Posted on 05/19/2018 9:48:45 AM PDT by greeneyes
Every time I plan to plant something, it rains, but we did manage to get most of the plants out of the green house. Still have the lemon tree and some thyme in there.
We are so excited-we have actual apples on the trees this year - a first. Anyone have any suggestions on how to keep squirrels from stealing them? I still have 2 beds left to prepare for planting. Hoping there will be a dry weekend.
I am getting ready to refresh my memory on a few booklets:
1. Smallest Possible area to grow food and feed - sustainable Diet and Dairy production
2. Mini Farm - growing complete fertility, nutrition, and income
3. Food for the Future-survival garden plan
Tried to find these earlier when trying to plan this year's garden, but they had disappeared. Belated spring cleaning found them - not in the bookcase where they belong.
Received a tip from TIK, to go to Weather Bell for some interesting info. The Video on the right explains normal weather patterns that caused the Hurricane Harvey situation as well as info for upcoming season. Hint-It's not man made. A line from Texas to the NE will be dry. Plan gardens accordingly per TIK. Thanks TIK.
https://www.weatherbell.com/
Hope all is well with everyone. Have a great weekend. Prayers up for all. God Bless.
Pinging the List.
I think I got all additions and deletions to the ping list made. If not FRmail me, and I’ll try again. Thanks.
gonna add a few Cosmonaut Volkov tomatoes this year to my normal compliment of Celebrity and Grape:
https://www.google.com/search?q=cosmonaut+volkov+tomato
local organic farm has been selling the C.V. tomatoes during season and they are some of the best tomatoes i’ve ever eaten in my life.
this year they’re selling some of the plants, so I thought I try them out for myself.
OOPS. Accidentally hit the mouse and posted. Now comes the Ping to the list.
Haven’t really tried that one yet. Let us know how it goes. I see only one negative review - watery and tasteless. That could be a function of watering too much - especially before harvesting, I think.
I am dedicating one bed to Perennial Cutting Flowers and another to Annual Cutting Flowers. I'm too old to start a fancy Perennial Garden at this point, but I do want fresh flowers for the house! Problem solved.i'm also going to mingle red & green Basils and Fennel in with the annual flowers for fragrance and function and fillers.
Does anyone use Diatomaceous earth also known as D.E., diatomite in their garden?
Will it keep the stink bugs and giant green caterpillars away? If not, what will?
Isn’t plowing in the rain some kind of rite of passage for farmers? If so, I can check that one off the list. I got most of the back yard tilled up, in spite of the fact that it started raining as soon as I got the tractor hooked up. The back garden is also 1.5 tractor-widths wider than it was last year, and a good 10 feet longer. Dad’s idea, much to my surprise. I can’t tell if dad just hates mowing that much, or if he’s feeling the bite of grocery store prices. Possibly both.
I need to get at least part of the farm tilled soon. The logistics of that keep getting more complicated than they should be.
For Mother’s Day, I bought Mom 3 blueberry bushes and planted them under the spruce trees. The duff that’s built up there is just perfect for acid-loving plants like that. I may add some bloodroot or wintergreen as an understory crop.
More rain later today. We’re supposed to have a drought this summer, but so far we’ve had a waterlogged spring.
Thanks for the pics. Looks like a good start. I’ll bet the perennial flowers will look great.
Hubby is busy encouraging all edible perennial plants growing wild, as well as ordering more for planting. He’s 76, and wants to have plenty of those for when he’s not as able to plant stuff.
I bought some DE for hubby to use one year, but I don’t remember exactly what it was for.
“More rain later today. We’re supposed to have a drought this summer, but so far we’ve had a waterlogged spring.”
I’m taking a quick lunch break then will be back out there planting, today! Happy, Happy! :)
https://radar.weather.gov/Conus/full_loop.php
I use garlic/onion/pepper spray. In a qt.jar, place an onion garlic clove, cayenne pepper and cover with boiling water and put lid on.
Let sit for at least 24 hrs. Strain and put into a spray bottle. Add a drop of dish washing liquid. Kills bugs, and stink keeps some away.
I’ve still been running around so much between getting granddaughter married and helping a Godly true conservative man in a run-off election that I’ve got a pitifully small garden. Had my first 6 ripe tomatoes this week tho. Squash looks good. Peppers have been producing. Lemon tree looks good. Lots of cooking herbs. Never got cukes, peas or beans out. With freezes thru April and a wedding 150 miles away I’ve failed to feed us well this summer. Peach trees are loaded tho!
It’s not too late for beans. You could probably also get by with some cukes, if shaded in afternoon.
Nearly three inches of rain in 20 minutes just went over.
Drains are plugged with gold dust and stringers from the oak trees.
Break out the broom !
We had rain yesterday, and those strings are every where! It looks like we might get some more here too. Dang.
however, if Bastardi is right, we’ll soon be glad we saved some rain water - dry season coming - he called it Texas Fry.
Sounds like round 2 is at hand.
Afraid so.
My wife raise tomatoes in animal water troughs, and last years crop was minimal re size, quantity and taste.
She has been told not to grow tomatoes this year in those troughs,
To avoid the expense of removing the topsoil, she was told to plant beans or a similar crop for this season/year.
What types or beans or “green plants” can restore the dirt she has in those troughs?
Thanks
Dave
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