Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Zgoatlady]

Hi CL,
Long time no chat.
How is your new pad coming along??
Are  you all moved in?

Ive been researching how to grow my garden without spending too much. Since the fruit trees are the most costly, Ive decided to propagate rather than buy my trees for 2014.
According to Raintree and UC Davis, the 2 non puckering types of persimmons we can grow and ripen here in PNW are Izu and Coffee Cake.
They should have an astringent pollinator for more fruit. thus Saijo or Chocolate.
I am hoping to get maybe 10 persimmon root stocks and a hand full of free sions from UC Davis.
I hope they arrive at the same time.
My grand plan is to plant them in a key hole garden to force them to sprout leaves sooner in the season and get fruits that actually ripen on the tree.
Plan B is to raise the planter in a cement block planter that heats up faster. 

Either way, heat is the key.
I have seen trees in the Beacon Hill area in Seattle that is loaded with ripe fruit.
So heavy the tree snapped! 

As for the kiwi, I am just air layering my plants and seeing if it will root.
One boy kiwi can pollinate up to 8 girls...kind of like ducks. haha
I have hardy kiwis, but would love to try air layering fuzzies.
I am also trying to air layer blueberries too.
My cabin fever project. Do you have lots of sun at your place???
I hope to have something by the Monroe show  to share.

For those living in the greater Seattle area, please check out GREEN ELEPHANT.
They have 2 plant swaps a year.
I got me a truck full of free plants a few weeks ago.  Sweet deal.
My swap was duck eggs   and hot coffee for plants.

Oh I would have loved to go to that! My hubby is going to build me a green house I'm pretty sure we have all the glass for it now just getting him to do the plans so I can start getting wood. He wants it be 12x20 I thought smaller but I'll be happy with it. Told him to make the roof out of plastic.

 

[blueducklings]

Oh I would have loved to go to that! My hubby is going to build me a green house I'm pretty sure we have all the glass for it now just getting him to do the plans so I can start getting wood. He wants it be 12x20 I thought smaller but I'll be happy with it. Told him to make the roof out of plastic.

You can google it. The next exchange is in the spring I think. Those are bigger.
That said, I think if the BYCers can do a bigger one anytime. Most of us garden as well. We can plan for an exchange in the spring at Monroe.
Chickens, eggs, plant swap and pot luck.

We do it all. And don't forget ducks too.

 

[Chickielady]

Failed door design on my part. Door opens like a ramp.
They get too anxious to get out in the morning and slip their foot right into the door jam.
Wham.
Being that I open the door from 50 feet away, I can't tell if they are stuck.
For a while I thought 1 got eaten by a hawk cause I did not see her running out to the grass area.
The next day, another did the same thing.
Monkey see monkey do.

I could hatch babies now cause they are still laying, but then I have to deal with winter babies.
And I haven't given up on Moe & Joe just yet.

On the splint, I dare not pull her leg straight to splint, should I? What if it rips

IDK !
I would carefully feel it to see if it bends correctly or doesn't....hopefully you get it fixed !

 

[Chickielady]

Hi CL,
Long time no chat.
How is your new pad coming along??
Are you all moved in?

Ive been researching how to grow my garden without spending too much. Since the fruit trees are the most costly, Ive decided to propagate rather than buy my trees for 2014.
According to Raintree and UC Davis, the 2 non puckering types of persimmons we can grow and ripen here in PNW are Izu and Coffee Cake.
They should have an astringent pollinator for more fruit. thus Saijo or Chocolate.
I am hoping to get maybe 10 persimmon root stocks and a hand full of free sions from UC Davis.
I hope they arrive at the same time.
My grand plan is to plant them in a key hole garden to force them to sprout leaves sooner in the season and get fruits that actually ripen on the tree.
Plan B is to raise the planter in a cement block planter that heats up faster.
Either way, heat is the key.
I have seen trees in the Beacon Hill area in Seattle that is loaded with ripe fruit.
So heavy the tree snapped!

As for the kiwi, I am just air layering my plants and seeing if it will root.
One boy kiwi can pollinate up to 8 girls...kind of like ducks. haha
I have hardy kiwis, but would love to try air layering fuzzies.
I am also trying to air layer blueberries too.
My cabin fever project. Do you have lots of sun at your place???
I hope to have something by the Monroe show

to share.

For those living in the greater Seattle area, please check out GREEN ELEPHANT.
They have 2 plant swaps a year.
I got me a truck full of free plants a few weeks ago. Sweet deal.
My swap was duck eggs

and hot coffee for plants.

I rented a house in Renton/almost Seattle area years ago.
On the side of a hill so the day light basement was below, then the main story & upper story & deck.
Three stories.
Someone had planted 2 kiwi there downstairs, and they had grown up to the 3rd story and across the top of the deck roof.
These vines were super healthy & had tons of big kiwi (bigger than store ones) every fall.
Wish I knew the varieties !
They sure do need space to climb though !

 

[Chickielady]

Message for BHGMatt:

I found 4 Langshan breeders, all are on the Eastern side of the USA.
I could have sworn there was someone locally who had started to raise these birds...but I cannot recall who or where???

There is breeders in Blue & Black in GA,NH, VT & VA.
If you want any of these addresses & ph # PM me.

I will keep looking locally....

 

[Chickielady]

yes, but I won't be home until late so either hold them until
we can met later in week or drop them off at the farm. I need to pay Robin or if you can
pay , I will refund you as well. plus gas and pair of Rhodebar chicks as thank you payment
or future chicks from another breed ?
will this work
diane

You can paypal or mail...no biggee !

 

[crazybirdlady2p]

Hello and welcome! Do you have a garage? You can make a transition cage for them in the garage,with a heat lamp, when they get fully feathered. My garage is colder than my coop. This will be my first Winter with chickens here in Washington. I have no tiny babies right now. My hens hatched 23 chicks this year. Only had 6 in garage under heat lamp due to cold temps with last clutch in late September. I do know that a thermometer is a chicks best friend. Best of luck with your future flock. Enjoy.

 

[Chickielady]

Well, peeps, I am going to go do something.
We are waiting on the final stages of sheetrocking, which are texturing~~~~~~~~~~
then primeing.
We got our interior paint 2 days ago.
This is a hurry up & waite stage that is extremely frustrating as there is not much that can be done, while the mud dries.
We will go pick out carpeting for the bedroom & upstairs, this coming Monday, after that we buy the appliances and no doubt store them in the driveway all covered by tarps.
As soon as the paint is dry, we nail down the Hickory flooring, and get the carpet installed......
But for now, and the until Tuesday of next week......there is nothing we can do but waite.....................

It is extremely awesome having all the sheetrock up, the little house is coming along just awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll try & get back on here tonight or tomorrow A.M.

 

[BGMatt]

Message for BHGMatt:

I found 4 Langshan breeders, all are on the Eastern side of the USA.
I could have sworn there was someone locally who had started to raise these birds...but I cannot recall who or where???

There is breeders in Blue & Black in GA,NH, VT & VA.
If you want any of these addresses & ph # PM me.

I will keep looking locally....

Appreciate it. Yeah I know lots of breeders around the country, but just trying to network with other local folks. Kind of sad really, when I first started as a kid we'd have a decent turn out of them at the shows (at least the Blacks, whites and blues have been rare as hen's teeth most of my life other than when I had them before and now again). Oh well, hopefully will be able to spread them around again if people are interested.

 

[hallerlake]

Quote: I got the first egg in weeks this morning. I hope this means molt will be ending and production picking up.