What did you do in the garden today?

[jerryse]

Got back home last night . So much to do today . Mowing needs done . I checked some of my grafting and persimmon 4 out of 5 grew . Walnut 5 out of 5 failed to grow .

 

[Iluveggers]

I watched a story on the news about how the continuing unemployment claims are down and the government is calling that a win.

Not to get off topic, but at least in my area many people were out of work during the pandemic. Now that things are up & running, almost everywhere around here is hiring. Retail stores, schools, hospitals etc. The town highway department has been hiring for at least 6 months and can’t find anyone. (Think salaried position, college not needed, benefits & pension included.)

I am under the impression that many people enjoyed staying home and don’t want to work. One woman I know who manages a store said that in order to keep unemployment people have to apply to a certain amount of places each month, and they have been getting ridiculous applications (example, available times to work 7pm-9pm…the store closes at 8). Then they get denied employment and get to keep the benefit another month. I do feel terrible that so many people are in need. It’s also frustrating that so many places can’t find willing workers, even with the increase in minimum wage.

 

[igorsMistress]

Not to get off topic, but at least in my area many people were out of work during the pandemic. Now that things are up & running, almost everywhere around here is hiring. Retail stores, schools, hospitals etc. The town highway department has been hiring for at least 6 months and can’t find anyone. (Think salaried position, college not needed, benefits & pension included.)

I am under the impression that many people enjoyed staying home and don’t want to work. One woman I know who manages a store said that in order to keep unemployment people have to apply to a certain amount of places each month, and they have been getting ridiculous applications (example, available times to work 7pm-9pm…the store closes at 8). Then they get denied employment and get to keep the benefit another month. I do feel terrible that so many people are in need. It’s also frustrating that so many places can’t find willing workers, even with the increase in minimum wage.

Oh for sure! Who wouldn’t want to have an income and not have to work for it lol? I sure would! Another thing I’ve heard is that people want to keep working at home rather than going to the office. I work at home and it’s a wonderful thing, but it requires discipline and I think a lot of people don’t have that. We have great hours, the job isn’t especially difficult but we are expected to actually work and that makes our turnover pretty high. We’ve lost several people who were here before I started and many newbies as well.

 

[Sally PB]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...potatoes-from-seed-tps.1456350/#post-24247773

This is the thread I did last year about growing potatoes from TPS.

I planted the 6 potatoes this year, the plants are looking good, and I'll see what I get in a couple months.

I let the plants totally die back, and mark the spots where they were. The potatoes can sit in the ground until I'm ready to dig and store them. Usually I'm really busy that time of year with canning tomatoes and garden clean up, so it's nice to be able to let that chore slide until I have more time. Especially this year: I have about 75 plants!

Of course I'll tell everyone about it. You think I could NOT post about that?

 

[bruceha2000]

I can’t claim they’re organic or free range; the carton MUST. say “nest run”

Organic and Free Range have specific USDA designations, doesn't seem right for the state to decide you can't raise your birds that way and sell them as such!

And what the heck is "nest run"?

One woman I know who manages a store said that in order to keep unemployment people have to apply to a certain amount of places each month, and they have been getting ridiculous applications (example, available times to work 7pm-9pm…the store closes at 8). Then they get denied employment and get to keep the benefit another month.

I don't think she has to sign the paper that the applicant needs to prove they applied for a job and were denied. WAY back, 30 years ago, the father/son carpenters working on our house would have people come by wanting to apply and get a signature for a job they clearly had no skills for. Dale just told them to push off. He wasn't looking for help anyway, he and Wes worked alone. Got there at 6:30 AM, had their coffee and donuts, on the job at 7 and worked all day with a short lunch break.

Seems like it would be easier to work than work so hard at making sure they don't get hired so they can get unemployment .... at a much lower weekly amount than they would get if they worked.

 

[DParker75089]

The morning's haul of cucumbers, another cantaloupe and finally just enough okra to sauté for my morning egg, onion (also from the garden) and chopped home-cured pastrami burrito.

 

[Iluveggers]

This is the thread I did last year about growing potatoes from TPS.

Thank you!

 

[Wolfie2]

Yesterday I planted a 4'x35' patch of peanuts. A legume, they should help with the fertility of the soil in the future and give me something to eat in the process. And maybe prevent some weeds sprouting.

Went out to the garden this morning to see what I needed to do in the garden today and found the possums/dillos have dug all the mulch from under the whole 35' row of long beans and disturbed the soaker hose I had buried there under the mulch. Had to fix that. With the summer being so dry here, I guess the garden/flower beds are the only place they can find moist soil and worms/grubs, their preferred meal. I've tried trapping them and so far have disposed 2 possums and a raccoon. More keep taking their place though.

The weather people have been promising rain since Friday due to a low pressure area just off the coast and a "cool front" coming from the north .
So far there has only been a few little 5 minute sprinkles and that dries up quickly. But it has been cloudy all morning and cool, and tomorrow they say we have an 80% chance of rain. The biggest chance in a long time. Keepin my fingers crossed!

 

[TJAnonymous]

I understand your frustration! Some of the people that contacted me weren’t particularly needy. If they tried again I told them I was out of eggs. We live in a very mixed area though, and some of them we’re definitely in need. Mostly those with kids who went to school with my grandkids.

I think people are tightening their belts and hanging on to food for themselves with all this crap about supply chain issues and such. I don’t blame them, but I feel for those in need also. It’s tough right now.

I watched a story on the news about how the continuing unemployment claims are down and the government is calling that a win. What the maroons in charge don’t seem to understand is that a lot of folks took the money they were getting and liquidated their belongings to buy tents to live in, at least here they did. The homeless camps have grown considerably, but they’re not living in boxes or under tarps.

Honestly I don't trust ANY news from any source anymore. They all have a hidden agenda. They all spin "evidence" to fit whatever narrative they want people to embrace. But what I do trust is seeing what is happening in my local level community. It's alarming when the biggest food bank in the area is empty. That's real. That's not spin... And when the manager tells you in distress that they have more people requesting food than ever before and they have to turn people away...thats real. I don't care what anyone's politics are....I can't in good conscience watch people starve when I have means via eggs, produce, and even chicken meat (when I get around to butchering).

 

[TJAnonymous]

Have you had your soil tested?

Not in the garden, but the other 2 zucchini plants on the far end are as green as can be. I was doing a little research last night and here's my theories on what could be happening -

1. Underwatering - I water the garden several times per week but I'm thinking maybe the cardboard is inhibiting the water actually getting to the plant. I pulled back some of the cardboard so water can get underneath. All these plants were doing awesome when it was raining consistently. We haven't had decent rain in a month with ridiculously hot temperatures. It coincides to when the plants started going downhill.

2. Disease - the plants are inside the hoop house so I can rule out SVB and cucumber beetles but I know a few squash bugs have managed to get inside and, of course, aphids can get through the netting. When I pruned yesterday, I killed 3 squash bugs - 1 adult and 2 teenagers. Didn't find any small nymphs or eggs. If they are around its in very small numbers so I think they can be ruled out. Not enough of them to take down 2 very robust plants. And the aphids seem to prefer the tomatoes across the aisle. I've never seen any aphids on my zucchini. There are ANTS though... Tons of them but they are on all the zucchini plants and focus mostly on the flowers/pollen, not the plant itself.

3. Lack of nutrient access - if the soil is out of whack, it can cause vital nutrients to become bound up in the soil. However I fertilized the soil before we planted anything and, as I mentioned above, the plants were very robust and producing well until the past 2-3 weeks. If the soil was unbalanced, it would have shown symptoms prior to now and it would affect all plants, not just 2 of them.


I really think #1 seems to be the most logical. Especially since the offshoots had produced a huge root system which couldn't reach the soil because of the cardboard. I think it was searching for more water/nutrients.

Note to self - don't put cardboard around the zucchini next year... This actually shouldn't be a problem because I'm going to try vertical planting next year. I'll do them outside the hoop house in the main garden and wrap the lower stem in tubing sections to keep the SVB away.