Posted on 04/18/2020 5:35:11 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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April snow as got to go. We got a good blanketing overnight.
I cut up some seed potatoes for planting and now am not sure when I can get them in the ground.
How long will they keep? Or am I going to have to buy new ones later?
Or is there some way of salvaging them?
Greetings, we had snow twice this week. I hung my hummingbird feeder out anyway because they just got to Michigan.
When the sun comes out, place them so that the cuts will scab up.
They are then prepped for planting, with the eye (sprouts) facing upward.
Just keep them in the house on a tray so the cut edges can dry; turn them so the cut sides are up so they can scab over. Don’t keep them in the dark, but don’t put them in a window, either - just regular indoor light for now.
Don’t water them or anything, just let them dry out. They should last a week or more like that.
I’ve purchased pre-cut potatoes in the past, and they were just shriveled things and they still produced just fine.
Finally got a bit of rain. Need to get my daughter out there dropping seeds for brassicas and lettuce.
In Upstate...small community garden. Good safe place to go for a little exercise and occasional sunshine.
Put in peas, spinach and scallions last week.
Today and tomorrow..lettuce...want to make little crop circles.
I did let them start to dry and they are in paper bags at the moment.
I’m hoping to get them planted before we leave NH, but I need to find starw and stuff to cover them with.
My garden is heavy wet soil at the moment and I’m thinking that the mulching method of growing them will work better than covering them with soil.
Growing my tomatoes this year in a water sourced radiant heated soil root zone system.
My piping is 12” deep on 12” centers in a 30 x 96 single layer high tunnel
They’re about a foot tall so far and starting to flower. Trying to keep the soil temp around 70* but min / max thermometer shows my ambient air temp dropping to low 40’s some nights.
Most of the research I did was from cold weather states and the goal is to grow year round with supplemental light. Not using fake light now
I’m in the California foothills about 2000 ft elevation.
Everything seems to be working well but is my first season doing this.
Any ideas, knowledge appreciated
Those who might recall my chicken travails...
Yesterday morning the broody hen left the surviving hatching eggs I’d bought. I’ve rigged up a crude incubator, but have no illusions about success. The eggs got too cold for a few to several hours, about 13 days in. (”Unlucky number”.) Am trying to continue on with the “mutt” eggs in this silly little 7 egg cheapo incubator I’d picked up on eBay (in reality it barely holds 5!), but have serious doubts there too. There are clearly formed chick embryos, but I see no movement when I candle them. And it’s been 22 days for the oldest. :-(
BAH!
I tried to reintegrate the broody hen with the rest of her group & they attacked her. Tried again overnight, checked this morning - no major fights yet. Going back out to let them out, shortly.
The hatching eggs seller is local (30 min. diversion from trip to my Mom’s) and has agreed to hatch out and sell me 12 chicks in 3 weeks. At least that leaves more time to expand the larger henhouse, so the small one can be devoted to the chicks once they are a few weeks old. And, the weather will be warmer.
I also got a contact for a guy who supposedly has Buckeye chickens, but he hasn’t returned my calls. Phooey!
Fox seen on property in daytime - yikes! May stake dog out in different part of yard.
Still getting frost some nights. C’mon, man!
Mighty cold (but normal) weather here in Saginaw Bay region (Zone: 5b/6a).
Moving some big bushes today and daily tending my grass seed patches I put in last weekend.
Rhubarb is springing up well with several uncurled leaves. Need to hit them with MiracleGro today and loosen soil around them.
I’ll end the day with stirring the soil in my tomato and pepper “corner” garden.
Question: Can I use a very weak broadleaf herbicide in that garden if I don’t plan on planting seedlings for another month? [I do plan on stirring it once a week from here on.]
Tomorrow I’ll buy all my equipment to create a salsa garden for the deck.
Question: What do you plant in your container-based salsa gardens?
We started peppers, tomatoes and cukes indoors with racks and grow lights from Lowes on March 1. I'm astounded at how well they're doing.
We'll set these out in our raised beds, protected with hoops and heavy cloth as a cover-up this week. Frost last night in mid-Missouri but the big lake keeps us 10 degrees warmer than nearby.
I'll dig up some pix...
My favorite farmer’s market seller of seedlings is up and running for ordering online and scheduled pickups. My aim is for next Saturday to buy and add a few things.
My Christmas Cactuses are gearing up for a second bloom.
I took home a few office plants for the duration. These are doing well and look great where I put them. Already scouting for plants to replace them when the need to be returned. LOL.
Everything in my containers except the oregano is looking great so far. Harvesting a ton of chives, nipping buds on the sage daily and the garlic gloves implanted are growing well. The big surprise is the tarragon. I planted it last year for the first time. It is growing well.
...and Mayflowers bring Pilgrims! (Had to complete the thought!)
Agh. Let chickens out, Ms. Broody (Past Tense) was attacked again by other chickens, esp. a Bantam-Easter-Egger hybrid hen. Does she sense the other hen’s weakened condition (from brooding?) Relocated Ms. Broody PT inside fenced area for now, will try again tonight. I don’t think B-E-E ever went “upstairs” to roost with B(PT). Have not had such problems in the past - hate to sacrifice any hen to the pot, but B-E-E may have to go. B(PT) is a better layer and much tamer.
“was then attacked”. Ok while penned up in a group.
How long are you running your lights and what type of lights?
Thx for pix. ..
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