Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[Raiquee]

Now let me correct myself guys, I only have my MAIN garden that is weed free...in fact in the "second" garden, I call it the weed garden because thats what we mainly grow in there! haha.

Here is the "weed" garden that to the left has some yellow raspberry plants, and to the right is my line of volunteer tomato plants.

The squash plant that DID die, and do you see all the new leaves? Yes, came back from the dead.

Bush pickle plants. I planted them in like, full shade. Worst place ever. I just threw them into the ground because we were expecting a bad storm. When I saw how many flowers they had, I just left them.

And they are making pickles!!

Annnd, more volunteer tomato plants!


Woo!

 

[Sweetfolly]

Raiquee - I just love that eggplant! It's funny, I was going to post some pictures of our garden today too, but the camera was filled with pictures of ducks!

We love the EarthBoxes - we tried sort of making our own this year too, with cheap pots that are self-watering from the bottom, and putting a cover over them...but the tomato plants we put in them (from the same batch of plants that went into the EarthBoxes and are doing spectacular) are just pathetic. It'll be quite awhile before they pay for themselves (we've been adding like $100 worth of EarthBoxes every spring for the past three years - that's a LOT of veggies), but it's more about the experience of growing it ourselves and knowing it hasn't been sprayed with pesticides than actually getting the produce cheaper than at the store, you know? Plus, like I said, there's not much we can grow in the sand we have for soil here! If we try to till topsoil into it, it just slowly drains away through the sand. Our rhubarb plants are planted in the ground, and we've only managed to keep them alive by pouring heaps of duck poo on them once a week or so.

Thanks, BCC, I'm definately going to try that recipe! I have a bunch of banana peppers in the fridge right now, and about twice as many more on the plants that need to be picked!

I have a question maybe one of you could answer...we have a newer house, and you know the giant mound in the yard where the septic tank is buried? It shouldn't hurt the birds to let them forage in the grass up on top of there, should it? The deer eat the grass up there...I'm just super-paranoid about keeping the birds perfectly safe and healthy.

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

the only way it won't be fine is if its leaking, plus thats a mound system, it works different the an old type sepic tank, cleaner. I wouldn't worry.

 

[Dr HaHa]

Good Morning All! Raiquee Looks like your garden is going to fit in your face soon. I'm with TO once I got the garden weeded good I lay down material between the rows. Should have done that with the cuc's too before they got too big. Would like to build boxes but not in the buget this year, maybe this fall I can start bangin them together. What you've got 2 empty halves of coconuts and your bangin them together. The predicted rain didn't happen so that's a good thing but see 100% humidity out there. Going to clean up the yard from dropping the last oak in it before mowing again soon and go to BFF's to get BP's and some wood he made for me. Thanks BCC for recipe! And go pick berries so I can make fm some blackberry jelly. Up earlier than usual and am heading out to pick some cuc's before they get too big for pickles. Got the saw carb cleaned out and it's up and running. Found that I need a new air filter. Piece of junk it's only 26 years old.

But got another row nearly filled in the shed only 2 more to go with six in there. That'll give me 20 face cord more than enough for a very cold winter. Then I'm starting on next years supply. Trying to get a year or two ahead for a change. The stuffed peppers were excellent! We must not of had them in a long time because we both kept saying how good they were long after supper. Productive day to all!

 

[Terri O]

Good morning! I sure hope your wishes for a productive day for all comes true for me DrH! I could use a productive day here! I have a guy coming soon for ducklings. Sold 25 for $4 each. They are pretty big already and I have a bunch of feed in them but....I really dont need all those muskovies eating all winter ya know? Probably could have gotten $8 in the fall but I am thinking "a bird in the hand..." It is so very hard for me to sell my birds...I hate how the Mom's are so despondent after the babies are gone

it just makes me so sad....Is it easier if you hatch them in a 'bator? I am keep it 4 that are yellow and black...the people that use them for freezer camp like the white ones better for cleaner looking birds. I like the multi ones 'cause they look neater walking around!

Now that other garden looks more like mine Raiquee! Your weeds look very healthy though

. It kinda made me sad because I saw a few of the ones that I pulled to feed Stuart and Monty...every time I see a dandelion I just about break out crying! Man I hope they are having fun and will stay home when I find them! I have the new fencing all ready to put around their garden too...kinda like locking the barn after the horse is stolen I fear.

Nice and cool here--under the fan--I am wonder how hot it is out there? It is amazing with the ceiling fans and attic house fan running at night how cool these ancient houses get! It is only when the nights stay hot for a week in a row that we swelter in here! Then there is NO cooling down. I see the water fonts for the dogs need cleening and filling...suppose I'd better get off and get something done! Remember...even doing a little makes a difference! I will echo DrH---Productive day to you all! Terri O

(PS) BCC I have some blackberry bushes (NOT black raspberry) that I am hoping bear this year...I hear in this neck of the woods it is hard to get them to set fruit. Thanks for your companies...I will check them out and keep them in mind for next time!

 

[Raiquee]

(Ugh, I accidently navigated away from the page, so it deleted EVERYTHING)

Annarie) Good to know on the earthboxes, I really want a few. Ed (DH) doesn't like the idea, because he thinks we will forget to water them. However my peppers just don't seem to do well when I plant them in the garden. I want to be able to control their soil better and this seems the perfect way of doing it. If you want some of those eggplant seeds, I will save some for you too! They are awesome, and I'm having such great luck with them. Just check again this morning and they have two more that dropped over night! I would really love for you to post pictures of your garden too! Espessially because you have earthboxes! I want to see!

TO & DrH) I hope you have a very productive day! But Terri you should take it "easy"

BCC) Thanks for that pepper recipe, I just aquired a ton of nana peppers too and hubby wants me to pickle them! Thanks!

Well, midget is back on his sleeping schedule! No nap yesterday kinda sucked, because he was unhappy about it. But, he was out like a light at 8:30, and slept til 8:30 this morning! Finally mommy and daddy got a good nights sleep too! Refreshing. He goes down for a nap at 11-12 for 3-4 hours. He sleeps a lot! I'm glad hes feeling better though.

I also got a bunch more veggies from my sister-in-law. I guess her garden is (in her words) "on steroids or something!" as she has only one eggplant plant and she gave me at least a dozen eggplants. We got eggplants, more nana peppers, more scallions than any human being needs, sugar snap peas, basil, and little carrots. We are very thankful for it

I want so bad to set up a container with mostly sandy soil for carrots.

Also, looks like the unemployment extensions is in congress, and looks promising to pass....to fingers crossed that I can now apply for jobs in my skill level, rather than mcdonalds

I really don't want to be on unemployment, but I like the option of applying for jobs in my field, rather than any job I can find because we have nothing!

 

[Dr HaHa]

WOW Raiquee so much going on with you. Where to start? Glad to hear the lil one is back on track! OK if you have access to some lumber of just about any kind you can build your own earth boxes. Lay some landscape felt or such down on level ground and pound together the lumber in any shape that maximizes the size of the lumber around 8 " high and fill with compost and decient soil. Don't use treated of course or anything that might contaminate you plants. And don't use the siding off your house remember your trying to move. Agree with you on TO taking it easy! Makes me tired to read her posts. Nanner peppers lesss see oh ya went to the BFF's this morning to get some along with haul out the wood he cut for me turned out it wasn't his day off so I raided his garden and now have about 3 qts. soaking in salt water. HHEHEHEHE! Boy is he gonna be surprised when he gets home. I owed him ... or he owed me I dunno it's hard to keep track after 25 years of screwin with each other. But it's fun. I saw that last night on the extention sure hope it goes through and can help you guys! Been down that road too a few times of taking a lesser job to survive, huh BBCB? "He's a pretty nice fella got a lot to lose" JP! Thinking back I've been down quite a few roads. Hmmm! TO it always seems to cost more than it should. It's the price of caring. Just accept the fact that you'll never get rich or break even doing it and keep smiling. I feel bad when I take the eggs away from the girls sheesh. Now on to ME! Speakin of eggs there are now a Doz. in the bator. Got three more this morning.

I'm done outside pretty much for the day. Got the wood unloaded from the BFF's, cut up all the usable wood from the yard and trimmed down the too long stuff from last year. And cleaned up eveything from around the outside of wood shed. WOW the beer was comin out of me! Have about 4 qts of sweet pickle chunks soaking to be put up around 4. Need to do the dishes and prep the jars for canning. Need a nap but not happinin today Ray! Might have time to push the debris out of the yard before making the pickles. Now I sound like TO. Too much productivity today! Shoulda never said anything!

 

[Sweetfolly]

Terri O - No, it's not any easier letting the babies go if they've been hatched in an incubator...separating them is just heartbreaking - I think they imprint onto one another in the incubator, and they turn into skittish, lost, scared little things when you separate them. And even if you sell them all together, after they go you have a big, empty brooder and it's too quiet and dark and depressing.

Last night while I was putting all the ducks to bed, I saw one of my Khaki Campbell ducks sitting oddly in a corner of her pen - I shooed her away and found this:



I candled all the eggs, and she's obviously been sitting on it overnight (I know she's been outside in the run all day, every day - they don't have access to the main pen during the day, so it must just be warm enough outside that the eggs have survived - I had NO IDEA that I had a duck sitting on a nest!) for a little over a week...out of 14 eggs, 10 are alive and developing (2 look about 4 days behind the others - another duck must have added to the nest after the Campbell started sitting), 3 look like they're infertile, but I'll leave them just in case they're recently laid eggs, and there was 1 rotten egg that I pitched; I'm glad I caught it before it exploded in the pen.

I really don't need any more ducklings right now, but it'll be fun to see if she actually manages to hatch any of them! I left her in the pen with the eggs today, and she was on the nest when I checked at lunchtime. Campbells aren't known for their broodiness - I would have expected it from the Hookbill duck in that pen, not the Campbell! If any of these ducklings hatch, they'll be Hookbill/Campbell or Hookbill/Jumbo Pekin crosses. And you all can come take them - what the heck am I going to do with MORE ducklings this year?!

 

[JMPE]

Thanks Amy for getting me here. Now I'll never get anything done

 

[Dr HaHa]

Good news bad news. First the bad Elvis has left the building but "B" lives! L and I were just at the evening meeting at the picinic table and I was looking at what I thought was Elvis and then looked at Lefty then realized why Elvis was trying to take over as head "B". It was "B" all along her comb is laying over the wrong way to be Elvis. "B" was one of the ones that got attacked and got her comb tore. All week I thought Elvis was just upset. Oh thank goodness that explains all the " B"ing! So we had to "B" at each other till L was almost fell off the table and said oh without a doubt that's "B"!

JMPE Trying to sneak in here? Didn't work! Share your sickness! We understand and WELCOME!