What did you do in the garden today?

[pennyJo1960]

I seem to handle the pistols faster than I could cock the bb gun I have learned a good stance with them.

 

[Sally PB]

I've seen "organic eggs" for $2/doz down the road from me. I don't know who or what thread said, "They aren't organic unless EVERYTHING is organic, not just the feed. The bedding, no treated lumber, etc." Not a good time to be trying to sell eggs, I suppose.

There is one place that has been selling eggs for several years, and it's been $3/doz since they started. I would like have enough eggs to sell to the neighbors who have expressed interest. I would like to have enough to share with some friends. If I can cover some of the feed cost, that would be great.

One of my neighbors wants to buy some of my excess produce. She buys organic as much as possible, knows I garden that way, and asked if she could buy some of my butternut squash. I told her I have no guarantees about how much I might get, but sure! It would be nice to get some money for my labor.

I look at the food I get out of my garden as tax free income. Some years it just about makes me cry to think about what I'm getting for my hours and hours of labor.

 

[gtaus]

The soil blocker is nice. I gave mine away. Pro-Tip. Grab yourself one of those black-plastic concrete mixing bins at the hardware store. Two ends are straight up and two are sloped. This make a super blocking tub as you can fill it with your medium, use the blocker to scoop and swoosh and compact the medium up the sloped side towards you and them plop the blocks into your trays next to you.

I hope the soil blocker is not just a gimmick. I watched a number of YouTube videos and they were all very positive on the soil blockers. Any reason you gave your soil blocker away?

Last year, I made a DIY soil blocker out of PVC pipe, some blocks of wood, and a long bolt with nuts and washers. It worked OK but only made 1 soil block at a time, and it was round of course using the PVC pipe. My DIY PVC soil blockers worked good as far as starting seeds. So I liked the concept and this year I decided to buy a 4 unit aluminum soil blocker which should make square soil blocks much better to fit into a 10x20 flat. I also bought the plastic concrete mixing bin last year, and it works great.

I don't have a proper greenhouse, but I made a couple of "mini greenhouses" out of clear storage totes. You just turn the tote upside down so the clear plastic bin is the greenhouse top and the lid becomes and bottom to hold your flat and/or plants. If anyone is interested, here is the best video I have found on YouTube on making a storage tote greenhouse. It's almost 30 minutes long, but he goes into greater detail than other videos on the subject and he tells you from his experience what to look for, and what to avoid, when you buy your tote. So if you are interested in making a mini greenhouse, it's well worth watching this video.

In case you are wondering what tote I got, here it is Hefty 72qt Clear Hi-Rise Storage bin with Stackable Lid Gray. $12 at Target, although I bought mine on sale for around $10 at the time.

 

[gtaus]

We put them around faucet handles and when we turn ON the faucet the bracelet goes on you, so you remember to put the bracelet BACK and turn off the faucet.

OK, understand now. I'd probably forget about the bracelet, so the manual timer works better for me. But whatever system works for a person is good enough in my book.

 

[gtaus]

I had wanted to mention this way back in the thread when the subject of rice cookers came up. I just refused to use the rice cookers for years because I make really awesome rice the old fashioned way. I finally bought a rice cooker a few years back and learned to love it. I have since upgraded from the $15 one with the non stick pot to the stainless steel pot. I like that I can fill the pot then turn it on and you get really nice rice.

Dear Wife is from the Philippines and we have a never out policy on rice. The first rice cooker I bought for her was too big for the 2 of us. After a number of years, she finally settled on a small 4 cup rice cooker which makes enough rice to feed the 2 of us for the meal, plus leftovers for the next day. She prefers the smaller rice cooker because she would rather make fresh rice every other day than to eat leftover rice for a week or so from a larger rice cooker. And yes, I did mention that she could cook just 4 cups of rice in the larger rice cooker, but that idea did not fly with her. So I just learned to go with the flow and not argue with a Filipina about how she should cook her rice. Happy wife, happy life...

 

[Sally PB]

I don't have a proper greenhouse, but I made a couple of "mini greenhouses" out of clear storage totes.

I save the plastic boxes I buy spinach in. When it got down to -2, I covered the little lettuce/kale/spinach plants that I had in the (unheated) green house with those boxes tuned upside down. A mini green house in the green house. It kept everything from freezing.

Before I had the green house, I used large clear totes to harden off the starts I grew inside. I placed the plants in the totes and put them where I wanted them: partial sun to start, eventually more direct sun. I could pop the top on and then carry them up on the porch at night.

 

[gtaus]

He ended up showing up and busting the guy next to me who had his eggs out on a table. I know he is just doing his job and trying to keep people safe but I felt a bit mortified that he was connected to me. Just feels a bit like a conflict of interest... The guy was really nice about it. He did say he couldn't sell them... Just that they have to stay chilled.

I think most of the world sells fresh eggs, unrefrigerated. I know here in the USA we have laws about washing the eggs, removing the protective bloom from the shell, and then requiring the eggs to be chilled. But I have lived in other countries where people don't have a fridge. So they buy fresh eggs from the market as needed. In general, people shop for fresh food almost daily in those countries, whereas here in the USA we buy refrigerated food from a big box store and then let it sit in our fridge at home for additional days or weeks. I'm not so sure our system in the USA is better. I know my fresh vegetables harvested from my garden and then served for supper that night seem to taste better than the store bought veggies. I don't think it's all in my mind.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Of course we all know our fresh vegetables are so much better for us.. Starting to get flowers on tomato's

 

[Iluveggers]

We made a pact in my house to eat local whenever we can. The only foods we get now from the grocery store are canned/dried beans (I grow them but not enough for the whole year), condiments, some dairy, & rice/oats/flour. (Oh, & 1 special snack each for the kids, they usually pick pretzels or crackers, plus alcohol for me & the hub lol). I eat what we grow & hunt, and buy extra produce from farm stands & meats from local farmers. I feel so much healthier & glad to help out our neighbors. Can’t wait til our eggs start coming in! This is the first year my family is selling at the farmers market. I still work full time so the stress isn’t that high since we know we can live regardless. I’d like to farm full time when I retire in 10 years...I’d rather be working outside than anywhere else!

 

[agold23]

What did you do in your garden today?

I picked a bunch of Rattlesnake green beans and Cherokee wax beans, a few tomatoes, three eggplants, some broccoli shoots, and jalapenos. Pretty happy with today's harvest!

Got an interview for a gardener/garden supervisor position at a horse stable! I hear back sunday evening.

I transplanted my very root bound Pothos and lemon/lime draecana and I planted some cuttings I “stole” from my great uncle!