What did you do in the garden today?

[TJAnonymous]

Did your soil have too much nitrogen or did you fertilize?
They are heavy nitrogen feeders for the first couple of months and then for the last 60 days before harvest, you need to go higher in a potassium feed.

I usually put mostly black gold compost in the bag so it should have enough nitrogen. This is actually how I inadvertently introduced the pests the first year. I used compost that wasn't ready. I made sure to not make that mistake in Year 2... However I usually don't add more compost or Potassium later in the cycle.... With 1 exception. Last year I did an experiment where I grew potatoes in a 4 ft basket made from chicken wire. Instead of using soil, I used dead leaves I raked up. In that case, I DID add compost intermittently. That seemed to work extraordinarily well except that ants or some other kind of pest got to the potatoes before I did...

 

[chickengr]

I know, I plant to make it raised with hardware cloth about a foot or so above the ground. Maybe half a foot. That way the seeds will be protected. Though I don't know how taller millet gets, so it might not be the right kind of seed for my project.

you can throw some seeds somewhere else and collect seeds at the end of season. nothing (or very little) will reseed in the chicken's run.

"Foxtail millet is an annual grass with slim, vertical, leafy stems which can reach a height of 120–200 cm (3 ft 11 in – 6 ft 7 in). The seedhead is a dense, hairy panicle 5–30 cm (2 in – 1 ft 0 in) long."

 

[WIchickMama]

Oh good! We finally got a good strawberry patch going last year so I was gonna be bummed if we had to start totally over. And my ducks usually aren't allowed in the garden but my kids broke the gate last fall and a new gate is on the to do list!

Maybe some compost or straw milch on top until they are fully in, it might help

 

[Anime2lover]

you can throw some seeds somewhere else and collect seeds at the end of season. nothing (or very little) will reseed in the chicken's run.

"Foxtail millet is an annual grass with slim, vertical, leafy stems which can reach a height of 120–200 cm (3 ft 11 in – 6 ft 7 in). The seedhead is a dense, hairy panicle 5–30 cm (2 in – 1 ft 0 in) long."

Huh... might be better to use something that spreads by root or offshoot like clover then. I lose seeds to often to do annuals. Quite frustrating honestly. Though since I have them it might make a good garden plant instead. We have 80+ chickens so I'm hoping to find different ways to reduce feed consumption (still gets to cold here to be outside processing unwanted birds). We have plenty of wild clover I can dig up, and other plants our chickens love that also spread by shoots or roots.

 

[BabyGotQuack]

Maybe some compost or straw milch on top until they are fully in, it might help

Thanks for the tip!

 

[Sueby]

This might be just my taste buds but Ive always done the bare min of veg if any when pressure cooking stock. I find anything over 30 min with celery and carrots comes out tasting burned to me.

I would have to agree on the veg making stock taste burnt in the pressure cooker. I tried it with carrots and celery

I read that! I also read that some will cook first without veggies, then add them in after the first round & cook again. I think I'll experiment with the first batch.

It's heavy duty 6mm nylon string re-enforced.
I'm ticked that there are 3 pieces bonded together to make it 20 feet wide. It was not advertised as such and the stuff they are using in the store hanging from the ceiling for construction purposes all 50 feet long of it, doesn't show any pieced widths. So we'll see.
https://www.menards.com/main/paint/...809-c-8188.htm?tid=4543399562278810504&ipos=1

Well that's frustrating. But thanks, I was thinking for covering the hoop houses here for the chickens instead of the heavy duty shower curtains.

 

[igorsMistress]

I've used grow bags for potatoes with mixed success. The first year was great growth above soil but not below soil. Potatoes were small and I had springhoppers or some kind of pest in the soil which ate most of the potatoes. Tossed that soil completely. The 2nd year, I had less growth on top and bigger potatoes but fewer of them. The 3rd year, my potato starts got about half way along and all died. Not sure why....

This year I've decided to not use the grow bags at all... I'm going to try my potato starts in tires instead.

Thanks for sharing your experience TJ. I didn’t have great luck with potatoes in bags either, I wonder if it’s the air pruning theory…roots don’t grow all the way to the edge of the pot.

 

[igorsMistress]

I read that! I also read that some will cook first without veggies, then add them in after the first round & cook again. I think I'll experiment with the first batch.

Well that's frustrating. But thanks, I was thinking for covering the hoop houses here for the chickens instead of the heavy duty shower curtains.

I think that’s a good idea Sueby. I love vegetable stock and how they impact the taste of meat stocks but have been able to experiment lately. Please share your experience with us!

 

[Sally PB]

I learned a lot about what veg to put in my bone broth (and why) from this site, even though it's specifically about vegetable broth.

https://jenniferskitchen.com/cookin...lude-or-exclude-from-vegetable-stock-or-broth

 

[SheaLoner]

Got a delivery today!

300' of GOOD quality landscape fabric!
We are putting in a new potato bed this year and I need something to help keep the weeds down. Looking to add 100+ row feet this year. Have some 70lbs of seed ordered.