What did you do in the garden today?

[Liz Birdlover]

I am so tired. My kitchen flooded this morning.... I don't want to get into it. This isn't the first time.... I laid into DH about it this morning. I was livid. And you know what you don't say to an angry wife...."you're being dramatic" I WILL END YOU!

Yes, I am dramatic. But it's completely justified.

A lot of my garlic is coming up. The early italian is the most grown. Followed by inchelium, then red toch, and silver white is lagging, but it has roots.

I have caught 5 gophers this week. 2 in a tunnel next to my apple tree, by the pumpkins and berry pots. 2 in a tunnel in one of my raised beds that the hardware cloth rusted out on this year. and 1 in my newest ground level bed where my butternut squash are. DEATH TO THE BURROWING DEVILS!

The ones that were under the apple tree, I returned those to the yard they came from, right over the fence. Take back your vermin you refuse to kill yourself. Neighbors with joining fence #1 to the East. Lets just say they're the NE neighbor.

The ones in the raised bed... I like those neighbors too much to return their gophers over the fence, so I leave them on the ground for their cat to bring back to them. Those are the neighbors to the south.

The one that was in the lower bed.... I imagine it came from the neighbor to the south, but I threw it over the fence to the neighbors to the NE by the apple tree. There's several other gophers of theirs in my orchard that I haven't tried to trap yet, so, they get a bonus gopher.

My neighbors to the north.... they chase their gophers into my yard with those sonar spikes... I toss their gophers back even if I know their dog is out. I could aim for their hot tub or pool, but I don't. I think about it sometimes though. When they're talking outside of my bedroom window at 3am. One time they almost burned down their house by disposing of paint cleaning chemicals improperly in their trash. I have lots more stories about them, but there's a saying that if you don't have anything nice to say.... But. Gophers. Kill them yourself or I will and I will give them back. I'm not going to bury your problems for you. Lol

Mind you, when we moved into this home, I killed 47 gophers in a calendar year. Year two, 29. Since then, I was down to 18ish a year. This year, since gaining new neighbors on all property lines in the three years. I've gained rats, and upped the number of yearly gophers back yearly as neighbors changed. This year I'm back up to 32.

I'm very sorry to hear about any flooding, & believe me, I can relate. It is infuriating when it could've been prevented or addressed earlier. But...Hey, I love the way you complain! Gave me a good laugh & I really needed that this morning cuz my DH really ticked me off last night. I like the way you think! Thank you for sharing.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

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.

I've heard the same. There's a saying I always remembered (in my mind since childhood, said in an old timer's voice)..."Don't leave it bare, cuz if ya don't plant something, mother nature's gonna plant something for ya, & ya might not like what she plants."

 

[Liz Birdlover]

We've had odd fluctuations with weather. Hot in the 80s then a cool night in the upper 30s. Yesterday, I finally felt like I had some energy, so I got outside to see how behind I am in everything. Tomatoes are still there, but they are near the end. I picked several. Many went right into my mouth & they were quite delicious.

Okra pods are so big they look like green bananas! That's what happens when you are sick for a week. The chickens enjoy them when they're that big. Quite hilarious when you see hens running around with the others after them...hey, gimme that big green stogie! They basically rip them open for the nice Okra pearls inside.

I finally got DH to help me dig a few holes & get some stuff planted here & there. I had great deals on some plants, 3 roses, some perennial flowers. It felt great being outside & the sun was shining, but it was not warm. Last week it figures, we had a warm week & I was too sick to do much. Now I get outside & I needed to go back in & get a turtleneck. That nip in the air does a number on my neck & back. It is amazing what a simple cotton turtleneck can do for arthritis.

I'm shocked how dry it is here. There is a burn ban on, too, so no burning, too dry, we are in drought conditions. The firepit is now loaded with yard debris but I cannot light it up yet. I'd have a small fire if there was no breeze, but it's been very breezy. Not worth the risk.

Last night we had our 1st frost! I am not ready for winter, but it's coming. The deciduous trees have suddenly turned colors, just in the past 48 hours.

I've been giving my poor Roo foot soaks. I don't know if his foot will fully recover, he may lose some toes, but I'm trying my best. He seems to feel better at least.

The ground is so dry, it would be the perfect time to use the dethatch tines & rip out my "weed lawn". I don't really have the energy, but I am thinking about it. I am scheduled to work every day, but if I can do some each day, with what daylight I get, I might make progress. The PITA will be stopping every 25 feet to clear the tines off as it rips this crap up. Then after all that, I'd still have to go back with my aching back & 5 gallon bucket to hand pick all the darn nutsedge pearls out of the dirt. Lord give me enough energy please. Yeah, I'd need to pace myself, which is something I never did, for decades. But if I don't, I will be in a world of hurtin. I'm no spring chicken anymore & my neck, lower back, hips & knees remind me daily. I cannot visit the chiropractor anymore, cannot afford it.

The darn battery on the mower is done. I need to get a new one. Got leaky, drippy plumbing all over this house, poorly built. Several things need fixing. It's always something.

 

[jerryse]

Any updates on the garbage can rat trap?

 

[cj2024]

Any updates on the garbage can rat trap?

I don't think it worked..........

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Got most of the weed whacking done in the big garden yesterday. I still need to do the very back of it. I put the tomato cages and support posts into the garden shed. Today I finally charged up the battery for my mini chain saw and cut down 2 scrub oak trees that planted themselves. I trimmed up one of my lilac shrubs as well. It’s way too dry here to even consider burning the branches so I dragged them to the old chicken yard and will likely just toss them into the woods later this week. Tomorrow is laundry and picking up my TSC order. It was 31 this morning but there was no frost because it was so dry.

 

[cj2024]

My third seedless vanilla papaya was picked at the perfect time. The stem part has yellowed, and the middle is soft to touch.
Unlike the first papaya, this one can be eaten with a spoon, so I don't have to mess with peeling it. Oh, and I see one viable seed.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Any updates on the garbage can rat trap?

Ours has been placed in 3 different locations for several weeks now... Not a single rat caught. Peanut butter crackers in the bottom of the can are untouched. Thinking about putting a bunch of grain in the bottom of the can instead.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Our first chance at meaningful rain in 2 months is up for bat this Thursday. We are supposed to get an inch of rain. Fingers crossed!

I've been watering the fall plants in the garden. Lettuce seeds finally sprouted. Carrots have not. Broccoli is starting to bounce back after the summer heat and grasshopper damage. Garlic still hasn't sprouted yet.

I have a new Ozark witch hazel seedling that I ordered. It's about a foot tall... Trying to decide if I want to gamble on planting it this fall, given the moderate drought or if I just want to keep it inside until spring. Leaning towards playing it safe and keeping it indoors until conditions improve. I know it needs winter chill in order to bloom (which it won't do this year anyway given how tiny it is).

 

[Sally PB]

I finished the black raspberry "corral" and now I have a dilemma. I planted them in a raised bed, the only empty one I had at the time (May 2023). The plants were a gift from a friend, crowns that he dug out of his patch that was spreading. They are in raised bed #5.

The bed to the north, #4, is going to be hopelessly shaded, I fear. The canes aren't even well leafed, as the leaves are falling, and the side shoots won't grow until next spring. Bed #4 has enough shade now that I doubt much would like it and grow. Part of that might be due to the low sun angle too.

So, next spring, after danger of frost, I'm going to plant bed #4 with buckwheat. It crowds out weeds, and honeybees like the flowers. I'll see how it grows, if it grows. If it doesn't do well, I think I might just dismantle that bed and reconfigure beds #3&4 to make a spot for...

Something else.