Next week: The first in a series on soil structure
MYAKKA must be the fancy name for sugar sand.
Greetings from southern New Hampshire, where the sad job of cleaning up after the fatal coop fire starts tomorrow.
Monday morning, our chicken coop burned to the ground, killing all 14 chickens and all 5 Indian Runner ducks. Not just barnyard animals, but family members. The cause is not certain. Most likely a falling heat lamp knocked down by a duck, but arson has not been entirely ruled out. A neighbor had complained about the ducks and the coop last year.
We have ordered chicks and ducklings. The latter are due in the week after next. Plans for Coop II are well along and it will be better, safer and more convenient.
Time to order seeds.
The other thing that has been on my mind is a seed-swapping list, where we can each list an extra seeds that we have on hand that we are willing to donate to another member, or willing to swap for something that we need.
I believe it was Mrs. don-o that kept the list last year. I was able to acquire some really neat seeds from members of our group, and would like to get this feature up and working again in our weekly thread.
Please let me know by posting to this thread if you have any seeds that you'd be interested in parting with. I'll do my best to get the swap going again and each member can send each other FReepmail if there is a request.
Whatcha think???
First sunny day here in Benderville in a couple of weeks and here I sit. The native soil here is what is left after the brick factories closed. It is a heavy clay due the Redwood trees and the annual rains. Most of the visitors to our garden want to know where we purchased the soil in the beds and I have to do a mini course on building soil structure. There are river bottoms here where the soil is several feet deep and most of it is in our dairy belt...
Wisconsin = Antigo
Well, what do you know? I looked at the very interesting soil page for my state, but (for the life of me) I don’t understand how a soil that is distributed over less than a quarter of the state can be designated the “state soil”. What do the rest of us have? Just plain dirt? Sounds political to me, but everything is political in Wisconsin these days. LOL
I have about 10 different kinds of soil just on my property, I think.
Wisconsin = Antigo
Well, what do you know? I looked at the very interesting soil page for my state, but (for the life of me) I don’t understand how a soil that is distributed over less than a quarter of the state can be designated the “state soil”. What do the rest of us have? Just plain dirt? Sounds political to me, but everything is political in Wisconsin these days. LOL
I have about 10 different kinds of soil just on my property, I think.
Good afternoon. 78deg here in the piney woods region of Texas. We are supposed to have sunny days ahead for a week or so. We had 4in of rain again two days ago, so we are in a drying out mode.
Thanks for the link JADB. Great info on soils. Love the weekly links, it will sure help to find info again.
We are still in relatively warm weather for Missouri, but still cold enough to be a deterrent to going outdoors for any length of time. I have a huge stack of seed catalogs, so am spending looking through them, and planning the garden.
I intend to start some seeds soon for container plants. That way I can get some things going for earlier harvest. That way if we have a cold snap I can bring them in.
Have a great week everyone. God Bless.
WOW - just wow!
This weather is absolutely weird. It rained to beat the band all morning (my driveway is still flooded) and at one point the outside temperature was higher than the inside temperature. It’s January - this is coastal Virginia, not the deep south or south west. It should not be 68 degrees here.
Diana, I am thinking of ordering the ‘Supermont’ cherry and the ‘Contender’ peach from Jung’s. I’m living south of the Twin Cities in MN and in zone 4b. I already have several sour cherries and hope this would be a good compliment to the bunch (Mesabi, Bali, Montmorency). What do you think of this cultivar? Is it really 30% larger fruit?
Also, I’m thinking of giving the peach a try. I have an area sheltered from the N and W behind the barn on a slight rise and the barn is paneled in white steel siding. Nice micro-climate and out of the prevailing winter winds. Any experience with the Contender peach?
Thanks for your expertise (double so) since I know you’re busier than heck at this time of the year.
Well, starting over again no thanks to my cat. Had half my potted seeds already up and happily growing until she knocked the whole thing over. Upside down. Then tore the rest up scrambling to get away from very mad mama.
The garden has been tilled twice and raked. Went in to town today and bought some onions but they didn’t have any berries.
I’ve been wondering if instead of a seed exchange, maybe a “seed ring” would make sense. For example, I take the seeds I have that I don’t need and mail them to the next person on the list, who takes what they want, adds what they have, and on to the next person.
Haven’t decided if it’s a good idea, but it’s an idea.
Pinging the USDA...Time to write new hardiness guidelines ASAP...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2838943/posts