What did you do in the garden today?

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning gardeners. Happy July! I gave the garden a real good drink this morning. It’s supposed to be in the low 90’s today then cooler tomorrow with scattered thunderstorms. Can’t rely on the rain to give the garden a good watering. My cherry tomato plants are all blooming now. The lonely tomatillo plant is also blooming like crazy. The acorn squash are doing really well and looking like they maybe developing flower buds. No greens to pick for a few days. Thank goodness. It takes a lot of water to wash them and the refrigerators are already full of leafy greens and eggs. No complaints. I just need to roll up the garden hose and maybe do a little weeding, but no other plans for the garden today. Have a great day all.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Regarding fresh eggs and store bought: the yolks on my girls egg are always a richer almost orange color and the whites are very tender. I haven’t eaten or purchased a store bought egg since early September 2018 since my first chickens started laying. I don’t think I could ever go back.

 

[Iluveggers]

Since owning my own non-caged, free ranging chickens who get lots of room to roam and are spoiled rotten so they produce rich, healthy, wonderful eggs, I cannot eat store bought eggs anymore. That also means I can't eat breakfast at a restaurant because they all use store bought eggs. They are just pale, nasty, flavorless snot. It turns my stomach just to look at commercial eggs.

Me too! We go out to breakfast and I have to nix omelets, eggs, quiche, etc. I told DH no more breakfast out…we do a much better job at home and we can save our money for an extra dinner out here & there!

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I am so tired of going out to check chickens and water all to find tons of stuff dug up!!! Completely killed a squash vine! My purple basil is half dead! Sage is probably gonna die cuz it has dug it up twice in a week! It even dug up daisies, lambs ear, and tulip and thyacin (spelling?) bulbs! Turned over medium size pots of everything just wreaking havoc!
Called son and told him I need him to come beat the thing to death (in the dark of course) or shoot with bow n arrow! It is so frustrating!!!
Only good thing is it hasn't done this to the raised bed at all!
Yall think ground hog or the ferrel cat? Or both?

 

[Sueby]

@Gammas Bearded Babies that's so frustrating! Can you set up a camera?

I have to go out & check on the garden, I'm just so tired. We had Dads 'celebration of life' yesterday. I was going to can today but I think I may just take the day off & relax. My best friend couldn't make the celebration & she wants to come help me can tomorrow so I think that sounds much more tempting then getting motivated today!

Supposed to get some rain today, hopefully enough that I won't have to water this weekend, but I won't hold my breath.

 

[bruceha2000]

Groundhogs don't really dig stuff up on purpose, they can undermine plants when they tunnel and pile excavated dirt on whatever is behind their butts as they dig. If you have them watch you don't break a leg dropping into a tunnel.

At least here they seem to prefer broadleaf weeds and wouldn't be so unwelcome if they didn't tunnel. Don't know why a cat would dig stuff up other than using your garden as a litter box. I think you need a game camera to see what is destroying your supposed to be future food.

free range means that chickens must get out for at least 2-3 hours every day. space is not required so their run can be overcrowded.

At least there is a time requirement. Here they just have to have access to the outside of the building. It could be a 2' concrete pad and the door can be open 5 minutes and still meet the definition of "free range". It is a joke.

That also means I can't eat breakfast at a restaurant because they all use store bought eggs.

And you can't substitute pancakes or waffles because they have "pancake syrup". I can't stomach that stuff since I learned about 100% REAL maple syrup after moving here from So. Cal in '79. No maple (real or imitation) flavored corn syrup will ever again pass my lips.

My are turning ever so

S
L
O

W

L
Y

Mine won't be thinking about that for weeks!

Some people say they can’t taste the difference, but our fresh eggs taste so much better than anything in the store.

So say all the people I sell eggs to They suffer through the fall and winter waiting for my girls to start up again.

 

[WthrLady]

I am so tired of going out to check chickens and water all to find tons of stuff dug up!!! Completely killed a squash vine! My purple basil is half dead! Sage is probably gonna die cuz it has dug it up twice in a week! It even dug up daisies, lambs ear, and tulip and thyacin (spelling?) bulbs! Turned over medium size pots of everything just wreaking havoc!
Called son and told him I need him to come beat the thing to death (in the dark of course) or shoot with bow n arrow! It is so frustrating!!!
Only good thing is it hasn't done this to the raised bed at all!
Yall think ground hog or the ferrel cat? Or both?

Could also be any number of night dwellers that like to dig grubs, like possum and skunks.
=======
Woke up to light rain hitting the window and it's dark dark dark with heavy clouds and only 66 degrees at the moment. LOVELY change from roasting heat and blinding sun.

Not enough rain not to water, but moisture in the air is a nice break.

Errand day in the city today.

 

[Fishychix]

windrowing, and tedding.

What??

Let it go.

Thanks. Its a toughie but ur right.

 

[SheaLoner]

@Gammas Bearded Babies that's so frustrating! Can you set up a camera?

I have to go out & check on the garden, I'm just so tired. We had Dads 'celebration of life' yesterday. I was going to can today but I think I may just take the day off & relax. My best friend couldn't make the celebration & she wants to come help me can tomorrow so I think that sounds much more tempting then getting motivated today!

Supposed to get some rain today, hopefully enough that I won't have to water this weekend, but I won't hold my breath.

 

[WthrLady]

What??

Thanks. Its a toughie but ur right.

Sorry.
Hay is cut and depending on the type of machine used to cut it, it is either left in the field all over (spred) like you just mowed the lawn, or it is immediately laid in a wind-row, long heaped rows-where it starts to dry.
If it is spread out, it is allowed to dry that way, and then a rake is used later to put it in long wind-rows, where it continues to dry.
After a day or so in a row, the spinning rake or wheels, is used to ted the rows, which fluffs it and rolls it over, so the stuff in the middle and bottom can be exposed to the sun and wind and dried.
It sits again and is checked and checked and checked again for drying progress before you even dare bale it.
It's baled, and large rounds can be stored outside as they shed rain with their outer hay later, like a thatched roof. Squares and mini rounds, are stored out of the weather. All hay needs to be cured before using for at least 3 months.
Bale damp hay and you risk, mold, spoilage, and worst, FIRE.
Our curing shed is totally enclosed with a whirly-bird vent and screened vents on all four sides. It gets warm in there and has constant airflow.
When I need the shed for more fresh hay, the cured hay gets moved to the barn for easy access.
Does that clear it up a little?