What did you do in the garden today?

[AllenK RGV]

First time growing Brussel Sprouts, and I am under the impression these healthy guys will need their lower leaves pruned soon is that correct?

We will be clearing these beds out tomorrow as I can't get my wife to come out of the heated house when it is only 70F and sunny out, tomorrow we are back to our mid 80's.

Did a bit of weed eating to work on opening up some more beds for veggies cause it 'tis the season:


I was hoping the chicken would do some work on the cut down stuff. It seems they are on strike and only want to eat my gardened stuff. I had to stop short on clearing all beds as I have some native flowers active for the pollinators and a non native aloe in there that has thrown up long flower stalks. So the rest of the beds need cleared by hand.

 

[TropicalBabies]

First time growing Brussel Sprouts, and I am under the impression these healthy guys will need their lower leaves pruned soon is that correct? We will be clearing these beds out tomorrow as I can't get my wife to come out of the heated house when it is only 70F and sunny out, tomorrow we are back to our mid 80's.
View attachment 1980351
Did a bit of weed eating to work on opening up some more beds for veggies cause it 'tis the season:
View attachment 1980358 View attachment 1980361 View attachment 1980362

I was hoping the chicken would do some work on the cut down stuff. It seems they are on strike and only want to eat my gardened stuff. I had to stop short on clearing all beds as I have some native flowers active for the pollinators and a non native aloe in there that has thrown up long flower stalks. So the rest of the beds need cleared by hand.

Looking good!!!

 

[AllenK RGV]

I am thinking tomorrow I will dig out more holes to continue my native aloe fence line reinforcement project against my neighbors small dogs. Don't get me wrong I am a dog person, however, yesterday their Jack Russel Terrier was in my bachelor pen, so I trapped it in a corner grabbed the brat by the neck(I gaught him defeathering a live rooster) applied no's and several forceful slaps to the head and tossed him back over the 6 foot fence. Glad I didn't injure the little @#$%. I would have been well within my legal rights to simply euthanize it on the spot.

The line of pups is from this mother plant and they transplanted in great two months ago and were a test project.



When I mentioned previously I stopped earlier DW will not let me take out flowering plants so I am required to mow around them. Not that I mind at all the overgrown photo shows why I stopped the weed eating there are those aloe bracts climbing through that tall grass. .

 

[TropicalBabies]

That little Jack Russel turd ball!! He is a lucky dog you did not pluck a few of his feathers before tossing him back over the fence... like I would have. Those little terriers are relentless.
Everything is looking good Texas!
You must have good space for that Aloe. It goes crazy here so I keep some in nice pots where it does well. Love that plant. Also my chickens have taken to eating it but probably because they had finished off all of my other succulents and it is just naturally... NEXT.
I then replanted pots with Bromeliads which has been safe so far, if anybody ever wonders about those things.

We have a cold front stalled to our north bringing us a little coolness and rain. I am baking cookies today and getting ready to mail off packages. Our big kids came by to pick out one of my live Norfolk pines for their xmas tree. They also picked some of my lettuce, their xmas packages up and cookies. It was nice, they got to visit with the two Americana's they gave me a few months back. I did feel a little bad that I had over sold my eggs and did not have any to share with them. Such a scrooge.

 

[karenerwin]

This evening I made a modified version of ChickenChicks Alfalfa souffle Garland Chicken treats. My goofy dog thinks they are for her!
She's chasing after me like this guy
I have to keep telling her NO! because she keeps trying to grab them ( they are dangling from the yarn: Garland style. I went a head and hung one garland in the big coop, inside. The chickens were a bit freaked out by it. The second one I hung outside my door, over a fence and the dog is sitting at the door waiting to be let out so she can go get it! I really didn't think she would like it if she tried it but she has cleaned up all the bits that fell on the kitchen floor while I was stringing it.
I hope the chickens like it as much as the dog does.

 

[karenerwin]

I did feel a little bad that I had over sold my eggs and did not have any to share with them. Such a scrooge.

I had the same problem this week! I had a lot of eggs, 3 - 18 packs and 2 -12 packs. I gave a friend a 12 pack, then had someone ask to buy an 18 pack, another wanted 2 -12 packs. When I delivered those 3 to school, the secretary asked where hers were! She had apparently messaged me that she wanted 2 - 18 packs. I still don't know why that didn't come through on my phone. Then when I got home another customer said she was ready for more eggs, she said she could use up to 5 dozen!! Plus a friend managed to stop by to pick up the dozen that she had asked me for at the end of last week, but our times weren't working out. She also ended up buying several jars of jams & jelly.
I told the secretary I would have hers by Monday and I am glad that I did because I used 10 eggs of the 19 that I had to make the alfalfa treat for the chickens today.
So I still have to get together 2 - 18 packs and up to 5 dozen. After collecting eggs today, I have 1 - 18 pack.
I put together a food basket for a friend who is having a hard time right now and I couldn't even put any eggs in there! They were still very appreciative.

 

[TropicalBabies]

I have 8 eggs on hand... and 6 dozen on order w/o giving any away. About 2 months ago I was worried about drumming up customers to help with my feed costs. I wish my girls were laying better. I probably need more chickens, I only have 12.

 

[karenerwin]

I have 8 eggs on hand... and 6 dozen on order w/o giving any away. About 2 months ago I was worried about drumming up customers to help with my feed costs. I wish my girls were laying better. I probably need more chickens, I only have 12.

I have 30 hens and 5 roosters. One coop has lights and the other one doesn't and it certainly makes a difference!

 

[pennyJo1960]

First time growing Brussel Sprouts, and I am under the impression these healthy guys will need their lower leaves pruned soon is that correct?

We will be clearing these beds out tomorrow as I can't get my wife to come out of the heated house when it is only 70F and sunny out, tomorrow we are back to our mid 80's.
View attachment 1980351
Did a bit of weed eating to work on opening up some more beds for veggies cause it 'tis the season:
View attachment 1980358 View attachment 1980361 View attachment 1980362

I was hoping the chicken would do some work on the cut down stuff. It seems they are on strike and only want to eat my gardened stuff. I had to stop short on clearing all beds as I have some native flowers active for the pollinators and a non native aloe in there that has thrown up long flower stalks. So the rest of the beds need cleared by hand.

I did brussles for the first time this year those leaves need to be left alone your brussle grows there for every leaf there will be a brussle

 

[TropicalBabies]

I have 30 hens and 5 roosters. One coop has lights and the other one doesn't and it certainly makes a difference!

Last winter they laid well all the way through but in the summer heat my girls slowed. This year my older girls are all in some stage of a molt, so I'm cutting them some slack... BUT, my 2 yo BO's are acting like they are done being reliable layers. I guess I will find out in a bit. Will try a light in a few weeks if things don't improve.
30 hens and 5 roo's must be a blast. I'd love that!