What did you do in the garden today?

[WthrLady]

It's amazing to hear about what happens halfway around the world yet not see anything about it in the news here.

RIGHT?! Not a word.

 

[CNJ]

Alaska Fish fertilizer a very smelly but great fertilizer my folks had it back in the day.

I will try feeding my fish fertilizer to my squash, pour thing was doing well, I hope it lives through this...............I am not confident, but need to get rid of it.

Next time I will chop the fish up and use a bucket with lid. I am thinking about drilling a 1 inch hole and stuffing it with polyester, to make it breathable.

I saw an Agriculture professor use a fine screen cover when he demonstrated how to make fish fertilizer. He said it won't smell if we use the right amount of molasses.

I just placed an order for a gallon of molasses from amazon it cost $22 with free shipping.

 

[jerryse]

Saw a pair of Robins scouting a nest site. Checking out the top of a deck post. I made a nesting ledge for them. Maybe they will use it. Filled some containers with pro mix. Getting ready for indoor starts.

 

[BReeder!]

This talk of fertilizer has me thinking. Does homemade fertilizer that is fernented, such as the comfrey for fish that are left in a bucket is water for a period of time, add acidity to the soil? I'm thinking the fermentation would result in an acidic solution.

 

[Sally PB]

@BReeder! do you want to make your soil more acidic? Do you know what the pH is now?

 

[Swiss]

My seed potatoes arrived today, and 4 of my 6 fruit trees from Stark Bros are being delivered tomorrow. So, I guess it's officially spring? I have a lot of work to do before planting the potatoes: digging, garden fence, compost and topsoil delivery and distribution... The fruit trees should be easier, in theory, because I just need to dig a hole, put them in, mulch, and stake them, but I also need to figure out where the lines to the sprinklers are so I don't cut them or put the trees out of range.

Check out estate sales and garage sales. Since you don't need them for a few months (I assume...) just keep looking when you see a sale.

I prefer wide mouth jars, and so does everyone else, since most people can get their hand inside it. If you're canning something like applesauce, you don't need a wide mouth, and the regular mouth jars might be skipped over at sales.

I will have to keep an eye out for garage sales this year. It should be a few months before I need them, and I do have a chest freezer to help with the canning load, but I don't want to be caught with my pants down. And we all know that once the produce starts rolling in, it really comes in! And canned goods don't get ruined if the power goes down for a few days (unless there are huge temperature swings).

 

[Sally PB]

I'll have to look it up, but I have a source for canning lids if anyone needs them. I got 175 (?) wide mouth lids for something like $65. This was in 2020 or 2021, when EVERYONE and their brother realized that canning was a very valuable skill, and lids were next to nonexistent in stores.

I have some canning jars that were my moms, and I bet some of them are older than I am.

 

[BReeder!]

@BReeder! do you want to make your soil more acidic? Do you know what the pH is now?

No, I don't. I would be concerned about using a fermented fertilizer though. With fish fertilizer coming up on the thread and the talk of DIY fish fertilizer it got me thinking about the possible downside.

 

[Ccumber]

Hanging with the chicks

 

[Sammster]

Yes, and fertilize, they’re not happy if the make flowers at that age.

I did just fertilize a couple days ago. I hope I can keep these seedlings alive until planting time. It's been a challenge