Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Well it's time to plant a few things here now. I spent the afternoon grinding up the last of the leaves in my yard to mulch some more of the garden with. I'll try and get some pictures of it up this year. Last year I didn't do so well getting pics up. Right now, with all the weeds down and a ton of mulch on it, it doesn't look too bad
This year I've got more mulch on there than ever before, so I'm hoping that will help keep the weeds down a bit.
I've got a great pile of compost too that I cooked up from chicken and donkey manure and straw to dress my beds with. I'll get that done this week too.
We've got onions, carrots, radishes, potatoes, bush beans and leaf lettuce to plant this week. I'm going to make some small hoops with wire fence, cover them with muslin, and try growing cabbage again too. Grasshoppers got them last time
If all goes well, in about a month I should be eating garden salad again
BTW, I opened the last jar of our pickles about two weeks ago. They been in the fridge since last Summer. These were sliced long ways from about 6"-7" cucumbers and they are still delicious! I've never kept a jar unopened that long before so that's been a great treat.
So that's where I'm at, how the rest of you doing?
Registered: 02/23/03
Posts: 2124
Loc: Meadow Valley, CA
With the melting snow still, I can see dirt here and there. Even the bulbs are buried still. I do have my seed though, I want to try starting tomatoes later and transplant them at the normal time to see if they will do better being planted when they are smaller. I am just worried that by the end of May they will still be too tall and will be in danger of frost damage when they poke out of the top of the Wall's O Water. I'm trying some red Wall O Water look alikes to see if red works better like they say.
I picked romaine and broccoli yesterday. The cabbage is taking it's timing heading. The garlis is coming up. The wheat looks pretty good and hopefully will be harvested soon.
Registered: 10/29/10
Posts: 185
Loc: Central Texas
I planted cilantro, tomatoes, jalapenos and bell peppers last weekend. I have the corn started but not in the ground yet. Getting ready to get the okra, zucchini and pole beans going. I need to build another couple of raised beds. I replaced the apple tree that the neighbors' goats killed last year and planted a peach tree a few weeks ago. My blackberry plant that the neighbors' goats ate almost to the ground last year is coming back nicely. I cut the chile pequin plants down to the ground so they can grow anew. I believe I have the fence repaired to the point that the neighbors' goats can't get into my garden this year (they completely destroyed it last year and when I spoke to them about it they hemmed and hawed around and didn't do anything about it). Either way, I'm either having fresh vegetables or fresh chivo this year. I've got a big pile of nice compost made from llama poop and kitchen scraps that I am adding to the soil in my raised beds.
Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Goats. Ugh... I feel for you.
My daughter got two goats from her boyfriend as a gift about 7-8 years ago. They soon had two babies. Shortly afterward I was the only one taking care of 4 adult goats that could slip through the tiniest of breaches in a fence close to 2000 feet long. I paid $40 for my neighbors roses after they ate them, and they ate everything I ever planted every chance they got.
About a year or so ago I finally gave them away to someone who said they had some land they wanted cleared with the condition that they could not give them back.
Registered: 08/16/10
Posts: 1590
Loc: San Diego CA
I didn't want to say anything...but I planted some stuff in early February. The weather patterns here have been changing a lot. Jan was kind of warm so when there was a forcast of no rain till the end of Feb, I planted tomatoes, squash, and pole beans. Already harvested the broccoli and the last of the tomatoes and peppers from last year. Now its a fresh start with this months planting of more tomatoes (I like them staggered) and peppers. We have the normal jalapenos, but also have anaheim (would rather have poblano), habanero, cayenne, and for a first try piquine peppers. Everything is in 24in raised beds. Basically, if I dig down into native "soil" I hit a marine unit called the Mission Valley Formation complete with abundant fossils. It is very alkaline and clay rich, yuck. The I have to admit that the herbs are fine with it though.
Has anyone here tried to start plants in a mini hot house outside before?
Registered: 10/29/10
Posts: 185
Loc: Central Texas
I have my own goats and sheep and llamas but my animals have never been a problem for my garden. Just the neighbors' animals. And they don't seem to be willing to do anything about it. I've put them on notice.
I have been planning to build a greenhouse out in my garden for the past three years and just haven't gotten a round tuit. The area I have designated as garden is currently 30'x60' but I could easily go 120'x60'. As I start having more success with the area as it is I will likely start to extend it little by little.
I'm also considering building a chicken coop on the other side of the house from the garden. My neighbors on either side have chickens (not the same neighbors with goats) and every once in a while they give me a dozen or so eggs. There's damned little in this world finer than yard eggs and garden tomatoes.
Registered: 10/29/10
Posts: 185
Loc: Central Texas
Originally Posted By skcreidc
Sjohnney, what do YOU use the chile pequins for?
For EATING! I love them. I bought one for 50 cents several years ago and planted it by my back porch. I have them all over my property now. When the plants are full of them I just go grab a handful at dinner time to eat with my meal. I also will fill up a vinegar bottle with pequins, garlic and onions and then fill the rest of the bottle with boiling vinegar. Let it sit for a couple of weeks and it's good on salad or greens or chicken or whatever. Last year my kids came in with a bunch of the red ones they had picked right at the end of the season. I put them in a bowl on my counter and they dried all on their own. I've been eating them ever since. I'm starting to run low so I'm hoping the plants come back soon and start making me some more peppers. I put four or five of the dry ones in my scrambled eggs every morning.
middle right is the garlic lower part are tomato cages with tomoatoes recently started just about the middle is the broccoli left middle is the romaine and iceberg lettuce upper left is a glimpse of wheat
different view
cabbage in the front with some onions mixed in tomatoes and garlic after that then broccoli and lettuce finally wheat
Registered: 08/16/10
Posts: 1590
Loc: San Diego CA
wow ... I may have to plant more pequins. I especially like the poblanos for making chile relleno. I have come to like the habanero; its got a great bright orange color and good flavor. One of these equals 2 or 3 jalapenos.
I have to tell you all, if I am jealous of anything, it is all the room you guys have. But I still have 4 chickens = 4 eggs a day + fertilizer. I ended up putting the dog run fence around them and a net over the top to keep the coopers hawks and the dog out. Had six, but for that space was too many so sold two.
Registered: 10/29/10
Posts: 185
Loc: Central Texas
You won't have to plant them. Give it time and you'll have lots more plants..... and so will your neighbors. I've never been able to start them from seed but within a couple of years of planting the first one there were four plants around the edges of my yard and I find them out in my fields all the time. I think they have to pass through a bird in order to germinate or something.
Registered: 12/27/05
Posts: 931
Loc: East Texas Piney Woods
Can you say 'cabrito'? Mighty tasty with hot sauce!
For those chickens, you need to build yourself a 'chicken tractor'. That way you can move it around the yard and till up spots for next year and fertilize at the same time.
The weather is just now getting nice here. We're starting this weekend on the garden.
_________________________
If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you can't. Either way, you're right.
Registered: 10/29/10
Posts: 185
Loc: Central Texas
I do love cabrito but I would just as soon not get it that way. I've looked at plans for various coops including the chicken tractors. That's going to be a little down the road.
My corn is pretty close to ready to put in the ground. The kids and I are going to do some more soil prep tomorrow. I need to get the beans and okra started here pretty quick.
Registered: 08/16/10
Posts: 1590
Loc: San Diego CA
Hey sjohnny. Just a comment about your future chickens. I know you have a lot more property than I, so my chickens are more or less stuck in the same 13 by 13 square all year. When it rains the results can be rather, well, pungent. I actually go in and rotate the top inch or two to keep the odor down. If you free range them that would solve that problem, but they can be rather hard on the garden. Mine love the blueberries and tomatoes for instance. Being able to move the area that they fertilize around would be a great advantage.
Registered: 10/29/10
Posts: 185
Loc: Central Texas
I haven't yet decided exactly how to set them up but the location I have for them is a good ways from the garden. The garden is on one property line, then the backyard is about 100 feet wide, then there is another fenced area of about 1/3 acre where my sheep are now (they're about to go out in the bigger fields but I was waiting for it to warm up so the song dogs weren't so hungry - they'll get locked in the barn at night). That area is on the other side of my workshop and has an outdoor electical outlet so it will be a perfect location. I'll do it sooner or later I just need to get started on the planning and building. Too many hobbies/interests not enough time/money.
If I do a traditional coop I will likely rotate the bedding regularly and clean it out when it starts to smell and move it to my compost pile.
I read an interesting technique a while back where someone had put a thin layer of soil on the roof of the coop and plant collard greens in it, the bedding was shoveled onto the roof to feed the collards and the collards were fed to the chickens. Water was involved somehow but I don't remember how. It was a pretty cool thing.
Registered: 08/16/10
Posts: 1590
Loc: San Diego CA
Growing stuff on the roof sounds like a great idea! Either way, good luck with that. We got into the chickens through a friend who said they were practically no work at all. That is bs. They are not a terrible amount of work; but everything adds up and with 6 it just got too stinky too fast. Now that I am down to four, my egg production is actually a little better (per chicken) I think because they are not as stressed. A lot less pecking at the combs too. We've got barred rocks, which when egg production slows down will be stewing chickens and we will get a fresh batch of young-uns. What we did is order a variety pack of 30; they usually give you some "spares". We sold off all but what we wanted and basically got our chickens for free.
Registered: 10/29/10
Posts: 185
Loc: Central Texas
I talked to the kids about chickens on the way to the garden store this morning. They're totally on board. The more I think about it the more I want to get going with it. I need to go inventory my lumber stash and see how much of this I can build with what I have on hand. I'm still thinking maybe wait until next year but we'll see.
As far as them becoming a source of meat - I wouldn't have a problem with it but I bet the kids will name them and then I'll have a hard time getting it past them. I've never eaten one of my own goats or sheep because the kids go out and name them and then it's "you can't kill Cupcake" or some crap like that. Maybe chickens will be different.
Last night as it got dark we saw crocuses out front. This morning I found a clawed tool and started to remove two years of pine needles (podnerosa - long), pine cones, and male pine flowers still with water frozen between them, then I had to go in by hand and uncover the bed on the east side (front) of the house. There must be 150 to 250 daffodils coming up and at least a thousand crocuses. There are 3 white snow drop flowers and one tiny pink flower 2 inches off the ground that looks like a cyclamen.
To those who don't know - we bought a house from an estate and the lady had been a serious alpine rock flower gardener, and obviously planted a lot of bulbs. We have no idea what will come up this Spring, but last fall there was maybe a hundred species of dying off plants as we moved in. Oh yes its at 4,000' elevation next to an old lava flow - a good place for low alpine flowers. Jim
_________________________
These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.
Registered: 08/16/10
Posts: 1590
Loc: San Diego CA
Jim! How cool is that! Who knows, maybe some of the things that are dying are actually just doing their thing. I second OM's hope that you will post up.
Registered: 08/16/10
Posts: 1590
Loc: San Diego CA
Sjohnny, good luck with the non pet chickens idea. The two I sold were named Georgina and Wedgie by my 16 yr old daughter. You are going to find out anyway, but even chickens have personalities.
Registered: 10/29/10
Posts: 185
Loc: Central Texas
I figure if one just goes missing every once in a while and then we're having chicken for dinner no one will be the wiser. I'm a big proponent of having fresh food and knowing where it comes from. The more local the better and the more involvement I have in the production of it the better as far as I'm concerned.
My wife thinks food (meat anyway) should come from the grocery store and she will only rarely eat anything that I have killed. She's on the fence with the whole sheep thing because she likes lamb so much. We shall see. I think it's important for people to know how food originates and what is involved in its production. I want my kids to have that understanding. That's a big part of the reason I made them shut off their video games and come pick grubs out of the compost pile as we filled the raised beds. We spent a total of about 5 hours in the garden today and we all had a great time (being sunny and breezy and 80 degrees doesn't hurt either).
I had an epiphany while hunting a couple of years ago when it hit me that the reason I love hunting so much is that it combines three of my very favorite things: food preparation and consumption, being outdoors and shooting. Fishing comes in a close second as it has the first two aspects but "usually" lacks the third.
Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:
Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!