What did you do in the garden today?

[Rick589]

Now that we have our two new peeps pretty much muscling themselves into the group at not quite two weeks old I’m ready for another broody hen. The more the merrier.

 

[cj2024]

My Shelby paste tomato harvest was not as productive as my Red Snapper or Hossinator tomatoes grown in the same containers. The Shelby is new for 2025; I tried it because of the TYLCV resistance and heat tolerance. It's a flimsy looking plant. I wish the Super Sauce hybrid tomato had TYLCV resistance. I tried it once and I was impressed with the size of the tomatoes, but it stunted right before it started kicking it out.

I have some Super Sauce tomato seedling coming along. I will try growing it again. I will be happy if I can get the initial cluster of tomatoes before it gets stunted.

Its a good thing Chinese winter melons can store for months on end. I still have a piece of my Giant Black Bull squash left in the ice box. It holds its texture in the ice box for a very long time even after cutting. The scrubbed and washed winter melon in the picture will turn waxy white after it dries. They can get very large if I let them grow out.

 

[WthrLady]

baby spiders ballooning everywhere today
I feel covered in them. YUCK

 

[Rick589]

So far I have done absolutely nothing other than stare at some plants

Well, you ARE doing something then.

 

[Rick589]

Does anyone else have chickens that turn their beaks up at the BSFL crumbles at the bottom of the bag? Ours do, requiring us to only provide the fully intact treats.

 

[WthrLady]

I have 100% switched to superb lids too. Much better quality.

I was just out pushing the dirt away from my onions, they aren't doing all that hot this year - I think it's been too wet. I've had quite a few rot. But I had to get some fertilizer in them so now they're even more wet.

Horsenettle is my new nemesis. That and bindweed. Both relatively new here. I'm about to get out the chemicals, and I never do that.

Is it a thing that bees can be all over your coneflowers so much so that they miss pollinating your squash? I think that's whats happening here and I'm annoyed I have to hand pollinate them now too.

Hate to say it, but the ONLY way to deal with bindweed is chemical, and not just once. It still takes forever to kill and starve that plant.

 

[WthrLady]

Does anyone else have chickens that turn their beaks up at the BSFL crumbles at the bottom of the bag? Ours do, requiring us to only provide the fully intact treats.

I save the bug crumbles as a mix in for when I make mash out of the crumbles in the bottom of the feed can or I sprinkle the bug crumbles on top of their fruit treats (scraps from canning/processing) They get eaten.
OR frozen in ice blocks. Funny how they wont eat them out of hand, but put bits in ice they have to peck at and suddenly they're digging for gold.

 

[Rick589]

Last few years we’ve grown determinate ‘maters because we can them. This year we planted Perons which were described as semi-determinate. Didn’t know/wasn’t sure what that meant exactly so imagine my surprise when they unleashed their fury on me.

 

[Rick589]

I save the bug crumbles as a mix in for when I make mash out of the crumbles in the bottom of the feed can or I sprinkle the bug crumbles on top of their fruit treats (scraps from canning/processing) They get eaten.
OR frozen in ice blocks. Funny how they wont eat them out of hand, but put bits in ice they have to peck at and suddenly they're digging for gold.

Never thought of putting them in the mash when I make it. Perfect example of my inability to put two and two together sometimes. I make mash to make sure the crumbs from the pellet feed get used…..but, using the BSFL crumbs somehow just never computed. Good idea and I think I’ll give it a go. I mean, unless I’ll be violating a patent or copyright or something.

 

[OnlySympathy]

Someone near me was giving away free zucchini and since I don’t have any squash or zucchini plants I took one… and then proceeded to bike a mile up steep hills while holding a giant zucchini. It was wayyyyy bigger than idea, probably around 4 pounds and 1.5 feet but hopefully it will make some okay zucchini bread. Obviously I found out we didn’t have any flour after doing everything else and mixing everything together so now my dad is having to go pick some up.