What did you do in the garden today?

[igorsMistress]

You can't make kombucha with honey. The bacteria in the honey and scoby don't play well together.

Now I will contradict myself and say, yes you CAN make kombucha with honey ... BUT... you have to "train" the scoby to accept the honey. I tried to do it, think I did, and then realized I couldn't afford to make kombucha with honey if I had to buy the honey.

Now that we have bees, if I get enough, I'll try again.

Wish I could keep bees! I can’t afford to use honey, the junk you get at the store does not taste like honey and the local stuff isn’t cheap. Too risky here though, Africanized bees move in and are too dangerous.

Doesn’t the fermentation process use up all the sugar?

 

[igorsMistress]

It is POURING today. And the weather is just miserably perfect for a perfect miserable day.

Went outside at 7 AM to feed animals only to find one of our mares down in the front pasture. I thought she was dead... She wasn't but we can't get her to even lift her head. It's not colic so I don't have a clue what is wrong with her. We've called FIVE different vets and no one can come until later this evening. We are expecting severe storms, flash flooding, etc... Out of desperation, I talked DH into trying to use a gate panel to get her back to the barn. We rolled her onto it and then used our full size truck to drag the panel to the barn. Thankfully we got her under the safety of the barn before the downpour hit. But it is heartbreaking watching her gasp for every breath and not know how to help her... She has been given Banamine and Xylazine to help sedate her. Just have to sit idly by and wait another hour and a half for a vet to come by
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Oh no, I hope she’s ok TJ. Sending good vibes

 

[Sally PB]

Doesn’t the fermentation process use up all the sugar?

Not quite all. Eventually, it would. There's enough left, that while I wouldn't call kombucha sweet, it's definitely sweeter than ACV.

 

[WthrLady]

I have lots of pex laying around. I think it's on par with PVC for flex except the UV stability of pex is less than half of PVC. So, I use PVC. I can leave it out for years and years without issue. PEX, only lives for 5 years tops in the sun. I literally deal with UV stability every day for my job. I'm constantly telling people to put UV rated split loom over cables. Lol. I love PEX, but not for this application.

Eta: I leave my PVC in the sun for 10+ years and it isn't breaking. PEX, 5 years and it's breaking into bits.

WOW. I'm on year 5 with my pex and it's fine. My pvc lasted a year in the sun. Interesting. OC PVC doesn't last in our cold either -20F (not windchill)in the winter.

 

[sandburRanch]

I emptied the daily scrap veggie container into the garden . Have done that since last fall preparing the raised bed soil for spring planting .

Terrible clay soil .

 

[pennyJo1960]

We have more rain today went to scrape the sh*t like I do
from tables and boards.
Little coop had the 5 hatchery crowd in x pen they can have food tonight and be fine.
I emptied the compost forgot the containers in the little shed.

 

[Minanora]

WOW. I'm on year 5 with my pex and it's fine. My pvc lasted a year in the sun. Interesting. OC PVC doesn't last in our cold either -20F (not windchill)in the winter.

Very interesting. Maybe we get more intense sun here. We only get down to 18°F here usually, and not for very long. All of my PVC that's in use for water is insulated or buried below the frost line. My 1/2" PVC hoops are not used for anything aside from being support for poly or shade cloth. Maybe that helps them last longer, but I have plenty of pieces just leaning against the shed. I'll try to cut one of them with my PVC cutters today when I get home. I know my 3/4" PEX is toast... I stepped on it and immediately regretted the mess of plastic bits I made for myself to clean up. Maybe half inch PEX holds up better, too. I'm going to put some lengths outside, for science.

 

[Sally PB]

My pvc lasted a year in the sun.

Same here. It got very brittle and when some fell over, it shattered.

 

[Minanora]

Same here. It got very brittle and when some fell over, it shattered.

That's crazy! It must be the cold. I have 6 lengths that have been in service in the garden as hoops for the last 10 years and I bent them a few weeks ago to move them from one bed to another and had no issues. Definitely going to use gloves and put on some safety glasses moving forward, just in case of an epic PVC explosion. Knowing me, it'll break and send bits all in my face. That's how these things work for me.

 

[jerryse]

Very interesting. Maybe we get more intense sun here. We only get down to 18°F here usually, and not for very long. All of my PVC that's in use for water is insulated or buried below the frost line. My 1/2" PVC hoops are not used for anything aside from being support for poly or shade cloth. Maybe that helps them last longer, but I have plenty of pieces just leaning against the shed. I'll try to cut one of them with my PVC cutters today when I get home. I know my 3/4" PEX is toast... I stepped on it and immediately regretted the mess of plastic bits I made for myself to clean up. Maybe half inch PEX holds up better, too. I'm going to put some lengths outside, for science.

Might depend on the type of pex. I used the clear expansion type when plumbing my cabin. Expensive tool. Never tried it outdoors.