What did you do in the garden today?

[The Backyard Bantams]

The sugar snap peas are coming in strong!

 

[Acre4Me]

Mystery solved (I think). Tomato hornworm was likely the pepper plant culprit. We found 5 on the tomato plants also on the deck. So far, no tomato hornworms evident in the main garden.


Harvested more yellow squash. Appears half of the 20 week old pullets are laying, so we are happy with that.

Been busy with the kid’s birthday. Since spouse was working all day and evening, I told birthday kid that I’d make cake the night before so they could eat cake for breakfast and get to blow out candles and get the birthday song sung by both of us in the morning. Well, I was rummaging around at 11 pm trying to find bday candles!!! No stores are open that late and spouse leaves early, so no opportunity to buy them early. Luckily, I found 3 random, but unused, birthday candles in a cabinet (whew!). Cake was great, made a hummingbird cake, which is a pineapple, pecan, and banana cake, with Cream cheese frosting (specifically requested by birthday kid). Then I made lots of tie-dye style vanilla cupcakes to share at an outdoor gathering that happened on kid’s birthday. So, I’m done with baking sweets for now!

It has cooled off a bit from the horrible heat we’ve been having. The chickens get so hot they don’t drink enough, even though lots of shade, multiple water stations. So, I’ve been making them wet feed (they like it sloppy wet), and pans of ice water....and we’ve seen more eggs since I’ve been giving them that during the heat wave.


Have a great day!

 

[alfie10]

well, i,m now in the house feeling sorry for myself ,halfway building the rockery i tripped and fell on bad knee and hip turned over and found myself lying on my back partly on the small retaining wall .took me about 15 mins to get up ,the rake was 2feet away and i couldnt reach it ,i was starting to panic a bit i must admit . sheer willpower got me up ,the dog just stood and looked at me .now i,ve calmed down and had my cup of tea i feel better must finish rockery today so i,m off out again but will take things very slowly .it,s like riding a bike if you fall you get up and get on again !

 

[Sueby]

@alfie10 - you can do it! There is nothing like the feeling of eating what you've grown & you can do so much even with a small garden. My back is so bad I'm waiting on disk replacement surgery (2 disks too), but I keep a 5 gallon bucket in the garden & do most everything I need sitting, or have it there if I need it. You get done what you need on good days & on bad days it will wait. I put down really thick straw as mulch so I don't have to weed, I have a 4 foot watering wand so no reaching, I have raised beds & plant vining plants on trellises all so I don't have to bend. It all helps & makes it possible. & next year, thanks to @WthrLady, I will have a watering system in so I don't have to water at all. Same with the chickens, I have things set up all over to get it all done. It's all possible!

@Acre4Me I have no idea what's happening with your peppers, that's weird!

@Sooner Magnolia I agree with everyone else, go with hardware cloth. Believe it or not I had a bobcat rip a chickens head off through 2x3 welded wire. I also saw someone here say they had seen a small raccoon actually go through chain link.

Morning everyone. Had a bad night last night with the back, slept for a couple hours & that's it. Tired & grumpy, DH got smart & went out to the shop really early. We didn't get much rain at all from that tropical storm, I think it was less than 1/2 an inch. Did you see any @Wee Farmer Sarah? Hoping for some more tonight.

Anyone know why I don't have any beans on my pole beans? They are climbing all the way up the trellises, but don't have any flowers. They look a little yellow too. Maybe they need to be fed? I thought they were low eaters so I haven't given them too much fertilizer (just once) - should I give them more?

 

[Sueby]

@alfie10 sorry about the fall. I carry my phone with me any time I go outside (or in the shower), just in case. Last year I got stuck at the chicken coop, took me like a half hour to walk the 20 yards to get DH to help me. What is a rockery?

Glad you figured out the pepper culprit @Acre4Me!

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning gardeners. I think the tropical storm that brushed by us is nearly gone. It got so humid yesterday evening that I caved and cranked up all the window AC units. It was nice not sweating for a while. I froze nearly a pound of peas yesterday. I may get enough to freeze another pound before they are done. Pad Thai is on the menu tonight. Just a little cooking and I can use some of peas, carrots and hot peppers I picked. I add more vegetables to my Pad Thai so I don't feel guilty about all the carbs in it. I'm seeing yellow leaves on the bottom of the Roma tomato plants so I think I'll try an epsom salts spray on them. I have one teeny tiny tomato developing on my slicing tomato plant and I should have another zucchini and yellow squash in the next day or two. I picked some more peas this morning, but none of the bush beans were quite big enough, which is fine with me. I hope the hot peppers continue to do well. I'm so looking forward to them all. Sorry about your back @Sueby. It could have something to do with the barometric pressure in the big storms. I have a knee that was trashed as a result of a sports injury when I was a teenager and it still acts up during bad weather. And yes, I think I finally got enough rain. I finally heard the sump pump run for a few minutes this morning. Your garden is lovely @Ebonythechicken. Your brassicas look better than mine. I think it's time to yank my cabbage because the cabbage worms are having way too much fun with them and the butternut squash is taking over that plot. I totally agree with @Sueby regarding the phone @alfie10. I live alone so I keep my phone with me pretty much everywhere I go. I've fallen a couple of times, but fortunately, no major damage. Wow, I didn't know hornworms could cause that much damage either @Acre4Me. From what I've heard from the national weather forecasters, the mid west is in for a really hot time this week. It's not supposed to get that hot here, thank goodness. Let me know how the watermelon salad turned out @NewBoots. Have a great day everyone and stay cool!

 

[Acre4Me]

I can’t believe that giant zucchini was able to hide from me!!

Always amazing when we find the giant produce being hidden by 1 leaf, or simply in the shadows.

i tripped and fell on bad knee and hip turned over and found myself lying on my back partly on the small retaining wall .took me about 15 mins to get up

Glad you got up and inside. Keep working on your project little by little. @Sueby has some good advice.

Anyone know why I don't have any beans on my pole beans? They are climbing all the way up the trellises, but don't have any flowers.

My pole beans are just barely beginning to flower. They do take quite a bit longer than bush beans, it seems.

 

[Sueby]

Ok, @Acre4Me, good to know I'm once again being impatient. It's a thing with me.

 

[Acre4Me]

From what I've heard from the national weather forecasters, the mid west is in for a really hot time this week.

Just looked - yes, it will heat up next week, but today will be mid-80s then Sun/Mon/Tues look fairly cool with tomorrow's high at 77F! So, my July Planting will need to occur in the next few days. My plan is to plant more bush beans (for green beans), a couple more summer squash plants, Brussel sprouts and cabbage, and beets. Will dig up the potato bed (red and yellow potatoes), but not the white potatoes as the plants haven't really died back yet. So, the potato bed can be replanted with beans and beets, perhaps. I looked at a packet of garden peas, and it says I can plant them in August for a fall harvest, so I'll try that next month!

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Well, you do have more mouths to feed from your garden @Sueby. I was actually happy I didn't have to pick any bush beans this morning. And I started my pole beans late on purpose. I still have lettuce and carrots left to consume.