long road trip to find one. I want to start with just one that is show quality, so I can try out the show ring for myself. Not to mention it would help my breeding goals to be able to find a few Jr does and bucks that manage to become grand champions!

 

[Elyssia001]

I’m having the worst luck finding someone to sell me an American Chinchilla rabbit! I really cannot afford to take a long trip to go pick one up myself, so I am hoping one will come to me. This July, there will be an ARBA show in Charlotte, MI and I have talked my husband into taking me. I don’t want to tell him I’ll be buying a rabbit just yet, as he would be much less likely to go with me. Besides, I may not even find one there for sale.
My brassicas that I put outside a week ago seem to be holding up and adapting to their new place in the dirt. It was such a lovely weekend that I was tempted to put out the other seedlings, but with two nights of below-freezing temperatures, I wasn’t about to risk them, or bother with another row cover. The ones I currently have barely hold up under a hard rain or stiff breeze. I’m clearly going to have to use a sturdier support next time.
I did pot-up the lettuce seedlings and started my peppers and tomatoes. It may be a bit early for them, but I want them to be ready to go as soon as the space is cleared for them. The peas are growing like crazy, so I am hoping that Friday evening won’t be too late for them! Who knew they had such robust root systems? I may even put them out tonight, just to have them out from under the grow light. I will also likely plant the carrots and spinach outside on Friday or Saturday, along with more radish seeds for D to enjoy in the future. Oh, and the onion starts!
I placed my summer seed order with Baker’s Creek over the weekend for corn and bush beans. Corn might be a little ambitious for such a small yard, but there are only two of us, and I wanted to challenge myself this year, since it will be our last gardening year at this house. I can always pot up my summer plants until the spring ones ripen, give up and bolt or dry out.
This weekend we are hosting my mother-in-law for Easter Dinner. I’m very nervous, as we have not gotten on well together in the past. Hopefully things will go smoothly, and we can be pleasant company together, if not friends. I would dearly like her to be a part of our future children’s lives, but I will not tolerate any negativity from her.

 

[Elyssia001]

I’m in regular contact with an American Chinchilla breeder now, so I am so excited! She’ll have a litter of kits ready for sale around mid May, and additional litters in the future. I have my fingers crossed that one of the does will grow into a quality show animal.

I also found another rabbitry down in Missouri that breeds AmChins. I’m certain that I could convince my mother to get me one of their bucks as a birthday gift next time she comes to visit. That would be very exciting! I wouldn’t breed them until we have moved into our own place, but it would be nice to be able to start right away.

I have what I think is a really great idea for a self-feeding, year-round outdoor rabbit run. It involves burying a cage under a lot of dirt, using two entrances, and then a back access panel, and then caging in two very long runs per underground cage. Feed and water would be provided through the access panel, which can then be removed to handle and inspect the animal. One or both of the entrances to the runs can be opened or closed, allow the rabbit an area to exercise and eat fresh grass. The rabbit can seek refuge from the summer heat or winter cold in their underground place. Hardware cloth and cement blocks would prevent any attempted dig-outs. Access would be alternated between the two runs based on manure load and grass growth. Extra manure could also be collected and added to the compost. The runs could also be covered during the winter to provide a snow-free area for the rabbits.

Such a set up would be used for breeding stock, while young weaned animals would be raised in grow-out pens that could be kept on the grass. I’m not sure if I could keep show stock like that, as they would need to remain in top condition.

But that is the future.

For the present, I’m struggling with my brassicas out in the garden. The broccoli seems to be recovering for the most part. While the cauliflower is really suffering, and the Brussels sprouts seem to have given up all together. Also the seedlings for my spinach and carrots that I had put out to harden up were blown off the table all together by a high wind while I was at work. I’ll try to seed both of them, but I am not hopeful for spring carrots or spinach.

On the bright side, the peas are thriving, and my tomato seeds are still viable, as they have sprouted nicely. I will keep them outside to continue to grow in the natural sunlight. I planted pepper seeds as well, but they have not yet sprouted. We will see if they will or not. This weekend I will start both my beans and corn seeds as well. I want them to be well on their way by the time the spring vegetables are grown and harvested. I am not yet for sure if I will start the cukes and melons early as well. Seedlings do seem to hold up better when they are sprouted before planting.

 

[Elyssia001]

I’m afraid not much is going on at this time. The Brussels sprouts and all but one cauliflower failed, but that’s still better than last year. The broccoli is doing well, and so is the Swiss Chard. The lettuce is thriving, and the celery is still alive, so I have hope for it.

The beets never sprouted, which was disappointing, but the radishes are doing well. Two of the seed potatoes took off, and I will soon be adding a second layer of topping to their bed. The peas are also growing amazingly fast and seem to be doing well. The seedlings for the tomatoes and peppers are just now starting to show their first true leaves. Sometime this week I want to go out and push a few bush beans into the ground, as well as the corn seed I want to try. I think I will also start my melon seeds in the ground between the broccoli so that it will take a strong root by the time I harvest it.

The cucumbers this year will need to start inside, because I want them where the peas are right now. Instead of using the small cube blocks, I am actually going to use much larger pots, since the roots of the plant are so vigorous.

I was in contact with a lady concerning American Chinchillas, but she hasn’t replied to my last email in over a week. In another week or two the kits should be old enough, so I will call her then to inquire if they are still for sale. If that doesn’t work out, there is still the ARBA show in July. However I suspect I would end up paying more for a rabbit there.

I finished spinning and setting a small skein of yarn from the wool my aunt gave me, one that I am satisfied with I should say, and I’m looking for a cute floppy hat pattern to start for her.

 

[Elyssia001]

Wow this summer has just flown by!

As far as my garden goes, it's been doing great! I froze about 2-3 pounds of shelled peas, D got to enjoy several bunches of radishes, and we tried swiss chard for the first time (it tastes like beets). We ate many a salad from the garden, but I struggled with the head lettuce because earwigs climbed up into the heads to make their homes. Yuck!

The cukes have come in and we've already pickled several quarts, and the French green beans I purchased this spring were fantastic! Unfortunately, right as the sweet corn was almost ready to harvest, some critter came through on a rampage and completely devastated my little corn field. I was so amazed by it I had to laugh. Where there were big, plump ears the day before, there was nothing except cobs sticking out from the stalks.

The broccoli we harvested was great, but the cauliflower never produced. I pulled it and composted it to make room for the peppers, but I was left wondering if I had inadvertently planted a collard seed. Big broad silvery leaves and nothing down in the center. Speaking of the peppers, they're doing better than they have ever done in previous years. I think they like the mulching. The tomatoes have been very slow to develop and are taking FOR-EV-ER to ripen. I think it's because we've had such a mild summer with so many cold nights (in the 50s!).

The yellow finn potatoes seem to be doing well, despite the shade from the neighbor's tree. When I plant them again, I will be sure to put them in full sun. I'll also likely do a potato tower too, instead of a bed.

I decided against a fall garden this year, as we're getting closer and closer to our savings goals for a down payment. And I definitely won't be doing a garden at our current home next year! It's so exciting for me to think of my future garden: cinderblock raised hugelkulture beds heavily mulched with mini green houses in full sunlight. Solar powered electric fencing to protect my corn too!

I talked my hubby into allowing me another step in the direction of my goals; I bought my first American Chinchilla Rabbit! She is absolutely beautiful at 5 months, with an amazing coat and great form (at least to my inexperienced eye). She weighs 8 pounds already, and will likely put on 4 more before she finishes. I'd like to show her this winter, if we aren't in the middle of a move at the time. I don't think I could have asked for a sweeter rabbit for a first, as she normally sits quietly when I want to pet on her, though we have a problem with setting her down that has resulted in many bloody scratches. I'm getting better though and she hasn't bit me, for which I am grateful. And yes, I am making a pet of her; she can be my pet AND the future matron of my rabbit herd too, right? It doesn't seem right to be aloof from something that is teaching me so much.

 

[LeviS]

Congrats on your new rabbit! Also it's great that you were able to get a garden in, I simply didn't have the time this year. I haven't had one yet and its been tough trying to deicide where to actually keep one. Hopefully next year though!