What did you do in the garden today?

[gtaus]

Just because the shell fragments are too small for you to see and differentiate from other parts of the soil doesn't mean that they've decomposed into their constituent elements. They can do so, but the soil needs to be fairly acidic (have a low pH) in order to react with the calcium carbonate and free up the calcium in any sort of reasonable time frame.

That's what I am reading from people who are lots smarter than me on this issue. Well said.

 

[gtaus]

I sifted out another 8 cubic feet of compost and topsoil mix to work into my gardens. I got all my high priority plants in the gardens, but I still have some space leftover in the main garden so I might be throwing easy to grow things like more beans out there.

I am really thankful that I started my tomato and pepper plants inside this year, for the first time, because our local big box stores are just not offering a very good selection of 6 pack vegetables this year. Actually, the veggie 6 pack varieties in the store are really bad compared to other years. Only had 1 type of pepper plants!?

Well, I'm done with my lunch break so I heading back outside to put a few more plants and seeds in the garden. Later...

 

[Sueby]

Do you take the peel off to use them?

Sorry, not really sure what you mean by the peel? The entire scape, flower & all is edible. I just cut them when they get 1 loop in them, if they go much bigger they can get woody. You can eat them raw just like that off the plant or you can fry them, grill them or cut them up & use them any where you'd use garlic, mince them, blend them, etc. They are milder than garlic & delish!

 

[fuzzi]

From the garden today!

Summer squash "Lemon"

"German Johnson" tomato blossoms

Basil (top left is borage)

 

[fuzzi]

Don't want to neglect the flowers!

Look at the squash leaves!

 

[CNJ]

What should I do with empty eggshells? I have a whole bread bag full of them.

My first thought was to crush up the eggshells and put them into the compost. But I have been reading that eggshells don't decompose and release all that calcium into the soil for something like 100 years.

My second thought was to crush up the eggshells and feed them to the chickens, either mixed in with their main commercial feed in the hanging 5 gallon PVC bucket feeder, or by itself in my smaller grit and calcium feeders.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

I think you need grind them up and boil them in a vinegar/water solution to decompose.

 

[CNJ]

View attachment 3531759
So what kind of grubs are these? I’m getting them by the 100’s out of a 2 ft by 6ft by 2 ft deep raised bed that I filled with compost this spring. But didn’t see a single earthworm in the bed.
The chickens loved the snack I brought them.

I got this bag of Amdro from Lowes, it killed those grubs with a surface application in my containers. The label says to wait one day before harvest after application, so its safe to use around garden.

 

[CNJ]

I use Duck weed for supplemental Tilapia and chicken feed, it has 40% protein, so its good to have around. I have an interesting tilapia living in my Duck weed tank, its a small species that don't get big and it lives off string algae. When I introduced 4 pieces of Duck weed in this tank, it did not eat the duck weed, it only ate string algae.
The 4 Duck weed took about a month to fill this tank to the brim. It seems like the duck weed double everyday.

I have large white Nile tilapia living below in a deeper tank that love to eat duck weed, they can grow larger than 10lbs. White Nile Tilapia is an excellent frying fish, it turns golden when fried.

I tried to raise prawns in my duck weed tank, but the 12 inch depth was too shallow, they all eventually jumped out.

 

[WthrLady]

anyone else have a creami?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

anyone else have a creami?

No, but I would love to have one if if knew where to put it in my little kitchen, lol. I have so many kitchen gadgets.