Author Topic: Planting / Growing your own 2018  (Read 94133 times)

nessness

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #650 on: September 30, 2018, 06:39:57 AM »
@nessness often you need to germinate indoors because the summer soil temps are too high for some of the typical fall crops.

I’ve never had much luck with anything other than fall snap peas or broccoli. Our falls here are typically warm, then suddenly very very cold.
Darn, that was probably the issue, although my city's planting guide does say the plants I chose can be direct seeded outdoors in late summer/fall. It also says you can plant lettuce and carrots through October so I'll probably try again with those now that it's cooling down.

Can I ask a chicken question too? My chickens are almost 7 months but none of them have started laying yet. Is it likely that they won't lay until spring?

And a brief update on my HOA fight over my chickens: after some back-and-forth, the HOA sent me an official letter saying I can only have 3 chickens, but then an email implying (I'm pretty sure) that they'll overlook the fact that we have 9 so long as they don't get any more complaints. So that was a relief.

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #651 on: September 30, 2018, 09:06:35 AM »
@nessness often you need to germinate indoors because the summer soil temps are too high for some of the typical fall crops.

I’ve never had much luck with anything other than fall snap peas or broccoli. Our falls here are typically warm, then suddenly very very cold.
Darn, that was probably the issue, although my city's planting guide does say the plants I chose can be direct seeded outdoors in late summer/fall. It also says you can plant lettuce and carrots through October so I'll probably try again with those now that it's cooling down.

Can I ask a chicken question too? My chickens are almost 7 months but none of them have started laying yet. Is it likely that they won't lay until spring?


@nessness in our experience over the years (~30 chickens, many different breeds), they start laying anywhere from 22 weeks old to 32 weeks old.  Highly variable.  But in my experience the weather did not matter.  Even in the middle of the Wisconsin winter (with frequent subzero winter daytime highs) they would start laying if it was their time.  We had numerous pullets lay their first egg in January.  Unless you are further north than that, where maybe the shorter daylight might cause them to wait until spring(?), I bet they will go ahead and lay. 

nessness

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #652 on: September 30, 2018, 12:20:33 PM »
@nessness often you need to germinate indoors because the summer soil temps are too high for some of the typical fall crops.

I’ve never had much luck with anything other than fall snap peas or broccoli. Our falls here are typically warm, then suddenly very very cold.
Darn, that was probably the issue, although my city's planting guide does say the plants I chose can be direct seeded outdoors in late summer/fall. It also says you can plant lettuce and carrots through October so I'll probably try again with those now that it's cooling down.

Can I ask a chicken question too? My chickens are almost 7 months but none of them have started laying yet. Is it likely that they won't lay until spring?


@nessness in our experience over the years (~30 chickens, many different breeds), they start laying anywhere from 22 weeks old to 32 weeks old.  Highly variable.  But in my experience the weather did not matter.  Even in the middle of the Wisconsin winter (with frequent subzero winter daytime highs) they would start laying if it was their time.  We had numerous pullets lay their first egg in January.  Unless you are further north than that, where maybe the shorter daylight might cause them to wait until spring(?), I bet they will go ahead and lay.
Thanks, good to know! We're in California so mild winters. I've just been surprised that we haven't gotten a single egg yet, with 9 hens of all different breeds.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #653 on: September 30, 2018, 01:08:10 PM »
This is why I love commercial hybrids like ISA Browns. Consistent point of lay at 17-18 weeks, 20 weeks at the latest. And unlike other commercial breeds like Leghorns, they’re pretty quiet and calm too.

Do you have light on them? Photoperiod can affect laying as well as when they come into lay. I have light on my birds from 5AM to past sunrise and then before dusk to about 9PM but some don’t like to do that.

nessness

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #654 on: September 30, 2018, 02:27:16 PM »
@furrychickens no, we don't have any artificial light. Since we don't need heat we don't have any electricity running to the coop. The chickens are more of pets than anything else for me so I'm not super concerned about maximizing their laying, though a few eggs would be nice.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #655 on: September 30, 2018, 07:52:08 PM »
@furrychickens no, we don't have any artificial light. Since we don't need heat we don't have any electricity running to the coop. The chickens are more of pets than anything else for me so I'm not super concerned about maximizing their laying, though a few eggs would be nice.

The light doesn’t need to be very bright to trigger their pineal gland, so something solar powered would be an option. I’ve been told even Christmas tree lights are bright enough, so we’re not talking a lot of lumens.

I happen to use a brighter LED bulb just because I had it laying around and my coop is right next to the garage so power is no problem.

No heat here either, they do great in the winter as long as they stay dry and can get out of the wind as desired. They’ve survived -30 so far just fine and I know folks using similar hybrids in much colder climates than mine in similarly unheated but windproof structures. Chicken coop fires are incredibly common from trying to heat them.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #656 on: October 01, 2018, 04:15:19 AM »
@furrychickens no, we don't have any artificial light. Since we don't need heat we don't have any electricity running to the coop. The chickens are more of pets than anything else for me so I'm not super concerned about maximizing their laying, though a few eggs would be nice.

@nessness -- no worries then, you'll get eggs.  The wait is hard though.  :)

Re:  putting light on them:  If you don't care much about maximizing egg production (we don't either) then skip the lights.   The way I figure it, if the bird's body is telling her to take a break due to day length (or something else) then I will let that happen naturally.  Chckens' frequent egg laying is really astounding from a biological perspective, and takes loads of physical resources.  It makes sense to me to let the animal replenish those resources the way it sees fit.   

Re:  hybrid egg-laying breeds -- We've had a couple and I have to say I don't care for them.  They had more health problems and didn't live very long. They seem to pump out eggs unnaturally fast and burn themselves out at about 2 years old.  That's what lots of people want, if they intend to butcher them when their laying slows down.  Personally, give me a heritage/traditional breed that will take sensible breaks from laying now and again (for brooding, fall molting, etc.) any day.  We have a 6 year old bird that is still laying 3-5 eggs per week, hasn't been sick a day in her life, and has a delightful personality.  The only sign of age I can see in her is that her beard has a few white feathers now, and her egg shells have some weird bumps on them now and again.

Re:  Light and heat.  FurryChickens is right -- they are two separate issues.  Chickens can handle temps down to 30 below in a good coop. We never heated in Wisconsin.   

nessness

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #657 on: October 09, 2018, 08:47:38 PM »
We got our first egg today! Also, I realized that I'd done the math wrong and they're only 6 months and 1 week old, so I was probably too hasty in worrying about it lol. Thanks @Trifele and @furrychickens for all the chicken advice you've given me!

We've had an unusually warm start to fall so we're still getting about a pint of cherry tomatoes and a couple bell peppers per week, and my carrots have finally germinated. So overall I'm feeling pretty satisfied. :)

middo

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #658 on: October 09, 2018, 09:03:50 PM »
Nutrition also plays a part in egg production.  Chickens need a rounded diet, with shell grit added at times.  If the laying drops off at a time that is unexpected, such as late spring, then think about adding wheat or a layer-pellet additive to their diet.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #659 on: October 10, 2018, 03:20:47 AM »
We got our first egg today! Also, I realized that I'd done the math wrong and they're only 6 months and 1 week old, so I was probably too hasty in worrying about it lol. Thanks @Trifele and @furrychickens for all the chicken advice you've given me!

Congrats on your first egg!  :)  That is a happy day.

@middo makes a great point about nutrition also playing a large role in chicken laying.  They need a well-balanced layer feed, and also free-feed calcium/oyster shell on the side.   

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #660 on: October 10, 2018, 04:54:08 AM »
The pullet eggs are so cute looking. Snack size! ;)

I offer calcium free choice, I use a mix of oyster shell and their own eggshells ground up. Mine prefer the eggshells. If they’re only eating layer ration, they don’t need it, but if they’re getting scraps and other foods they need the extra calcium.

You’ll get best production with a 18% protein layer ration. Mine slow down when I’ve tried 16% feeds. Mash or pellets, I prefer mash as it’s cheaper.

I know you’re not concerned with best production rates, but I thought I’d add that my chickens give me about $100 worth of eggs (valuing at $4/doz) a month on only $20-$30 worth of feed ;)

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #661 on: October 11, 2018, 06:15:10 AM »
Well, we are very near the end of the garden for the year here.  We are still picking figs and just started picking a few persimmons from our little two year old trees, but then that's it. 

We processed about half our Kieffer pears into thick sauce, and got 10 quarts.  (We could have gotten more, but the kids were doing the initial work to cut the cores out unsupervised, and they weren't being that careful . . . When I looked at their "cores" in the compost bin there was still a lot of flesh left on them.  :))  So when we finish processing the rest, I figure we will have maybe 22 quarts altogether.  If I can get my act together I also wanted to press out some juice and try making pear mead . . . or do you call it a cyser?  I have to read more about that.

Happy fall everyone!

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #662 on: October 11, 2018, 10:54:08 AM »
Word nerd alert: Cyser is apple cider with honey. A pear (or any other fruit) and honey ferment would be a melomel. If you make a spiced mead, it's called a metheglin. I love the Old English names!

I've had good luck with wild fermenting berry melomels in 1-gallon batches. I've tried raspberry and cherry, and have been happy with both. It would be interesting to see if pear would work as well. If you like a tangy, slightly sour fruity drink, you could try following this process: https://www.thymeherbal.com/2014/08/14/wild-herb-and-fruit-mead/


Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #663 on: October 11, 2018, 10:59:14 AM »
Word nerd alert: Cyser is apple cider with honey. A pear (or any other fruit) and honey ferment would be a melomel. If you make a spiced mead, it's called a metheglin. I love the Old English names!

I've had good luck with wild fermenting berry melomels in 1-gallon batches. I've tried raspberry and cherry, and have been happy with both. It would be interesting to see if pear would work as well. If you like a tangy, slightly sour fruity drink, you could try following this process: https://www.thymeherbal.com/2014/08/14/wild-herb-and-fruit-mead/

Thank you @krmit !  This is great information. I read an article that referred to pear melomel as "pyser."  I guess they totally made that word up by combining 'pear' and 'cyser'?   

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #664 on: October 11, 2018, 11:36:24 AM »
Word nerd alert: Cyser is apple cider with honey. A pear (or any other fruit) and honey ferment would be a melomel. If you make a spiced mead, it's called a metheglin. I love the Old English names!

I've had good luck with wild fermenting berry melomels in 1-gallon batches. I've tried raspberry and cherry, and have been happy with both. It would be interesting to see if pear would work as well. If you like a tangy, slightly sour fruity drink, you could try following this process: https://www.thymeherbal.com/2014/08/14/wild-herb-and-fruit-mead/

Actually, incorrect. Melomel is a general term for meads made with fruit. So, a cyser is a type of melomel.

Your definition of metheglin is correct though :)

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #665 on: October 11, 2018, 01:33:54 PM »
Do you all wait until actual frost before picking all of your green tomatoes, or do it when temps get close to frost? 36 degree low coming here.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #666 on: October 11, 2018, 05:33:00 PM »
I just dug my sweet potatoes before it gets too cold.  Not a great harvest, even though we had a hot summer and there was lots of foliage.  I think they got a late start because of the cold spring, a lot of the tubers were just starting to get fat.

Also picked the last of the wax beans.  No frost predicted for the next week, but low temperatures.  Nothing is growing, it is just hanging in there.  Just about time to plant the garlic.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #667 on: October 11, 2018, 06:38:08 PM »
I have my little garden under floating row covers.  I harvested greens this morning.  I think we are getting a frost tomorrow night and that will be it.
Damn squirrels keep digging up the garlic.  I made the mistake of adding some compost and they are digging through it.

I have a good crop of herbs coming on in the green house.  Peppers and cukes have finished.  I will I had planted some more greens for late November.  I don't know if there is enough light to get a crop going now.

All and all it has been a pretty good year for this first garden.  I have been standing in it contemplating my next moves to secure it better from squirrels so that I can get even more food from my efforts.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #668 on: October 11, 2018, 09:01:51 PM »
Do you all wait until actual frost before picking all of your green tomatoes, or do it when temps get close to frost? 36 degree low coming here.


If they freeze and thaw they'll rot (long term) and get gross and slimy (short term), so either pick them before first frost or get out there while the frost is still on them and pick for the freezer/ cook immediately.

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #669 on: October 12, 2018, 08:40:29 AM »

If they freeze and thaw they'll rot (long term) and get gross and slimy (short term), so either pick them before first frost or get out there while the frost is still on them and pick for the freezer/ cook immediately.

Right, I know they have to be picked before first frost. But on my local garden groups everyone's freaking out about picking all their tomatoes now now now! And we haven't had frost yet. So I was wondering if I'm missing something.

I haven't even been to the community garden since... Sunday? Monday? I can't remember. The short days make it hard; it's barely light when I leave for work and it's mostly dark when I get home. Hmph.

Rural

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #670 on: October 12, 2018, 10:30:03 AM »

If they freeze and thaw they'll rot (long term) and get gross and slimy (short term), so either pick them before first frost or get out there while the frost is still on them and pick for the freezer/ cook immediately.

Right, I know they have to be picked before first frost. But on my local garden groups everyone's freaking out about picking all their tomatoes now now now! And we haven't had frost yet. So I was wondering if I'm missing something.

I haven't even been to the community garden since... Sunday? Monday? I can't remember. The short days make it hard; it's barely light when I leave for work and it's mostly dark when I get home. Hmph.


As long as you beat any actual freeze or frost, they'll be fine. They won't be growing or ripening hardly at all with the weather you're reporting, though, so at this point you may be best served to pick the first chance you get.


I've waited until the afternoon before the first forecast frost and had no issues, but my tomatoes are right outside my front door so the picking is easy (and for me, that happens in early November or, one memorable year, the first of December...)

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #671 on: October 12, 2018, 02:17:44 PM »
My garden is about done for the year.  The zucchini isn't dead yet, but I expect a frost kill any day now.

I've got a giant box of calico popcorn sitting in my living room drying right now.  I just ordered a "little stripper" for shelling it, as doing it by hand was going to give me blisters. I'm really looking forward to eating homegrown popcorn, and giving gorgeous bags of it away for Christmas.

I also grew some purple cornmeal corn, but it4 grew on really short stalks and something, probably a rabbit, discovered the garden patch and decimated my harvest.  I have about a half bushel that I managed to save.  Next year's cornmeal corn will be taller, so as to avoid this problem.

I have 4 mesh bags of cranberry bean pods drying in the kitchen.  I imagine it won't actually be very many beans once shelled, but I'm looking forward to them.

I also grew my mystery Anasazi ruin beans, except I finally managed to hunt them down!  They are Hopi purple string beans, and I managed to grow two rows of them.  This is enough to replenish my dad's seed stash, my stash, and hopefully have a few pounds left for eating.  I find the story behind these beans fascinating, so I was really happy to get some of my dad's old stock to sprout this spring.  They're still out on the vines drying.  We're supposed to have dry weather for at least the next 10 days.  I'll just be sure to pick them out once there's rain in the forecast again.

There are about a dozen spaghetti squash out on the vine.  Watching for the frost date so I know when to bring those in.  I managed to get one sweet squash.  I don't remember what it is, but it probably won't ripen enough to be food anyway.

Did well with cukes this year, but didn't actually do anything with the picklebush cucumbers.  I'll do better with those next year.

Carrots did well, though for some reason, all the red ones went to seed.  They're still tasty, and I'm saving a ton of seeds.  It was just weird.

I think I'll get a good harvest of parsnips as well.  I've planted them before, but not had much luck with them.  I know those are best harvested after a frost, as they'll be sweeter.  So again... any day now.

I did manage a few cabbages eventually, too.  I'll pick the last of them this weekend.  They didn't do super well because of the neighborhood rabbits.  Although once I caught FLB (furry little bastard), things picked up.

On that note, I learned to butcher a rabbit this year.  I decided when I caught FLB that I'd raise him and see if I could butcher and eat an animal I'd raised.  Turns out I can, and in a year or two when I've got the backyard privacy fenced, I'll look into raising rabbits for food.

Is it too early to start next year's thread?  I bought some seeds already.  Figured I may as well since I was already paying shipping for the corn sheller.  Boyfriend asked if he could pick some things to plant next year, so we got some french heirloom pumpkins, pool ball zucchini, and a couple of other things that looked like fun.  He doesn't really like gardening, but he's willing to help me with it.  Being interested in what we're planting is a good step forward for him. :)

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #672 on: October 13, 2018, 07:11:42 AM »
Love your update @10dollarsatatime -- your roster of veg is very pioneer-like:  beans, corn, squash, carrots, etc.  And cool to hear about the rabbit plans.  I'm sure FurryChickens will have lots of advice for you on that if you pull the trigger. 

Something really weird happened here yesterday, not garden-related but since you are all interested nature observers, I thought I'd share.  We heard a bird hit the window and went to look.  At the same moment we looked out the window a squirrel ran across our deck, grabbed the stunned bird (house sparrow) and started eating it.  The squirrel looked like it knew what it was doing and had done it before . . . plucking out the feathers like an expert.  We opened the door with a half-thought of seeing if the squirrel would drop the bird, but it took off with it in its mouth, ran up a tree, and finished eating it.   

I've read that squirrels eat bird eggs and even baby birds from time to time, but this was really surprising.  I had no idea squirrels could be so . . . carnivorous.  It especially surprised me because this time of the year there's lots of food for them;  we have loads of walnuts and hickory nuts lying around everywhere.  There's no way the squirrel is hungry for calories or protein.  Puzzling and interesting.

Rural

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #673 on: October 13, 2018, 02:41:16 PM »
I didn't know about squirrels eating birds, either, but apparently it's not uncommon:
https://askanaturalist.com/is-eating-dead-birds-normal-for-a-squirrel-or-chipmunk/

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #674 on: October 13, 2018, 05:59:30 PM »
Lots of rodents eat meat.   Mice eat lots of insects.  That squirrel sounds like it has learned window thump = easy meal.    Cats and raccoons will patrol tall buildings at dawn to find bird window strikes.

Back to the garden.  I dug all my sweet potatoes, lots of red skins (white inside) and some purples.  I will use that bed for garlic, I have a bunch of different kinds and will use the biggest cloves for planting.  I'm also moving rhubarb to a better spot, and getting some beds ready for early peas next spring. 

I also bought another blueberry bush.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #675 on: October 13, 2018, 07:21:59 PM »
One tip is to look into winter sowing.  Another is to shop migardener.com for seeds; they are $1 with reasonable shipping and some unusual varieties.  I used to love Rare Seeds for unusual varieties, but it got too damn expensive. 

I have two questions about compost:

At what point during the year do you stop putting stuff in your composter because it won't break down before it freezes? Or, do you even stop? Our average first frost is 10/15.

Second: Anyone have a neighbor complain about your composting? My landlord gave us a composter that he found discarded in the alley. It is enclosed - one of those rotating barrels on a stand. We just had a new tenant move into the first floor apartment (two-flat, we're on the top floor) and she's horrified that I am composting. She is certain we're going to have rats.

I told her that our landlord had encouraged me to do so - and that I'd asked him the same question about whether it draws rats and he said he's never had that problem (he lives a block away from us and composts in just a loose uncovered pile). I have seen no rats - and I'd think that, given that I have a vegetable garden right there too, I'd have seen some evidence in the form of nibbled tomatoes and such. But, maybe not. Anyway - any advice on pacifying her? I really don't want to stop composting.

I compost with a bin for the most part, but a couple months of the year I will just compost in the ground.  If you have the ground space and the neighbor keeps pushing the compost bin issue, just compost in the ground (10+ inches).  It's simple and effective. 

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #676 on: October 13, 2018, 07:32:05 PM »
Speaking of animals eating other animals, this morning the internal organs of a small mammal were in the middle of my garden path. There were no bones, fur or feathers so I was uncertain which animal it came from or what was the predator. I hate garden mysteries.

The temps finally felt like Fall today. First frost feels much closer now. I installed medium size electrical conduit PVC to make low tunnel hoops over lettuce, kale and peas. Inspected the Agribon frost cloth is standing by to cover herbs.

I've been making biochar in the firepit all summer and will spread that on the beds that are going to rest this winter. I've used biochar in past but only on cold compost piles. Has anyone spread it directly on soil? Would love to hear your experience. Debating if I should put cover crop on top of it or leave it mixed in slightly on top soil layer.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #677 on: October 14, 2018, 06:28:58 AM »
We had a hard frost last night.  I am going to transplant three asparagus plants I missed in the spring.   And clear out all the plants that may hold fungus,  mold, or stuff and put it in the green bin.  I have been stockpiling maple leaves for a booster load of organic material. I am looking forward to getting out for a couple of hours.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #678 on: October 14, 2018, 06:45:26 AM »
Lots of stuff in the garden to clean out now, and I’m housebound. Oh well, I’m looking forward to spring already!

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #679 on: October 14, 2018, 08:54:27 AM »
Speaking of animals eating other animals, this morning the internal organs of a small mammal were in the middle of my garden path.

<snip>

I've been making biochar in the firepit all summer and will spread that on the beds that are going to rest this winter. I've used biochar in past but only on cold compost piles. Has anyone spread it directly on soil?

Re:  the internal organs:  I think that could be the leftovers from a meal enjoyed by a cat or fox.  Or -- I believe some animals also leave dead and sometimes partially eaten animals as a 'sign post' to their presence too, like to mark their territory.  I'm a trail runner, and I frequently see dead shrews and mice dropped on the trail regularly in the same conspicuous spot.  I'm thinking foxes are doing it.  Last year a family of foxes moved into our property and I saw them several times.  Right around the time they moved in, I started finding dead "presents" right smack at the bottom of our driveway.  Same spot every time. Sometimes the animal was in once piece, just bitten to kill it, and sometimes it was half eaten.  The dead animals ranged from mice and shrews up to (once) a half-eaten woodchuck.  The foxes hung around our place a month or so, and then they took off.  And the dead animals stopped appearing.  I was glad they left, and thankful we didn't lose any chickens to them while they were around.  And glad I didn't have to wonder what I was going to find when I walked down to the mailbox each day, lol.  The dead animals were mildly creepy -- kind of like a cosa nostra message or something.

@Indio -- I've never heard of biochar, so thanks for this!  I'll read up on it.     

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #680 on: October 14, 2018, 06:35:47 PM »
I am also going to read up on biochar. 
I worked in the garden all afternoon - the weather was beautiful. I am whupped.

I did so much tidying up and dreaming about next years garden.  There were two tiny zucchini's on the frost killed vines this morning.  Not all the cut flowers got killed.  All the basil not in the greenhouse was mush.  I got a whole area cleared out and took down some of the fencing so that the hens can get in there and clean up up.  Still a bit of harvesting to do - the leeks and kale are coming on.  Planning on where I might put my sweet potatoes (@RetiredAt63 inspired me) and checking out just how well the asparagus plants came along.  I just might be getting some spears next spring. 

I made a whole bunch of food this weekend from my produce and it just feels so amazing.  The second last seeding of greens are at their peak and I have them under floating row covers.  Herbs that self seeded in the greenhouse are coming along as well. The last seeding of greens are only just up and I don't know whether to juggle the floating row covers to try and get them to come along or just give up.  The soil in that part of the garden is just awful so I could just start dumping compost and leaves there now.  My plan is grow potatoes in round elevated wire cribs in this area next spring.  A couple of reasons:  the soil is really crappy, the bins would be completely separated from the soil and any residual fungus/germs/mildews etc that attacked my potato and tomato crop this year wouldn't get into them.  I am going to lay down plastic film over the soil and put the wire cribs on top.  I will plant the potatoes in manure that has a lot of straw.  At the end of the growing season I will spread this out over the whole area and grow tomatoes and potatoes at a different end of the garden the following season.  But voila - fantastic soil for other stuff.

Now I must go and finish my first batch of sauerkraut.  I have been buying tiny jars for $6 at the market.  A lovely cabbage came in my CSA this week and now it is all cut up and salted waiting to be massaged and packed into jars.  Please let this work out. 


Indio

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #681 on: October 14, 2018, 07:10:20 PM »
@Trifele my motion sensitive outdoor light was triggered on a few nights ago by a large fox/coyote. It moved too quickly for me to get a good look at it, but that might be source of the "gift." I guess I won't let the chickens free range till after first snow and I can watch the tracks.

So I went to a bee club meeting today and the two speakers were great, but one blew me away. Ross Conrad, the author of a seminal book on organic beekeeping, spoke first about the dangers of neonics, abbreviated name for the family of chemicals that ends with -cides, used in farming, gardening and landscaping. Ross was the primary reason I attended. He is well known bee advocate in the beekeeping community. The second speaker, Dr. Samuel Ramsey, talked about his PhD thesis on varroa destructor mites. Here's a recent article that summarizes his points: https://www.beeculture.com/downtown-new-hope-fight-varroa/
A version of his talk, for a German audience, is on youtube for anyone who wants to geek out honeybee pests. Wow... it was amazing how he laid out his hypothesis and tested it in the lab. Now Sam is studying a new type of mite that is spreading rapidly in southeast Asia, where varroa originated and spread around the world in two decades. He expects that this smaller, faster and fertile mite will proliferate faster than varroa, which will really suck, if that happens.

Another fantastic aspect of attending this event, were all the sustainable and environmentally minded people I met.

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #682 on: October 15, 2018, 05:28:45 AM »
Wow @Indio -- excellent meeting at your beekeeping club!  I will check out those speakers.  @Frugal Lizard -- that's a creative plan for your potatoes -- let us know how it goes! 

It was a gorgeous weekend here -- sunny and cool.  I planted two Lobelias I bought a month ago at the local arboretum plant sale.  This is part of my project to plant-all-the-things-for-bees. :) According to the state extension, Lobelia is in the top 10 native perennials for pollinator value. 

You might recall our winter experiment where we grafted 10 baby apple trees for the first time.  They all survived the grafting and started off well.  Over the summer some of them fell victim to insect attacks.  Now we have six left that look vigorous and have grown well, and four that are basically leafless.  (I don't know if the leafless ones will survive the winter and have the energy to leaf out again.)  So this weekend we started planting them.  The six healthy ones are going into our orchard, and the four sickies are going into a nursery row down in the garden.  I got two of the healthy ones planted yesterday.  Live long and prosper little trees.   

And wow -- am I out of gardening shape. Very sore this morning from digging.  I'm FIREing soon, and looking forward to more hours in the garden and getting stronger again. 

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #683 on: October 15, 2018, 06:44:45 PM »
@Trifele - I have done it four times before in my community garden.  The first year was fantastic because we had a very wet season so the potatoes were very happy to be a little drier.  The last two times I didn't use 100% manure, thinking that it was a moisture issue so I am going back to 100% manure and will have access to water if it is really dry.

It is a space saving strategy and I can't claim credit for it - I think someone on the forum also does this but can't remember who.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #684 on: October 16, 2018, 06:01:55 AM »
The garlic is planted, one row each (7 cloves each) of 8 different varieties.   A grower told me garlic needs to be well mulched in our area to prevent frost heave, so there is a mound of sweet potato vines over the garlic bed.   One more garden chore ticked off the fall prep list.

Indio

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #685 on: October 17, 2018, 06:42:30 AM »
What do you compost?

I never seem to have enough high quality loam for my garden so I focus on making as much compost as I can throughout the year. I'm curious to learn what types of items people put into their compost besides the obvious food scraps, garden waste and chicken/rabbit bedding.

I keep a bin in the kitchen and ask the kids to put dirty tissues and paper towels in it. When it gets full, I mix it into the composting system outside or in the worm bin and it's converted to usable soil. I also shred all junk mail. Separating the plastic window from the mailing and return mailing envelopes, and then recycling the plastic is a standard practice. I also go through the coupon mailers and separate the glossy and matte paper. Yup, the matte paper gets shredded and then put into the compost. The dustballs and furballs from the vacuum also go into the compost, though I've found that human hair doesn't break down quickly. Soon I will be picking up the leaf piles, that my neighbors lawn service blows to the curb, putting that through the portable leaf shredder and right into the grow beds.

So, what else does everyone put into their compost piles?

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #686 on: October 21, 2018, 09:23:24 AM »
We've had a frost, so the high mound of sweet potato vines mulching the garlic is now a limp flat blanket.

I'm getting into more perennial crops.  Yesterday I planted 3 hazelbert shrubs (American hazelnut x European filbert), a hardy self-pollinating pear, a black currant bush, and a Korean pine (such a baby) for pine nuts.  I'm looking at a 3-5  year wait for the hazelnuts and longer for the pear and pine.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #687 on: October 22, 2018, 06:58:40 AM »
@Indio I am impressed with the list of materials you compost.  The only thing I compost in addition to your list is tired mushroom substrate.   We have municipal  compost pick up so I only compost the easy stuff at home. 

@RetiredAt63 I am curious about the nut trees.   I probably have too many squirrels to actually harvest any nuts but it would be so fun to try.

Enjoying the late greens harvest.  Have picked about 3lbs.  So totally worth the effort.   It's under a floating row cover so hopefully we can get a little more.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #688 on: October 22, 2018, 08:11:08 AM »
@RetiredAt63 I am curious about the nut trees.   I probably have too many squirrels to actually harvest any nuts but it would be so fun to try.

Well, the Korean pine is a total baby right now, 3 years old and about 8" tall.  They look a lot like a white pine, and need the same conditions, so I am planting it with my white pines.  It will be a long wait, edible pine nuts at the end.

The hazelberts are an American hazelnut x European filbert cross, so nuts more like European filberts with the hardiness of American hazelnuts. Large bushes, I should see a few nuts in 2-4 years.

They have lots of other nut trees and hardy fruit trees.

The nursery is further north than I am by quite a bit, so anything that is hardy there should be fine here.

http://hardyfruittrees.ca/

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #689 on: October 22, 2018, 11:26:32 AM »
Hmph. The forecast didn't call for frost, but it appears we had one, or at least it was close enough to make all the tomato plants look like total shit. Pulled out about half of them yesterday, along with all the peppers (which had some decently sized green ones on them, anyway). Still have some baby greens, which I'm hoping become non-baby greens before the garden closes for the season on the 4th.

Indio

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #690 on: October 27, 2018, 09:17:07 AM »
I know a few of you following this thread are beekeepers so I thought I'd share this article. It has all of the highlights - environmentalist, frugal, biking, entrepreneurial, and of course, bees.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/27/story-exchange-minneapolis-beekeeper-is-building-a-thriving-business.html

sparkytheop

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #691 on: October 27, 2018, 09:06:28 PM »
I had feared that I killed my saffron...  The bulbs I gave to my mom did great.  She had forgot to water them all summer, and it worked out quite well for her!  She started giving them just a little bit of water sometime around late August/early September.  Over a few days, several flowers popped up, and we picked the stigmas, put them in an open spice jar left in the car (to cheaply dehydrate them), and now I have a nice little pile.

Mine hadn't bloomed.  Still didn't bloom.  Then a few days ago I got one!  Yea!  I managed to not kill one little bulb :D  I can grow mint and weeds really well, but I kill everything else.  One little bulb was a success.  Then, last night, another bloom.  And tonight when I got home from work, there was one more!  I planted five bulbs, so I've got over a 50% survival rate and am extremely happy about that.

I'll be looking up recipes this weekend to see what I can make with my tiny little harvest.  I don't like seafood, so paella is out...

In other news, my mom came home to four little plum trees dropped off by a coworker (the original tree they volunteered from was planted in the late 1800s.)  My mom only wanted one (she already has another grafted plum tree), so she asked if I wanted one (my tree no longer bares fruit, when the neighbor cut his tree down it lost any cross-pollination.)  So, I took two home and planted them in the front yard.  I like the plums on the back yard tree (big and juicy and perfect, while the new trees are more "prune" type) so I'm really hoping they will provide some cross-pollination so that it can produce again.

Anyway, I'm just thrilled that I got to see something from start (bulb) to harvest all by myself!  Saffron has survived my black thumb of death.  Like the mint, it has earned it's place in front of the house and will hopefully be around for many years to come.

horsepoor

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #692 on: November 02, 2018, 07:55:24 AM »
I've been MIA all summer - very busy with horses and work - but managed to have a fairly decent, if scaled down garden.  All that's still in the ground is leeks, chard and collards.

The theme this year was peppers - I ended up growing about 80# of green chile, which is all tucked into freezer bags and canning jars now.  Made cayenne, chile powder and chipotle peppers, hot sauce, and still have more down in the basement waiting to be processed.  We had a nice flow of okra, tomatoes, onions and greens, and this was the first year my raspberries really stepped up and produced.  First year trying to grow dried beans and I managed to produce... almost an entire cup of dried beans, lol.  Thai pumpkin was also a total bust this year - huge, healthy plant that never set a single pumpkin.

Now I'm re-working my garden beds to make things more efficient and hopefully easier to care for.  Will post and update when it's done (hopefully in a couple weeks).  Need to haul in a few truckloads of manure to fill them and top up the old beds.

Also, I built a chicken tractor that just needs a couple finishing touches, and then will go into service for weed control and working fallow beds. 

GardenBaker

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #693 on: November 07, 2018, 02:06:26 PM »
My fall planted seeds are coming along nicely. We have peas, radish, turnips, kale, broccoli, cabbage and carrots emerged. Nothing to harvest yet, maybe in another 30 days or so. I bought two large fall tomato plants which are now blooming; hoping to have some tomatoes in the next month or so too. The garden beds are in full sun, but with the time change we have significantly less daylight.

Raenia

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #694 on: November 08, 2018, 08:48:08 AM »
My sad little potted rosemary is still chugging along, though the oregano finally bit the dust a month or so back.  However, I'm now looking at growing ginger root!  I have a chunk of ginger that I got from the store, and it is attempting to sprout.  A quick google suggests that I should be able to plant that bit and it will start producing new rhizomes (sp?).  We'll see how it does!

krmit

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #695 on: November 08, 2018, 01:43:07 PM »
Tis the season for creating new systems! Mr krmit and I moved last month and in anticipation of our first year of real gardening, we:

- Bought a secondhand push mower and mowed the lawn.
- Disconnected the overflowing rain barrel and diverted the downspout out to the lawn. We'll reconnect in the spring, before the rain stops but hopefully late enough that we don't have to deal with a lot of overflow.
- Received a pile of wood chips and used them and our flattened moving boxes to create new garden beds to compost in place over the winter.  This included shoveling out some old gross red bark mulch and taking up a bunch of landscape fabric where we're going to plant our raspberry patch and herbs.
- Discovered that our patchy front lawn was, in fact, hiding a garden path stepping through the former raised beds! Mr krmit cleared the overgrown grass away and the front yard looks pretty awesome now.
- Starting to plan the garden for next year - it's never too early, right?

Got a few container kale and cabbage that made the move with us, although they look pretty sad. Hoping to do some proper fall/winter gardening next year.

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #696 on: November 08, 2018, 08:03:33 PM »
You guys!  I just ate a bowl of popcorn I grew myself!  It's not cured quite enough... it should get fluffier as it ages, but it was so good!  I grew Calico Popcorn this year... 9 rows, 12 plants per row.  I've got SO much popcorn!  40-50 pounds maybe?  And it's delicious... it tastes more, um, corny, I guess, than store-bought popcorn.

I picked up a couple of pots today at the thrift store.  I decided my garden isn't big enough yet, so I'll be planting my butterbush butternuts and some other things in pots along the back of the house.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to decide how I want to go about some winter gardening.  I have a bunch of old windows... I might try to put together some cold frames and grow some radishes and such. 

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #697 on: November 09, 2018, 04:20:16 AM »
You guys!  I just ate a bowl of popcorn I grew myself! 

Super cool!  Congrats @10dollarsatatime !

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #698 on: November 09, 2018, 05:45:52 AM »
You guys!  I just ate a bowl of popcorn I grew myself! 

Super cool!  Congrats @10dollarsatatime !
  amazing

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #699 on: November 14, 2018, 11:46:05 AM »
I struggle to find joy in the garden during the cooler months and especially as winter approaches. 

I do have some greens planted, along with some garlic and onion, but overall, I don't do a whole lot.  I am going to pull my potatoes soon as the greens died back completely.  Hopefully I have enough for Thanksgiving.

I had feared that I killed my saffron...  The bulbs I gave to my mom did great.  She had forgot to water them all summer, and it worked out quite well for her!  She started giving them just a little bit of water sometime around late August/early September.  Over a few days, several flowers popped up, and we picked the stigmas, put them in an open spice jar left in the car (to cheaply dehydrate them), and now I have a nice little pile.

Mine hadn't bloomed.  Still didn't bloom.  Then a few days ago I got one!  Yea!  I managed to not kill one little bulb :D  I can grow mint and weeds really well, but I kill everything else.  One little bulb was a success.  Then, last night, another bloom.  And tonight when I got home from work, there was one more!  I planted five bulbs, so I've got over a 50% survival rate and am extremely happy about that.

I'll be looking up recipes this weekend to see what I can make with my tiny little harvest.  I don't like seafood, so paella is out...

Anyway, I'm just thrilled that I got to see something from start (bulb) to harvest all by myself!  Saffron has survived my black thumb of death.  Like the mint, it has earned it's place in front of the house and will hopefully be around for many years to come.

I'm envious.  I planted several saffron bulbs from a reputable place and I haven't seen one come up.  Oh well, maybe one will surprise me in the future.