Illinois...

[SnootyHen]

I have a love-hate relationship with rain. My garden and grass need it but my chickens, dogs and I hate it.

I grew tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, peppers and some herbs last year. I expanded my garden by almost double so I am trying to decide what else I want to add. But then a part of me just wants to space everyone out more so they stop killing each other. I'd like to grow potatoes but those don't play well with others and I don't want to dedicate an entire area to them. I was watching those bags that you grow them in and open at the bottom and wondering if they really work. Maybe?

 

[Faraday40]

I dont hear many people talking about growing broccoli. I've grown it several times and it's a good plant.
Start it very early. Just cut off the crown as needed before it shoots. In summer when it's too hot it stops growing but leave the stalks and when it cools off it will start growing again.

Also look, my wheelbarrow did art
View attachment 2667037

Interesting photo.

We love broccoli and do grow it. The last 3 years we had some problems which limited harvest. One year, the chickens learned to hop the fence - poor plants were decimated! Fence was raised. The next year, so many bugs devoured the leaves. The plants struggled and barely gave us a meal. Last year I began to wonder if squirrels or racoons figured out a way to eat the broccoli. I got some side pieces but no big, middle broccoli crown. Never saw that before. Of course we already have a problem with disappearing fruit. One day fruit tree is fine with un-ripened fruit growing bigger. Overnight they go missing. None on ground. Nothing left in tree. Completely gone!!!

In past years, I remember picking broccoli multiple times throughout the summer & fall. I started as seeds in pots & transplanted. I also sometimes just bought a few broccoli plants from the store.

 

[BReeder!]

The older ducklings will be outside tomorrow with our pre-existing drake a duck. Hoping they integrate well. Ducks tend to be nicer to each other than chickens though. The younger ducklings still have some time in the brooder.
I get wire attached to the fence around the duck run to keep the littles contained inside. I also added netting above the fence to extend it a few ft so the drake stops getting into the garden (he learned he can fly just high enough to get over the fence) and to contain the ducklings as they can get flighty until they fatten up. While working on the duck run, I also added a new gate finally that connects the run to the yard for easier access. The other gate that we've had connects to the duck run from the chicken run. The idea at the time was it would be harder for the kids to access the area since there's a 4ft deep pond. It was originally an ornamental koi pond. They ducks were a later thought. Anyway, the new gate had a latch we can lock it we want for added child proofing. It allows easier access for cleaning and maintenance though. Next step is finish the pond filter and raise the pond a but so I can put bedding or mulch around it without it getting into the water so easily.

Other than that, I worked today. It was a full schedule and tomorrow is the same. I can't wait for the weekend.

 

[jdragonwings]

I'm excited; I was able to get lots planted in our yard over the last few days. We just moved here in October and there was next to nothing for landscaping. I was able to get free plants from my in laws. I got some ferns, a peony, black eyes susans, iris, hostas, and a few other things.
I also finished planting our garden. We'll see how that goes, as it's my first year in awhile gardening.
I just love plants and flowers so much! And our new house has a yard I love so that makes such a difference. I am so blessed

 

[SnootyHen]

Finally got all of my raised beds filled. The old ones needed to be topped off and the new ones had to be filled completely. Should be ready to plant this weekend if I can manage to fit it in between swim practice a track meet Saturday and a meet on Sunday. And now I want to plant broccoli after reading up here.

My TSC has been out of PDZs for a few weeks so I found it on Chewy for not a terrible price. Ordered a ton of it. Showed up and it's the powder not the granuals. I didn't even realize it came in powder. It's so light and dusty and making me crazy and I'd send it back but I can't even get the good stuff right now. So instead I bought some sand and mixed it together. Seems a bit better but I definitely won't make that mistake again!

My stinking 7 month old OE is still broody!!!! Her and the Americauna have been in and out of it but she's the worst. Been tucking ice packs under her today in hopes of breaking her. Again. They are both so sweet normally but OMG they are little velociraptors when they want to make babies. I was out there explaining that they are too young to be mamas and there's no boys here anyway so just enjoy their youth. LOL!!!

 

[Molpet]

Finally got all of my raised beds filled. The old ones needed to be topped off and the new ones had to be filled completely. Should be ready to plant this weekend if I can manage to fit it in between swim practice a track meet Saturday and a meet on Sunday. And now I want to plant broccoli after reading up here.

My TSC has been out of PDZs for a few weeks so I found it on Chewy for not a terrible price. Ordered a ton of it. Showed up and it's the powder not the granuals. I didn't even realize it came in powder. It's so light and dusty and making me crazy and I'd send it back but I can't even get the good stuff right now. So instead I bought some sand and mixed it together. Seems a bit better but I definitely won't make that mistake again!

My stinking 7 month old OE is still broody!!!! Her and the Americauna have been in and out of it but she's the worst. Been tucking ice packs under her today in hopes of breaking her. Again. They are both so sweet normally but OMG they are little velociraptors when they want to make babies. I was out there explaining that they are too young to be mamas and there's no boys here anyway so just enjoy their youth. LOL!!!

Did you try a wire cage with no bedding to break her?

 

[Molpet]

Sold 3 turkey hens today. I think I have 17 left. Which is still too many lol

 

[BReeder!]

Our drake has become very fond of the ducklings. He thinks they are is harem. He keeps trying to spread his seed. These little ones are not ready for that. I have to keep intervening so I'm sitting out by the fire pit where I can keep an ear out for the ducklings. It is a beautiful day today. I waterered the garden and pulled a few weeds. I see more potato plants popping up. The first row we planted has all 20 plants up already. Pruned some of the tomatoes. Some of them already are flowering. Peppers are flowing too, but I don't want them growing peppers yet until the plants get a bit bigger still so I removed the flowers and buds. I probably pinched of 50 off them. Our early start was risky, but seems to be paying off.

 

[megpie021]

Our little olive egger started to lay today! Found a cute little dark green egg. Getting the little cream one almost daily. So I’m wondering if it’s the australorp. Swapped the ee giant egg in for color comparison. It’s a lovely dark green compared to the ee.

 

[SnootyHen]

Did you try a wire cage with no bedding to break her?

Not yet. Last time the ice pack under her did the trick in a couple of hours so I was hoping it would again. Hoping to avoid the broody jail because my dog crate is huge but we may have to go that way if she doesn't knock it off soon. I'm about done being squawked at and I know the other ladies are too.