What did you do in the garden today?

[Acre4Me]

Do you know the genetics of your easter eggers? They aren’t a breed, nor are olive eggers, and won’t reliably lay blue eggs. Maybe the Marans eggs are too dark and a lighter brown laying breed would be better to cross for green or olive eggs.

@TJAnonymous you can also check the dark eggs - when you crack open a dark egg, peel back the membrane. A blue egg is blue all the way to the inside of the egg. Hard to tell when membrane is over the shell. A brown egg has a white shell, so the inside of the shell (under the membrane) is white.

 

[Kidwantschickens]

I have had no luck with root vegetables. I might try digging a row then planting potatoes in straw in that row - sort of straw sunken beds. soil here becomes as hard as concrete, not good for root vegetables.

Radishes and carrots are pretty easy. I need to replant some of both.

 

[TJAnonymous]

If you’re wanting something temporary that you can take down, some of those stakes that hold wire fence and bungee cords through the grommets on the shade cloth work well. Also, even here in our sun I use no more than 50% shade on my gardens.

Luckily it hasn't been excessively windy here so we temporarily rigged the corners using twine tied to nails and rocks... I had to tie it to rocks to give it enough weight to throw over the hoop house. This cloth was one I purchased almost 10 years ago for our exposed back porch at our previous house. I have it placed (hopefully) to allow sun all morning but block in the afternoon and evening.

 

[igorsMistress]

Luckily it hasn't been excessively windy here so we temporarily rigged the corners using twine tied to nails and rocks... I had to tie it to rocks to give it enough weight to throw over the hoop house. This cloth was one I purchased almost 10 years ago for our exposed back porch at our previous house. I have it placed (hopefully) to allow sun all morning but block in the afternoon and evening.
View attachment 3182048

Oh so it’s like a shade sail. Those things are awesome! I have one on my patio also, in addition to an umbrella.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Do you know the genetics of your easter eggers? They aren’t a breed, nor are olive eggers, and won’t reliably lay blue eggs. Maybe the Marans eggs are too dark and a lighter brown laying breed would be better to cross for green or olive eggs.

I have just 1 EE rooster. Got him as a chick from TSC. Of course he was labeled as an Ameraucana. I didn't know better back then about Easter Eggers and the misappropriation of the breed. So unfortunately I don't know his parent breeds. He's a gorgeous bird though... And happens to be the aipha around here. He's the dark one in this picture.


The other roosters I have - 2 Ameracaunas, 1 CCLB, and 1 Isbar - are all pure breeds I purchased from breeders.

 

[igorsMistress]

I have just 1 EE rooster. Got him as a chick from TSC. Of course he was labeled as an Ameraucana. I didn't know better back then about Easter Eggers and the misappropriation of the breed. So unfortunately I don't know his parent breeds. He's a gorgeous bird though... And happens to be the aipha around here. He's the dark one in this picture.
View attachment 3182062

The other roosters I have - 2 Ameracaunas, 1 CCLB, and 1 Isbar - are all pure breeds I purchased from breeders.

Oh wow TJ, he really is a gorgeous boy! I would want babies from him too.

 

[WthrLady]

If you’re wanting something temporary that you can take down, some of those stakes that hold wire fence and bungee cords through the grommets on the shade cloth work well. Also, even here in our sun I use no more than 50% shade on my gardens.

My shade clothes are up with steel turnbuckles and into 4x4x10 foot posts, sunk in concrete to 34 inches down. I use steel anchor wires and even then one snapped yesterday. Upgrading to chain today. If the wind EVER blows, over-engineer your anchor system.

 

[WthrLady]

Interesting. I was figuring the dark brown was probably cuckoo Marans, but without puffy cheeks would that make the other half part legbar? I don’t see a tuft on the top yet either (but my legbars of the same age don’t have theirs yet either). Unfortunately I think mine are all boys…no olive eggs for me, unless I cross them with blue or brown to get bluer green or browner green next time around. I *might* keep one at the farm for that purpose.

I guessing since they also breed CLegbars that it is some combination of the two yes. But it's possible that it's a double bred situation, taking more than one generation to get the true Olive Egger. Their eggs are such a dark green!! Not just green but dark dark olive.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I got a big batch of Jalapeños yesterday. We ate some last night and I cut up and froze the rest.
Questions, help please:
I dug up my hard neck garlic today. When I did, I damaged one with the spade, I don't need to use it right now, my question is how can I save/store it damaged?
Another question is that one of the garlic heads in the back had a completely dried out stem, how can I save/store it?

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Well 1 container of potatoes gone...stinkin critter dug up entire plant and left me the skins off the potatoes it ate!!!
Ugh...