NY chicken lover!!!!

[greymane]

This is the first year we did not put in a garden. When I can go to the Amish and get a couple bags of veggies for $10, it hardly seems worth it. It was just too wet this year. Besides, I am sure the goats would have caused much carnage. (Unless of course, we buy MORE fence for the garden.)

 

[rancher hicks]

My tomatoes did ok but the slugs got more than enough. I just toss those to the chickens, but there are only so many they can eat without getting sick. As you know I use raised beds since it is so wet here anyhow. Tomatos get to tall for me and they need constant tieing up. The so called romas were not romas at all. They must have been mismarked. Next year I start my own.

I have water that just runs through part of my garden like a stream when it pours. I'm working on raising the level filling in with chicken cleanings and redirecting the flow.

The basil did good as did other crops in garden #1. I have two.

As for squash, I grew blue hubbard and acorn. The hubbards got attacked by squash borers I think. Normally I dust them with DE or Sevin. I prefer not to use sevin if I can help it. The DE works good it the garden is dry. I did not use it for slugs and should have.

Now to avoid the wet for squash i took branches and propped up each individual squash and that a saved them I'm sure. You could of course grow them on trellises. Has anyone but me seen the picture of the pumpkin in a tree? Apparently the vine took a detour into a tree and there it grew a pumpkin. Though it was high up the tree looked like it was growing a pumpkin. So if you have woods and dead branches around just use them to hold each squash or pumpkin up off the ground.

The squash weren't as big as I see at the market but then I don't use chemical fertilizers if I can help it. I might use Miracle grow just once to get things started. I didn't this year though.

Now I do grow eggplants but I've learned to grow them in large (10"/12") clay pots placed in the driveway. The black tarvia absorbs the heat which they love. You do have to water them regularly but since the hose is there anyhow it works out well. I like the "finger" type of egg plant. Those in the garden just don't do well.

Remember to stock up on the cull lumber at HD during the year and you'll have all you need for trellises for your garden. I've got enough pieces of plywood that I plan to use it for the roof of one of my chicken runs. I've been saving it for two years, placing it on top of the runs and covering it with tarps. Next year no tarps.

Unless I need something longer than 48", I never buy new.

 

[marquisella]

Quote:
I had beautiful tomatoes that were just starting to turn red when the late blight hit last week in August. I lost over 25 plants full of tomatoes....

But, I am overgrown with butternut squash, which is ok, cause I toss them to the chickens and they love them! First year for onions and they did ok. I started my garden late so they didn't get too big, but medium size with great flavor. Other than herbs, that was it for me.

 

[happycountryhens]

We got cucumbers, beans, corn (sweet and indian) and lots and lots of pumpkins. Just set up our stand out front today. Still have some tomatoes coming (got them in really late) and spegetti squash.
Girls got to go out again today after we mowed their pen. They really enjoy it.

Happy Country Hens

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

I am envious of all of you who have such wonderful gardens. I just cant grow plants. I kill them every time. I am, however, really good at animals. Especially chickens. I have to control myself or we would be overrun by chickens. I am currently trolling craigs list for any possible future chicken coops and free wood. Dont know about the rest of you but we have to run the gauntlet of mosquitoes here. Cant even open my front door without clouds of them swarming in! The dog doesnt even want to go out and the cheeps are annoyed. Bug spray isnt much of a deterent. I hope we get frost soon so that it kills off the bloodthirsty savages.

 

[happyhensny]

Quote:
Mini vampires here too, by the truckload! Dosen't help that everything is wet and muddy after all this rain. I bought 5 bales of shavings and put them in the RUNS! Killed me to do that but I had to do something to help dry it out. It just plain stunk!

Smells lots better now and I added more inside too. Dusted with some Sevin, put some DE in the feed. Hoping to get a start on winterizing them.

 

[featherz]

I got two.. TWO.. cucumbers out of my garden this year. That's it, other than a few yucky ones I gave to the chickens. The rest of my garden was ugh.

My runs stink too, but thankfully all the chickens have been free ranging so if the humidity will stop, the runs should dry up. I hope.

Added a metal canopy/roof to two of the coops today so the chickens will have a small run even in the snow. It's not enough, but will save me a lot of shoveling!

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
I had beautiful tomatoes that were just starting to turn red when the late blight hit last week in August. I lost over 25 plants full of tomatoes....

But, I am overgrown with butternut squash, which is ok, cause I toss them to the chickens and they love them! First year for onions and they did ok. I started my garden late so they didn't get too big, but medium size with great flavor. Other than herbs, that was it for me.

If you find yourself in this situation just pick all the green tomatoes and put them in a box layered with newspaper and put some apples in with them. Cover them and they will ripen. Check them every few days and pull them as they ripen, discarding any that spoil. Make sure you wash them in hot water and dry them first.

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Mini vampires here too, by the truckload! Dosen't help that everything is wet and muddy after all this rain. I bought 5 bales of shavings and put them in the RUNS! Killed me to do that but I had to do something to help dry it out. It just plain stunk!

Smells lots better now and I added more inside too. Dusted with some Sevin, put some DE in the feed. Hoping to get a start on winterizing them.

I find that straw works best in this situation. I use it all winter long as things get bad. Then in the spring just rake it up and throw it in the compost. Just put the bale of straw in the run and cut it open. The chickens will occupy themselves spreading it around. Don't use hay , straw works best. Hay will mold. Straw stays drier.

 

[featherz]

Last fall I used piles of leaves in my run. Didn't know if I was supposed to, but I had a lot of leaves! Seemed to work out ok - no smell, no chickens died from it, and they loved going through the giant leaf piles!