- Thread starter
- #291
Britesea
Sustainability Master
Last couple of days I haven't felt like doing much. Just tired; my get-up-and-go has got up and went!
Had to run out last night and cover the summer crops when I heard we had a frost warning; of course this morning I have no idea whether it was really needed or not. I really miss the max/min thermometer we had in California; I liked being able to see exactly how hot or cold it got in our micro-climate. All the max/min thermometers I see for sale these days are digital and thus require either batteries or a power cord *growlph*. The one we had was an antique- I think it used special metals with different expansion coefficients to record the temps; I know we didn't need power or batteries for it, and the rain didn't bother it at all.
Today we are scheduled for thunderstorms again, though I don't see any evidence of it myself. It is fairly cool however, and I can feel moisture in the air. I'm going to enjoy this while I can, it's supposed to get into the 90's again this weekend.
Had an appointment for a mammogram today, and I had intended to stop at the metal surplus yard to see if I could find some cheap pipe for trellis frames (I prefer the metal because it won't sag like wood or plastic); of course, as soon as I got into the car I went into autopilot and came straight home. I must be barn sour!
The ducklings are a week old today, and I swear they've doubled in size. I need to dig out the gallon sized waterer because they go through the quart sized one in about 4 hours now, and I'm getting tired of having to get up in the middle of the night to refill it. I was done with 2 o'clock feedings decades ago! On the whole, these little peepers are really calm and quiet; if I hear them making loud noises, it means they have issues with room service.
We finally got around to cleaning out the deep litter in the duck house yesterday, and found 2 eggs buried in the litter. One of them was fresh- when I put it in a bucket of water, it sank. The other one was cracked though.
I've started shredding papers for use as a mulch in the garden. This weekend, when DH is home, we'll head over to the Post Office and rake up a bunch of their pine needles as well. The Postmistress told me we were welcome to any of it we wanted, but she would appreciate it the most if we concentrated on the drifts that are up against the building (fire hazard). They used to have a gardening/maintenance company come out and clean up the yard on a regular basis, but with government cuts they can't afford it anymore.
I've decided that I need to make the new garden beds deeper. I'm using rough cedar, but the only width they had was 2"x8", and the 8 inch depth just isn't deep enough for me. Since I have weed blocker fabric underneath to keep the couch grass at bay, the plants can't go any deeper. I'm concerned about them getting enough water and nutrients in the small amount of soil-- especially as densely planted as they are. 8" will have to do this season, but I want to add a second course this fall and fill in with more topsoil. The 16" height will also make it easier for me to weed since I can't kneel.
I took the first cutting of nettles and got them into the dehydrator. They say that once the nettles are dried they lose their sting, but I still get real itchy when I have to handle the dried stuff. It's worth it though if it helps DH's gout and arthritis.
It's time for a good feeding for the garden now. I use Borax, Epsom Salts, and trace minerals, plus fish emulsion. The borax is especially important because my soil appears to have a deficiency of boron. I think I'm pretty good on nitrogen from the horse manure, because the plants I bought from the nursery that looked so spindly and pale have greened up beautifully and throwing out tons of new leaves. I recently bought a soil testing kit though, and probably should use that first before I start throwing fertilizer at the beds.
Has anyone ever tried any repellant sprays to keep squirrels away from their garden? I found a recipe online that uses 1 tsp dish soap, 5 oz hot pepper sauce in 1 gallon of water and then spray on the plants. I don't know if it will work, but I've got to try something. The little creep has just about finished my broccoli and is starting on the kale!
Had to run out last night and cover the summer crops when I heard we had a frost warning; of course this morning I have no idea whether it was really needed or not. I really miss the max/min thermometer we had in California; I liked being able to see exactly how hot or cold it got in our micro-climate. All the max/min thermometers I see for sale these days are digital and thus require either batteries or a power cord *growlph*. The one we had was an antique- I think it used special metals with different expansion coefficients to record the temps; I know we didn't need power or batteries for it, and the rain didn't bother it at all.
Today we are scheduled for thunderstorms again, though I don't see any evidence of it myself. It is fairly cool however, and I can feel moisture in the air. I'm going to enjoy this while I can, it's supposed to get into the 90's again this weekend.
Had an appointment for a mammogram today, and I had intended to stop at the metal surplus yard to see if I could find some cheap pipe for trellis frames (I prefer the metal because it won't sag like wood or plastic); of course, as soon as I got into the car I went into autopilot and came straight home. I must be barn sour!
The ducklings are a week old today, and I swear they've doubled in size. I need to dig out the gallon sized waterer because they go through the quart sized one in about 4 hours now, and I'm getting tired of having to get up in the middle of the night to refill it. I was done with 2 o'clock feedings decades ago! On the whole, these little peepers are really calm and quiet; if I hear them making loud noises, it means they have issues with room service.
We finally got around to cleaning out the deep litter in the duck house yesterday, and found 2 eggs buried in the litter. One of them was fresh- when I put it in a bucket of water, it sank. The other one was cracked though.
I've started shredding papers for use as a mulch in the garden. This weekend, when DH is home, we'll head over to the Post Office and rake up a bunch of their pine needles as well. The Postmistress told me we were welcome to any of it we wanted, but she would appreciate it the most if we concentrated on the drifts that are up against the building (fire hazard). They used to have a gardening/maintenance company come out and clean up the yard on a regular basis, but with government cuts they can't afford it anymore.
I've decided that I need to make the new garden beds deeper. I'm using rough cedar, but the only width they had was 2"x8", and the 8 inch depth just isn't deep enough for me. Since I have weed blocker fabric underneath to keep the couch grass at bay, the plants can't go any deeper. I'm concerned about them getting enough water and nutrients in the small amount of soil-- especially as densely planted as they are. 8" will have to do this season, but I want to add a second course this fall and fill in with more topsoil. The 16" height will also make it easier for me to weed since I can't kneel.
I took the first cutting of nettles and got them into the dehydrator. They say that once the nettles are dried they lose their sting, but I still get real itchy when I have to handle the dried stuff. It's worth it though if it helps DH's gout and arthritis.
It's time for a good feeding for the garden now. I use Borax, Epsom Salts, and trace minerals, plus fish emulsion. The borax is especially important because my soil appears to have a deficiency of boron. I think I'm pretty good on nitrogen from the horse manure, because the plants I bought from the nursery that looked so spindly and pale have greened up beautifully and throwing out tons of new leaves. I recently bought a soil testing kit though, and probably should use that first before I start throwing fertilizer at the beds.
Has anyone ever tried any repellant sprays to keep squirrels away from their garden? I found a recipe online that uses 1 tsp dish soap, 5 oz hot pepper sauce in 1 gallon of water and then spray on the plants. I don't know if it will work, but I've got to try something. The little creep has just about finished my broccoli and is starting on the kale!
