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I have some gallon jugs flled with water, but that's all at the moment. My first greenhouse was designed for the location. No need to go into a lot of detail, but it backed on a hill and I assumed the difference between my own measurements and the traditional greenhouses was because of that...

According to my thermometers, -4 and 9. It's following the same pattern as my first greenhouse. I am now curious to see some real temperatures from a traditional passive greenhouse. Everything I have been told is being contradicted by my experience. Not really unexpected, but I'd still like...

Manwhile? Is that like mansplaining?

I was thinking about that. I know there are deer in the area. Since it is rumored that they won't try to jump something they can't see, I was thinking of putting up flexible poles with flags on them high up. Maybe convince them the fence is that high?

I'd say harvest what you can. If the plants survive, they'll recover better without having to provide energy to the fruit.

It's supposed to get down to the single digits tonight, so I brought the one pot in. The others are all too big and heavy for me to move. Arugula and cilantro were starting to recover. Tonight, tomorrow night and Monday night will give this thing a good test.

Yep. Walmart bed bag. Each perfectly fits 2 standard size growing trays, and I line underneath with old feed bags jic the bag leaks.

I have two of these. The first is already full, seeds are up for broccoli, cabbage, kale, chard and marshmallow. Parsley, goji, horehound, valerian, rhubarb, marjoram and sage are not up yet. But unfortunfortunately one of them needs to be kept for chicks. First stage brooder. So at Walmart...

I can see why cauliflower (or dogweed, as my Dad called it--Collie-flower) might be a replacement for a lot of things. It can be cooked to nearly any texture and it's almost tasteless. So much for those of us who actually enjoy the taste of varied foods.

This morning, 10 and 23. Spinach is still alive. We'll see how it fares after this next cold snap.

In a sense, but not sustainable. My attitude toward plants is casual neglect, or STUN. If it can't survive, if I have to keep buying seeds, it shouldn't be here and I'll try something else.

I have kamut, spelt, and a couple more old varieties of wheat. My birds are finally getting the idea that they can eat over their heads as well. I have comfrey but right now it's in an area the chickens don't access until it's big enough to divide. Same with horseradish. Berry bushes will go in...

Yup. So they can tell which ewes have been bred. Baaaaad.

I'm "weeding" mustard, lettuce, amaranth and sorghum in the grass for the chickens. Flax is doing great and reseeding itself already. I need to include some more low growing herbals and fall/winter greens. Sort-of a forage plot for them. Eventually I suspect the forage will outcompete the grass...

Yes, most are disposable. Which is precisely the problem. Non-renewable resource in a real emergency. Years ago I made small sterile surgical kits (pre-threaded needles of various sizes, needle threader, extra thread, scissors, tweezers) but I seem to have given away all but one. I sterilized...

Sorry, couldn't resist. Tune of "Merry Christmas to You" Leaves are steaming in a compost pile Chickens scratching at the dirt As for piggies, we are done for a while, And apples pressed begin to spurt. Everybody knows the smell of homestead Christmas time Cider, ham and fire-light Scent of...

My goal is to grow as much of my food as possible. No way I can do 1/4 acre of boxes. I simply don't have the resources. On the other hand, I now know how to grow dry beans and corn here. Watermelon does great in the woodchips, as do sweet potatoes. I'll try amaranth in the dry garden next year...

I have chickens, but I don't let them into the garden areas for a number of reasons. They have just recently realized that they can dig, but they pretty much ignore areas that don't have bare soil. The areas I am working with are thick with perennial grasses which they seem to completely ignore...

Six plum seeds have roots on them. Cold stratified in the refrigerator since June. I am hoping for plants that bloom late and have an extended bloom period to avoid late frosts. My old almond tree did that, and I'm planting its seeds. My mother's plum did the same but only over a period of a...

Potatoes last year--maybe a dozen tiny potatoes from 28 plants. Onions about the same. Garlic has a high die-off rate each year so I have tried to spread it out to see where it actually grows. Soil is a swampy, mucky mess in the spring, then turns into concrete. I have a bunch of different...