What did you do in the garden today?

[Sueby]

I have no idea what to do with my feed bags, but I save them all! I was thinking of putting them up on freecycle or FB for free if someone wants to make grocery bags out of them. I'm not that talented, ha!

These tree guys are insane, he's like a tree monkey! The boom is out 110 feet right now, directly over the chicken coop/run. You couldn't pay me a million dollars to be up there. Well, maaaaybe a million. LOL

 

[WthrLady]

I so wish feed bags were still made of heavy paper like they used to be, these days they're useless plastic.

That said they make gangbuster chore bags if you know how to sew. But yes, as weed barriers, useless.

Still crazy cold and windy. The tartan is well under way. I need to go to the market this morning and then home.

BTW arthritis sucks, constant pain is soul sucking.

Oh well.
Oh look, now it's snowing.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good crazy morning all. I ordered fuel oil to top off my tank before the prices go up even higher. They were here less than an hour later. Then the fence posts and rails were delivered from Lowes. The last I heard on the snowstorm @Sueby is 9 to 12 inches of plain old snow. I see your area is in for that messy mix. Sorry. Thank you for your post regarding weed barrier @BReeder! I was thinking of going that way this year since the mulch I put down 2 seasons ago seemed to encourage the weeds. I still have a lot of cardboard stashed in the garage and will be putting that down in the walkways. I was thinking of covering it with straw or pine shavings. The shavings are actually cheaper than mulch. Feedback is welcome here! I've been saving my feedbags as well @Sueby and will be using some of them as grow bags. I planted a poblano pepper plant in one last year and it grew nicely. I was disappointed with the grow bags I bought so I think I'll just use the old feed bags going forward. It got up to 60F briefly yesterday but today winter is back. I'm hoping it doesn't last too long. The baby chicks are adorable as always @Acre4Me. But I won't be going there this year. I have 11 ladies in the big coop right now and it's daily cleaning everyday. I'm also getting a dozen or more eggs every other day. Good golly. Not complaining, just a little in awe at how productive these little lovelies are. LOL! The really good news of the day is I spied a blossom on my Mandarin orange tree. I'll snap a picture when it opens. It's the very first one.

 

[WthrLady]

Good crazy morning all. I ordered fuel oil to top off my tank before the prices go up even higher. They were here less than an hour later. Then the fence posts and rails were delivered from Lowes. The last I heard on the snowstorm @Sueby is 9 to 12 inches of plain old snow. I see your area is in for that messy mix. Sorry. Thank you for your post regarding weed barrier @BReeder! I was thinking of going that way this year since the mulch I put down 2 seasons ago seemed to encourage the weeds. I still have a lot of cardboard stashed in the garage and will be putting that down in the walkways. I was thinking of covering it with straw or pine shavings. The shavings are actually cheaper than mulch. Feedback is welcome here! I've been saving my feedbags as well @Sueby and will be using some of them as grow bags. I planted a poblano pepper plant in one last year and it grew nicely. I was disappointed with the grow bags I bought so I think I'll just use the old feed bags going forward. It got up to 60F briefly yesterday but today winter is back. I'm hoping it doesn't last too long. The baby chicks are adorable as always @Acre4Me. But I won't be going there this year. I have 11 ladies in the big coop right now and it's daily cleaning everyday. I'm also getting a dozen or more eggs every other day. Good golly. Not complaining, just a little in awe at how productive these little lovelies are. LOL! The really good news of the day is I spied a blossom on my Mandarin orange tree. I'll snap a picture when it opens. It's the very first one.

One year I used pine shavings. It broke down quickly, but blew around a lot first. It did not really change the Ph.

I have used deep straw. It's slippery, only drawback.

I like cardboard with wood mulch on top. Although the past two years the quality has been TERRIBLE. I put down 5 inches thick and I'm already down to dirt in one year. I question it's hardwood status, and think they are dying pine and cottonwood and passing it off for greater profit and the construction trash in it. UGH. Scotts mulch is what I have here.

 

[BReeder!]

I have used deep straw. It's slippery, only drawback.

I use straw between my hilled rows to walk on. I try to use leaves too, but never have many leaves in the Spring. The straw incorporates into the soil better later if I choose to change the layout or like when I plant potatoes and knock down the hilled rows and rebuild them as the plants grow.

 

[WthrLady]

Totally agree. I like straw.
I can't use it here in the garden due to the wind factor, but otherwise I loved it.

 

[Sueby]

BTW arthritis sucks, constant pain is soul sucking.

I hear ya. I just started giving myself weekly injections, I still don't have a definitive diagnosis but it's probably either psoriatic arthritis, lupus or ankylosing spondylitis. The joint pain is debilitating at times, sleep is the hardest part of it all - life stinks when you can't sleep! TMI...

I just put down a thick layer of chips from the chipdrops we get in all the beds, even the flower beds. We have a lot of shade here so the weeds don't get bad, guess I'm lucky with that.

@Wee Farmer Sarah they are saying a bit of sleet & freezing rain may mix in during the day - always fun! I'm hoping this one is a dud & they all have it wrong.

 

[WthrLady]

I hear ya. I just started giving myself weekly injections, I still don't have a definitive diagnosis but it's probably either psoriatic arthritis, lupus or ankylosing spondylitis. The joint pain is debilitating at times, sleep is the hardest part of it all - life stinks when you can't sleep! TMI...

I just put down a thick layer of chips from the chipdrops we get in all the beds, even the flower beds. We have a lot of shade here so the weeds don't get bad, guess I'm lucky with that.

@Wee Farmer Sarah they are saying a bit of sleet & freezing rain may mix in during the day - always fun! I'm hoping this one is a dud & they all have it wrong.

What are you using?

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Totally agree. I like straw.
I can't use it here in the garden due to the wind factor, but otherwise I loved it.

Same problem here, what the wind doesn't blow away the cats and chickens dig in. I put straw on my asparagus patch to overwinter and then I put a small rug or chicken wire over it to prevent the little diggers.

 

[Sally PB]

These tree guys are insane, he's like a tree monkey! The boom is out 110 feet right now, directly over the chicken coop/run.

Yes! I was in total AWE when they were here last December. The neighbors were outside, watching too. One of the crew said that they usually have an audience. For what they did and what we got, they were WELL worth the cost. I will hire that company again, should we need their services, and sing their praises to anyone who asks.