The NFC B-Day Chat Thread

[bruceha2000]

Thanks for the watering tip! I do tend to just put the hose head on shower mode and spray away from the deck!! Probably quite wasteful and from what I have read, bad for tomatoes?

You aren't going to get enough water to the plants standing on the deck and spraying unless you stand there a very long time. And remember, unless your plants are very close together, a lot more of the water will land where there are no desirable plants. They need an inch per week (generally) and some every few days is much better than a little every day. The latter just encourages very shallow roots so no ability to withstand a dry period. Water deep and infrequently.

I also notice you have hay/straw on the ground in yours. Is that for mulching purpose? Like to keep the moisture in, limit weeds, etc. like I have read about? How do you like it?

Yes to all questions Doesn't keep all the weeds out but new weed seeds don't have as good a chance to germinate in the ground.

But we have a huge roll of hardware cloth so I may use that.

That stuff is expensive. I would save it for other purposes. I don't know that you can keep chipmunks out, they climb and they tunnel.

 

[N F C]

Today seems like a good day to make cookies. See you all a bit later!

 

[sourland]

I like warm cookies. "Just sayin'."

 

[ShrekDawg]

You aren't going to get enough water to the plants standing on the deck and spraying unless you stand there a very long time. And remember, unless your plants are very close together, a lot more of the water will land where there are no desirable plants. They need an inch per week (generally) and some every few days is much better than a little every day. The latter just encourages very shallow roots so no ability to withstand a dry period. Water deep and infrequently.


Yes to all questions Doesn't keep all the weeds out but new weed seeds don't have as good a chance to germinate in the ground.


That stuff is expensive. I would save it for other purposes. I don't know that you can keep chipmunks out, they climb and they tunnel.

Thank you for all your help!!! It’s very, well, helpful. Lol

I did sometimes go off the deck and try to water each plant at the base but that took a long time but I tried to do it because the plants would seem to get super dry if I didn’t water every day. I wonder if it’s because of what you said... hmmm.... may have to try every few days this year!! I also didn’t really have any mulch though and the material didn’t seem to hold water very well anyway. May need better soil. But maybe will try mulching and watering less! Everything seems to bake in the hot summers so I felt like I had to water every day or they would start to wither/wilt a bit.

Huh, that sounds promising! May have to try it! Do you just use leftover hay from the alpacas? We don’t have livestock besides the chickens so I may have to buy some. Unless leaves would work? Being surrounded by trees we have tons of leaves/pine needles/forest floor stuff.

Hm, that’s true! I do need to put it up the sides of the chicken run anyway and we are expanding it soon so I may just save it! I forgot about the digging part aha I guess I was just thinking maybe it would make it a little more difficult for them? So that they would be less interested. Especially if I fed them elsewhere. Currently there is one nest in the front right by the bird feeders lol although we moved the woodpile recently so they may have moved on. But anyway, I have watched them just jump in/run right up and eat the low fruit so I wonder if I made it more difficult so that they can’t just run in and have free access if they might be less interested. Idk. A thought. Although this year since I am using the trellises and will not have much fruit on the ground, maybe they will be less of a problem? Last year everything was kind of a mess and mostly directly on the ground or all tangled up/jungley. This year will be more organized and less wasted fruit.

 

[bruceha2000]

Experiment. Stand there and spray as long as you think you need to. Then go run your fingers through the "wet" soil. I'd be surprised if you find it isn't dry 1/4" down. You can design your garden with "irrigation ditches" that go plant to plant, lay the hose at one end and let it run on low flow until all the plants in that "ditch" have been watered, let the "ditch" fill up and soak into the ground then move the hose to the next one. If you want to go whole hog you can set up a drip system that will water each plant individually. More work and it gets kind of expensive. More often used for patio plants or plantings near a house.

Some years we have rain often enough that I don't have to water the garden except for when I first put out the seeds/plants. Then there was last year, pretty much no rain all summer and I did have to water. I don't water the grass. Just too much of it and who knows how the well would keep up with demand. On the up side, I didn't spend much on gas or time for the riding mower.

The mulch isn't there to absorb and hold water but to keep the soil from drying out so fast. I've been using old small hay rolls the prior owners took out to the edge of the woods when they listed the place instead of leaving them in the barn. I think I there were 5 or 6. Still have 2 out there I can bring back.

Chipmunks, like most wild animals have all day to look for food. If you think about it, they eat, sleep. That is what they do. Well and procreate a bit.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Experiment. Stand there and spray as long as you think you need to. Then go run your fingers through the "wet" soil. I'd be surprised if you find it isn't dry 1/4" down. You can design your garden with "irrigation ditches" that go plant to plant, lay the hose at one end and let it run on low flow until all the plants in that "ditch" have been watered, let the "ditch" fill up and soak into the ground then move the hose to the next one. If you want to go whole hog you can set up a drip system that will water each plant individually. More work and it gets kind of expensive. More often used for patio plants or plantings near a house.

Some years we have rain often enough that I don't have to water the garden except for when I first put out the seeds/plants. Then there was last year, pretty much no rain all summer and I did have to water. I don't water the grass. Just too much of it and who knows how the well would keep up with demand. On the up side, I didn't spend much on gas or time for the riding mower.

The mulch isn't there to absorb and hold water but to keep the soil from drying out so fast. I've been using old small hay rolls the prior owners took out to the edge of the woods when they listed the place instead of leaving them in the barn. I think I there were 5 or 6. Still have 2 out there I can bring back.

Chipmunks, like most wild animals have all day to look for food. If you think about it, they eat, sleep. That is what they do. Well and procreate a bit.

I've actually done that before which is part of why I watered so much. You are right, bone dry under there. So you just dig the ditch next to the plants/row? And that's sufficient water for them as opposed to watering at the base? How big a ditch? Like width and depth?

Yeah, last year was sooo dry. Definitely had to water a lot. We try to water the grass but it often ends up brown and dead in the back for some reason. Front seems better. I should try to rely more on rain.

That makes sense. The soil here does dry out crazy fast. Maybe that will help.

Hm, that's true! Doubt I will ever win that battle then lol

Speaking of battles, I just remembered that there is a yellowjacket nest right next to where I want to put the garden. In a tree stump. I saw a video about pouring dish soap and water down the hole to kill them but then I saw some comments saying that doesn't work because they usually always have a back door/multiple entrances and nests can be 5, 6 feet long and entrances hidden under brush. So now I am nervous ha saw some other ones saying to pour gasoline in it and even if you don't light it the fumes will often drive them out but that seems dangerous. Don't really want to have to call an exterminator but also don't want to be stung trying to tend to my garden. Didn't get stung last year but did have a few times where they approached me like they were going to sting and I just booked it lol

 

[ShrekDawg]

also have ground bees digging up the lawn

 

[007Sean]

Afternoon everyone

Another 'late rise'

Sunny, party cloudy, then sunny again. 67°F

 

[sharron]

Have you all seen a photo of the National Weather Bureau?

View attachment 1660252

 

[sharron]

Afternoon everyone

Another 'late rise'

Sunny, party cloudy, then sunny again. 67°F

afternoon sean
you must need the sleep or you couldn't stay asleep
husband got up after 8 hasn't really done anything here but repair a electric cord but after we ate dinner, he disappeared, hes in bed asleep again so i'm on the computer listening to pandora