Garden Log

Fixing and making things, what tools to get and what skills to learn, ...
halfmoon
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Re: Garden Log

Post by halfmoon »

Maybe purple dead nettle? Weird name.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/109212359684568801/

George the original one
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Re: Garden Log

Post by George the original one »

We have that here in Oregon. Mildly annoying weed, can easily be ripped out. I'll grab my weed book and look it up...

George the original one
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Re: Garden Log

Post by George the original one »

Confirmed purple deadnettle. Wikipedia:
"Outside of its native range, it is a common weed of cultivated areas; it is listed as an invasive species in some parts of North America.
Young plants have edible tops and leaves, used in salads or in stirfry as a spring vegetable. If finely chopped it can also be used in sauces.
Undyed, the pollen itself is a red colour and is very noticeable on the heads of bees that frequent it's flowers."

See also: http://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/subject.html?sub=3408

7Wannabe5
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Re: Garden Log

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

Did you eat some?

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jennypenny
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Re: Garden Log

Post by jennypenny »

invasive indeed ...

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George the original one
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Re: Garden Log

Post by George the original one »

Began planting potatoes in earnest today, though it is going slowly for a variety of reasons (weather, weather, weather) and only got 24 in the ground today.

If you've planted potatoes before, then you know what a chitted potato looks like. If you've stored potatoes in the garage over the winter, then you probably have an impression of what a well-chitted potato looks like. And then if you've had extra-early potatoes sprout beginning in January and have to wait until April to begin planting... well, I've got 6" sprouts on mine and, despite being in a box under a dark covering cloth, they've begun rooting into each other!

George the original one
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Re: Garden Log

Post by George the original one »

Finished up the potato planting today. Total: 50 row feet of early reds and 60 row feet of gold yukons. We still have 2 boxes of gold yukons that are edible, probably for another month and I suspect there's a box of the reds floating around somewhere that I haven't looked at...

Going back outside to plant a few lettuce, carrots, green onions, etc.

jacob
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Re: Garden Log

Post by jacob »

Last year I covered all my 10 beds with leaves and used some branches and annuals to hold them down. I'm currently prepping them again since last frost day is fast appearing.

It appears that since then, earth worms have gone through the leaves and turned my otherwise clayey(SP?) soil into something better which is actually digable with a shovel rather than a pick axe. Also, grass and weeds didn't take over unlike the previous year where I just let everything sit and grow over.

So overall, the time investment was worth it.

7Wannabe5
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Re: Garden Log

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

Arugula, mesclun mix, radishes, snap peas, snow peas, borage, parsnips, garlic chives, black-seeded Simpson, beets. All in and almost all sprouting. Daffodils up and fruit trees blooming. Scored two free 250 gallons water tanks with metal cages, and found some weed cloth for 3 cents/ft2 to aid in my not very permaculture-like war against the grass. I came to the realization that the refrigerator in my garden-camper will run on gas, so I might still have cold soda after the apocalypse.

George the original one
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Re: Garden Log

Post by George the original one »

Jealous of your water tanks!

Second planting of peas have sprouted after 11 days and I was gifted with raspberry starts by a cousin.

7Wannabe5
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Re: Garden Log

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

Notes to self: Landscape staples are not adequate means of holding down cardboard kill mulch if high winds are expected. The fact that Japanese Knotweed is edible does not mean that eating it is adequate kill plan. I hate lawnmowers the most of all the things that I hate because they have engines. However, I hate weed ordinance violation tickets just a smidge more than I hate lawnmowers.

If I was rich, the first thing I would buy is a garden slave.

George the original one
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Re: Garden Log

Post by George the original one »

Pigeons/doves like eating young radish leaves. Eating the leaves also pulls the tender young bulbs out of the ground. Plantings of beets & carrots went into the ground yesterday. No sign yet of lettuce planting done about Apr 19th. Potatoes all doing well.

7Wannabe5
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Re: Garden Log

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

@Gtoo: Interesting. There are hordes of pigeons around here, but none of them are eating my radishes. Likely due to the fact that the hordes of homeless cats are using my radish bed as a toilet.

bryan
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Re: Garden Log

Post by bryan »

bryan wrote:
Fri Feb 10, 2017 8:43 pm
Since we don't have chickens or fish or anything.. I feel like it's slightly inefficient to let those little buggers to live out long lives only to die of old age (the compost bin is covered to prevent birds from feasting). So does anyone have any experience with eating these two species? :lol: I've been reading the how-tos online the last 30m or so..
I did end up eating a handful a couple months ago.. threw them in boiling water for a little bit and then fried them in oil for a little bit. Tasted fine but the exo-skeleton doesn't really chew up and gives it a bit of a chalky texture. Remedy was adding something crunchier into the mix.

Looks like some other Bay Area backyard gardeners are getting the same idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOgdJXp07KM

Don't think I'll pursue the venture further...

cmonkey
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Re: Garden Log

Post by cmonkey »

Has anyone noticed whether you have more or less bees this year compared to the past...?

From our side, I was seeing quite a few bumble bees in April, but lately we haven't been seeing anything. DW pays attention quite a bit and hasn't seen hardly anything. I paid attention today and agreed, I didn't see one bee all day (I was outside all day). Lots of stuff blooming, but no bees of any kind.

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jennypenny
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Re: Garden Log

Post by jennypenny »

Now that you mention it, I haven't seen any bees yet. It might be a little early for them, although the ones that like to eat my deck are usually feasting away by now.

7Wannabe5
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Re: Garden Log

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

I think I saw one bee. It's been quite chilly here. The weird thing I've noticed is that there are Canadian Geese wandering all around the city.

Edited to note that my fruit trees that are usually bee pollinated do appear to be setting some fruit.

George the original one
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Re: Garden Log

Post by George the original one »

Here in the hills above the Oregon coast, the bees in the soil were barely awake last week when it was cooler. Nights are still getting close to freezing. We've had plenty of bumblebees, two different varieties, buzzing around everything. Always cool to see them go down a row of strawberries or endlessly circling the blueberry bushes.

I mounded the rapidly growing red potatoes today. Earliest planted peas are climbing the trellis I provided last week. Hope to put the greenhouse back in action by the end of tomorrow... all but two panels blew off over the winter, so I'm gluing the roof & vent panels in place with silicon sealant and the side panels will be held with screws so I can still pull them off during warm days. Pulled all the weeds that slipped inside the greenhouse during the fall/winter.

Still trying to figure out what to do with my excess strawberry plants. If you want some and are in the region, send pm!

enigmaT120
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Re: Garden Log

Post by enigmaT120 »

We have honeybees (not our hive, I don't know where they live) and bumblebees and other little bees that I can't identify. Maybe Mason.

jacob
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Re: Garden Log

Post by jacob »

All the bumble bees are over here. I saw three today (or the same one three times or other possible permutations). One just faceplanted on my window.

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