What did you do in the garden today?

[igorsMistress]

Working on assembling a master list of extreme heat/drought tolerant veggies and fruit tree varieties. Intense heat, warm arid desert, borderline desert technically because we get 14 inches of rain each year and not less than 10. I’m taking variety suggestions if anyone wants to @ me, I’d be grateful.

I suggest you try Native Seed. All southwest Desert adapted varieties of whatever.

Don’t order fruit trees online, everyone ships far too late for desert climates. Visit a local shop and buy there, the earlier you buy the better.

If a package says an item can take full sun, that doesn’t mean desert sun so a lot of stuff benefits from 50% shade in the latter half of the day.

Good luck!

 

[Acre4Me]

Strawberries tend to produce bestv in years 2 and 3. Many people even suggest removing the flowers in year 1 to let the plants focus their growth on strong roots.

Yes, they will grow healthy roots if you keep trimming the runners and pinching off blooms during year 1. Last year we planted all new strawberries bc I envied my neighbor’s strawberry variety, as mine were good but his were amazing. So, I bought that variety and planted them. They grew well and I did allow berries to grow (bc they were just that good), but I also clipped most runners. We will see what this year will bring since I allowed them to produce last year.

 

[Sueby]

Morning.

I could never bury a bird here. We regularly have critters in the compost as it is. The bobcats & coyotes would find it quick & I’d rather not give them any reason to hang around. In fact something was out there last night, the dog was losing his mind but it never set off any of the motion lights. I can’t wait till DH comes home. Looks like by the weekend.

I have not had cable in the 6 years I’ve been in this house. We have an antenna on the roof & a roku tv which has a ton of free channels from over the internet. I’m always shocked to see what cable or dish costs these days, it’s insane!

Peach tree has buds, flowers are all poking thru, peepers are out - bring it on Mother Nature!

 

[igorsMistress]

Morning.

I could never bury a bird here. We regularly have critters in the compost as it is. The bobcats & coyotes would find it quick & I’d rather not give them any reason to hang around. In fact something was out there last night, the dog was losing his mind but it never set off any of the motion lights. I can’t wait till DH comes home. Looks like by the weekend.

I have not had cable in the 6 years I’ve been in this house. We have an antenna on the roof & a roku tv which has a ton of free channels from over the internet. I’m always shocked to see what cable or dish costs these days, it’s insane!

Peach tree has buds, flowers are all poking thru, peepers are out - bring it on Mother Nature!

Good morning Sueby. Keeping my fingers your DH will be home soon.

 

[Paz]

Realized that the dirt was way to wet. A little too late think.
I will take each one replant in dryer dirt.

Good luck

 

[igorsMistress]

I would happily ditch cable, hubs won’t so he has to pay for it. It’s getting old quick now lol

 

[igorsMistress]

Spent all day at a poultry learning day put on through Ohio state/4-H. It was full -lots of people and kids (age 8 thru teens).

One session was all about getting rid of dead poultry and what a backyard person or a commercial business can do to get rid of “deadstock”. One method was composting, but the proper way to do it so no smell/does not attract raccoons or other animals. I don’t think I’ll compost any dead chickens though.

Another session was in bio security - and HPAI. In explaining the way it spreads they had the kids each get a vial of clear water. Then “swap germs” while out “free-ranging” by pouring one vial into another, then putting half back into the first vial (so now two poultry have swapped germs). They did this 3x each. Then, a drop of a chemical was added and if the vial turned pink you were “infected” with HPAI. Only 2 “infected” birds began the session, but 9 ended up “infected” after the germ swapping occurred. All harmless, of course bc it’s just water in vials but was a good visual for the kids.

During poultry nutrition, we discussed the recent feed issues (no eggs …must be a conspiracy…etc). Turns out, the person giving the talk - a PhD in animal nutrition, works in animal nutrition, had done much analysis on this. Basically, the feeds did match their feed tags, but the feeds most implicated in the feed issues tend to be lower cost feeds, and generally run along minimums (while still meeting tag requirements). But the energy provided by the feed (not a measurement) was low, and animals energy needs are higher in winter, so production is what gets dropped first in any lacking situation (nutrition, water, etc). Plus, some ingredients can meet tag requirements, but not be something that is utilized very well by the animal. It was a brief portion of the session, so we didn’t go into great detail, but still very interesting.

There was a necropsy session - always interesting. Another on how to cut up a meat chicken (the meat could be taken home if you wanted it), and a session on assessing live meat birds for quality and conformation, and how to select the birds for 4-H fair judging.

Overall, a good day of learning.

That sounds like a great day! I would love something like that, so would the teenager.

 

[jerryse]

It is spring. 55 predicted today. Rain predicted to start about 4 pm tomorrow. I will get outside and enjoy. Pear trees are not in bloom yet. I have one grape cutting with 2 feet of growth. Does anyone have experience with red creeping thyme?

 

[AMM10]

Good morning gardeners

Here’s my week 3 update:

…And still so much more to plant!

 

[WthrLady]

OK, I looked into honeyberries. Definitely interested in checking them out but unfortunately they won't work for that location. It's in full sun with no shade. It gets far too hot in that spot to put honeyberries...

Mine are in full sun and do fine.