What did you do in the garden today?

[BReeder!]

Peas are growing. Should be picking them any day now. Picked one today just for the heck of it. Small sweet peas inside. DD sized the opportunity to eat her first fresh pea of the year. She doesn't touch them cooked, but loves popping pods in the garden and devouring fresh peas.

Cut the grass. Put spent bedding in the compost bin and new bedding in the coop. Hoed weeds between a few beds. Watered the thirsty watermelons. Frustratingly stared at 50 strawberry crowns that never grew.

I'm a fan of pollinators, but had to hang a carpenter bee trap because they're boring holes into the trusses of the shed/coop even though they're painted.

That's about it today...

 

[Swiss]

Love the Morels! We also found some enormous ones this year....

As for the insects, the caterpillar is an Eastern tent caterpillar. I hate those darn things and kill every one I find. They are voracious feeders and reproduce by the thousands. Chickens and birds won't eat them.

The other is a March Fly. They are very good for breaking down compost and decomposing organic matter...

Thank you for the help identifying them!! The first caterpillar I found was when the chicks were in their outdoor pen, and they all freaked out about it. I scooped it out before they could get too curious. Then, 2 more appeared around the house.
And those flies are freaking everywhere this year! And they look ridiculous when flying!

We got BATTERED by a storm tonight.
No confirmed tornado.

Our power went out while we were watching a movie. We came upstairs to see what was going on. It was greenish yellow outside, and a low yellow cloud at the front of the storm was racing in. I said, we need to bring the tomato and pepper plants in the garage NOW! And we raced to get the tables of plants in. The wind started as we were moving the first table, trees started cracking, and we got soaked before we got the second table in the garage. All of the trees were sideways, essentially. Constant thunder and lightning and wind and heavy rain. I came in to close the front door (which I had opened to check the weather) and my phone started yelling at me that there was a tornado warning. Based on that and the tornado-y conditions, we went into the basement for a few minutes. Then, came back up to continue watching after radar said the worst had passed.

We got 1" of rain in the rain gauge, and in such a short amount of time!

My garden was about half flooded, which has never even been a risk before! Water was pouring down a mole tunnel in one of the beds.
Literally water circling down a drain. Thankfully, there isn't really anything planted, and most of what is planted was not under water.

Our woods are unrecognizable and impassable with downed trees!

No power means that the chicks get to spend their first night without the brooder plate. I checked on them a few minutes ago, and they are not snuggled close together. So, I might set an alarm to check on them again, but really, what could I even do for them without power? They are 5 weeks old, and don't need the plate during the day, so I think they will be fine.

I checked on the coop, and it is drenched inside... which has my brain running itself a little ragged. It's been fine in all the other storms since the walls and roof went up. It isn't quite finished, yet, and obviously tornado-y conditions aren't normal. So, I'm trying to settle my brain down. What do you all think, should I be concerned?

 

[WthrLady]

Peas are growing. Should be picking them any day now. Picked one today just for the heck of it. Small sweet peas inside. DD sized the opportunity to eat her first fresh pea of the year. She doesn't touch them cooked, but loves popping pods in the garden and devouring fresh peas.

Cut the grass. Put spent bedding in the compost bin and new bedding in the coop. Hoed weeds between a few beds. Watered the thirsty watermelons. Frustratingly stared at 50 strawberry crowns that never grew.

I'm a fan of pollinators, but had to hang a carpenter bee trap because they're boring holes into the trusses of the shed/coop even though they're painted.

That's about it today...

They work even better if you can get a dead one and bait the trap with it.

 

[WthrLady]

Thank you for the help identifying them!! The first caterpillar I found was when the chicks were in their outdoor pen, and they all freaked out about it. I scooped it out before they could get too curious. Then, 2 more appeared around the house.
And those flies are freaking everywhere this year! And they look ridiculous when flying!

We got BATTERED by a storm tonight.
No confirmed tornado.

Our power went out while we were watching a movie. We came upstairs to see what was going on. It was greenish yellow outside, and a low yellow cloud at the front of the storm was racing in. I said, we need to bring the tomato and pepper plants in the garage NOW! And we raced to get the tables of plants in. The wind started as we were moving the first table, trees started cracking, and we got soaked before we got the second table in the garage. All of the trees were sideways, essentially. Constant thunder and lightning and wind and heavy rain. I came in to close the front door (which I had opened to check the weather) and my phone started yelling at me that there was a tornado warning. Based on that and the tornado-y conditions, we went into the basement for a few minutes. Then, came back up to continue watching after radar said the worst had passed.

We got 1" of rain in the rain gauge, and in such a short amount of time!

My garden was about half flooded, which has never even been a risk before! Water was pouring down a mole tunnel in one of the beds.
Literally water circling down a drain. Thankfully, there isn't really anything planted, and most of what is planted was not under water.

Our woods are unrecognizable and impassable with downed trees!

No power means that the chicks get to spend their first night without the brooder plate. I checked on them a few minutes ago, and they are not snuggled close together. So, I might set an alarm to check on them again, but really, what could I even do for them without power? They are 5 weeks old, and don't need the plate during the day, so I think they will be fine.

I checked on the coop, and it is drenched inside... which has my brain running itself a little ragged. It's been fine in all the other storms since the walls and roof went up. It isn't quite finished, yet, and obviously tornado-y conditions aren't normal. So, I'm trying to settle my brain down. What do you all think, should I be concerned?

Should be fine. Got any of thse air activated hand warmers from winter left? Can put some in a old shirt for them to snuggle. Or a ot water bottle or ziploc w wam water and old shirt. I mean, if your worried.
Wouldn't worry about coop. Check in morning and keep building. Sorry about tree loss.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I keep a full box of hand warmers for those fun times also
selling peeps.

 

[Acre4Me]

Do you have room for vining squash? Tromboncino is a vining C. Moschetta group used as summer squash. You could also try a Parthenocarpic variety that can set seedless fruit. Caged with screen wire to keep bugs out. That is if squash Boers are your problem.

Agree! We grew Trombocino one year- VERY prolific. Worth the space and they grew very fast -can pick them the day they flower for a reasonable size squash, but essentially no seeds yet.

 

[Acre4Me]

before I go into the hospital

Hope all goes well!

Peach leaf curl? What have y'all found best treats it?
View attachment 3838262




That's a bummer!

Copper plus the fruit tree mineral oil…spray in fall, again in spring. I did that this year and the trees are definitely looking better. One site where I was reading up on this problem indicated to spray at leaf fall ( in the fall), and they actually knocked off/removed the leaves still in the tree and immediately sprayed the copper/oil mix and never had a problem since. The trick is to spray before there is any growth at all in the spring. The fungus hangs out and infects the leaf as soon as it begins to grow. This fall I’ll try knocking off leaves (the trees are very small right now bc young) and spraying immediately.

We can't grow rhubarb here in the Deep South. Too hot...

I have a rhubarb variety (from Gurneys I think) called “Kanga-Rhu”. Grows in Australia and can tolerate up to zone 8 I recall. I’m sure that micro climate placement can also impact its success. It is growing well for me, but I’m zone 6. It does look quite happy in July and August too. It was around $30 for one crown, but it produced a “daughter” this year , as I discovered when I was reworking the soil this spring - another plant chunk just broke off on its own, so I planted it on its own. It is a smaller rhubarb, but tasty and red.

 

[Acre4Me]

Poppies are blooming.

Yesterday worked all day planting and working in the garden, more of the same today.

We got all 80+ pepper plants planted. Need more small tomato cages, but the cages are strangely expensive right now.. so might go with posts and string.

Today, we will focus on the other large bed, which was partially planted yesterday.

Someone gave my husband corn seeds, so now he wants to plant them. Uhhh…I can’t eat corn- regular whole corn is not my friend but cornmeal stuff is fine, so I’m not interested in growing corn. Plus, I hear that you need a stand of corn - not just a short row, or small area. And it’s tall. An Amish guy sells sweet corn for weeks and weeks a couple miles away, or there is the local farmers market where another Amish guy sells sweet corn too. I’m pretty sure I’d rather buy it than plant it. So, this was our disagreement yesterday.

A mean insect found my foot yesterday. After treating it, and taking ibuprofen for the swelling (which was getting worse a couple hours after the insect got me), I removed the bandaid a couple hours later, and it’s icky and oozy. Not sure what got me! This morning it’s sore/tender feeling, but I haven’t removed the band aids yet. Should be on the mend I hope.

 

[fuzzi]

Thank you for the help identifying them!! The first caterpillar I found was when the chicks were in their outdoor pen, and they all freaked out about it. I scooped it out before they could get too curious. Then, 2 more appeared around the house.
And those flies are freaking everywhere this year! And they look ridiculous when flying!

We got BATTERED by a storm tonight.
No confirmed tornado.

Our power went out while we were watching a movie. We came upstairs to see what was going on. It was greenish yellow outside, and a low yellow cloud at the front of the storm was racing in. I said, we need to bring the tomato and pepper plants in the garage NOW! And we raced to get the tables of plants in. The wind started as we were moving the first table, trees started cracking, and we got soaked before we got the second table in the garage. All of the trees were sideways, essentially. Constant thunder and lightning and wind and heavy rain. I came in to close the front door (which I had opened to check the weather) and my phone started yelling at me that there was a tornado warning. Based on that and the tornado-y conditions, we went into the basement for a few minutes. Then, came back up to continue watching after radar said the worst had passed.

We got 1" of rain in the rain gauge, and in such a short amount of time!

My garden was about half flooded, which has never even been a risk before! Water was pouring down a mole tunnel in one of the beds.
Literally water circling down a drain. Thankfully, there isn't really anything planted, and most of what is planted was not under water.

Our woods are unrecognizable and impassable with downed trees!

No power means that the chicks get to spend their first night without the brooder plate. I checked on them a few minutes ago, and they are not snuggled close together. So, I might set an alarm to check on them again, but really, what could I even do for them without power? They are 5 weeks old, and don't need the plate during the day, so I think they will be fine.

I checked on the coop, and it is drenched inside... which has my brain running itself a little ragged. It's been fine in all the other storms since the walls and roof went up. It isn't quite finished, yet, and obviously tornado-y conditions aren't normal. So, I'm trying to settle my brain down. What do you all think, should I be concerned?

Where did the rain come in?

 

[jerryse]

89 predicted and strong evening storms. I need to mow. Making weekend plans. Fishing and family cookout. Hope the weather cooperates. Planted my trap crop of squash. Sacrificed to protect the rest. I use the vegetable one on the trap crop. It is approved on stuff you eat but I use it on the trap crop.