Cheryl's Hen House...

[TerryH]

Nice little bunch of goodies from the garden today. Finally getting some ripe or at least close to ripe tomatoes.



Black Krim are by far my favorite heirloom tomato. They are always ugly and always crack but the taste is over the top. Computer mouse for size reference.

 

[aart]

Nice!

Too much water too fast usually is what makes tomatoes split like that.

 

[TerryH]

Nice!

Too much water too fast usually is what makes tomatoes split like that.

Very true but these heirlooms are very prone to cracking regardless of how much or when they get water. It is worse if the water is late in the cycle. I think that is one of the main reasons that hybrids were bred in the first place. My hybrids are solid and beautiful with no cracking at all but the taste of the heirlooms just can't be duplicated with hybrids. All of them have had the same amount of natural and irrigation water.

 

[Finnie]

Nice little bunch of goodies from the garden today. Finally getting some ripe or at least close to ripe tomatoes.



Black Krim are by far my favorite heirloom tomato. They are always ugly and always crack but the taste is over the top. Computer mouse for size reference.

I read this before I went to the grocery store today, and when I was there, I saw a very similar looking tomato, except with no cracks. It was just labeled "heirloom", and was in with several varieties of heirlooms. I very nearly bought it, despite its highly inflated price, but it was way past its peak. Plus it was different enough that I didn't think it was the same as Terry's. Maybe they will have a better one next time.

 

[TerryH]

I read this before I went to the grocery store today, and when I was there, I saw a very similar looking tomato, except with no cracks. It was just labeled "heirloom", and was in with several varieties of heirlooms. I very nearly bought it, despite its highly inflated price, but it was way past its peak. Plus it was different enough that I didn't think it was the same as Terry's. Maybe they will have a better one next time.

Virtually every tomato heirloom or hybrid that you see in a grocery store was picked green or at the very least not really ripe. It's a necessary evil with commercial tomatoes. Helps the ugly ones be less cracked. You should try a farmer's market in your area. If you like tomatoes the heirloom varieties are the way to go for a slicing tomato. We grow the Black Krim or Cherokee Purple varieties which are quite similar. Both are quite large and have super dark flesh that is almost black in some cases with a somewhat smoky flavor. We also grow Brandywine which is another large flavorful tomato but very pink flesh. Hybrids that we grow are typically Celebrities. Another great tomato but with a bit less flavor. All the hybrids are easier to grow, less disease prone and more prolific producers than the heirlooms. They just don't have the taste of the old tomatoes.

 

[Finnie]

Our town has a farmer's market. I should go and look. I'm not much of a vegetable gardener, but before I got the chickens, I always grew a few tomatoes. I am partial to the Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes. They taste really good when you're in the middle of weeding. Now the chickens have taken over all my tomato growing spots, and I haven't had the time to make a new spot away from them because they have taken over all my time, too!

My daughter gave me zucchini and summer squash from her garden. They were starting to go bad in my fridge, so today I sliced some lengthwise and threw them outside for the chickens. They loved them. I told my daughter that if she starts to get overwhelmed with squash, the chickens would take as many as I can get.

 

[TerryH]

The girlies got to go out into the chicken yard for the first time today. First one out the door? Laverne of course.





Cheryl and I really enjoyed sitting with them for a while. They really enjoyed some meal worms.

 

[Finnie]

Yay! They got to go out in the grass! With the big sky overhead!

Just look at how BIG they are getting. I like watching the progress when I have chicks growing. It seems like they change constantly. Yours seem to be in the miniature hen stage.

 

[TerryH]

Yay! They got to go out in the grass! With the big sky overhead!

Just look at how BIG they are getting. I like watching the progress when I have chicks growing. It seems like they change constantly. Yours seem to be in the miniature hen stage.

They're well on their way to being mature hens for sure. They are almost 14 weeks. They grow up so fast.

 

[TerryH]

I realize that I'm well ahead of the game but I decided that I was going to put the nest boxes in the coop today. Girlies will be 15 weeks in a couple of days and I figured I might as well let them get used to the nests and be able to deal with anyone sleeping in them etc... before they were actually laying. Feles like a complete project now.

Slid out...



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