What did you do in the garden today?

[TJAnonymous]

IBC tote cut in half works too. I keep most my plants in them. Slightly above ground so water drains out /so standing issues, and if it does get fungus'd up, easy to isolate, torch to sterilize for next crop. Try it for your strawberries. You may have a drainage issue more than anything else if moisture is getting them. Mine never look really good, but they live.

also fwiw i throw my coffee grounds in with the strawberries too. them and the berries seem to love it. now if i can keep the fn chickens from digging the worms out and digging the plants up i'd be golden

Aaron

It's not drainage issues. I'm using a tire tower (see below). I even have bottles buried in the center which I fill to allow for slow watering below ground. But leaves still inevitably get wet when I try to fill the bottle. Also, I'm pretty sure the fungus or virus is now in the soil since even new plants end up diseased very soon after being planted. Overall I have 7 tire beds for strawberries and all 7 have died due to leaf spot disease overwhelming the plants. Doesn't matter how much I spray the plants with Bonide or copper fungicide. Ive been battling this merry-go-round for 3 years now. Didn't get a single strawberry this year because of it despite spending $30-$40 on new plants. Really...I've just had it. Strawberries should not be this difficult.

 

[WthrLady]

Post Covid Ketchup managed 2nd place at the State Fair. No shame in that. (Especially since I was up against a woman who has over 25 canned entries alone and usually wins all the blues) She has a ton of sewing and other entries, but I only do the canned stuff.

 

[Elyrian1]

Rain, some more rain, and again, and possibly again.

Got several more days of this stuff, but cooler weather in the forecast! Happy Fall! (Watch us hit 100 in two weeks now that I said that)

Pulled some grass this morning, but kept seeing western widows and noped out. Nope, not playing with those things. I've got a good bit of asparagus growth now! Three actual fronds that are taller every time I turn around.

I went to the clearance section at Lowe's Saturday. Picked up two piddly Lantanas and two scraggly plumbagos. I might be a crazy plant lady at this point... I pick up plants with only half an idea where I'm sticking them.

Big project on the horizon is to fill a third large area bed with dirt. It will probably be the last shallow bed we do. Other than that I might get hubby to build me one more tall bed and then I'll probably hold off on any other building projects here.

We're looking at squirrelling away funds for a shed, one we can move when we move, and then after that we'll be eyeing land for purchase. That's the 1-3 year plan depending on how life rolls.

 

[Acre4Me]

It rained this morning a nice amount. Then it has been raining again for the past hour or so.

Made peach almond conserve today. It has crushed peaches, chopped oranges, slivered almonds, maraschino cherries, and lots of sugar and a little spice. I’ll post a pic tomorrow. My floor was splattered with heavily sugared fruit pulp bc no purchased pectin…just boil vigorously until gel stage reached. Thankfully used largest/tallest pot for cooking, then I mopped the floor twice.

Not feeling great tonight, so going to bed early. I’ve been near-ish to two people with Covid, but I don’t think it’s that. Hopefully a long rest and I’ll feel better in the morning.

 

[Ascholten]

It's not drainage issues. I'm using a tire tower (see below). I even have bottles buried in the center which I fill to allow for slow watering below ground. But leaves still inevitably get wet when I try to fill the bottle. Also, I'm pretty sure the fungus or virus is now in the soil since even new plants end up diseased very soon after being planted. Overall I have 7 tire beds for strawberries and all 7 have died due to leaf spot disease overwhelming the plants. Doesn't matter how much I spray the plants with Bonide or copper fungicide. Ive been battling this merry-go-round for 3 years now. Didn't get a single strawberry this year because of it despite spending $30-$40 on new plants. Really...I've just had it. Strawberries should not be this difficult.

View attachment 3240588

If its in the soil there is not much you can do. Burn the soil to sterilize it basically, and wait some years. Or plant them somewhere else, say other side of the yard, in NEW planters, hopefully away from the diseased spot.

Aaron

 

[chickengr]

It was a different hawk this time...first time was a broad wing this time was a juvenile red tail. There was a smarmy owl at daybreak one day thinking about it but we keep the girls in till 730 now so he's always cleared off. My biggest roo is still only 13 weeks old (Dot) he's a Bielefelder big strong looking dude who gets bullied by Rodney and Rosie (old Englishx cream leghorn) I think Rodney is the issue. Rosie is a great look out and always warns everyone of everything even geese. Idk maybe all the roos should go but I really wanted to breed dot with my Bielefelder girls they are beautiful chickens.

Thank you for the advice though I do appreciate it. This is my first flock and I'm learning alot. Alabama is suuuuuper protective of hawks and I would have to get someone our here to setup the snares/traps. Truthfully I see a different hawk everyday we live in a goose fly zone and they love taking out a gosling here or there.

13 wo is too young to protect the flock. he is just a baby.

 

[chickengr]

It isnt just alabama, they are federally protected as well, which I don't understand anymore. They are NOT endangered. They protect seagulls the same way under 'migratory species'. Anyone who has ever had to deal with them will tell you, seagulls are just Diseased Rats with Wings, but god help you if you do anything to them.

You CAN get permits to cull hawks, it just takes time and paperwork. Each location is different too, but if you do some internet research, you can find plenty of ways to... 'mitigate' hawk issues. Bottle Rockets may work. I have heard hanging up CD's on string because them reflecting in the sun scares off birds as a method but never checked the validity of that one. Are there any falconry groups around? one of them may be able to offer advice or maybe even grab the thing for you? You'd have to determine what is 'feasable' with where you live and what is not.

Good luck though, nobody wants to lose girls to BOP's

Aaron

I was thinking to paint eyes on the roof of my coops so that they look like big animals. or putting big mirrors on the coop roofs.

 

[chickengr]

I've spent a stupid amount of money on strawberry plants. Hundreds of dollars. No matter what variety I get, they get overwhelmed by disease and die. I'm battling the same problem with my raspberries. There's tons of wild raspberries and blackberries within a 100 ft outside my garden area. Viruses/fungus are easily spread in this climate and it's almost impossible to eradicate the wild berries so my best option is to simply treat my domestic varieties with fungicide. As long as I stay on top of it, the raspberries/blackberries can generally overcome it. Strawberries haven't been so lucky but I think it's because I don't have a good way to water the existing beds without getting the leaves wet. That just increases the leaf spot/fungal issues. After having to replace my strawberries every single year for the past 3 years, I'm done throwing money down the drain on these beds. I will try another idea with the food grade 55 gallon barrels. If that doesn't work, I'm just giving up on the strawberries altogether.

is it true that goats eat plants with thorns? if so you can bring your goats to take care of those wild berries.

 

[NewBoots]

Yep, pretty much the same as the shredded, but I leave them in the strainer on the counter over night covered with a towel & they dry up so that I don't have to squeeze them. I totally love it out there, DH has no interest but I think it's because he's never been. How can you have seen it & not love it & want to move there!?

The weather here is so mild here, we're zone 9a, and most nights I can hear the ocean. I wouldn't live anywhere else.

Post Covid Ketchup managed 2nd place at the State Fair.

Congratulations!

I went to the clearance section at Lowe's Saturday. Picked up two piddly Lantanas and two scraggly plumbagos. I might be a crazy plant lady at this point... I pick up plants with only half an idea where I'm sticking them.

Is there any other way to buy plants?

 

[pennyJo1960]

Learned a long time ago you want berries and such eaten buy or rent a few sheep.