What did you do in the garden today?

[TJAnonymous]

Oh....and I think I'm going to plant some fava beans in the super acidic blueberry bed over the fall & winter. We'll see how that does.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning gardeners. Rainy here as well @Sueby. I had planned a lot of yard work today, but not sure how much I can get accomplished in between the showers. I feel for your bear issue. We have black bears around here but I've not seen any personally. This is the only reason I don't keep bees. Part of my original plan for this property when I moved in was to lease "bee hive space." That's where trained bee keepers will set up hives on your property and maintain them, in return they give you a portion of the honey. The downside is bee hives have to be protected by electric fencing because they are bear magnets. No thank you. Fingers crossed, but the garden is looking good. Not positive if they were eaten or just died off, but my 8 foot row of carrots has shrunk to 2 feet. I'm not sure if I should plant more seeds today or wait until Monday after the heat is gone. I would like to plant more radishes and kale also. There's still time. My orange azalea is developing blooms so the daylilies should be getting ready soon as well. I love winter weather too. I enjoy the crisp cold air and even the shoveling, now that I've learned how to care for my snow blower. I love the seasons changing and enjoy the beauty of new leaves and blossoms, summer gardening, etc. I've spent a lot of time living in the South, but I really do prefer living in New England even if the bears are bigger. LOL!

 

[Sueby]

I watched a very interesting show on PBS on bees & how farmers rent them - I had NO idea that was a thing! The huge farmers call when the fruit trees bloom, they ship these bees all they way across the county & back again just pollinating. It was very informative & they covered pesticides & how many people are getting back to planting native & crop rotation, no till, cover crops, planting for the bees, etc. DH watched it with me & he was like 'you do that, you do that, & that!'

I would have loved to have bees but the bears are scary. DH doesn't go out to the shop without a piece on his hip. & a big one. God forbid you get between a mama & her cubs...

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I have motion sensor lights in the backyard and on the side facing the chicken coop. I've seen these come on after dark but have yet to see what is setting them off, except for the neighbors cat. Whatever it is, they don't stick around very long. I'm adding one to the garden area this weekend. My security camera caught a raccoon climbing into the big garden over a month ago so I'm thinking a motion sensor light would help deter him or her and what other nocturnal garden raiders that might happen by.

 

[WIchickMama]

We have 4 motion lights around our barn/coop/driveway area and we still had a raccoon climb the electric pole! We also have more bunnies than we have ever had, which I am fine with IF they stay out the garden. I just mowed on Sunday but with the light rains and 70s for temps I am needing to do it again. They are saying 50s for the weekend and then back up to the 60s/70s. Glad it isn't the 90+s but don't want the 50s either. Leaves on the trees popped this week and the crab apple and cherry trees are flowering.

 

[WthrLady]

I watched a very interesting show on PBS on bees & how farmers rent them - I had NO idea that was a thing! The huge farmers call when the fruit trees bloom, they ship these bees all they way across the county & back again just pollinating. It was very informative & they covered pesticides & how many people are getting back to planting native & crop rotation, no till, cover crops, planting for the bees, etc. DH watched it with me & he was like 'you do that, you do that, & that!'

I would have loved to have bees but the bears are scary. DH doesn't go out to the shop without a piece on his hip. & a big one. God forbid you get between a mama & her cubs...

Last year I posted pictures of Apiary trucks passing though the area on the way from California to the apple orchards to our east. Massive things, insulated and ventilated. Precious cargo.
Managed an appt this morning, was finally prescribed something to try after suffering for 12 years.
Came home and watered everything.
Lows in the upper 30s this weekend, 90s today, so Monday for planting the tomatoes in the ground.
I still have 50 sprinkler heads to replace. I'll do that piecemeal.

 

[Sally PB]

Yeah but male already closed up before female ever even formed.

The plant will keep producing male flowers.

The soil pH is ranging from 2.9 to 3.2!

Can I give you two pH points from my blueberry bed? I just hope I can lower the pH before the plants say the heck with it and die. I'm doing what I can with peat moss and soil acidifier.

I just assumed that all the oak leaves and coffee grounds were making/keeping the soil acidic. Nope. Got a pH meter. It's about 6.8. Poor blueberries....!

 

[Sueby]

@WthrLady I hope you get some relief!

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I don't mind the bunnies. They really don't go into the big garden area. I have a lot of clover growing in my backyard and they enjoy that much more than the more refined greens we humans eat.

 

[CaroleW]

I've been trying to grow morninga for the last three years. I get them growing like gang busters all year long, but come February, they die. Fingers crossed this year goes better!

I couldn't get mine to overwinter in the unheated greenhouse. They grow easy from seed. I don't care if they die over winter in the ground either - because plenty of seeds or cuttings and I don't want them to get overgrown anyway. I see them as a chop and drop resource - vitamin/protien for man and animal, mulch source, and usable for making seedling fertilizer (maybe? more research needed).