What did you do in the garden today?

[Sally PB]

I just got notified that Purple Majesty potatoes were back in stock at one of the (many) websites I looked at, trying to find them. So I ordered a pound. Not a lot, true, and I paid 2x as much for shipping as the taters themselves. Here's hoping they do well, and that DH doesn't think they're too weird.

 

[WthrLady]

I just got notified that Purple Majesty potatoes were back in stock at one of the (many) websites I looked at, trying to find them. So I ordered a pound. Not a lot, true, and I paid 2x as much for shipping as the taters themselves. Here's hoping they do well, and that DH doesn't think they're too weird.

 

[karenerwin]

Trying to decide if I want to start my luffa indoors or just direct sow. Any thoughts?

I’m in Missouri, zone 6, I started my luffa inside. I remember so many people last year talking about what a long season the luffa needed that I figured this would be the only way to give them a decent chance at giving me some useful luffa. Last year I started them inside too but then moved them outside too soon and they got hit by a cold snap and died.

 

[karenerwin]

I spent about an hour outside working on bringing my branch piles up to my chipper. I still have a lot more to move and to chip. I plan to spend a good portion of tomorrow outside. It got up to 78 degrees today!!
Tomorrow is supposed to be just as nice.
Rain is predicted for Sunday.

 

[WthrLady]

A

I spent about an hour outside working on bringing my branch piles up to my chipper. I still have a lot more to move and to chip. I plan to spend a good portion of tomorrow outside. It got up to 78 degrees today!!
Tomorrow is supposed to be just as nice.
Rain is predicted for Sunday.

Are you as sunburned as I am?? LOL

 

[TJAnonymous]

I took the chick brooder to an outdoor dog pen that's inside my main run. The chicks are 5 weeks old tomorrow. They are generally fully feathered but a couple of the chicks are still missing a little strip of feathers on their chests. It's going to get down to 44 degrees tonight. No rain expected. I have 3 sides of brooder covered with layered blankets and half of the front covered with a thick moving blanket.

Think they will be fine out there with no heat source but each other? There is a roosting bar inside the brooder that they use or a thick carpet of shavings on the brooder floor.

But they should be fine at 44 degrees being nearly fully feathered in a covered brooder, right?

 

[karenerwin]

A

Are you as sunburned as I am?? LOL

No, I had on jeans and a T-shirt. I started out with a jacket too since I was in the woods but got warm enough to take that off.

 

[karenerwin]

I took the chick brooder to an outdoor dog pen that's inside my main run. The chicks are 5 weeks old tomorrow. They are generally fully feathered but a couple of the chicks are still missing a little strip of feathers on their chests. It's going to get down to 44 degrees tonight. No rain expected. I have 3 sides of brooder covered with layered blankets and half of the front covered with a thick moving blanket.

Think they will be fine out there with no heat source but each other? There is a roosting bar inside the brooder that they use or a thick carpet of shavings on the brooder floor.

But they should be fine at 44 degrees being nearly fully feathered in a covered brooder, right?

Were they inside without a heat source? I think they will be fine. If they were without a heat source inside then I’d definitely say they should be fine outside too.
If they had a heat source inside did they spend much time right under it? If they did not spend much time under it I would say that is another indicator that they will be fine.

 

[BReeder!]

In struggling to keep up on her lately. Several pages behind. I ran through a few tough.

I randomly recieved a package today from a Richard in Illinois containing several ziploc bags of what look like hand collected seeds. They are labeled, and quite interesting things like yucca, zinnias, hibiscus and more. I just don't know who the sender is. LOL. I had to have given this person my address and name as it was properly addressed to me. I just don't recall the interaction. Is it somebody on this forum? If so, please tell me so I can say thank you.

 

[Acre4Me]

I’m in Missouri, zone 6, I started my luffa inside. I remember so many people last year talking about what a long season the luffa needed that I figured this would be the only way to give them a decent chance at giving me some useful luffa. Last year I started them inside too but then moved them outside too soon and they got hit by a cold snap and died.

@TJAnonymous We had grown luffa in 2020. Long season. So in 2021 decided to start indoors. They started well. Then, aphids attacked, and only attacked my luffa and other gourds. I didn’t notice right away (they blend in and I wasn’t expecting them). So, the life was sucked out of many. A few survived. Once it was warm, we transplanted outside, and planted some seeds too. The direct seeds outperformed the started plants.

Also. Luffa take a long time, compared to other gourds we have grown, to even begin to produce fruit. That is partly why it is such a long season. And, gourds of any kind do not tolerate low temps at all. Must be warm to hot for them.

But, they grow fast, have large leaves, and make great shade for the south and SE corner of our chicken yard. The chickens do enjoy eating the leaves and any fruit they can reach, so we put up some fencing (plastic or HWC) that has smaller holes so that they can’t reach through and destroy the plant.