Gardening for Old Folks (Adaptative)

[henless]

@oldhenlikesdogs ~ Pretty!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

@oldhenlikesdogs ~ Pretty!

It's not supposed to be pretty, but depressing. Thanks. I'm jealous of all your growing stuff. We are almost there, just 3-5 more weeks and maybe the snow will be gone and the frost will be out of the ground. Robins have been sighted here. They generally show up about 3 weeks before it warms. I know spring is on when I see a red wing blackbird. I miss their song of summer.

 

[lazy gardener]

We got about 15" during the last 2 days, and hubby tells me there is an other storm headed this way next week. I'm so tired of shoveling. Sprained my wrist yesterday. Not fun working today with a sore wrist.

 

[lazy gardener]

I gave my seedlings a shot of epsom salt and miracle grow 2 days ago. They are now under their grow lights and looking fantastic. Started an other mixed flat yesterday.

 

[GardenTillers44]

Snow has melted enough to see the grass. A pair of bluebirds are hanging around the garden and checking out their box. Red-winged blackbirds came back last week and a woodcock is peenting in the meadow. The cherry buds are swelling and the skunk cabbage is in bloom. Nature has spoken, spring is right around the corner!

 

[cavemanrich]

I gave my seedlings a shot of epsom salt

How much and what is the benefit??? First I hear of this

 

[CayugaJana]

Everything is coming up in my yard!

Except my beautiful beautiful double purple rose if sharon tree..... The hubs was cutting down one of those nasty gum ball trees yesterday and it fell on the rose of sharon tree. Broke half of it off.......

 

[lazy gardener]

How much and what is the benefit??? First I hear of this

Epsom salt can be over done. I only use it once to start, and then, only when my plant leaves are looking a bit "weary" or like they could use a boost. It's also good to give a dose when transplanting to the garden, and at first bloom. When used in this fashion, there is an immediate burst of growth and the plants "green up" quickly. I also believe it helps the plants to incease leaf size and maintain a nice stocky compact form. I viewed an other video by a woman who was doing a side by side comparison of Cal. Wonder peppers with and w/o Epsom salt. She was treating the test group every 2 weeks, and while she said the untreated group did better, I really could see no difference. Like any amendment, even lovely black compost, too much of a good thing is not a good thing.

 

[GardenTillers44]

@oldhenlikesdogs I notice you list Muscovy ducks among your companions. My wife has been trying to convince me we need a few ducks so she can have their eggs for her recipes. I've dodged that suggestion until recently when I spent January working in Brazil and the natives used Muscovy (a native duck there) eggs for all their cooking. I have to admit they were delicious and the creative breads and pastries they made with them were epic. How do you find them to raise compared to other ducks? My neighbor up the road raises mallards and they seem like a real muddy mess (of course that could be the way he's keeping them). The Muscovy in Brazil seemed to be getting along fine without water to dabble in.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

@oldhenlikesdogs I notice you list Muscovy ducks among your companions. My wife has been trying to convince me we need a few ducks so she can have their eggs for her recipes. I've dodged that suggestion until recently when I spent January working in Brazil and the natives used Muscovy (a native duck there) eggs for all their cooking. I have to admit they were delicious and the creative breads and pastries they made with them were epic. How do you find them to raise compared to other ducks? My neighbor up the road raises mallards and they seem like a real muddy mess (of course that could be the way he's keeping them). The Muscovy in Brazil seemed to be getting along fine without water to dabble in.

Muscovy are way better than mallard based breeds in my opinion. They are quiet, they have whisper hiss, no loud quacking, they do need less water, mine get a kiddy pool or a small stock tank for swimming in the summer, mostly they take baths, and rubber tubs in winter big enough to sit a duck.

They are a roosting duck, they can vaguely fly, especially the hens, but they mostly do it to get from one spot to another quickly or to get up to roost. Mine are great foragers. They patrol the yard at night eating bugs. Nothing like getting up in the middle of the night and seeing roaming muscovy walking with their heads pointed down hunting bugs.

They can be prolific breeders if you want them to brood, otherwise they are average layers that lay large clutches before going broody. They are extremely protective of their eggs at times and the young too.

The males are about double the size of the hens, and are a bit clumsy, but they are gentle.