Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Chickielady]

If it makes you feel better, I grew 18 different varieties of tomatoes last year and was regularly harvesting beefsteaks after July. I never ONCE got a ripe indigo rose. They grew and matured and then sat there green on the vine.

Langshan thread & you'll no doubt find BGMatt here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/284419/langshan-thread

 

[junebuggena]

How long have you lived there ?
You need to grow some veggies that are more suited to this marine Enviroment.
I started out with Oregon Springs (Tomatoes) and now my Red Stars are loaded and hard to keep up with them, and the Cobras (big slicer) are doing really well.
But seriously, what was doing well 5 years ago, is not necessarily doing well now, due to the drastic change in the weather !

Yep! Exactly what has happened the past two years. Things that used to grow like crazy, are struggling. Even my kale hasn't been thriving like it used to. I did Early Girls and Yellow Pear tomatoes, since they don't need really warm temps to ripen. I've been growing them in coastal climates for years. But I have huge, beautiful bushes filled with green fruits, but nothing ripe. My first year up here, I did zucchini and they did fantastic, but I haven't been able to get decent sized plants in a few years now. I'm starting to miss being over run by zucchini. When the sun does come out, it's blazing hot. But it isn't sunny for more than a few hours each day, most days this summer. We haven't gotten a lot of rain, but we haven't gotten a lot of sun either.

 

[Chickielady]

Yep! Exactly what has happened the past two years. Things that used to grow like crazy, are struggling. Even my kale hasn't been thriving like it used to. I did Early Girls and Yellow Pear tomatoes, since they don't need really warm temps to ripen. I've been growing them in coastal climates for years. But I have huge, beautiful bushes filled with green fruits, but nothing ripe. My first year up here, I did zucchini and they did fantastic, but I haven't been able to get decent sized plants in a few years now. I'm starting to miss being over run by zucchini. When the sun does come out, it's blazing hot. But it isn't sunny for more than a few hours each day, most days this summer. We haven't gotten a lot of rain, but we haven't gotten a lot of sun either.

Do you have any green house or hot frames to start your plants ?
We do hot frames and I LOVE THEM !!!
That said, you still need to have plants that are accustomed to your climes, and climes are a changing !


Warm day but I had to add wire to keep the chookies out


Squash starts




We have made so many, and have changed the design & such...but the basics are, use plywood (1/2") and staple 1/2" insulation styrofoam om the inside...then add your pipe tape, and sand to hold it where you want it (TIP: plug in the pipe tape & it will get alot more pliable) then cover it with sand.
Then you can add plant starts.
I added the pipe tape wired into a wafer thermometer (like an incubater) which is extremely sensitive to temps variances...
Basically build the BOX to the size of the window...and try to get a dual pane window.




We can raise basil in these hot frames, all winter long, even in hard frosts or snow.

 

[Chickielady]

Just to add to the post above about all the prototype hot frames we have made, the next one(s) will be in a defunked freezer (either upright or chest) and use a sliding glass door on top...if possible.
Both will be insulating.
The "pipe tape" you may be wondering about, is for warming pipes to keep them from freezing.
We have 2-100 foot rolls that we scored from Habitat (made by Raychem) but you can buy the same at Home depot to make a smaller hot frame.
Plug it in, it is self limiting, and if you wire it to a wafer thermometer, you can adjust it to not come on when it is of a certain temp.
Otherwise, pipe tape will always be on, always warm/hot...which can devastate your plants on a warm day.
Sun coming through the glass can do the same in a New York second !
So you have to be aware & open your frames on clear sunny days even in winter, but they'll be ok cuz the pipr tape is still creating warmth.

 

[junebuggena]

Started everything in a greenhouse. It got blown to pieces during a particularly nasty spring wind storm in April. 2 foot long stakes weren't enough to keep it anchored. The house we lived over the last few years was not ours, so everything had to be removable. We closed on our house in December, so we hadn't gotten a chance to setup something permanent. I noticed though, the the greenhouse wasn't warm unless there was sunshine to warm it. I'm sure it would have worked really well, if we had gotten more than 2 hours of sunshine a day at best.
Just to give you an idea of how different Raymond's climate can be from down here on the beach, on Monday, Raymond's forecasted high is 78*. Over here, we'll be lucky if it gets up to the forecasted 70*.

 

[Cockatrice6420]

I've had success in the past with Topsy turveys and using old tires as well.

 

[ochochicas]

Sad news today. The matriarch of my flock became sick yesterday. She was about 5 five years old and we got her last year after he last home didn't want her anymore. She was still a great layer for an old Golden Comet. Last year she survived after being egg bound. She was slowing down, but laid four eggs this week.

Yesterday I noticed she hadn't eaten. She was wheezing and had slightly labored breathing. It was almost like asthma or an allergic reaction to something. Do birds get allergies? It also seemed like there could have been something stuck in her trachea. Or maybe she had something that didn't respond well to the sudden rain and drop in temps. I gave her with some water with vitamins and dewormer, She found a place to roost last night in the coop. At 3:30 I got up to check on her and she looked better - still having breathing problems, but resting quietly. I got up this morning and prepared her a bowl of food and was going to move her to the hospital stall. Unfortunately she didn't make it. I'm just glad she went quickly. Hopefully one of the younger birds will take her place. RIP my favorite hen.

 

[Cockatrice6420]

Sad news today. The matriarch of my flock became sick yesterday. She was about 5 five years old and we got her last year after he last home didn't want her anymore. She was still a great layer for an old Golden Comet. Last year she survived after being egg bound. She was slowing down, but laid four eggs this week. Yesterday I noticed she hadn't eaten. She was wheezing and had slightly labored breathing. It was almost like asthma or an allergic reaction to something. Do birds get allergies? It also seemed like there could have been something stuck in her trachea. Or maybe she had something that didn't respond well to the sudden rain and drop in temps. I gave her with some water with vitamins and dewormer, She found a place to roost last night in the coop. At 3:30 I got up to check on her and she looked better - still having breathing problems, but resting quietly. I got up this morning and prepared her a bowl of food and was going to move her to the hospital stall. Unfortunately she didn't make it. I'm just glad she went quickly. Hopefully one of the younger birds will take her place. RIP my favorite hen.

Our condolences. We lost our old barred rock ladies, Barbara and Cockatrice this spring. We loved them. There is always the fact that she was allowed to die naturally and not thinned from the flock. I'm sure that somewhere in their chicken hearts they appreciate it.

 

[lindalouly]

Sorry for your loss....

 

[ochochicas]

Sad news today. The matriarch of my flock became sick yesterday. She was about 5 five years old and we got her last year after her last home didn't want her anymore. She was still a great layer for an old Golden Comet. Last year she survived after being egg bound. She was slowing down, but laid four eggs this week.

Yesterday I noticed she hadn't eaten. She was wheezing and had slightly labored breathing. It was almost like asthma or an allergic reaction to something. Do birds get allergies? It also seemed like there could have been something stuck in her trachea. Or maybe she had something that didn't respond well to the sudden rain and drop in temps. I gave her with some water with vitamins and dewormer, She found a place to roost last night in the coop. At 3:30 I got up to check on her and she looked better - still having breathing problems, but resting quietly. I got up this morning and prepared her a bowl of food and was going to move her to the hospital stall. Unfortunately she didn't make it. I'm just glad she went quickly. Hopefully one of the younger birds will take her place. RIP my favorite hen.