What did you do in the garden today?

[CNJ]

@CNJ I'd be careful about adding chlorox, or any other chemical to the witches brew you've got going in the can. You've already got a high ammonia content from adding the chicken manure, and who knows what from the fermentation of the other compost. Adding chlorine to that is a recipe for disaster. Ammonium Chloride is no good for the lungs and then where can you pour it? The high salts content will kill off your lawn.

We don't use things that will draw in more things, like the traps or the zappers. Biting flies are just part of the landscape here, come with stock and cattle. We spray to repel and do that as little as possible and still manage them.

Something funny happen to me today, I dug out the same hole I poured the polluted water in and there was no smell, so I poured more polluted water in the hole and while I was pouring it, I was holding a rake to prevent the branches from falling in, but it was to heavy to hold with one hand, so i let it go and jumped back as far as I could, but I still got splattered with poop water. I immediately hosed myself off and then went back to cover everything up with dirt, until there was no smell.

I also noticed that the same hole I dug up was filled with worm, so they must have loved the fermented leaves. I was surprised at how fast they broke down everything.

 

[Sally PB]

I didn't get anything done in the garden today. Tomorrow will be cooler in the morning, so I'll be out doing the physical stuff then. Then slack off to watering as it warms up.

And yes, prune my tomatoes! I'll take off the low leaves/branches and suckers.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Tomatoes...after last year's nightmare of a jungle - yep I'm pruning a lot this year! And so far it is going well! I check em every 2 or 3 days, tie em up little more and only let the top grow.
I pruned the heck outta my cucumbers too cuz they quickly were looking like last years Tomatoes! So before I even got finished there were 3 bees!!! Yahoo! Pollinate away babies!
Now if it would only rain!!!

 

[TJAnonymous]

I need to go out and prune my tomatoes tonight but it's so hot and humid.... If I'm outside more than 5 minutes, I'm drenched in sweat. I don't mind being sweaty, per se, but I really dislike being in wet, clingy clothes... I don't think my neighbors would appreciate me pruning while naked so.....

 

[DParker75089]

BTW, I sliced up one of the smaller "Marketmore Select" cukes after leaving it in the fridge for a few hours and I have to say I'm impressed. It has a pronounced but mild flavor (if that makes sense) and crisp texture. A damned good fresh-eating cucumber. I'm going to have to let a couple get a little bigger before picking and see if they retain those characteristics with a little more ripening.

 

[CaroleW]

Something funny happen to me today, I dug out the same hole I poured the polluted water in and there was no smell, so I poured more polluted water in the hole and while I was pouring it, I was holding a rake to prevent the branches from falling in, but it was to heavy to hold with one hand, so i let it go and jumped back as far as I could, but I still got splattered with poop water. I immediately hosed myself off from head to toe and then went back to cover everything up with dirt, until there was no smell.

I notice that the same hole I dug up was filled with worm, so they must have loved the fermented leaves. I was surprised at how fast they broke down everything.

I think I'll dump my weeds-as-fertilizer bucket in a hole too - it has some big worms or grubs that I can't stand to look at and it smells so I just let it sit. I'm dumping it and starting over with new batch of weeds.

 

[Elyrian1]

I watered the pots and store bought starts this evening but skipped everything else as I do every other day. We've got nothing but 90+ in the two week forecast and a fair amount of that is 100+ with little to no chance of rain. More of the same, in other words.

I swear every time I go out there are a few more dead leaves on the potatoes, and double since I said something earlier. Lol

DH, poor DH, is fixing the water system again. I've lost count of how many times he's had to redo it at this point. Hopefully this is the last time and we won't have to fiddle with it anymore except to add a pressure tank at some point. Water is just as determined to get places it shouldn't be as goats are I think.

Chickens are peaceful. Now that we're down to the one rooster, and he's not crowing yet, it's a lot quieter. He's keeping the ladies in line, but he doesn't get weirdly aggressive toward them or me when I'm in the run. He just watches, keeps some distance, minds his business. Since we're down four teenagery cockerels and a pullet, I'm getting adjusted to how much less food to put out. I think going forward a bag a month is going to be just about right. We'll see.

DH informed me that while I was feeding the chickens this evening, DD crawled over, stood hanging on my chair and said "Mamamamamama" Too cute! She has also said "Papa" a few times to my dad. Grumpy old fart starts cooing. It's adorable.

 

[WthrLady]

Ya, trimming some varieties of indeterminates just angers them and makes them go insane! LOL.

 

[WthrLady]

I need to go out and prune my tomatoes tonight but it's so hot and humid.... If I'm outside more than 5 minutes, I'm drenched in sweat. I don't mind being sweaty, per se, but I really dislike being in wet, clingy clothes... I don't think my neighbors would appreciate me pruning while naked so.....

We call that a wet underpants break.
Come in cool off and put on dry clothes.
======
Went to make the brained wire chain for the shade cloths and I didn't have a crimping tool large enough. I THOUGHT I did, but didn't.

Had to run to the next town over, almost ran out of gas on the way and had to stop at the co-op for a couple of expensive gallons. Popped into the tractor shop and then home again.

To hot and wound up to work in the garden the rest of the night.
Tomorrow morning it is.

 

[SheaLoner]

With all of the apples falling WAY before they're ripe, I've been picking up as many as I can to prevent the pup from eating too many. Is there anything I can do with them? I hate for them to go to waste. Most/All have bug damage.
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Vinegar. You can make a very lovely scrap apple vinegar with the drops. Wont be as sweet as cider but will still be lovely.