Posted on 04/30/2022 6:05:05 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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Poor little Martin! I’ve never seen one in person. At least not that I can remember.
To me the migration timing seems about right. It usually begins in late April around here. I’m really enjoying seeing the Orioles and Grosbeaks right now. They are plentiful!
This morning I saw an Indigo Bunting pass by. He didn’t stop to eat this time; maybe he will stop by later. That’s my third sighting in a week, so I’m hoping he stays and that I can see him periodically. Last summer my neighbor insisted he saw them at his feeder, so I’m wondering if they don’t like quite so much activity as I get here.
I wish I could read that article! I thought they haven’t figured out how to cultivate morels.
Re: Weed Fertilizer. Everything is good for something!
Yeah. A lot of rain in East Tennessee too. Raised beds look nice.
So does your Greenhouse.
I don’t have a greenhouse.
But have a nice heavy duty indoor grow light system.
(3) 4’, 4 bulb grow lights on a heavy duty 3 adjustable shelves.
Works great for me.
Here’s to hoping they taste great.
‘Mountain Pride’ was bred, I believe, to still set fruit in cooler temperatures. Not one I’ve ever tried, but Jung’s sister company, Totally Tomatoes, sells it:
https://www.totallytomato.com/product/T00496/89
It’s also DETERMINATE, which I love - all the fruit sets at once and the plants don’t grow to the rafters.
Doesn’t it seem impossible that turtles could reproduce? LOL! I had a small lake across the road from me at my other farm, so I was always finding (Box or Painted) turtles in the weirdest places.
Always amazed me that they could make it across the road in the first place!
“Yep. I started traveling last month, and here I am in your garden, today!”
Beau LOVES Turtle Soup or Stew. I can’t get my mind around it...
Thanks for the info! I’ll give a progress report later in the season. For me, taste is everything, ok almost everything. I was surprised that the Rutgers last year were only so so.
Hit ‘send’ too soon!
And your Chestnuts and greenhouse look awesome, too! My tomatoes are SO far behind yours!
I rarely have to re-pot a second time, but it looks like I’ll have to this season. :(
I got a grow rack for cheap back in the day - it was missing the 4th shelf lighting set, but I just use that for storage on the bottom.
Before that I had boards and bricks and shop lights set up, too. That worked well.
I’m still learning to use my unheated greenhouse to full advantage. I’ve had some successes and some failures, but that’s what keeps me coming back for more. :)
I had to leave my greenhouse behind when I sold my farm; it was pretty much what sold the buyers on my place, plus the well established gardens and orchard. When Beau asked me to marry him, I told him yes...but...if you buy/build me a greenhouse, I’ll grow lots of food for you!
And I was easily able to close THAT deal, LOL!
Rutgers is usually very dependable. Could’ve been the growing season a a whole or a fertilization/nutrition issue.
Your guess is as good as mine. :)
I just read through that ‘Weed Tea’ article. I’m actually EXCITED to do some weeding later this week when we get a sunny day. Rumor has it that Wednesday is the day to play outside this week. ;)
I cannot BELIEVE I’m looking forward to WEEDING, LOL!
alfalfa (for nitrogen and iron).
arrowroot (for calcium).
bracken (for a range of nutrients).
burdock ( for iron).
chamomile ( for calcium, potassium and phosphorus).
chickweed (for potassium, phosphorus and manganese).
cleavers (for sodium and calcium).
coltsfoot (for a range of nutrients).
docks (for calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron).
lamb’s quarter (for NPK, calcium and manganese).
plantains (for a range of nutrients).
purslane (for calcium, potassium and iron).
sow thistle (for magnesium, phosphorus and copper).
tansy (for phosphorus).
watercress (for a range of nutrients).
I can find a LOT of the above, and I’m pretty sure Farmer Dan won’t notice a little alfalfa missing from the field nearest my house. ;)
Yeah, I think it was just a not great plant in general. Just wasn’t healthy. I’m sure the gardener had nothing to do with it! ;^) ;^)
Come to think of it, I had a problem with whiteflies last year, which has never happened to me before. My lemon verbena plants weren’t good either. Maybe those were the culprits!
Keep in mind that comes from a blog post, the author of which majored in philosophy in college.
https://foodb.ca/foods/FOOD00286 shows alfalfa having more magnesium than iron.
https://foodb.ca/about only has food items so not every weed will be listed.(no comfrey either)
https://foodb.ca/foods/FOOD00290 They do have calcium high on the list of compounds for Arrowroot which is in line with the blog post.
Burdock, https://foodb.ca/foods/FOOD00017 again, higher in magnesium than iron. Based on mg/100 g and I don't know how that works out. As metals, iron is a lot heavier than magnesium so is it apples to oranges to use weight?
Might be easiest to just mix them all together and make a tea from that.
Rumor has it that Wednesday is the day to play outside this week.
Yesterday was 74 and sunny but windy here. Tried to pull a couple of weeds from around my comfrey but the soil was too try and I wouldn't have gotten the roots. Won't have that problem Wednesday LOL.
Got most of my shiitake logs inoculated with spawn yesterday. Forgot how long it takes and $150-200 worth of tools would make it go faster but it's not like I'll be selling shiitake. Half hour for 4 inch log and one hour for 6 inch log because the circumference is twice that of the 4 inch so it's twice as many holes to drill, fill with spawn and seal with cheese-wax/beeswax.
Was going to finish them up today but the rain started this morning instead of the forecast 4pm. Was going to transplant stuff outside too but I think I might just wait until this weekend when it's supposed to be warmer. Will be closer to May 13-20 that johhny's seed starting calculator gave me for mater/pepper planting out date too.
Forecasts are wild guesses and the seed starting calculator is based on averages so it's a wild guess too. No wonder I used to just buy mater/pepper plants in late May. ;)
Nice barn
Turtle road crossing season just started here. First time I looked at a rental place I lived at for 12 years, there was a guy carving up soft shell turtles for stew. Never tried it myself but being in FL at the time, I have tried alligator(tough) and frog legs but the grog legs were under cooked and still kinda see through.
I’ll stick with fish, poultry and four legged, warm blooded mammals.
The barn is a wreck. It burned to the foundation in the 1950’s and they did a poor job rebuilding it, so the foundation is crumbling and is basically falling apart.
It would be too expensive to repair and it doesn’t have any historical value to the area, so once we get our pole shed built, we’ll most likely sell it for barn wood, then have the local volunteer Fire Department finish her off with a ‘training burn’ and find someone that wants the field stone that’s left over.
That sounds ambitious, doesn’t it? LOL! That barn will probably STILL outlive the both of us. ;)
Very showy roses! (I like the varigated ones!)
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