Consolidated Kansas

[Ivywoods]

I agree 100% with Danz. The shavings in the chicken house would work well, and they go a long ways. I've never used the pellets so I can't speak to that. I have used paper towels in the plastic tub and that works well and is easy to change. Get a thick, rough surfaced paper towel.

Oh, the other thing about the shavings, is when you change them they are easy to compost. I take all my chicken shavings/droppings and spread them around my trees and bushes. I have an area where I have some lilacs planted for a screen. The dirt there has been scraped down to the fill dirt, so they have been slow growing. When I put the chicken "stuff" there, everything greens up and grows a little faster.

I don't think you would want to spread newspaper or even shredded newspaper all over your yard.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Okay, I'll do exactly what you all are suggesting. I guess the pine shavings won't be too bad- I was thinking they might eat it. But if I use the paper towels for the first couple of days, sounds like they'll be fine.

I only had two apple trees produce this year. The apples are ripe- well, most of them. The ones that are dropping each night, we've been bringing in. Been getting hand fulls each morning. About 5 a day. The kids are razoring right thru them so fast, though! I think if we got just a couple more apples trees, we'll be set. The apples were on the small side- I'm guessing because this was a really, really crappy summer. I watered the heck out of those trees all summer long, but they just struggled. I ended up picking all the little apple starts off another tree just so it would survive. Happy to say it will live another year. It bounced back fast after that.

 

[chicken danz]

I didn't have a single piece of fruit this year. A late frost killed most of it and the bugs got the rest. I also lost several little ornamental bushes and trees I have had planted for a couple years. Some died with the extreme cold and others died in the extreme heat. I try not to think about what I've spent for those. I have been trying to increase the number of trees around here to help shade the birds. So far it has been a total failure. I planted a couple of nice sized blue spruce. Paid the extra money for larger ones because the small ones never thrived. Both of them just browned up and died and that was with plenty of watering. I also had a beautiful wheeping cherry I had paid a fortune for and it died out. A couple of fancy japanese maples I had had for 3 years died out, etc etc.
I noticed when I was digging with the backhoe last weekend I was over three feet deep and the ground was totally dry. I've never seen it that bad. I've lost tons of flowers. Stuff I've had for 20 + years that I moved here 3 years ago. Breaks my heart. I love gardening and have always grown a plethora of rare and beautiful flowers. My old home was known as the flower house or the garden house around town. I can't get out and work like I used to after several spinal surgeries but I still love my gardens. This just breaks my heart.

 

[tazcat70]

If you bought any plants that died from lowes they have a 1 year guarantee.

I was afraid I was going to loose my weeping willow and so I did 2 over night soaks this summer. My lillies took a beating, but since it has cooled off they are doing much better. The cold got my elephant ears that I got from a fellow bycer and another that I paid $20 for. Made me sick. I mulched them about 8" too.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
Danz, they shouldn't even sell Blue Spruce here! They just don't thrive in our zone. I've seen some successful ones in town- where they get a bit more shade, and plenty of water. They require a LOT more water and cooler temps than we have here... than say, a White Pine or an Austrian. Which, BTW, if you want pines, buy either one of those varieties. They are resistant to the 'pine bore' that is sweeping the midwest and killing off the Scotch pines. Stay clear away from Scotch- those are the ones keeling over dead left and right from the bores.

I have a weeping cherry as well. For some reason, when I bought the first one, it died the first year, even with good watering and root stimulator. Fortunately, it was from Lowes and they replaced it for free. Now, the Weeping Cherry I have out there right now has been there for 2 years and doing well- at least until our high temps hit. It does require a lot of water though- more than you'd think. Also, if you put root stimulator on it twice a summer or so, it should really help. I'm really sorry about yours- sounds like the heat and drought got it. Mine has crispy leaves despite the fact that I've been watering all these trees every other day! They all have green grass rings about 3 feet out growing around them- you can see where I've been watering all this summer. I think it was a close call on that tree, since it does have some new growth that is green, but the existing leaves are curling in and a bit crunchy. I haven't tried the Japanese maples. They take forever to get big, and I am just trying to get shade at the moment. (like you are!)

I gave up on flowers entirely- except for Day Lilies, which grow like weeds on the side of my barn. I never water them or do anything with them. I used to have cannas that would come up year after year, and they came up one year and the cold got them.

Even my tulips- I had planted a few hundred of them! They came up for about 3 years and that was the end of them. I've been concentrating on shrubs and trees since. I have two White Pines that have done fabulous! So do consider them if you get any more pines. I can't grow Arborvitae (Emerald) at all- one year we bought 30 of them and planted them along our property line with a water drip system stuck into each root ball. We lost half of them the first year from lack of rain and too high temps. They were from Lowes, so we got them replaced, then the next year, we lost half of them again- even ones that had been established the first year. We gave up after the third year with same results. I talked to a local nursery and they said they just don't belong in our zone- we are too dry and too hot. Sigh. On the other hand- I can't kill a Crepe Myrtle!! They do great! Even my Jane Magnolias are doing really well- and I'm a bit spotty with watering them.

I hear you on being the 'garden house'-- it's a hobby of mine, too. But my place still looks desolate despite that. I have so much ground, and I could probably plant a 100 more trees and not make a dent. I have a local nursery, they recognize me the second I walk in, I am in there so often! I love roses, and they have the best selection in all of Wichita and the surrounding area. Dutch's Nursery- they have taught me so much. The Rose Society of Kansas endorses them. I also have some of the best rose bushes because of them.

Whew... sorry, that was a lot of arbor talk!! ha!!

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
$20!!!! Yikes! I would sick, too! I'm so sorry! I saw elephant ear bulbs for $3 a piece at Walmart this spring. If you do it again, check them out first.

 

[justinwrites]

LOL. I feel bad. The only damage to my garden this year is bird related. Though it's been a constant fight to water the new apple trees sufficiently.

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

Quote:
I will never use pine or cedar shavings in my brooders again. I kept losing chicks until I switched to shredded paper.

The cedar shaving I had was a couple of years old so I thought it would be ok. With the pine I still lost way to many. I lost about 75% of my chicks with pine and cedar shaving. I only lost one with the shredded paper and that could of been because it had been in pine shavings.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
I will never use pine or cedar shavings in my brooders again. I kept losing chicks until I switched to shredded paper.

The cedar shaving I had was a couple of years old so I thought it would be ok. With the pine I still lost way to many. I lost about 75% of my chicks with pine and cedar shaving. I only lost one with the shredded paper and that could of been because it had been in pine shavings.

What's wrong with the pine shavings? Do they eat it?

 

[Katy]

Quote:
I will never use pine or cedar shavings in my brooders again. I kept losing chicks until I switched to shredded paper.

The cedar shaving I had was a couple of years old so I thought it would be ok. With the pine I still lost way to many. I lost about 75% of my chicks with pine and cedar shaving. I only lost one with the shredded paper and that could of been because it had been in pine shavings.

What's wrong with the pine shavings? Do they eat it?

I use puppy pees pads in the bottom of my brooders. Used to use pine shavings but the pee pads are much easier to clean up.