Green thumb is itching, anyone else?

[AliceMae]

I'd sure like to see those cardboard box greenhouses!

Living in MN we can use lots 'o help getting started in spring as our winters are long, brutal and unpredictable! I have a small area on the south side of my house that may work for some early planting if protected. Suggestions?

 

[happycountryhens]

Rancher - hope your peeps hatch out well.

I will post our cardboard greenhouses when they are done. The one we made 2 years ago is usable but is starting to look pretty beat up and sad.

Still mulling about a way to get the chickens up to the garden for bug patrol in the spring and fall and at times durring the summer. It would be eaiser if the garden wasn't such a long way from the coop. Thought about putting meaties up there for the fall, but I have such a hard time butchering. Well, it's the killing part, not the butchering or eating part.

Above picture shows a large part of our main garden for pumpkins and corn.

 

[rancher hicks]

Happy - very nice and teasing. Perhaps you could put a hoop coop up there situated on the ground if it's dry. Each panel is 50" so you can just add more panels and then if it's covered with clear plastic use it as a green house too.

My hoop with the chickens is 4 panels, two for coop and two for run. I had to take the plastic off the door due to high humidity.

Plus I believe they are light enough to be moved around. Shoot you could just move it up and down the garden and let the chickens cultivate it for you. Make skis for the bottom going both ways and heck I'll bet it would be easy to move one length at a time.

 

[AliceMae]

Hey happycountryhens ~ our gardens are similar! This, of course, is a summer shot as it's still "burrrrr" time in MN !! Notice in the center I have posted a Guard Goose Decoy - think it helps keep varmints away!!

 

[happycountryhens]

Alice mae: Beautiful garden! Love the guard goose. We had to put up actual scarecrows that we made from our old clothes to keep the crows away from the corn after we first planted it. Once it got established, it was ok without the scarecrows. The neighbors driving by kept waving. They wondered why we did not wave back...

Rancher: I will have to take a look at my 16' stock panels and plan out a hoop coop up there. It will have to be fort knox with the preditors we have around here, especially that far from the house. Maybe with a little moveable electric fence it could work well. I will have to bring up your hoop coop pics again. Sure would make a nice greenhouse too. I do like your idea of growing plants above the reach of the birds.

 

[Carols Clucks]

Our chickens have had a fabulous week!

It started with us opening the garden gates and letting them "clean up" the main garden, then we brought in 14 wheel barrow loads of composted horse manure.

Next we dug roots re-leveled a slope section of the lower garden and put in 5 new citrus trees, then added some cala lilies, agapanthus and feverfew along the fence line (we knew that the green lawn on the other side would be just too temping for hens that could not get over there before)

Then we dug up another big section, pulling berry roots and tree roots. This area is where we either moved raspberries or will make in to a companion flower planting zone and were the winter squash will be encouraged to grow (the roots of the plants will be inside the fenced garden to help chicken proof them.

The hens must have eaten their body weights in bugs and worms this week. And enjoyed dust baths in a whole new area. They are full, tired....and ready for us to dig some more.

Hopefully next week we ca start getting a few squash in the ground, then a few peas....and a bunch of peppers and tomatoes started.

 

[HiddenHens987]

We have had great weather all week and tomorrow is looking to be awesome as well! Yesterday it hit 59*, Today 64* and tomorrow is forecasted to be 67*. I was out tilling the garden mixing in yet another round of leaves. The soil is looking awesome! Can't believe this weather for the end of February! I just hope this is not how the whole spring and summer is going to be.. All way hot and above normal..

 

[harveyhorses]

The weather is making me crazy. Sunday we had 4 inches of snow, Wed it was 68, today in the 89s tomorrow 50s.
All the trees I planted (2 pecans and 2 Mullberry) are looking like they are about to start doing stuff, my fall planted turnips
are finally growing, and low and behold some spinach that did not get pulled is jumping.
I am going to try one of my beds doing square foot gardening and the other like I always do. I am not sure I have the discipline
for that. I just want to start digging.

I have a Riobi string trimmer you get other parts for, one is a tiller, perfect for my raised beds. First one I got worked great for about
29 mins and locked up, but they are replacing it no problem. Must play in dirt!!

 

[rancher hicks]

Happy - Trilyn has her hoop covered in hardware cloth everywhere. Plus I was just thinking I might try starting my plants in hanging pots up above the girls. Maybe make some shallow pots to hold those peat pots.

Apparently some of you live in better zones than I do. I had to pull out the snow blower this afternoon. Plus it got windy last night and today I noticed one of the stockade panels I put up this past summer blew off.
I would love to let the birds have the garden in the fall but they would empty the raised beds in a day and that would mean shoveling it back in. I may build a compost pile where they can work it out.

Have I mentioned the chicks that hatched in the last day or so? I now have 22 mouths to feed. CR's and Dels and EE's. Don't forget what brought us here, Chickens.

take care,

Rancher

 

[rancher hicks]

has anyone saved Gourd seeds? I had two and cut them open and scrapped out the seeds. Can I plant these? Or do I have to buy new seeds? They are on paper towels to dry.

Are gourds good for anything other than decorations? Where did the term "out of his gourd come from"?