What did you do in the garden today?

[Fishychix]

I havent been doing much. Caught a squirrel rummaging through my long bed even after I fastened down the netting a bit more. I guess I’ll have to get a bigger net tomorrow. Was going to today, but forgot. Also, there was a small opening in the netting on the small bed and it looks like a deer made good use of it. Everything within a foot or so has been eaten. Ugh! I was hoping to get the garden more closed up this year, but it doesn't look like that'll happen. I still need to get the peas trellised but keep forgetting that too. Ive written it down on a to do list at least four times now.

 

[BReeder!]

Not much garden activity today other than pumping a bit more duck pond "fertilizer" between the rows of the garden. I went from cleaning the duck pond to completely redesigning it. That's me for you... always a project going on. The pond was originally built for fish. Since we decided to use it for ducks, we found it's not exactly an ideal setup for them. We lifted the EPDM liner out today and I'm going to fill in the hole. The plan is to repurposed railroad ties that I used to reinforce the walls of the pond under the liner to holdback the dirt from collapsing. I am going to use them to erect an above ground pond. The liner is quite large, so I might even add a lower pond in ground, but shallower than the old inground pond.

 

[Sueby]

Huh, never heard of those before. You eat them raw like other cucumbers or do they really need to be pickled to appreciate the flavor?

As @Acre4Me said they are great raw! I did can some, just so I could take a pic of them in the jar, they were really pretty canned looking like lemon slices!

I started burning in five minutes flat, ugh. Need one of those lightweight uv shrug things I guess, because I hate sunscreen.

I don't generally wear sunscreen, I'm not a fan of it & it makes me sweat. I got a giant floppy hat that I wear if I'm going to be in the sun for long. It has a flap that hangs down my back & protects my back, neck & shoulders when gardening & a big floppy brim that protects my face. It looks dumb, lol, but it helps!

 

[Acre4Me]

So, I found ONE lone beetle on my potatoes, but it’s the potatoes far from the neighbor, and on other side of the barn- not the main patch. It might not have been a CPB - but looked suspicious…. fast and I couldn’t catch it.

The nematodes I bought are not here yet. I paid for 2-day ship via FedEx (had no choice other than 1 or 2 day fedex shipping). We’re supposed to be here Friday…Still not here….will be looking to see if I can get a refund, at least on shipping. Not sure if they will be viable if sat on hot truck for 5 days before I get them. They are shipped with cold packs, but pretty sure the cold packs will have become just packs by now.

nice day today, but rain over next 5 days, with some thunderstorms. Cooler temps during next 5 days too. So, plants should be happy and well watered.

 

[Sueby]

Ugh, that's annoying on the nematodes! I may have missed it, but is there something specifically you're trying to control with the nematodes @Acre4Me, or just general goodness?

So funny thing - my dog hunts grubs. He sniffs them out underground, digs for them & then eats them. I have all these little dig marks in the lawn. Think it's bad for him that he eats them?

One good thing about my neighbor feeding the bears birds all summer long is that the birds don't bother my blueberries. My blueberry bush is looking good - so many berries. Hopefully it's the same with the bears, why bother the chickens when they have a seed smorgasbord next door.

 

[Acre4Me]

but is there something specifically you're trying to control with the nematodes

I bought a mix of three types. They control a number of pests. In particular, they help control SQUASH BUGS, cucumber beetles (a definite nemesis here), and Colorado potato beetle, to name the three I have known issue with.

Mix with water, water the soil. Keep moist (so I’ll add a straw mulch to help keep in the moisture). Not sure if they will over winter successfully -it would seem like they could but don’t know.

the nematodes attack the pest’s soil portion of their life cycle - usually the grub or egg phase of the life cycle.

 

[Acre4Me]

My sad cucumber plants look like this. I bought same variety from same place last year and they did great. The stem has gotten dry/brown. They never got too dry I know, so it isn’t water issue.

so, I planted some seeds I had from 2019. I see one sprout from the seeds so far.

 

[WthrLady]

As @Acre4Me said they are great raw! I did can some, just so I could take a pic of them in the jar, they were really pretty canned looking like lemon slices!

I don't generally wear sunscreen, I'm not a fan of it & it makes me sweat. I got a giant floppy hat that I wear if I'm going to be in the sun for long. It has a flap that hangs down my back & protects my back, neck & shoulders when gardening & a big floppy brim that protects my face. It looks dumb, lol, but it helps!

You should see what I wear if I'm out for a long time. It's an 1840s slat bonnet that goes far out in front of my face and covers my shoulders and upper neck. OC my arms and legs are out. LOL. In face, I'm getting ready to make a new one as my old was is seriously ratty. Although, I'm not a fan of hats in any form, I GET SOOOOO hot wearing one, but I need to cut that glare.

I can't stand sunscreen either, but I wear it. It's almost useless out here. On high UV days I wear a monitor with an alarm that tells you when, based on how you burn/tan, skin tone, and what SPF you use in combination with it's constant UV monitoring, how often to reapply your sunscreen. I have days it's going off every 10 minutes. UGH.

Lotion grosses me out tactile thing. Spray doesn't cover everywhere, but it's better than nothing. EVERYTHING is sticky, I don't care what the label says. And when you're out working everything clings to it. Icks me out! That said, I do stay cooler when I wear it. Basically because you aren't roasting.

So funny thing - my dog hunts grubs. He sniffs them out underground, digs for them & then eats them. I have all these little dig marks in the lawn. Think it's bad for him that he eats them?

Is the lawn treated with chemicals? I'd only be concerned then. Otherwise, eh, mine eats Junebugs. She says they taste like peanut butter.

+++
Morning rant.
I CANNOT STAND GETTING NEW GLASSES!

My prescription has to be dead on, no fudge room, or it effect my vestibular issues and I get dizzy, and anxious, fall down, etc. There is NO "try them for a few days" to get used to them. They are either correct out of the box, or not.

I have to have a pair of script sunglasses, and all day glasses, and a strong pair of script reading glasses (cheaters don't work). When it's time to get new glasses, I DREAD it as all have to be changed and switched out at the same time. Even with insurance it costs me well over $1000 every 2ish years, as I wear them as long as possible to avoid the switch.

I broke my sunglasses plowing snow in January. UGH. I dragged myself in for a new script, but knowing I wouldn't wear NEW glasses until after shearing, the most likely time for me to break glasses, I was going to hold off on buying glasses until early June. But the sales girl talked me into a sale, insurance, more than one pair, blah blah blah. Even in January, the show room was full and loud, and halogen lights, and music and too much conversation. I was on sensory over load and the only way I saw to get out was to say yes, and buy new frames. I bought frames I don't even LIKE FCOL.

Fast forward to a month ago. I couldn't stand being without my sunglasses for another second, so it was time to switch to the new script. Pulled out new pair of day glasses, HUGE piece of the lens missing. UGH. They replaced the lens, and I picked up my glasses last week.

I put them on this morning. UGH same lens, scratch down the middle. WTH?!
AND the script is wrong. I have overlapping vision and the script in the left lens is blurry.

The script in the sunglasses is fine.

Turns out this place has a 90 day like it or swap them deal. Ya, I would have worked harder to switch earlier had I KNOWN that. Now I just want to crumple this pair up and throw them away. EVERY time I have to go in for their mistake it costs me 3 hours and they always act like their doing me a honor by saying 'just pop in anytime you have a problem' . Just....UGH. I should have a problem! Quality control at eyeglass shops STINKS! It's taken me up to 10 trips for some scripts to get them right. NO WONDER glasses cost so much.

Dragging myself in again on Tuesday.
Thanks for allowing me to vent. SO FRUSTRATING.

 

[WthrLady]

View attachment 2706275
My sad cucumber plants look like this. I bought same variety from same place last year and they did great. The stem has gotten dry/brown. They never got too dry I know, so it isn’t water issue.

so, I planted some seeds I had from 2019. I see one sprout from the seeds so far.

That's blight or wilt, and it's in the soil. Usually from vegetation the year before. OR can be carried from somewhere else by the beetles.

 

[Acre4Me]

That's blight or wilt, and it's in the soil. Usually from vegetation the year before. OR can be carried from somewhere else by the beetles.

In that bed last year was beets and green beans (bush) and carrots. No issues at all -perfect plants. Earlier in the season last year there were potatoes in that bed -also no issues. But, I did add some compost this year (aged over a year). We are careful to try to omit any diseased plants (so no signs of infection, wilt, etc) from the compost.

so, I guess maybe from the compost, or from beetles. Yes, I thought the plant was infected too. Hopefully, the seeds I planted will be resistant!