Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Thanks @SageHill ..... I just cannot see me using the gasser in the vegetable garden. I have that one sonic thing... so will stick it in there... can't hurt, might help. Not holding my breath though.

Been an interesting morning. Went out and let chickens out and decided that I would just use the "watering can" to give the tomatoes a good long drink and run the soaker on the onions for awhile. Took seeds out and stuck some in the rows of purple and wax beans to fill in the spots they hadn't come up... but to be fair, they haven't had any water except that .1 yesterday... still, filled in the rows. Have a short soaker so put that on a row, ready to hook up. FOUND another male and female hose ends; I love that I have stashes of things... Yep, like @Ridgetop , always putting something back for "when I need it"..... so I fixed the spot in the regular hose... and switched them around a little so the shorter piece is at the garden fence... got a couple of shorter ones so put them together and got the short soaker hooked up.
Turned them on and used the split in the one soaker to keep filling the watering can and the 5 gal bucket inbetween letting it run for a little bit and got all the tomatoes watered and the bucket and watering can refilled. Then cut the split out and will wait for the ends I ordered.
BUT, guess what... I went and tried the "ends and couplers" with the new hose... and compared them... and my old soaker hoses are a SMIDGEON bigger than the new soaker hose... no way will they fit in or outside the hose. I did however, finally figure out how to get the new soaker hose stuffed INSIDE the fitting... so it will work, as long as they don't blow out of the fitting. I am going to just keep it now and get as many short row pieces cut to fit as I can, and get it on the garden I think. I am going to measure the 2 short pieces of the old soaker hose and try to make all the short pieces uniform length so that I can then make all the rows in the garden the same length when I plant again... but the only problem I see is I don't want to use all the simple connector pieces, I want to use ends that can be screwed together and taken apart, so to make it more versatile in length... no elbows and all that stuff... at least not for the veg garden.
Amazing how less than 1/4 or 1/8 inch difference makes. My soaker is old, and I have no idea of the brand, but after taking a cut off piece and measuring it and comparing it to the new one, there is a TINY bit of difference and no amount of forcing will get it inside the new fittings and it is not flexible enough to go over the fittings. Plus, once over top the fittings, what would keep it on there? The old type hose end repair/replacement ones have either a hose clamp or the plastic ones have a 2 piece thing that goes over the hose and screws together. I like them better.. no getting cut on a sharp end of a hose clamp.

So, got that figured out. The soaker is presently on the row of onions, and one short row of the cantaloupe seeds. I can move it over to the beans and have enough regular hose to reach about 4 rows of the beans... need another 10 ft of regular hose to be able to go all the way to the other end so can reach all the short rows of beans. I may just run it down through the middle of the potato rows to reach them for now.

While I am out in the garden, DS called. Can I come get him at the field, he is mowing, there is a wreck on the interstate, he has to go to work... rather than drive tractor all the way back to Deb's where the tractor and baler were put inside the other night and his truck was there. So, I ran down and got him, told him to take the explorer to work to get the work truck and just drop me off at the house on the way by. That way he did not have to go to the barn and get his truck. Later whenever he gets done he can go right back to the field and finish cutting it. On top of that the guy was supposed to come and help with the tin on the roof today... DS was going to cut this other field and then go to the barn at noon and they were going to get the tin up.... NOW he is on the interstate, and it looks to be awhile., All he knew was it was a tractor trailer, several cars were supposed to be up under it...said it was a bad wreck.
It must be totally shut down as the traffic going by my house is non-stop. So everything is being routed off the interstate and between RT 11 which is the original north/south main road (I think it goes all the way to Florida) and my road which runs parallel to rt 11 but on the other side of the interstate, they are sending the traffic south. I am thinking that maybe they are able to get back on the interstate south of me. I sit half way between the 205 exit and 200 exit off the interstate.... and all the traffic is going south on the road... I am thinking the accident is between the 2 exits. His VDOT headquarters is near the 200 exit, and even though from the 205 exit north it is a different county and so a different headquarters, since his headquarters is close they often get called for things up into that county a little way when there is a wreck and all...

So, that puts a monkey wrench in his day...

The weather forecast is now backing off the rain predictions for next week. They are down to 20% on Monday and Tuesday... the storm is coming up from the south and west and it doesn't look like it is going to get as far north, with as much rain, as soon as they thought. So that is why he was cutting... he finished the piece of field and then was doing the other 9 acre field in this subdivision and then was going to do the hay barn roof , then make a decision... He got some of the sorghum-sudan grass planted and was going to try to finish that this weekend too. He is not going to do corn as no one seems to have the time to do it custom this year. He is P.O. and I don't blame him. Said screw it, he would put in the sorghum-sudan and we would just make it into hay or if we don't get good weather for dry hay, roll it and wrap it at high moisture and make baleage. He brought home a bale wrapper from the friend he took the spayed heifers to... they bought a new one and so DS wound up getting this one for a decent price I guess. Probably part payment for the heifers. DS doesn't like to wrap stuff as it is all that plastic to deal with... this one wraps individual bales rather than in the long tube.... that is all that the friend in upper VT feeds his animals for "silage" it is called baleage.. if made right has good protein and the cattle do good on it. So no need for the corn to make corn silage... no depending on other people to plant or anything and now, no depending on others to come and wrap the bales in the long tube. Just him and me, as I can bring the bales to him and he can run the wrapper and then they can get put most anywhere so don't need the long stretch to put the row.... and I think he has a "grabber" to grab the bales; got it with the big JD tractor when he bought it from doug's estate with the other equipment.
We can also chop the sorghum-sudan and put it in the concrete silage bunker that we have the corn silage in now. So that is an option... and maybe next year doing corn will be a better deal. One thing, if this dry weather keeps up, we might be better off not planting corn... it could fail. Sorghum-sudan is much more dry tolerant...

So, I came in for a drink... Guess I ought to get some lunch too while I am in here... then I will go out and measure the 2 short pieces of old soaker hose that are already cut, and the piece that will be made that is cut off now where the other leak was, and see if they are about the same length... then decide from there. 50 ft seems to be the length of most of the longer rows... so I can always cut it in half for starters for now... Well, I am going to see what all pieces are in the "kit" and how they will work out for what I am going to do.
I have a 4 gang valve that leaks.... new washers and all... hate it... going to get another one so I can run more lines off it and some of the shorter regular hose lengths I have to be able to make up a system of hoses so I don't have to move so many around, just turn on and off some of the cut-offs I have between many of the connections.

Put out a gal of tea to steep... got a few more pieces of cardboard to take out to garden to put down and more hay to spread. Don't know how much I will get done right now, but will try to get it done this evening after it cools off again a bit. It is up to 83 in the shade so quite a bit warmer than we have been having... at least still not much humidity.

 

[Ridgetop]

one has a bad spot in it, one is good... I will cut the other one as soon as I get some male and female ends that I found and ordered. NONE of the stores... even the one really good hardware store, has any connectors or repair ends or anything for the 1/2 inch ones.

In an emergency, until you can find the 1/2" parts, try wrapping the hose in duct tape or that water repair tape.

Has anyone ever used the "sonic reppeller" type thing? Sticks down in the ground on a fat spike...

DS1 got one when we had the ground squirrel invasion. Didn't notice it doing any good, every so often we noticed it coming on when something got in the sensor range. I wonder if it would work for the deer?

Good idea to go with the sorghum-sudan baleage. Now that you have the equipment to do it yourselves, and with the possibility of no rain for a good corn crop, it is probably better. Certainly will cost less than paying for custom baleage of the corn.

That wreck on the highway sounded horrible.

 

[farmerjan]

I am so P. O. I could spit wooden nickels....
First DS called. said was there any way I could make him a sandwich, he was on his way home from the wreck and had to get to the barn... so I said yes, had some egg salad and a couple slices of bread left in loaf. Made him the sandwich, filled a plastic bottle with tea and handed it to him when he came to door. That was fine. said we could worry about vehicles later, I don't need the explorer for anything and no need to take time jockeying vehicles.
Went out changed the short soaker and went to co-op (3 miles away so convenient) and got a set of male and female ends for the 5/8 regular hose ... in case....and they carry the 1/2 inch ends I just ordered; for future reference.... and a set of tiny screwdrivers in their "bargain tool bin" so I can get the screws out of the sonar thing and get the battery in... but of course it uses rechargeable batteries, so got a 4 pack with a small charger... then they will be charged and I can use the batteries for anything else. Not a bargain, but batteries are expensive in general... okay... that's all good. Come home and moved the short soaker as the ground was a little soggy... seems like there are mole tunnels there and I hope the little s.o.b.'s DROWN... then and went to hook up the other soaker, and it has a split in it.... this is one of my older ones... and the one I had cut is one of the newer smaller ones... . I went back and got one set of the ends which now gives me 2 shorter ones of my older soakers... and go to the garden and got them put together and now can do several rows at the same time... . I go to get an end cap off the one that was on the onions since I had turned it off... and a SORRY MISERABLE PIECE OF SH!T ground hog had gone under the ELECTRIFIED netting and eaten off some purple beans from the first planting that had gotten watered this morning... and several sunflowers that were 4 leaves and most of the volunteer marigolds in the garden I was waiting for rain to transplant. No deer tracks in the soft wet ground so I know it wasn't a deer during the hotter part of the 2 hours I might have been gone from there... Came from over in the pine trees side and right under the netting... and must've heard me coming back or he would have eaten off the whole row... REALLY.....
so I moved the soakers and went and got the sprayer with the blood meal and sprayed every single green bean plant except the 4 short rows that are getting watered as the soaker puts out a fine mist in some places and it would wash it off... did every squash plant that is up, and every sunflower that I could still find in the garden and all the marigold plants that have been severely pruned and all the pepper plants. As soon as I go out and turn off the soaker on the beans, I will do all those plants too... and I am going to go get some cantaloupe at the store later and set the live trap and I will catch the sorry SOB......
The air was blue believe me. They were fine earlier... and I was just saying I would spray all them this eve to be on the safe side. I think that they got 12 sprouted ones (4 leaves plus) ... ate them right off to a stick.... doubt they will be able to regrow... I have a few more seeds left from filling in the other rows so will just stick them in there inbetween the sticks...I could cry if I wasn't soooooo mad....
Went right under the netting like it wasn't even there... can tell where it is pushed out a little as opposed to them all being pushed in a little when I put it up.

Brought the tea in and of course, I don't see any lemonade in the freezer to put in it like I make it.... well, sugar is mixed in and it is in the fridge; have to check out the other freezers and see if there is some in one of them on a door or something. Goes on the list to get more...

Never did eat a sandwich, since I made it and gave to DS since that was all the bread I had. Need to look in the freezer and see if there is any in there....

Need a serious "DRINK".... that sob 's days are numbered....

 

[Baymule]

Bummer! I hope you trap the criminal!

 

[farmerjan]

Decided I just didn't want to go out this evening. Put some cherries in the trap that were in the fridge. They weren't very good ones and many have gotten moldy so been taking some to the chickens.

Moved the soaker hoses after I turned it all off. Locked in the chickens, then sprayed the ones that had been getting watered.
There were 9 that they ate off to the stem..... and several places there were some sunflowers coming up are just gone... so will replant some of them at the ends of the potato rows again...

Put the end on the one soaker hose that I had to cut because of the hole (that was filling the bucket) out of the "new soaker hose", package of stuff. It stuffed into it ... will use it tomorrow and see how it works out. Will put an end on the other piece of it also so I can use it. The shorter piece I did tonight, is about the same length as the 2 other pieces of the my older soaker hose... Wish I could find that kind again... liked the little bit bigger one and was more versatile for using regular 1/2 inch hose ends. We'll see how this one works out. I need to go on the web site and see if they sell just the male and female ends so I can just have screw on ends to add and subtract hoses.

Put the "sonic" mole thing in the garden... it emits a noise every 30 seconds... don't see how that is going to scare them off... but maybe it is a bad frequency for them... A couple places I nearly sank to my ankle where I had watered and I guess they had tunnels under there... Hope they drown or decide to go elsewhere....

Nope, not very critter friendly right about now...

Made a choc milkshake since I never ate any lunch...nope, not on any diet list.... just wanted something cold and figured I had the milk and the ice cream in the freezer... I only found a loaf of pumpernickel bread and the choc ice cream out in the freezer, so said okay... works for me. Couldn't find any lemonade for the tea... did take out a package of liver and will make liver and onions for supper, maybe tomorrow.
Need to make a groc list I guess....

Don't know if DS finished any mowing or what... not much communication except when he needs something it seems like.
I'm going to get a shower and go to bed early and read some...

 

[CLSranch]

I'm sorry but I had to laugh at the ground hog story. Yes I know it P's you off, or anyone to do that much work then hay look it's gone. Gone in the time of I was still watering it. WTH.
FYI and I haven't put it in my journal yet. Miracle gro 14-6-8 is $8 for 32ounces. Last fall after the incredible price hike, (I haven't looked this year) pasture/hay field fertilizer 18-3-6 was $90 for 320ounces. $10 less for miracle gro if you have any clover or chickens for the extra N and I have both. You just have to buy every store that you can find out of the little bottles. I just added 2 bottles of MG to the other, yesterday and the day before. We'll see if it works. Can't hurt since I'm using an extra 15 gallons of water and minimal pasture fertilizer.
I kept forgetting to check fertilizer prices when getting seeds at the co-op. Probably much cheaper than both.

 

[farmerjan]

Sunday. In for brunch. Started out a nice 55, already up to 74 at 11 and supposed to top out low 80's . Still not very humid but it is hazy again from all the high atmosphere smoke from Canadian fires. Boy, I feel for them and all that to deal with.

Went out and let chickens out; Nothing in the trap.... turned on the soaker hoses and added the short piece of the "new kind" to do an extra short row. Then I had a few small pieces of cardboard in the house and put that down and covered with some hay and put more mulch hay down where I had put in a few very short rows of 3-4 seeds each row, of yellow summer squash near the cucumber "cage" of the reinforcing wire... Only 2 seeds up of them... but they have not been watered either. That's what I should have done is soaked that spot. Oh well, next trip out.
So I will leave the soaker hoses on until noon in those short rows and then go back out and shut them off and probably water the cuke cage... and the newly planted few yellow squash seeds. And try to remember to take out more sunflower seeds to poke in the ground where they got eaten off.

Haven't heard anything so have no clue on the hay but the piece he finished up mowing yesterday ought to be ready to rake as it is not that thick. It will dry more once turned up and all the hay is quite dried on the tops now with not much moisture.

Once I cut off the water to the soakers, I am going to have to water all the hanging plants again... since there is no guarantee the rain will come tomorrow or Tuesday aft, they need a good soaking. The petunias that I planted in the hanging baskets are looking really good already... perked right up and will be real nice in another week or 2 once they start to grow and put out new leaves and more flowers.

Going to maybe take out the walk behind weed eater later this afternoon and work on some more of the over grown stuff. Cut back from the garden netting too. Then I can take the mower over it and chop it up more. It has been so dry that I haven't needed to mow the grass... and I am one to let it get high anyway, but it is at least green. Saw several places the other day when I was coming home from testing that were actually brown patches all through the lawns and hayfields since we are not getting much rain except in spotty places.

 

[Ridgetop]

What a horrible several days! I refuse to believe that critters that eat gardens are "God's Creatures". Except that God gave them to us to have dominion over which means that we can trap or shoot them.

 

[Ridgetop]

Posted too quick. Hope you can get rid of the groundhog. And having the mole tunnels under the garden?! What can you do about them to prevent destruction?

 

[farmerjan]

Plans were to leave the soaker on the rows til about noon. So went out to turn it off.... AAHHHH trap door is shut... Came back, got the .22, some more cherries, and the sunflower and purple beans seeds I was going to fill in the row with.
Smallish young groundhog in the trap... chattering and charging the wire.... like I was in HIS PERSONAL GARDEN.... NOPE..... WRONG ANSWER......

Score is now Farmerjan 1.... groundhog 000000.... end of that game... on to the next???? Hopefully not but I expect this is only one in a series of playoff games.

Reset the trap. Put the long soaker hose off the onion row, in between 2 long rows of potatoes and reattached hose and will let it run for a few hours. Then will try to put down mulch between them to conserve the moisture... move long soaker to the next place.
Went and filled in with the purple bean seeds amongst the "stumps"... put sunflower seeds in several places between potato varieties... Took the watering can and soaked the butternut squash "hill" and the newly planted yellow squash seeds and the cucumber cage.... and the hill of the green striped crenshaws that had come up in the last few days. At least they have a chance with the soaking.

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