Sounds like you've got things planned out. I can't wait to hear which garden methods work best for you. Gardening can be such an interesting subject, especially modern gardening methods.
A Texan Asian in Belgium - The Story of the Hippie Stink Homestead
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- #42
Today I answer the age-old question: are chickens really herbivores?
From the way Coreen is running, my answer is no.
That is a FROZEN mouse pinkie, meant for animal consumption. It was an extra in the package I have for my snakes, and occasionally I throw things down for the chickens to see if they'll eat it. I run off the logic that if you provide the chicken more than just plants, you learn whether they really are herbivores or not. Mine are not it seems.
From the way Coreen is running, my answer is no.
That is a FROZEN mouse pinkie, meant for animal consumption. It was an extra in the package I have for my snakes, and occasionally I throw things down for the chickens to see if they'll eat it. I run off the logic that if you provide the chicken more than just plants, you learn whether they really are herbivores or not. Mine are not it seems.
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- #43
Planted carrot and radish seed yesterday and harvested a pretty good bunch of pole beans today. The corn is still putting out flowers and I'm waiting to see silk. Love me some corn, so if this experiment was successful I'll be doing it every year.
Soil is still very clay-filled. I'm just adding compost and organic matter once a year and tilling it in and seeing how that improves the texture. I silently curse my father-in-law and his cheapness, because we've spent more of his money amending the soil than he would have spent just buying decent soil to begin with. He spent more money on the topsoil for his thrice-cursed grass (I have a severe allergy to grass) for the dogs than he did for the garden soil that's supposed to support our family.
Soil is still very clay-filled. I'm just adding compost and organic matter once a year and tilling it in and seeing how that improves the texture. I silently curse my father-in-law and his cheapness, because we've spent more of his money amending the soil than he would have spent just buying decent soil to begin with. He spent more money on the topsoil for his thrice-cursed grass (I have a severe allergy to grass) for the dogs than he did for the garden soil that's supposed to support our family.
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- #44
It's official folks, I have succumbed to chicken math. I originally had four birds and today I brought home my eighth chicken. An Easter Egger we've named Bluebell.
Beans are still putting out like champs, and I'm ripening the first three tomatoes of the season. Corn is tasseling. I'm proud of my little homestead. Next year will be much bigger!
Beans are still putting out like champs, and I'm ripening the first three tomatoes of the season. Corn is tasseling. I'm proud of my little homestead. Next year will be much bigger!
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- #45
Bless the U of Illinois extension. They posted a handy guide for the different stages of development for corn plants.
Mine seems to be in the VT stage, just before ear development but tasseling. Exciting stuff!
Mine seems to be in the VT stage, just before ear development but tasseling. Exciting stuff!
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- #46
We're now in R1-R2 stage with the corn and picked a whole bunch of tomatoes for indoor ripening. Some are finally ripening on the vine though, so I think I'll stop taking them in now!
Took in my IR cuttings and a few of my more tender plants as well.
Took in my IR cuttings and a few of my more tender plants as well.
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- #47
Corn is firmly in R2 stage. Bought an EE pullet, but I have had production drop because of an infestation of mites. I've already ordered a mite treatment, and I'll be bathing the birds and the coop in it when it arrives.
It's officially fall now, which means warm weather and cool weather are trading places. We've changed out our summer bedspreads for the winter set, and spring/summer clothes are rotating out of use while fall/winter clothes are being taken out. Canning season is here, and I've been collecting the last fruits and making all kinds of canned fruits and vegetables and soups. I need to clean out our deep freezer and out fridge, as well as use up some of the older canned goods.
I've also been decluttering and reorganizing, which has been slow but fruitful. We had way too many dishes, too many sets of flatwear, too much stuff in general and so I've gotten rid of most of it. I'm also using our space more efficiently, with appliances finding new homes and entire cabinets becoming empty and ready for new tenants. Eventually I hope to finally have a place for everything and everything in its place, which will greatly reduce anxiety for me and reduce the amount of work required to keep things tidy in the apartment.
It's officially fall now, which means warm weather and cool weather are trading places. We've changed out our summer bedspreads for the winter set, and spring/summer clothes are rotating out of use while fall/winter clothes are being taken out. Canning season is here, and I've been collecting the last fruits and making all kinds of canned fruits and vegetables and soups. I need to clean out our deep freezer and out fridge, as well as use up some of the older canned goods.
I've also been decluttering and reorganizing, which has been slow but fruitful. We had way too many dishes, too many sets of flatwear, too much stuff in general and so I've gotten rid of most of it. I'm also using our space more efficiently, with appliances finding new homes and entire cabinets becoming empty and ready for new tenants. Eventually I hope to finally have a place for everything and everything in its place, which will greatly reduce anxiety for me and reduce the amount of work required to keep things tidy in the apartment.
Eek. Hope you get rid of the mites quickly. Sounds like you are very busy! That's cool that your canning. I've also wanted to grow stuff and can it, or make jams.
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- #49
Decluttering is ongoing. Kitchen is almost completely sorted out and reorganized, all the cabinets wiped inside and out. Tossing out anything we have too much of or things that have gone stale or rancid. Slowly working my way to our laundry room, where I need to sort my stock of soap and get rid of some product. Slow and steady.
I somehow managed to grow MONSTER radishes. Being an indicator crop for soil health, this is good news! The radishes I pulled up this morning are the size of golf balls, with one being almost the size of an egg. Husband is happy, since he's the radish fan in the apartment. I was surprised he didn't steal them straight from the ground. XD
The garden has been taken over by weeds again. It's so late in the year that I just didn't even bother with fighting it. I'll wait for the carrots and the radishes, dig up the potatoes, and once everything is harvested I'll let it go wild and next year till the winter-deadened organic matter into the clay-filled soil. Saves me the need to use more compost to amend it.
Mite treatment should come in the mail by Monday.Had to order from the UK and Royal Mail is a pain to deal with sometimes. Friday is supposed to be warm, so I'll be doing everything then. I need to spray down the entire coop every other evening and I need to bathe the chickens in the treatment for two minutes tops per bird one of those days. Also sourcing diatomaceous earth, as the seller suggested it as a long-term solution for the mites. Don't want the nasty buggers to come back!
I somehow managed to grow MONSTER radishes. Being an indicator crop for soil health, this is good news! The radishes I pulled up this morning are the size of golf balls, with one being almost the size of an egg. Husband is happy, since he's the radish fan in the apartment. I was surprised he didn't steal them straight from the ground. XD
The garden has been taken over by weeds again. It's so late in the year that I just didn't even bother with fighting it. I'll wait for the carrots and the radishes, dig up the potatoes, and once everything is harvested I'll let it go wild and next year till the winter-deadened organic matter into the clay-filled soil. Saves me the need to use more compost to amend it.
Mite treatment should come in the mail by Monday.Had to order from the UK and Royal Mail is a pain to deal with sometimes. Friday is supposed to be warm, so I'll be doing everything then. I need to spray down the entire coop every other evening and I need to bathe the chickens in the treatment for two minutes tops per bird one of those days. Also sourcing diatomaceous earth, as the seller suggested it as a long-term solution for the mites. Don't want the nasty buggers to come back!
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- #50
Mites are almost eradicated! Been spraying for a week now, I'll keep going until either the concentrate runs out or until two weeks are up. Sunday is cleanout day (tried deep-litter and that's how this happened in the first place) so I'll be able to heavy-duty spray again before laying out the new bedding.
Chooks have officially quit laying for the year. A few went through a partial molt and are growing back some feathers, while some haven't at all and have just been reacting to the terrible weather. I'm switching food to dog food instead of feed until the feathers are all grown out, then I'll go from my fermented feed to a dry feed so I don't kill myself when it snows trying to climb down the metal ramp.
Dogs have a small diet change; they get an extra feeding per day, two feedings instead of one. Being a former kennel tech I checked their ribs to see if I could feel them when I pressed on them or not and they both are a little skinny for their breed and size. I've discussed it with their vet and he said to go ahead and give them another feeding per day, so they aren't on the lighter side of normal.
Cleaning of the house is ongoing. Today should be the last day of it and then I can relax and finish up rereading The Dresden Files!
Chooks have officially quit laying for the year. A few went through a partial molt and are growing back some feathers, while some haven't at all and have just been reacting to the terrible weather. I'm switching food to dog food instead of feed until the feathers are all grown out, then I'll go from my fermented feed to a dry feed so I don't kill myself when it snows trying to climb down the metal ramp.
Dogs have a small diet change; they get an extra feeding per day, two feedings instead of one. Being a former kennel tech I checked their ribs to see if I could feel them when I pressed on them or not and they both are a little skinny for their breed and size. I've discussed it with their vet and he said to go ahead and give them another feeding per day, so they aren't on the lighter side of normal.
Cleaning of the house is ongoing. Today should be the last day of it and then I can relax and finish up rereading The Dresden Files!
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