Posted on 04/01/2025 6:11:07 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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Oh, wow, our shortest day (sunrise-sunset, winter solstice) is a bit over 9-1/2 hours. But, at ~110 watts for the light, less hours would mean less kilowatt-hours ($$).
Anyway, thanks! - you’ve confirmed I should light-cycle lettuce too. I guess I can try 10 hours* and see how green the lettuce stays. I have enough lettuce plants, and not enough space in the basement, that I could spare one plant and keep it outside in a spot out of the afternoon sun, for a reference. When it bolts, then I’ll have seeds. :-)
*Like you, I’m not so lucky. What’s an 8 hour work day? Although these days some of mine are more like a “Mexican” schedule with a nap after a late lunch, then work late into the evening... ;-)
Geez, maybe a comma or two...
“*Like you, I’m not so lucky. What’s an 8 hour work day? Although these days, some of mine are more like a “Mexican” schedule, with a nap after a late lunch, then work late into the evening... ;-)
(Eye roll at myself!)
I need a reciprocating saw. I have a package of Dewalt blades, but no saw. Dad had a huge saw (not Dewalt) but it looks like the cord got in the way & is majorly chewed up! Regardless, it’s too big & heavy for me. If mom is over the shock of buying me a chainsaw, maybe I can talk her into a reciprocating saw .... I need it for one of HER projects.
How is the well issue coming along?
Yesterday when I was shopping for some last minute ingredients for dinner last night, I stopped in at the garden center. They had Bonnie shishito pepper plants! It’s the first I’ve ever seen them around here. I bought two, as I still intend to try out the seeds that I saved and overwintered in the garage. We have two days on the weekend that they’re forecasting will get to below 40, so I’m wondering if I should wait until next Monday to plant those.
We also got some rather difficult news. On Sunday as we were working in the yard, my husband discovered that one of our really huge hickory trees is in such bad shape. It’s probably about 80-100 years old, and towers over every other tree in our backyard. The news is that it’s so rotten, it is a terrible hazard. If something happens before we take it down, it would likely fall towards our neighbor’s house, causing significant damage. We got the estimate this morning. $3500. It’s an expense we weren’t even thinking about. It must be done though.
It’s the same tree where I have photos of a mama raccoon with her 3 babies from years ago. The tree guy said it will be 2-3 weeks before he can get his team over here, so we hope nothing will happen in that time frame.
If ‘greening up’ your lettuce is the goal, make sure you’re fertilizing with a higher Nitrogen fertilizer. Lettuces love Nitrogen as much as my mule, Ithaca, loves carrots! :)
“Nitrogen imbalance: Lettuce requires a balanced supply of nutrients, especially nitrogen. Too much nitrogen can result in excessive leaf growth but may delay or inhibit the development of heads. On the other hand, a nitrogen deficiency can lead to stunted growth and yellowing leaves. It’s important to provide a balanced fertilizer or amend the soil with organic matter to maintain the proper nitrogen levels.”
https://thegardenmagazine.com/best-fertilizer-for-lettuce-when-to-feed-your-lettuce/
“How is the well issue coming along?”
Beau has it narrowed down to it being a PRESSURE TANK issue, and NOT the well, itself. Seems that the pressure tank isn’t telling the well pump to stop pumping when it hits pressure. We have had fine water pressure, so that didn’t even occur to us.
The sound we were hearing in the basement and the first floor bathroom was the well pump running and running and running!
So, he’s getting us a 50/60 gauge today at Farm & Fleet after he finishes helping the neighbor with a fencing issue.
IF he’s correct, the problem should be solved by this evening. Yay!
I got a LOT done after supper last night when he turned the water back on for me. I told him that running water is really a motivator for me now, so maybe we should just leave it off all day? LOL! Yeah - that’ll work with all the animals to water and as we go into High Garden Season!
Also - we need to have water running and available to the Heifers in the pasture and ‘The Girls’ will be showing up any day now. We’ll add Steer ‘Stewart’ to the mix, then he’s out of my hair for the summer, but I will miss his sloppy kisses! ;)
Eating from The Land, Your Own Hand, the Pantry:
Last night I made Rhubarb Sauce from the garden and Beau had it on ice cream for his evening treat. This morning I used the Rhubarb Sauce on plain yogurt with homemade granola. Win/Win!
Got a few more things seeded and in the greenhouse:
‘Sensation’ Cosmos
‘Jewel Mix’ Nasturtium (red, orange, gold colors)
‘EZ Pick Gold’ Zucchini (I’ll buy a single green plant)
‘Burpless Supreme’ & ‘Tasty King’ Cucumbers - want to do a lot of cukes this season for Pickle Relish and Spears and plenty of Cucumber Lemonade!
‘Thelma Sanders’ Winter Squash
‘Honeybaby’ Winter Squash (a compact version of ‘Butternut’)
‘Mini Love’ Watermelon - Beau is going to do a Watermelon Patch up at the cabin, since he’ll be up there most of the summer into fall.
My Tulips and Daffodils look so PRETTY - I will take some pix to share in the morning when it’s cooler and they are looking their best. :)
Got our invitation to the Twin neighbor boys’ HS Graduation, today! Cody & Jesse are two of the most decent kids on the planet; I adore them! Both will be going to UW PLatteville this Fall, working toward a Business Degree. Then they are coming back to the farm and running it and expanding it for their parents. That’s the plan, anyway. (This is the horse operation, next farm over).
A pressure gauge fix - that’s about as easy as it gets - yay!!
I was wondering if Stew was out with The Girls yet. My niece got 2 calves, Jerseys. Calves are in such short supply, she took what she could find.
It is 88° right now after frost warnings & temps in the high 30’s Monday night. Crazy roller coaster weather. I am trying to install landscape edging in the front - bed with boxwoods is done, now I am doing the other side of the porch. Lots of rest breaks, but the shade is creeping slowly over my work area, so that should speed things up a bit. I’m not moving too fast in the sun.
I hate these huge temp swings in the spring. Just. Be. Spring-like!
Our ‘Storm of the Century’ amounted to bupkis last night, thank goodness. We REALLY need some rain, though.
I have plenty of “well cured” chicken guano I can add. :-)
(You once castigated me for adding too much of the above around my tomato plants, but, you were right.)
I’m just a little uncertain how this light will work out for lettuce: My LED grow light tubes (the ones made to be actual grow lights) have all crapped out, or partially so, so, using this new light - basically a very high output shop light with hopefully enough output in the right wavelengths, is a bit of a “guess”. I suppose if the lettuce looks spindly and weak, I’ll know it needs either more blue (or red?) light.
If I can buy 4 plants at Menards that works out well. The rest usually 8 more I start from seed. That way I get some early ones.
If your pressure tank has an air inflator and a balloon inside it may just need some air.
Sorry just up from a nap did not read your post very well.
Ok, that’s good info, thank you! The Menards closest to me is a 25 minute drive in a good day. Walmart is less than 10. I go there regularly for groceries. I’ll see if they have any more plants. There were about a dozen left yesterday.
Do I need to wait until the 39/40 temps are finished before I plant them?
Oh yes and you may need to move them in and outside for awhile. I use a bunch of old Rubbermaid totes. Easy for moving and then bringing down to the garden for planting.
Thank you! On my to do list for tomorrow is to go see if here are any shishito pepper plants left. I have a bin that I use for carrying plants into the house and out for temp changes like this. They all go in our sunroom when inside.
We have talked with the tree guy, and think we are going to take out 3 trees, since he will have the crane for the hickory. The other two are on the complete other side of the yard. 8K. Fortunately, we have that readily available in savings. It just means that another project, a want vs a need, is put off indefinitely.
These are all mature trees, and I’m guessing, I will finally get more sunlight in two areas, which if true, means I might be able to “hide” a “vegetable” garden behind a small fence that no one but me will see (referring to the HOA rules that forbid “gardens”…numbskulls…flower gardens are “gardens”, too, and they LOVE those!). In a month I will know better what I’m dealing with.
Nutella-filled Puff Pastry Cookies / makes 9 cookies
Easily doubled----puff pastry bakes up buttery and flaky.
Ing 1 puff pastry sheet 1 small egg 2 tsp water 5 tsp Nutella 5 tsp p/butter icing sugar for dusting
Steps Egg Wash: Whisk egg w/ fork. Add water and whisk. W/ sharp knife, cut thawed pastry into 9 squares, about 4" each. One at a time, place pastry squares on parchment squares. Brush edges w/ egg wash. Place about 1/2 tsp Nutella in center; top w/ 1/2 tsp p/butter.
Bring 4 corners together, then repeat for sides. Shape into ball then flip, folded side down. Lightly press w/ fingers to flatten a bit. W/ sharp knife cut 8 petals; twist petals 45 deg, all to the same side; filling should now be visible. Bake golden in oven center 400 deg 15 min. Cool on counter. Dust w/ conf.
I use puff pastry sheets quite a bit, mostly for turnovers. When just thawed open up a sheet and cut into 4 squares. I use homemade blueberry preserves or apple chunk preserves or sometimes I go crazy and use a little blueberry and a little ricotta. I make an easy powdered sugar glaze with evaporated milk.
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