What did you do in the garden today?

[saysfaa]

Some done.
More to do.
Pepper, Coco, and Mocha checked it out but didn't see what the fuss was about.

 

[CNJ]

One of my cucumber vines died today after I filled my earth box with a liquid fertilizer mix. When I saw the leaves wilting, I poured in a gallon of water to dilute the solution. The other three survived, so I will only use water from here on, since I started the earth box with 2 mason pints of organic fertilizer. It should be enough fertilizer to see it through, it's just that I am kind of OCD and I have a history of over fertilizing and killing plants.

 

[Sally PB]

I planted a number of fruit trees about 20 years ago, but the deer ate them in the wintertime and killed them. I never replanted them because I did not want to build a high fence in my yard to keep the deer out to protect the trees.

I use plain ol' 4 foot tall 2x3 welded wire fence, but I have it 3 feet away from the tree. I think the circle is probably 8 feet in diameter..? It keeps the deer from being able to browse the trees and works well.

 

[muddy75]

I think I still have a couple of really small tomatoes that ripened…..but I’m freezing today so they’ll have to wait

 

[Sally PB]

Whew. I got the garlic and multiplier onions planted.

Then I cleared out a space for some early spring flowering bulbs. I planted 25 each of:

Siberian Squill, Winter Aconite, and Snowdrops. Blue, yellow, and white flowers, respectively. These are for the bees. They bloom really early, when there isn't much else in bloom and the bees are waking up and breaking cluster.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I truly cannot breathe wearing a mask and go into panic mode.
I did wear one a couple weeks ago blowing out the shop of all the mouse leavings and dust, and saw dust - But I only wore it for 5 minutes and then went outside and ripped it off and gasped for breath like I had just come up from the ocean bottom to the surface.

The coop took me HOURS.

It was all poo dust, feathers, shafts, dander from molt, bits of feed, probably mold/mildew (dry as a bone though) and lord knows what else.

Every one around here is hacking up a lung recently though - drought harvest has really stirred up some nasties. The little bit of rain we've had has turned up the dry creeks and just YUCK - and leaf mold season.

I'm the same with a mask. During Covid craziness, I hardly went anywhere just because I refused to wear a mask. The few business trips I had to take were absolute torture. I'd go to the bathroom constantly just so I could take the mask off and breath. I nearly drowned as a kid and used to have nightmares about being suffocated so the panic is real.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Hopefully there's not a lot of silica dust from the sand being kicked up. That's really hard on the lungs.

I let my chickens out to forage for the first time in a week or so. In the rain. Which they seemed to enjoy.

They were only out for a half hour or so, but I think it was enough to let them know I still appreciate all they do for me. LOL

I have windows positioned to create a cross breeze so it typically isn't very dusty in there UNLESS I'm cleaning the coop. The sifting creates clouds of silica dust. And yes, I'm typically hacking the whole time. I used to have a fan (several, actually) in there but the dust inevitably makes them quit working after a few months. I haven't replaced the last one that died.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I have several boxes of N95 for us I have no dust but coffee dust in the coop.
As soon as I can keep the coffee grounds fresh no dust.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I live on a lake. When I first got poultry about 30 years ago, I used my free sand in the coops. But I found it required too much maintenance, never really got clean except by replacing it, and always smelled bad to me.

Anyways, I was off in the military for years, then back home without poultry. About 4 years ago got into a backyard flock of laying hens and went with the deep bedding litter and only cleaning out the coop twice a year. First, I used wood chips, then dried leaves, but the last two years mostly just paper shreds which I find works the best for me.

There is no dust with paper shreds compared to the other methods of litter I used, but you still have chicken dander no matter what you use. Wear a good mask to protect your lungs and ignore others who might make fun of you.

Living in the deep south, deep litter doesn't do well here. The litter collects flies and smell too much. I use sand because it is a desiccant. It absorbs moisture from the poop and therefore, no smell and no flies. I have close to 80 chickens and no smell! Plus the sandy poop I get from cleaning the coop does wonders in the compost for our red clay soil in the garden. Win-win.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I harvested several pounds of peanuts today. Going to roast them. Wondering if you can can roasted peanuts?

I also repotted 3 of my 6 pineapple plants. Put them in 5 gallon buckets this time. Hopefully it's the last time I'll have to transplant. They were pretty root bound. I have the other 3 to do but not doing tonight.