Official Gardening/Homesteading thread: Our back yards are our grocery stores

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by lhprop1, Apr 9, 2015.

  1. Greybeard

    Greybeard Livin' the dream.

    This got delivered today, I figured for the price the full spectrum was good. We're starting seeds Saturday, I'll report back. (Edit- $50.00)

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  2. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Two more ewes had lambs in the last week, including the free ewe we picked up. Brings our total up to 19 lambs (with 4 additional dead).

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  3. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Bromance. Also, should be having a second wave of lambs starting this weekend. We now think the cat did bring in something that caused a wave of early abortions and then those ewes got pregnant again.

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  4. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    One of our original ewes had quads yesterday. She's had triplets everytime before.

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  5. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Had two more lambs born today to bring us up to 22.

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    Also, the chickens have started laying in the middle of the round bale where the sheep have eaten out the center.

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  6. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Four more born today
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  7. Arliden

    Arliden Well-Known Member
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    You are spitting out sheep left and right, what herd size are you shooting for?
     
  8. Arliden

    Arliden Well-Known Member
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    I'd like to get some sheep or a pig eventually.
     
  9. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    We've got around 20 ewes plus the ram right now. All of the lambs we have will be sold off. My wife is planning to reduce down the adults some so we can work on improving the pasture a bit. Once that's better, we'll probably stay in the 20 ewe range. Right now we have 26 lambs with 3-4 more ewes to have lambs.
     
  10. Greybeard

    Greybeard Livin' the dream.

    Beautiful, billdozer. I can't show wife your pictures, she wants sheep or goats in the worst way. I'm content with our chickens and garden for now.
     
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  11. Ric Flair

    Ric Flair The Nature Boy

    I wish I could be billdozer for a day. An awesome farm and fishing the creeks for trout.
     
  12. leroi

    leroi -
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    I just got done reading about mason bees, apparently they are attracted to the foxglove beardtongue im about to plant

    the number of different species in the Osmia genus seemed to be quite high, and i saw a photo of a block of wood, with drilled holes, that people were using for a little habitat

    this probably isnt super helpful
     
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  13. leroi

    leroi -
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    anyway i got the following seeds in the mail as part of a 'native seed distribution' from UNC, if anyone has knowledge of these plants lmk

    Yellow crownbeard (Verbesina occidentalis)
    Wild indigo mix (Baptisia spp.)
    New York ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis)
    Marsh pink (Sabatia angularis)
    Foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)
    Eastern red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
    Blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)
    Eastern needlegrass (Piptochaetium avenaceum)
     
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  14. PJP3

    PJP3 Well-Known Member
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    I don’t have a big garden but am really excited about my haul today. Parsnip, beet, beans and carrots Im all going to roast with a chicken tomorrow and then picking the artichoke as an appetizer.

    85500E85-4F60-4012-9BB8-CE55E446D91D.jpeg 660210A2-7E80-4CD2-98AC-5CCE770C0764.jpeg
     
  15. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Three more ewes had lambs in the last week. We have 2 more that are pregnant, but my wife is looking to sell those, so we may be done for the season.

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    I also checked the bees for the first time this year. First time I've had all of my hives survive the winter, so that something.
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    Found varroa mites on some of the drone brood, so I treated the hives for mites as well. Varroa mite is one of the main drivers for honeybees dying off.
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  16. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Tilled the garden and planted peas today

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  17. texasraider

    texasraider thanks
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    I feel like less of a man for not owning a tractor
     
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  18. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    You might as well be doing meatless Mondays
     
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  19. texasraider

    texasraider thanks
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    I eat Thai on mondays
     
  20. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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  21. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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    Not unlike other vehicles, it's a valuable tool that also is thousands of $ in repairs waiting to happen. It's between cars (higher/lower) and boats (lower/higher) on the Funshot scale of necessity vs. Repair cost scale. Thankful for diesel mechanic buddies. I blew up the 4wd on one side of the front axle a year or two ago, and I still cuss the pine root that got me bound up every time I see it. The dickered gear/bearing combo is on display in the tractor barn, to remind me that I'm not invincible, and failing to keep that in mind comes with a dollar figure attached.
     
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  22. timo

    timo g'day, mate
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    February was cold and wet in DC, March has been Sahara dry (my main garden is a few blocks from my house and the water doesn't get turned on by the park service until May, so I either have to carry or drive water over to my garden). Despite the sunny and warm temps lately, it's been tough to get spring stuff going so far.

    Also, I was elected president of my garden association. I thought it would be more of a figurehead position when I agreed to run last year... as it turns out it's been like a second job. There's a couple of real weirdos among the people who have plots
     
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  23. texasraider

    texasraider thanks
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    Ive also hated dickered gear bearings most my life
     
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  24. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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    I'll get a picture of it next time I'm at the shop. Would make a good homesteader trophy of shame. I was told at the time that one of the nearby parts, a large cog gear in the lower hub, was pretty much unobtanium. Think he said there was one left in the U.S. at the time. Can't wait to fuck that up....
     
  25. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Had a shed put in today, mainly for hay

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  26. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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    Nice billdozer . I bought a quonset hut for our place, but haven't had/taken time to build it. Kit has been sitting for 18mos. Thinking about selling and "trading" those funds for something similar. Thinking it might be closer to an even trade. Not to mention the speed of just having it completed. Would free up firewood storage in 1/4 of current tractor barn.
     
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  27. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Yeah, we had been storing round bales under a storage area around the garage where my wife's horse trailer and tractor usually are. This will free that up and let us store more bales. This was 26'x22'. Ran around $2500. Plus we can store the tractor implements there and free up other areas closer to the house.
     
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  28. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    How much you want for it?
     
  29. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    Damn
    That's cheaper than I thought they were

    I need a boat shed just about that size, I've just never priced em out
     
  30. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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    I'd make you a deal on the kit, but full disclosure, that isn't a finished cost. Needs concrete footings with a unique form feature at a minimum, not to mention it's a haul from TX to VA...... 20'w x 24'long. 12' ridge. This is a straight wall with gable as opposed to half round style.
     
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  31. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    You don't deliver?
     
  32. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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    Hell if the price is right, I'll come down there and build it for you. Gonna take a lot of beer, BBQ, bourbon, and benjamins.
     
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  33. BayouMafia

    BayouMafia Thought Leader in Posting
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    Planted 22 seedlings - 16 tomatoes and 6 eggplants (not shown: 2 pots with eggplants) from the garage today. Tried a few things different this year. First, building on my learning from last year that crowding helps shade the ground and retain moisture in 105 degree Texas summer drought, I planted everything about 20 inches apart. Also tried these tomato mulch trays that direct water to the roots (12 pack to try out). And then decided to use garden stakes and the attachable arms since tomato cages aren’t tall enough and the extra tall ones are super expensive. Not looking to spend $30 to cage a plant that gives me $40 worth of tomatoes.

    Went more basic with the tomato varieties this year - Creole as always, San Marzano, and Arkansas Traveler. Last year I didn’t have great luck with black krims and brandy wines, and my wife wasn’t a big fan of the lemon boys.

    Eggplants are Hansels, which are 3-4” black variety that should be perfect to halve and grill all summer.

    Tried to raccoon proof with stakes and low cages since the one that comes every night to eat the food my wife puts out for feral cats loves fresh cedar mulch. He dug up half of my tulip and daffodil bulbs this winter the night after I planted, but last summer he didn’t mess with any plants that had stakes or cages around them. Also I hope he appreciates that I filled the empty bed in the background up with mulch since the squash aren’t ready to plant yet.

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  34. NC Wolfpack

    NC Wolfpack Go Pack Go
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    Did a quick search and couldn’t find anything on here so I’m sorry if I missed it, but has anyone gone the hyrdoponic route? I am looking into the lettuce grow farm stand and am curious to any experiences with it.

    https://www.lettucegrow.com/
     
  35. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    Anybody can identify this plant?

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    7 year old grew it from seed in school and he's very proud of it, but he said the teacher just had some random seeds that she didn't know what they were

    Trying to decide if I need to put it in the garden in the ground or a pot or what
     
  36. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    Might be an Owsley question
     
  37. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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    Leaf looks very similar to an eastern redbud, but that’s just a guess.
     
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  38. CUAngler

    CUAngler Royale with Cheese
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    I have a cub cadet riding mower that is about 6 years old. The last two times I’ve mowed the grass is has had trouble turning occasionally. The engine runs great and doesn’t sputter but when I make sharp turns it really loses momentum. It doesn’t seem like the engine is under load or stress, so I’m guess it’s an issue with the hydrostatic transmission? I’m pretty handy but don’t really know too much small engine stuff.
     
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  39. StevieJanowski

    StevieJanowski Owner of a rug that really ties the room together
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    I can't imagine teachers having redbud seeds laying around. Looked like a bean at first glance to me. Beans germinate quick. Easy plant for kiddos.
     
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  40. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    That was my first thought
    But now I'm hoping the expert is right and we are growing a tree to enjoy for years
     
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  41. texasraider

    texasraider thanks
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    Pathos?
     
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  42. texasraider

    texasraider thanks
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    I have a cub cadet and also have no idea what it would be
     
  43. Open Carry

    Open Carry TMB Rib Master
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    Have you tried turning it off and back on?
     
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  44. CUAngler

    CUAngler Royale with Cheese
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    I rotated the dip stick. Will try this.
     
  45. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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    Leaf is similar but sharper to redbud. Multiple stalks and those little offshoots makes be think climber (beans, cukes) or creeper (squash, pumpkin). Really narrows it down eh? Sorry. Maybe One Two
     
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  46. One Two

    One Two Hot Dog Vibes
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    Definitely a bean variety. You can see the seed split from germination on the stalk. You’ve got three separate plants and could very carefully shake the soil loose and repot in a larger container with more separation. As far as bean variety I’d ask the teacher bc tough to tell but I’d guess some sort of green bean.
     
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  47. Emma

    Emma
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    Hi all, warmer weather up in Wisconsin. Took the winter cone off my rose and want to know how to prep it for spring.

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    I assume the black stems are likely dead? Or is it canker disease? Should I cut the black stems off at this point?

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    #2297 Emma, Apr 3, 2021
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2021
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  48. Tommy Jefferson

    Tommy Jefferson Well-Known Member
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    Do NOT cut off the black stems, that will kill the the plant.
     
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  49. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    I finally found some jalapeño plants today to transplant (have lots of other peppers, just no japs and that just doesn't feel right)

    Called my neighbor who was looking for some too, ended up buying 2 for me and 6 for him :lol
     
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  50. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    Should knockout roses be cut back?
     
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