What did you do in the garden today?

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

We get coyotes around here as well. I prefer not to capture them on the cameras. I have caught a few foxes on camera from time to time. The coyotes run through the neighborhood at night during mating season. I just hold my breath until they are way down the road. We just had a Nor’easter blow through here. It really wasn’t all that bad. Since I knew I wouldn’t be able to do anything outside for a couple of days I figured it would be a good time to get my flu and covid shots. I’ve been kicking back all weekend. One of the grandkids helped me load the dehydrator with oregano earlier today. That batch is done. I be picking another batch in a little while. I’ll pick the sage tomorrow. This is one of nicest times of the year with the aroma of homegrown herbs drying in the house.

 

[Smokerbill]

We get coyotes around here as well. I prefer not to capture them on the cameras. I have caught a few foxes on camera from time to time. The coyotes run through the neighborhood at night during mating season. I just hold my breath until they are way down the road. We just had a Nor’easter blow through here. It really wasn’t all that bad. Since I knew I wouldn’t be able to do anything outside for a couple of days I figured it would be a good time to get my flu and covid shots. I’ve been kicking back all weekend. One of the grandkids helped me load the dehydrator with oregano earlier today. That batch is done. I be picking another batch in a little while. I’ll pick the sage tomorrow. This is one of nicest times of the year with the aroma of homegrown herbs drying in the house.

I hear coyotes here occasionally, never saw one, but I've seen a fox nearby once. I imagine there'll be a day that a fox or coyote will nab one of my chickens, so I'm glad I feel like I have too many. I have 8, but 4 would really be enough. LOL

 

[akroberts1085]

I am not doing anything outside today, it's too yucky outside right now. I did go out this morning with my husband. It's time for him to get back on the road . I went and checked on the girls and picked up the eggs. That's about all for my day.

 

[igorsMistress]

This is the final configuration in the sun garden. In the back there two Arabian lilacs to shade the wall, you can’t see one because of the bed on the left. They should pretty much hid the neighbors trailer there. On the left side is a chaste tree that will provide shade in summer, but since they drop leaves the beds will still get sun in winter.

I still have one more rectangular bed for the shade garden and I decided to put the round one in there too.

 

[CNJ]

You don’t find coco coir to be too much? I always add perlite or vermiculite to it or my stuff drowns. Maybe I water too much.

I just started playing with my snap on air laying jig from Amazon this year. I used 3 the first time with fine coco coir and left it on for 2 months. However, only one grew roots, but died when I planted it in a pot. I had it covered with a plastic bag and took the bag off too soon. I should have left the plant covered in the shade until the leaves grew full size. I took off the plastic when I saw some buds and placed it in partial morning sun before it died.

This time I used a bag and mixed soil with peat moss and left it on for 3 full months. The soil in the bag was hard as a rock. I soaked the rock-hard root ball in water last night and I was able to shoot of the soil off with a hose in the am. There were a lot more roots after 3 months in the bag than it did 2 months in the jig. However, the jig is only 3 inches round and the bag held 6 inches of soil.

I won't cover the plant with a bag this time around. I will leave it in the shade under my banana tree. I am using Miracle Grow potting mix and Promix on this grow out and I will start feeding it with Alaskan fish fertilizer after a month.

I will baby it and try my best to bring it to the fruiting stage.

 

[Sally PB]

Ok luffa experts. I saw some chatter about them, so I figured I'd drop in & ask your opinion on mine This is my 1st time growing them. I was feeling them up today & they are a bit soft & squishy. Is that bad? We got down to 37 a couple weeks ago & will get down to that tonight. The vines & leaves are all still green & healthy looking though. The goal is to make sponges out of them, not eat them.

Totally NOT an expert, as this is my first time growing them as well.

What I have read is frost will ruin them, so you might want to pick them tonight. I picked mine a couple weeks ago when I thought we *might* get frost. I could have left them for another week or two, but I've also read that they don't do much at lower temps, and we were only in the 50s-60s during the day.

I sliced down the length of the biggest one (in diameter) and peeled off the green skin. That's the one that actually grew anything resembling a sponge. I picked the other 3, but they weren't worth anything as a sponge. The chickens pecked the seeds, but that was it. Oh well, they can compost in the run.

 

[Jenbirdee]

I picked some dandelion leaves and fed them to the geese. Yes, I have dandelions growing in my vegetable garden,, intentionally!

 

[igorsMistress]

I just started playing with my snap on air laying jig I bought on Amazon this year. I used 3 the first time with fine coco coir and left it on for 2 months. However, only one grew roots, but died when I planted it in a pot. I had it covered with a plastic bag and took the bag off too soon. I should have left the plant covered in the shade until the leaves grew full size. I took off the plastic when I saw some buds and placed it in partial morning sun before it died.

This time I used a bag and mixed soil with peat moss and left it on for 3 full months. I soaked the rock-hard root ball in water last night and I was able to shoot of the soil off with a hose in the am. There were a lot more roots after 3 months in the bag than it did 2 months in the jig. However, the jig is only 3 inches round and the bag held 6 inches of soil.

I won't cover it with a bag this time around. I will leave it in the shade under my banana tree. I am using Miracle Grow potting mix and Promix on this grow out and I will start feeding it with Alaskan fish fertilizer after a month.

I will baby it and try my best to bring it to the fruiting stage.

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Good luck, I’d love an update at some point on how it’s going.

I did some research on scoria and it’s just lava rock. I picked some up at Home Depot the other day to mix with coco for the dragon fruit. I’m curious to try that mix with something else though and see how well it works. I may try something in a bucket in Spring.

 

[akroberts1085]

I picked some dandelion leaves and fed them to the geese. Yes, I have dandelions growing in my vegetable garden,, intentionally!

I just found out about dandelions, crazy. My mom always said it's a weed. I told her about dandelion tea she said yes and you can do all kinds of stuff with them . I am considering planting some next year and possibly making a bee hive to capture a feral swarm in the Spring. Making my own honey might put a change of mind to me about eating honey.

 

[Jenbirdee]

I just found out about dandelions, crazy. My mom always said it's a weed. I told her about dandelion tea she said yes and you can do all kinds of stuff with them . I am considering planting some next year and possibly making a bee hive to capture a feral swarm in the Spring. Making my own honey might put a change of mind to me about eating honey.

yup I make dandelion tinctures and dandelion root tea and dandelion leaf tea, and I make a salve with the flowers
I love bees too. I wish I could have some. I just plant a lot of things that attract them.