What did you do in the garden today?

[karenerwin]

@TropicalBabies maybe the teenagers that you gave the 2 chickens to will want a few more?

 

[WthrLady]

I had NZW as a kid. Marshmallow was with us forever! He was HUGE and could kick!

Don't remember what ever happened to him.

 

[karenerwin]

call your local 4H group

Great idea! Thanks.

 

[BReeder!]

I used to raise New Zealand Whites ( meat rabbit). My hubby doesn't want me to do rabbits and chickens for some reason.
I thought I had him talked into letting me get 2 does and a buck, but that hasn't happened yet. I mainly want them for the rabbit poop! It's great for the garden plus I figure if I'm going to have rabbits they may as well be meat rabbits.
The guy I bought them from 20 years ago lived in Illinois. Not sure I have his contact info any more. Maybe after all this covid19 stuff is over I can find someone fairly close by to get more from.

I should be getting rabbits in May from a person in IL near St. Louis. Brown's Bunny Barn is the rabbitry's name. They may be relatively close to you, or at least closer than the 3 1/2 hrs I'll be driving each way. Price they gave me for 2 does and a buck of separate bloodlines was very reasonable too.

 

[Teneniel]

I have some silver foxes and they’re incredibly soft! I do need to find a second doe from a separate bloodline before summer though. I got my current doe set up in her hutch and not a day too soon. I found her building a nest in the duck’s dog house!

never did get those potatoes in

 

[BReeder!]

I started moving dirt into one of the new raised beds. I had to take some time to measure the placement of the bed and painstakingly level the ground first. Two beds are now in the exact right locations and level (level enough at least). It takes 10-12 wheelbarrows to fill each bed and each wheelbarrow load gets filled, walked over to a raised bed, dumped onto a scrap piece of plywood and then loaded into the raised bed. I'm shoveling every speck of dirt twice! If the beds weren't 26" tall it wouldn't be necessary. I may end up building a ramp to make things easier and faster. I'll have two days indoors with rain coming anyway, so I could get a ramp made in the garage during some down time I'm sure.

 

[pennyJo1960]

My tires are all ready tomorrow I will get out to plant the new tomato 2 nice big tomato not tiny one roma for cooking beef eater green tomato sandwiches

 

[BReeder!]

Update on the termites in the garden: the ducks indulged themselves. I have some organic bug spray I may decide to use. I need to research the ingredients though. I'm confident I'll get the colony knocked out. I'm just hoping they don't have other colonies out their. I may decide to use a chemical pesticide this year if necessary. I'm trying to avoid that if possible though for the long term health of the garden (and planet even).

On another topic, my tomato, eggplant and pepper seedlings are looking great. They are in fairly small starter cells. Due to the amount of work I need to get done out there, I will not be getting things into the ground outside until the first week of May likely (which is actually recommended by many here). The seed tray is a 72 cell version, so each cell is approximately 1.5"x1.5". How large should I let the plants get before transplanting them into larger containers you think? The larger containers will likely be solo cups btw. It's what I have on hand.

 

[TropicalBabies]

@TropicalBabies maybe the teenagers that you gave the 2 chickens to will want a few more?

Oh wow, maybe. Good thinking

 

[TropicalBabies]

Update on the termites in the garden: the ducks indulged themselves. I have some organic bug spray I may decide to use. I need to research the ingredients though. I'm confident I'll get the colony knocked out. I'm just hoping they don't have other colonies out their. I may decide to use a chemical pesticide this year if necessary. I'm trying to avoid that if possible though for the long term health of the garden (and planet even).

On another topic, my tomato, eggplant and pepper seedlings are looking great. They are in fairly small starter cells. Due to the amount of work I need to get done out there, I will not be getting things into the ground outside until the first week of May likely (which is actually recommended by many here). The seed tray is a 72 cell version, so each cell is approximately 1.5"x1.5". How large should I let the plants get before transplanting them into larger containers you think? The larger containers will likely be solo cups btw. It's what I have on hand.

I just remembered my friend used an orange oil of some sort. Think you can find at HD. I just found this too. IDK maybe something will sound like a good idea. Good luck!!

Cardboard Traps
Your cardboard trap is going to contain the cellulose that is certain to attract female termites. Gently spray the area with water to make that wood scent even more irresistible to them.
Placing this piece of cardboard near an impacted area will attract a mass of them. They will then get stuck to the cardboard. All you have to do then is dispose of the cardboard. The preferred method is with fire.
Sunlight and Heat
There are several other things you can try. The simple combination of sunlight and heat can actually go a long way towards killing off termites in droves. Digging up outdoor nests can kill subterranean termites through exposure.
Simply leaving pieces of furniture outside on a bright, warm day can accomplish something similar. While this method obviously won’t kill all of the termites, it can nonetheless prove to be useful for wiping out a nest or two (or more).
Nematodes
Parasitic nematodes are another popular, natural way to kill termites. A parasitic nematode is a small worm that likes to feed on things like bacteria and fungi. Certain groups of these parasites also like to feed on small bugs like termites.
Are you beginning to see the possibilities? All you have to do here is bring in a natural predator for termites, introduce that predator to the colony or infestation areas, and let everything work itself out. More often than not, this is a great way to kill a lot of termites.
At the same time, you don’t have to worry about whether or not the nematodes are going to become problematic later on. They won’t.
Orange Oil

Injecting something known as orange oil into holes in which you know lead to termite nests can work wonders. With this trick, there are situations in which you can get rid of the termites in as few as three days.
However, depending upon the severity of your infestation, it may wind up taking just a little bit longer than that.
Electrocution
Have you considered electrocution? Believe it or not, but this is another proven method for killing termites that you are going to want to try.
There are products available that can help you to utilize this natural component to kill termites. Simply make sure you don’t shock yourself in the bargain!
Liquid nitrogen

Liquid nitrogen can provide you with a degree of cold that can wipe out a nest with relative ease. At the same time, if you keep in mind the tip above to put your furniture out in the sun, consider the sharp contract between temperatures.
If you can create a situation in which a termite nest moves from very hot to very cold very quickly, the odds of the termites being able to handle such changes is going to be pretty low.
Essential Oils

There are a variety of essential oils that you can try, as well. A good example of this would be clove bud oil and vetiver oil. Not only can essential oils wipe out some of the termite nests that you are currently dealing with, but they can make the conditions almost intolerable for future infestations.
This is a good short-term method that also provides long-term benefits. In terms of killing and preventing termites, a measure that combines both of those things is always going to prove to be a really good idea.
Vinegar
Combining the 1/4th cup of white vinegar with a full cup of olive oil can provide you with a formidable weapon against termites. Pouring and combining these things into a spray bottle gives you a liquid that gives you two key benefits.
Not only will the spray make your wooden furniture look good, but it will also destroy any termite nests that might exist within the items.
These are just a few of the things you can try. Remember that you can take measures that can keep the termites from ever overwhelming things.
However, when you find yourself with even a suspicion that you might be infested, take steps to deal with the problem as quickly as possible. You will certainly be glad you did.