What did you do in the garden today?

[Artichoke Lover]

I have a lot to catch up on but I just wanted to say that some little critter is going to meet it's demise very shortly - something tore up my garden, dug up all the dill & parsley, half my onions, half of my pole beans & some of my bush beans. It went through the garlic too, but that's big enough that it was fine. It was a busy critter, I saw the holes all around down by the coop, then when I went into the garden I almost lost my mind. Looks like it was digging for grubs or worms, it didn't eat any of the garden stuff it dug up, it just tore it up & left it to die.

I'm going to set up the have a heart trap in the garden & then shoot whatever I catch. I'm so mad. But man I hope it's not a skunk! I don't know how to dispatch that one without getting sprayed.

The only things I know that cause that much damage are Armadillos and wild hogs.

 

[Sueby]

The only things I know that cause that much damage are Armadillos and wild hogs.

I have bigger problems if it's either of those here in CT!

I'm really leaning toward skunk, but I have no idea how it could have gotten into the garden.

 

[gtaus]

Why Oh Why did I not think of this when I was building my chicken run? My gate is just wide enough for a wheelbarrow. This, combined with your cement-mixer compost screener, makes you a genius in my book.

Forwarded your thoughtful comments to Dear Wife!

 

[gtaus]

@gtaus, a while ago, you had a post describing how you made your cement mixer compost screener. Do you by chance know where that was? I should have bookmarked it, but I didn't. I might wish to make one of those some day.

Yeah, I had a good thread going on that project at How to determine quality of different types of compost?, which has pictures of my cement mixer compost sifter starting on page 3 of the thread. I think that is the thread you might be wanting to look at. There are also some YouTube links of where I got the idea, but I believe my modifications made the cement mixer compost sifter even better. In my modifications, you don't need to drill any holes into the sides of the cement barrel. So, if you every want to sell the cement mixer, you can easily convert it back to its original condition without holes in the drum.

The big thing for me is that I used to buy compost in bags from the big box store. I figured I sifted enough compost in the third day of use to have paid for the whole cement mixer and supplies I needed to buy to convert it into a compost sifter. Plus, I think my chicken run compost is much better than the mystery compost I was buying in those bags. Also, I always hand sifted my store bought compost from bags because they always seemed to have some kind of garbage in them, be it metal strips, plastic, or big chunks of wood. So now I know exactly what is in my compost and I can put different sized screens on my sifting barrel depending on where I am going to use the compost.

The major cost of the project was the cement mixer itself. I looked everywhere for a used cement mixer, but could not find any locally. So I ended up buying a new mixer for about $200 on sale. If I could have bought a used, good working, mixer, then I would have saved lots of money. But, like I said, I really feel it was worth it for me to just buy the new mixer and start sifting all my chicken run compost.

 

[Sally PB]

@gtaus, thank you, that is exactly the thread I needed! I bookmarked it for future reference. I think I'll put the word out that I'm looking for a used (cheap) cement mixer.

 

[chickinlittles]

I think I would try to prune it back below that spot. I realize that this is coming too late because it is past the time when you left for Minnesota. Let us know how it is doing when you get back.

Beautiful painting.

Thx

Yes I will get a pic for you tomorrow.

yu can make them out of wire in any size you want. Its good to have them under trees so the sun doesn't beat on them and dry them out too much. I do add water to them during the hot summer so they do not become a fire hazard. I will be dumping these probably next spring. We keep adding to them so the top portion will need to go back in but at least half of each round has very well composted material for my gardens. I have these placed around my property. The second pic is of the bins from the road. I have planted a giant lupine and two ceonothus behind it that are getting to be good sized so in another year or so they will be as tall as the bins. I also plant to put some white sage , redberry and buckwheat in that space to provide more privacy and sound proofing when the bins are no loner there.

 

[gtaus]

@gtaus, thank you, that is exactly the thread I needed! I bookmarked it for future reference. I think I'll put the word out that I'm looking for a used (cheap) cement mixer.

I just reread parts of that thread and saw that I was sifting compost at the rate of 18 cubic feet per hour. A 2 cubic foot bag of compost costs me about $5.00 at our local big box stores. So I was sifting compost at a rate of about $45.00 per hour. Even buying a new mixer and spending about $200 on that project, I broke even on the sifter project at about the 5 hour of use point. It is one of the few projects I have built that I have seen such a fast payback on use.

 

[3xhhheather]

Currently a sweaty betty after trimming cover crop, planting out more peppers, herbs, and flowers. I'm hitting that point where I need to give away the rest of my starters, totally running out of room and they need to get in the ground.

 

[BReeder!]

I got the second cucumber trellis up. Just a straight run of 2x4 welded wire 6ft tall down the center of the raised row. Then DW and I transplanted the cucumbers (straight eight and Boston pickling) out into their respective tows at the bases of the trellises.

Then we added more straw mulch around all the raised rows to cover the sides as some weeds are starting to pop up. I pulled anything that was a few inches tall. The really tiny things I just smothered. It wasn't all that bad, but I don't want weeds when I have straw on hand still to mulch.

Everybody is talking about leaves. I wish I had leaves still. I laid them on the garden in the fall and then tilled in this Spring. This coming Fall Up last leaves over the garden again, but I don't think I'll be tilling next year now that I am establishing raised rows on the flat side of the garden. The leaves should make good mulch next year then.

 

[WthrLady]

I have a lot to catch up on but I just wanted to say that some little critter is going to meet it's demise very shortly - something tore up my garden, dug up all the dill & parsley, half my onions, half of my pole beans & some of my bush beans. It went through the garlic too, but that's big enough that it was fine. It was a busy critter, I saw the holes all around down by the coop, then when I went into the garden I almost lost my mind. Looks like it was digging for grubs or worms, it didn't eat any of the garden stuff it dug up, it just tore it up & left it to die.

I'm going to set up the have a heart trap in the garden & then shoot whatever I catch. I'm so mad. But man I hope it's not a skunk! I don't know how to dispatch that one without getting sprayed.

Let me know if you catch a skunk. I can help with that.
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I just smashed my left pointer finger in the massive barn door latch. I want to cry!!!!
Plants are transplanted. I still need to take inventory so I can make order forms and do pre-sale forms.
I love having a loaded greenhouse, but phew, it is a lot of work.
omg my finger my finger my finger.......