What did you do in the garden today?

[akroberts1085]

I got my sweet potatoes in VERY late, and was surprised I actually got some! I didn't cure them, as that was a really pain to do last year. I roasted some, and they were tasty. Not sweet, but very tasty.

I tried a leaf, picked and popped in my mouth in the garden. It had a fuzzy texture and stuck to my tongue, so I was not a fan. I think they might be much better sauteed...? Has anyone tried that?

I haven't tried it but I want to. If I remember correctly it said you can cook them the same as spinach

 

[LaurenRitz]

No apologies, I chose not to resist. Tune of "Merry Christmas to You"


Leaves are steaming in a compost pile
Chickens scratching at the dirt
As for piggies, we are done for a while,
And apples pressed begin to spurt.

Everybody knows the smell of homestead Christmas time
Cider, ham and fire-light
Scent of pine as we put up the tree,
Then sorting seeds half through the night.

We know that spring is on its way
When all the fun of planting starts again
But for now, we put the plans away,
To spend this time just thinking --oops! Sick hen!

And so I struggle with this simple phrase.
The words don't come but I must rhyme.
My homestead Christmas, it will pass in a daze.
Merry Christmas to you.

 

[WthrLady]

I should put the camera out there & see if we see anything happening. I assume they are climbing the HC (the ground) & trying to climb over the hot wire & are getting zapped. I'm not sure they're smart enough to jump over it & not touch the hot wire, but maybe you're right. I wonder if the trail cam would pick up mice...

There is PB in bucket traps inside the fence, outside the RV so I would think they'd want at that.

My coop security camera picks up mice as long as I turn off the animal excluding sensor.

 

[chickengr]

I have a brassica that popped up spontaneously last spring, made it through the summer and is still going. I believe that mice or rabbits are eating it. They don't seem to like the stem, so it just regrows new leaves.

thank you. no rabbits here. it is a tiny fenced garden so only mice can get in.

 

[chickengr]

I finally fenced area for gardening. need to make gate, finish a new coop next to that area, fence a small remaining part to keep ducks and geese contained and make a coop for silkies next to waterfowl. there is enough room of slightly sloped land full of stones so no gardening there anyway.

 

[jerryse]

5 year old great granddaughter is getting 4 teeth pulled today. Makes me think of the song all I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth.

 

[Acre4Me]

Thank you for the info. I'm trying to find a way of incorporating new vegetables for everyone. I also found out that the leaves are edible.

You’re welcome. We try to put something new in every year too. We never tried the sweet potatoes leaves. I think some people will take the vines, remove the outer skin and eat like noodles -seem to recall reading that at one time.

I got my sweet potatoes in VERY late, and was surprised I actually got some!

Yes, sometimes that happens. Our collections we bought were late. They (SHP) plant theirs late too. The sweet potatoes will produce well if HOT and in hot soil, rather than started in cool soil, cool temps of late spring. So, we never get ours until June sometime, well after that local stores are done selling them. I’m glad you got some!

Been having problems getting packages through USPS. One was expected Saturday. Hazelwood MO sent it to Chicago IL, Chicago sent it to ST. Louis MO. Departed ST. Louis and arrived ST. Louis 3 times. No new scans since Sunday. Just EnRoute. A small package. Today a package was out for delivery and never came. Now it says available for pickup. It rode in the carrier's car all day and went back to the office. 2# package. Maybe it would not fit and did not want to bring it to the house.

Amazon delivery -this happens too. Needed an item quick, chose to deliver to my home (usually get most things at PO Box, which adds 1-3 or more days to delivery) so I could have it Monday. All day delivery window kept changing to later and later (final one saying “now arriving between 8:15pm-10pm”). Arrived yesterday (Tuesday)….and shocker each one of my neighbors also got an Amazon package too. It irritates me bc all day Monday I was waiting for package that was on delivery vehicle.

Once, pre-Covid, ordered a couple items needed for kid sport event coming up, so ordered what would arrive prior to competition. Items ordered in same order, but they happened to come out of different warehouses, so 2 soft Mylar envelopes. I was home, on a small cul- de-sac, watching PO driver deliver mail. Once he drives away from our mailbox, I collect only one package, look up to see driver delivering to last mailbox in cul-de-sac and my phone bings to tell me that the other package (inside the PO truck a few feet from me) was “undeliverable” …… whaaaaat??? Driver, oops, forgot to grab it to put in my box, so instead of correcting it (taking 5 seconds) he marked it undeliverable. It took another week to receive it as it had to be returned then resent.

I ordered a few small things on Amazon yesterday, supposed to arrive before Christmas….we shall see if this is true or not!

 

[Molpet]

Been having problems getting packages through USPS. One was expected Saturday. Hazelwood MO sent it to Chicago IL, Chicago sent it to ST. Louis MO. Departed ST. Louis and arrived ST. Louis 3 times. No new scans since Sunday. Just EnRoute. A small package. Today a package was out for delivery and never came. Now it says available for pickup. It rode in the carrier's car all day and went back to the office. 2# package. Maybe it would not fit and did not want to bring it to the house.

My brother said an USPS package was delivered to me Monday. I have not seen it.
He sent from Omaha NE, it tracked to several normal distribution centers then to the local town. Then back to several IL distribution centers, on to North Dakota back to Omaha and then repeat proper route. I wonder where it's at now

 

[Sally PB]

my phone bings to tell me that the other package (inside the PO truck a few feet from me) was “undeliverable” …… whaaaaat??? Driver, oops, forgot to grab it to put in my box, so instead of correcting it (taking 5 seconds) he marked it undeliverable. It took another week to receive it as it had to be returned then resent.

And this is why I avoid ordering stuff. We do have better luck with USPS than FedEx or UPS, because the mail carrier knows all the houses back here. Our mailboxes are 1/4 mile away, but when there's a package, she will drive it back to the house.

 

[cj2024]

I will try cloning my determinate Tycoon tomato. I wonder if these answers from copilot is true, it seems confident:
No, the life cycle of cloned determinate tomato plants will not terminate when the parent plant stops growing. Each cloned plant is an independent organism and will follow its own life cycle. However, like the parent plant, the cloned determinate tomato plants will also stop growing once they reach a certain size and begin to flower and set fruit. After that, they will focus on ripening the fruit rather than growing taller.

New question and answer:
Correct! If you cut off the flowers from a determinate tomato cutting, it won't stop growing. Removing the flowers allows the plant to focus its energy on root and vegetative growth, which can help it establish a stronger foundation. Once the plant is well-established, it will eventually produce new flowers and continue its normal life cycle.

New question and answer:
What if I cut all its flowers as it grows and cut the tops, will the determinate tomato plant live longer?

If you continuously cut off all the flowers and the tops of a determinate tomato plant, it will not extend the plant's life cycle. Determinate tomato plants have a predetermined growth pattern and life cycle. Removing flowers and cutting the tops might temporarily delay fruit production, but it won't significantly prolong the plant's life. The plant will eventually reach the end of its life cycle and stop producing new growth.
However, you can still take cuttings from the plant to propagate new clones. These clones will follow their own life cycle, independent of the parent plant.