What did you do in the garden today?

[FortCluck]

We are building a new coop and planting our other 4x4 garden today. I cannot wait so see what grows.

I'm really hoping I like turnips and beets because I'm planting them in the empty spaces. I want to do a lot of lettuce and spinach because I love my leafy greens.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning gardeners. It looks like Spring is just about here in New England. I plan on getting the potatoes in the dirt this afternoon. Will also put some seedlings in the hoop garden. Another cucumber seedling is just now awakening. Oh goody. The nasturtium "seedlings" are going crazy looking for something to climb on. So sorry about the mites @WthrLady. The potatoes I'm planting are grocery store potatoes that started sprouting like crazy on top of my refrigerator. I cut them up then put them in a bag of dirt after they dried out for a few days. They are growing like crazy in the plastic bag and really need to go outside now. Feeding a family of your size @FortCluck will take more garden space than what you've mentioned. However, Being in Central Virginia, cold frames are a great way to extend your growing season. Also, planting cold season crops like cabbage, collards, kale and rutabagas would provide more vegetables in the colder months. I have just under 300 square feet of garden area for vegetables and herbs and that isn't enough to supply 100% of my vegetable requirements. Close, but not quite. I can and freeze as well, but I still buy some fresh produce in the middle of winter. But planting and growing as much as you can will be a definite benefit. Congratulations @TropicalBabies on the "wild child's" first egg. You know they will get bigger. Have a great day everyone.

 

[FortCluck]

Good morning gardeners. It looks like Spring is just about here in New England. I plan on getting the potatoes in the dirt this afternoon. Will also put some seedlings in the hoop garden. Another cucumber seedling is just now awakening. Oh goody. The nasturtium "seedlings" are going crazy looking for something to climb on. So sorry about the mites @WthrLady. The potatoes I'm planting are grocery store potatoes that started sprouting like crazy on top of my refrigerator. I cut them up then put them in a bag of dirt after they dried out for a few days. They are growing like crazy in the plastic bag and really need to go outside now. Feeding a family of your size @FortCluck will take more garden space than what you've mentioned. However, Being in Central Virginia, cold frames are a great way to extend your growing season. Also, planting cold season crops like cabbage, collards, kale and rutabagas would provide more vegetables in the colder months. I have just under 300 square feet of garden area for vegetables and herbs and that isn't enough to supply 100% of my vegetable requirements. Close, but not quite. I can and freeze as well, but I still buy some fresh produce in the middle of winter. But planting and growing as much as you can will be a definite benefit. Congratulations @TropicalBabies on the "wild child's" first egg. You know they will get bigger. Have a great day everyone.

We aren't off the grid yet. We are working towards it. We will be buying 5+ acres soon and I'll be planting on everything except where the house will be. I'm starting small because I don't want to be one of those people that starts large and can't manage it. I find that foolish and wasteful.

 

[WthrLady]

Dang it. DHs favorite hen died last night. I think it was a combination of age (5) an infection and anemia brought on my the damn mites.

Today I'm hosing out the coop again with Pyritherin, then hens too (at bird strength) and then they can wander around in the sun to dry. And when they go to roost I'm putting ivomec on them. This is nuts. Best I can figure is the wild turkeys were in the dust bathing area outside and left some of their friends behind.

Not sure ANY of the remaining hatching eggs are good. Today is 19 and I'll candle. So might be tossing two broodies off their nest tomorrow and scrubbing out those boxes as well.

Never a dull moment.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Dang it. DHs favorite hen died last night. I think it was a combination of age (5) an infection and anemia brought on my the damn mites.

Today I'm hosing out the coop again with Pyritherin, then hens too (at bird strength) and then they can wander around in the sun to dry. And when they go to roost I'm putting ivomec on them. This is nuts. Best I can figure is the wild turkeys were in the dust bathing area outside and left some of their friends behind.

Not sure ANY of the remaining hatching eggs are good. Today is 19 and I'll candle. So might be tossing two broodies off their nest tomorrow and scrubbing out those boxes as well.

Never a dull moment.

I got lucky with treating them. Hit all of their bedding and 75% of the birds with it and we no longer have the "infestation" level here. I'm sure in 1 week I need to hit everything again to pick up the eggs afer using the permethrin 10 at bird strength. It was really ikky having them crawling up my arms when I had to handle a chicken or pick up eggs.

 

[NewBoots]

All the hatched chicks lived through the night, even the one I had pretty big doubts about. And the 7th egg finished hatching during the night (still in 'bator) so that makes 7 out of 8 shipped eggs hatched! We had an issue with enough brooding space (didn't expect to get such a good hatch rate) so I just shoved everyone (3 store boughts and 6 home hatched) into the one in the house brooder with a mama hen heating plate and turned off the lights to get them to settle.

Supposed to rain a bunch more today so I need to get out and move some rain barrel water to assorted buckets, put PDZ on the poop boards (outside chicks have started exploring the roosts), tidy the coop, do at least a few pot upgrades for the tomatoes and basil, and pick some lettuce for a salad.

 

[WthrLady]

Oh ya. Gotta hit em again. and if the weather holds I'll do it again.
I suspect she had an underlying issue as well. The past few weeks, she's been extra quiet, and would sneak off and just sit alone.
That's a big clue. Retrospect, eh?

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

We are building a new coop and planting our other 4x4 garden today. I cannot wait so see what grows.

I'm really hoping I like turnips and beets because I'm planting them in the empty spaces. I want to do a lot of lettuce and spinach because I love my leafy greens.

We aren't off the grid yet. We are working towards it. We will be buying 5+ acres soon and I'll be planting on everything except where the house will be. I'm starting small because I don't want to be one of those people that starts large and can't manage it. I find that foolish and wasteful.

Sorry if you took my post the wrong way. I was just making suggestions to maximize the garden space you currently have.

 

[igorsMistress]

Good morning gardeners. I was out to water before the sun was officially up. The herbs and squash are doing well. I'm afraid the cilantro is going to bolt with our sudden high temps but I cut it back a bit so maybe it'll last a little longer. The nasturtiums that get shaded by the artichokes are blooming as they get more sun now and my ginger never did anything so I'll try again in the fall. I have hope for the hibiscus, I've increased water frequency and it's getting fish fertilizer every two weeks. I pulled the upper solid panels off the big coop and got the screens out of the shed, hubs will help me put them on later (I'm short). The fan is already on in the yard as the broody was obviously struggling with the heat yesterday, but I'm soaking the misters in vinegar still. Oh and there's stuff sprouting in the grass frame! Here's a few snaps from the garden today

 

[igorsMistress]

Forgot this one