Homesteaders

[Serenashome]

My hardneck garlic I left in the ground overwinter and did not mulch. I attempted to harvest it the next fall when the greens turned brown but no cloves had formed (in ground about 18 months), My soft neck bulbs were mushy to the touch and never got bigger than a green onion, they never really formed bulbs. I did pull them up before winter as I was told they would not make it. They rotted before they dried, no cloves in them at all.

I am in zone 5B. The year I planted the softneck it was incredibly wet here. TONS of rain. So I thought perhaps that was the issue.

 

[rancher hicks]

My hardneck garlic I left in the ground overwinter and did not mulch. I attempted to harvest it the next fall when the greens turned brown but no cloves had formed (in ground about 18 months), My soft neck bulbs were mushy to the touch and never got bigger than a green onion, they never really formed bulbs. I did pull them up before winter as I was told they would not make it. They rotted before they dried, no cloves in them at all.

I am in zone 5B. The year I planted the softneck it was incredibly wet here. TONS of rain. So I thought perhaps that was the issue.

Did you cut the scapes off your hardnecks? Scapes are the curly stalks that will form seeds if not cut off. The ones on the right have gone to far. You want to cut them sooner.

You can find recipes on line for harvesting and using garlic scapes.


I'd did have some mushy soft neck bulbs too that year.

 

[lcertuche]

My ex-husband gave me some garlic he had grown in his garden this year. I've never seen fresh garlic before. It looked like the stalks were browning up and somewhat lying down somewhat. They were more like hard white balls rather than cloves but they are good.

 

[Serenashome]

Did you cut the scapes off your hardnecks? Scapes are the curly stalks that will form seeds if not cut off. The ones on the right have gone to far. You want to cut them sooner.

You can find recipes on line for harvesting and using garlic scapes.


I'd did have some mushy soft neck bulbs too that year.

They never made those.

 

[rancher hicks]

They never made those.

Then my guess is they were Soft neck. Unless you planted from seed? I've never seen garlic seeds though.

 

[Beekissed]

Harvested peaches from one tree today...biggest and prettiest peaches we've ever had off those trees. The other tree is loaded but the peaches are not big or ripened yet. Will likely freeze these to use in fruit salad or pie later on.

The dogs and chickens snatched up any that were too bug eaten or that I dropped by accident while picking....my dogs sure do love their fruit and veg, just as much as the chickens.

 

[rancher hicks]

Can anyone tell about problems I might encounter with Currants? Mine seem to have something eating the leaves and the berries. I dusted with DE last night to see if that will help. Then I have one bush with not many berries but lots of leaves.

The Jostaberries did not do well at all. Not a single berry.

 

[rancher hicks]

How many chicks can one hen handle. I have broodies hatching chicks and I've been moving chicks to a pen with one hen. She has 7 chicks now, but there are two more hens with a chick each. I want them separated so nothing happens to them. One, perhaps two will be moved to a half hoop. That will leave four or five hens who will have chicks. Any suggestions?

 

[duluthralphie]

How many chicks can one hen handle. I have broodies hatching chicks and I've been moving chicks to a pen with one hen. She has 7 chicks now, but there are two more hens with a chick each. I want them separated so nothing happens to them. One, perhaps two will be moved to a half hoop. That will leave four or five hens who will have chicks. Any suggestions?

No Idea, I have a Partridge Chanticler that hatched 14 guineas and has not lost one. I have a Speckled Sussex that just hatched 11 SS.

 

[Beekissed]

I had a WR hen that raised 20 meat bird chicks for me successfully and I've not given any more than that to a bird without also giving a heat lamp~had a WR rooster mother 54 meaties for me once but he also had a heat lamp for help in keeping them warm, so can't really count that one..... not sure of the upper limit for chickens if they have to warm all the chicks from day one. I'd say it all depends on the individual bird, her size and also her skill as a mother.














This season I had a broody who hatched out 14 of 16(2 were blanks) and a black snake got 2 of them, but she successfully raised the rest and they are in the flock as we speak. I'd say it all depends on your setup and bird how many each bird can raise successfully.