Garden Log

[jennypenny]

Feel better!

This is when I wonder how someone had the thought "I know this stuff really hurts when you touch it, but I bet it would make good liquor." lol

[Sclass]

Still have the agave rash. Looks bad but no longer itches.

all I could think about after I stripped it to the big core was how I to use it for something alcoholic. It seemed like a big waste. Looks kind of like a 2’ diameter pineapple. Just like the image below.

I watched a YouTube video on Tequila manufacturing and I think I’ll leave this to the pros. It was very tempting to try fermentation, still construction etc. to make some hand sanitizer...wait, no that’s probably an awful idea.

[jennypenny]

Ate the first juicy peach of the season today. Yum. Already getting tomatoes and zucchini, tons of basil, and onions are already fist-sized. We had a ton of strawberries but the wildlife ate a lot of them. Same with the cherries.

The cherries were funny -- we knew the day they were ripe because there were about 30 birds in the tree chowing down. There were also three groundhogs and a gaggle of squirrels underneath the tree eating whatever the birds dropped. They were having such a good time we didn't have the heart to chase them. After a couple of hours the tree was stripped bare. I wish I'd gotten some but I don't mind sharing.

We have a new dog (new in october -- the one who broke my elbow). He likes to chase the birds and critters off so I started leaving the back door open all day so he could come and go to keep the freeloading to a minimum. Then one day he caught a ground hog and brought it into the kitchen to show me. The door stays closed now.

[bigato]

He was giving it to you, dogs do that. Sometimes even cats do, when the bounty is too much.

[mooretrees]

Question for all you experienced gardeners: do people start their winter veggies by direct seed or do they start them in seed trays? I don't know why I'm so hung up on this question, but I really want my winter veggies to do well. I've got a ton of seed and only had a so-so time starting some veggies early this year.

Thinking of building some more raised beds in the backyard just for the winter veggies. Will quickly run out of room with existing beds in front yard with how much I'm hoping to plant.

[ertyu]

my grandmother always did a seed tray and then replanted, but I never knew the reason why she didn't just plant seeds directly. I guess a seed tray allowed her to start the plants earlier in the year, at home where it's nice and warm?

[bigato]

It's much easier to care for the seedlings in a seed tray while they are delicate babies and require a lot more care. People sometimes keep them indoors at a windowsill where it is warm and they can get natural light. Once you transplant them to the ground, you make sure there are no weeds in the ground (avoid bare land exposed to the sun though). If you mulch, for example, you avoid many weeds coming up, and even when they do, your transplants will have a head start over them so it won't be much of a problem. Some plants don't do well being transplanted though, plants didn't evolve to be moved around much, and some of them are more sensitive to that.

[jacob]

One of the rabbits multiplied like a rabbit. It is being trailed around the garden by one baby bunny (maybe the rest died? or maybe they take turns?) that looks maybe two weeks old. We still haven't figured out where the nest is although we have three potential sites. Not gonna go rooting though them though. Also, we have 10x the number of fire flies lighting up in the evenings relative to the neighboring lawn-only backyards. Glad to see some insects again!

Harvest so far: 34.5 lbs (again only edible parts) from 12 different kinds.

[reepicheep]

Could eat rabbit?

[Frita]

The heavy June snows flattened my garlic, slowed the chive and raspberry growth, but the rhubarb plants are giant. It reminds me of “Jamberry.” https://www.amazon.com/Jamberry-Bruce-D ... 0694006513 Each day I harvest and make some other rhubarb goodie.