What did you do in the garden today?

[Smokerbill]

Wow, beautiful work! I love your use of the leaves. Soil loves a good leaf feast.

Thanks! It makes me feel good just looking at them and knowing there's nothing to do with them until next year. LOL

I read somewhere that garden plants prefer leaves as mulch and trees prefer woodchip mulch. It think it has something to do with the types of microbes and fungus that grow on them Not sure if it's true, but that's how I'm doing it these days.

 

[Justagalwithchicks]

Sweet potatoes are all out of the ground. The voles (pretty sure it was voles, not mice) were having parties under the black plastic -we found a few nests. Some very nice sweet potatoes were damaged. Grrr.. will be prepared next year.

But, we did get a nice harvest, and 4-5 varieties (out of 11 that we planted) are worthy of repeat purchase. We planted 3 white varieties, and 8 orange varieties.

Here’s the harvest in the curing tent:
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Funny story time:

Older neighbor has (again) been adopted by a kitten. He had 2 cats one adopted him 6 years ago when she showed up out of some bushes, and the other was from a relative that moved. So, a few weeks ago this tiny kitten comes out of the bushes, they take it in and feed it -it has grown well. Neighbor was standing in his barn a day ago with the kitten in his arm, and looks down to see a near identical second kitten at his feet! Whaaat? Where have you been? It must be a sibling to the first, and is just a little smaller -probably bc it wasn’t being fed like the first. So, they’ve accepted both, and plan to get them fixed around March as they will be around 6 months then. He was shocked with the sudden appearance, but the cats all love him, in particular. I don’t think they ever owned a cat prior to moving into this house. Here are the two kittens!

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What a great story! They bring so much joy!

 

[Justagalwithchicks]

I've made plenty of salsa Verde. This hot sauce is blended, and I fire roasted jalapenos, ancho chilis, onions and garlic to add to it. This particular project is...hot. My DH won't eat it. Lol.

This time around I used an immersion blender that I borrowed from my best friends. They have a Bamix. I don't like it. So I've decided to get the vitamix version. Despite the rubber coated bell. I tried the Oster, and the Cuisinart. I am sorry but they just don't have enough umph for me. I'm trying to get the same quality of blend as my traditional Vitamix blender without burning myself so much and making such a mess.


Garlic is sprouting! Seems like all of my peas we planted rotted so I planted more. DS and i planted carrots today as well.

We mowed, and I overseeded the lawn today. I also broke down my compost pile and chewed it up with the lawn mower. Then I rebuilt the pile with the chippings. I can tell that this will help it compost much faster. I knew that already though. I never watered the original pile either... this time I watered it. I had known to water it, I just hadn't.

Discovered that one of my pH meters was dead. Tested the soil... looked at the reading and knew outright that it was wrong. Tested with a second probe, then did a water activated test and verified. 8.2... yeah no... 6.8ish. Yay!

Tomorrow I'll seed new cabbage, cilantro, lettuce, broccoli and onions.

Your hot sauce sounds awesome and.... Too hot for me! Haha. I do ferment my hot peppers and make my own hot sauce. It's tasty and also to hot for me but my family enjoys it. I use an immersion blender I hope to get a vitamin one day!

 

[chickengr]

sheep manure is ready to be picked. now I have to find someone willing to work to go and pick it up. finally will be able to plant on my second 1/2 acre plot I bought a few years ago. ordered some posts as I'll have to fence it as there are deers walking around in winter.

 

[Sally PB]

I'm going to do something with the sweet potatoes... probably cut one into chunks and roast it, see what it tastes like.

I tweaked my back a bit yesterday, so anything I do today will be gentle and slow. It's better now than it was, and I'll ice again, but I need to remember I'm not 30 anymore. Or 40. Or 50.

 

[Sueby]

Thanks! It makes me feel good just looking at them and knowing there's nothing to do with them until next year. LOL

I read somewhere that perennial garden plants prefer leaves as mulch and trees prefer woodchip mulch. It think it has something to do with the types of microbes and fungus that grow on them Not sure if it's true, but that's how I'm doing it these days.

I must say I'm jealous, I wish my garden was put to bed! Too many flowers & bees left, hopefully I get a good frost soon. But it's going to be 83 today. We had the ac on in the bedroom & I got up to pee at 3am & the pellet stove was on in the living room.

I watered the greenstalks & saved marigold & nasturtium seeds yesterday.

We haven't had any significant rain in a while now, it's so dusty.

 

[cj2024]

The baking soda was being used to enhance growth and deter pests.

I am trying a 7-to-14-day application of Captain Jacks neem oil this year for my tomato plants. It says it can be used as a fungicide and/or insecticide, with a 2TBS to one gallon mixture.
Last year, I saw a hole on some of my green tomatoes and when I cut them open, I didn't see any worms. Other people on YouTube were also baffled by this. I used Captain Jacks dead bug brew mixed with water and sprayed the soil and plant to solve the problem.

This guy did an experiment with Captain Jacks dead bug brew, it seems to work on vine borers.

 

[WthrLady]

We managed 1.21 inches. The grass is going green as we head for 85'. The bees are out, but alas, so are the flies and the Asian lady beetles.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I'm so jealous of your rain... We've been bone dry for weeks now. Not expecting even the opportunity for a single drop for at least another week to 10 days

I wish HAARP and others like it would quit mucking with natural weather patterns...

 

[WthrLady]

That was our first rain in 8.5 weeks, and that rain was only .25 inches and that we waited 3 weeks for. We're deep in drought again.