Larsen Poultry Ranch - homesteading journey

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Still coughing a bit but almost over this dang cold. Hubby and munchkin didn't get it thankfully.

Worked from home today and went out several times to check for eggs. I was able to gather TWO leghorn eggs for incubation! I brought the incubator in tonight, will clean tomorrow and get it running to check temperature. Right now I have 32 chicken eggs to set.

I have been checking on my plants a bit often after the cold weather we had and quite a few are starting to wake up and start leaf buds. My rhubarb is coming back too! I'm excited for my plants growing and I'm hoping we can get my garden going soon. I received my recent order of plants and seeds and need to get them potted up: sunchoke tubers, comfrey division, hummingbird sage cuttings, honey locust seeds, persimmon seeds, and carob seeds. The sunchokes and comfrey are trying to grow in the bags!

 

[Baymule]

Good thing that you are feeling better, you have lots to do! I’m glad your plants weren’t damaged by the cold weather.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Good thing that you are feeling better, you have lots to do! I’m glad your plants weren’t damaged by the cold weather.

Most don't seem to be damaged, but I did have one that was actually broken by the snow. I pieced it back together and wrapped with twine and grafting tape, time will tell if it will heal or just die. No visible growth on it yet. Of course it's a plant that I grafted, so I might lose the grafted branch too. All the ones I grafted I can't see if they are growing yet.

The rhubarb was actually snowed on directly, and growing within a few days. Hardy little plants. I think this year they are going to be big enough I'll actually harvest. I want to get them a permanent bed too, same with the asparagus and artichokes. The artichokes didn't die back to the ground, maybe because they are in containers? I have 4 of them, dunno if they will grow fruit this year.

 

[Bruce]

The rhubarb was actually snowed on directly, and growing within a few days. Hardy little plants.

Don't worry about the rhubarb, it grows fine here and you'll never see a temp close to what we get in the winter.

The artichokes didn't die back to the ground, maybe because they are in containers? I have 4 of them, dunno if they will grow fruit this year.

My aunt had a couple of huge artichoke plants up in Mill Valley, they are perennial in warmer weather areas. I have to buy new plants every year, probably a different variety than what you grow.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Don't worry about the rhubarb, it grows fine here and you'll never see a temp close to what we get in the winter.


My aunt had a couple of huge artichoke plants up in Mill Valley, they are perennial in warmer weather areas. I have to buy new plants every year, probably a different variety than what you grow.

The artichokes I've grown before seem to die back in the cold and then regrow from the roots. Not sure if that's what's actually happening or if they are self seeding, but each year they got bigger so I've always assumed it was the same plant getting older and amassing more resources. I think this variety is Green Globe artichoke?

 

[Bruce]

I have no idea what variety my aunt had, but she was in a prime artichoke climate. Just north of the Golden Gate. Never too hot nor too cold. My sister planted some at her house south of L.A. not far from the beach. They didn't die back.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

It's supposed to frost again tonight

Gas is getting stupid expensive. I'm glad I filled up in Rocklin rather than in Auburn today. I paid $4.999 for 87 octane, but the gas station in Auburn showed $5.999 for 87 octane and $6.999 for diesel.

 

[Bruce]

A buck higher??? The 2 stations nearest me were ten cents different. Seems weird since they are across the street from each other, Shell & Mobil but a buck is just crazy.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

A buck higher??? The 2 stations nearest me were ten cents different. Seems weird since they are across the street from each other, Shell & Mobil but a buck is just crazy.

Yeah, I haven't seen that big a spread before. I filled up at an Arco but the higher price was at Chevron. Chevron usually has a little higher price, but that was just crazy.

This fuel should last me a week, possibly closer to two depending on how much remote working I'm going to do.

 

[farmerjan]

I bet there will be alot of people pushing to work remote again....