What did you do in the garden today?

[MotherofOrpies]

My eggplant is somehow not doing well..

Tomatoes are doing great

There are little extra tomato plants coming up

At least the eggplant has it’s first bud

 

[CNJ]

I stuck some mango tree cuttings in plain peat and covered it with a plastic mushroom spawn bag. I rubbed aloe vera all over and dipped it in #8 root hormone specifically made for hard wood and mango cuttings.

I have tried before, but never succeeded. I watched a lot of Youtube videos on propagting mango cuttings and I think I will succeed this time around. I won't take the plastic bag off until I see growth and roots. I am using a 6 inch net cup with a plant tray.. I won't be leaving water in the tray this time around and I will fill the tray with water once a week and discard the left over water in the tray after 15 minutes.

 

[MotherofOrpies]

I had a mango sprout once. I put the pits (?) in the compost, and obviously the heat combined with the damp caused it to split open und sprout… but it died soon after, not humid enough

 

[jerryse]

I had 4 teeth pulled Wednesday. Still feeling rough. Pressure and teeth breaking and grinding. Took about 20 minutes. Never felt anything but pressure. Could not wear my c pap mask due to soreness. Have not slept well. Soft food with limited more solid food.

 

[littledog]

Seems my to-do-list is always a number of projects longer than my energy reserves. Fortunately, I can be happy with what i do get done.

Why is it that I always feel motivated to do various projects at home or around the farm when I'm away on vacation? But when I get home, my motivation deflates like a lead balloon....

Hey, "Planning" counts as being productive! (I try to keep telling myself that....)

I'm always kicking myself as some lazy good-for-nothing, for only completing half of what I planned to get done in any given time period. And looking around at all the half-done projects, and materials I've collected that are still waiting to be put to use, is definitely a source of frustration - makes me wonder if I deserve to be on that "Hoarders" show.

But all I have to do to feel better, is look at pictures from past years, a year ago, or even a few months ago, and realize we've made good progress.

 

[Sueby]

I had a mango sprout once. I put the pits (?) in the compost, and obviously the heat combined with the damp caused it to split open und sprout… but it died soon after, not humid enough

I've had that happen with avocado seeds in the compost. They grow but would never survive winter here.

Morning all. My walk thru the garden this am was productive, DH & I ate the first handful of green beans! The dragons lingerie is the first to produce. I have a couple cukes about 4 inches long so it won't be long before we're eating them.

The bees are insane, don't know where they were a couple weeks ago, but they are everywhere now and that's fantastic news. & the first Dahlia has bloomed - it's the red bush type that the bees love. Catching lots of japanese beetles in the traps, but it's slowed down quite a bit.

Best news of all, the hot tub has shipped & will be here next Fri.

 

[gtaus]

And looking around at all the half-done projects, and materials I've collected that are still waiting to be put to use, is definitely a source of frustration - makes me wonder if I deserve to be on that "Hoarders" show.

It goes against my sensibilities to throw out something if it has potential value to be reused or repurposed. So, I hang on to stuff thinking someday I'll find a second life for it. If it has been far too long, then I'll recycle it if possible, or finally toss it in the garbage as a last resort. No doubt, a week or two after I finally get rid of something, I find a good use for it and regret not having kept it.

IMHO, we really live in wasteful society. A few weeks ago, I was behind an older couple at our local transfer station. I watched them toss over a $100.00 worth of unused lumber into the trash compactor, the kind with the big auger that grinds up everything, so that wood will never be used for anything ever again. If they just would have left it out on the curb, I'm sure someone (like me) would have stopped and picked it up from them.

On the bright side, I have started seeing more people just put things out on the curb for free. Most of it gets picked up by other people. What's left in a day or two gets hauled off to the dump. But at least maybe somebody is picking up something of value to them for use, or repurposing.

But all I have to do to feel better, is look at pictures from past years, a year ago, or even a few months ago, and realize we've made good progress.

I make lots of pallet projects, mostly raised garden beds, so it's pretty easy for me to see how much reclaimed lumber I have given a second life. I enjoy making something of value out of what some people might consider trash.

Here is a picture of one of my newest pallet wood raised garden beds I built this year...

Believe it or not, those are cherry tomato plants that are over 5 feet high! Normally, for me where I live, the tomato plants would only be about 1 foot high this time of year. But I started these plants inside the house 8 weeks before our last frost date. Dear Wife thought that I was crazy planting seeds in starting 3 inch net cups when there was still a good 2 feet of snow outside, but I think it was the best idea I have had yet. We already have green tomatos on the plants and I am very happy.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I was patting my back about how clean the sweet potato bed looks. Today, it is almost covered with tiny little sprouts of purslane (weed). Easy enough to hoe down.

If I had to choose a "favorite" weed, it would probably be purslane. Yeah, it's ubiquitous, but it's low growing and helps shade the ground, conserving moisture. It's easy enough to pull up, though if you don't remove it, it will usually find a way to survive, as it takes a long time for the fleshy leaves to dry out. The roots will find a way into the ground, if they're covered up at all by dirt or a pile of other weeds.

And, the stems, leaves and flowers are edible, either raw or cooked. It's high in omega-3 fatty acids (good), but also in oxalates (not good if you tend to form kidney stones).

I tried growing purslane in the garden last year. Rabbits/Squirrels made it impossible. Then to my utter surprise, I found sprouts of it growing on a little hill between my barn and shop. I don't know if it was always there or if I inadvertently spilled some seeds over there. Anyway I'm thrilled it's there... Although between the horses, goats, and chickens whom all love it I'm not sure how long it will stay there...

 

[TJAnonymous]

It goes against my sensibilities to throw out something if it has potential value to be reused or repurposed. So, I hang on to stuff thinking someday I'll find a second life for it. If it has been far too long, then I'll recycle it if possible, or finally toss it in the garbage as a last resort. No doubt, a week or two after I finally get rid of something, I find a good use for it and regret not having kept it.

IMHO, we really live in wasteful society. A few weeks ago, I was behind an older couple at our local transfer station. I watched them toss over a $100.00 worth of unused lumber into the trash compactor, the kind with the big auger that grinds up everything, so that wood will never be used for anything ever again. If they just would have left it out on the curb, I'm sure someone (like me) would have stopped and picked it up from them.

On the bright side, I have started seeing more people just put things out on the curb for free. Most of it gets picked up by other people. What's left in a day or two gets hauled off to the dump. But at least maybe somebody is picking up something of value to them for use, or repurposing.



I make lots of pallet projects, mostly raised garden beds, so it's pretty easy for me to see how much reclaimed lumber I have given a second life. I enjoy making something of value out of what some people might consider trash.

Here is a picture of one of my newest pallet wood raised garden beds I built this year...

View attachment 3569252

Believe it or not, those are cherry tomato plants that are over 5 feet high! Normally, for me where I live, the tomato plants would only be about 1 foot high this time of year. But I started these plants inside the house 8 weeks before our last frost date. Dear Wife thought that I was crazy planting seeds in starting 3 inch net cups when there was still a good 2 feet of snow outside, but I think it was the best idea I have had yet. We already have green tomatos on the plants and I am very happy.

I'm always repurposing things, especially wood. They tore down our old firestation to build a new one and I wanted to go comb through the rubble to pull out all the old 2x4 studs. Of course, that's when studs were $9 a piece... While prices have come back to Earth (somewhat), I'd still love to dumpster dive (not literally) on construction sites to sift through their scrap... Around here it's getting harder to find good pallets for free.

 

[fuzzi]

It's been an eventful day in the gardens.

In our backyard the grass grows thick and tall, but the weather is beastly hot and humid, so trying to find the best time to mow is a challenge. The grass needs to dry out some from the rain the night before, so today I headed out about 10am to mow some of the backyard before it got too hot. I'd just about finished my first bagful when I felt an incredibly painful burning sensation on my ankle. I looked down and saw a yellow jacket, type of hornet. I must have gotten close to a nest. Blast.

After using baking soda paste to neutralize some of the venom I elevated the limb and used an ice pack to decrease the swelling. I've not been stung in, wow, about 50 years!

I'm thankful that it was only one hornet, and that I didn't have an allergic reaction.

I hobbled out later to check out the melons:

I hope that watermelon sling holds!

Green peppers

Honey bee???

Writing spider!

My dh decided to help, and mowed more of the backyard. I went out to move the hose and got attacked by fire ants.