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

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

  1. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
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    Great thread. and dumb question - how do you know if twins/triplets?

    Single sac?
     
  2. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    3 come out vs 2.

    But really, when they're just about to give birth, they have a clear sac that drops out and provides some weight that helps pull the lamb out. If there is another after the first, another sac should drop out a few minutes later. You'll see a red one/placenta if they're done.
     
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  3. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Have had 8 more born in the last 3 days, making it 17 in the last week and 33 for the year so far.

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  4. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Had our last sets over the last week. Ended up with 42 lambs this year from 23 ewes.

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  5. One Two

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  6. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Bee season is getting back into the swing

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  7. One Two

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    Funshot Residue
     
  8. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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    Haha. I have no idea what I'm doing, but the "bee house" is ready. Nucs arrive next month. IMG_4279.jpg
     
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  9. billdozer

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  10. Emma

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    Had a wonky winter and worse spring weather wise. Finally stopped freezing/raining after weeks on end. Uncovered and cleaned up my climbing roses. Had significant die back which required cutting back closer to the crown than I've had to in the past. Every cane had to be snipped down.

    Still a novice and learning, any comments or suggestions to add? Both plant's crowns are green and healthy. Had to wash off a small spot of mold/fungus and put on a little systemic. They found to make it?

    20220423_175539.jpg
     
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  11. One Two

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    If the stems were alive at the crown they should come back
     
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  12. One Two

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    Related, I just had to dig up six knockout roses bc they had rosette virus. Even more unfortunate side effect of the virus is the thorns get larger which made cutting them down and bagging them a lot of fun.
     
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  13. Emma

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    Most canes were nice and green when I cut it back. Just feels bad to have to cut it back that much. Closer look shows I can see 4-5 new growths.
     
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  14. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Planted a good chunk of the garden today. Still have a little bit to wait for some of the rest.[​IMG]
     
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  15. bigred77

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    Been tilling up the garden today, driest it's been in my 10 years living here.

    I thought I soaked it with the sprinklers last weekend, but shit it was hard and dusty.
    First time ever as I turned it over it was the same color, no matter how deep I got.
    I was so covered in dust my wife wouldn't let me in the house until I rinsed off.

    Anyway, gunna go light with 7 tomato plants and 10 peppers. Plus some melons, squash, cucs, etc. Probably throw some carrot seeds I have in to see how they do.
    Putting plants in the ground tomorrow.

    Put the herbs in the porch boxes today too.
    Love fresh herbs on the back porch.
     
  16. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    We planted more today, so we have cucumbers, broccoli, a couple types of lettuce, soybeans, zucchini, cantaloupe, spinach, radishes, tomatoes and greenbeans. Plus sunflowers, wildflowers, and herbs. Still have corn and okra to go.
     
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  17. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    I've always hear corn is no good from a home garden
    Like the first two exterior rows of a field are no good or something.

    I grew up in cotton and peanut country and have never asked anyone from Iowa l, so I don't know
     
  18. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    We've never had success, but people all around us have loads of it.
     
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  19. bigred77

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    First batch of pickles is pretty good

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  20. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Some of the garden is doing well, some not. Already getting a lettuce and a ton of cucumbers from it. Haven't done a good job handling the grass though.

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    Some honey from the bees

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    And then we got our winter alfalfa hay and moved it into the hay loft. The sheep cleaned off the trailer for us.

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  21. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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    Nice billdozer . Our colonies are doing really well so far. Kinda wish we'd gotten more.
     
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  22. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Honey flow isn't as good this year. Two months of no rain dried everything up real quick. Probably have ~5 gallons to extract. Will take them up the mountains later to hopefully get some sourwood.
     
  23. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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    We've actually had good rain this year as opposed to last. Our sourwood should be blooming in the next couple of weeks. My understanding is that we won't harvest any honey til next year, but just fooling with them is pretty cool. Amazing creatures.
     
  24. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    That all depends on how much you want to leave them. Around here they have the deep and a medium. I'll extract full supers and frames after that and leave any leftovers for them.
     
  25. BayouMafia

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    We are rolling now
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  26. Funshot Residue

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    Yep. Ours will have 3x mediums for the first winter, assuming they stay on pace. Might touch base with you in August regarding status, that seems like the decision time around here.
     
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  27. 42yard

    42yard don't you wanna scram
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    Started late this year but we’ve got a decently long growing season. I know the yard’s shit, I’m working on it lol
     

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  28. timo

    timo g'day, mate
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    I don't know what the f'n problem is with my pepper plants this year. Well, I do know one of the problems -- slugs. But not sure what the other problem is. They're really struggling though. Might hit them with some cal-mag foliar spray in the next couple of days to see if that helps.
     
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  29. 42yard

    42yard don't you wanna scram
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    What are some of the symptoms you're seeing in the plants?
     
  30. timo

    timo g'day, mate
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    slow growth, leaves that are a shade too yellow. Some leaf curl.

    It's not nitrogen because I worked humus and manure into the soil, but it could be root fungus (we had a bunch of rain in the last couple of weeks) and that's been a problem in years past.

    All of my other nightshade plants are doing pretty well - tomatoes, ground cherries, eggplant, and tomatillos are all growing nicely (albeit with some slug damage to them as well). Not the peppers, particularly the super hots.

    Re the slugs -- those slimy fuckers hide during the day in the leaves of my lettuce and then climb out during the night and gorge on my pepper leaves. So I guess in the future I can't grow lettuce anywhere near my pepper plants.
     
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  31. 42yard

    42yard don't you wanna scram
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    Ah yeah leaf curl would make sense if you've had excessive rain lately. Cal-mag definitely sounds like the best option to combat any potential nutrient lockout. Best of luck
     
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  32. One Two

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    Transplant them to pots. Hate growing peppers in the ground exactly for what you’re going through. They hate having over soaked roots
     
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  33. timo

    timo g'day, mate
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    I have a couple in some pots -- I go crazy with peppers every year for hot sauce purposes, so anywhere I have room, I have pepper plants (I start them from seed in February). I think where I screwed up is I usually plant them on top of little mounds of soil so they drain better, but didn't do that this year. Anyway, we'll see what happens -- I've had bad starts before where they recover and are small trees covered in tons of 800,000 scoville fruits by mid August.
     
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  34. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Extracted about 8 gallons of sourwood and wildflower honey with my helpers yesterday.

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  35. theregionsitter

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  36. Emma

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    Good, home produced honey is some of the best tasting stuff
     
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  37. Emma

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    Year 3 for my pair of crimson sky climbing roses. The older of the two sports bundles of vibrant, firetruck red blooms. Hardly have to do my due diligence in upkeep on that one with the exception of knocking it down a few feet every once in a while.

    The younger, I believe, had a 3rd of its crown die off over winter - fairly certain it's not crown gall. Still relatively healthy, but does require a closer eye to take care of rust and black spot.

    Happily open to suggestions to better overwinter them (5a). I've cut them back to a foot and a half, mounded and burlapped in the past. Any way to go about not having to cut them down as far?
     
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  38. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    About 5 months ago the ram was able to get through the fence for a day before we caught him.

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  39. Hail Southern

    Hail Southern GATA Eagles!
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    doesn't matter had sex
     
  40. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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    Been bitching to One Two for a couple weeks and curious if anyone else is dealing with this. After seeing zero all summer, I've found 6-7 yellow jacket (ground) nests since mid-October. We've had frost, but current Temps are near record highs. They seem less aggressive than normal, but I did get stung yesterday from a new nest. This one is in the middle of a path I cut last week with a chainsaw, at which time they weren't around. Several of the nests have also been dug up (2 by skunks, 1 by backhoe) and seem to have been repopulated. Comb on top of the ground, hole the size of a softball, and still active. Not sure if this is just temperature related or what, but it seems abnormal and generally sucks.

    Edit: Owsley any thoughts?
     
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  41. One Two

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    https://www.txfowlers.com/products/...CrdT9lxVYCG1v__rGgRtJpZJ8O6kPueBoCTXUQAvD_BwE
     
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  42. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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  43. arrdub

    arrdub Well-Known Member
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    They must have an ample food source. If you’ve got pets and their food is outside you’re helping to fuel them.

    of late I’ve loved using the shop vac with a little soap and water in the bottom. Note: Setting the hose by the entrance requires some heavy clothing.
     
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  44. Funshot Residue

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    No food from us/pets. No fruit trees, yet, so I'm even more befuddled. I do see your logic but am now curious as to whay they're eating. And these bastards are out in the woods. We bought 22 acres joining us last year, and I'm improving access/building a disc golf course. I've A. Never seen so many nests and B. certainly not so late in the year.
     
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  45. arrdub

    arrdub Well-Known Member
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    Maybe if you have a lot of torn up woods you’ve got more bugs hence thus more jackets

    I’ve noticed in FL after hurricanes with a bunch of deadfall they uptick a bit
     
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  46. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    My oldest has been showing rabbits as part of 4H. She wanted to start breeding them and the first ones were born earlier this week.

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  47. -Asshole-

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    My 4th grader just started 4H this year. Please tell me your kid is a senior in hs.
     
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  48. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    No. I have a 4th and 2nd grader in right now with a third probably doing it soon.
     
  49. -Asshole-

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    :killme:
     
  50. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    Yep. My middle was doing goat showing for the last two years :rain:. My oldest quit goats almost immediately and started showing rabbits. Now both are showing rabbits, so we have 5 rabbits for the girls plus babies, and my wife decided to start doing rabbits too so we have two more.