What did you do in the garden today?

[jerryse]

Rain overnight about 1/4 inch. We needed the rain. Mowed leaves and added them to the compost pile.

 

[Sally PB]

We probably got about the same. I forgot to put out a bucket as a rain gauge.

Today I picked 3 chard leaves, all different colors, to put in my stir fry lunch.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I worked a little more on the garden clean up, set up hoop frames over the Fall garden plants. They’re all in the same category that only need to be covered when the temperature gets to the mid 20 degrees fahrenheit. Busy week. The snowblower is in the shop, the chimney was cleaned yesterday and I had a visit with my chiropractor earlier today. I need to finish installing a few more windows in the “littles” chicken hut. The temperatures will be dipping into the normal cool range then warm up to the low 70’s again mid week. Crazy weather.

 

[Minanora]

Caught one of the gophers in the front yard today. My tally continues to grow!

Took a load of stuff to the dump today. I didn't realize I had a whole truck bed of stuff to go until we got everything loaded.

The seeds we started have been moved under the grow lights. Almost everything is coming up now. Did some weeding today.

 

[Smokerbill]

Got the garlic patch mulched with an inch or so of dried grass clippings. I'm experimenting with growing a cover crop in one of my raised beds, using some old, old, old hard red winter wheat seeds. They're around 20 years old and have been exposed to storage unit temps from below zero to over 100 degrees. If any germinate I'll be superprised.

I've learned (according to a YouTube "expert", LOL) that adding compost to the garden is good practice, but having plants growing everywhere, all the time, is even better.

Living plant roots release sugars and other compounds into the soil to encourage microbe growth. And the microbes near the roots break down soil components into compounds that the plant roots can easily absorb, a symbiotic relationship. And the more microbes in the soil, the healthier it is.

The theory sounds plausible, and I've heard about using cover crops all my life. It might be a good way to go.

 

[Eagle343]

I forgot the show off the damage, who knew a squirrels teeth was so sharp.

 

[Sally PB]

Wow, @Eagle343! That is some serious damage!

When our old fridge finally dies, I'm going to save it as a space to store bee stuff.

 

[Smokerbill]

I forgot the show off the damage, who knew a squirrels teeth was so sharp. View attachment 3972904View attachment 3972905View attachment 3972906

They can chew into black walnut shells, so lumber like that is probably not much of a challenge.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Water the garden again today... Noticed a few lettuce seeds have sprouted. Something is still eating stuff inside the hoop house though. Most of the cabbage has been chewed down to nubs. A couple of small lettuce plants were also chewed to the ground and I found two of the garlic cloves I just planted last weekend laying on top of the soil. I put them back in the ground. I don't know if it's rats, possum, or something else eating this stuff. I really need to get the door to the hoop house fixed. I do have some lettuce sprouting inside the cold frame. Hopefully they will be safer in there.

Picked the last of the green beans. I currently have them boiling on the store with some ham, potatoes, chicken broth, and Creole seasoning. It smells so good and making me hungry!

 

[Acre4Me]

We got some rain today!! Not sure how much, but it was heavy at times. It rained over a few hours this morning.