What did you do in the garden today?

[NewBoots]

@NewBoots did you buy at TSC or do you have one nearby? That's usually where I source mine. The pet store prices will make steam come out your ears...

No, there aren't any TSC within a 2 hour drive of us (wish there was), I get these shavings at a small family feed store. The kiln dried fine pine shavings used to be available there (Parent Feed) and at Cascade but neither one have the good stuff anymore. The last bag of the new shavings were dry so maybe this is just a defective bag and they'll replace it. Either way I have to have dry shavings for the chicks we already have and the 12 potential chicks still in the incubator. I had to use what I had today since the chopped straw I had been using was a huge mess, but I don't want the chicks in those damp shaving for long. Not worried about using it for the hens.

 

[Blue Penguin]

 

[chickengr]

Well that's what I thought but then when


Said that I wondered if the tops were edible and tasted like chives lol.

the onion tops are edible and taste like chives but if you want to keep onions for long all of their tops have to be intact. if any of them get cut or break when raining water will get inside and it will rot.

 

[chickengr]

Snip onion leaves very sparingly. Each of those leaves corresponds to a "layer" of the onion, as an onion is just specialized leaves. Taking off some of the leaf means that the leaf below ground won't get fed as much.

Gonna put in a plug for Egyptian Walking Onions here...

EWOs grow green onions, tiny pearl onions, and shallot onions. I can have alllllllll the green onions I want, right now, snipping a leaf or two from each clump. When I need "regular" onions, I'll dig up half a clump, here and there. The tiny pearl onions are good for a stir fry, or a in a salad, or as pickled onions, if you make those.

Here are some pictures, with more info.
View attachment 3090507
This is part of my EWO bed, in its 3rd year, last fall. See all the green onions? All I need/can use.
View attachment 3090511
Here are some that I dug up. No, not a big onion down there, by any means; as I said, more of a shallot type. The brown stalks are what grow the "topsets." The topsets are little onions, about the size of my thumbnail. There will be 4-10 at the top of one of the stalks, and it'll get so heavy that it falls over to the ground, and they will root and start a new plant, "walking" its way across the ground. Hence the "walking" part of the name. No idea where the Egyptian part comes from.

I bought a pound of the topsets three years ago last fall. I now have a bed of EWOs 3x15(?) feet.

They come back every year, and spread and fill in. That's why I dig a half a large clump, so I don't kill off that particular bunch. I just dig where they need to thin out.

Fair warning... they will spread and take over their area. Some of mine have started a clump in the walkway. When I need onions, I'll dig those up first.

If you're interested in growing some, let me know. I've sent bunches of topsets to several people here to start their own colony, and I'd be glad to send you some too. It won't be until late summer/early fall, so you have plenty of time to think about it.

unfortunately I am far away and I have never heard of ewo selling here. as I like green onions they would be perfect for me.

 

[chickengr]

So I forgot and left a bag of bulbs (dahlias, hostas, etc.) As well as potatoes to plant.and they got rained on...will they still all be ok to plant in the morning?

they will sprout faster, lol.

 

[Acre4Me]

Another cool, overcast wet day.

Yesterday we had storms all around us, and while we did not get excessive rain, we were under some watches.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Same here @Acre4Me. Good soggy morning all. No work planned for the garden today. I hope to tackle some of the dandelions during the pause between the showers. Fingers crossed. I did pick up some Romaine and Red Leaf lettuce starts yesterday and get them in the ground. I also put down some lettuce and radish seeds. I thinned my tiny kale seedlings as well. Crazy temps next week. Two mornings with possible frost then highs near 80F after that. I can get a lot of seeds down but any seedlings may need shade cloth right away. Tomorrow should be dry and warm so hopefully I can chip away at the yard work. Have a great day all.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Majority of early squash is lookin good!
Now I don't do any pinching off right! Just let it do its thing?

 

[WIchickMama]

Nothing too exciting today. Maybe add some mulch to some beds.

School's FFA greenhouse sale next week. Don't really need any more plants but it is a good cause right!

 

[WthrLady]

Cold and DARK today, expecting another 1.5 inches of rain tonight and into tomorrow.
I put some winter squash seeds in starter. It's a new variety to me, so I thought I'd try it.
Luffa hasn't come up yet, but it's early days.
The tomato seedlings are needing upsized pots. I'll do that this weekend I think.
I'm getting ready to churn the butter and then make up a little jelly swiss roll for dessert tonight.