GARDENING

[Mt_Rider]

Mice are really attracted to the fats in soap. Mine in basement get USED TO get chewed all the time. I'd hang them in net bags to keep them away from the filthy things!

 

But as bait.....that would be another story. Irish Spring for deer, huh? Heard something else too but....I'll post if I can remember it.

 

MtRider ...Hmmmm..... [deliriously happy to be rodent free in basement right now]

[Momo]

DH has been saying for years that he was going to have a small garden. I think he means it this year finally! He only planted a few peppers and tomatoes so far. I am keeping my fingers crossed that he doesn't overdo it.

[The WE2's]

I have known and used Irish Spring soap as a deterrent for deer in my garden.

Then I found a mouse hole in a hard to fix area, so stuck a bar in the hole. This morning I found the bar seriously chewed on, a dead mouse, and obvious signs that it died gut clean!!

 

Irish Spring...$Tree has it really cheap here! Thanks!

[The WE2's]

We don't plant potatoes. We buy them and I can them, they require too much space and effort to keep covering them up. My blackberry bushes (the ones that are 3 years old) have blossoms all over them :-) May have lot the raspberryies, will have to wait and see on them. The new blackberry bushes (that have spread) are looking really green and healthy. Also found some grape vines growing between the back of the Man-cave garage and our wood barn! We'll watch and see if they produce. Probably planted by "birds" :-) Anyway...if they do produce, we'll probably just leave them there and build a fence for them between the two buildings.

[Twilight]

I as a rule do not plant potatoes either. I got a 5 lb bag of Russet Burbank to eat which I do not eat many potatoes. They started sprouting within a week, so I planted them. Covered them about a foot deep with leaves added some compost on top. They are now coming up. My patch is about 4 x4. They do need lots of water.

[Mt_Rider]

....FOUND a grape vine growing... I'd be SO excited!!!!!

 

 

Ah sheeeesh! Sometimes I'm nearly overcome with envy for a climate of such lushness and variety of growth. Edibles can be growing without .......... ....what it takes here.

 

MtRider ...I can find thistles, yarrow, gooseberry thickets, cattails, .... ...that's about it.

Edited April 28, 2016 by Mt_Rider

[Annarchy]

Here's a few pics of my garden this year. Letting the yard have a year of rest, seems to have helped it. At least things are growing.

 

Zucchini, beats, carrots,

radishes, celery & black eyed peas

 

 

Pretty Zucchini flower this morning,

 

Christy sent me a packet of German Chamomile seeds in the "Spring Fling" exchange and they are growing!

 

 

Only one plant of iris bloomed this year.

 

[Homesteader]

Nice healthy colors on your veggies!

 

I've got a ton of extra tree leaves and composted manure from last year. Wish I could beam them over to help with your mulch and moisture retention. "Beam it over, Scotty!"

[dogmom4]

Beautiful! I love irises!

[Jeepers]

Such a pretty garden. It looks so neat and tidy!

[The WE2's]

To me that's the prettiest time of year...when the garden's are greening up! Ours is a bit late this year so we had to buy some of our starts :-( But...they're looking wonderful. We'll be going over tonight to plant some more seed. While we were at the planting festival Sunday, I found some packets of Valerian, Lemongrass, Russian Kale and some Heriloom Plantain. Also found a vendor that was selling these really neat "Garden Planner"s (two for $5) so we bought two. They're a slide out type of thing where you look on the left to find the vegetable and then pull the slide out and it shows you in red all kinds of info on planting information and green check marks for estimated harvest dates if planted according to the chart. One side is for spring and one side for fall. I think we'll really enjoy using them :-) If anyone's interested in taking a look at one just go to http://cdmplanning.hypermart.net and check them out.

[Homesteader]

I planted a bunch of white and red potatoes from my cellar. I pulled the long sprouts off and left several eyes to each piece of tater. Most of the time, I threw the whole potato into the ground as we had already eaten the larger ones throughout the winter.

[The WE2's]

Didn't get over to the Homestead this evening to work on any of the beds or planting spots. Still need to mow here and mow at the Roost too :-( Love spring and summer but with it comes mowing :-( Brother picked up mowers last night so we'll be using self-propelled until the fella calls us to say the rider is completed. Son has been notified that he's got a small duplex that's on low-income for him so he'll be moving and we'll be responsible for the mowing there as well. But, he'll enjoy living where he can afford things more and it's on one level so no steps.

[Homesteader]

I finished planting a triple-row of potatoes about 20 feet long last night. The extra sprouted potatoes will go to a friend of ours. I also planted about 20 red romaine lettuce starts. They were a new cultivar several years ago and we loved them. I saved a few hundred seeds and have been growing them ever since.

 

It rained last night so everything should be settling in today from all the planting last night. I really like to plant before a rain.

[The WE2's]

Went over and watered the plants this evening. All the seeds we planted seem to be coming up and all the transplants are looking wonderful! We just pour water down through the tops of the milk jugs and with the wood chips surrounding them, they're doing great! We'll remove the jugs when they're stronger. Also strung up some old VCR tape to scare off the birds etc. They say the birds won't land because they think it's water...the tape blows and twirls around. After getting it strung up it's easy to see why they'd think that. The Petunia's are doing good too and we've even got another new bloom :-) Still haven't gotten the other two long beds cleared and ready for planting...maybe Sunday?

[kyles mom]

We have a few small raised beds, started planting a few things last night and transplanting a few things too. Love this time of year!

[The WE2's]

We stopped by a yard sale that had a large role of fence with a gate for $8 so it's at the Homestead house. It will help us fence off the southeast side of the property (as well as the snow fence we already have). Found a fella who buys trade in riding mowers, cleans them up, puts new batteries in them, sharpens the blades and changes the oil etc. So...we did get a rider purchased so that son can continue to mow as part of his rent at the Homestead. Got a very reasonable price but still a financial setback for us :-( But, it's a nice mower and son did the mowing while we worked in our garden. Got one of the long rows lined with the new concrete blocks and just about de-grassed. Will add the new compost and some new dirt and then get the Okra etc., planted. I'll "ring" the places where we want to plant the squash, Kale, Swiss Chard etc. Hopefully we'll be able to grow them verticle on some heavy duty trellis'. Still have one long bed to work up. We used to grown corn in the long beds (3x6 each) but we don't eat much corn and we can buy potatoes from the Amish so cheap it's silly to try and grow them ouselves in such a small space. Last year we bought 50# for about $6 and canned them. Also stopped at a yard sale and we picked up two potato forks for $2 each! We use them to loosen ground. Can't have enough yard/garden tools! Also picked up two stainless steel mixer bowls (one large and one smaller) for $5 and two hand crank egg beaters for $1. One is none...I now have three :-)

[Homesteader]

DH found his rebuild kit for the rototiller and fixed the carburator up.I started switching to 4x30' beds the last several years so don't use the machine much anymore. I'll have to find a spot to till so he'll be happy with all the time he put into it. Troy tillerrs are a good investment in larger plots. :-)

[The WE2's]

Yep Homesteaders, we're sold on raised beds. This year we switched the two long rows to concrete block. It requires more compost etc., but they'll last probably forever and no rust or rot :-) In the "wells" I plan to put in some herbs. The last long row will also be concrete. We won't mess with the seven 4x4's until next year and will probably not section them off, but just make it a 4x30 or so like you've mentioned. The back to eden section is composting down very well and when we've got all our existing beds finished, the rings dug and planted, we'll empty the rest of the bagged leaves out and then cover them with the wood chips. Will take some pics when things are finished and growing good :-)

[The WE2's]

The rain catchment system is in and operating wonderfully. We have four 55-gal barrels now full and ready for watering the garden when there's no rain. Didn't get the last bed changed over to concrete block, and may have to wait until next year when we change all the others over. The produce and berries are looking wonderful! The B2E section is breaking down wonderfully and we'll probably wait until next year to plant in it.

[Jeepers]

Love your garden. It just goes to show you don't need acres and acres to feed yourself with fruit and veggies. You really are an inspiration...especially to some of us older folks.

 

Mr. & Mrs. Hoot are a ... well, hoot.

[Homesteader]

Nice job on the rain barrels.

 

We're not sure what we will do when we move to the new homestead in Wis later this year. We used to have a large Ag barrel (500 gal?) attached to the downspouts when we lived up there in the past. It was on the north side of the machine shop in order to keep the water cool. We drained it in the winter. Occasionally, DH had to shock it with chlorine.

 

I've thought much more about hydroponics in my old age. Don't know a thing about it, though. The property will come with a pond and lots of fishies so I may shelve the hydroponics idea and just grab my fishing pole and a water pump for the future gardens.

[Twilight]

Very nice! I have live owls here but that one of yours is a real looker!

The water catchment is really great.

 

My potatoes are blooming, onions are growing bulbs, and the first lettuce should be ready soon.

[Mt_Rider]

.....it's snowing .....

 

 

MtRider ....dreaming of somewhere garden/orchard friendly!!!

[Homesteader]

We had frost this past weekend. Thankfully, I hadn't planted the warm-weather crops yet. They're hanging over their pots though and are tired of waiting!