| Author | Content |
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
August 08, 2009
10:35 PM Post #6924634
| Here's the thread to brag on yourself, your latest accomplishment, your veggies, your animals...
but please not the G'kids, or kids, OK? I've noticed they kinda take over other threads, and though I don't mind children, I'd like to find out about other things folks are up to. If you've got a truly great kid (and who doesn't), start a thread for braggin' on your genetic contribution or gud edikatin' or just plain good fortune with 'em.
I don't have kids, I have veggies which requires some babysitting, some feeding, some discipline, but it pays dividends a whole lot quicker. Then it freezes and I get a few months off... LOL
So here's how that [in]famous high tunnel is doing...
This is the SO standing in the midst of the summer squash seeds Cajun sent along. They are sure loving it in there!
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
August 08, 2009
10:37 PM Post #6924646
| The Heinz 'maters are pretty pleased with the set-up as well... 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
August 09, 2009
08:38 PM Post #6928011
| wow great job
well my pics of my garden are helplessly surronded by weeds at this present time LOL so no pics until i get them jungle things under control LOL
have you tried pumpkins in the high ( not wind ) tunnel ?
we lucked out and got our first pumpkin, though the vine borer got the vine , we got a good size one
its in the basement
the rest of the little pumpkins went to the chickens . They really liked the seeds. :) |
Hineni
Sharps Chapel, TN
(Zone 6b)
August 10, 2009
03:02 AM Post #6929112
| Nice work Jay! I like seeing what a weedless garden looks like :) Great job you are doing there.
I bought my first rototiller today. If I can type tomorrow night after using it I will report back...LOL! |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
August 10, 2009
07:55 AM Post #6929415
| good luck Hineni
i love my tiller too but i m using it less and less .
i love it for a new area that is big . Clay is tough to till
have fun with yours
|
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
August 10, 2009
10:01 AM Post #6929748
| The pumpkin is outside, but I think I planted it too late to get anything other than big leaves. =0( There's a little group of melon plants in the tunnel... the pvc trellis is for them.
It's getting down in the mid-40's already, so this GH is my big hope for ripening anything other than Heinz 'maters. There's red peppers, jalapeno peppers, 3 other kinds of tomatoes, summer squash, cukes, and eggplant in there. I could already use a bigger GH! Dang...
These beds are all and-turned and this winter I've got plans to raise one of them considerable so I can put hardware cloth down and protect gopher-choice crops... like beets, chard and sugar pod peas. That was part of my edicashun this year... those little suckers will burrow right around lettuce and bite the tap root off each and every beet... only ate one whole beet, but put the cabash on a dozen of 'em. Er... I wasn't planning on pickling beets TODAY... gophers write my schedule.
With the sugar pod, they passed up the snow peas and grabbed the newly sprouted sugar pod seeds... tried twice and nothing. I've trapped about 8 gophers so far this year... not my favorite part of gardening, that's for sure.
So I do envy you your tiller, Hineni. I'd like to have one of those little mantis type ones for the beds now.
|
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
August 11, 2009
09:07 AM Post #6933931
| next year i m going to get a broad fork . I realy think that will work for me . :) they look fun. I can use the excersise . sorry to hear the goghers get the beets before you.
|
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
August 11, 2009
03:07 PM Post #6935255
| Oooo, yes. I've been eyeing those broadforks too. They sure are proud of them, aren't they? I got soil blockers this last year, but only tried them once for starting beet seeds--worked great--and then something came up and for some reason they didn't get watered and they all died... operator error. %-P It takes me a while to incorporate new systems into my old...well, it'd be gilding a hog to call it a system... shoot from the hip style. LOL
I tried planting by the moon signs once... it was way too complicated for my little mind. And even when I did figure it out, those didn't happen to be the days I FELT like gardening. LOL
Don't think of them as weeds, think of them as plantings for beneficial insects. That's what I tell myself when I fall behind... =0) |
Moms_Garden
Dammeron Valley, UT
(Zone 6b)
August 11, 2009
05:30 PM Post #6935774
| Yeah! A brag board!
Last year my husband and I built and fenced-in herb garden/pond area and many of our plants were transfers from other attempts at growing various useful plants. One of those was a Black Elderberry, that had just barely survived for two or three years, but had never grown more than about 8 inches. So, after it was transplanted, it took off and is now about six feet tall and actually producing berries. It's quite exciting to finally see the "fruit" of your labors!
The photo is of the 'herb garden' half of the fenced area, the Elder is in the upper left corner. This was taken in June, so it's grown since then.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
August 11, 2009
06:11 PM Post #6935910
| Wow! That's gorgeous! Love the boxed herbs... attractive, unusual, and you can reach everything. That elderberry tree is going to be gorgeous and give so much shade when it grows up... there was a old Mexican elderberry down the road from me when I lived near Albq. and in the spring it woud just be covered with lovely little white flowers, so pretty in the desert. =0)
Show us more? |
porkpal
Richmond, TX
August 11, 2009
07:29 PM Post #6936150
| Beautiful herb garden! You have the right to brag. |
2vernes
Blytheville, AR
(Zone 7a)
August 11, 2009
09:07 PM Post #6936496
| Mom, I love your garden---so pretty and certainly is neat and tidy. Is the black elderberry like the one I saw in Wayside Gardens? Theirs was really expensive so I couldn't have one. We have the wild elderberry that grows around here and they are really pretty when in bloom. Thanks for sharing your garden with us. Laverne |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
August 12, 2009
05:11 PM Post #6939531
| Moms that is georgous !
Jay LOL yeah i hear you on the moon thing.
there is a weed i have found that the JB's will eat first instead of the plants ??? yaea go figure
i m trying to get a good picture of it . I like to plant it around my chicken pens. The chickens love the JB's
well i m tilling the weeds. I usually just pick at them everyday and feed the chickens with them but they sure have gotten away from me and it looks like a jungle . So the tiller it is . maybe i can walk in the garden now LOL wish me luck
|
Moms_Garden
Dammeron Valley, UT
(Zone 6b)
August 12, 2009
07:13 PM Post #6939949
| The elderberry would not have been expensive. I'm sure I ordered it out of a catalog, but I don't remember which one. We've, so far, planted 20+ herbs, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and six grape varieties just within this garden - many more outside the fence as well. And room for more. It's such an awesome adventure to plant things and watch them grow! Ya'll know how that is.
This is a photo of the other side of the garden.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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Moms_Garden
Dammeron Valley, UT
(Zone 6b)
August 12, 2009
07:15 PM Post #6939957
| The elderberry in bloom. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
August 13, 2009
09:42 AM Post #6941938
| Aaaah... imagining myself reclining with a virgin pina colada in hand, listening to the gentle gurgling of the fountain... What's your address? I'll bring my flip-flops... LOL
That looks like a fairly xeric design, too. It's nice to see such a water wise oasis in the desert. =o) |
Moms_Garden
Dammeron Valley, UT
(Zone 6b)
August 13, 2009
04:20 PM Post #6943189
| Certainly my favorite "aaaahhh" spot - where I can relax and de-stress. If you look closely, there are a couple of more comfortable chairs near the fence by the largest tree in the upper right corner of the photo. I can sit in the shade in the afternoon and enjoy the sounds of the water fountain, birds, and insects while watching my kittens run and play. Of course, this usually only happens when my children are pre-occupied with something else and the heat isn't unbearable. :) |
Hineni
Sharps Chapel, TN
(Zone 6b)
August 13, 2009
05:22 PM Post #6943372
| Woo, nicely done Moms! Gives me lots of ideas too, since I'm planning a new place from scratch, even the place at this point...LOL! I love arbors and trellises and what not.
Hmmm, I think we have elderberry growing in the woods around here...I may have to hunt one down and plop it into a pot before I go.
Sue, translate JB's?
Jay - my garden thrived amongst grass when the garden got out of hand, surprisingly. It was a little hard to find the onions in the hay though! Now that I'm moving again, I just lack energy to get out there and do anything. There is a new plot tilled though, for a few fall veggies before I move. |
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
August 13, 2009
06:57 PM Post #6943648
| Just don't feed that onion hay to the cows! LOL
This is the first year my garden has looked so nice... I don't know what happened. Well, the summer's not over yet, still plenty of time for the bindweed to cover everything...
JB... June Bugs? |
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
August 13, 2009
09:36 PM Post #6944092
| I finally finished it!!! My rainwater harvesting system is up and running. =0) I just got it finished yesterday, and today it rained, the first time in a month. Hooray! We didn't get enough rain to get the tank water level high enough to reach the spigot, but it's a start.
It's an 1100 gallon tank and right now I'm only collecting from one side of the roof. Theoretically we should get enough rain each year to run two of these tanks--one for each side of the roof--but I thought I'd just see how reality meets theory and see if the one side is enough to keep a tank fullish while I use the water for the garden. If it does, then I'll get another tank for the other end of the house and do the gutters from the other half of the roof to it. Otherwise, I'll run both gutters to the one tank.
But this is a project that's been years in the making, and it's nice to finally have it up and working. Now I can tackle another unfinished project... hmmm, let's see... so many to choose from. LOL
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
2vernes
Blytheville, AR
(Zone 7a)
August 14, 2009
05:04 PM Post #6946787
| I betcha JB is japanese beetles. |
AZgrammie
North of Heber, AZ
(Zone 6b)
August 15, 2009
01:06 PM Post #6949598
| Jay and Moms, love your pix. Jay, the high tunnel is amazing. Makes my Little Greenhouse look, well, little. LOL. Right now there is nothing in it but some lettuce starts, it was too hot to keep the tomatoes & 5-gallon citrus in it. The tomatoes aren't doing well outside, but then nobody else's are either! Meanwhile, the Big Garden is doing well and the sap beetles (for that's what they were) have pretty much gone away so I am finally getting some corn fit to eat. And it's yummy. The original Big Garden was 16 x 32, but I have added a new 16 x 16 section and next year will expand it so the whole garden will be 32 x 32. I have several varieties of squash & pumpkins planted in the new section and the corn there is about a foot tall. Here is a picture of the original section, showing the corn that is ready to pick now: 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
August 15, 2009
02:00 PM Post #6949765
| That's a nice corn patch! You'll be able to put some of that up, won't you? =0) What kind of corn did you plant this year?
I've just got a tiny corn patch this year... after every ear got hit by earworms and earwigs last year, I decided I needed to refine my pest control, kinda get a handle on things before I planted another big patch. I have learned that you can't direct dose the little emerging soon-to-be ears with rotenone/pyrethrin... it burns the husks. I think it may have damaged emerging silk, so I won't get as many ears. The ones I didn't 'burn' I've been dosing with Bt and diatomaceous earth... the plants seem to tolerate that well, let's hope the bugs don't. =0) The ears are fattening up, so in a couple of weeks we'll know. |
Hineni
Sharps Chapel, TN
(Zone 6b)
August 15, 2009
10:21 PM Post #6951385
| Nice garden AZ! I can just taste that great corn :)
I didn't try corn this year; meant to but it got 'put off.' 32 feet wouldn't be big enough for the pumpkin monster that has grown out of my compost pile. It has escaped the cattle trailer (compost bin in there to keep the dogs from eating all the goodies...!) by a good six feet on one end and I found new growth about 2 foot out on the other end today. It fills the trailer nearly completely. I guess I'll have to take a photo of what a pumpkin plant can do that sprouts in a well manured compost pile...LOL! |
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
August 16, 2009
12:14 PM Post #6953025
| Yes you will! Shades of the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!
"Renegade Pumpkin Devours Cattle Trailer" |
AZgrammie
North of Heber, AZ
(Zone 6b)
August 16, 2009
08:24 PM Post #6954481
| LOL, Hineni, I forgot about the ONE pumpkin seed that my kids & I planted in a compost pile when we lived in the Bay Area -- and the plant took over the whole back yard! So I planted about half dozen seeds in my 16x16 garden addition and guess they will become monsters, too. Take a picture of yours -- and maybe in a month or so I can do likewise. Jay, the sap beetles (little black bugs from hell) attacked my corn patch as soon as the first Silver Queen ears put out their silks. One day the silks were waving in the breeze, next day the silks were gone! Close inspection disclosed that literally hundreds of the little creeps were snuggled down into the tops of each ear. LIke you, I didn't want to use any kind of poison on them, so was just shaking them off night & morning -- then a neighbor told me to hit them with vegetable oil! So then I went out night & morning wih a paint brush & a pot of veg oil. The oil seemed to kill them. But it also interfered with the corn's development cycle so most ears didn't have many kernels on them, so the Silver Queen was pretty much wasted. But the next planting of corn, I think one of them is the old standby, Golden Bantam, but I can't remember what else I planted. Next year, I promise I will put stakes with variety names on them for every batch of corn & tomato seeds I plant. I grew some awesome tomato plants in the little greenhouse, then gave away 2/3 of them, and since I didn't know which was which it looks like I kept all the cherry tomatoes and gave away all the big tomatoes! Oh, well. Anyway, I have two more plantings of corn coming along, I think they are both Sugar Baby. I have some Golden Dream and popcorn seeds I don't have room to plant. I get confused about the SE, SU, SH, etc. where you can't plant them next to each other. Since I don't have any faith in any seeds that I plant coming up at all, I just stick them in the ground, water them, and when they come up I am thrilled. Needless to say my gardens look somewhat haphazard.
BTW, the chickens love the sap beetles. If I hadn't planted kale, chard, squash, and beets in between the corn, I'd just turn the hens loose in there. And the corn is delicious, really sweet, even if the ears aren't full. |
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
August 16, 2009
08:36 PM Post #6954536
| "Next year, I promise I will put stakes with variety names on them for every batch of corn & tomato seeds I plant. "
Oh yeah, I say that every year, too. LOL
With the mineral oil, you can get a syringe with a teat canula from your large animal vet that will allow you to insert the oil deeper into the ear, near the tip of it, so the silks will stay free to gather pollen. You might try dusting with diatomaceous earth for the beetles... it's supposed to work on any hard bodied bug (lady bugs included =o( ) and I've been using it to treat the earwigs. Jury's still out on it's effectiveness. The mineral oil will also work on corn earworm, but I've read if the weather gets really hot, it'll get rancid. ??? I don't know if that's true or not, probably only applies in AZ.
I made a great little duster from a plastic soda bottle, burning several little holes in the lid with a tiny nail. I can dust the area of each ear and leave the lady bugs in the tassles alone. =0) |
Moms_Garden
Dammeron Valley, UT
(Zone 6b)
August 18, 2009
02:09 PM Post #6961315
| Mmmmm! There is nothing as good as home grown corn!
My husband hung a bug light out at night to attract the moths that lay the corn worm eggs. It cut down on the worms quite a bit, but not completely. Of course, the bug light would also attract beneficials, but no poisons involved.
Does anyone have photos of these nasty beetles/bugs?
We seem to have a huge problem with squash bugs, but I've "heard" that if you put the squash/pumpkin off the dirt (on a board or rock or bucket) they won't bother the squash. I have yet to try it though. |
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
August 18, 2009
02:21 PM Post #6961370
| I doubt that would work... the problem with squash bugs is they kill the plant, not get into the squash. =0( My best control was turkeys... they're bug eaters and though they wouldn't eat the adult bugs (I'm not sure anything does) they would sit under those big spreading leaves and pick off the egg bunches, and I think they may eat the nymphs, too. Anyway, when I had young turkeys in my squash patch, I didn't have squash bugs.
Now that I don't have turkeys, I usually grow my squash under row cover until they start to bloom, which gives them a big jump on the bugs. So far so good, though I'm not sure there's a big squash bug problem up here (new place).
Was there anything to kill the moths... a bucket of water or zapper? Or did it just distract them from the corn? How close to the corn patch was the light? |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
August 18, 2009
03:00 PM Post #6961511
| Jay have you tried Guine (Hens spelling ? )
do turkeys scratch like a chicken ?
that would be a good idea for my garden.
next year i plan on a tall fence , electric fencing and guine hens . they don't scratch like chickens do .
yes in this part of Ohio we call them Japanese beetles.
i got one pumpkin plant left ! and its doing amazing !!! like 8 pumpkins on it !!! and its 12 feet vines wow. I m praying for good pumpkins with this plant
what do you do with vine borers ? Seven ? on the base of the vine ?
i have a question if i can hijack your thread Jay ?
can i use a JB trap (the ones with the pheonomes ) and feed them to my chickens ? inquiring minds want to know ? ok actually i m just to lazy to pick them everynight for the chickens LOL
jay that sounds like a good little set up with the duster
i have an old sock and my handy dandy little stick LOL basically use it for deter deer on my sweet potatos . They seem to not like the taste ? |
Moms_Garden
Dammeron Valley, UT
(Zone 6b)
August 18, 2009
03:32 PM Post #6961600
| It was a bug zapper that he hung, so the moths were killed. (I have yet to find a moth that is beneficial.) The light is - a rough guess - 20 to 30 feet from the garden, but only because that's where we have a place to hang it and plug it in. You could use a post or something similar right in the corn patch, as long as you could plug it in.
This year we planted our corn in a community garden plot, but there is no electricity, so we'll see if we get corn worms or not. We also planted pumpkins, watermelons, beans, cucumbers, and a sweet potato. This is a brand new community garden, so the little critters that live there think they've just been handed a smorgasboard (sp?). Since we planted in July, we don't have fruits yet, but so far the beans and sweet potato have disappeared and the watermelons and cucumbers are struggling. I think the pumpkin plants are doing pretty well. The corn looks fantastic, but I don't think it's tassling yet. (I haven't been over there for a while - my husband usually waters it on his way home from work, so I don't worry about it much.)
Every year is a new experiment for us as far as what plants do well and which ones don't. It sure is fun to try! |
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
August 18, 2009
03:32 PM Post #6961601
| Hmmm... we do seem to be straying a bit... starting a new thread
Bugs...
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1028689/
I think I answered your questions there.
Must post pictures of the pumpkin! My partner kneeled on the only female flower my pumpkin had managed to produce... =0( Bad partner. No pumpkins for us this year. Boo-hoo. ;_; |
leha
Santa Rosa, CA
September 13, 2009
03:42 PM Post #7059611
| Some of my harvest this year. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
September 13, 2009
08:18 PM Post #7060646
| leha that is a nice harvest and very festive looking !
we got lucky and got 5 pumpkins !
here is one of them about the size of a basketball
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
leha
Santa Rosa, CA
September 14, 2009
09:22 PM Post #7064991
| Gorgeous! I love that flattened shape. |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
September 15, 2009
02:38 PM Post #7067446
| its a Cinderella pumpkin that gets really red . I don't remember the french name for it "Rouge vif ??? " something ?
when its all ready i will get another pic for you |
Hineni
Sharps Chapel, TN
(Zone 6b)
September 16, 2009
12:23 AM Post #7069300
| Nice haul everyone, love the colors and shapes. I'll be a competitor next year, so gear up! I forgot I have pumpkins out in the cattle trailer; I suppose I should check on them. I haven't set foot in the garden yet. I makes me sad. But I need to till it under and harvest some chard.
Ya'll did good! |
Moms_Garden
Dammeron Valley, UT
(Zone 6b)
September 18, 2009
04:24 PM Post #7078455
| leha - that looks wonderful!
taynors - your pumpkin is beautiful! |
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
September 19, 2009
06:22 PM Post #7082093
| The pictures aren’t very good but I had to brag on the Hummers. We estimated that there are maybe thirty birds swarming around the two feeders. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
September 19, 2009
06:24 PM Post #7082102
| One more of the birds 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
September 19, 2009
07:51 PM Post #7082354
| lizard that is great pics of flying birds so clear
i love hummers too |
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
September 19, 2009
11:07 PM Post #7082910
| Thanks. Their numbers will increase over the next couple of weeks and then one morning they will all be gone south ... or where ever they go for the winter. Right now they are consuming about 1 1/2 quarts of hummer juice a day. By the time they leave it should be closer to 3 quarts a day.
We didn't have a swarm last year because of hurricane Ike. Sure glad to see them back in large numbers again.
|
CajuninKy
Inez, KY
(Zone 6a)
September 28, 2009
01:41 AM Post #7111629
| My carrots did very well. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
CajuninKy
Inez, KY
(Zone 6a)
September 28, 2009
01:42 AM Post #7111631
| This was a colorful harvest day. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
CajuninKy
Inez, KY
(Zone 6a)
September 28, 2009
01:44 AM Post #7111635
| A few nice beets. I used them to color some green tomato pickles. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
CajuninKy
Inez, KY
(Zone 6a)
September 28, 2009
01:47 AM Post #7111637
| My beans did very well. I had them planted too close together and they were hard to harvest. They got ahead of me and they quit bearing. These are some I saved for seed. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 03, 2009
08:42 PM Post #7131872
| sweet potato madness 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 03, 2009
08:45 PM Post #7131884
| here is me with my jumbo size biggy one
left hand ?
doesn't it look like i have to go potty , the way i m standing ?? LOL 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 03, 2009
08:50 PM Post #7131903
| great beans and carrots Cajun !
i am to chicken to do beans. THe japanese beetle always seem to win :(
what a cute carrot helper yo got thar. |
CajuninKy
Inez, KY
(Zone 6a)
October 05, 2009
08:33 AM Post #7136481
| Looks like you had a great SP harvest. Hope you made it to the outhouse in time. LOL |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 06, 2009
10:09 AM Post #7140691
| LOL |
Hineni
Sharps Chapel, TN
(Zone 6b)
October 08, 2009
01:14 AM Post #7146926
| Requesting sweet taters and beets from you gals...it looks YUMMY! Nice work ladies :) |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 08, 2009
06:12 PM Post #7149121
| funny you mention beets Hineni i m roasting them tomorrow and making soup Borsht well my version of it anyway LOL
i will think if you :) |
CajuninKy
Inez, KY
(Zone 6a)
October 10, 2009
02:13 AM Post #7153904
| Roasting beets? Didn't know you could do that. |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 10, 2009
03:25 PM Post #7155284
| oh yes
yummy
just roast them with skin on the peel after they come out and yummy |
CajuninKy
Inez, KY
(Zone 6a)
October 12, 2009
11:40 AM Post #7161174
| Do you put anythinh on them or cut them in half or anything? |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 12, 2009
03:39 PM Post #7161975
| no i poke holes in them and they do take longer than a potato it seems.
then the peel just slides off
i guess you could use some oil if you want. |
CajuninKy
Inez, KY
(Zone 6a)
October 12, 2009
06:24 PM Post #7162533
| Thanks. I'll keep that in mind for next Spring. |
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
October 22, 2009
10:46 AM Post #7196904
| Funny you should mention borscht... I made some last night. =0) I have Cylindra beets in the ground... just a note, they get woody if you let them get too big. But they sure are sweet, great for pickling!
We've been so busy, I haven't had time to take pictures.
I've started with the earth bag system, building a small retaining wall using recycled feed bags. I'll tell you what, this is a good deal. Using a small bucket to carry a few shovels over to where the bag is, it's definitely do-able for nearly anyone with a halfway decent back. But I had to stop... I ran out of road base and to get a truckload, first I have to cut up all my winter firewood and move it out of the way. If it ain't one thing, it's another!
But now I'm really dreaming of a root cellar made of earthbags! |
porkpal
Richmond, TX
October 22, 2009
11:02 AM Post #7196958
| Please post a picture of your earthbag wall when you get a chance. I find the idea interesting. |
CajuninKy
Inez, KY
(Zone 6a)
October 22, 2009
11:11 AM Post #7196996
| I think there was an article on that subject in my last "Mother" mag. Do you use the regular plastic feed sacks? You KNOW we gotta have pics. |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 23, 2009
09:52 AM Post #7200085
| im gonna start saving my feed bags
welp my garden is gone. :(
but i got two raised beds of garlic planted last week. So i m hoping for the best .
Got new fresh top soil in some of the beds.
got a new GH frame up.
i use cattle panels and 2x4's just a standard Hoop style
once i get the plastic on i m going to try and so some greens for my chickens .
|
porkpal
Richmond, TX
October 23, 2009
10:15 AM Post #7200161
| Taynors, how about some pictures of your "standard" hoop made from cattle panels? |
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
October 23, 2009
10:36 AM Post #7200205
| Yeah, Tay, I'd love to see the cattle panel set-up.
Right now there's not much to show for the earth bag... I've just got one course down. But I will definitely post pictures when we get going again.
I am using regular feed bags. The ones I've got access to are a little big, but they work and they're free. There's one that cattle cake comes in, it's a little narrower so it works a little easier for the 'brick' type of stacking, but hey... I just figure I'll put in a partial bag to start the next course and it'll all work out in the end.
I got the book on earth bag construction, and it's got some good info in it, a lot of extra (like all these do) about various structures that I frankly will never undertake... like a house. A huge multi-domed house. NO. Just want a root cellar.
I'll be happy to share any info as I go along, for those what can't afford the book.
Today we're getting a load of wood chips to lay down on all the paths... once it warms up. Down to 28* here and the dogs are sleeping in, so it's officially late fall/early winter. LOL |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 23, 2009
11:58 AM Post #7200454
| ok here we go
here is the Gh on its side this is the underneath
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 23, 2009
12:03 PM Post #7200468
| here it is
this is the the whole thing
about 20 ft
used 5 pannels
in the summer i converted it into a chicken coop LOL
so i m making a new one
no pics on that one yet but its pretty much the same
i do have boewing issues in teh middle of the Gh so i use a 2x4 brace
this next one i cut two 10' 2x4 which are actually some old used deck boards and left over 2x4 from our log home buildings
so the only thing i buy is the cattle panels and plastic .
i m hoping by next fall i can get a 4-7 year plastic so i don't have to keep buying new plastic . i hate doing that. such a waste . 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 23, 2009
12:09 PM Post #7200485
| here is the inside
they do keep pretty warm in the winter
so i think i can grow some cool crops
parsely
swiss chard
maybe spinach ?
its a long shot but it could happen ?
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
CajuninKy
Inez, KY
(Zone 6a)
October 23, 2009
06:11 PM Post #7201428
| That's really nice. What made you decide on it's width and how wide is it? |
porkpal
Richmond, TX
October 23, 2009
06:27 PM Post #7201474
| I guess you can choose short and fat or tall and narrow? |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 23, 2009
07:01 PM Post #7201596
| well i m pretty tall so i went with height rather than width. LOL
its about 7 ft wide and just over 6 ft. ? i measure with my feet and i had boots on that day when i was walking it out LOL |
CajuninKy
Inez, KY
(Zone 6a)
October 23, 2009
08:10 PM Post #7201809
| I'm kinda short at 5'4" so I'd could opt for a bit wider. Maybe wide enough for a narrow table down each side. Are you going to have a table? |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 23, 2009
09:22 PM Post #7202078
| i have some make shift kinda things that my FIL made many many years ago out of metal racks . They are ugly but do the job :)
i can do a small saw horse table in it. but its a squeeze
i usually do two or three skids in it to put plants on too
|
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
October 24, 2009
09:43 AM Post #7203184
| That's really sweet, Tay. As in a sweet deal. Try growing macha, it's a salad green and will germinate this late... maybe. Usually fall/winter crops have to be started late August, but hey, that's in the books and sometimes real life is a little different. LOL
I tried fall cabbage this year, but up here planting in late July isn't early enough. Did get fall lettuce, beets and carrots, though. This is the first year I actually got organized enough to even try for fall anything. Usually by high summer I'm so busy with the outside garden and other things that starting more seeds just seems lunatic. |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 24, 2009
10:26 AM Post #7203278
| Jay i m the same way. I wanted to do a fall crop of beets and some greens but yes. it seems lunatic to start more seed when your in the highest summer crop that needs harvesting . Then to add canning to the mix . But i never said i was a sane person LOL
I like to think outside my box and try something completely " not in the normal range " if it works great and if it doesn't welp " no harm done " :)
the racks are nice . He did a good job 20 yrs ago LOL and they are still holding stronge !
was outside today feeding chickens scrounging up greens . The last of the dandylions and grasses. they enjoyed them
|
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
October 24, 2009
10:33 AM Post #7203296
| I think you're good for 'not completely in the normal range'. LOL Me, too. I've pushed my envelope so many times, I'm not even sure what it is anymore.
Of course, I DO get a lot of help with that. We had to deal with this little hang-up before breakfast last week...
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
porkpal
Richmond, TX
October 24, 2009
11:44 AM Post #7203443
| OOps! |
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
October 24, 2009
01:17 PM Post #7203702
| Yeah, well, it seemed like a good idea at the time! LOL The jenny had gotten out (thanks to soooomeone leaving the stall door unlatched) and ol' Levi clearly got to feeling 'perky'.
That dang corral panel kinda put the cabash on his amorous intentions. Thank heavens. I mean, I'd love to have another baby donkey, but we sure as all get out don't NEED another donkey.
Now we know why donkeys don't compete in the Olympics. LOL |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 24, 2009
03:48 PM Post #7204083
| The Mighty Steed ! and the agony of defeat . |
AZgrammie
North of Heber, AZ
(Zone 6b)
October 25, 2009
05:43 PM Post #7207556
| Jay, that's one of the funniest pix I have ever seen. Hope Levi was't hurt. How did you get him off the fence? |
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
October 25, 2009
06:17 PM Post #7207664
| Fortunately for him, we had some bales of shavings which we were able to put under his hind feet, lifting him enough to take the pressure off the pins of the panel so we could pull them and just lay the panel down. He got a little hematoma under his belly [about the size of my fist] and a scrape on one leg, so he was a very fortunate thwarted loverboy.
I'm quite sure Hannah came over and flaunted herself while he was in such a compromised position... she thinks he's a hunk. Not a chunk. LOL |
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 25, 2009
07:53 PM Post #7207995
| The last of the peppers ….. time for some armadillo eggs and jalapeno jelly. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 25, 2009
08:07 PM Post #7208054
| This is the fall kitchen garden. Complete with cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and bunching onions. May not be much but it will eat. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 25, 2009
11:03 PM Post #7208677
| oh so jealous . Looks great
don't have any garden left in our state.
just planted garlic |
porkpal
Richmond, TX
October 26, 2009
12:02 AM Post #7208820
| Armadillo eggs? |
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
October 26, 2009
09:26 AM Post #7209512
| Great pics, lizards. We did jalapeno jelly this year, too. YUM
In some ways I'd like a fall garden, but in more ways I'm glad to be done for the year. There's so many OTHER things that need attending to...
We got our first worthwhile snow last night... about 3"! My onions are still in the ground; we covered them with blankets and plastic last night, and it didn't get as cold as they were predicting--was supposed to be 20* and was only 28*-- so hopefully we didn't lose them. Did manage to get the hay shed roof patched... got the winter's hay in on Saturday.
Building fires every morning now...
|
lizards_keep
Colmesneil, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 26, 2009
10:42 AM Post #7209740
| Porkpal an armadillo egg is a seeded jalapeno stuffed with meat (elk if your really, really lucky) and cream cheese. Then wrapped with a piece of bacon and grilled to perfection. They taste great and are guaranteed to kill over time. Lol
On the fall garden – we usually don’t plant in the summer because of the heat and bugs. Seem to have better luck in the fall and early spring. Like now, the night time temps. Are in the 50’s and we don’t have to spray for bugs since they are just about all gone at this time.
|
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 26, 2009
07:50 PM Post #7211661
| lizards that sounds very yummmmmy !
can we brag on our chickens here ?
guess how was hiding their eggs ? behind the straw bales in the coop
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
October 26, 2009
07:58 PM Post #7211680
| Wow! That's a nice bunch of eggs... what kind of hens have you got? Did you raise them from chicks?
Snows all melted already, everything just sloppy as all get out, not that I'm complaining... not after the summer's dry. I promise I won't complain about mud til it gets shin high.
|
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 26, 2009
09:05 PM Post #7211952
| wow you got snow already !
just a mixed breed variety i got from a fellow DGer at a RU .
To bad i don't know how old the eggs are :( since i have a rooster in with the ladys . I got to toss them. They have been missing for over 10 days soooo on that note ... i am guessing i may have to toss them ?
theyre were 20 all together
close up of eggs 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
porkpal
Richmond, TX
October 26, 2009
10:08 PM Post #7212189
| Unless it has been hot, or a hen has been sitting on them, your ten day old eggs are probably fine. |
CajuninKy
Inez, KY
(Zone 6a)
October 27, 2009
02:20 AM Post #7212741
| Just put each one in a container of cold water. If it floats, toss it. If not, it's good. The ones that lay on the bottom are the freshest. |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 27, 2009
07:32 AM Post #7212925
| hey good to know on that thanks. i just hated to waste so many eggs.
they were cold when i collected them .
can you tell i m a newbie at chikens LOL |
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
October 27, 2009
09:48 AM Post #7213246
| The ones that 'stand up' on the bottom of the container... I give to my dogs. The air space has gotten big inside the egg and that puts a question mark in my head... and there's usually so many eggs when you find a stash like that, giving some to the dogs is no big deal. LOL |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 27, 2009
03:40 PM Post #7214216
| wish we had a dog :(
we just have chickens
|
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
October 27, 2009
05:07 PM Post #7214510
| Scramble 'em up and feed 'em back... chickens have no scruples, they'll love 'em. A great source of protein for those sneaky hens. LOL |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 27, 2009
05:31 PM Post #7214560
| ok good to know
i have heard of people doing that .
LOL "chickens have no scrupples " |
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
October 27, 2009
06:59 PM Post #7214824
| Chickens will eat nearly anything... I would throw all my bones in the coop to get picked clean after dinner and in a day they'd be picked clean and much nicer to put in the trash. Which we have to haul to the dump ourselves, so we usually stockpile the bags til we've got a load.
I'd also throw the dead mice from the traps in with the chickens... oh, they'd get so excited and the carcass would be gone in a couple of hours.
Really, chickens eat everything but squash bugs, near as I can figure.
|
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 27, 2009
07:42 PM Post #7214986
| mine don't like zuccini or cabbage ? and won't eat a wooly catapillar LOL
other than that
they just eat my compost . i put half in their coop and half in the compost bin.
good to know on the mouse. I hope they get him/her muawahahaha
they do love watermelon
my melons just wern't good this year. but they sure love them. |
porkpal
Richmond, TX
October 27, 2009
11:04 PM Post #7215623
| _ And millipedes, my chickens won't eat millipedes either. Are they poisonous or just disgusting? |
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
October 28, 2009
11:32 AM Post #7216746
| They don't eat zucchini or cabbage?! Must be a regional thing... mine loved all veggies. New frontiers in chicken culture...
My chickens did run from those big tomato hornworms when I threw them in... until they learned to peck them open... I helped by squishing a few of the bigger caterpillars... yuck. |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 28, 2009
08:19 PM Post #7218426
| eewww THW 's LOL
hmmm maybe a regional thing. I think my chickens are spoiled ? i dig worms for them LOL sheesh
i take a shovel and flip the dirt for them , they will actually sit on the shovel while a dig . Not safe but ... its what i got. I am just careful about there little toes and my little DD helps by feeding them bananas while i dig |
Moms_Garden
Dammeron Valley, UT
(Zone 6b)
October 28, 2009
08:31 PM Post #7218472
| Chickens are quite the fun animal to have around - as long as you don't mind them scratching/digging up plants. It's also fun to watch my six month old kittens try to stalk the chickens. Silly kittens.
My husband and I tried sweet potatoes again this year. In the past, we were slow planting them and it froze before they were big enough to harvest. This year, he planted some in his veggie garden but the deer would keep eating the leaves. He did not harvest any SP. However, we also put a couple starts in my fenced garden (I posted a pic of that right after this brag board was started). The vines went crazy and were beautiful for folliage. After our first frost, I went out and started digging, and - oh my! - what big sweet potatoes I found! I was so excited, I was laughing the whole time and my 10 year old daughter thought I was nuts.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Jayryunen
Sapello, NM
(Zone 5b)
October 28, 2009
09:14 PM Post #7218652
| OMG!!! Those are amazing! You could make jack-o-lanterns out of them, they're so big. You are a sweet potato queen (google that and see what it gets you! LOL) |
Hineni
Sharps Chapel, TN
(Zone 6b)
October 29, 2009
12:44 AM Post #7219363
| WOW...now I can't wait to plant those next year! Good job!
Love your greenhouse/chicken coop Sue! |
AZgrammie
North of Heber, AZ
(Zone 6b)
October 29, 2009
11:16 AM Post #7220306
| Great looking kids, great looking sweet potatoes! Did you buy "starts" of the SP or make your own? I've never grown them but want to next year. |
Moms_Garden
Dammeron Valley, UT
(Zone 6b)
October 29, 2009
11:07 PM Post #7222605
| We actually started them from store bought SP, but it took a long time for them to sprout. Obviously, it didn't thwart the growth much! We also grew the orange flesh SP. These white-ish ones were the largest of the bunch and my 7-year old, who doesn't like SP, didn't realize what they were - he even asked for seconds on the SP pie! :) |
taynors
Urbana, OH
(Zone 5b)
October 30, 2009
04:48 PM Post #7224572
| mmmmm love SP pie ! mmmmm |
CajuninKy
Inez, KY
(Zone 6a)
November 01, 2009
12:59 AM Post #7229167
| When I enlarged the pic, my eyes did just like the little guy in the back of the pic. I think those are the biggest SPs I have ever seen. Good job! |
