April on the Homestead

[NCLee]

WOW, what happened to spring? Our average daytime high is 68 degrees for April 2nd. May hit 90 today.

Learned the hardway what that means. Went out the the shop to do some work this morning. All of a sudden I was dizzy and breaking out in a cold sweat and sick on my stomach at the same time. Realized that I had gotten too hot. I'm fine now after getting back in the house and turning on the AC.

Mentioned this just as a note not to let this switch from winter to summer sneak up on you the way it did for me. Take time to let your body become accustomed to the change in heat before taking on too much.

Lee

[Norcal Steve]

NCLee,

April on the homestead here is somewhat very changeable as the weather goes. Past couple of weeks we had 70 degrees and sun. Got some things done outdoors. All this past week we had rain and snow. Today we have a mix of rain and snow, A fire going in the woodstove and thoughts of warmer weather just around the corner.
I once last spring experienced the same affects of the heat working in the garage on the truck. I had to cool off and drink some fluids. Got to be careful when working in the heat, those affects can creep up on you befoe you know it.

It will be hot and dusty here before we know it.

Norcal Steve

[TEX]

Found out at 12:15 that we were working through lunch and getting off at 1 instead of a full day - wish someone had told me that before I left at noon and ran down to get my scripts filled. (BTW, found out after I got back and found everyone else still working - NO ONE EVER TELLS ME ANYTHING)

It's 80 here now and I have the coffee roaster set up on the back deck roasting coffee.

Life is good - Everyone have a wonderful Easter.

[DM]

April continues to bring us GREAT weather... Sunny and warm, just right!

I'm milling logs to a material list, for a friend,

http://fototime.com/C077B82A51F4DB3/orig.jpg

http://fototime.com/D8B41AF4689C181/orig.jpg

He is needing a LOT of lumber, and i'm provideing it a little at a time,

Here's some "nice" wide 5/4 boards,

http://fototime.com/CDEA29B58063193/orig.jpg

Also several other sizes, including 3"x8" - 16 feet long.

http://fototime.com/B1CDEE9A23337FD/orig.jpg

DM

[Junie]

Aw, man, DM, I can almost smell that new wood!

Yesterday I woke up to a very heavy frost. Today it's 90 (and still climbing) That was a short spring!

[nhlivefreeordie]

85 and sunny again here today. I am getting a lot accomplished. Put tree shelters over my Pawpaw trees today. He is something that evolution didn't get quite right. Pawpaws, are an understory tree in the wild, but they do not produce a lot of fruit if grown in the shade. The Pawpaw produces abundant fruit if grown in full sun, BUT, the sapling has to be protected from the sun for the first two years, the full sun apparently will kill the tree no matter how much moisture you have in the soil.:fie:
Also had to mow the grass for the first time this year today. That felt good, I even changed the oil before the first mowing this year...
Looks like we got a good string of days still to go, hope I don't run out of things to do........( that was a joke ) :D

[Junie]

Did you plant the paw-paws?

[nhlivefreeordie]

Yes, I planted them Wednesday when they arrived. They were shipped from Burnt Ridge in WA state. I had no idea about sheltering them from the sun, but I do take a moment to read any enclosed literature, and there it was on the directions they sent. Couldn't find anyone local that carried them, and the online suppliers want you to buy 100 or more, I only needed two, fixed the problem with a trip to the hardware store and a length of 4" sewer pipe cut in half did the trick, it even already had holes in it to pass the wire through for staking.

[Junie]

I seriously did not know you could transplant paw-paws! They grow wild here, but not on my place (at least not that I've found) I might go see if I can find some small ones and dig them up. I already have the canopy and hubby could chop down some of the big trees when the paw-paws need sun. He's always chopping down trees for firewood, so I know he wouldn't mind.

[nhlivefreeordie]

Wild Pawpaws have a long tap root so I am not sure if you could or not, but I would be careful and give it a try.
The ones I got came in tree pots, 4" square by 9" deep, but they are also 2 year old grafted cultivars from a nursery.
Pawpaws have attracted a lot of commercial interest lately, so we should hear more about them in the near future.

[Junie]

Have you ever eaten them?

[sbemt456]

We have gotten a lot done today and it was hot here as well, about 85 degrees.Early today we planted our potatoes, all 4 varieties. This afternoon we got the fruit and nut trees planted in the new orchard. All 18 of them. Two English walnuts,2 pecans,2 hazelnuts, 2almonds, 4cherries, 2 plums, and 2 apricots and 2 pear trees. I still need to get apple trees to go in. Then planted 100 strawberry plants, some cabbage and broccoli in the garden. Tomorrow I will be transplanting stuff in the greenhouse into bigger pots. I have blueberries in the greenhouse in big pots that need to be moved out to a permanent place as well. I noticed tonight that our older pear tree is almost bloomed out, am thinkin it might get frost nipped.
My summer kitchen is started and that project will continue as weather permits.

Have a great day!

stella

[SPIKE]

sbemt456 Good timing on the tree planting, the rain is headed your way.

Moved some of my construction material from an area that will be garden this year. I decided not to till yet since the rain was coming and I knew I could not get it finished.

I took off my hat to let my head cool off and then forgot to put it back on, so I have my first sunburned head of the season.

SPIKE

[Pokeberry Mary]

Well I guess since spring was too cold up until now I should be quiet--but not its too hot!
Gramma's never like the weather do they?

Anyhow Yesterday we cleared a big area near the creek to make room for an eventual sitting area. We planted some bamboo as a screen there--I have more for a couple other spots. Got it with some groundcover plants at a guy's backyard nursery he started since losing his job. I love that! The bamboo has to be kept corralled- and I saw it is already trying to escape the pots in the ones we didn't plant yet.

I took back some perenials I bought that didn't make it through winter from Lowes. I got a flowering crab and 2 pots of heather I plan to 'drop propagate' for use on a sunny hill. I've been working on planting a lawn using homemade plugs and a small bag of seed. The plugs, plus some straw are to help keep it from washing away or drying up. Its a sort of patchwork deal but its in my budget. I got the plugs from an area we plan to be digging up. We're renting a backhoe & bucket thing for a week after next paycheck and Hubby's taking a week off to 'deal' with the land, fix lots of spots, get a spot ready for parking, for a deck, for our pool, and stop some erosion--and lastly dig a small pond in my shade garden--which will be near my sun garden too--so I an rest there and take water from it for plants. We plan to put some koi in it. Just fer lookin' not fer cookin'.

I'm moving my strawberries--but I may give that up for this year, seems like its getting hot fast than it should so I may just let them be in two spots until fall and resume my moving project then. I'm also going to dig up all my various comfrey plants and give them their own area near the compost bins and the leaf piles.

My tomatoes are big enough to put outside--I'm planting in containers so I may do that soon--but will have to watch and put them near the shed so I can overnight them inside if the night temps drop.

Lots of herbs to put out and I've got a friend coming over in a couple days to help me knock out decorating the arch I got for my daughter's wedding next month. I'm doing it with moss and honeysuckle vines--stripped bare. Then flowers later. I'm also potting up moss and succulents in pots to use for table decorations at her outdoor woods themed wedding.

I have a bajillion projects going as always. Hubby too. He just left to get wood to put some 'real' decking on our back porch. Up until now it has been just osb that was put there bhe guy who began to build the house as a temporary floor. He used the porch for storage of building materials--we've cleaned it up and are using it as a porch.

I'm also potting up the flowers I grew for my daughter's wedding as they are getting big to be in the house under lights and I will grow them on outside now. I'm hoping they'll flower by mid-May so I don't have to purchase too many flowers last minute as I'm doing all her florals and decorating her cake with real flowers and succulents too.

Well.. gosh, I know I missed some things.. but can't think. Today?? plenty.:D

[nhlivefreeordie]

Have you ever eaten them?

Not since I was a kid. My grandmother had them in her back yard, and we would always go over and help eat them when they were ripe. That was 45 or more years ago, but I still remember the flavor.
Hers were more of an overgrown jungle rather than the orchard style planting that we are doing.

[nhlivefreeordie]

Got up this morning to another beautiful day, while strolling the flower beds with my coffee, something told me to take this picture, great Easter colors..yes?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/dj88ryr/Gardening/DSCN1054.jpg

[Native87]

Great Picture. :)

[patience]

Clearing fencerow today, again. Yesterday about did me in. It will take a while to get used to outside work again, and it takes longer every year now. :o

So, while we had a rain shower this morning, I went to the small engine dealer in town and got a spare bar, a couple spare chains, and an air filter for my chainsaw. Just bought the saw last year, but I like to have some spare parts on hand in case of trouble. A spare chain is only $14.95, and a trip to town is about 5 bucks, so it makes sense to have spares. I don't want to make a trip unless I get several things done, and definitely not when I'd rather be working.

[Junie]

Not since I was a kid. My grandmother had them in her back yard, and we would always go over and help eat them when they were ripe. That was 45 or more years ago, but I still remember the flavor.
Hers were more of an overgrown jungle rather than the orchard style planting that we are doing.
Years ago, when we first moved here, an elderly couple adopted our family (not legally, but in their hearts). The man collected paw-paws and gave us a box of them every year. My kids love them. I don't really care for the texture, although the flavor is fine. The man has been gone 4 years this month. I still think of him whenever we gather paw-paws. I'm sure my kids will always love them because they loved HIM.

His wife is still alive and my very best friend. My kids call her mamaw.

So many of the things we love are reminders of people we love.

Lovely picture. I love spring flowers (they remind me of my mother) I have a vase of daffodils on my table.

[marshall]

We had very unusual weather on the homestead yesterday. Everything was dry and brown, I even dragged a homemade grader around to clean up the dirt road, then SNOW, 5" on April 2nd. We see it above us later, but this was the biggest accumulation this late for us. Still 4" on the ground today. Pictures and details on my site. :)

[nhlivefreeordie]

So many of the things we love are reminders of people we love.[/B]

Lovely picture. I love spring flowers (they remind me of my mother) I have a vase of daffodils on my table.

That is so true, my mom cultivated the passion for gardening and cooking in me, ( and also passed down a very large amount of OCD ) as well as cleaning and organization.
Spring flowers were her favorite too, and I guess that is why I have always had 100s and 100s of spring bulbs where ever I have lived.

[Junie]

I had to laugh about the OCD. I think I got it from my father's side. My mother said I was the neatest kid she ever saw. I would arrange all my clothes and books according to size and color. I dusted everyday and, if anyone moved anything, even a fraction of an inch, I could tell right away. I still notice little details like that.

[nhlivefreeordie]

I had to laugh about the OCD. I think I got it from my father's side. My mother said I was the neatest kid she ever saw. I would arrange all my clothes and books according to size and color. I dusted everyday and, if anyone moved anything, even a fraction of an inch, I could tell right away. I still notice little details like that.

Once you get used to it, it sure does make things easier mentally, don't ya think?

[Junie]

Once you get used to it, it sure does make things easier mentally, don't ya think?
Most definitely! I can't understand people who take forever to find something because they're so disorganized. That would make me crazy! I like knowing exactly where everything is. (one reason I don't like Walmart - they keep moving things)

[AlchemyAcres]

I can't understand people who take forever to find something because they're so disorganized.

:o

Guilty!

I consider it good exercise! LOL


~Martin ;)

[Junie]

My hubby is the same way. That's why we have separate sheds, separate tool boxes, and separate rooms. Guess whose tools he uses? (hint: not his, cuz he can't find them!)

[Builder Ken]

NH love the picture thanks..... I finished tilling the garden, took out some fence that was worthless, got some mowing done. The weather was great today in the mid 70's much better than Friday we had high winds and a little rain even lost power for a few hours. I am going through a sack of seeds left over from last year and will try and get some beets, carrots and even some beans in the ground tomorrow after church and the Easter egg hunt. It all depends on how much ham and deviled eggs I eat. LOL All the big ranches around here are taking advantage of calm winds and burning pastures. I can look out every window and see it glowing kind of pretty in a way but also put's you on alert. Happy Easter to all. Ken

[nhlivefreeordie]

Most definitely! I can't understand people who take forever to find something because they're so disorganized. That would make me crazy! I like knowing exactly where everything is. (one reason I don't like Walmart - they keep moving things)

Lynn is just the opposite too, maybe people like us have to have someone like that to keep us occupied after we straighten everything of ours out.....:D

[Junie]

You know, if we married someone like us we'd be constantly arguing about where things ought to go. It's best to have someone who doesn't care.

Besides, you know what they say - opposites attract.

[nhlivefreeordie]

You know, if we married someone like us we'd be constantly arguing about where things ought to go. It's best to have someone who doesn't care.

Besides, you know what they say - opposites attract.

You nailed it.

[firegirl969]

DH harrowed up the garden today. We also made a Walmart run for two Energy Star window AC's for the trailer. Last year we spent over $500 keeping freon in our unit outside. We bought the two AC's for $350 and GA has a $60 rebate on them, so we will have $290 in them and they should be cheaper to operate. DH also picked up another 100 lbs of sugar, and we got undies, socks, and bras for me. Not too bad a prepping day. While we were in that town, I also got some ketchup and worcheshire sauce from the Dollar Tree. They had 24 oz bottles of Hunt's Ketchup for $1 each tonight.

[CapeCMom]

NH,

I can almost smell the hyacinths from your picture! Mine are barely out of the ground....
You all are obviously having much warmer weather than us-it's been 60 the past few days-the warmest it has been in awhile!

Me and DH took down six trees in the vegi garden area yesterday. It really opened things up. Made a huge brush pile to burn-we can open air burn until May 1. We were going to do it today but figured the neighbors wouldn't be happy with us burning on Easter. Another checkmark of drawbacks of living in the burbs!

[TEX]

Most definitely! I can't understand people who take forever to find something because they're so disorganized. That would make me crazy! I like knowing exactly where everything is. (one reason I don't like Walmart - they keep moving things)

My Boss thinks I am disorganized but even though my "piles" don't look neat and organized I know what's in every one of them. After 15 years of working for them they don't try to change me. If something is out of sight it is out of mind so all my projects are lined up in piles across the front of my desk. Hubby on the other hand probably is ocd as he is totally organized and can tell you where everything in this house is. Yes - opposites do attract. I am 57 years old and I can finally stand up and admit that I am a terrible housekeeper - I can make a mess cleaning one up and he is the best housekeeper in the world. And the big thing is he doesn't fuss about cleaning up after me. THANK YOU GOD FOR BRINGING THIS MAN INTO MY LIFE.

As to prepping - we had to go to Dallas and drop youngest son at the airport but did stop at Wall-mart and surprisingly enough they had beautiful blue berries bushes and we were needing 2 more so they went into the car along with some more potting soil.

[nhlivefreeordie]

NH,

I can almost smell the hyacinths from your picture! Mine are barely out of the ground....
You all are obviously having much warmer weather than us-it's been 60 the past few days-the warmest it has been in awhile!

Me and DH took down six trees in the vegi garden area yesterday. It really opened things up. Made a huge brush pile to burn-we can open air burn until May 1. We were going to do it today but figured the neighbors wouldn't be happy with us burning on Easter. Another checkmark of drawbacks of living in the burbs!

CCM,

Last night while watching a replay of the hockey game, we had the living room windows open and the perfume wafting in from those hyacinths was intoxicating.
They have some strange laws down here about burning, supposedly, the only time you are allowed to burn is Saturday from 6:00AM - 12Noon. :confused:
I follow it the best I can, but I leave them smolder long after noon time. I know what you mean though, can't wait till we get to the homestead and can burn when ever.

[patience]

No restriction on burning here, but on only one acre with lots of buildings, common sense must prevail. I'm making piles of my fencerow cleanings that I plan to let rot down for a year, then run it all through a chipper. I'l chop it up some with a chainsaw to make it more compact and speed up the process.

This brushpile is in a long narrow shape covering an area that I want to eventually garden. Did that last year, then rolled the pile over and now have a nice strawberry patch where it used to be! Easy way to clear out yard sod, by letting the worms eat it. Great helpers they are!:D

[WileyCoyote]

We can't burn here usually; even though we have had a LOT of rain and snow here this winter/spring, the wind has dried everything on the surface out so quickly that we were under a red flag last week. What can't go into the woodpile as 'squaw wood' gets chopped up and composted.

Yesterday we were forecast to have "partly cloudy" with winds at 25. Well, the winds started to gust up +35, yesterday abt 3 PM,and we had a thunderstorm... I love the thunderstorms here; so wild and violent, and usually short-lived as the winds whisk them away.

I got a lot of prep cooking done yesterday; the ham is now ready to be glazed and I have eggs to devil, but the beans were soaked and cooked yesterday as were the cheese noodles. I made a coconut meringue pie yesterday for dessert today, but we were naughty and cut it for dessert last night! LOL We aren't expecting guests, so we can pretty much do as we please... am thinking about something blueberry today anyway.:D

But first we are going to go out and take advantage of this beautiful sunlit day (highs of 60!) and work the manure/compost into the freshly plowed garden. The ground here is nothing but sand, so it takes a lot of help to get it to hold water, etc.

The plum, apple and cherry trees are turning red with sap and showing leaf buds. Just praying for no freeze this May!

The scrap metal place 40 miles away has been making money hand over feets; some of the kids have been scrounging scrap metal from farmers and ranchers and turning it in for cash. A place on our property that DH named "Superfund Valley" is full of old iron and scraps - not only did the previous residents use it as a dump, but so did the neighbors when the property was vacant. So having a little resource for backup $$ is nice. It is hard to get to without 4WD, so we will use the ATV to haul it to the yard and then load it in the pickup for the trip. Probably not this weekend, though!

[CapeCMom]

Our open burning is not too bad as far as the rules go-7 days a week from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. You have to call in your permit number in the morning before noon if you are going to burn, and they will let you know through the automated system whether we have been flagged for the day and if it is permitted. We just have the May 1 deadline.

Can't wait to get it done so that we can rake it into the vegi garden soil. We have really acid soil so it's a nice balance. Still have to till, but will wait until after.

Replanted the stuff that I lost in the cold frame from yesterday. I am going to open all of the windows first thing this am!

[Lurch]

Still wintry in N ID. Cold and snow.

[firegirl969]

DH got the new AC units in the windows today as we were in the upper 80's. He also tilled part of the garden and planted 5 rows of potatoes.

[rideaway]

We had a typical weather day for the southern Oregon coast and Easter-started with rain and wind, changed to hail, then sleet, then snow, then sun, then rain and wind again, and now at 9:45 pm it's thundering.

Got the lamb pens finished yesterday for daughter's pair of 4-H lambs and another member's pair-he moved to town and so he will be raising them here. Bought a few more hens that are about a year old so now have a total of 37 chickens (including 3 roosters and 12 pullet chicks that are nowhere near laying. Plan on selling eggs along with fresh produce from the garden to supplement the unemployment that I will be on come June.

My office manager keeps encouraging me to find something quick, but that is because they don't want to pay my unemployment. I will not take something in a rush, especially if it pays less that my unemployment benefits will. A year or so ago, we all saw how slow it was and nothing was done to save money (go down to four days a week, etc.), so I am not going to make it easy on them.

Feeling pretty unbalanced right now...I'm sure it's result of layoff notice, but also older daughters are struggling w/ low hours and are 6 hours away (I want to tell 'em to come home, at least I could feed 'em), mother-in-law's health is getting worse and she may be moving in w/ brother-in-law but is upset because she'd have to get rid of her dogs, so we told her she can move in with us (she probably won't but I want her to know the option is there), and I'm on edge re finances and upcoming lay-off (of course, radiator just went out in car). Knowing what's causing it is one thing, but with over 10 years in recovery, I need to find a way to regain some control of what I can, because the emotions aren't good for me.

Anyhow, I got off topic there a bit, huh? Sorry about that-easier to write it out here than flake out in front of hubby, family and co-workers.

The bottle calf is doing great and will be weaned soon and out to friends pasture. The pigs are in their pen and eating good, and the mini-horse is producing lots of manure for the garden. Can't wait til my new 12' x 12' greenhouse is done, but we are trading w/ a contractor (gave him a registered Nigerian Dwarf doe that I got for free, gardening supplies, etc) for the work and like a typical contractor, there is no rush for him-oh well...it will be very well constructed. I will post pictures when it's done.

[Junie]

It's 1:45 am here. My company just left! We've had a lovely Easter!

Yesterday, hubby got me some new plastic for the greenhouse. Winter wasn't kind to it. Grandson is spending the week with me and said he'd help me recover it this week (he's 11). It should take me twice as long with him helping, but that's ok. It's something he'll always remember.

I told him, once we get it recovered, he can help me plant seeds. I think that's what he's really looking forward to. (Well, that and playing with the ducks)

[SPIKE]

We had a typical weather day for the southern Oregon coast and Easter-started with rain and wind, changed to hail, then sleet, then snow, then sun, then rain and wind again, and now at 9:45 pm it's thundering.

Got the lamb pens finished yesterday for daughter's pair of 4-H lambs and another member's pair-he moved to town and so he will be raising them here. Bought a few more hens that are about a year old so now have a total of 37 chickens (including 3 roosters and 12 pullet chicks that are nowhere near laying. Plan on selling eggs along with fresh produce from the garden to supplement the unemployment that I will be on come June.

My office manager keeps encouraging me to find something quick, but that is because they don't want to pay my unemployment. I will not take something in a rush, especially if it pays less that my unemployment benefits will. A year or so ago, we all saw how slow it was and nothing was done to save money (go down to four days a week, etc.), so I am not going to make it easy on them.

Feeling pretty unbalanced right now...I'm sure it's result of layoff notice, but also older daughters are struggling w/ low hours and are 6 hours away (I want to tell 'em to come home, at least I could feed 'em), mother-in-law's health is getting worse and she may be moving in w/ brother-in-law but is upset because she'd have to get rid of her dogs, so we told her she can move in with us (she probably won't but I want her to know the option is there), and I'm on edge re finances and upcoming lay-off (of course, radiator just went out in car). Knowing what's causing it is one thing, but with over 10 years in recovery, I need to find a way to regain some control of what I can, because the emotions aren't good for me.

Anyhow, I got off topic there a bit, huh? Sorry about that-easier to write it out here than flake out in front of hubby, family and co-workers.

The bottle calf is doing great and will be weaned soon and out to friends pasture. The pigs are in their pen and eating good, and the mini-horse is producing lots of manure for the garden. Can't wait til my new 12' x 12' greenhouse is done, but we are trading w/ a contractor (gave him a registered Nigerian Dwarf doe that I got for free, gardening supplies, etc) for the work and like a typical contractor, there is no rush for him-oh well...it will be very well constructed. I will post pictures when it's done.

One thing I have noticed around here(this forum), is that we have some good listeners!
We all have life challenges. Things seem to always get better. I've gotten use to not having a regular job!
Good trade on the grenhouse work!

SPIKE

[SPIKE]

It's 1:45 am here. My company just left! We've had a lovely Easter!

Yesterday, hubby got me some new plastic for the greenhouse. Winter wasn't kind to it. Grandson is spending the week with me and said he'd help me recover it this week (he's 11). It should take me twice as long with him helping, but that's ok. It's something he'll always remember.

I told him, once we get it recovered, he can help me plant seeds. I think that's what he's really looking forward to. (Well, that and playing with the ducks)

Making memories! You go Grandma!

SPIKE

[NCLee]

Crazy weather, we're having, is making me nervous and sick, too.

Haven't felt very well, since I got too hot last Friday. Alot of it is allergies, that got an extra large dose of pollen during Son Rise services yesterday morning. Sneezing, watering eyes -- the whole 9 yards.

It's making me nervous, because our last average frost date, here, is April 11th. Average daytime high is 68. Could reach 90 tomorrow. Yet, by the end of the week, the forecast is showing lows around 40 degrees. We can get frost when the local forcast is around 36, so I'm just hoping they're right with that forecast.

Posted this to urge folks not to push the season too fast, when putting out tender plants. I want to get my houseplants outside so bad I can taste it. Yet, knowing that if they go outside, too soon, they'll either have to come back in or suffer setbacks from too cold temps.

Keep an eye on the long range forecast for your area. Try not to give into that urge to plant, if a frost or freeze can still sneak up on you.

Lee

[firegirl969]

Rideaway,

I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers in the coming months. I do think it is good of your employer to notify you ahead of time of the job downsizing. It gives you time to prepare ahead of time. Two plants near here had big layoffs last year and both gave people their notices on Friday that they didn't need them on Monday. That's a pretty crappy way to deal with employees IMHO. It sounds like you are doing really well in prepping for the downsize in income. You should be fine. It also sounds to me like you need to draw some unemployment and take a break and enjoy the homestead for awhile if you can live off your unemployment. If you bake and can, you can also sell homemade breads and sweets and jams, jellies, preserves, and pickles, advertise by word of mouth, get you a weekly route, and you may find that you can do just fine staying at home. Hope your area would work for this if it is something you would like to try. I would make a few items, but them in manageable pieces, put them in ziplocs, and hand them out with a label with your name and phone number on them, and pass them out where you go in a normal week. Just an idea, Blessings, firegirl

[WileyCoyote]

Well, we plowed, got the compost plowed in, and are feeling very confident. Finally got up and got the last of the Christmas decorations down - the ground has been too slippery with ice and snow til this past week. Then we put the rain barrels out under the gutter pipes again. The rainy season won't catch us unawares this year!

Also finally got the blueberry cheesecake squares made, and am boiling the ham bone to make pea soup... my favorite comfort food. Since they are predicting rain and snow tomorrow, a good thick bowl of pea soup will be lovely.

OH! And I filed my taxes... had to wait to get our AGI from 2006, and couldn't find it anywhere - found 2009, 2008, 2007, 2003, and all the way back to 1990! - finally called the IRS and a nice lady looked it up for me!

[Junie]

Grandson and I got the old plastic torn off the greenhouse today, but that's as far as we got. The new door I wanted to put on was too big, so I had to wait for hubby to get home from work to get a different door. Nobody else knew where he put them. Turns out they are in the hay loft. We never thought to look there!

Since we couldn't work on the greenhouse, we planted flowers and shrubs. I found already rooted branches on 2 kinds of shrubs (viburnum and forsythia), so we cut them off the plant and planted them where we thought they'd look nice. I had 2 rose bushes that needed to be set out, so we did that. Then we planted the gladiolus. I don't really like glads, but hubby loves them. I always plant them for him, then tease him about his 'old, gaudy flowers'.

That's all we got done in the yard because I had 5 loads of clothes to do, the kids had to do school, and somebody dumped a cute, little puppy who answers to the name of 'Pal'. He and our other dog, Buddy, had the best time this afternoon! He can stay if he wants to, but I'm not going to make him. (I hope he wants to. He's a cutie)

edited to add: While I don't approve of people dumping animals, there is something about this one that particularly bothers me. His tail is docked, his nails are neatly trimmed, he's well-fed and clean. You can tell that somebody took very good care of him. I wonder how bad off they've become to be forced to get rid of such a sweet dog. I don't usually feel sorry for the owner, but, in this case, I do.

[Deberosa]

Hang in there Rideaway - I know it's a horrible feeling from my experience last year. Come in and talk it out any time you want! I admire you for overcoming all that you have already!

We've been really busy here - going to get that tiller for the tractor Friday if at all possible. Got the tax refund to make it happen. Then things will change around here really fast.

The 25 by 25 patch of peas is up and a light shower tonight did them good as well as very warm days. Go figure after the bitter winter we had.

9 new fruit trees are in and Kurt took some drain pipe that was given to us and cut it and drilled holes for around the trunk then heavily mulched each tree - it looks so nice! Still have alot to get in, but making slow progress. The tiller will speed it up very soon!

Went to a farm show tonight at the local high school. Found a great source for feed in Elliston that also sells flours and will grind batches to order. Will check them out as they are near the tractor store. Also made other connections for local products we've been needing.

Got the mountain of bird houses we moved from WA hung up finally - brought the hooks for them too. ;-) Will be extending the fence up for deer around the former chicken pen. Using the step in posts attached to the existing t-posts with zip ties. Also set up a pair of turkeys in a dog kennel we brought from WA and gave her back all of the eggs that Sheila has been collecting for us. Sheila will need to find another project now!

Gee - and no end in site for the fence building, garden building, and general upkeep in starting out again.

[cartershan]

We did manage to get the low garden deeply tilled on Sunday. We will not plant summer crops until after April 15th. My plants I ordered from Seed Savers should be in next week. The seed I ordered from them have come up and I've transplanted twice. All herbs and veggies are growing nicely!
It went from winter to summer here very quickly (mid 80's to 90 this weekend and today).
The caladiums are up and beginning to leaf out that we planted in 4 inch pots. 2400 of them!! We have buyers for 1800 and will probably sell the rest to a few of the co-ops around here and then plant whats left.
We've been so busy that I've not had much timeto post. DSL is still giving us fits as well! Darn thing doesn't work half the time.
We ate our first butternut lettuce from our garden on Sunday. It was wonderful!
Canned strawberry jam today. We just can't wait to have it with biscuits in the morning. Hope all is well with everyone, Shannon

[krash]

We were able to plant some radishes and onions this weekend in last years garden but still working on getting soil mix into the new raised beds. Had to concede that I just cannot manage it myself and ask my granddaughter for help. Hate to as she is so busy with school and it is hard to admit I just cannot do things anymore. Had a bale of peat moss and could not even get it unloaded. Husband tried to help me a bit the other day and I thought he was going to fall for sure and that is when i decided it was time to give in and ask for help. Granddaughter got the little Mantis tiller started for me Sat afternoon and I was starting in on the old garden spot when the neighbor drove by and told me to stop at the end of the row I was making. She brought her big tiller over and had the whole thing done in less time than it would have taken me to do an eighth of it. Thank heaven for grandchildren and wonderful neighbors! Will have to do some baking and share it several times. My granddaughter is going to France on an internship for the summer. We will really miss having her near.

[AzLoneRider]

Saturday the wife and I went and got 3 yards of composted cow manure. My wife, 20 year old daughter and I unloaded it into the garden, then I tilled it in. It only covered about half the garden so I am going to go get three more yards of compost this week on my lunch hour and we will unload it this weekend. This time instead of straight cow manure compost I am going to get a blend of compost and composted manure. I have some planters I want to put it in as well.

Temperatures for both Saturday and Sunday it was in the high 80's with the sun beating down making it feel like in the mid 90's. Today my son and I worked in the shop for a while, he is finishing up a pen that he wants to enter in the fair... It's been slow going because he's still recovering. He has it turned down and sanded so all he has to do is to apply the finish and polish it up and it will be done.

Tomorrow and the next day we won't get a lot done around here... we have church functions to attend, so Thursday I will get some more garden work done and Jake will finish he pen. Then Saturday I will finish tilling in the compost and we will be ready to transplant plants that are ready for the garden, or sow the seeds. It's more than warm enough to plant most of the seeds, but we are a bit behind this year.

Andy

[nhlivefreeordie]

Things are coming up all over the place it is hard to keep track of....I love this time of year, always another miracle waiting around the next turn of the garden bed.

This is a weeping Cherry that was just about dead when we bought the place, it still has a ways to go, but it is finally looking healthy.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/dj88ryr/Gardening/DSCN1067.jpg

The bed along the screened porch is starting to show life, Hosta, Dicentra ( bleeding heart ) and in the back near the gourds that are drying, Solomons Seal, I love this plant, and always have since seeing it in my grandmothers garden when I was a kid. This is the variegated type, I started this patch with just two plants a couple years ago, I now have close to 100 along the porch and around back.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/dj88ryr/Gardening/DSCN1066.jpg

A shot of some mounding Nasturtiums in the grow rack, they are just about ready to go out, I might chance the weather and put them out this coming weekend. We grow these near the house because we use the flowers and the leaves in salads, nice eye appeal, and a spicy peppery kick.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/dj88ryr/Gardening/DSCN1068.jpg

[CapeCMom]

Thank you for showing us the pics of all of your stuff NH-I have been showing DH a lot of them because you and Lynn kind of remind me of us. He's been bugging me to post pictures of our homestead too, but stupid me can't figure out how to make them nice and big like yours. I always end up attaching the file, and it ends up puny.

It's funny-I have solomon seal too-got it from my mom. It spread so nicely, and I love the white bell like flowers. Great cherry tree. It is loaded with flowers so it obviously likes what you have been doing to baby it back from the brink.

This time of year is so exciting isn't it? You're way ahead of us-we've cleaned out most of my flowers beds but we haven't gotten any mulch yet. My beds are so full, you really can't see the ground when they fully leaf out anyway. We end up getting about ten yards and I would rather put it in areas around the shrubs.

[nhlivefreeordie]

CCM,
I use photobucket to host my pictures, possibly that might help you, I would love to see your pictures of your place. A girlfriend had family down there that we used to visit back in the late 90s in Hyannis, I remember some of the great gardens we could see driving around the neighborhood. Alas, she was a liberal ( big surprise there huh? ) and after 2 1/2 years I figured I wasn't going to go through life with someone that was 180 opposite on politics. They lived a couple streets over from Teddy and thought he was the messiah ( excuse me, I think I threw up in my mouth, just a little ) I couldn't stand it, surprised I lasted 2 1/2 years with her.
That mulch is still last years, I haven't gotten any red mulch yet this year. I will get to it, but I have been hauling mushroom compost for the veggie gardens first. It is nice, I have a fantastic garden supply only 5 miles from me, and they are priced better than any of the other places around here. $15 per yard on the Red Mulch only $8 on the mushroom compost.

[AlchemyAcres]

A shot of some mounding Nasturtiums in the grow rack, they are just about ready to go out, I might chance the weather and put them out this coming weekend. We grow these near the house because we use the flowers and the leaves in salads, nice eye appeal, and a spicy peppery kick.


I love Nasturtiums!

Ever made Nasturtium capers?
They're a great substitute for the real thing....I actually like them better !


~Martin

[CapeCMom]

I love Nasturtiums!

Ever made Nasturtium capers?
They're a great substitute for the real thing....I actually like them better !


~Martin

Nasturtium capers? Please tell-I would love to try it!

NH-
Yeah we have a lot of Kennedy lovers here although they have lost some of their sparkle in the past few years. All of the kids and grand kids seem to have massive issues-either mentally or with substance abuse. Most of the old timers are gone.
Yes, there are some spectacular gardens around here. Because the Cape juts out into the bay, our temperatures are not as extreme as up by Boston. Believe it or not, on most maps we are zone 7. Up by Boston there are around a 5 or 6. I am going to try photobucket. Thanks for the idea!
Your mulch kept it's color nicely through the winter. Is it the dyed kind?

[nhlivefreeordie]

Nasturtium capers? Please tell-I would love to try it!

Me too, help us out Martin!!

NH-
Yeah we have a lot of Kennedy lovers here although they have lost some of their sparkle in the past few years. All of the kids and grand kids seem to have massive issues-either mentally or with substance abuse. Most of the old timers are gone.
Yes, there are some spectacular gardens around here. Because the Cape juts out into the bay, our temperatures are not as extreme as up by Boston. Believe it or not, on most maps we are zone 7. Up by Boston there are around a 5 or 6. I am going to try photobucket. Thanks for the idea!
Your mulch kept it's color nicely through the winter. Is it the dyed kind?

They call it color enhanced mulch, so I would say, yes dyed....:D...some I have had from other places faded out in less than one season, this stuff seems to last very good, although next to new stuff, you can tell a difference.

[earl3447]

I have to thin them today I feel like the grim reaper, opps just changed battries need to reset date on my camera

[AlchemyAcres]

They're super easy to make......

Nasturium Capers

http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/recipes/side_nasturtium.shtml

~Martin

[nhlivefreeordie]

I have to thin them today I feel like the grim reaper, opps just changed battries need to reset date on my camera

Looking good Earl!! You could separate and transplant some of the extras into new pots and put a table out front for veggie plants, you might be surprised how well you could do. Craigslist has been bringing me customers at a steady pace, as fast as I can pot up my extras and transplant extra plants from outside they are gone.

[CapeCMom]

this is driving me crazy-Did I do it?-Oh I think it's OK-

Pic of house before we finished room over garage completely. Pic is king of dark-only one on comp. at work-Shhhhhh....

http://www.backwoodshome.com/forum/vb/picture.php?albumid=36&pictureid=164

[nhlivefreeordie]

Trumpet Flower going up the chimney ?

Very nice, the style of the homes up there are perfect companions for excellent landscaping. People don't think of that when they think of the Cape, they just know of the main drag commercialism.

You obviously work very hard and it shows.

[NCLee]

Beautiful home!! Everything is so neat and well landscaped. You've got to be proud of it.

Lawn is beautiful.

Out here in the country, most of us just mow the weeds and call it "grass". LOL My feeble attempts at planting grass after the logging company tore up my front yard when they took down the pines turned out to be rather pitiful. So, I can really appreciate yours.

Lee

[CapeCMom]

Thanks guys! We've done 99 % of it ourselves. Yes, it's trumpet vine growing up the chimney! We hack it down every year to a manageable size. It comes off the chimney so easily in the wind also. We have had it long enough that we have regular hummingbird friends that come every year.

DH is the grass nazi-he loves it-that's ok-it's his thing.

[CapeCMom]

http://www.backwoodshome.com/forum/vb/album.php?albumid=36&pictureid=165

Here's a pic of my solomon seal from last year.

[CapeCMom]

Hmmmm that didn't work exactly right.

[DM]

I mentioned on here a month ago that my nephue bought a house and ten acres for 17K, turns out it was just over 10 acres, and the price was 16.5K... Here's a pict. of the house,

http://fototime.com/AE2C1D3F746D384/orig.jpg

I went over there today to cut down some bigger tree's that were leaning toward his electric line. I'm going to mill them into lumber for him to use for remodeling his "new to him" house...

Here's one of them, i already have the treejack in place. We also pushed a rope up into the tree, so my helpers could pull on the tree as i fell it...

http://fototime.com/F6A91FC036FCC07/orig.jpg

It didn't take too long to put it on the ground,

http://fototime.com/522913B2DACAE0D/orig.jpg

Once i had them on the ground and the logs bucked out, i had plenty of help cutting up the firewood!

http://fototime.com/D77CED4ED26B65E/orig.jpg

Well, that's how my day went...

DM

[nhlivefreeordie]

http://www.backwoodshome.com/forum/vb/album.php?albumid=36&pictureid=165

Here's a pic of my solomon seal from last year.

Solomons seal, PJM Azaleas, and Japanese Iris?

Very nice, I have to dig out some of my NH pics, that was 24 years of work, and it looked it. You also look like you are a workaholic when it comes to the flower beds!!

[CapeCMom]

Yup, you're right-very good!

Perennials are kind of my thing. I have ten perennials beds and looking for more space as things need dividing. Had a landscaping design gig for awhile. I won an award for a bed and breakfast that I did once. I got it from my Mom-we are two peas in a pod.

We collect different kinds of perennials and then share-we like the same things. I started a plant exchange at work-as people divide stuff we trade back and forth.

I would love to see your pics NH!

DM,

I love the red house. There's nothing that speaks Country more than a red house. The property kind of reminds me of here. Lot's of lucious trees!

[patience]

Sigh. My yard will never look like CapeCMom's. It more resembles a hodgepodge of buildings and hillside and steep banks covered with whatever God put there to grow. One is so steep we put plastic down and covered it with riprap rock to keep it from washing out the side of the driveway. Now the honeysuckle has it covered. My idea of landscaping that area is to take the weedburner torch to it every 4 or 5 years.

The rest of the yard has things planted in a grid formation (orchard, berries, and some flowers on the edges, so I can zip by with the mower in high gear in 2 directions, thus no trimming.

Our DD has the landscaping going in spots here. She put out starts of daffodils, grape hyacinth, miniature hollyhocks, irises, some tulips, and a huge herb garden, all of which are going big now. There's a Sage plant that is now 3 feet in diameter, a row of blackberries, a Gincko tree, and much more. As long as I can mow past it at 12 mph, that's fine. I'm not into weeding beds. :o

We have a 30+ yr. old ranch house, with the obligatory green bushes (yews?) in front. We all hate them, but let them stay for lack of interest. This year they are coming out, and herbs and other perennials are going in there. DD is trimming them up from the bottom so we can get a log chain around them, and when the ground is softened by hard rains, hook on the truck and out they go. Some of that is a home security thing, since bushes create a place to hide for burglars. In one area by a retaining wall, the bushes provided a safety function to keep anyone from falling off the wall, but that will get replaced by a wrought iron fence, also part of the anti-intruder thing. I promised I will try to keep it all looking civilized--not like a fenced in junkyard. I guess I can put in some irises along the fence and soften the look some.

[firegirl969]

Today DH and DS planted the sweet corn, sa-dandy peas, butterbeans, cherry tomatoes, and roma tomatoes. Tomorrow is squash, zucchini, watermelon, cantelope, cucumbers, and okra. Then the garden will be full. After the potatoes make, we plan to plant green beans and purple-hull javies in their spot. Yesterday, we purchased a new set of pots. My first new set in over 20 years. They are heavy duty T-Fal Stainless Steel with copper bottoms. These should last 20 more years.

[NCLee]

DM, thanks for sharing those pix. Land in your area still reminds me of my nephews farm. :) Looks like your nephew has found a great place at a great price, too. In recent years some unimproved land around here has sold for more per acre that what he paid for his whole place. (sigh - property taxes!)

Patience, your place sounds like ours, in some regards. It more resembles a hodgepodge of buildings and hillside and steep banks covered with whatever God put there to grow. You described our place better than I could.

We made the mistake of planting creeping juniper (think that's what it was called). Had enough one day, hooked a chain to them, and yanked them out with the truck. Replaced them with azalaes that have grown too large to be in front of the porch, despite hard pruning for the last couple of years. Need the truck and chain, but I can't bring myself to yank them out. Guess I'll be out with the pruners, again, after they bloom.

Bought a new tarp yesterday to cover my greenhouse, turned shop. It's grandfathered as a greenhouse, so I have to keep it semi-functional, at least, for that. Replaced 1/2 of the roof with metal, a few years ago. Now, periodically I cover the other side (fiberglass panels) with a tarp to help control the heat and light. Seems everytime I buy one, the price goes up and the useful life goes down.

Now that the threat of snow is about over, and the March winds are calming down, it's time to get up the canopy over our backyard cookout area. And, over the area where I restore CI cookware. Hope to get that done, as soon as we get some rain to wash away the pollen that's blanketing everything right now.

Yesterday, when we went to pickup the tarp, there was so much pollen in the air, it looked like farmers were plowing fields and kicking up dust. Don't think I've ever seen it as thick as it is this year. Hoping the weathermen are right and we'll get rain Thursday night and cooler temps, too. Hit 90 yesterday. Should the about 68 for the high.

Lee

[CapeCMom]

Patience,

You are far ahead of me on many different levels! Boy would I love to get some more buildings on my property! I need more storage and something that I could use as a potting shed. I would love a bigger barn than the tiny one I have now.
Also-what I wouldn't give for an orchard! OMG-to be able to go out and pick your own fruit! That is just so awesome!
I love iris. They spread so darn fast! If you just start with a few, in no time they will be everywhere! I started with three fist sized clumps from my mother's yard and in just a few years I had to dig up the clumps and divide them. They are just everywhere now, and even though they don't last very long, in the spring the wide swaths of blue remind me of a monet painting. I actually have to divide AGAIN this year because several spots that I had moved them to two years ago -well there are just so many that they are growing into other things.
I have given away buckets of them to friends because I don't have anywhere right now to put them. I wish you lived closer! I have so many perennials to divide because frankly, they are out of control. I love the cottage look, but it is getting ridiculous.

Lee,
Is it unusual for it to get so hot this early? I noticed you said even a week ago that you had temps in the 90's. Yikes! I guess I am just used to cool New England weather-right up until July usually.

[NCLee]

This time of year our 30 year average daily high is 68. We've either tied or come close to tying the high temp records over the last week. Cold front supposed to come thru tomorrow night and drop temps back into the normal range. Around 70 during the day and low to mid 40's at night.

Keep yer fingers crossed that we get some rain with that front to knock down the pollen.

I just hope this hot spell hasn't lured too many into planting tender plants outside. We're still not out of frost danger yet.

Lee

[CapeCMom]

When is your last frost date usually? Ours is May 31, but the old time portuguese farmers here say that after the full moon in May, it is pretty safe to put stuff out. That is usually around the middle of the month. I remember when I worked at our local Nursery, we had frost one year on Memorial day weekend that completely wiped out our annual section. It was a disaster-so we always watch just in case.

[nhlivefreeordie]

When is your last frost date usually? Ours is May 31, but the old time portuguese farmers here say that after the full moon in May, it is pretty safe to put stuff out. That is usually around the middle of the month. I remember when I worked at our local Nursery, we had frost one year on Memorial day weekend that completely wiped out our annual section. It was a disaster-so we always watch just in case.

I remember some years the ice not going out on Winnipesaukee till a week or two before Memorial Day......:D

Ours is April 30th here, but I am putting out plants after this next two day cool snap, right now 84, high Friday is supposed to struggle to make 50, but after that, we got clean sailing.

[NCLee]

Mom, ours is April 11th. Some years we have had frost well after that date. Hoping this year won't be one of those. Once the nighttime temps get back up into the 50's, after this next cool spell, is when I'll get serious about getting tender plants in the garden and my houseplants out of the house.

Amarylsis are blooming early this year. Already have them on the front porch, as I don't have enough light inside for them to properly flower. They'll be easy to bring back in, if needed, overnight. Since almost every window in my home has something growin in front of them, I'll wait to take them outside, till I don't have to worry about trying to bring them back in for the rest of the summer.

Lee

[patience]

I got 2 of the 3 big gardens plowed and disced yesterday, but the soil is too cold to do anything there yet. We have rain due tonight and tomorrow, so I'll get some potatoes and onions in when it dries out again. I treat the 3 big gardens like a small farm--hefty garden tractor, and do it row-crop fashion to get it over with. Less work than the compact methods, for the amount we grow. We're doing the gardening for us and DD's family, so we tend to do things in bulk.

This week has been mostly taken up with the fencing project, doing line fences on one long side and one end of our lot, (about 165' X 330') I had a commercial guy do it, but I cleared the trees and brush out (got a full cord of firewood from this and a big brushpile), so I'm pooped. He has a huge rig that DRIVES 8" diameter wooden posts in the ground--with blunt ends! Awesome machine. One side has a 16 foot farm gate, so the water company can get through to service their pipes. Result is, he had to put in a total of 5 corner posts, 6 brace posts, and about 3 dozen line posts. Finished in a couple hours!

The fence guy is a friend, who took special care to save our rhubarb, asparagus, and about 50 feet of wild raspberries in the fence line. :D We also left a couple wild cherry trees for looks and shade when tending the gardens.

The orchard is small, but blooming well this year. The bush cherries are covered with blooms, all 10 of them, so with luck we'll have a good crop there. Also have 2 sugar pears, 2 Winesap and 2 Jonathan apple trees. Can't seem to do peaches here, but will put in some grapes this year. When a buddy trims his vines he'll give us starts. Horseradish is big enough to harvest this year, and the new strawberry patch is off and going well. The old strawberry bed was thinned to make the new one, so it should still do something this year, after a dose of manure. There is also a row of tame blackberries doing better this year, after suffering through some terracing adjacent to them last year. (I can't seem to kill blackberries!)

We just put in some walking (Egyptian) onions that have taken off and are growing nicely, a bronze fennel plant and some Russian Comfrey. Experience has shown that we have enough space now to use one big garden to grow some open pollinated field corn for our chickens this year. Mostly, I'm doing that to get a fresh batch of seed corn this year. If we can get one more big patch under cultivation, I can raise enough wheat also to complete their feed needs.

:D Just got a grain cradle! A real antique, but in usable condition, for $35 at a local flea market. Here's one on EBay, buy it now for $200:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1800s-Primitive-Hay-Sickle-Scythe-Wheat-Cradle-RARE_W0QQitemZ120526099158QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFolk_ Art?hash=item1c0fea52d6
Mine has one broken wood cradle tooth, but the blade and snath are like new. That means I can cut my own wheat with it and bundle it for drying. A young man that is good at it can cut a couple acres a day with one of those, but not me. No need to, since I'll only grow about 1/20th of an acre, but that will get me 2 or 3 bushels of wheat.

Now to get the ground ready... :o I'm working on it. Have a huge brush pile that is busy killing sod in the yard, getting the ground ready to work next year. I hate to mow grass--if there is something green in the yard, I wan t it to be edible! :)

[firegirl969]

DH got the cucumbers, squash, and cantelopes planted. We didn't have any watermelon seed, so I will pick some up tomorrow, along with some green bean seed. I thought I saved some from last year, but we can't find it. We have two raised beds empty, so I think I will put some purple hull javie peas in those two. Then we will be done planting until the potatoes are made, then we can re-plant that area. DH is having the horse pastures fertilized. Later, we will fertilize the pastures across the road where the cows are. DH is helping a neighbor who has cancer cut, worm, and dehorn his calves, and we hope to make a deal to buy a couple heifers and a bull calf. We will raise them up and in two years, produce our own beef and a couple cows to sell. That should pay the farm property taxes each year if all goes well. I ordered a year's + supply of my contact lenses. I hope in another month or two to order that many more. Then I should be good for quite a while. I also plan to buy up more supplies to make my own detergent. I have about a year's worth, so I hope to triple that. I also made contact with a lady that got her James Washer made by an Amish guy, so she is having him write me to give me the info on getting one made. We also ordered our Propane Tankless Hot Water Heater to replace our electric one. We feel that this is a good use of our prep funds as it will begin saving us money immediately.

[NCLee]

Now to get the ground ready... :o I'm working on it. Have a huge brush pile that is busy killing sod in the yard, getting the ground ready to work next year. I hate to mow grass--if there is something green in the yard, I wan t it to be edible! :)

Congratulations on getting such a good deal on the cradle. I haven't seen one of those in years!

Rent or borrow a chipper/shredder, if you don't already own one. We have one that'll chip up to about an 1" - 1 1/2" branches. Over the years, it's been a good way to make a brush pile more effective in killing grass. :) Either bag and dump the results or pull the shredder (put it in a trailer) to where we want the results automatically dumped. A chain saw and a big pair of loppers cuts those tree tops, limbs, etc. down to size. If it's large enough to need the saw, the result goes into the woodpile for kindling.

Wish I could have seen that post driver. I've never seen one that could do that. Around here, its manual hole digging, or a tractor mounted hole digger. Sounds like you did your fence posts right. :yes2:

Lee

[patience]

NCLee,

Thanks. I'm overjoyed with the cradle. :D Oops. Cradles have FINGERS, not teeth! :o So, it wants a new finger, and the vertical piece they mount on that has been patched. But it DOES work. The blade is the real rarity. Don't think you can even buy a 4 foot blade now, unless maybe in Europe somewhere. Gotta find a good place to hang the blamed thing, too. It IS an ungainly contraption....

Rain last night, and all day today. A downspout came loose and put a gusher against the foundation, so now I have a small flood in the basement. No biggie, it goes to a drain, but it is a mess. Get the vac and broom and clean up I guess.

We need a dog. That is part of the reason for fencing the place, so we can keep the dog off the highway out front. It will still require some training, probably with the "invisible fence" and beeper collar setup, but at least the fence will stop him in 3 directions, so we only have to be concerned about the front. At night, we can close gates and shut off the front, too, once the fencing is done.

Another reason for the fence is to keep coyotes OUT. They don't show in the daytime, but on Spring nights they get pretty close, and I don't want them developing a taste for chicken. :fie: They can jump a farm fence, but usually don't, particularly if there is a nasty dog inside that says it belongs to him! Like burglars, they are opportunists, so it is all about making it more dificult than somewhere else. Burglars are also a consideration. Thus, 2 barbed wires on top, on opposite sides of the posts to make it hard to climb over. A 3rd barbed wire goes on top of the posts, on insulators, and hooked to a solar fence charger. Gaucho wire is really sharp, too.

Made some standoff brackets last night to put barbed wire on top of the gates, too--two muffler clamps on the gate with a piece of angle iron welded to it, that sticks up about 6 inches. Put one of those on each end and one in the middle, then string wire on it. By the time a burglar gets through that, the dog should be awake, and me too!

[Junie]

We finally got the greenhouse recovered today. My sons, grandson, and I did it. One son was especially useful because he can reach the roof without standing on a ladder.

Grandson and I got the flats filled with dirt and will plant the tomato, pepper, and luffa seeds tomorrow. It was time to start supper when we finished putting in the dirt or we would have done it today. We should sleep good tonight!

[firegirl969]

I ordered the batteries to hook up the solar system. We are also having lime spread on the horse pastures tomorrow to bring up the ph. It was at 4.1 on the soil sample. Then we will have 1/2 ton of 14-14-14 fertilizer put on it. We got rain this evening, so I know those little tomato and pepper plants are standing up tall towards the sky since getting some of heaven's water on it. Rain always seems to do much more good that well water does. IMHO

[WileyCoyote]

Dance dance dance :girl_wacko:

Finally sold the house back east!
It has been on the market for over a year, and my friend and realtor back there has been working her butt off to unload it for us. The market is tough - this is the only house she has even had any offers on or interest in. She has had to do a few foreclosure sales and short sales for people, and has made almost no money - this from a girl (OK, woman, but we are both 'girls' to each other!) who used to sell $500,000 homes without a second thought.

What this means is that we will finally stop paying the house payment and insurance on two houses, and make enough profit to pay everything off and finish getting our shop/garage and greenhouse built. We will also be able to restart the wells on the back 40 to fill the cisterns so the cows don't have to walk so far for water. This means windmills instead of electric pumps (so many of our neighbors have gone to electric because they don't have the mechanical expertise, time, or inclination to keep the windmills running). And hopefully a windmill to offset our electricity demands at the house, too! (When you look at the national wind map, our little area is one of the windiest in the whole country - and our farm sits right at the crest of that wind tunnel! LOL)

But most importantly, the 5000 lb albatross is off of our necks. It was a fine little place 25 years ago; but with growth, development, and ordinance changes, we simply couldn't grow or raise anything there any more. I'm happy they have the "big city" they always wanted, but even happier now that I am no longer in it! :D

[nhlivefreeordie]

Congrats on selling the house.
I think it depends on area, a friend of mine in Real Estate in NH, was used to the same deal 250,000 - 500,000 houses one after another a few years ago. She retired from Fedex went in to Real Estate and doubled what she used to make. When the recession hit she had already paid off all of their bills and were just banking money waiting for the housing collapse, it slowed, but never totally stopped. She said if she still had all of her bills she still would have survived nicely on what she was making, but she is a hustler and works very hard.
I bet you are overwhelmed by what to do first. When you get an anchor that heavy cut loose the freedom is probably intoxicating.
If you live in the windiest place, this has got to be second, seems the wind is always blowing here.

[Gracie]

Oh, Happy Day, Happy Dance, Happy Wiley Coyote & her DH!!!:yes4:

Congratulations, y'all must feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from your shoulders and you're both walking on air! Am so happy for y'all! Now you can get windmills and build a greenhouse and ... it's spring!!! Who could ask, for more!:) G

[NCLee]

Great Big

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

to you.

My feet are just a tapping as I dance along with you with your good fortune.

Lee

[CapeCMom]

Congrats Wiley!!!!!!!
I'm very excited for you! Now your dreams can really take off and you can do what you want.
Awesome Awesome

[bookwormom]

Congratulations! really glad for you. How wonderful to be free of that.

[AzLoneRider]

What a blessing to be free of that extra expense!!!

[sissy]

Congratulations!
I'm so happy for you.
sissy

[Deberosa]

Good for you Wiley! I'm shooting for debt free including mortgage in 4 or 5 years. Sure am looking forward to the day!

That's while stocking the new homestead. 8 more blueberrie bushes. Nice big ones and turns out at least 5 of the 8 we planted last fall are coming back - yeah! They were very tiny and I thought they were gone.

The herb garden goes in today - the threat of frost passed us by last night with no harm - yeah! Also the tomato starts get potted up to 4 inch pots and get put in the new green house made out of a swing set frame. As soon as that tiller gets here the onions and leeks will go out of the cold frame and into the garden along with all of the other veggies for this time of year - carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips, etc. The peas are growing like crazy already. What a busy time!

[patience]

Hot dog! SOOOO glad you sold the house. Take a deep breath and relax now. :D

We're still doing fencing. I need to fetch a few materials, then plant posts and keep on keeping on until it is finished. May head to the milsurp store today and try for some buttpacks, foam pads for sleeping bags, and then look for a tent. Don't want the new super lightweight ones. They fly apart at the worst possible times, mostly due to my mishandling. (Face it, I'm a klutz.)

Got a promise of more walking onions from a gardener friend coming next week. Our ground is wet with a couple inches of rain this week, but I can still get in the garden by the kitchen that is better drained on a hillside. Almost had a frost last night, so I am still cautious, but plan to put out a few more things this weekend.

I may look into borrowing a chipper to deal with the huge brushpile in the back yard, too.

[bookwormom]

it looks like the frost predicted for last night has sort of missed this frost pocket. Hope it was the last of it.
Someone messed up on my order and sent me blueberries instead of black raspberries. I got to keep the blueberries and ordered the black raspberries again.
It is such a lovley day. tulips are blooming and a few of the primroses that I planted survived and are blooming, too.
I have a zillion voluntary lemon balms and I just can't stand the thought of throwing a plant away.
Last year I bought some oregano plants. this year they have come back with vim and vigor. But all of the lavender died. I wonder what it does not like here. The rugosa roses I was so worried about that they might not like it here are becoming a nuisance. I may just stick the new upstarts into pots and see if I can find takers at the farmers market. Hate to throw out a plant.
we ate the first lettuce and green onions from the garden yesterday.



I guess it is time to clean out the woodstove good, take down the stove pipe and sweep it out, and then paint the kitchen and dining room.

hope everybody has a really good day

[AzLoneRider]

We have had a relatively wet winter and the desert is really green right now. The Ocotillo's will be blooming soon. In my yard wild flowers are blooming and the irises in the planters are flowering as well.

Today I will be unloading and spreading more compost. I will also maybe be moving and organizing some building material so the yard near the garden looks more organized.

[WileyCoyote]

Thanks for all the nice comments; I can't tell you how relieved we are.:D

Today I got out and put in all the cool weather crops (it will still be cool here for another month at least). Peas, onions, garlic, cabbage, spinach, and lettuce - rows and rows and still the plowed garden is only half-used! So excited. Everyone is getting a nice long drink right now. Soon I'll go back out and sump-pump the front pond, clean it out for fresh water - the melting snow and leaves trashed it even underneath the cover we put on this fall. I still have the plastic sheeting at the ready to cover the garden; just in case we get another hard snow or freeze (not unheard of here through May).

The tulips are coming up; the are a constant amazement to me. Where we used to live, tulips never came back - they would die off in the heat, were considered annuals! The grass is starting to green up, too.

[patience]

Made a run to Home Depot for more board fencing materials. Had my toy truck squatting with it, but no problem. Now to get all that stuff in place. 14 posts, and enough deck boards to make a 4-board fence with them. Dig holes, plant posts, measure carefully, get a bucket of lag screws and mount the boards, then paint it all about 3 coats after it dries out.

Why is treated lumber ALWAYS wet when you get it? :mad:

[SPIKE]

Congratulations to Wiley and DH.

patience, I think it is because it is freshly treated. I thought you were supposed to stain treated wood, not paint. Something about it rotting if completely sealed with paint????

SPIKE

[NCLee]

Yesterday was a good day on the homestead.

Had some rain Thursday night that knocked down the pollen. Even walking across the yard stirred up clouds of it. We needed to get the first mowing of the season done, but with 90 degree temps and a dust bowl of pollen, we waited.

Got about 1/2 of the mowing done yesterday. The "public" side of the place sure looks better this morning. :) Hope to finish the back 40 Monday and possibly Tuesday. Still have some limbs and stuff to pickup that dropped during the winter.

Put a new tarp on the greenhouse turned shop. It's for light and heat control. Building is grandfathered as a greenhouse, so the trap is a working solution to keep the county folks out of my business. :wink: With any luck, it'll be a couple more years before we have to replace it again. With that done, I can now re-install the cannopy in front of the "shop" that provides a shady outdoor place to work in the summer. We leave the frame up, and simply take off the cover when the threat of snow arrives.

Had a huge disappointment Friday. Felt like sitting down for a good cry!

For several years I've been trying to get my grandmother's treadle sewing machine from another family member. Each time I asked about it, it was OK to get it, but the time wasn't convenient, for some excuse. Several different excuses.

FWIW, I learned to sew and make quilt squares on that machine. Pedaled many a mile on it when I was a teenager.

Anyway, I finally got it Friday. It was kept in a storage building. At first it looked OK. Some damage to the veneer. Closer look told me that something had been stored on it that leaked which ruined the finish on that side. Oh, well, I can take care of that.

After getting all the junk off of it, brought it outside. Saw that the belt was still intact, so I was hopeful that all was well. Opened it only to discover that the rust damage is terrible. From what I can put together now, the machine was next to the door. The door wasn't kept tightly closed. It was slightly adjar, Friday. Humidity has taken its toll.

From a practical standpoint, it isn't worth the effort to even attempt to restore it. However, from a more important standpoint, IMHO, I'm going to try. Need to take it out of the cabinet so I can get a look at the underside. It all depends on whether the the running works are fused with rust. I can clean up surface rust, but if the precision is gone, it will be a lost cause.

That sewing machine and a neckless that was stored in it are the only things left from my paternal grandmother. She passed away when my father was 9. The second disappointment was that the necklass isn't in the drawer where my father kept it. It wasn't valuable, so there was no reason why someone should have taken it. Grrrrrrrrrrr!

Please wish me luck that I can get it operational again.

I'd better get off this computer and get ready to go to church. Hope everyone has a beautiful Sunday.

Lee

[firegirl969]

Congrats Wiley on the sale of the house! Doesn't it feel good to be out of debt? We paid off the little bills we had last Tuesday. Since I went to work at 15 years of age, I don't remember ever being completely out of debt.

Congrats Lee on getting your grandmother's sewing machine. I pray that the rust will only be surface rust and that you will be able to sew on it once again.

The rain we got on Thursday has the peppers and tomatoes stretching up towards the sky. We anticipate some potatoes, okra, peas and butterbeans breaking the dirt this week. DH has worked really hard on the garden, and I hope he gets the joy of seeing the bounty of his efforts.

[CapeCMom]

I'm a hurtin pup. I hate to rake.

Took down some more trees, got them cut up stacked, and branches ready to burn.
Did I mention I hate to rake? It's looking better out there....Garden will definitely have more sun now-some more to go. I am so tired I can't even formulate words....Gosh I still have to put the clean sheets on my bed.....

[patience]

Mowed grass and worked in the garden today, insead of a planned shopping trip, since the ground was ready to work. I tilled the 2 big gardens I'd plowed last week, so they are ready to plant now. I'm stiff as a 20 year old dog, after running the tiller all afternoon. Got one shoulder that had the rotator cuff torn 30+ years ago, and never got fixed. It is really in a snit now!

Wife is cutting seed potatoes, and has a good start on 50 lbs. of them. That should make about 5 or 6 rows across the 80 ft. length, depending on how many pieces we get per potato. We'll let the cut potatoes dry for a day, and plant them tomorrow or the next day. The rest of that garden will get tomatoes and onions.

The second one will be all open pollinated field corn this year with beans and squash added later when the corn comes up and the ground is warmer. That patch is still a little wet from the 2" of rain last week, so no hurry on planting it. It's a little early for field corn anyway.

When I take the chickens off the 3rd one, it will get all the short season stuff. The hens won't like that idea, but that's how it goes. They'll still have a small lot.

Time to transplant the raspberries, so I need to decide where they will go. Should have figured that out by now... :o Oh well, my shoulder wouldn't take it today anyway.

[patience]

SPIKE,

I wait until the treated wood is dry, then use exterior latex house paint on it. No problem. The latex can "breathe" water vapor to some degree. It may take a while for this stuff to dry out, like half the summer! I don't paint it all the way to the ground, Just what is sticking out.

I did some treated lawn timbers this way about 8 years ago, and they are in great shape, but not in contact with the ground--used as a heavy duty fence--so they can dry out after a rain. I wouldn't paint treated stuff that was in contact with the ground, either, since that would tend to trap moisture in it.

[Norcal Steve]

Yesterday we took down a large old growth pine tree that threatend the house if it were to fall. Upon dropping it to the ground , we found it to be hollow up through most of the 30 foot main trunk and it was full of water. We started to buck it up and gather all the limbs for the burn pile. Rain started to move in so we burned what was gathered and the rest will have to wait for the next dry days ahead. Its been raining here most of the day today and is forecast to be wet and windy thru Tuesday.
ALso this weekend, we installed a new water heater, I guess we got our monies worth out of the old one...it was 17 years old before it started to leak. Now the recycler has it.
Next weekend we will have some help with the grandson coming over. Forecast is for sun and warmer temps...besides burning more brush, maybe my wife and I can get some time in the garden...We'll see.

Norcal Steve

[nhlivefreeordie]

Sore and achy too. Spent the morning hunting morels till about noon, must have walked/crawled 3-4 miles up and down hills through multi flora rose and honeysuckle and briars....and that was just till noon, then spent four hours tilling the remainder of the gardens. Watched the Penguins win and now can hardly move...:D.
It feels good to be done with the spring prep though, now whatever day the Morels decide to start in earnest, I will not feel guilty about going after them.

[Jamie]

A great neighbor came and disced the the field today, he did the garden 3 times and will come on tuesday to cultivate it. We'll be able to plant some early veggies this weekend, plus the blueberry and strawberries will go out there too! YAY! We are going to let the pasture rest until fall now, then disc again and plant red and white clover, brome and either fescue or oats. It will lay dormant until spring and then we should be able to put some livestock on in by May. Our smaller pasture we need to fence and then we plan on getting some sheep on it and a cow for this year. The hog area needs a few more panels and then we can get a few feeder pigs. I have about 40 broilers that I need to butcher and would really like a more automated way of plucking. Does anyone have those plans to build one?

[cartershan]

we have worked from sun up till around 10:00 Friday thru Sunday night to get the low (summer garden) ready this weekend. The 2nd tilling and rows are made. Cukes and squash in the ground. We'll plant tomatoes, peppers, melons, corn, gbeans, and purplehull pink eye peas next weekend.
DD and I are headed to Destin, Florida in the morning (finally springbreak here) and DH will come down on Wednesday. We will head back on Saturday stopping in Auburn for the A-Day game, then come home. Sunday, we will have so much to do. I may end up taking the day off on Monday to finish planting.
We had the irrigation fixed on Friday. It runs through a culvert to the opposite side of the road to water the low garden. We pump out of the river for that garden thank goodness.
The appricots, plum, blueberries, and cherries are blooming beautifully. The apples, peaches and pears are finished blooming and look to be setting fruit nicely. Now, if the squirrels don't eat them again this year, we might get a decent yield. Most of our trees are still young.
I did harvest tender greens today. Enough to eat and freeze a couple of quarts. Also, we dehydrated 4 trays of Cilantro. It never really died back this winter. Its beginning to bolt already. Looks like a bumper crop year for dill as well.
Hope all is well with everyone, Shannon

[DM]

I bought some white pine tree's that someone had cut down, and today was the day to go retvieve the logs out of them. I didn't want to make two trips, so i pulled "doubles" and it was a HEAVY couple loads!

http://fototime.com/D96276760428601/orig.jpg

Anyway, i got some nice logs out of the tree's, they will make some very nice lumber,

http://fototime.com/F93BB7D3788E9FB/orig.jpg

And i took tops and all, as i can saw the tops into "cribbing",

http://fototime.com/2ED743D6270774F/orig.jpg

They will all be lumber soon enough, and that's what happened on my homestead today...

DM

[patience]

Long day here, too. Had my hired guy out to help with putting in fence posts, got 6 put in (LOTS AND LOTS of rocks!) and the board fence put up on those. Started at 8:30 AM and quit about 6:00 PM, sweating most of the time. The lumber is too wet to paint now, so that is maybe a month away.

Arranged for the neighbor to come over tomorrow to pull out old shrubs in front of the house that are overgrown and obscure our view of the outside. That will allow completing the front fence, and make a clear view for CCTV cameras of the front of the house.

My repair shop is booked for a couple days later in the week, but DD will be here tomorrow and might get some potatoes put in with her help. I have a big shovel plow for the garden tractor and a set of disc type "hillers" to cover them, so the big jobs are cutting up the seed potatoes and dropping them in the rows. I can dig 6 rows 80 feet long in a few minutes, and cover them that fast with the hillers. Then, when the potatoes are about 6" tall, go through with the cultivator and then the hillers and all I have to do is watch for potato beetles. :D

[nhlivefreeordie]

I spent the afternoon hanging fence for the garden, got 100' tacked up, left one end open to make is easy the rake up loose sod, was going to do that tomorrow, but it seems we are going to get some rain, I will transplant seedlings and watch the rain fall while thinking of all the Morels that will pop out of the ground soon afterward.:D

[firegirl969]

The propane tankless hot water heater came in today. Hopefully, DH will get it hooked up so we can start enjoying the savings. We got the roses and herb bed fertilized, and the corn and butterbeans starting breaking the dirt today.

[DM]

Today i "finished" turning this load of logs,

http://fototime.com/11C22BE469159B0/orig.jpg

Into this,

http://fototime.com/440ED25D8A7BBA6/orig.jpg

6"x10" beams for headers, 3"x8"-16' rafters, and lots of 5/4 lumber... Even the bunks all of the lumber is sitting on, all came from the above load...

That's it for today...

DM

[Deberosa]

Great pictures! Here the tiller arrived yesterday! It took a while to get it hooked up the first time. I tilled part of the field, three passes seem to do the trick to break up the sod. I hit two bricks but the tiller spit them out without hardly a clank so that's good. No other rocks! This is going to be a great garden once it's put together. The three point hitch on this tractor is much more stable than the Mahindra I had. Good thing because this tiller is HEAVY! They came with it in a truck first and the tractor would not lift it out of the truck! They had to go back and put it on a trailer that was alot lower so the tractor could lift it off.

Then I hit the garden hose. ;-) So Kurt has to untangle it today while I am at work... Ooops.

I do think I need to get the sub soiler at one point to not only do the hilling but also break up the soil a little deeper than what the tiller reaches. Turns out the skids can only be lowered half way because it hits the gear box, not the greatest design! As the soil loosened though the tiller does go deeper with each pass.

Debbie

[patience]

Deberosa,

Oops! I think I'd take the garden hose out with a sharp knife.....

Reminds me of hitting and old barbed wire fence with the bush hog! I think it pulled about 100 yards of the stuff into the blade and wound it up. :rolleyes: I took that out with a cutting torch! :o

Planting potatoes today. Got 30 lbs. in the ground and cutting the rest of 50 lbs. of seed now. Garden tractor (Case Ingersoll 446) makes it easy. I rigged an 8" shovel plow on it to make rows, then a pair of discs to cover them. I can make rows and cover them at a fast walking speed. :D Lots of getting the rig ready last year, but it was worth it.

[Pokeberry Mary]

I've been working outside mainly putting in my garden, starting more seeds for later, patching together a lawn and some landscaping work as well as cleaning out our guest cabin/shed for wedding guests. Also working on wedding stuff. Daughter is marrying in about a month.

Today-- it is cooler outside and cloudy--maybe rain coming? didn't check (they're rarely right with our weather here anyhow)

I've been to town twice for groceries and for boxes to clean out the shed. I'm catching up laundry and about to put my feet up before I make dinner, with a cup of tea and my new copy of Countryside that came just now. :) Got my BHM about a week ago too. :)

A nap, or rest sounds good while my meat marinates and my boys are off to the landfill with some old appliances from the shed.

Bye!:)

[patience]

DD and I finished 6 rows of potatoes X 80 ft. long, and had some seed left. We'll give that to somebody. There is room for one more row next to the potatoes, where I hope to put some onions soon.

After that, I went to the shop for paying work. Finished a special woodruff key, then made a new fan disc for a fertilizer spreader truck. Now working on the pinion shaft for a rototiller (the drive pulley fits on this, thence into the gearbox) that had been chewed by a bad bearing. That required turning undersize, building up with hard weld--son in law did that with TIG--then straighten it, and now turning it back to size. No parts available for this 8 HP tiller, so it was worth all the trouble, as it is otherwise okay.

While I was in the shop, DD put about 3 dozen grapevine cuttings in pots to root. Used rooting hormone and some root feeder liquid. These are from a 100 year old vine at a neighbor's farm, that has large black grapes, a bit later than Concord. No idea what they are, but we loved them, and wanted some. Daughter has a very high success rate with cuttings this way, so we are hoping for the best. ;)

Still have a small motorhome in the shop driveway that wants a cargo carrier reinforced tomorrow, and inside is a tiny collectible John Deere toy plow with a broken axle--all cast iron, and about 60+ years old--worth about $1,000 restored!

My fence building helper will come tomorrow to work on the front yard board fence, so I have to get ready for him. If I have everything in place and ready to go, we get a lot more done in a day. :D

[DM]

Another sunny day in the mid 70's here today, and i pretty much took the day off. It's nice not having to work like a dog every day, but i did get the little tractor out and till the front garden. You can see the garlic in the lower left corner of the pict...

http://fototime.com/832703D6C9A0325/orig.jpg

Mulching "heavy" year after year sure gives me some rich soil to plant in,

http://fototime.com/8915627AB8BDE7B/orig.jpg

This spot will have quite a bit of sweet corn in it this year, and when it comes up, i'll once again, mulch it in heavy...

DM

[sissy]

DM, great looking soil.
I wish my soil just looked half that good. I done a soil test for the blackberry bed. Every thing was really low. The ph was about 7 though. I Thank all my beds will take a lot of work.
sissy

[DM]

DM, great looking soil.
I wish my soil just looked half that good. I done a soil test for the blackberry bed. Every thing was really low. The ph was about 7 though. I Thank all my beds will take a lot of work.
sissy

Here's why it looks so good,

http://www.fototime.com/4D6E59E555EB896/orig.jpg

I pile it in EVERY year, and it makes all the difference...

DM

[sissy]

Cool!!! Thanks DM,
sissy

[LeatherneckPA]

Between working on my Masters degree, refereeing bicycle races, and sub teaching I haven't had time to do much more than wonder where the heck all of my time is going! The new hens have FINALLY gotten into the hang of laying eggs. we're seeing an average of 15 a day out of 30 hens, and they lay even better during that warm streak we had. I expect to be getting 2 dozen a day before Memorial Day.

Took a small break from Chemistry and cut the pieces of scrap to make myself a 16' handle for my pruning saw. Once I get that glued the maple in the back yard is coming down, maybe even this month.

[firegirl969]

DH is catching piglets on his animal control job because they are tearing up people's yards. He trapped 3 this morning and brought them home and built a pen for them from an old pen. He just had to put some spare metal siding we had around the bottoms. They are fed and watered and acted very happy. The corn, butter beans, sa-dandy peas, cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini, watermelons, and cantelopes are up in the garden. We are anxiously awaiting potatoes and okra to break the dirt. The plum trees we planted last year have lots of plums on them as do the old ones that were here before we came. I acquired some sausage meat and turkey taco filling, so DH and I are canning it into pint jars tonight for future meals.

[krash]

Gone all day yesterday to serve a funeral dinner but finally had some time with my new raised garden beds today. Put in several kinds of lettuce, some cabbage plants, some parsley, carrots, beets, radishes and onions and went ahead and chanced a cucumber plant and four tomato plants. My husband is fussing it is too early for them but I told him it is just a few and we will wait till he is ready to put the rest of them in "his" garden with traditional rows. Hope to get green beans in tomorrow. My kids and granddaughter really did wonderful by me in getting these beds fixed to use--I can do a large share of my "gardening" from a chair between the beds. Good thing--I could barely walk at all today after being on my feet for several hours yesterday.

[DM]

Last fall i dozed up a berm of topsoil to control the water running across one of my fields.

http://fototime.com/7D4BFF98931B32B/orig.jpg

Since then, my friend who has the greenhouses asked if i would grow some pumpkins for her to sell this fall. I got to thinking that, "that" berm just may be the spot to grow them, so i tilled the berm today. I didn't pick the stones, stumps, small logs, or anything else out of the berm, i just took my 6' field tiller out there, got up on the berm and gave it heck! It's actually quite a bit taller in the center than it looks in the pict...

http://fototime.com/8B08423DC760DD3/orig.jpg

Also, there's a nice stream in the woods at the far end of the berm, so if needed, i can get all the water i need for them there!

DM

[Deberosa]

Well that's alot steeper than what I was attempting with my tiller today and it felt like the tractor was going to tip over! How did you go at that?

Maybe it's just sitting up high on the tractor like that makes it feel like it's tilting more than it really is?

Do you have a picture of a tractor at an angle to get a feel for what is still safe?

That's going to be one fantastic pumpkin patch! What kind are you going to grow?

[DM]

Well that's alot steeper than what I was attempting with my tiller today and it felt like the tractor was going to tip over! How did you go at that?

Maybe it's just sitting up high on the tractor like that makes it feel like it's tilting more than it really is?

Do you have a picture of a tractor at an angle to get a feel for what is still safe?

That's going to be one fantastic pumpkin patch! What kind are you going to grow?

I'm going to grow these pumpkins for my greenhouse friend, i'll plant what ever variety she supplies, and at this point i have no idea what they will be. I plan to grow them through plastic though, as then i won't have to weed them.

I'll answer more over in the tractor forum.

DM

[patience]

krash,

I know what you mean about being stiff from work! After a week or two of clearing fencerow, dragging brush, grubbing out shrubs, and building fence, I'm a whipped pup!

The last of the 3 big gardens needs the wheat cover crop mowed off before it gets too tall. It's up to near a foot high now, and the chickens love being out there, but it is time to spoil their fun. Mow it down to the ground, plow it, disc it, let it lay for a rain shower to melt the clods together, then go through with the tiller. Maybe in a couple days--I'm pooped at the moment. :o

DD will be here today, so maybe she can get the walking onions set out that I got yesterday. ;) I have a nasty shop job to do today, so that will keep me occupied, getting some stuck pins out of a no-till planter. :fie:

[Deberosa]

The hen turkey has started setting so we left the Tom out of the enclosure. She is in a dog house inside of a kennel enclosed in chain link including the top so she should be fine.

Have a hen setting too so will separate her and let her raise a batch of chicks. Will try to get all round eggs to see if the theory that those will be pullets will pan out.

Kurt has the tiller apart. It looks like I didn't destroy it after all so hopefully there will be more tilling tomorrow along with lots of planting. We also need to visit a co-worker's community garden project that will have a plant sale.

That's about it around here!

[krash]

Finally! Strawberry plants backordered by Gurney's arrived today so got them in their nice little raised bed. Awful puny looking things compared to the robust plants in the local greenhouse but puny price in comparison too. Hope they do well so we can have some berries by next year. Helping out at the comminty center tomorrow so will have to wait till Sunday after church to plant some green beans and more onions and radishes. I love spring!

[patience]

Wind is forecast today, so the tree cutter may not show up to fell the big maple in our front yard. Too dangerous.

If not, I'll plow the 3rd (and last) garden today. I finished mowing off the wheat cover crop yesterday in a cold rain, but it's done. Chickens can't go out there now, so they are giving me deprecating looks. ;) Sorry girls, but the time has come.

The wheat was up to about 10" tall, so after plowing, it will take discing a couple times to cut up the roots. Then it will get a dose of horse manure tilled in, and be ready, maybe by next week. The rain should soon bring up the potatoes we planted last week.

I elected to not start our own plants this year, due to a very heavy workload, so I'll need to buy some soon. Cabbage and broccoli can go out now beside the potatoes. I may go get some of those this morning.

[WileyCoyote]

Whew!
Very exhausted today, but have so much to do.
Thursday my Afghan dog had a seizure and died; I left work to come home and help DH bury her.

Yesterday I took off work so we could make "the big trip" into town; 3 hours one way, with the pickup truck and the trailer. We do this every 6 months or so. First stop Cabela's to pick up a 30-30 and some more bullets for other guns and shells (everything on sale). They had a VERY nice cast iron smoker on sale as well. Then Lowe's had a bang-up sale on mowers, so we got one (our old one was so shot it would only turn right, not left - DH is going to take the perfectly good engine out of it to make a band saw). The dump cart that came 'free' with it can also be hooked up to the ATV. They also had drip irrigation hoses, so we got them. Then on to Sam's where we stocked up on things that are hard to get here. We loaded down the pickup with two flat carts full. At 8 PM, just at dusk, we pulled into the yard and started unloading. That took an hour.

Since DH is disabled, I drove the whole trip and my muscles are exhausted. But I still have to get those collard seeds planted and the drip irrigation set up so we will stop wasting money by throwing water mid-air. Also still have to separate the big packs of chops and ribs into manageable size. Tonight is the local 'prom dinner', that everyone attends to see the kids all dressed up and uncomfortable before their prom. :D So I'd better get busy so I have time to shower before tonight!

[nhlivefreeordie]

Sorry about your dog Wiley, our is getting up there in years, it will be a sad day when he passes.
I got the last of the garden raked free of sod from the expansion, hung the rest of the wire, so I have to wait on the weather to put out tomatoes, and peppers.
The vine garden still has about 100' of chicken wire to go before it is totally enclosed. I left it open last year and lost lots of squash and pumpkins to the groundhogs that didn't die of lead poisoning. This year if they find a way in, it will be easy to see where, and a bodygrip trap will be waiting for them the next day.
Strawberries are absolutely loaded with blossoms, not letting the new plants set flowers or runners last year really improved the plants and we are being rewarded with what appears to be a great crop. As soon as berries come, I am covering the whole area with netting, I would hate to have to do battle with the birds.
Cooler here today, and opening day of trout season, the creek at the end of the back yard is loaded with people. Most don't realize that our property line actually goes to the middle of the creek, and just show up in droves. I really don't mind them being there, except that tools went missing from down there, and I was constantly picking up trash last year. I am contemplating posting it, but even still, some will just help themselves anyway. Walking through the yard and parking their cars on the lawn back there isn't going to cut it, so I have to figure out something, hate to be a prick to them, and don't want to deny access. Maybe give a few groups permission and the provisio that THEY run anyone else out of there??...

[Gracie]

NH, We've a neighbor in a similar situation, no creek, but land everybody and their brother used to park on (including their tractors and trailers, for the tractor pull!), some would spin out of, and trash the area, during the town's yearly festival. What he did was put up sturdy wooden stakes, and strung them with 'do not trespass' tape. Most would park elsewhere, but some well, you know how things go. Could this help you, and also to mention to those who go to fish, to leave it like they'd like to find it, and maybe post a sign, No litter-go fishing, Litter-go home, or some such. Just my 2 cents, FWIW. G

[nhlivefreeordie]

I try to tell folks not to leave trash around, but I am not always down there, and people sometime work in pairs, drop one car off at a bridge, drive to another bridge and work the creek between the bridges. I really don't want to keep everyone out, I like to fish myself ( but don't here ) I just want people to respect my property....:confused:

[Gracie]

NH, Hmmmmm, would it be a thought to say, go out just to chat with some of these folks every now and then, just small talk, but go armed with a plate of home-made or store bought cookies:D. Once they get to know you, and that you're an OK guy, think they'd pick-up after themselves, no questions asked (were it me, heck would give ya' some of the catch for a cookie or two:wub:). You making the effort for them to have a good fishin' time, might just pay better dividends than you'd have thought possible...no am not the eternal optimist (my Sister would argue that one), but it just seems to me to be the right thing to do, and you do catch more flies with honey, than vinegar.:) G

[nhlivefreeordie]

and you do catch more flies with honey, than vinegar.:) G

That is exactly why I have been reluctant to close it completely....I will probably end up doing nothing, and bitch about having to pick up trash......:wacko:

[Gracie]

NH, Well dang it! Gonna' share wit' ya' sumpthin' my Sister said sometime ago...do the Right thing, for the Right reasons, no Regrets. Sis's version of the 3 "R's", and you know what (for me, anyway), it works!

You have a good day, and would ya' catch a fish or 2 for me :) G

[nhlivefreeordie]

NH, Well dang it! Gonna' share wit' ya' sumpthin' my Sister said sometime ago...do the Right thing, for the Right reasons, no Regrets. Sis's version of the 3 "R's", and you know what (for me, anyway), it works!

You have a good day, and would ya' catch a fish or 2 for me :) G

Sounds like a good plan to me....

[patience]

My logger friend came today, in spite of the gusty winds that made felling a tall tree difficult, and cut the monster Maple in our front yard. It was just starting to go bad after losing half its' roots when they rebuilt the highway out front. Had to go, IMHO, lest a bad windstorm put it on top of the house.

I'm glad he had a big saw, a 36" Stihl, since the stump is about 30" X 38". It was a yard tree that forked at about 12 feet up into a bushy top, and near 60 feet tall. Had a Sheriff's deputy come out to caution traffic until it was on the ground, since visibility is not so good in one direction. No problem. The tree hit right where he said it would, and only had a few leaves on the road shoulder. No choice about the direction of fall, since there was the house on the east side, a power line to the north, and some landscaping we wanted to avoid to the southeast. Highway on the west side. It was like threading a needle to put it where he did, to the southwest.

He cut up the butt end that my saw wouldn't do, and was here about half the day, and only asked for 50 bucks! I gave him $100 and told him to put it in his pocket and no backtalk! ;) He was happy and I'm tickled pink.

My bum shoulder is bitching about swinging a chainsaw all day, but I have most of it cut up into firewood, and about half of the brush piled away from the road. Enough for today.

[nhlivefreeordie]

Nasty day outside today, so I spent the day indoors transplanting seedlings and then down to the cellar to start on the next project.....these look familiar?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/dj88ryr/DSCN1070.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/dj88ryr/DSCN1071.jpg

[patience]

NH,

Cool project! Those will look great in the yard! :)

[nhlivefreeordie]

NH,

Cool project! Those will look great in the yard! :)

Thanks patience, the real work is done by Lynn, I grow them, dry them, put the hole in, and clean them out, then give it a cover coat, next they go on to Lyn, she will hand paint different scenes on them, like grape vines, Ladybugs etc. Then I spray them with high gloss poly. We are going to make some for gifts too and try to sell some at the farmers market.

[sissy]

nhliveordie,
Please post a pic after lynn paints them. We would love to see them.
Thanks
sissy

[WileyCoyote]

Thanks patience, the real work is done by Lynn, I grow them, dry them, put the hole in, and clean them out, then give it a cover coat, next they go on to Lyn, she will hand paint different scenes on them, like grape vines, Ladybugs etc. Then I spray them with high gloss poly. We are going to make some for gifts too and try to sell some at the farmers market.

Hmmm... That sounds like a great idea; wish your farmer's market was near me! Love the red and the gold base colors- the scenes on them should be fun!

BTW I am VERY jealous of how clean and neat and organized your basement is...:D

[nhlivefreeordie]

Hmmm... That sounds like a great idea; wish your farmer's market was near me! Love the red and the gold base colors- the scenes on them should be fun!

BTW I am VERY jealous of how clean and neat and organized your basement is...:D

Thanks Wiley, the basement is a product of the OCD disease I have. Friends come over and purposely move stuff around or just take tools out and leave them lay just to tick me off. :D Because I do a lot of wood cutting down there with no vac system ( my basement in NH will have a vac system going to each station ) I dust everything down there a couple times a week...I can't help it, sometimes I wish I could just let things lay, but I can't..:(

Lynn is practicing some country themes, like sheep, cows, goats etc, and might try to do some folk art scenes on the better gourds. The hardest part has been waiting for nature to do it's thing and get them dry enough to work on. Sanding them is no party either. Now that I have a good supply of dried ones, I am going to grow more this year and just keep the best ones to dry.

[patience]

I have had to force myself to be almost OCD, since my shop is so crammed full of stuff. If I don't keep things put away, I can't find anything, nor do I have room to work. No, at the moment, it is a mess, but it will have to get cleaned before I open for business on Monday.

It is one thing to have a neat box for a set of taps and dies, but quite another to have sizes from #2-56 to 1 1/2"-12, and anywhere from 2 to 20 of each! I settled on the small plastic drawer cabinets for those, and all labelled. As our shop grew, it has been a study in creative storage methods! I don't think I can crowd any more in at this point. My daughter says we aren't allowed to get anything else, unless we get RID of something! :lol:

[Gracie]

Wow, NH, those are so pretty; you, your elbow grease and your paint have really made those gourds POP! I've a silly question...by painting them, does that preserve them, and do you (after they are dry, like you said) also paint the inside (guessing that you'd pour some paint into the little holes and swish the paint around to cover as much as possible) to retard the possibility of decay? And last but not least (not trying to be the grand inquisitioner, but you've got me curious!), how long will they stay as they now are before they shrivel (if they shrivel, this is all new to me, but think they are sooo neat!).

TY,
Gracie

P.S. YOU DID GOOD!

[AzLoneRider]

Yesterday we planted about half the garden. We planted corn, zuchinni, crook neck squash, water mellons, pumpkins, bush beans, we transplanted 12 roma tomato plants, 6 big beef.

Today after church we will transplant 6 Goliaths, 6 Juliets, 18 bell peppers, Okra, and both bulb red onions and bunching onions and radishes.

Because of life happening I didn't get my hot peppers started earlier, so this week I am going to start pablano, jalepeno, anaheim and also sweet banana peppers for transplant later. We have a long enough growing season that we should get several harvests out of them even if we are so late.

[nhlivefreeordie]

Wow, NH, those are so pretty; you, your elbow grease and your paint have really made those gourds POP! I've a silly question...by painting them, does that preserve them, and do you (after they are dry, like you said) also paint the inside (guessing that you'd pour some paint into the little holes and swish the paint around to cover as much as possible) to retard the possibility of decay? And last but not least (not trying to be the grand inquisitioner, but you've got me curious!), how long will they stay as they now are before they shrivel (if they shrivel, this is all new to me, but think they are sooo neat!).

TY,
Gracie

P.S. YOU DID GOOD!

Thank you Gracie, ( saying that seems weird to me, my mothers name was Grace, and the relatives all called her Gracie, not a common name anymore, my youngest son named his first daughter Savannah Grace after her. ) they are neat looking hanging around the house.
The plant actually will secret an enzyme that causes the gourd to " harden off ", so it is necessary to leave them on the plant as long as possible. Once hardened off they can sit outside all winter to dry ( you don't want to bring them in the house, drying gourds smell fairly offensive, plus they tend to get a little mold on the outside as they dry ) which takes about 7-9 months.
Yes, the paint does help preserve them as does the poly that I spray on them after Lynn does her thing with them. You do not however want paint on the inside. When you clean them out, there are lots of places inside that you can't reach, the birds will clean out the rest when they set up residence and the paint probably wouldn't be good for them. With a few ventilation/drainage holes in the bottom, the birds will keep the inside ship shape.
Once the gourd is dry, it will not shrink and even though they are very light after drying, they are fairly strong, especially after the poly is applied. They will last many years, especially if you bring them in whenever they are vacant and spray more poly on. With cavity nesting birds having trouble finding places to nest in residential areas, these gourds provide homes that are sorely needed.

[Gracie]

NH, I know what you mean about the name, anytime I hear anyone say the name "Bette", immediately think of my Mother, and get a little sad. Am sorry for your loss...you don't have to address me as "Gracie", G would do, actually Gracie is a nickname given me by folks who couldn't pronounce my name, and it 'stuck':). Say, I don't care what am called as long as you call me for supper!

Thanks a million for all the good info. on those beautiful gourds, do believe am smitten by them, for they'd look so pretty in our catalpa trees. Am going to ask DH if we couldn't somehow squeeze a few gourd seeds into the garden. If he says yes, would you mind me getting back to you later, so do the right thing for them, @ the right time. I sure would appreciate it!

G

[cwatson]

Congrats Wiley. I got the potato planter I had talked about planted and the garden beds turned. The 4 smallest of the chickens from this year that were in the chicken tractor in the garden plot got moved to the back yard with the other chickens. I got my asparagus bed finally made and planted. 3 rows of Tomatoes planted and hundreds of peas and green beans planted. I lost count of the carrots I just keep putting them out every break we get in the weather. The beets are doing real good this year and I got some new herbs planted in the herb garden by the house. Finally found a suitable billy for our dwarf girls and got them mated so hopefully in about 4 months we will have some kids and then some milk :) Got the chicken coop painted and cleaned out (the goats helped paint it with their heads and tails) Yep now my little white, blue eyed Tsarina is White and green :) They are so darn cute though you can't get mad at them. I got the last peach tree planted a couple of weeks ago. It has just been crazy busy here, more so than normal. My favorite project that I started last week and will hopefully finish this week was completing some of my rain barrels and getting some gutters up. My DSD got me some 55 gallon, food-grade, barrels from the Dr. Pepper factory and I cleaned them and fitted them with spigots and screens. They are great and they are free. I still have 4 more to do this week and need to get the gutter up on the goat house so I can fit one of the barrels there now and hopefully another on the other side in the future. It has been raining quite a bit here so the gardening has been in spurts. DH even got some self-watering containers made this year and is going to test them side-by-side the ones he bought last years to see how they do. Kind of a science experiment. After I finish all the rain barrels I will start my outdoor kitchen so hopefully it will be ready in time for end-of-season canning :)

[nhlivefreeordie]

NH, I know what you mean about the name, anytime I hear anyone say the name "Bette", immediately think of my Mother, and get a little sad. Am sorry for your loss...you don't have to address me as "Gracie", G would do, actually Gracie is a nickname given me by folks who couldn't pronounce my name, and it 'stuck':). Say, I don't care what am called as long as you call me for supper!

Thanks a million for all the good info. on those beautiful gourds, do believe am smitten by them, for they'd look so pretty in our catalpa trees. Am going to ask DH if we couldn't somehow squeeze a few gourd seeds into the garden. If he says yes, would you mind me getting back to you later, so do the right thing for them, @ the right time. I sure would appreciate it!

G


Gracie,

The name is wonderful, it doesn't make me sad at all, it is just so different anymore, mom has been gone since '93 and this is the first time I had seen it except for my son naming my grand daughter.
I will answer anything I can about them for you, but I am not an expert, we are experimenting. I will tell you that they take a LOT of space, they are vining, and 3 plants eventually took over my whole vine garden 30' X 80', it was ok though because by the time they matured, everything else in there was pretty much done. Another little tid bit about them, you may have to have gourd sex if you do not have a good population of nectar loving moths. They flower late in the afternoon and the blossom stays open all night and dies off the next morning, so if you don't have the moths, you have to take a q-tip out and gather pollen from the male flowers and pollinate the female flowers by hand.

Lynn wanted to practice on one of the gourds that had an accident while being cleaned out, ( some dumbass was being too rough :o ) so in case she messed up, it wouldn't matter. It came out so good that now she wishes she had used a good one....LOL

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/dj88ryr/DSCN1075.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/dj88ryr/DSCN1074.jpg

[patience]

Lovely work, NH! I have some basketball size gourds from a few years ago dried and in the barn. Wonder what I could do with those?

Worked all day cutting up the maple tree, piling brush, hauling brush, piling and hauling firewood. Most of the treetop landed in the 8 ft. deep ditch along the highway, but is now cut up and dragged out of there, piled along the driveway. I got 2 truckloads of firewood hauled to the wood stack, and hard telling how many loads still in the front yard. Most of the tree trunk chunks are too big (over 3 ft. diameter) to pick up and put on a splitter, so I'll quarter them with the chainsaw and let them dry a while. Have all the parts to make a wood splitter, but haven't built it yet. :o Oops.

Too tired to do more than soak in the tub for a while, and hope I don't fall asleep and get all pruney in there. :lol:

I might muster enough ambition to slather my sore shoulders with Dit Da Jow. That is wonderful stuff! Does great things for my aches and pains. (Mostly an anti-inflammatory, I think.) I have some made from a sackfull of Chinese herbs that my SIL sent me from California, obtained in the local Chinatown there. The longer it soaks in alcohol (cheap vodka), the stronger it gets. Mine is about 8 years old now, and is getting good! You pour out about a half pint to use, and just refill it with vodka. Lasts forever. SIL said he has seen some that was over 100 years old, and watched a Chinese guy rub on a bruise and make it disappear! SIL was pro wrestler, and now writes shows for them. (Anybody remember "Doc Savage"? That's him--HUGE man.) He is also a licensed chiropractor, and nutritionist, which is a grand asset for our family.

[Gracie]

NH, You are kind, am really glad the name doesn't bother you...somethings in this lifetime, just are never the same when we loose someone so dear.

Please NH, tell your Lynn she does lovely work! When you said she painted them, had no idea what to expect, but your painted gourd (I like them just painted too), is now a lovely accent piece...when first say it just looked @ it with mouth open (thank goodness no flies in the house!). And to think it began a humble gourd grown in your garden. I've got to say, am no judge of anything and don't pretend to be, but do appreciate lovely things (yes, know it's a Lady Thing!), and You and Lynn's gourd is awesome!

G

[firegirl969]

I am getting ready for alternative transportation and it was a hoot!! As many of you know, I am disabled. I talked DH into putting me on our 24 year old horse he rescued who hardly even walks around. I took a Lorecet Plus just to make sure it wouldn't hurt, and stood on my tall step stool and he walked the old boy up to me. I got on him and walked him around the yard a couple of times. I was fine as long as I sat in the saddle perfectly straight, but any slight twist, and I was cramping real bad in my back. It was a small sense of freedom to even be able to get on him though. I do now know that I will be riding in the Amish buggy if we have to go to town though. LOL. It was a beautiful day though. The mommy bunnies are getting fat, so we should have babies in a few weeks. The okra, watermelons, peas, yellow squash, and cantelope are up and looking great. The tomatoes and peppers also look great. The potatoes and butter beans are coming up good. We will replant in a couple of weeks if they don't do better. The blueberry bushes are covered with small blueberries and the wild blackberries are covered in blooms. It was a beautiful 78 sunny degrees here in south GA and we really enjoyed our weekend with the kids.

[nhlivefreeordie]

Lovely work, NH! I have some basketball size gourds from a few years ago dried and in the barn. Wonder what I could do with those?

Patience, I have seen some real nice bowls made from gourds like that, cut with a fine tooth jig saw, and you will end up with two equal, or even better yet, one deep bowl and one shallow bowl. Sand, paint, put a design on it, use a stencil if necessary, or depending on where you live, even a southwestern design, then poly and you have a nice decorative piece that you had a hand in, start to finish.



Too tired to do more than soak in the tub for a while, and hope I don't fall asleep and get all pruney in there. :lol:

Or worse yet.....don't fall asleep in there!!!:D

[AzLoneRider]

Below are the results of the work my family and I have put in for a while. You will notice there are a ton of rocks on the surface of the dirt. We have spent hours getting rocks out and they still come up in the dirt. This is the first year for working part of this dirt and the second year for part of it. We are going to have to mulch heavy to retain moisture so that will improve the soil, and we will be pulling rocks out of the ground until we move or the mortgage is paid... which ever comes first.

http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx37/AzloneRider/IMG_1488.jpg

http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx37/AzloneRider/IMG_1489.jpg

http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx37/AzloneRider/IMG_1493.jpg

http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx37/AzloneRider/IMG_1494.jpg

continued below...

[AzLoneRider]

Below are the rest of the pictures from the garden.

http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx37/AzloneRider/IMG_1489.jpg

http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx37/AzloneRider/IMG_1490.jpg

Flowers on a Texas Umbrella tree, I put it in because I like the little flowers.
http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx37/AzloneRider/IMG_1499.jpg

This apple tree I planted the day after Jake got back from the hospital.
http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx37/AzloneRider/IMG_1497.jpg

[CapeCMom]

NH,
Those gourds are gorgeous. Lynn is quite talented!

Az,

We have a similar problem with rocks in our gardens. DH made a frame about 3x3 and covered it with hardware cloth. It fits over the top of my wheelbarrow. I use it to sift out the rocks and other debris. It takes time but it works pretty good!
Looks good though-what are your planters made of? Are they cement, and what do you plant in them?

We spent the day yesterday burning-finally! Got it all done, and by the time we were done and DH was raking out the bed of coals, it started to rain. What perfect timing! Yesterday we celebrated our oldest's 24th birthday so we had a house full of people last night. I am still recovering this morning. Another cup of coffee is in order. Today is a holiday in Mass. Patriots Day (Bunker Hill Day) so as soon as it dries out a little, I am back into the yard to finish cleaning out the two beds that I have neglected to date. The rest of the week I am on vacation (Spring break for the schools, so I took it myself). Hopefully I will get a ton done!

[Gracie]

AzLoneRider, That's a fine looking garden you have, almost think some gardens (ours included) grow rocks during the night while we sleep. DH and I have our own standing joke, our yard @ large grows the best rocks and weeds in the county. Like you we continue remove them, to find more. Thanks for sharing the pix's of your garden.

CapeCMom, DH built me a sieve similar to yours and I love it, it takes time and elbow grease to use, but the results are well worth it. Also, congrats. for being on vacation, hope you'll be able to get all done you've planned.

Gracie

[AlchemyAcres]

DH and I have our own standing joke, our yard @ large grows the best rocks and weeds in the county. Like you we continue remove them, to find more.

There isn't a single rock on my place.......they're all married and have big families. :D




~Martin ;)

[Gracie]

LOL, Martin!:lol:

You sure you don't actually live in Missouri...(gotta' go look out the kitchen window, to see if we got a "new neighbor" during the night!). :sarcastic: Gracie

[LeatherneckPA]

That is exactly why I have been reluctant to close it completely....I will probably end up doing nothing, and bitch about having to pick up trash......:wacko:Here's a totally crazy idea. How about putting a small 13 gallon trash can at each end of the property? Might help?

[TEX]

also known as China Berry Tree - plant should come with a warning lable -

They are beautiful trees with fragrant flowers in the spring time but be warned every one of those little flowers will make a seed and I swear every seed makes 3 little seedlings and they can be quite invasive. The branches are brittle also. I have a huge one in my yard and many along the fence rows that we have just quit fighting and cut them back to fence level every year or so as they have grown up and through the fence - they make a pretty good hedge for privacy.

[AzLoneRider]

NH,
Looks good though-what are your planters made of? Are they cement, and what do you plant in them?

Cape C,

The planters are old style water meter boxes made to be buried in the ground to house water meters. They were on the property when I bought the place, stacked in an unusuable configuration. I can understand why because they weigh about 150lbs. each so moving them is a chore. Right now they have potato's and garlic in them. The garlic is just starting to come up.. I have lost hope for the potatos and expect I will have to replant them.

[AzLoneRider]

also known as China Berry Tree - plant should come with a warning lable -

They are beautiful trees with fragrant flowers in the spring time but be warned every one of those little flowers will make a seed and I swear every seed makes 3 little seedlings and they can be quite invasive. The branches are brittle also. I have a huge one in my yard and many along the fence rows that we have just quit fighting and cut them back to fence level every year or so as they have grown up and through the fence - they make a pretty good hedge for privacy.

I have heard they can be invasive, but we haven't had that problem. The first five years living here we had a hard time getting them to grow. We started with five on our property and now only have 3.

[AzLoneRider]

AzLoneRider, That's a fine looking garden you have, almost think some gardens (ours included) grow rocks during the night while we sleep. DH and I have our own standing joke, our yard @ large grows the best rocks and weeds in the county. Like you we continue remove them, to find more. Thanks for sharing the pix's of your garden.

CapeCMom, DH built me a sieve similar to yours and I love it, it takes time and elbow grease to use, but the results are well worth it. Also, congrats. for being on vacation, hope you'll be able to get all done you've planned.

Gracie,
That's a good idea, I have a sieve that I can put a wheel barrow under.... I don't know why I never thought of it.... I have found another winter project I guess...

Thanks,
Andy

[TEX]

I have heard they can be invasive, but we haven't had that problem. The first five years living here we had a hard time getting them to grow. We started with five on our property and now only have 3.

They need water even if it's run off from a stock tank or grey water from the washing machine - give them water and stand back and watch how fast they grow. BTW - if you want some more - let me know - I can send you several bucket loads of seeds. They don't drop all their seeds in the fall - in fact don't drop many - most are dropped when the new blooms and leaves come on and push the old twigs and seed pods off - they drop a lot of trash branches and stuff in the spring.

Humming birds love to nest in them btw and to me the blooms smell like baby powder.

[Gracie]

Andy,

Don't know if it is actually a sieve, but is what I use it for. DH built a box, approx 4'x3' (it fits perfectly on our wheel barrel, he then attached (don't know what hardware cloth is, that CapeCMom mentioned), a heavy grade of screen wiring that is coated with hard plastic (like some hand tools are coated with). Last fall I re-did a med. sized flower bed of almost pure clay, the sieve made the clay sooo easy to work with, now have a pretty garden of tulips (do believe all bulbs came up), and there are no weeds (yet) in the bed.

Isn't it a funny thing, the more you do outside, the more you find that needs done. :yes4: Gracie

[nhlivefreeordie]

Here's a totally crazy idea. How about putting a small 13 gallon trash can at each end of the property? Might help?

Tried that, they stole the trash can.....and a nice ax that I left down there while working around that garden.....It really wasn't too bad so far, only a couple older guys and the next door neighbor, who does what he can to help keep the place open, he was down there with a trash bag last year picking up beer bottles. Maybe it isn't going to be an issue this year.

[CapeCMom]

Gracie,
That's exactly what I meant by hardware cloth (maybe it's a local term here), except mine isn't coated with anything. You have to wear gloves when you sift because the wire will rub your hands raw, but it works really well. Today I used it to sift compost. I forgot about an old pile out back and I thought about digging into it today-I am glad I did! It was full of worms and really black-I sifted all of the junk-leaves, rocks and such-out of it and dumped four wheelbarrows full in the vegi garden. As I got down in the pile it was too wet to keep going so I left it out to dry a bit before I go back tomorrow.

Besides that I raked out the cold ash from our fire into the vegi garden. I wet it down real good to water it in a little, hopefully be the end of the week-more rain is expected-I can till.
Nothing is drying out!

Middle son came home today and told me that he went into the wild life reserve next to us, and the little pond called frog pond had actually flooded out and had connected by a new "river" to the larger pond down the street. Never have seen that!!!! He said the river was about five feet deep to boot. The larger pond down the street is so high right now that it has come up the sides and is beginning to wash away the road. Starting Friday it is supposed to rain for the next four days. This is just crazy!

[Gracie]

CapeCMom,
Yes, perhaps it is a local term, I asked DH what it was, he too hadn't heard of it either. Believe it or not, I've completely worn out a pair of good gloves using the sieve; I quickly learned gloves were a necessity, had I not been watching closely, would have drug my hand over a shard of glass.

Sounds like you hit 'black gold' in your compost pile, black soil enriched by worms, that's as good as it gets!

Sure hope your home is on high ground, should a flood occur, that the pond water is washing out the road is disconcerning, please keep us posted how y'all are doing. G

[CapeCMom]

We're two streets over so we should be fine and I think we are high enough that we are OK-that way but we have some neighbors who live pretty low on the pond who are probably getting pretty nervous. Thanks for thinking of us!
Yes I learned to wear gloves the hard way-I DID rub blisters right onto the palms of my hands by not wearing gloves-It hurt like the dickens-lessons learned!

[DM]

I have a junker friend who also sells firewood. The other day he asked me if i wanted some pine logs, and when i said "yes", he said he'd take a junk car in trade for them. So, today i took the dozer and drug out an old suburban i had some car parts stored in,

http://fototime.com/3C73685D3070187/orig.jpg

There's NO way i could have got it out with my tractor, as the brakes were rusted up so bad the wheels wouldn't turn, so i pushed it over on it's top to keep it from tearing up my drive and drug it out with the dozer,

http://fototime.com/07AB9CB43E04418/orig.jpg

DM

[patience]

DM,

I'm jealous! :D GREEN with envy, is more like it. I wish I had a dozer to play with, too! That was neat, get rid of the old car and slick up the driveway on the way out. :cool: Of course, it would have to be really small for our little place. Always wanted to build one of those Struck kit crawlers, but time and money never came together for that.

Well, I'm STILL working on the monster Maple tree. Hired a buddy to help drag brush and move firewood to the pile today, which helped a lot. All that's left in the fornt yard now are six firewood blocks from the butt end of the tree, all about 3 feet in diameter. Dang, I'm sore all over! All hand work doing this, and then half a day with a splitting maul, 3 wedges, and a 12 pound hammer to bust up some of the big blocks so we could move them. No chance of getting them on a splitter without at least breaking them in quarters first.

Now we have a brush pile in the back yard about the size of a high-cube boxcar. Time for me to do some research on chipper-shredders. I need an industrial size unit for this, but a one time use won't justify that, so maybe I need to rent one. It's either that, or buy a small one, say, 5 HP, and spend the whole summer getting it done. :confused: Anybody know about those things? I've never used one, but the 5 HP size just doesn't look to me to be up to the job, based on what I've done with a 60 HP tractor and a Bush Hog. Ideas, anyone? It's too close to a lot of buildings to burn it, and I don't want to anyway. I want the mulch.

[DM]

Sounds like you have a job going on over there! I've had a few chippers, and none were what i would call worth having around, as anything "affordable" just isn't big enough. The last one was a PTO powered 5", and it still was too small for anything but a few limbs a town person would have.

If i didn't have a place on my property for a brush pile (that's what i prefer to do with brush) and i had your brush pile, i'd rent a big chipper.

My dozer has been a good one, but i really don't have a lot of work for it anymore. I have a few more acres to clear, and then i may just sell it.

DM

[patience]

DM,
Thanks. Sounds right to me. I'll look into what I can rent here. Got plenty of time to do the looking around, while I heal up from this week! :wink:

I have the rocky garden problem, too. Red clay and cherty, red-to-light tan colored stuff that is all over around here. I've seen highway excavations where this mixture of stuff goes down 40 feet deep, and they found some dandy big rocks down there, too. Thankfully, mine are mostly small, from a few the size of bowling balls (mostly picked out now) down to small gravel size. We just till up the patch and wait for a rain to make them show up good, them get a bucket and go to work. After about 4 or 5 years of that, it cleans up pretty good, until you plow a little deeper! Then, you get a whole new crop. I saw a farm near my Dad's place where the owner put all his collected rocks in a pile by the barn lot. He'd been working the farm most of his life, and had a pile that would fill a couple train cars. But, his fields were clean!

Our problem comes from the terracing we had done, that dug up a bountiful crop of rocks! The topsoil was sorta clean, but we got into the clay below, and what a mess!

[Gracie]

CapeCMom, Ohhh, your poor hands (I hope this was a 'past' experience), have to admit, have done the same thing, then fussed (mentally)@ me. Don't you find sometimes you get started on a project, feel invincible as you see progress, then pay dearly for it after all is done...can't say how often have done this, and think, won't do it again, till the next time!

Mom, don't know if is how y'all's home is set up, but if you have a basement, with a sump pump, please check to see it's working as it should. We live less than a mile (as the crow flies) from the Missouri River, and it never ceases to amaze me, how when in flood stage, the ground saturation extends such a very long distance past the flood plain. In our old home, we went through 2 major floods, horrid stuff, thankfully we moved after the 2nd to a home that sits on top of a hill with 3 huge terraces (if we get flooded, we need Noah to return to help build a new Arc). In the big flood of '93, we had a full grown apple tree in the very back of our yard topple over, roots intact. Unfortunately it was loaded with green apples, caused solely by the water saturation of the ground. Please check your basement, to see all stays dry. I hate to see or hear of others go through the devastation we have lived through. G

[CapeCMom]

Gracie,
You're so sweet-many years ago we had big problems in the basement but we hired an excavation company who came in and totally reworked our property. It no longer floods. We also painted the basement-well almost all of it now with Dri-lock-it has helped a lot. We no longer have to run even the dehumifier. It is dry. According to the engineering dept, we are above the flood plain so all is well.

The hands story was a few years ago, and even though I have learned to wear my gloves while sifting, I am bad about it while weeding etc-my hands are always chapped and horrible.
I don't know-I like the feel of the dirt on my hands I guess. My achy muscles are a different story though! I know I am out of shape from the winter, but my gosh, I hurt! It stinks getting old!

[NCLee]

Gracie,
I don't know-I like the feel of the dirt on my hands I guess. My achy muscles are a different story though! I know I am out of shape from the winter, but my gosh, I hurt! It stinks getting old!

I had to laugh! Not at you, with you. :) Seems like all I do lately is complain about how sore I am. How bad my feet and knees hurt. Can't bend over without complaining. Need a support of some kind to get off my knees, or get up the way a baby does when learning how to walk.

I'm getting too old to climb ladders. Especially after "I know I am out of shape from the winter".

I avoid gloves at every opportunity and my hands show it. Whether working in the shop, in the yard, etc. About the only time I wear them is when working with lye for cast iron cleaning, and for other chemicals such as paint strippers.

My favorite expression, that I'm using more and more....

Getting old is the pits!

Lee

[nhlivefreeordie]

Getting old is the pits!

Lee

Getting old isn't that bad, as long as you can still achieve that good pain and soreness....let's you know you have accomplished something. After about 5 of the 8 miles hunting mushrooms yesterday, I thought I was going to die right on the mountain....but it is just because I didn't stay active last winter, next winter we are joining the Y so that we can use the pool and exercise equipment, that is one thing us older folks need to do, stay active, keep the motor running, cause every spring it turns over a little harder when starting....:D

[Gracie]

CapeCMom Same here, I use the gloves only when sifting the dirt, all else do bare handed...for me think it's partly a carry-over from childhood. I always did like digging in dirt, and there is just something that is so satisfying about taking seeds and carefully planting them, then to wait for them to pop out of the ground, and much later to reap the rewards of your efforts, be it corn or cucumbers it's amazing and humbling all @ the same time, to me anyway.

That was the up side, now for the aches and pains. Like you, am hurting pretty good right now, but somehow helps to know am not along, if that makes any sense. All I know @ the moment is that food we're raising in our gardens sure will taste durned good in the dead of winter. And to quote from "It's a Wonderful Life", "Youth is wasted on the young"...ain't it so!

Lee I hear you loud and clear...one older fellow in our community said not long ago, "If I'd known was gonna' live this long, would have taken getter care of myself". Don't know if that makes any difference or not, just know @ the moment just wish the pain would go away, period...know it won't but makes me feel a little better to say it. Years ago, a lady told me, after 40 you start falling apart, I laughed @ her comment, and after hitting the big 4 0, have paid dearly for my ignorance. Oh, well, am still kicking so...guess this is just part of life...and for the having a chuckle @ a comment, it sure beats the heck out of crying!

Ladies, we will endure. G

[Gracie]

NH Bless your heart, but truthfully sometimes getting older does stink and/or is the pits. Will just say, Please be thankful for the good genes you've seemingly inherited, for not all of us are so fortunate. NH, am not being glib, is just my perspective, don't mean to be negative either, it just is what it is.

You have a good evening! G

[patience]

RE: Pain.
My ex Navy Seal friend says that pain is your friend--it let's you know you aren't dead yet. :confused: I have mixed emotions about that. Whatever, here lately my ambition is writing checks that my 63 year old body can't cash! Gotta back off for a while. I can still do anything I ever did, just not as much of it in a day, and that is frustrating.

Cut our first asparagus today and got enough for a couple meals. With the fencerow cleared, it will have a better chance now! OOPS! I'll feed it some horse manure, and the rhubarb, too, which is looking good this year.

My hired helper and I almost finished the board fence today, and got the first coat of paint on the last sections. I still have 4 smal sections to do, but no more posts needed, so the worst is over. There are still 6 3 ft. diameter log sections of the big maple tree in the front yard, but I may have an answer for that. They are too big for move reasonably and it is not worth it to try to split them by hand, so I've been offering them free to anyone who wants them for firewood. I think I have a bite on that! A neighbor has a stand up style wood splitter, and is going to try it on them. If he can split them with it, they will be gone. :yes2: YES!

I spent most of the day putting in lag screws and deck screws in the fence, then carrying tools and cleaning up the mess. Most of the hand tools I own were scattered about the yard from the recent activity. Meanwhile, daughter weeded the kitchen garden and "weeded" the trash out of my wife's computer. :sarcastic: Both were a mess, but are now cleaned up.

[nhlivefreeordie]

NH Bless your heart, but truthfully sometimes getting older does stink and/or is the pits. Will just say, Please be thankful for the good genes you've seemingly inherited, for not all of us are so fortunate. NH, am not being glib, is just my perspective, don't mean to be negative either, it just is what it is.

You have a good evening! G

Not at all Grace, I know I am very lucky, and I am not sure if it is genes or determination and perseverance. There are nights that once I stop I have trouble getting from the couch to bed, but the next morning I drain a couple pots of coffee and am off to do it all over again. I still get tired and sore, but refuse to give in. I watched my parents work really hard till they got to that point of saying, we are RETIRED......and from there it went down hill very fast. I tried to prod them to stay active or find a job or volunteer work to stay active...their answer......"we don't have to, we are retired".......and that I learned is a recipe for an early death, not that 80s is an early death, but others in the family that had farms and stayed active working ( and I am sure groaning with aches and pains ) lived into their late 90s and a couple into their 100s. I had a great aunt that drank whiskey daily, smoked like a chimney and drove till she was 102, she died at 104.
I don't want to live forever, but I am determined to not stop until I can't physically do it anymore.
Like patience, I can still do everything I did at 30, even after a couple back surgeries and Lyme disease, but I do it a little slower, and a lot smarter, I used to just bull through everything, now I take the time to figure the most efficient and less painful way to do it...:wink: But I still like that sore feeling that comes from hard manual labor.

[nhlivefreeordie]

"If I'd known was gonna' live this long, would have taken getter care of myself".

I always try to subscribe to the saying....Don't save anything, there is no such thing as a good looking corpse, I plan to slide into the grave sideways all broken and used up....:D

[Gracie]

NH, Just read your last posts, and now see your perspective and yes, you certainly do make good points. This is no excuse, but when wrote my posts, I had pushed myself to the point couldn't do any more because of the pain level. I hate it, it frustrates me, and I can work past it to a point, then have no choice but to quit, and to quit is totally against the grain for me, for am a determined & stubborn old Irish, Indian, German and Austrian lady. NH, my post was not taking my frustrations out on you and realize you were being positive, but when you're hurting like %$&! (rhymes with well), perception can (and did) go right out the window.

That saying you were quoting from in your second post have read; a lady I used to work with had it in her kitchen, and was beside her urn when she passed, that saying described her to a T.

Get some good sleep, NH,

G

[CapeCMom]

NH,

Reading your posts, I had to laugh-yep had a hard time climbing the stairs to go to bed last night. This morning? Coffee-gettin' ready to do it all again today! Make hay while the sun shines, right? I am still tired-still sore, but I have so much more to do!.Thankfully DH took
two vacation days tomorrow to help me in the yard. The weather forecast has changed and now we might have decent weather instead of the dreaded "R" word, lol.
You also sound like my FIL. He is turning 70 this July and is refusing to retire from his job.
If you saw him you would never think he was that old anyway-not even close-but I think he thinks the same way we do-as long as you can do it-keep going! I know many people who's health went downhill the moment they retired. I am not even close to that age anyway, but I think I might work (even if it's at home doing this) until I drop.

I finished the compost pile yesterday, then loaded more into it to begin the process all over again. I still had some leaves etc in a big pile so today I am carting it over to my NEW pile.
I did not have any fencing to contain it, so I built a log wall enclosure out of the trees we took down (some of it is pine that we will not burn anyway.) It is working out pretty good!
Even left a gap big enough-like a doorway-to get the wheelbarrow through.

[LeatherneckPA]

RE: Pain.
My ex Navy Seal friend says that pain is your friend--it let's you know you aren't dead yet. ... There are still 6 3 ft. diameter log sections of the big maple tree in the front yard, but I may have an answer for that. They are too big for move reasonably and it is not worth it to try to split them by hand,patience, the Marine Corps version of that is: "Pain is good. Intense pain is intensely good." Being smarter than your average Marine I never really understood that concept.

You don't need a hydraulic splitter. Just "nibble" away at it around the edges. The edges will split off pretty readily and you just keep working your way in to the center. Pretty soon it's all gone.
......"we don't have to, we are retired".......and that I learned is a recipe for an early death, ... I can still do everything I did at 30, but I do it a little slower, and a lot smarter, I used to just bull through everything, :wink: But I still like that sore feeling that comes from hard manual labor.NH, being young and full of vinegar, I also tended to just bull my way through. And at 6'2" and 225 I could bull my way through just about anything. Like you, I now tend to sit for a few moments and ask myself "How would Archimedes, Galileo, or Newton would have accomplished this task?"

I am studying for my Physics final today, but during my breaks I plan to turn over one compost pile and move the remainder of chicken manure from last year into a new one. And if it's a REALLY good day I might even get around to modifying the old chicken yard to work with the new chicken palace.

[NCLee]

RE: Pain.
My ex Navy Seal friend says that pain is your friend--it let's you know you aren't dead yet. :confused: I have mixed emotions about that. Whatever, here lately my ambition is writing checks that my 63 year old body can't cash! Gotta back off for a while. I can still do anything I ever did, just not as much of it in a day, and that is frustrating.

That's what irks the heck out of me! Believe me, it gets worse every year. I'm 2 years ahead of you. Will be 65 in a few short weeks.

Can't bring myself to pull out my crocheting and sit in a rocking chair. If I do, I won't be able to get out of that chair. At least this morning, I could hobble to the kitchen with hurting hips and sore legs. Now after a couple of cups of coffee, my hobbling around is getting easier. :)

Was planning to move some piles of leaves that banked up against the side of my shop over the winter. But, we've had some rain early this morning, with more on the way today. So, instead I may do some R&R today.

Work on trying to unlock the rust frozen head on my grandmother's treadle sewing machine. Or, work on some of the outdoor cooking equipment. Some of that needs some TLC. Or one or more of a half dozen misc things that need doing around the place. So far we haven't had enough rain to use that as an excluse to sit in the rocking chair. LOL

Lee

[patience]

Leatherneck said: "You don't need a hydraulic splitter. Just "nibble" away at it around the edges. The edges will split off pretty readily and you just keep working your way in to the center. Pretty soon it's all gone."

Yep, that works, and I did that on one piece, but what is left are chunks of forks, big knots (10" diameter knots!), and crotches with big knots--all well nigh impossible to split. That's okay, I think I have a neighbor who will bring over his splitter, and if he can break them, he'll take it all home! :sarcastic: I'm not so sure the splitter will do it on some of these. I've built half a dozen splitters, and I'd bet he can only get through about half of them. Oh, well. We'll do the rest with the chainsaw! One way or another, they are leaving the yard....

[nhlivefreeordie]

NH, Just read your last posts, and now see your perspective and yes, you certainly do make good points. This is no excuse, but when wrote my posts, I had pushed myself to the point couldn't do any more because of the pain level. I hate it, it frustrates me, and I can work past it to a point, then have no choice but to quit, and to quit is totally against the grain for me, for am a determined & stubborn old Irish, Indian, German and Austrian lady. NH, my post was not taking my frustrations out on you and realize you were being positive, but when you're hurting like %$&! (rhymes with well), perception can (and did) go right out the window.

I understand totally Gracie, there are times when I am so tired and sore that I can be an angry bear too, I share that Indian, Irish, and Dutch bloodline, thankfully, the hothead Irish tendencies of my youth have been replaced with more of a laid back whatever attitude. I want to get out right now and start climbing mountains looking for more morels, but I have someone coming to buy Raspberry plants this AM, so I am forcing myself to rest a little this morning, but after he leaves.......:D

That saying you were quoting from in your second post have read; a lady I used to work with had it in her kitchen, and was beside her urn when she passed, that saying described her to a T.

Get some good sleep, NH,

G[/QUOTE]

[nhlivefreeordie]

NH,

Reading your posts, I had to laugh-yep had a hard time climbing the stairs to go to bed last night. This morning? Coffee-gettin' ready to do it all again today! Make hay while the sun shines, right? I am still tired-still sore, but I have so much more to do!.Thankfully DH took
two vacation days tomorrow to help me in the yard.

I am getting started slow this AM, a customer coming for plants, so I will get the batteries recharged with coffee and give it heck this afternoon. You are right about taking advantage of the weather, it isn't as important down here as it was in New England because of the milder climate, ( you have more days to get the same amount of work done ) but it always seemed I was trying to beat the climate up there. Lynn wonders why I start shoveling snow no matter what time of day or night, even before it stops snowing. I told her it is because where I am from, if you don't shovel right away, you end up with a frozen block of ice that stays until April....:D...some people here don't shovel at all, they know in most cases it will melt in a short while. I think dealing with the climate up there prepares you for the worst anywhere else can dish out.


The weather forecast has changed and now we might have decent weather instead of the dreaded "R" word, lol.

I have been praying for some rain for days now, the wooods are getting dry, and if we don't get some soon, we will lose the best part of Morel season, we have only had .40in of rain in the last two weeks. Looks like next week I will be mushrooming in the wet though, 4 days of solid rain coming....:D


You also sound like my FIL. He is turning 70 this July and is refusing to retire from his job.
If you saw him you would never think he was that old anyway-not even close-but I think he thinks the same way we do-as long as you can do it-keep going! I know many people who's health went downhill the moment they retired. I am not even close to that age anyway, but I think I might work (even if it's at home doing this) until I drop.

First off, if that is a picture of you in your profile, you don't even look 35....but I guess from your description mine must make me look like 70?....:D



I finished the compost pile yesterday, then loaded more into it to begin the process all over again. I still had some leaves etc in a big pile so today I am carting it over to my NEW pile.
I did not have any fencing to contain it, so I built a log wall enclosure out of the trees we took down (some of it is pine that we will not burn anyway.) It is working out pretty good!
Even left a gap big enough-like a doorway-to get the wheelbarrow through.

Your husband is lucky to have a partner with your abilities and work ethic. Nice job on the doorway!! I almost made that mistake when making the gate for the new improved garden, I had everything drawn out and was ready to start cutting when that light bulb went off. I ran out to the shed to measure the width of the rototiller, I would have been 3" too narrow.....that would have made me POed, glad the brain was working in that instance, years ago, I would have just built it and been sorry.....guess that is the wisdom we are supposed to gain as we get older....:wink:

[nhlivefreeordie]

patience, the Marine Corps version of that is: "Pain is good. Intense pain is intensely good." Being smarter than your average Marine I never really understood that concept.

I like the S.E.A.L s motto, " the only easy day was yesterday " I find that inspiring.


NH, being young and full of vinegar, I also tended to just bull my way through. And at 6'2" and 225 I could bull my way through just about anything. Like you, I now tend to sit for a few moments and ask myself "How would Archimedes, Galileo, or Newton would have accomplished this task?"

I think this is the wisdom we have heard so much about, that we are supposed to acquire as we age.:D


I am studying for my Physics final today, but during my breaks I plan to turn over one compost pile and move the remainder of chicken manure from last year into a new one. And if it's a REALLY good day I might even get around to modifying the old chicken yard to work with the new chicken palace.

Good luck on both counts!!:yes4:

[nhlivefreeordie]

Yep, that works, and I did that on one piece, but what is left are chunks of forks, big knots (10" diameter knots!), and crotches with big knots--all well nigh impossible to split.

Too bad you didn't leave those pieces a little longer. Those crotches and knots make for some very interesting table tops if cut correctly. I bet a guy like DM could have made some good money with those pieces on his bandsaw mill, especially if it wasn't rotted.

[WileyCoyote]

After Monday and Tuesday's rain, the cabbages and lettuce are up at last!

We are supposed to have sunny today, and then - 3 more days of rain, maybe even t'storms. It is the rainy season here, and it is definitely arrived.

Monday we had two good friends come over; they are going to help DH tear down the old wooden garage so we and they can put up a new metal one. They will also put up some shingles that blew off on the roof peak where DH nor I can reach.

Sunday a nice old couple came by. They had cut down an apple tree and know that we use wood in our stove, so they dumped it off. Hmmm... now why would I 'waste' apple wood in a woodstove when I have a perfectly good brannew smoker? Heh heh heh... They are great; can barely toddle around but still, if they can't use something they know who can. I'll have to give them some smoked meat for this great gift!

[Gracie]

Good Morning Ya'all!

Boy, doesn't a good nights sleep make all the difference in the world. Much like you all, am now sipping delicious coffee and mentally gearing up to go outside to pick up where I left off! Dog gone it, have several bulging discs in my durned old lower back that were screaming loudly yesterday, and both 'shot' knees weren't doing much better (the bone and joint doctor says I need surgery, but am scared to death of going under the knife, so will keep on keeping on until whatever), they all seem to be 'minding their manners' this morning, so will go out side and pick up where I left off.

Would like to say was pleased as punch yesterday, we're transplanting our exploding small strawberry patch to a larger one (had no idea those cute little runners would produce a multitude of new plants!), so gave a way big clumps of beautiful plants to the fella who is helping up replace our old, rotting front porch (his wife told me she'd seen small containers with just a few plants in town, going for $8.00 a pop:eek:!). Then one neighbor's daughter came with her little ones to visit their "Nanny", they too went home with lots of lush berry plants, that her little girls were so excited about planting:)...don't know who was the happiest, them or me! Now that the patch is a little smaller, do believe plants left, will nowl fit nicely into their new Digs (pun intended:sarcastic:).

Ya'all have a great day,

G

[patience]

NH,

Your gate width vs rototiller reminded me that when we put in a pair of 10 ft. wide gates (= 20 ft. opening) on our shop driveway, I thought that was enough for anything. BUT! It won't let the neighbor's 24 row no-till planter get in for me to work on it, even folded up. That, however, is a GOOD thing, since I don't want to work on it anyway! :sarcastic: That means he is just buying steel from me, and fixing it himself. Cool. It does let in some other undesirables, though, like the same guy's huge manure spreader.

I guess it is back to the gardens today. The last one still needs plowed and worked up. There is wheat stubble and roots to be killed out that will take a lot of discing to get torn up. I let it grow too long before mowing it off. :o Well, the chickens were enjoying it a lot. One hen won't stay in their small lot now, but flies over the fence to play in that garden. She's not like the other chickens, not a bit. Has her own agenda, and knows how to get it done. It's always the smart ones that are such a pain in the butt.

It's getting very dry here. Wish we had gotten some of CapecodMom's rain. Indiana is about 4 1/2" shy right now. If this continues, we will need the garden irrigation tank, but we have rain forecast for the end of the week. Probably time to work that garden so it can soak it up.

Maybe I can get DD to work on the area out front where we grubbed out shrubs last week. What a job! The original owners put down plastic, the 4" of #12 crushed stone, then more plastic, and topped it with brick rubble. Where they wanted shrubs, they dug a hole through all that. Now it is all one heck of a mess after pulling the shrubs out, which mixed it all up. :fie: Daughter has started diggin out the stone, and is down to real dirt in a few places.

The north end of the area slopes down and will require terracing to prevent erosion, now that the stone is gone. I started that yesterday with a piece of RR tie held by a couple 4" posts. Once the old stone and such is dug out, I'll have to refill this area with good dirt, probably trucked in. I know a guy who can do that, but can't get the truck real close to it, so we will proceed the hard way. Yuck. It will be nice when we finish it, but this will take a while.

[Gracie]

There's nothing the matter with me, I'm just as healthy as can be,
I have arthritis in both knees and when I talk I talk with a wheeze.
My pulse is weak, my blood is thin, But I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in.

All my teeth have had to come out, And my diet I hate to think about.
I'm overweight and I can't get thin, but I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in.

And arch supports I need for my feet...Or I wouldn't be able to go out in the street. Sleep is denied me night after night, But every morning I find I'm alright. My memory is failing, my heads in a spin...But I'm awfully good for the shape I'm in.

Old age is golden I've heard it said, But sometimes I wonder as I go to bed.
With my ears in a drawer, my teeth in a cup, And my glasses on a shelf, until I get up. And when sleep dims my eyes, I say to myself, Is there anything else I should lay of the shelf? The reason I know my Youth has been spent, Is my get-up-and-go, has got-up-and-went. But really I don't mind, when I think with a grin, Of all the places my get-up has been. I get up each morning and dust off my wits, Pick up the paper and read the obits. If my name is missing, I'm therefore not dead So I eat a good breakfast and jump back in bed.

The moral of this as the tale unfolds, Is that for you and me, who are growing old...It's better to say, "I'm fine" with a grin, Than to let people know the shape we are in. ~ Diamond C. Aloes

Don't know about y'all, but a lot of this I can relate to!!!

Gracie

[CapeCMom]

That's very funny! Thanks Gracie for the laugh!

[offgridbob]

I had a good sunny day this last Saturday so I got out and rototilled the garden. My mind said yes you can and my back said,"hold up there partner" I should have only done half, at least thats what my Dr. said.:yes4:

[CapeCMom]

Hi Flatwater! Good to see you! Sorry your back is hurtin'-We're all a mess aren't we?

[nhlivefreeordie]

and took the camera for a walk in the yard.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/dj88ryr/Gardening/DSCN1081.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/dj88ryr/Gardening/DSCN1084.jpg

Underneath the weeping cherry.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/dj88ryr/Gardening/DSCN1080.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/dj88ryr/Gardening/DSCN1085.jpg

[nhlivefreeordie]

These are past prime, but I was too busy when they were at their best.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/dj88ryr/Gardening/DSCN1083.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/dj88ryr/Gardening/DSCN1082.jpg

[CapeCMom]

Very Pretty! I love tulips-Do you find that your bleeding heart goes to seed? I have it coming up in my driveway! Don't have the heart to pull it out just yet-may try and transplant it....
My azaleas are just beginning to show a hint of color. Another week may be.
Thanks for the pics NH!

[nhlivefreeordie]

Do you find that your bleeding heart goes to seed?

Funny you should ask, I never have, before this year. I always mulch very very heavy, and I suspect that is why I haven't seen this before. Last year I had to divide a huge clump of Echinacia and some of it was put in the same bed with the Dicentra. My Echinacia is up about 6" and here come a Bleeding heart right in the center of the coneflowers. I guess when I transplanted the Coneflower, I must have disturbed the mulch enough to get seeds down to the soil. Pretty cool. but I am going to have to separate the two at the end of the season, my OCD will never allow this co-mingling...:o

[DM]

My fruit tree's are now blooming... In fact my sweet cherries are past their prime,

http://fototime.com/6E850EBA5663A57/orig.jpg

Their are 40,000 acres of apples in this state and they are just getting a good bloom going now,

http://fototime.com/72926563176DE54/orig.jpg

http://fototime.com/8201208AB814FC3/orig.jpg

[DM]

And the pears are now in full bloom too,

http://fototime.com/E9365AB007BD363/orig.jpg

http://fototime.com/BCD2E49431B7427/orig.jpg

http://fototime.com/F6AF462512FD8EF/orig.jpg

Even the peaches are getting in on the act,

http://fototime.com/2E9EE96B6C621DF/orig.jpg

DM

[patience]

I worked up the last garden area today. Mowed the wheat cover crop again, down to the dirt, plowed it and disced it. VERY dry here. I heard that various parts of south Indiana and northern Kentucky are 5" to 8" behind on rainfall. Tractor grunted some plowing, and showed that the ground was dry down at least 3" deep, and getting worse. We have a chance of rain this weekend, so I hope it does.

DD is still digging out the old flower beds in front of the house where we grubbed out shrubs last week. We hauled about a cubic yard of fine crushed stone out today, and used it to fill low spots under the new boundary fence. I need to make some terraces out there pretty soon to prevent erosion, then refill the area with topsoil.

I have 3 lbs. of onion sets I need to plant, but no point in it without some rain. I may take a chance and try it tommorow, if the forecast is still favorable. I have lots of straw for mulch, so that will help.

[CapeCMom]

I've never seen a peach blossom before, DM, I love the color!

NH,

The last few years I haven't put any mulch down other than compost. Thus, I have stuff coming up everywhere! Coneflower, Bleeding heart, Turtle head, wild Holly, pussy willow, impatiens that sent to seed from last year-and the list goes on-I love the wild look-English Cottage garden-I will move some stuff but not others.
I am pooped out for today-

[cartershan]

we managed to get the rest of the garden in the ground. Cherokee pole beans, rattlesnake beans, cantaloupe seed (heart of gold), watermelon ( moon and stars, jubilee, and what we call the little man's watermellon from the little man down the road!), bunches of different peppers, boston pickle cucumber, silver queen corn, pink-eye purple hull peas, and a few tomatoes that we purchased.
The tomatoes I grew from seed are still a little small, so they are on heat mats at night and in full sun during the day. It has been rather cool here at night this past week. And, of course, they are calling for rain all day on Saturday. We will probably end up planting them on Friday even though they are small.
I have more tomato and pepper plants coming from Seed Savers this week. I was hoping they would be here today, but maybe tomorrow.
We stopped in a small town in FL on the way home from the beach and bought 4 flats of strawberries that were so wonderful. DD and I made more strawberry jam Sunday night.
NH, your gourd houses are so beautiful. Lynn is really talented with her painting. We grew those last year along with loofah and we still have boocoodles of them that we have not put to use. I really need to get that done. Where does the time go?
Hope all is well with everyone, Shannon

[cartershan]

NH, your George Tabor azaleas are blooming nicely. We have a stand of 12 that have been in the ground for about 7 years now. They are budded, and are just about to explode. I will take pics and ATTEMPT to post them. The southern incidicas are my favorites. The Pride of Mobile and Coral Bells are flowering here now. As well as the Snow, and a few other whites. This spring has been unusual at best here in North Alabama. Things seem to be a little off.
The buckeyes are absolutley gorgeous right now. But, the forsythia, redbuds, and other early things just didn't do squat!
Shannon

[Gracie]

NH ~ Your flowers are lovely, bet you have neighbors slow down as they drive by your home, just to admire your beautiful flower beds...in my mind's eyes can see you grinning and waving to them.:)

DM ~ I just love to see the fruit trees bud out, then explode into beautiful pastel blossoms, that later become luscious fruits and berries...words simply do not convey!:)

CapeCMom ~ Don't know how your back yard is set up, but have mentioned ours is space is pretty limited. Even so, my DH (who grew up on a farm...I'm STILL so envious and proud of him!!!), has managed to plan it out, so we have 13 fruit trees (now trying how to figure out how to get a fig tree fit in, somewhere), a grape arbor 2 raspberry patches, 1 1/2 strawberry patches (we're transplanting from a small space to a larger one), asparagus, 2 new rhubarb plants, and our garden, there are other fruit and nut plants/trees, else where in the yard, but my point is, if you plan maybe a bit out of the box, you can have some of the food producing plants folks with more land have. And this is not written for to brag, but simply so thankful for what we are able to produce, by the Grace of God! Still (shame on me), wish could somehow have a chicken coupe, goats and a rabbit hutch, but some things are not meant to be (@ this time, anyway!). G

[CapeCMom]

Gracie,
Our one acre lot was very heavily wooded when we bought it. We put the house in the middle and on each of the wings we have done something different-One "wing" is where we have a patio in the woods and our 6 year old's playset. We took down 60 trees and it still wooded. It only managed to thin them out.The other wing is where we put our vegi beds.
We only started it last year. We are still taking down trees to allow more light in on that side. Our back yard is way too shallow to put any fruit trees as our lot in long rather than deep. We wanted the house to sit off of the road so we placed it towards the back of the lot.
We just took another six last weekend. Since we work full time, this chore has been relegated to the weekends. My vegi beds are about 50x100. Wanted to expand this year (we still have the room I figure we have another 50x60 feet or so that we could use.) but have only been able to take down the trees that we were concerned about with the light factor. I would love to be able to hire someone to come in and take down the rest of the trees and pull the stumps, but so far our budget is pretty limited. When it does happen, we do plan on getting fruit trees-apples and pears I think. We are zone 7 here so I think they will do fine.
Today I am setting up my big black pots along the edge of the vegi beds to transplant my raspberries into. The pots we got free from our local nursery (they came from trees that were shipped in them so they are pretty large) I hope this works. I do not want to put them into the ground because I don't want them suckering into the vegi area. I have some that have spent the last three winters in a pot already and they did not freeze.
I did not think you were bragging at all-thanks for your input!

[Gracie]

CapeCMom, Wow! You and your DH have accomplished SOOO much in a year, that's impressive as all get out! Know exactly what you mean, about both working full-time and the week-end what-needs-done-list. What little we have accomplished (a bit @ a time, as monies allowed), has taken us some 20+ years. Ya'all are making remarkable progress, just please don't exhaust yourselves in the process. G

[Gracie]

Patience, You and your family, too are accomplishing so much in a short period of time. We have been pretty rain deprived here too, and don't know if would be helpful, but is there someway you could hook up soaker hoses to get some moisture to your plantings. We have one hooked up, and will do more when can...have used them for several years now, and they have been invaluable in getting the water directly to the plants. We used to use a sprinkler-like set up DH had made, sure, the plants grew well, but so did the weeds, and we had to keep moving it to get the whole garden hydrated. Anymore, we are really trying to work smarter instead of harder...if nothing else, is a nice thought...just to mention this FWIW. G

[Gracie]

Cartershan ~ You must have a HUGE garden, Good for Ya'all!!! You mentioned buckeyes, are they the dark brown irregular pod-like things some folks keep in their pocket for luck...and was wondering, if they are a plant or tree, and if they are what I think they are...are they edible.... G

[TEX]

Gracie, an old friend who was a Mason told me once that during the civil war Masons carried buckeye's in their pocket. That was a sign to any fellow Mason that they were "of the brotherhood, or whatever" and if a fellow Mason found them dead with a buckeye in their pocket, their fellow Masons gave them a Masonic funeral, no matter what color, Blue or Grey, they wore.

[Gracie]

Tex ~ Thank You for sharing that, am glad to know it, and will share it with my DH, as he is loves History. Wish some of values and principles those men lived and died by were more prevalent today. When we were kids growing up, we'd keep one in out pocket for 'good-luck', and hadn't thought of them for years. Tx's. again, G

[CapeCMom]

Got the garden tilled today-finally! Got half of it hilled and planted peas, and onions. Going to plant lettuce varieties tomorrow. I know it's late but our warmest weather doesn't come here until June anyway. Will try and plant rutabagas and turnips tomorrow also. We have thunderstorms coming in right now so I am done on the computer for now!

[cartershan]

Hey Gracie, I really do not know if they are edible or not. They do make a large hull with 3 to 4 beautiful, shiney, irregular shaped brown seed in the fall. I absolutley love the buckeyes here. The hummingbirds do as well. I'll be glad to send you some buckeye nuts this fall if you want to give them a try. You have to plant them soon after they fall, or they will not sprout well.

We finally have a lease to own agreement on our last greenhouse/retail center. This was my favorite store we had. 12 bays and sooo much room. Dangit, we just couldn't hang after WM, Lowes, and Home Depot moved in. So, today we spent the day (and will again tomorrow) cleaning out the rest of what is left down there. Clay pots out the wazooo, fertilizers, heating mats, seeding cell packs, trays, you name it. We moved it. Most of the really good things we had already sold to other retailers. I would never have imagined that there was that much stuff still down there. Hanging basket planters, hangers, 4 inch, 6 inch, 8 inch, 10 inch pots by the boxes full. My gosh at the water gardening stuff! I'm going to post on ebay. If anyone here is interested just send a pm. ( probably not supposed to say that) sorry.
Hope all is well with everyone, Shannon

[NCLee]

Finally!!! :yes2:

About 2 years ago we had 19 large pine trees taken down in front of our house. One was dead from a lightening strike. Another was showing signs that it was infested with pine borers. With the danger of any of them hitting the house during hurricanes, we'd been considering taking them down for a while. Between the borers and the lighting, it became time to go ahead and get it done.

End result was that a large portion of my garden space was filled with brush that was left over from the cutting. It was pushed into the garden with a BobCat, so it was a tangled mess with much dirt mixed in. We've gotten to the age that we couldn't use big chain saws (my little 12" bar wouldn't handle a lot of those pine tops).

With the arm & a leg cost of getting the stumps ground, budget wouldn't permit having the brush hauled off. Couldn't believe some of the estimates, we got. Frankly, they were outrageous!!

Because of the size of the pile, it would have been risky to try to burn it. Too close to the woods.

Anyway, finally, Wednesday, that brush was removed from my garden space!!! :dance3: :dance3:

Still have some small stuff to pickup. Need to have a sub-soiler run over it because that heavy equipment has badly compacted our clay mix soil. Then, get it plowed and then a pass with a disc.

Spent some time yesterday removing the sumac that had invaded the iris bed that was along side that brush pile. Need to move that bed before the rest of the garden is prepped. It used to be along side the garden. When the pines were taken down, we contracted with the BobCat operator to clear out a mass of briars, honeysuckle, reeds and such between the garden and where a line of trees start. We've been mowing that area to keep it clear of re-growth. Added about a 1/3rd to the garden space. Now those iris are IN the garden. It's the wrong time of year to move them, but they are one of the easiest plants to move, in terms of survival. That row is 2-3' wide and guessing it's about 75' long. It's gonna take a while to get em moved.

But, I'm still dancing on the sore legs. Now I can get back to growing our own vegetables in quanties to can!!! Maybe that new area we had cleared will be disease free so I can actually grow to maturity some tomatoes. Main area has a virus that defeats even the resistant varieties. If not, that garden is going to get solarizing, as much as I dislike the prospect of doing it. (Destroys the good life as well as the disease factors.)

There's still plenty of time to plant, even from seed. Here, we're good until around August 1st for many vegetables to mature before first frost.

FINALLY, have my garden space back!!! One more time.... :dance3:

Lee

[NCLee]

Another topic. :)

Yesterday, we stopped by the church to drop off some things we're donating to an upcoming yard sale. As we dropped off our stuff, I spotted a big box of bail top clear glass food storage jars that someone else has donated.

Wish me luck that I can latch on to them, before someone else does, when the sale starts Saturday.

Also spotted a beautiful side table that will be a perfect fit in front of the bow window in the living room. Hope I can latch on to that one, too. If so, the one currently there will be headed to the church in case that one will work better for someone else. Church will get the proceeds from both, so it'll be a ++ for them.

Lee

[patience]

NCLee,

Tell me more about "solarizing"? We had a tomato problem last year (very wet here), probably the blight that trashed the crop all over the place. When the tomatoes turned deep orange, black spots appeared and then began to rot. We had out 60+ plants, and barely got enough to can, with most of what we canned not really ripe yet to beat the rotting. :(

This year I'll try tomatoes in another patch.

My idea for that spot this year is to put it in field corn, beans, and squash. Cultivate the heck out of it, if moisture allows that, to keep the ground as bare as possible. Your thoughts?:confused:

[Gracie]

Cartershan ~ Bless your heart for offering some of your seeds, do really appreciate your offer, but we are Tree-ed-Out, right now we're trying to figure out, where we can possibly put a fig tree in our back yard. I would love to have a buck-eye tree, but there just is no room, durn it.

Congratulations, on your garden center, you sound like you're in your element and raring to go! Hope you don't mind my offering a suggestion FWIW, but the items you are thinking to sell, could you offer them @ your grand opening @ a cost discount, for new patrons to plant their flats of posies in, and also with your water gardening items (don't know what that is). Don't know about you, but I will go back repeatedly to a business that has good deals to offer, as well as quality plants. Talking about the buckeyes earlier, Martha Stewart has a book on wreaths, in it she has a wreath designed for each of the 50 states, all made out of natures offerings. If not mistaken she had a darling Christmas ornament made out of buckeyes, actually now that I think about the book, you could make would think, almost all her wreaths, would that be a consideration, to make such like this and also sell them, and/or to decorate the inside of your business, placed in 'just the right space'...just thoughts from a lady who @ one time dreamed of being @ least a florist's assistant:). Gracie

[Gracie]

Lee ~ You Go Girl with the 'happy lady dance'! Wow, to have more space to grow all you want...'member the song, ya' know I can't dance, ya' know I can't dance, but if could, sure would! I call it 'the happy momma dance', and you don't even want to think on it...have 2 left feet, but when the spirit moves ya...what the heck, happy dancin' in my mind! I hope your expanded garden grows ya' the biggest, bestest produce you've ever had!
Also, good luck, getting the glass ware and table you are hoping to buy!

Patience ~ Like you, don't know what the solarizing is, but in this area of Mo. (don't know if just applies to clay-heavy soil), but if we don't get straw under our them, preferably as you're planting them, we get what I call blight (don't know if really is what is to be honest), it starts @ the spot the plant is planted into the ground, and gradually works it way up the plant. My Sis has this theory that when it rains, the soil splatters on the bottom of the leaf, causing the growth of this blight, that causes the discoloration and withering. Maybe we have some sort of disease in out dirt, but everything else grows like crazy (DH has worked on enriching the soil for many years), have to say, with the exception of cucumbers, squashs, zucchini...we have those horrid bore beetles, that we simply can't get rid of with out chemicals, and we don't use them in our garden. One lady we know was told to put the product named '7' on them, and she said the durned critters thrived on it! We've done everything we can think of, and nothing works. Maybe, we're just not meant to grow these plants.:) G

[NCLee]

I got the jars!!! :) :) :)

Decided to go ahead and donate that table anyway. Loaded it up a little while ago and took it to the church. Paster was there. When we unloaded the table, mentioned that I wanted to put dibbs on the jars and would pay whatever price was asked. He pulled out the basket and handed it to me. Told me to pay the ladies whatever I thought they'd bring at a yard sale. Nope, someone else will set the price. So, he did. $3

3 tall jars that are made for spaghetti and 3 shorter ones that'll hold more than a quart. Also in that basket were two measuring cups. Plus the basket! Similar to those in stores when you don't want to use a shopping cart.

Yeah!!

Soil Solarizing is baking the soil. During hot weather black plastic is spread over the land. All the edges are sealed so air can't circulate under the plastic. Temperatures rise under the plastic high enough to kill several kinds of disease agents in the soil, including some of the soil born virus that causes wilt in tomatoes.

I'm not sure if it will work with blight, as there's usually a combination of factors that enhance that development. Damp cool conditions, so the leaves stay wet.

Gracie, your Sis is right about keeping soil from splashing on the leaves, especially where there's any type of fungus type problem. Mulch helps keep the dirt where it belongs when it rains or when overhead watering.

BTW, that product is Sevin. http://www.bayercropscienceus.com/products_and_seeds/insecticides/sevin.html While I don't like to use chemicals in my garden either, I do use this one to at least help slow them down, when I get a heavy infestation. It usually takes repeated applications. Pass one will get most, but not all of the adults and large larvae. But, it doesn't do anything for those egg clusters hiding under the leaves. In a few days, they'll hatch and start another round of feeding. So, another pass is needed.

Beans and potatoes are the only 2 vegetables that I dust. Have a hand cranked duster that'll get the dust underneat the leaves where the critters are hiding. Just dusting on top of the leaves won't do it either. I've tried that a bunch of different times with no luck.

For cabbages and tomatoes, I just pick them off and splat against the ground or stomp. Get a whole lot of pleasure from "stomping" around the garden. Especially with those big hornworms that love my maters. (They're also called tobacco worms, around here.

Back to solarizing the soil - Google "soil solarization" for a number of documents on how to do it. Here's one example. http://www.thisland.illinois.edu/57ways/57ways_15.html

BTW, it's also a good way to kill weeds/grass/sod prior to switching from lawn to garden. However, I haven't found that clear plastic is a good as black plastic for that. Even big trash bags can be used for small areas. Pin it down with 16 penny nails. And be sure to account for all the nails you use when you remove the plastic. Flat tires may result if you don't!!!

Hope this helps. Off to the garden to pick up stuff.
Lee

[Gracie]

Lee ~ Congrats on your jars, now for your table, sure hope you get it! Thanks for the info. on the sevin, will need to talk it over with DH. Had forgotten, but during this winter read somewhere, if you lay wooden boards close to your squash-type plants, the beetles will hide under them during the night, in the early morning they suggested lifting the boards and kill them. We'll probably loose them as in the past, but DH wants to try (again) the zuch's, cucumbers, and squash (we love acorn squash!), and DH wants to try a yellow variety too, so well see how it goes.

Thankfully the rotting front porch deck is gone and replaced before we got rain last night, whoo, talk about a relief. Is too wet outside, so working inside today, doesn't seem to matter be it outside or in, there is always something waiting to be done, but think if ever got totally caught up, would probably keel over dead, so maybe best to be a bit behind! Time to hit the house again. Hope ya'all are having a good one, too!:) G

[patience]

NCLee,

Thanks for the info! I've done the black plastic thing to kill weeds and grass, but didn't know about the fungus thing.

[DM]

I managed to get a few logs from a farmer friend today, but i had to skid them out first,

http://fototime.com/1C68275D5B13D0B/orig.jpg

With that done, i loaded them on my log carrying running gear,

http://fototime.com/E2D06E38DBC6BFA/orig.jpg

With them all loaded, i headed home, but i decided to bring a boulder that was out there home too, as i put them along the driveway to my shop,

http://fototime.com/0490EA3E7DD55A5/orig.jpg

Besides the "field trip", i even managed to mill some nice 5/4 lumber and a couple 6x10 "beams" for a friend,

http://fototime.com/F2757F1A60DDFDA/orig.jpg

DM

[nhlivefreeordie]

I got the jars!!! :) :) :)

Decided to go ahead and donate that table anyway. Loaded it up a little while ago and took it to the church. Paster was there. When we unloaded the table, mentioned that I wanted to put dibbs on the jars and would pay whatever price was asked. He pulled out the basket and handed it to me. Told me to pay the ladies whatever I thought they'd bring at a yard sale. Nope, someone else will set the price. So, he did. $3

3 tall jars that are made for spaghetti and 3 shorter ones that'll hold more than a quart. Also in that basket were two measuring cups. Plus the basket! Similar to those in stores when you don't want to use a shopping cart.

Yeah!!

Soil Solarizing is baking the soil. During hot weather black plastic is spread over the land. All the edges are sealed so air can't circulate under the plastic. Temperatures rise under the plastic high enough to kill several kinds of disease agents in the soil, including some of the soil born virus that causes wilt in tomatoes.

I'm not sure if it will work with blight, as there's usually a combination of factors that enhance that development. Damp cool conditions, so the leaves stay wet.

Gracie, your Sis is right about keeping soil from splashing on the leaves, especially where there's any type of fungus type problem. Mulch helps keep the dirt where it belongs when it rains or when overhead watering.

BTW, that product is Sevin. http://www.bayercropscienceus.com/products_and_seeds/insecticides/sevin.html While I don't like to use chemicals in my garden either, I do use this one to at least help slow them down, when I get a heavy infestation. It usually takes repeated applications. Pass one will get most, but not all of the adults and large larvae. But, it doesn't do anything for those egg clusters hiding under the leaves. In a few days, they'll hatch and start another round of feeding. So, another pass is needed.

Beans and potatoes are the only 2 vegetables that I dust. Have a hand cranked duster that'll get the dust underneat the leaves where the critters are hiding. Just dusting on top of the leaves won't do it either. I've tried that a bunch of different times with no luck.

For cabbages and tomatoes, I just pick them off and splat against the ground or stomp. Get a whole lot of pleasure from "stomping" around the garden. Especially with those big hornworms that love my maters. (They're also called tobacco worms, around here.

Back to solarizing the soil - Google "soil solarization" for a number of documents on how to do it. Here's one example. http://www.thisland.illinois.edu/57ways/57ways_15.html

BTW, it's also a good way to kill weeds/grass/sod prior to switching from lawn to garden. However, I haven't found that clear plastic is a good as black plastic for that. Even big trash bags can be used for small areas. Pin it down with 16 penny nails. And be sure to account for all the nails you use when you remove the plastic. Flat tires may result if you don't!!!

Hope this helps. Off to the garden to pick up stuff.
Lee

Lee,

When I enlarged the garden this year I used 30 lb. Tarpaper to solarize the sod, it worked well, about 3 weeks covered and the grass was dead, the root clumps also ground up real easy with the tiller.
For the blight that everyone seemed to experience last year because of the wet cool conditions, there is a safe product to use that is called Seranade It is rather hard to find in stores, but if you do a company web search, you should find someone near you, or Gardners Supply has it on line. It kills the spores in the soil.

[AlchemyAcres]

For the blight that everyone seemed to experience last year because of the wet cool conditions, there is a safe product to use that is called Seranade It is rather hard to find in stores, but if you do a company web search, you should find someone near you, or Gardners Supply has it on line. It kills the spores in the soil.

Rotation, Rotation, Rotation....that's what works best for me....don't give nasties a chance to build up in your soil.

Blight wise, I think we're talking late blight, right?

Takes a lot of observation and diligence to beat it.

Plants should be checked twice a day for lesions, and and any infected parts pruned blow the lesions.

I only use 'organic' treatment, and only when absolutely necessary. Champ WG works best, IMHO. Prune and spray as needed.

Fruits should be removed when they reach the gel stage just prior to ripening, washed well and allowed to ripen off the vine.


That's what works best for me anyway.

~Martin

[patience]

I dunno what I had last year. No plant damage that I noticed, only black spots on the tomatoes and rot following that. :confused: Had OP Rutgers and some Better Boy hybrids in one garden together, and Brandywines in another patch; all were affected.

[Gracie]

Martin, yes, late blight. We didn't get our 'maters strawed last year before it rained, and I did cut the withered stems with garden scissors. Maybe a silly question, but should I wipe the scissor blades down with something like alcohol between cutings, now wonder if was further spreading the disease this way. Also, please, what is Champ WG, neither of us are familiar with this product. I will check them frequently and trim accordingly. By the way, do you also straw your tomato plants, seems it's not done much (that have noticed in neighbor's gardens), but does seem to help our 'maters. Thanks for the information. G

[cartershan]

Hey Gracie, I'm sorry. I must not have been real clear on my last post. We SOLD our greenhouses. We (The Garden Spot) have not been in business for 6 years now. The greenhouses have just been sitting down there. No hope of a buyer in sight since we closed. But, finally we have someone that has agreed to lease for 3 years with an option to buy.
We still have so much down there to move out. I called another local grower today and we agreed to do some trading out over the weekend.

Didn't get much done today at home or at the Garden spot. Today was out local SPecial Olympics and I have 7 students that compete. Wow, I just thought I was tired yesterday. Today was a great day!! We always have so much fun and of course we bring home the blue!

Tonight we are facing major thunderstorms. Lots and lots of wind and lightning. yuck!!! I can't believe the DSL is still on. Hope all is well with everyone, Shannon

[Gracie]

Patience, Last year we planted out garden late, so is what DH attributes our lack of tomatoes to, but a lot of folks tomatoes in these parts, did poorly. Have heard several comment on what they thought caused it, but to really know I don't. What we try to do is get straw under them as soon as plant them, and they tend to do just fine, but got them in the ground, didn't have the straw yet, and of course it rained that night. Just my 2 cents. G

[Gracie]

Cartershan, LOL, I wondered when read your post 'bout it being hard to compete with WM, etc., but just thought y'all decided to give it a try again! You've nothing to be sorry about, I just don't know anything about owning a business...this is just too rich:lol:! Well then...for sure...congratulations on selling your greenhouses!

God Bless you for making time for your students, you're helping them to make good memories they'll have the rest of their lives.

Ya'all stay safe during the thunderstorms, G

[AlchemyAcres]

Martin, yes, late blight. We didn't get our 'maters strawed last year before it rained, and I did cut the withered stems with garden scissors. Maybe a silly question, but should I wipe the scissor blades down with something like alcohol between cutings, now wonder if was further spreading the disease this way. Also, please, what is Champ WG, neither of us are familiar with this product. I will check them frequently and trim accordingly. By the way, do you also straw your tomato plants, seems it's not done much (that have noticed in neighbor's gardens), but does seem to help our 'maters. Thanks for the information. G

Late Blight isn't considered a soil borne disease.....not where it's 'colder' anyway.
It can, allegedly, carry over in some dead plant material, but especially in volunteer taters or other members of the nightshade family.
It spreads mostly via the wind, that's why you'll often see plants on the prevailing wind side of the garden get hit first.

It is a good idea to sanitize your pruning tools.

I mulch, or I try to mulch well every year..LOL....sometimes I get so busy during 'that' time of year that I don't get things done the way that I'd like.

I also try to put plants that are prone to soil borne diseases, tomatoes, etc. on 'new' ground, or ground that's been in a long rotation, so I rarely have much of a problem with soil disease build-up.


~Martin

[CapeCMom]

I didn't plant tomatoes at all last year-which I am thankful for because everyone here got the blight. I should be OK this year right? I have quite a few heirlooms going in the cold frame-or would I be better off putting them in pots and not in the ground? If it is carried by the wind, would the neighbors spores(if they planted tomatoes) infect my plants this year?
I am running out of room in my garden. Been planting like mad. I may not have room for the tomatoes anyway-except for in lots of pots.
Got my potatoes planted yesterday and put the stakes around the bed so that I can put up the wire fencing-I decided to hill them by throwing in straw/mulch-and what does the damn dog do? he runs right through it and pees. I am getting that fence done today!
DH tilled the vegi bed and then said "have fun". I have hilled and planted it all myself. I am really sore!

[NCLee]

Mom, as far as I know, the weather this summer, will have more to do with the blight than anything else.

Re: Planting tomatoes in pots. For tomatoes larger than the cherry type, make sure you have LARGE pots. When I've tried planting them in containers, I used 5 gallon buckets with holes drilled in the bottom. The grew and produced tomatoes, but the yield wasn't as high as if they'd been planted in the ground. If you just want some for eating, 5 gallon buckets will do fine. If you're thinking about canning, try for larger container or go ahead and plant them in the ground. Maybe you can plant something else in the pots that doesn't require as much room for the root system.

BTW, the largest tomato plant that I've ever seen was a volunteer that came up in the edge of the compost pile. As best I can tell, it was a seed from the "tomatoes on a vine" from the grocery story. At the time, our compost pile was surrounded by pallets, set on edge. Each side was 2 pallet lengths. That vine grew up over the pallets, back down to the ground and continued to spread. It kept bearing clusters of good tasting tomatoes until freezing weather got it. We covered it with sheet plastic for the first few light frosts.

Reason why I mentioned this is that I suspect the root system from that plant incorporated most of the compost pile, itself. (Wasn't hot at the time.) It had enough room to develop the root system to support the top growth and that compost pile happened to have the right mix of nutrients to make it florish. Neighbors still sometimes mention that vine. I was getting enough from it to keep us in fresh tomatoes AND to share with neighbors after the season ended for the ones planted in the garden.

As ususal just my 2-cents for what ever they may be worth to ya.

Lee

[nhlivefreeordie]

From what I have read, late blight, and what most of us experienced last year, is not the same animal. When trying to find out how to control it, I thought I had read that the spores are there, and the conditions have to be right for it to strike, ie. the wet cool spring and early summer last year.
That is why I suggested the Seranade, I wasn't aware of the product Martin mentioned, and I did apply the Seranade this year. I also am planting Heirloom varieties that are supposed to be somewhat resistant, and they will be planted on new ground. I keep expanding the size of the garden so that wasn't a problem this year. But I will have to come up with a rotation plan now that I have set permanent fence posts around the garden.

Oh, one more thing I am doing to help prevent it, is installing a drip irrigation system with emiters going to each plant, no more watering from overhead.

[AlchemyAcres]

I certainly can't speak for others in other areas, but in this area it was definitely late blight, a very aggressive and virulent strain.....by far the worst I've ever seen.

Pics here....
http://www.longislandhort.cornell.edu/vegpath/photos/lateblight_tomato.htm

A good article on managing Late Blight......
http://www.longislandhort.cornell.edu/vegpath/late_%20blight_gardeners_2010.pdf


~Martin

[nhlivefreeordie]

I certainly can't speak for others in other areas, but in this area it was definitely late blight, a very aggressive and virulent strain.....by far the worst I've ever seen.

Pics here....
http://www.longislandhort.cornell.edu/vegpath/photos/lateblight_tomato.htm

A good article on managing Late Blight......
http://www.longislandhort.cornell.edu/vegpath/late_%20blight_gardeners_2010.pdf


~Martin

Good info, the first one with the pics verifies that, that is NOT what we had here, ours started in June, and was accompanied by lots of black spots, yellowed leaves, starting at the bottom of the plant usually. I kept ahead of it initially by pruning out the suckers which seemed to get affected first.

[Gracie]

Thank you all for your invaluable information, Lord willing none of us will have to deal with this pernicious predator, though time will tell. G

[AlchemyAcres]

......was accompanied by lots of black spots, yellowed leaves, starting at the bottom of the plant usually. I kept ahead of it initially by pruning out the suckers which seemed to get affected first.

What you're describing sounds like early blight, it definitely can be soil borne and overwinter in dead plant material.


~Martin

[CapeCMom]

Thanks for the pictures Martin, now I will know what to look for this Summer. Hopefully I won't get early or late blight!

[Gracie]

CapeCMom ~ Do hope you get your garden fenced in before dogs can do any further damage. I had the prettiest rows of beets and carrots planted (seems like our little town is where so many who don't want their dogs anymore dump them, Shame on Them!). Went out several mornings ago, to find holes dug, and 'wallow' places, oh well, thankfully we still have some seeds so will go replant the 'gaps' when it stops raining and dries up a bit.

DH was backing out of our drive-way to get the mail, and heard someone bellow angrily, "what the (the f word) do you think you're doing", DH kept backing up into the road to see a tiny toddler in nothing but a diaper, digging and playing in the middle of the garden. The angry man got out of his truck snatched up the little one and speed away, have not seen them before or since. Things are getting 'strange' around here, folks in vehicles we don't know, slowly driving by, seemingly 'casing' the area, you try to make eye contact, and invariably they look away. Heaven help us all. G

[nhlivefreeordie]

What you're describing sounds like early blight, it definitely can be soil borne and overwinter in dead plant material.


~Martin

Cool, I am not going crazy, ........now with your clarification, is the stuff you suggested still in your opinion better for this than Seranade? If so, since I already applied the Seranade, do you think applying your stuff is necessary or even advised?

[CapeCMom]

Well my hokey little fence is done-for the now. I pounded in Wooden stakes all the wall around my potato area then stretched bird netting around it like a fence. Then in the other area I did the same thing but used a whole spool of yellow kite string looping it around each post as I went. I did two rows. Well, the goober dog came out and it actually worked! He wouldn't even try to go through the string! I am more than happy with my temporary fix. Make due with what you have I guess!

[cartershan]

We've been under a tornado watch and thunderstorm warning since last night. We've had 3 seperate tornado warnings since 9:00 this morning. The wind is gusting 40-60 mph now, blowing rain and the sky is just wicked looking. I've managed to get lots done in the house today though. I did work on the screened porch this morning bumping up some Ancho Gigantea and Alma Paprika peppers that are still to small to transplant into the ground. Hopefully by the end of next week I'll be able to plant some and the rest will go into our plant sale at school. Every year we have a large plant sale to benefit our special ed. department. We will order in some flowering hanging baskets and we've grown lots of veggies and perennials to sell. Its the Friday and Saturday of Mothers Day weekend, so we usually do pretty well.
Hope everyone is well and can dodge these wild wild storms. Shannon