tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57351200847333002562024-03-19T05:28:09.334-05:00Back to the Land MamaThe Journey of a Mama and Her Family from Suburban Life to the "Simple Life" Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-28496933311243747482013-07-09T21:29:00.000-05:002013-07-09T21:34:34.736-05:00Building a Pallet Compost BinI'm catching up on my posts here, so I actually build this before I sold the chickens.<br />
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My current composting situation was not cutting it. . .<br />
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Due to the Raccoons of NIMH getting in our trashcan as always and tearing open our trash bags, which was also during a period of high temperatures, which caused a million flies to get into our trash, which then caused our trash can to literally bubble over with maggots as I opened the trashcan to put a bag in which caused me to scream - said maggots found their way to the compost pile which became a nasty mess of flies which then got torn into by the armadillos that live next door which destroyed my compost pile as seen in the above picture.</div>
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Sigh.</div>
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We were in the middle of constructing the chicken palace, and so I did not want to buy anything more, so buying the compost bin I would like (or making one that looks like it) were out of the question.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEBsp3RQZAurJouFrd4OXxBse5GCAMHesNSxorw3-cUYHmG5Hh-cK7BKv2Mbnh3mw4VvNf5BWFAQnVmdZ3Majv8IAPVeM-I4nCN6EJBeKWfwD7pJrpPlcX2_oYmjCeiQjhaw3zu7_DRI/s1600/bins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEBsp3RQZAurJouFrd4OXxBse5GCAMHesNSxorw3-cUYHmG5Hh-cK7BKv2Mbnh3mw4VvNf5BWFAQnVmdZ3Majv8IAPVeM-I4nCN6EJBeKWfwD7pJrpPlcX2_oYmjCeiQjhaw3zu7_DRI/s400/bins.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #38200a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">C.E. Shepherd compost bin</span></div>
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So I thought - what is free that I could use to make one that is a little more sturdy (at least until I can buy the one I want)? Pallets are free. Lemme try that.</div>
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So we scrounged up a few pallets from a local hardware store and a grocery store (the story that accompanies this process could be its own blog post) and brought them home.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZG6y-vPCGDrwOArIYZYmN0SPoN3604spmHMDOdNjO0E4cmspLQVq9u_hGQMJU5FglGGEldKd7VS1JAFd1EEMwScfkTs8OzGDF0GeOLCFiVjcrclv3uvDcDYT9ileFO-rqK-JzmzWqZo/s1600/pallets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZG6y-vPCGDrwOArIYZYmN0SPoN3604spmHMDOdNjO0E4cmspLQVq9u_hGQMJU5FglGGEldKd7VS1JAFd1EEMwScfkTs8OzGDF0GeOLCFiVjcrclv3uvDcDYT9ileFO-rqK-JzmzWqZo/s640/pallets.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I wanted to have a two bin system like I (kind of) had, so I figured I would need 7 pallets (2 for the back, 2 for the sides, one for the middle divider, and two to cover the front). Once I laid them all out (and killed a brown recluse spider living in one of them) I separated them into similar sizes and shapes. For some reason I had thought that pallets came in a standard size and shape. Nope.</div>
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So I removed my old arrangement and started to build it in place - those things are a lot heavier than you would think. . .</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMn6BuKW5Y-WNf0Oqln05X9N813xExnZj5lhdCa8ddiARZH-FHOfC4whR75CiijNNv1v1kTw_hhxj9nGbOyDD9vPlbiydfeMdJ-utMCuUWf_MFJ64Y8MTdPjX-p6QfjuiwtxpATzbJVyg/s1600/IMG_2631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMn6BuKW5Y-WNf0Oqln05X9N813xExnZj5lhdCa8ddiARZH-FHOfC4whR75CiijNNv1v1kTw_hhxj9nGbOyDD9vPlbiydfeMdJ-utMCuUWf_MFJ64Y8MTdPjX-p6QfjuiwtxpATzbJVyg/s640/IMG_2631.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I screwed the side to the back piece with a 3 in deck screw (because that's what I had) towards the top of the pallet. That's all I did - it was sturdy enough.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5INeVorECZAuwsiYSS-GMfpU8PWs3Nr0yyzL0D2dQErlnpwMGvYdyI8ckGM_M_B5ygQCBxiU7Wz0je8NVO5tQwMM-E8ensrQ4ES2m6ijctA7oKxv4-FfakHSUxjM2qRb7__uJLVsfPg/s1600/IMG_2633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5INeVorECZAuwsiYSS-GMfpU8PWs3Nr0yyzL0D2dQErlnpwMGvYdyI8ckGM_M_B5ygQCBxiU7Wz0je8NVO5tQwMM-E8ensrQ4ES2m6ijctA7oKxv4-FfakHSUxjM2qRb7__uJLVsfPg/s640/IMG_2633.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I then added the other pieces in a similar way. The divider between the two sides was a little different - because of the way it was shaped, I was able to wedge it between the two back pieces and screw it in to both of them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Rtijtz1aindMJLOcdKEwCbdiLTtVveO8y9WeLmPl1Fx0OSJaaS8xB2LWdWPMEHnLjlNOh5vKQjKFAyutdQCN68_ZQHbz1JTn2MM4JWnxbvUEBZIoFO4r9MPGT7Nf6_24YnGC0Uxiaq0/s1600/IMG_2635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Rtijtz1aindMJLOcdKEwCbdiLTtVveO8y9WeLmPl1Fx0OSJaaS8xB2LWdWPMEHnLjlNOh5vKQjKFAyutdQCN68_ZQHbz1JTn2MM4JWnxbvUEBZIoFO4r9MPGT7Nf6_24YnGC0Uxiaq0/s320/IMG_2635.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I then stood back and looked at my work. I thought it looked pretty darn good. But it was huge. And it actually kind of looked like a pen for a farm animal. And since I was still in covert chicken operation mode, I knew this simply would not work. It was very noticeable from the street, and I knew it would be a red flag for HOA enforcers, and I really didn't want to attract them to my property. So, I decided to disassemble it and go for a 1 bin setup for the time being.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYqiEdry2ybaBamvcONquBQtL1Yu82h-Anr1PEyUe6Fo4_wLz7qFEWm-yIGShT2Rr_IpUegPspUJ74ww6u7fcrXj0B_hPHIdotM-xdNI6wOxBAgZVVUz_qBEOLZOfWl4MNL3Bd-r5lGQ/s1600/IMG_2636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYqiEdry2ybaBamvcONquBQtL1Yu82h-Anr1PEyUe6Fo4_wLz7qFEWm-yIGShT2Rr_IpUegPspUJ74ww6u7fcrXj0B_hPHIdotM-xdNI6wOxBAgZVVUz_qBEOLZOfWl4MNL3Bd-r5lGQ/s640/IMG_2636.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeo7ac6dInukrU_y0c_5_xhInt0qje5d_GmzhJvZsMoEmyv-dOj-_tv7cbl4v3ukEtUutJEv2YDiOdyTOTQOxgfo8kmm9Q0mZ5AK4Mpds4uusxC6mrvAbiGBjXXtWGUDwJKzrvs4coWs/s1600/IMG_2637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeo7ac6dInukrU_y0c_5_xhInt0qje5d_GmzhJvZsMoEmyv-dOj-_tv7cbl4v3ukEtUutJEv2YDiOdyTOTQOxgfo8kmm9Q0mZ5AK4Mpds4uusxC6mrvAbiGBjXXtWGUDwJKzrvs4coWs/s640/IMG_2637.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I think it actually ended up looking pretty nice! It provides a perfect hiding place for snakes behind it, but other than that, it is fine for now. The front is simply propped up against the frame so that it can be easily removed for turning or whatever (I'm not really good about doing that. . .)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEeE3scyXcpeaEzmqJoHI20CEWAj6-lQ1q32Mgh3-QtPS_ircJZ8fEtPflLmg9uCg-9e7S5dZv-7RiEn2lJSQJr5dWwo6VgWtUnPLgH3SIPva4cB3va5h_Ftctde9emrL6cTluFF-EHE/s1600/IMG_2638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEeE3scyXcpeaEzmqJoHI20CEWAj6-lQ1q32Mgh3-QtPS_ircJZ8fEtPflLmg9uCg-9e7S5dZv-7RiEn2lJSQJr5dWwo6VgWtUnPLgH3SIPva4cB3va5h_Ftctde9emrL6cTluFF-EHE/s640/IMG_2638.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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So for the cost of two screws, I have a pretty snazzy compost bin! Can't beat that!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-4362470621850234282013-07-09T21:03:00.002-05:002013-07-09T21:03:09.048-05:00End of the Chicken Ranch. . .at Least for Now. . .So we sold the chickens.<br />
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After spending days constructing the frame for the chicken coop/run and laying the foundation.<br />
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WHY??!!!!<br />
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You know how sometimes you encounter (or maybe it's just me, I dunno. . .) situations where EVERY.SINGLE.THING is a battle, or a struggle, and the only thing keeping the whole thing from crashing and burning is your own stubborn will? That, for us, was the chickens. And that for me at least, is a sign that it is not meant to be.<br />
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That doesn't mean that we didn't want them, or don't want them in the future, because we did, and we do. However, right now I guess is not the right time. It was so ridiculous that our family couldn't even enjoy them anymore - and that totally defeated the purpose.<br />
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So I sold them to the guy I sold my other 3 to - and I know they will be loved and have a very good home - those people love their chickens!<br />
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We knew it was the right decision because once we were sure of it, it was like an immense weight was lifted off our shoulders. And then everything went smoothly from there - by that morning, the chickens were in their new home, and we had returned what supplies we could to Lowes. We were out some money, but recovered our sanity.<br />
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The wood that had already been used for the frame and stained (which took hours. . .) was disassembled and will be used to build the playhouse we have been wanting to build for our daughter. And I have to say, we have learned a lot about construction and about chickens.<br />
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So. . .one day we'll have our chickens. But right now I think my garden is enough. I'll leave you with a couple pictures I took the day before I sold them - they were starting to look crazy cute!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKOMltbAlR-TGupf2mUCXdmmRYY0SDoodFsPmfgpeXoePKTm8431Rl-evN4r5fsejgr9EgPY-VeLJnk-njjsuwTvL5xelb5VD6nZJp6VxHh4WemytZpLOBmrAGutZR9g2l4qwHpUBXHY/s1600/IMG_2612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKOMltbAlR-TGupf2mUCXdmmRYY0SDoodFsPmfgpeXoePKTm8431Rl-evN4r5fsejgr9EgPY-VeLJnk-njjsuwTvL5xelb5VD6nZJp6VxHh4WemytZpLOBmrAGutZR9g2l4qwHpUBXHY/s640/IMG_2612.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkno5kBD0tgIPGIke12B-WKrdaxwNdP1asPUv-KxJ32_Rl2vrq7We5b9S69V5I72sAZ5CvaTBTpM8w-nvI812fhpS064NbZodrMMozalEmYWUdy1jCgMPasTfa9V_xMWkKnH6Y3GNbfA/s1600/IMG_2613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkno5kBD0tgIPGIke12B-WKrdaxwNdP1asPUv-KxJ32_Rl2vrq7We5b9S69V5I72sAZ5CvaTBTpM8w-nvI812fhpS064NbZodrMMozalEmYWUdy1jCgMPasTfa9V_xMWkKnH6Y3GNbfA/s640/IMG_2613.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-45375034199975311732013-06-30T21:55:00.002-05:002013-06-30T23:33:10.335-05:00Merge of the BlogsIn order to simplify my blog world (at least the ones I write, not necessarily the ones I read. . .) I decided to merge two of my blogs.<br />
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So, if you normally just read this one, surprise! There is now even more info on here mostly related to decorating, sewing, and general homemaking stuff.<br />
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If you normally read the other one and are now finding yourself lost in unfamiliar territory, no worries. There are now tabs found at the top of the blog that contain the blog posts that fall under each category. You can also use the search engine at the top right hand side of the blog. All the posts from the old blog are still here, and there are new ones to explore, mainly ones related to gardening and homesteading.<br />
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One blog for all your home-creating needs!<br />
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Enjoy! :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-81919144863060467562013-06-26T14:55:00.000-05:002013-06-30T21:12:41.558-05:00A Phenomenon Called "Chicken Math"Before I got my "Asiatic Ground Fowl", I had often heard of the term "chicken math". In case you are unaware of this phenomenon, I will present an example:<br />
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Susie goes to the store to buy 10 chickens. She comes home with 15. The next week she sees a breed she has been wanting to acquire for forever - she comes home with 5. Flock is now too big for her, so she sells 4 of them. But then she sees an ad on craigslist and can not resist and comes home with 8. Total = 24<br />
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Do you follow?<br />
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I thought this concept was utterly ridiculous until it happened to me. Let me explain. . .<br />
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So when we originally wanted to get chicks, I was going to drive up to Ideal Poultry (which is a major national hatchery that happens to be only a couple of hours away from where we live) and get 4 Silkies and 2 Easter Eggers (these are a type of mutt chicken that can lay blue, green, or even sometimes pink eggs and on top of this, they often times have a beard which puts it on the must have list for me.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_6vVDdgnU2Vnm5sF6X54g5612v_5QM-E5p0aktYg_ZUS2fNFzGmp-zRQ-t1voP3dcrcOFJEINYRrks1MDsFaATPKAAJiQ_gt0DSSLxtZGajgkANlNxVxAX9J4YEBEiAZhU5WGOMdcGk/s1600/0110101651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_6vVDdgnU2Vnm5sF6X54g5612v_5QM-E5p0aktYg_ZUS2fNFzGmp-zRQ-t1voP3dcrcOFJEINYRrks1MDsFaATPKAAJiQ_gt0DSSLxtZGajgkANlNxVxAX9J4YEBEiAZhU5WGOMdcGk/s640/0110101651.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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(Photo courtesy of backyardchickens.com)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tGb0cLZL8hx-AoGlV67Lbq45vC979GEJDmwOsna1XaB8sKWOfnIWyvVEuM6-gS3lEu0G1haDmd0nP0UoG9BeEKQzC6w2xRABPyO_YI_pfEzt4kqGvI0nkV0X_tmR9ckcYH1i3QOsgW0/s1600/ameraucana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tGb0cLZL8hx-AoGlV67Lbq45vC979GEJDmwOsna1XaB8sKWOfnIWyvVEuM6-gS3lEu0G1haDmd0nP0UoG9BeEKQzC6w2xRABPyO_YI_pfEzt4kqGvI0nkV0X_tmR9ckcYH1i3QOsgW0/s400/ameraucana.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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(Example of their possible egg colors)</div>
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Anyways, I ended up deciding to get just Silkies from a local breeder instead of driving all the way over there. I planned to come home with no more than 6. I came home with 7. Then, last Friday I saw that a local feed store would be getting in a shipment of chicks that included my easter eggers (often incorrectly called Ameraucana), so I decided to reduce my Silkie flock and get 2 easter eggers. I sold 'Angry Bird' and two of the other Silkies and went to the feed store and got their last two easter eggers. So, to recap the chicken math: 7 - 3 + 2 = 6 which was the original number I wanted anyways - I just went a roundabout way of getting there. . .</div>
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So here are the new babies:</div>
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Baby #1: is a little darker in color than the other - it will be interesting to see what their feather color and pattern will be as they get older - with easter eggers, it's a surprise!</div>
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Baby #2: close up of the fuzzy beard</div>
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The two of them together and their slight difference in color:<br />
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Don't want to leave the silkies out! Here are pics from today of the ones I kept - two really seem unchanged, but the two biggest ones are entering the awkward teenage phase. . . you'll see what I mean. . .</div>
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The oldest ones are I think somewhere around 4 weeks old and their feathers are definitely coming in, while the other two may be closer to 3 weeks or runts. Only time will tell. All I know is no more chicken math. . .for now. . .</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-4183761132776394752013-06-18T21:47:00.001-05:002013-06-30T21:12:41.556-05:00Guess What??Chicken butt.<br />
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No, someone has not hijacked my blog - we actually got chickens. Really. They are upstairs in our spare bedroom.</div>
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We are going to try this. From this point forward, these are not chickens, but they are my exotic Asian ground fowl. That are my pets. That are normal household pets. . .</div>
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Township covenant states: "Only customary household pets are allowed on properties . . ." Whether chicken or Asian ground fowl, I think small pet birds are pretty customary, right? I mean, it's not like I have an emu out there or something. The only difference between these and a parrot is that these guys (I mean girls. . . please be girls. . .) make me breakfast. Although because they are Silkies, it is more of a when they feel like it sort of thing rather than an every day like clockwork sort of thing. Which makes them even more like a parrot. I rest my case.</div>
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So anyways, we adopted 7 Silkie chicks a week and a half ago. They were older chicks when I adopted them - somewhere between 2-3 weeks old. I've been going back and forth about whether or not we should keep them. I think I have finally decided to keep them and give it a try. I know that if I gave them away now, I would always wonder if it would have worked.</div>
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The major stress factor at the moment - we kind of haven't built the coop or run yet. But I think we're going to try to build it this weekend. But I guess that's what we said last weekend. . .</div>
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So here are the chicks, so far unnamed (with the exception of the tiny reddish brown one that I keep calling Rosita for some reason, and the yellowish one I have nicknamed 'Angry Bird') when I got them a week ago and now:</div>
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Chick #1: I love it's white eyebrows and chin. It's feathers are coming in all scraggly - I wonder if it has the frizzle gene.</div>
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Chick #2: Has cute black markings on it's back and wings<br />
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Chick #3: Will end up being partridge colored I am guessing??<br />
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Chick #4: I must admit this one is my favorite, though I am worried about it being a boy (all boys will be given away since we can't have crowing or other such nonsense in my suburban backyard). I love this one's coif - maybe part polish? (Did I mention these silkies are kind of mutts? :)<br />
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Chick #5: aka Rosita. I don't know why I started calling it Rosita - it is just so small and cute and gentle.<br />
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Chick #6: In just one week this one has almost doubled in size and is sporting some very fancy foot feathers.<br />
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Chick #7: aka 'Angry Bird'. I mean, seriously - just look at it's face in the second picture. It is the most ornery bird and it absolutely hates me with a passion. When I am in the room with them, it is constantly eyeing me suspiciously as the others sleep. I kind of hope you are a rooster. :) This one has also doubled in size over the past week and is certainly at the top of the pecking order. I must say it is very protective of the other chicks (another reason I'm thinking roo?) We'll see. . .<br />
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That's all for now, but more will be coming soon as we build the coop and run (it's gonna have to happen soon at this point!)</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-69492340213138615322013-06-06T15:49:00.001-05:002013-06-30T21:13:57.398-05:00Store Bought Corn vs. Home Grown CornI was interested to see if growing your own corn is actually worth it. They had corn for I think 8 for a dollar so I bought some. I was also able to harvest some of my own about the same time from my community garden plot.<br />
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Here's the two ears I harvested next to one store-bought:<br />
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Mine has a much prettier purple color to it :) Now I imagine the store bought corn was grown in a massive corn field and sprayed with countless amounts of some sort of biological warfare. Mine was not. Soooo, I opened up the ears to reveal this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVPnBA4e1n51X7rp5TjH3VOikMYwvyjNqYiUT3FXQXF8dvMeHfcBYqol0jaiNNQ1Xi28F1FdWbj7Bu29Gbntmui5iN257Q-Co5s0Tf-jjoBcTir8aNu6fR48DhrglWvVPtHy3kTJhCY4/s1600/IMG_2455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVPnBA4e1n51X7rp5TjH3VOikMYwvyjNqYiUT3FXQXF8dvMeHfcBYqol0jaiNNQ1Xi28F1FdWbj7Bu29Gbntmui5iN257Q-Co5s0Tf-jjoBcTir8aNu6fR48DhrglWvVPtHy3kTJhCY4/s640/IMG_2455.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Gross. And all the pre-munched mush/catepillar poop came crumbling out. But as you can see, they only got the very tip, so did I eat these? Yep. I just cut the tops off. (The rest of my corn from the second harvest was not so lucky - almost every ear of corn was a total loss.)</div>
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So here's the naked ears of corn next to each other:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzC1Hs6ho6OXUINeKD_rW9N2Fz23SbDgyLCuEpK43WCN02Eu8CJ7O9WVaelpx9QQSyRSi9qxdt9Yf0RPCRc7syM1f0-RTvHZKJCaN9zmqEir-5nvxNPN83iHo7A-yLWSWmlJLGsis8BKI/s1600/IMG_2456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzC1Hs6ho6OXUINeKD_rW9N2Fz23SbDgyLCuEpK43WCN02Eu8CJ7O9WVaelpx9QQSyRSi9qxdt9Yf0RPCRc7syM1f0-RTvHZKJCaN9zmqEir-5nvxNPN83iHo7A-yLWSWmlJLGsis8BKI/s640/IMG_2456.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Aside from the cut off tops, mine are a little smaller, but the kernels are a little bigger and a richer shade of yellow.</div>
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Now for the taste:</div>
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I had read that farmers will literally have a pot of water boiling and then will go out to the field and pick the corn and plop it in the pot. The reason is because as soon as an ear of corn is picked, the sugars start being converted into starches (for non-sciency people out there, this = not as sweet). Which now makes sense to me why these huge massive commercial growers are growing supersweet versions of corn - who know how long it takes for corn to get from the commercial enterprise to my grocery store, and then how long it sits there before ending up in my refrigerator, and then how long after that it sits in there until I feel like making corn. I bet if you ate this corn right from the field you would get a sugar high.</div>
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Anyways, I think my home-grown corn sat in the fridge for 2 or 3 days, but I figured that was still better than the possibly weeks (?) the store-bought corn had been sitting there, so I felt it was still a fair trial.</div>
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I tasted my corn first - it had a good, robust corn flavor. Then I took a bit of the store-bought corn. Eating that right after my home-grown corn made it taste like nothing! It was like drinking sugar water - I could tell it was sweet but it basically had no taste. Interestingly, as I continued to eat the store-bought corn, my tastebuds adapted and it just tasted like normal corn. But then I went back and took a bite of the home-grown one - it tasted like I had slathered it in butter or something - super flavorful!!! </div>
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So the verdict: if you have the space, yes, grow your own corn because it tastes AMAZING compared to the crap sold in stores. Just watch out for the corn earworm guys!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-47952316474517959182013-06-06T15:32:00.000-05:002013-06-30T21:13:57.391-05:00Updated Harvest Totals and More Produce Pics!<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #585858; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">
So I said I would update this every week - I'm at about a week and a half so I'd say that's pretty good :) My family is literally drowning in tomatoes. We are giving them to our family, our friends, our neighbors, and we still open the refrigerator and sigh! I don't know what I was expecting, but let's just say that raised beds and compost are awesome!</div>
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Before we get to the totals, there are a few pictures I would like to share:</div>
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<b>Monster Cucumbers</b> - I went to my community garden plot a few days ago, and hidden beneath the spiny vines were 7 ginormous cucumbers (I meant to go back and harvest them when they were smaller, but I forgot - whoops!). I have never seen cucumbers that big before in my life! We ate the first two mentioned in a previous post and they were quite tasty, but we haven't tried the big ones yet. I put a quarter in the picture for reference, but you can really tell how big they are in relation to my hand. And I have big hands.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXV-nTZw5riUmAluM4SonumjchAAvNtd3K4bHgTZJrmaD0BfRloL0h1Dvh_R5VITDHYjw6dYYlPBfgdRYTMhDh4KN6uHxJtkSuiFtInpeB6cIirsdRH7HXPoL7G01JoeXamYvCKcqblg/s1600/IMG_2468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXV-nTZw5riUmAluM4SonumjchAAvNtd3K4bHgTZJrmaD0BfRloL0h1Dvh_R5VITDHYjw6dYYlPBfgdRYTMhDh4KN6uHxJtkSuiFtInpeB6cIirsdRH7HXPoL7G01JoeXamYvCKcqblg/s640/IMG_2468.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ljg-nSPHZ02oOhhZEQ3cAFz03XmC2CsE6t-BIKFj_gkcTpWVO1emtVlFKAOdNoyc_a_tOxQvigkdxnvpHR5FAW-oLcu9yvPzp3uPLZfBDR26E68howZdzICru_4VXyqkBpHb9J4kpQw/s1600/IMG_2469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ljg-nSPHZ02oOhhZEQ3cAFz03XmC2CsE6t-BIKFj_gkcTpWVO1emtVlFKAOdNoyc_a_tOxQvigkdxnvpHR5FAW-oLcu9yvPzp3uPLZfBDR26E68howZdzICru_4VXyqkBpHb9J4kpQw/s640/IMG_2469.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here's a few pictures of the produce I have been collecting over the past week and a half:</div>
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Here are the first Cherokee Purple heirloom tomatoes I collected. Not only are they very pretty, but they perform well in the taste category too!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbbdJN4Rx1AXiVzpz0tgqFGRLW0FtMyNhmbWG0Z5VzRfTJ-4jzpY8suaQ0HiQviXi3BOKpdyAs0ZVcdTYqC7rV7r4Kt01dTWcJCgaiZSFZ9pYd7MkqUWr27UnOdqEqQClTAS6K8c4kzQ/s1600/IMG_2463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbbdJN4Rx1AXiVzpz0tgqFGRLW0FtMyNhmbWG0Z5VzRfTJ-4jzpY8suaQ0HiQviXi3BOKpdyAs0ZVcdTYqC7rV7r4Kt01dTWcJCgaiZSFZ9pYd7MkqUWr27UnOdqEqQClTAS6K8c4kzQ/s640/IMG_2463.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's a picture of the stuff I just collected today (I have had multiple days of harvests like this - totally crazy!). This one is cool though because I was able to harvest at least one tomato from every variety I am growing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjzRO9wMyAgnSSTLAG3-_HMcpe9bXb6tB9ZVKQaCR_IeTiDJ5oxw_vGWTCB6B4pqUWivaVwusfENxmAEIrd3LP-wAf8ivfSrPePnO_GUqn8oMcdrUw9g4Khlmu5TP81vh0IgTK64Q36E/s1600/IMG_2465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjzRO9wMyAgnSSTLAG3-_HMcpe9bXb6tB9ZVKQaCR_IeTiDJ5oxw_vGWTCB6B4pqUWivaVwusfENxmAEIrd3LP-wAf8ivfSrPePnO_GUqn8oMcdrUw9g4Khlmu5TP81vh0IgTK64Q36E/s640/IMG_2465.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also got my pumpkins (I harvested the smaller of the two yesterday and forgot to weigh it or take pictures of it before I cut it and scooped the seeds out.) You can see the claw marks from the suspected raccoon that tried to steal it when it was but a wee pumpkin. I won.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqrEnAyMIOPYRIQofxvoVnhyphenhyphenYwrDSeIozrIEINjz4H44d4hc7a742RBqSFKQLvEhAiAyp1rP7lSWVcv8I_v9GcLcVDUzdQyt-a2GIIzRvNWlAYgFeAZpML8jm4WM05JewJL68_QzAs9Y/s1600/IMG_2466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqrEnAyMIOPYRIQofxvoVnhyphenhyphenYwrDSeIozrIEINjz4H44d4hc7a742RBqSFKQLvEhAiAyp1rP7lSWVcv8I_v9GcLcVDUzdQyt-a2GIIzRvNWlAYgFeAZpML8jm4WM05JewJL68_QzAs9Y/s640/IMG_2466.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I think. I picked up the pumpkin and a nasty grub had bored a whole through it. But the grub was still visible, so I don't think it got too far. So I fished it out and cut it in half with my scissors (which was gratifying, but it would have been more so if I got to feed it to chickens. . .one day. . .) So anyways, I'll make like an old timey farmer, and cut out the bug part and eat the rest (<a href="http://backtothelandmama.blogspot.com/2013/06/store-bought-corn-vs-home-grown-corn.html" target="_blank">I did that with my corn too</a> - I guess beware eating at my house if that grosses you out :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwx4Op52Xlay-OkAEdQlm4L10wk8OB0W9XGILW7-MIbGQ8FlUAw341DqVxU-hPVnXWarxWspl_G2-tASzHKye6_SI6BiaaA6NLisClitvXELC9emCNfyKQCz8cPLPNfLOphP3hyphenhypheno0j4xA/s1600/IMG_2467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwx4Op52Xlay-OkAEdQlm4L10wk8OB0W9XGILW7-MIbGQ8FlUAw341DqVxU-hPVnXWarxWspl_G2-tASzHKye6_SI6BiaaA6NLisClitvXELC9emCNfyKQCz8cPLPNfLOphP3hyphenhypheno0j4xA/s640/IMG_2467.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Tomatoes: total = 18.69 pounds!!!!!!!!!</u></b></div>
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<u>Large Tomatoes:</u></div>
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- <b>Beefmaster</b>: 1.24 lbs (3 fruits)</div>
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- <b>Better Boy</b>: 2.75 lbs (6 fruits) </div>
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- <b>Celebrity</b>: 2.47 lbs (5 fruits)</div>
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- <b>Cherokee Purple</b>: 3.35 lbs (7 fruits)</div>
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- <b>Homestead 24</b>: 1.61 lbs (4 fruits)</div>
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- <b>Old German Heirloom</b>: 2.49 lbs (13 fruits)</div>
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- <b>Patio (in pot)</b>: 1.45 lbs (9 fruits)</div>
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- <b>Sunny Boy</b>: 2.54 lbs (6 fruits)</div>
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<u>Small Tomatoes:</u></div>
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- <b>Sweet 100 (in pot)</b>: 0.09 lbs (7 fruits)</div>
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- <b>Yellow Pear:</b> 0.70 lbs (40 fruits)</div>
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<u><b>Peppers:</b></u></div>
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- <b>Better Bell</b>: 0.31 lbs</div>
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- <b>Chocolate Bell</b>: 0</div>
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- <b>Golden California Wonder Bell</b>: 0.25 lbs</div>
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-<b> Jalapeno</b>: 0.23 lbs</div>
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- <b>Red Bell</b>: 0.43 lbs</div>
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- <b>Tabasco Hot</b>: 0</div>
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<b><u>Pumpkins</u>:</b></div>
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-<b> Pie: </b>2 (largest one at 3.24 lbs)</div>
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<b><u>Tomatillos</u>:</b></div>
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- <b>Salsa Verde</b>: 2.00 lbs (41 fruits)</div>
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<b><u>Eggplants</u>:</b></div>
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- <b>Long Purple</b>: 0</div>
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<b><u>Cucumbers</u>:</b></div>
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- <b>Salad Slicer</b>: 0</div>
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<b><u>Summer Squash</u>:</b></div>
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-<b> Pic-n-Pic (in pots)</b>: 0</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-38836721266472575522013-05-27T11:44:00.001-05:002013-06-30T21:13:57.388-05:00Community Garden Update and Harvest Totals Update!I am actually starting to harvest stuff from my community garden plot! Before the solarization project I discussed <a href="http://backtothelandmama.blogspot.com/2013/04/community-garden-update.html" target="_blank">here</a> happens and nukes the garden.<br />
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I harvested one cucumber, and there will be a few more next week too! They were all hiding under the foliage and were a pleasant surprise as I watered yesterday!<br />
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I didn't realize that real homegrown cucumbers are wrinkly and spiny. Someone at the community gardens told me they are ready if you rub the spines and they fall off. I don't know if this is true, but they did, so I picked it and we'll try it tonight!</div>
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The corn is (I think) ready to be harvested - it seems that corn is one of those things that you have to learn when it's ready from experience. I am also curious to see if they are fully fleshed out or are missing kernels from improper pollination, being such a small plot. We shall see on Tuesday when I go to harvest them!</div>
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I was really proud of my homegrown corn until I saw it for 8 for a dollar at the grocery store! Oh well - I bought a few ears and I will compare mine with grocery store, and see if it's worth it :)</div>
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<b><u>Home Garden Harvest Totals:</u></b></div>
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I decided to keep a running tally of the harvest totals from my home garden before I can't keep track of them anymore! I guess that is a good problem to have! We are up to our ears in tomatoes, and it will just continue - I have 1 plant that has 20 tomatoes on it right now waiting to ripen. I already gave some to the neighbors. And some of the tomatoes are the BEST I have ever eaten. Here's a picture of the latest group I picked (one of which is a Celebrity tomato weighing in at 0.76 lbs all by itself!!!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGFwjahM1wWTzj-nU0hvHy3fxuipTYTVfrp0BXsYNr-3e9Z_8giN7LmVMNavR603cytQhIzNCb93EaOFR3if2g4sDU385D73eH-LYENb7ocVNsbFGrwDy3xWOxeSIhvGLIln1jEKaD-4/s1600/IMG_2444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGFwjahM1wWTzj-nU0hvHy3fxuipTYTVfrp0BXsYNr-3e9Z_8giN7LmVMNavR603cytQhIzNCb93EaOFR3if2g4sDU385D73eH-LYENb7ocVNsbFGrwDy3xWOxeSIhvGLIln1jEKaD-4/s640/IMG_2444.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Starting at far left and proceeding clockwise: Sunny Boy Tomato, Celebrity Tomato, two smaller Old German Heirloom Tomatoes, one tiny Yellow Pear Tomato, and the very first Better Boy Tomato.</div>
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<b>Here are the totals so far:</b></div>
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<b><u>Tomatoes: total = 6.23 lbs in 6 days!!!!</u></b></div>
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- <b>Beefmaster</b>: 0</div>
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- <b>Better Boy</b>: 0.55 lbs </div>
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- <b>Celebrity</b>: 1.25 lbs</div>
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- <b>Cherokee Purple</b>: 0</div>
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- <b>Homestead 24</b>: 0.64 lbs</div>
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- <b>Old German Heirloom</b>: 0.95 lbs</div>
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- <b>Patio (in pot)</b>: 0.61 lbs</div>
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- <b>Sunny Boy</b>: 2.20 lbs</div>
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- <b>Sweet 100 (in pot)</b>: 0</div>
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- <b>Yellow Pear:</b> 0.03 lbs</div>
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<u><b>Peppers:</b></u></div>
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- <b>Better Bell</b>: 0.31 lbs</div>
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- <b>Chocolate Bell</b>: 0</div>
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- <b>Golden California Wonder Bell</b>: 0.25 lbs</div>
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-<b> Jalapeno</b>: 0.18 lbs</div>
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- <b>Red Bell</b>: 0.43 lbs</div>
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- <b>Tabasco Hot</b>: 0</div>
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<b><u>Pumpkins</u>:</b></div>
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-<b> Pie: </b>0</div>
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<b><u>Tomatillos</u>:</b></div>
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- <b>Salsa Verde</b>: 0</div>
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<b><u>Eggplants</u>:</b></div>
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- <b>Long Purple</b>: 0</div>
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<b><u>Cucumbers</u>:</b></div>
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- <b>Salad Slicer</b>: 0</div>
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<b><u>Summer Squash</u>:</b></div>
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-<b> Pic-n-Pic (in pots)</b>: 0</div>
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I plan to update this weekly (at least while there is a lot of produce coming in). Stay tuned!!</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-81904283037516938022013-05-24T16:08:00.000-05:002013-06-30T21:13:57.404-05:00Home Garden Update and Harvest Totals!So it has been about a month, so I figured it is about time to post an update! :) Here's the garden right now (tomato forest is more like it. . .):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt836HJjgrja0o-qfucaiUujMHnhB_1YS2hg8TUAcpZWpY7y16ESyFzOjzryUKOr4t6H9QGuS5xD0HPoT_Rmuz-wKv1XeKrql2J73m-Xig98yiIIx8Tm0BlQdXwzez52DId7uzzO1m3TI/s1600/IMG_2421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt836HJjgrja0o-qfucaiUujMHnhB_1YS2hg8TUAcpZWpY7y16ESyFzOjzryUKOr4t6H9QGuS5xD0HPoT_Rmuz-wKv1XeKrql2J73m-Xig98yiIIx8Tm0BlQdXwzez52DId7uzzO1m3TI/s640/IMG_2421.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The sunflowers are in full bloom, the tomato plants are completely unruly, and I am finally getting to taste the first fruits of my labor!<br />
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Remember when it looked like this?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSKIB6ldn-9u3xlAKnE1UYYu2sdqXwLr_XCH105cDKSoZHAzwPqH2pO0VR7Hh3mV-Q_woWnNGKeHKuhyphenhyphengAM7q_DaAPc1kt89t7zWswLJ917cZ7PZbuvr13sxPQ_hwDwsJ-Vdk63T4Hys/s1600/IMG_2309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSKIB6ldn-9u3xlAKnE1UYYu2sdqXwLr_XCH105cDKSoZHAzwPqH2pO0VR7Hh3mV-Q_woWnNGKeHKuhyphenhyphengAM7q_DaAPc1kt89t7zWswLJ917cZ7PZbuvr13sxPQ_hwDwsJ-Vdk63T4Hys/s640/IMG_2309.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It wasn't all unicorns and rainbows, however. . .<br />
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I lost two very large Beefsteak tomatoes to stupid fruitworms I had been battling all spring:<br />
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And just about every tomato bush (except the Celebrity tomato) has a disease of some sort. But rather than treat it, I am taking a passive approach and it seems to be working for now - the plant is setting and producing fruit faster than the disease kills the plant. . ah, the lazy woman's kind of disease management :)</div>
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Here's some of the good:<br />
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-Sunflowers in bloom: the plants are well over 7 feet tall!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0A72YgCVvoclFhK31s2AyD53pB6NRIoUiBzfKoRdfPQY0GUgBrEIgOobRKirfeX0WPOeNtFcoaRtodrE7bKVU3-C24bhUT6nWKSjiZqgY9YFAWGSUyKh_QK1LcLEEtPYL-vUST94WSsU/s1600/IMG_2379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0A72YgCVvoclFhK31s2AyD53pB6NRIoUiBzfKoRdfPQY0GUgBrEIgOobRKirfeX0WPOeNtFcoaRtodrE7bKVU3-C24bhUT6nWKSjiZqgY9YFAWGSUyKh_QK1LcLEEtPYL-vUST94WSsU/s640/IMG_2379.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Dragonflies in the garden: </div>
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- Pumpkins!! I have two growing. The bigger one growing (of course) outside the raised bed on the grass looks like some animal with claws attempted to haul it away last night. Hopefully the scratches aren't too deep to damage the pumpkin - I have heard when squash are small you can carve your name in the skin so that it remains there as it grows but these scratches are pretty deep so we'll see - I don't care if Mr. Raccoon carved his initials in it, the pumpkin is MINE!!</div>
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Pictures of the largest of the two pumpkins two weeks ago:</div>
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And today:</div>
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- Pepper harvest (and a few beans too)!!: I harvested the bell peppers green, but only one of them is a true green pepper (the one in the middle). The largest on the left is a red bell pepper and the one on the far right is a yellow bell. I wanted to harvest these in hopes that the plants would set more peppers (which they still haven't done yet). Jalapenos are growing well and there are plenty more still on the plant!</div>
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About a pound of fresh bell peppers from the garden!!</div>
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-And the tomato harvest!!</div>
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The Sunny Boy tomatoes right before picking. . .</div>
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How many tomatoes can you spot on this one section of a Better Boy tomato plant? :) </div>
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The first ripe tomato on the Celebrity plant. . .</div>
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These two tomatoes were my first tomatoes to be harvested this season! They are Old German Heirloom tomatoes and were quite tasty! Together they weighed about 0.59 lb, which in current grocery store prices of $4.99/lb for heirloom tomatoes, I would say these beauties are worth $2.50! (Their true cost is probably WAY more than that considering all the startup costs, compost costs, labor, etc that went into producing them. . .ever read the book <u>The $64 Dollar Tomato </u> by William Alexander? I probably should.)</div>
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Harvest today of Sunny Boy and Celebrity tomatoes! Total weight: 2.11 lbs!!</div>
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And I'll leave you with my attempt at an artistic picture often seen on blogs that people actually read. . .<br />
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Happy gardening! :)</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-21537988014522437932013-04-30T16:09:00.001-05:002013-06-30T21:13:57.381-05:00Community Garden UpdateSo I haven't posted about my new plantings this spring yet, so I figured now's as good a time as any!<br />
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My plan for this spring/summer was to plant the "three sisters" model - remember learning about that in elementary school, where the Native Americans used to plant corn, beans, and squash together? I thought it would be a fun experiment. . .until my experiment was hijacked by whoever runs and makes decisions for the community garden (more on that later).<br />
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Here's a picture of the plot shortly after transplanting 6 corn seedlings on March 14th (there's a little bunch of spinach there in the middle that has since been pulled up):<br />
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And what it looks like today (with the transplanted corn in the foreground - with the beginnings of tassels! - and the ground started ones behind them. You can also see the beans coming up around the base of the corn, but the cucumber plants in the back by the trellis are so small you can't really see them):</div>
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I decided to try an experiment on top of an experiment by attempting to transplant corn. I grew them from seed in little pots in my house and transplanted them into the garden after about a week and a half. Many sources say you can not successfully transplant corn because of the sensitive taproot, however, I have a book (the Mini-Farming one I reviewed <a href="http://backtothelandmama.blogspot.com/2012/03/best-book-ever.html" target="_blank">here</a>) that suggested you could as long as you didn't wait longer than a couple of weeks. They seem to be doing just as good as the ones I planted later directly in the ground. They are short, but I don't know if that is just the variety or not - we'll see as the other ones mature.<br />
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Once the corn was about a foot high, I planted 3 'Kentucky Wonder' beans 6 inches from the base of each corn stalk, so that as the corn grows, the beans will have a support to grow on and they will supply the nitrogen-heavy consumer that corn is with a little extra.<br />
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The next step was to plant the vining squash on the ground to serve as a "living mulch" to shade the soil and keep it free from weeds (and of course produce squash!), but there will be no more squash. And I hope that I will actually get my harvest of corn and beans. It was announced that the community garden will be doing a "solarization project", where starting June 28th, we have to remove every plant from our garden and every plot will be covered with black plastic until September. This is to supposedly correct a severe pest problem that could have been avoided in the first place by rotating crops and disinfecting tools. Let's just say I have rotated my crops properly, and hmmm, I don't (knock on wood) have a pest problem. I am so mad about this. And when I asked one of the head people of the community garden what happened if I was just about to get my harvest but it would be ready a little after the termination date of June 28th, and it was pretty much a "that would suck, because you'll have to take it out anyways". So after all my hard work all season, nothing.<br />
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I already know the cucumber plants I planted by the trellis I built will not be ready in time. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!<br />
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Ahem.<br />
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Anyways, that's the story.<br />
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So we'll see if at least my good ol' corn will give me some ears before the garden gets nuked!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-75390603104866601472013-04-30T15:44:00.002-05:002013-06-30T21:13:57.401-05:00Backyard Garden Month 3Kind of crazy to believe that I have only had all this stuff planted for two months!! With the warmer weather, things are really growing now! And I am learning some valuable gardening lessons as well. . .<br />
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Let's take a look back a month ago:<br />
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And now. . .</div>
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Crazy what a month can do!!</div>
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Celebrity tomatoes getting bigger and bigger (this pic was taken a week ago)</div>
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Pie pumpkin blossom (don't have any growing pumpkins yet - until recently, the male and female flowers have not been open at the same time and my efforts at hand pollinating have been unsuccessful, but finally the plants are sending up lots of blossoms all at once so I hope soon we'll get a pumpkin growing!)</div>
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The scarlet runner beans - I love how these have been blossoming so I have a few pictures of them :)<br />
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Sunny boy yellow tomatoes</div>
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Bell peppers and jalepenos are fruiting now</div>
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My massive tomatillo plant - it is literally taller than I am at this point, reaching about 6 ft tall!</div>
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Tomatillos starting to grow</div>
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Here's the beans growing up the trellis (and you can see a preview of the new beds that are going to be added soon!)</div>
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The first sunflower is getting ready to open!</div>
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A bumblebee on the scarlet runner beans</div>
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So, there's all the pics! Since everything really took off growing this past month, it has been within the month that I have learned a lot of things:</div>
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1. <b><u>Tomatoes get BIG</u></b>. I actually had no idea they could get this large - I saw pictures of 6 ft high, 4 ft wide tomato plants in various books, but come on - they were gardening books that the author wouldn't be writing a book if they weren't some sort of super gardener, so I just kind of disregarded. The tomatoes I have grown in the past maybe got 2 1/2 ft tall in their containers. As it turns out, planting them in the ground is a whole different situation. . .</div>
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<b>What I will do differently next time</b>: I will not waste money on those small wire cages you get from Lowes or Home Depot (well, I guess I already wasted that money. . .) but I will get hog or cattle panels (whichever ones will allow me to stick my hand through it and pull awesome fruit out) and make them like this: </div>
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That way my tomatoes won't be on top of each other, climbing out of the beds and into the lawn and smothering every other plant I have planted nearby (and being so close they are more prone to massive caterpillar attacks and the spreading of diseases. . .)</div>
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2. <b><u>No pumpkins</u></b>. I admit, this was more of an experiment than anything (I took some seeds that started to grow on the side of the driveway after Husband went all Office Space on an old pumpkin last fall before throwing it (kind of) in the compost pile):</div>
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I knew pumpkin plants get big but it is totally dominating and it is not really being very productive either (every female flower to this point has not been fertilized I guess, and the baby pumpkin has turned yellow and fallen off every time). I guess we will see if this changes. Maybe I will get 10 pumpkins. I doubt it, though (but if I do, it will be at the expense of every other plant in its vicinity). You can see the effects of the drain on nutrients by comparing the two sides of the garden that have scarlet runner beans:</div>
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The left side plants are no higher than two feet up the trellis (and this pic was taken 2 weeks ago!) and the right side is thick with leaves and blossoms all the way up to the top and extending past the top! And the leaves on the left are more yellow than the ones on the right. So, no more pumpkins. . .</div>
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That's all for now! Maybe I will try to update more frequently :)</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-18676207602233339172013-03-28T15:19:00.000-05:002013-06-30T21:13:57.376-05:00Backyard Garden - Month 2Things are growing quickly around here so I want to try to keep track of it for once! Despite some crazy cold snaps at the end of March, things are looking good. The scarlet runner beans my daughter planted finally came up (after taking between 1-2 weeks for most to break ground!) and my spinach and lettuce seedlings have sprouted, and the cucumber seeds are now planted. Here's some pics of the garden 1 month ago:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhRDpEm-eRAFmKApI9L6e5G2m5VEP841bZZVio3OQA8aKAMauM5mD6_9KUIQ9UOCFfeZVcms82NFBxG93iREBonjuv3N_hPsvwHdOQ4kWliblIpzvwoZ-cdCKK7r5hfPOLaYzW6Dv8_A/s1600/IMG_2186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhRDpEm-eRAFmKApI9L6e5G2m5VEP841bZZVio3OQA8aKAMauM5mD6_9KUIQ9UOCFfeZVcms82NFBxG93iREBonjuv3N_hPsvwHdOQ4kWliblIpzvwoZ-cdCKK7r5hfPOLaYzW6Dv8_A/s640/IMG_2186.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And now. . .</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAVK8VugHWBiMdHSpMlloFtH4uXKQrkAJuM27BBSOzsdBRU49xJft99ViDkmRFuKkmdV-0GCp4jPythe9XmJJKMrikJBrIaPzZR1FpxM4XvfsuYURUcpOCp-b4PquQ8cXa4DnVBzTebrw/s1600/IMG_2244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAVK8VugHWBiMdHSpMlloFtH4uXKQrkAJuM27BBSOzsdBRU49xJft99ViDkmRFuKkmdV-0GCp4jPythe9XmJJKMrikJBrIaPzZR1FpxM4XvfsuYURUcpOCp-b4PquQ8cXa4DnVBzTebrw/s640/IMG_2244.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">The tomatoes are almost 2 feet high at this point!</span></div>
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Above are some spinach seedlings - hopefully I'll be able to get something out of them before it gets too hot!</div>
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Tomatillo flowers</div>
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Scarlet runner beans</div>
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Sunflowers in the upper right hand side</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-k3e3GVzpQMqrARfV4sTad2QKDMnkYzj0kjo4HqnJaKuEfpLRJpX0Bi-BZnUww0RrML2_0CIHvT2onzcw1GFcTecFiiOcEMbBw3tDXee6Gp4YpBsoaskcEz_X4zUzA2ZV1OIdUjvYL0/s1600/IMG_2252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-k3e3GVzpQMqrARfV4sTad2QKDMnkYzj0kjo4HqnJaKuEfpLRJpX0Bi-BZnUww0RrML2_0CIHvT2onzcw1GFcTecFiiOcEMbBw3tDXee6Gp4YpBsoaskcEz_X4zUzA2ZV1OIdUjvYL0/s640/IMG_2252.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Pepper plants</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCaLQFT_NNHODBvxnzDuOg-2D2gYvgcUmGOHGIsX1a0wxXlssD8RdaO6buQSDiOlITfIn2rbKtFNmO_GqArv7-tRMnqQm_qyzNoaIdmpeJIPHotxyg4r6-bPuNKV3kx7125qXbb9JaQjQ/s1600/IMG_2255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCaLQFT_NNHODBvxnzDuOg-2D2gYvgcUmGOHGIsX1a0wxXlssD8RdaO6buQSDiOlITfIn2rbKtFNmO_GqArv7-tRMnqQm_qyzNoaIdmpeJIPHotxyg4r6-bPuNKV3kx7125qXbb9JaQjQ/s640/IMG_2255.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Two of my blackberry plants have finally started to leaf out</div>
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Some of the others are coming up from the ground</div>
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We'll see what the next month brings!!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-12683749137204100082013-03-06T16:03:00.000-06:002013-06-30T21:13:57.373-05:00Front Yard Bed Done! I say that, but really I still need to add mulch. But all the foundation plants are planted and the hardscaping put in!<br />
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I had been struggling for a long time about what to do with the front bed. It was originally home to Dr. Seuss-shaped yaupon, calla lilies that were always in a state of half-death, and enormous lantanas that, though, beautiful, produced nice clusters of beautiful berries that look just like blackberries. My toddler loves berries, so they had to go too.<br />
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Here's a reminder of what the front bed looked like when we bought the house (this is the only picture I have from the real estate website):<br />
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It looks fine from this angle, but until we took everything out, I had no idea how much it completely blocked the house (and the gorgeous azaleas in front of the windows (you hardly even knew they were there!).<br />
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This is what the front bed looked like after my husband and his dad ripped out all the yaupon and a small tree:<br />
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Yep, neighbors were probably not too happy about this eyesore (especially since it was like this for a couple of months!)<br />
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Once everything was ripped out, I realized a problem: the middle is just a big expanse of nothing and it is going to take a lot of plants to fill it. Another thing I needed to keep in mind was that I wanted to convert this place (and more spaces in the future) to a mostly edible landscape (or if it's not edible, it should attract pollinators). I went back and forth about what to do, and even <strike>wasted</strike> spent an entire naptime staring at the front yard in hopes that something would come to me.<br />
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Then, last Friday night (late) the idea to put a hardscaped path and sitting area with a bench in the middle amidst some shrubbery and my varigated pink lemon tree came to me. I sketched it out and began on Saturday.<br />
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I finished the hardscaping on Saturday (which before I could do that involved leveling the whole bed which took a good couple of hours), and then Sunday I bought plants, amended the soil, and planted the main shrubs and trees. Monday, I finished planting a few of the flowers.<br />
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So here's how it looks now (keep in mind, it is only March so as things get growing, spaces will tighten up a bit):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubU7dbGTC0IV1I3tj9sieBfoF5C00C2pd7s2gDanzNZyAcrHY5MfygSyhL49oYQbPNiuYf0TWzLHttAFTPkp3yYuneH0G_1IpP5YSt1lO-FABj-nBKel06XcUSllc1J6KYxkxsEnrUvE/s1600/yard+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubU7dbGTC0IV1I3tj9sieBfoF5C00C2pd7s2gDanzNZyAcrHY5MfygSyhL49oYQbPNiuYf0TWzLHttAFTPkp3yYuneH0G_1IpP5YSt1lO-FABj-nBKel06XcUSllc1J6KYxkxsEnrUvE/s640/yard+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is a list of the plants I used (including some that you can not see in the picture):<br />
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1 Varigated Pink Lemon Tree<br />
2 Meiwa Kumquat Trees<br />
6 'August Beauty' Gardenias<br />
2 Lemongrass<br />
2 Society Garlic<br />
1 Mexican Honeysuckle<br />
3 'Mealy Blue' Salvia<br />
6 Angelonia<br />
3 'Tifblue' Blueberry<br />
1 'Climax' Blueberry<br />
1 'Premier' Blueberry<br />
1 'Sunshine Blue' Blueberry<br />
2 Pineapple Sage<br />
2 Mexican Bush Sage<br />
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The blueberry plants are planted on the ends of the bed. Assuming they do well, they can get as big as 6ft + so they will definitely fill in the space!<br />
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Well, that's all for now, but once things start growing a little more I will fill in a few of the spaces with some edibles (definitely some herbs and possibly some veggies too!).<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-71009850854899848842013-02-28T00:09:00.001-06:002013-06-30T21:13:57.400-05:00List of Plants Planned for the Spring 2013 Backyard GardenHere is a list of the varieties I plan to grow in the garden this season. I will update this as I add more! We will see how this turns out! It is going to definitely be an experiment, since I started the beds from scratch and I am unsure if the beds will receive enough light to produce fruit!<br />
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<b><u>Plants started from seed:</u></b><br />
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1) 'Long Purple' Eggplant (started inside 2/27/13)<br />
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2) 'Scarlet Runner' Pole Beans (will start outside between March 11-15)<br />
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3) 'Salad Slicer' Cucumber (will start outside between Mar. 11-15)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn30P4QQAZAuQtOuiba6cjuUL5uOXhYfbYXojFHpzNWji7QJkq0CN_vJ5SD-EFpk3UAAxIF3m8U1JGjuzYuywRwQ3B7j3Ebsu5kL1Yt9rOzknfwwP5Fz90yNEcwh6jTlHOd0RB_7XiTpk/s1600/69463_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn30P4QQAZAuQtOuiba6cjuUL5uOXhYfbYXojFHpzNWji7QJkq0CN_vJ5SD-EFpk3UAAxIF3m8U1JGjuzYuywRwQ3B7j3Ebsu5kL1Yt9rOzknfwwP5Fz90yNEcwh6jTlHOd0RB_7XiTpk/s320/69463_lg.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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4) Red Leaf Lettuce (started outside around edges of tomato pots 2/27/13)<br />
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<b><u>Transplants:</u></b><br />
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<u>Peppers</u><br />
1) Jalapeno Pepper (planted 2/26/13)<br />
2) 'Better Bell' Sweet Pepper (planted 2/26/13)<br />
3) 'Red Beauty (Baron)' Sweet Pepper (planted 2/26/13)<br />
4) Chocolate Bell Sweet Pepper (planted 3/1/13)<br />
5) Golden California Wonder Sweet Pepper (planted 3/1/13)<br />
6) Tabasco Hot Pepper (planted 3/1/13)<br />
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<u>Tomatoes</u><br />
1) 'Yellow Pear' Tomato (planted 2/26/13)<br />
2) 'Homestead 24' Tomato (planted 2/26/13)<br />
3) 'Cherokee Purple' Tomato (planted 2/26/13)<br />
4) 'Sweet 100' Tomato (planted in pot 2/27/13)<br />
5) 'Patio' Tomato (planted in pot 2/27/13)<br />
6) 'Beefmaster' Tomato (planted 3/1/13)<br />
7) 'Better Boy' Tomato (planted 3/1/13)<br />
8) 'Sunny Boy' Tomato (planted 3/1/13)<br />
9) Old German Heirloom Tomato (planted 3/1/13)<br />
10) 'Celebrity' Tomato (planted 3/1/13)<br />
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<u>Pumpkin</u><br />
1) Pie Pumpkin (planted 2/27/13)<br />
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<u>Strawberries</u><br />
1) 'Sweet Charlie' Strawberries (planted 2/26/13)<br />
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<b><u>Herbs:</u></b><br />
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1) Sweet Basil<br />
2) 'Red Rubin' Basil (started indoors from seed 2/27/13)<br />
3) Chives (will start from seed outdoors between Mar-May)<br />
4) Cilantro (will start from seed outdoors between Mar-May)<br />
5) Dill<br />
6) Oregano<br />
7) Rosemary<br />
8) Sage<br />
9) German Thyme<br />
10) Curly Parsley<br />
11) Peppermint<br />
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<b><u>Other:</u></b><br />
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1) 'Lemon Queen' Sunflower (seeds started indoors 2/27/13)<br />
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At my community garden plot, I will be doing a "three sisters" planting using sweet corn (which was started from seed indoors today - per a suggestion from one of my gardening books that with care, corn actually can be transplanted successfully), 'Kentucky Wonder' pole beans, and summer squash. More details on that planting later!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-3791069661970452362013-02-27T23:48:00.001-06:002013-06-30T21:13:57.387-05:00Backyard Garden Plots DONE!It has been a while since I posted last, and I meant to document everything we did and how we did it (it took a few weeks to actually get everything done!), but alas I kept forgetting to take pictures, and so all I have at this point are the pictures from today with beds completely built, filled with soil, soil amended, trellises built (except one), and some plants transplanted (despite the fact that the weather has decided to dip into the 30's at night this week).<br />
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Here's a reminder of what the backyard looked like before:<br />
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And here's what it looks like now (at about 5:30pm with my goofy toddler):<br />
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I followed my original plan (discussed in <a href="http://backtothelandmama.blogspot.com/2013/01/homestead-plans.html" target="_blank">this post</a>) so I ended up with about 172 sq. ft. of raised bed garden space. I am limited somewhat by the available light in the backyard - this area of the yard gets at least a few hours of sunlight all year round, so we'll see how much we can actually grow! The following 6 posts give more details into how we did each step along the way. Happy reading!<br />
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<a href="http://backtothelandmama.blogspot.com/2013/02/project-1-how-to-build-raised-bed.html" target="_blank">Project #1: How to Build a Raised Bed</a><br />
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<a href="http://backtothelandmama.blogspot.com/2013/02/project-2-removal-of-sod-and-how-to.html" target="_blank">Project #2: Removal of Sod and How to Double Dig a Bed</a><br />
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<a href="http://backtothelandmama.blogspot.com/2013/02/project-3-addition-of-compost-and-other.html" target="_blank">Project #3: Addition of Compost and Other Organic Materials</a><br />
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<a href="http://backtothelandmama.blogspot.com/2013/02/project-4-how-to-amend-soil.html" target="_blank">Project #4: How to Amend Soil</a><br />
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<a href="http://backtothelandmama.blogspot.com/2013/02/project-5-how-to-build-blackberry.html" target="_blank">Project #5: How to Build a Blackberry Trellis</a><br />
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<a href="http://backtothelandmama.blogspot.com/2013/02/project-6-bean-tepees-and-trellises.html" target="_blank">Project #6: Bean Tepees and Trellises</a><br />
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<a href="http://backtothelandmama.blogspot.com/2013/02/list-of-plants-planned-for-spring-2013.html" target="_blank">List of Plants Planned for the Backyard Garden Spring 2013</a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-18733419955841376832013-02-27T23:42:00.001-06:002013-06-30T21:18:37.956-05:00Project #6: Bean Tepees and TrellisesI decided that I wanted the pretty and productive Scarlet Runner beans:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvN_gcgKWs6Y8J4DrZOWF86adGbNsijC1W0G_rYKFknNNLEzJ51IVORTwbxClEGW3HDdkBQ-KgtvNs6mlUpcGl7z79CzPwN7MW6BJcF9IxFQDjzRv9mbVitd1HlQ_4qsalrkzs7drYB0/s1600/sc_rnr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvN_gcgKWs6Y8J4DrZOWF86adGbNsijC1W0G_rYKFknNNLEzJ51IVORTwbxClEGW3HDdkBQ-KgtvNs6mlUpcGl7z79CzPwN7MW6BJcF9IxFQDjzRv9mbVitd1HlQ_4qsalrkzs7drYB0/s640/sc_rnr.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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So, I decided to build two tepees for them. I bought two packages of bamboo stalks (each pack contained 6 stalks for $2.49), arranged them tepee-like, and tied the tops together with extra wire I had laying around from my <a href="http://backtothelandmama.blogspot.com/2013/02/project-5-how-to-build-blackberry.html" target="_blank">blackberry trellis project</a>. Super easy - and they stood up through some pretty severe wind we had the other night.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthxc1gejU2cX_88VtoCHEsqbCzmQhyTFaj7K170myNNFIx3OSukh7lrKlkIwOhfUn8yXVYjlJUFh8hXVCBVhzeaoxhAUWLhOJ-jAa1uJzGsy4Kwd8aXYr7yj1OvV92CAi-T3dGzOx2vc/s1600/IMG_2183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthxc1gejU2cX_88VtoCHEsqbCzmQhyTFaj7K170myNNFIx3OSukh7lrKlkIwOhfUn8yXVYjlJUFh8hXVCBVhzeaoxhAUWLhOJ-jAa1uJzGsy4Kwd8aXYr7yj1OvV92CAi-T3dGzOx2vc/s640/IMG_2183.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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You will notice a trellis in the picture as well. I plan to build another on the other side, as well. I tried first to make a trellis out of the bamboo kind of like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8cwDEXF3ARyAC-vYHKC2XgkKoZWcMcqifBAH5E7UtetBZ3BfFD1jHTJglThZiEovn9UezcHDWENyH3J6HiWRi6LD4AqsExzm6hPPIajD99bMjd71EELL-BFUdzYABxFn6B0V8Rc97bg/s1600/CucumberTrellis62109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8cwDEXF3ARyAC-vYHKC2XgkKoZWcMcqifBAH5E7UtetBZ3BfFD1jHTJglThZiEovn9UezcHDWENyH3J6HiWRi6LD4AqsExzm6hPPIajD99bMjd71EELL-BFUdzYABxFn6B0V8Rc97bg/s640/CucumberTrellis62109.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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But mine didn't really seem all that sturdy or strong. So I scraped that idea and decided to build one more like this that is straight up and down:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUb7tM8y9hKLvFAvMm5KmF-LLTffoujL4q5rmESlpuJfM5ZIYqjiYR5-M9DwlurH8247Uho-C8XIH2xFYpKgFSkHN0K571cPJd4b0VR2q8I6msLcBuVPY7kuJsqJDIKaUxZLH_aFWpSk/s1600/cucumber_trellis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUb7tM8y9hKLvFAvMm5KmF-LLTffoujL4q5rmESlpuJfM5ZIYqjiYR5-M9DwlurH8247Uho-C8XIH2xFYpKgFSkHN0K571cPJd4b0VR2q8I6msLcBuVPY7kuJsqJDIKaUxZLH_aFWpSk/s640/cucumber_trellis.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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To make my trellis, I used 3 5ft wood garden stakes. I cut the point off of one of them with a saw, and then nailed that stake to the tops of the two stakes in the ground. I bought trellis netting and tied it onto the posts and used three anchors along the bottom to keep it tethered to the ground. </div>
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I planted 3 pie pumpkin seedlings that I am going to attempt to train up that thing and hang the pumpkins in a sling (ha ha!). We'll see how that works. I figured it was worth a shot though because I had these three little seedlings that despite all odds, survived in the dirt on the side of our driveway after the parent pumpkins were smashed and chopped for the compost pile. </div>
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Here's one of the pretty seedlings:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNS-mb81rIc_tMnjU5iL4aUmNNr6FmGRSIz36wkMnGSWBbCBp-kSa1csywNOIAUNlR5nAPp7b3YAn6saBRJbgiP4S3KlFqu4_zpKrfdlR-05zDWhLN9c22jH1KZF5hJV-m9XrEYpn03s0/s1600/IMG_2182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNS-mb81rIc_tMnjU5iL4aUmNNr6FmGRSIz36wkMnGSWBbCBp-kSa1csywNOIAUNlR5nAPp7b3YAn6saBRJbgiP4S3KlFqu4_zpKrfdlR-05zDWhLN9c22jH1KZF5hJV-m9XrEYpn03s0/s640/IMG_2182.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am interested to see how they will grow, or if they will grow. . .</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-6741487494932550232013-02-27T23:26:00.001-06:002013-06-30T21:18:37.965-05:00Project #5: How to Build a Blackberry TrellisI actually completed this before the beds were done, but whatever. <br />
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There are a lot of different possibilities for blackberry trellises, but I decided to try the one designed by Dr. Arlie Powell. His system is called "Trellised Production Using Primocane Suppression" or "T-PUPS" for short. With this method, the blackberry plants are essentially espaliered along a two wire trellis.<br />
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I did a lot of research into his method after randomly seeing a couple of videos on youtube from him:<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2-reKF7XVI" target="_blank">Video #1: How to Trellis Blackberries</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL4zgAu7R4U" target="_blank">Video #2: Blackberries Part 2</a><br />
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After watching these videos, the following is what I have done along my side fence:<br />
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1) I had 4 bare root Kiowa blackberry plants on order from <a href="http://www.isons.com/" target="_blank">Ison's Nursery</a> so I decided to buy 6 6ft metal posts (1 for each of the plants and one for each end support).<br />
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2) I placed the posts evenly spaced and where I wanted to put the berry plants.<br />
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3) I bought green coated wire from the garden section at Lowes and strung one wire 3 ft. from the ground and the second wire 5 ft. from the ground.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBnPpR05wIbjHN7ZhtH7uusSKHm0G1Y0rP4SvS0rwHTBUBJk3oHn4ObWzVd2olJzX5tTis7uZJ9q_L67qZIjmzVxBQnRQpw457lQBMNbK93Lo0hPFHF0Tq4bUBge0bMaeNAlH6VLRdq0/s1600/IMG_2189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBnPpR05wIbjHN7ZhtH7uusSKHm0G1Y0rP4SvS0rwHTBUBJk3oHn4ObWzVd2olJzX5tTis7uZJ9q_L67qZIjmzVxBQnRQpw457lQBMNbK93Lo0hPFHF0Tq4bUBge0bMaeNAlH6VLRdq0/s640/IMG_2189.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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During the first year, the plants will be allowed to grow as they will so that they can establish good root systems without me continuously pruning the crap out of them (which is what is required by this system). Next spring, I may get a few berries on the canes that grew haphazardly this year, but after they fruit, they will die. So, I will cut those out and start training the new canes that grow next spring.<br />
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Apparently the benefit of doing it this way is that 1) the plants are very productive, and 2) the berries are much easier to pick without getting stuck by all the thorns, and 3) since there aren't any messy canes close to the ground, the do not attract the mice that then attract the snakes. Good enough for me!<br />
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Stay tuned for Project #6: Bean Tepees and Trellises!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-1907500650238038562013-02-27T23:09:00.000-06:002013-06-30T21:18:37.958-05:00Project #4: How to Amend Soil<br />
I bought a small, inexpensive kitchen scale off of Amazon.com to help with the measurements (and to hopefully weigh produce one day. . .)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheaWP2vEZi7gKc0CoPl9aG9rudQl2EbRJas_2AS93Bu3ld2EavqFxhl2VWaIbW16p3NCqibFucXTK4lM90asVgUjIt_1dDnLkjU8ofUzN8OZX24HETpfek4kw1j-kGyj0PTMI1ukJWlY/s1600/Ozeri-Kitchen-Scale.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheaWP2vEZi7gKc0CoPl9aG9rudQl2EbRJas_2AS93Bu3ld2EavqFxhl2VWaIbW16p3NCqibFucXTK4lM90asVgUjIt_1dDnLkjU8ofUzN8OZX24HETpfek4kw1j-kGyj0PTMI1ukJWlY/s1600/Ozeri-Kitchen-Scale.png" /></a></div>
In addition to the scale, I also used my trusty <a href="http://backtothelandmama.blogspot.com/2013/02/how-to-make-measuring-cup-from-plastic.html" target="_blank">handmade measuring cup</a>.<br />
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We are doing an all organic regimen, so after scouring numerous books and other resources, I decided to use the following products (all of which -except the Azomite - could be found at at Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, or your favorite local nursery):<br />
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**<b><u>Quick note about calculating how much stuff to add</u></b> - in case you fell asleep during all your science and math classes during high school, here's a quick way to calculate how much product you need using good ol' algebra:<br />
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Suppose a product says to apply at a rate of 20 lbs per 1000 sq. ft. but you definitely don't have 1000 sq. ft. - maybe more like one bed that is 28 sq. ft. (like one of mine is). Make an equation and solve for x. Trust me, you can do it. Here's the basic equation:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoy61-2pK9s98-vDL1FWQAd1tcuFdor04ZwjYtvenuHz6Q8CKSK3moaJw2i-hXj5Hxu9P12hoObScajJw-OUTZL793W-_epwq7mpo-PuT7e-w6DKD8POdtwq1kMTspgd1Sgs4ueUoibMM/s1600/equation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoy61-2pK9s98-vDL1FWQAd1tcuFdor04ZwjYtvenuHz6Q8CKSK3moaJw2i-hXj5Hxu9P12hoObScajJw-OUTZL793W-_epwq7mpo-PuT7e-w6DKD8POdtwq1kMTspgd1Sgs4ueUoibMM/s640/equation.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The way you solve this is by cross multiplication. So . . .<br />
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20 x 28 = 1000x</div>
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or</div>
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560 = 1000x</div>
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To solve for x, divide 560 by 1000.</div>
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560/ 1000 = x</div>
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<b>x = 0.56 lbs</b></div>
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So to my 28 sq. ft. bed, I need to add 0.56 lbs of product. (This is where having that kitchen scale comes in handy!) Now that you know how to calculate what you need, here are the products I used:</div>
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- <b><a href="http://microlifefertilizer.com/products/microlife-6-2-4-with-2-fe/" target="_blank">Microlife 6-2-4</a>:</b> This stuff is a locally produced basic organic fertilizer. I don't know if it is available online or outside of the Houston area, but it is awesome stuff.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgE6oMbX4DnNfyWKv6bHjFPkB2yyiYi-wlVYbjKZIQ4DVSJ2yo8VYxuYdr2Wut9I7kXhyphenhyphen4SWOc12jgLAho1GQZU7jrNztmGwptgHvrWWZoRXbgfjWx8XOtLCem3D68T_Oqkwbk4hhv2zg/s1600/snapshot_624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgE6oMbX4DnNfyWKv6bHjFPkB2yyiYi-wlVYbjKZIQ4DVSJ2yo8VYxuYdr2Wut9I7kXhyphenhyphen4SWOc12jgLAho1GQZU7jrNztmGwptgHvrWWZoRXbgfjWx8XOtLCem3D68T_Oqkwbk4hhv2zg/s1600/snapshot_624.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Application rate: 20 lbs per 1000 sq. ft.</b></div>
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- <b><u>Blood Meal</u></b>: good source of quickly available nitrogen (follow directions carefully though because it can be pretty potent!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAc_5k3LnNv3girz23xkGvc5NRJs9BpR0wwG9VhrzPdzYWyeNeJfxP99pUIWEw_CN3ZCbOokbny6UE306q1cNF8P46DHzOG5SebTn7lCfbGf7zYLnVVuQ4LmPWiMUtnoZ13w0CGmiSrM/s1600/51sQGiQ4hPL._SY300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAc_5k3LnNv3girz23xkGvc5NRJs9BpR0wwG9VhrzPdzYWyeNeJfxP99pUIWEw_CN3ZCbOokbny6UE306q1cNF8P46DHzOG5SebTn7lCfbGf7zYLnVVuQ4LmPWiMUtnoZ13w0CGmiSrM/s1600/51sQGiQ4hPL._SY300_.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Application Rate: It says on the bag that 1 cup covers 20 sq. ft. Since I was already using the Microlife, I decided to not overdo it on the nitrogen, so I used about half the amount (1/2 cup per 20 sq. ft)</b></div>
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-<b><u> Rock Phosphate:</u></b> a good source of phosphate (obviously)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8K21Gsq1phHAqukkvJ9uw32Z5SBN4vQ0sZ_RstACd7ljM-M1KaM5nwbk6PR7FXYSAKbC1F0-DFk_OLoTa7h2GhadbcafKQ3yKbp65XqjUhYMkhEhBopKHobfseTHYdGQYUckrBpkAyg/s1600/SRockphosphate10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8K21Gsq1phHAqukkvJ9uw32Z5SBN4vQ0sZ_RstACd7ljM-M1KaM5nwbk6PR7FXYSAKbC1F0-DFk_OLoTa7h2GhadbcafKQ3yKbp65XqjUhYMkhEhBopKHobfseTHYdGQYUckrBpkAyg/s1600/SRockphosphate10.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Application Rate: 2 lbs per 100 sq. ft</b></div>
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-<b><u>Texas Greensand:</u></b> a good source of potassium and trace minerals and is said to help improve clay soils</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGa53Z_YRP851aoGGsr70WlCAZfibPsTBS1fm7qInlOcPi1VbvxmjI1l6ZXQkgt8xaAUvOaYDNB6t4kOJlR60gvs3gOWqhAQy1DCk-ZiNBoT9bmMHr8fw0xebYRAXyElEDTY1x9TL_5-Y/s1600/web_texas-green-sand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGa53Z_YRP851aoGGsr70WlCAZfibPsTBS1fm7qInlOcPi1VbvxmjI1l6ZXQkgt8xaAUvOaYDNB6t4kOJlR60gvs3gOWqhAQy1DCk-ZiNBoT9bmMHr8fw0xebYRAXyElEDTY1x9TL_5-Y/s1600/web_texas-green-sand.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Application Rate: 10 lbs per 100 sq. ft. (I should note, this was the amount recommended in a book I read, not what is on the package.)</b></div>
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-<b> <u>Azomite</u></b> (ordered off of Amazon.com): a good source of trace minerals</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3vicGcVGjDiJuz1d31MT6W7BbJN4KdFEiFJkxRUSARRxCAKlB1x-YGPrTjyIseme1OyTo6LXvU71nLfJzIZMdjZhDP7k6eX4EGYomnhh93AcIuMUWBIS8DVawqOl_oSQ1fstW9cKxcw4/s1600/4135vn1oVaL._SY300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3vicGcVGjDiJuz1d31MT6W7BbJN4KdFEiFJkxRUSARRxCAKlB1x-YGPrTjyIseme1OyTo6LXvU71nLfJzIZMdjZhDP7k6eX4EGYomnhh93AcIuMUWBIS8DVawqOl_oSQ1fstW9cKxcw4/s1600/4135vn1oVaL._SY300_.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Application Rate: This product was only used in my potting soil mix, not the raised beds. See the end of the post for the potting soil mix instructions.</b></div>
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-<b><u>Dry Molasses</u></b>: is said to increase the biological activity of the soil. Since there was pretty much zero life in there to begin with (there weren't even any bugs - they were all living in the sod roots above the clay), I thought what the heck. . .</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyTsXseNVfBkRuo0ZhndQwP4tXE36EBUv7z0bu9JCXag4dF_w-dh0ZRNjbBUWNfeFlbd9zZRLwVraioOai_3cFUSj7elXMSJ1KQ9tyZouwRkvEvi9IbNRenWkDvHpyIcae3U_dkkKRzA/s1600/51xP9yyPR+L._SL500_SS500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyTsXseNVfBkRuo0ZhndQwP4tXE36EBUv7z0bu9JCXag4dF_w-dh0ZRNjbBUWNfeFlbd9zZRLwVraioOai_3cFUSj7elXMSJ1KQ9tyZouwRkvEvi9IbNRenWkDvHpyIcae3U_dkkKRzA/s320/51xP9yyPR+L._SL500_SS500_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Application Rate: 1/2 lb per 100 sq. ft.</b></div>
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For the plants I was planning on potting, I mixed soil according to a recipe found in the book The Vegetable Gardener's Container Bible by Edward C. Smith (awesome book for container gardening, by the way. I reviewed this book <a href="http://backtothelandmama.blogspot.com/2013/01/recent-book-reviews.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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Mix in a wheelbarrow the following things:</div>
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- 1 20 qt. bag of good compost</div>
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- 1 20 qt. bag of good quality potting soil</div>
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- 1/3 cup greensand</div>
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- 1/3 cup rock phosphate</div>
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- 1 tablespoon Azomite</div>
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The author says he has not had to add anything to the soil in the pots during the growing season, because the mix is sufficient, so we'll see how that goes!</div>
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Stay tuned for Project #5: Building a Blackberry Trellis!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-61979142817337196892013-02-27T22:35:00.001-06:002013-06-30T21:18:37.962-05:00Project #3: Addition of Compost and Other Organic Materials<br />
We are lucky to have a fantastic local compost operation, called <a href="http://www.natureswayresources.com/" target="_blank">Nature's Way Resources</a> (they have a lot of great information of their website too!). Their compost looks like a perfectly moist and crumbly chocolate cake.<br />
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I figured that to fill my beds about 2" with compost I would need a little over 1 cubic yard total.<br />
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<b>You can use a Soil Volume calculator like <a href="http://www.gardeners.com/Soil-Calculator/7558,default,pg.html" target="_blank">this one</a> to figure it out - in the height column, just put in how many inches of compost you want to add, rather than the total height of the bed - unless you want to and can afford to add that much compost!) </b><br />
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However, I am also redoing the large bed in the front yard and had some plants to pot or repot that I wanted to use a little compost in, so I decided to order 2 cubic yards. In addition to that, I got 2 cubic yards of mulch (hey, I wanted to get my delivery fee's worth!). I wish I took a picture of it, but the dump truck came and unloaded a ginormous amount of dirt in our driveway (a fraction of which is still there, covered by a bright blue tarp, and is probably pissing off my neighbors).<br />
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Anyways, since the soil was so completely devoid of any organic material, I ended up adding about 1-2 inches of mulch and mixing it all in, smoothing it down, and then adding about 2-3 inches of compost, mixing it in, smoothing it down. Since the soil had been compacted by the rains before the organic material had been added, I basically had to redig the top 12 inches and turn over again. This stage was a lot of work, but hopefully my hard labor will be rewarded.<br />
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Stay tuned for Project #4: Amending the Soil!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-56851266187366704742013-02-27T22:33:00.000-06:002013-06-30T21:18:37.960-05:00Project #2: Removal of Sod and How to Double Dig a Bed<br />
Not gonna lie - this part sucked.<br />
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And again, we are picture-less. But you can use your imagination.<br />
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The sod was super-lustrous and thick and a complete pain in the butt to remove. And once removed, I discovered that we have the worst soil ever - mostly clay with some isolated chunks of builders sand. I'm not kidding - you could literally use the "soil" as modeling clay. It was like digging in Sculpey. Horrible.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhhsR4hwdgrilAqE_QVDvHBIhlCE0tx77-vrNdtHTMgcXuJ8VcRujNNef8ebeRsNBgrbRIgM3lKXBWibNC9pCkEoIMDOZ5ak6_gvqNUE5032Gt3CPD3Pn4NiOTD74rcV4LHbnx1se6q4/s1600/0042539000000-st-00-sculpey-oven-bake-clay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhhsR4hwdgrilAqE_QVDvHBIhlCE0tx77-vrNdtHTMgcXuJ8VcRujNNef8ebeRsNBgrbRIgM3lKXBWibNC9pCkEoIMDOZ5ak6_gvqNUE5032Gt3CPD3Pn4NiOTD74rcV4LHbnx1se6q4/s400/0042539000000-st-00-sculpey-oven-bake-clay.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Then came the double digging part. Now some people are proponents of the double digging method, others shun it. I figured I'd try it, especially since I had such poor soil to start with. So here is how to prepare a bed double digging style (PS Do not step in your bed at any time!):<br />
1) Dig a trench about a shovel's depth deep. Put the removed soil in a wheelbarrow (suggested way) or just off to the side somewhere (lazy back to the land mama way).<br />
2) Take a pitchfork and stick it in the trench and wiggle fork back and forth to loosen the bottom of the trench. Do this along the whole length of the trench.<br />
3) Dig another trench alongside the first one you dug and put the soil you are digging up into the first trench.<br />
4) Keep on repeating these steps until you get to the last trench. This is where you dump the soil you removed from the first trench.<br />
5) You now should have a lovely fluffy bed with soil that is aerated and loosened to almost two feet down.<br />
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Except for that, remember, my soil was clay. After both days that the beds were dug, we had torrential downpours that compacted the soil to even below the bottom of the wood frame! Needless to say after all of my and my husband's hard work, we weren't about to do it again, so I just fluffed it some more when I added compost.<br />
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Here's a good site with pictures if you prefer pictures to words:<br />
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<a href="http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/2873/double-digging" target="_blank">How to Double Dig a Raised Bed</a><br />
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Stay tuned for Project #3: Addition of Compost and Other Organic Materials!<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-47896529142456570612013-02-27T22:25:00.002-06:002013-06-30T21:18:37.959-05:00Project #1: How to Build a Raised BedSorry about the lack of step by step pictures (um, or any pictures for that matter) - I really did intend to take some pics of the process, but oh well. Here's what I did:<br />
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The beds are made of cedar boards, which are more expensive but they are fantastic material to use for vegetable beds (as far as wood goes) because cedar is naturally bug and rot resistant, so they will last much longer than, say, untreated pine. I figured out what size boards I needed (per my plan) and had Lowes cut them all for me. I didn't do anything special, or use reinforcements on the corners (we'll see if that matters or not, I guess!). All I did was take some self-drilling deck screws (which were great to use and saved me lots of time not having to drill pilot holes first!) and did two on each corner. If the raised beds were any higher than the 6 inches they are, it probably would have been wise to reinforce the corners but I just needed them to stay together, so I think 2 screws on each corner will do the job. It took a few hours to assemble everything and lay out the beds where I wanted them.<br />
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There are many other much better resources on the internet (that have pictures). Here are a few:<br />
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<a href="http://ana-white.com/2010/05/hack-natural-rustic-cedar-raised-beds.html" target="_blank">Cedar Raised Bed for About $10</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.sunset.com/garden/perfect-raised-bed-00400000039550/" target="_blank">Building a Raised Bed</a><br />
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These are great examples if you want a higher bed (about a foot tall). I needed a shorter one for my plan however, so I just screwed boards together and put them in the ground.<br />
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Stay tuned for Project #2: Removal of Sod and Double Digging the Beds!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-62064085444102025702013-02-27T22:11:00.002-06:002013-06-30T21:18:37.963-05:00How to Make a Measuring Cup From a Plastic Party CupI wanted to have a measuring cup for exclusive garden use, but I didn't feel like buying one (plus, I needed one immediately and didn't want to use my kitchen measuring cups for fertilizer, organic though it may be).<br />
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I had some leftover plastic cups from the toddler's birthday party so I took one of those. . .<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRf5zI7NuADQG26FAVUyWtrAOcyjY6pUEeLgEh21J4vTW-XIOCcyAQMUm7xOg1F6GGBrpxgWRRtpIsYT28YOP7aSYnO1RDSCrNEcf69bPXIwMT2DA0QAfyf5BAJplIbV6R4PxRXtakdqE/s1600/solo-16oz-clear-plastic-party-cold-cups-50ct-bag-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRf5zI7NuADQG26FAVUyWtrAOcyjY6pUEeLgEh21J4vTW-XIOCcyAQMUm7xOg1F6GGBrpxgWRRtpIsYT28YOP7aSYnO1RDSCrNEcf69bPXIwMT2DA0QAfyf5BAJplIbV6R4PxRXtakdqE/s320/solo-16oz-clear-plastic-party-cold-cups-50ct-bag-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I needed 1/2 cup and 1 cup increments, so I first got one of my kitchen measuring cups, filled it with 1/2 cup water, and poured it in the cup. I then took a sharpie and drew a line at the water level in the cup and labeled it "1/2 cup". I did the same thing for "1 cup".<br />
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Unfortunately, I did not take a picture so below is a Microsoft Paint rendition of my measuring cup:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5osfGmnnkrdGIL927jpYJpDYsdjMbnB7dGPAyHH6HWaAktYWBHnVQg_wAy9SDFNUzVkvu6eHC5axGqemz9z5BZDQFlZlMTIwd9CwSb4w0gImoNJhzTN-zHysM3VIWn6YV7u1O2sHLmUY/s1600/solo-16oz-clear-plastic-party-cold-cups-50ct-bag-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5osfGmnnkrdGIL927jpYJpDYsdjMbnB7dGPAyHH6HWaAktYWBHnVQg_wAy9SDFNUzVkvu6eHC5axGqemz9z5BZDQFlZlMTIwd9CwSb4w0gImoNJhzTN-zHysM3VIWn6YV7u1O2sHLmUY/s320/solo-16oz-clear-plastic-party-cold-cups-50ct-bag-12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Voila! Instant measuring cup that I don't care if it gets crushed or lost!</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-25504331928449261742013-01-31T21:10:00.003-06:002013-06-30T21:13:57.382-05:00The Humble Beginnings of My OrchardJanuary is Fruit Tree Sale Month in this neck of the woods, so after doing a lot of research I have been hitting up the sales and area nurseries, obtaining plants. The varieties I chose are said to do well in my area (a hot and humid zone 8b). Here's what I have so far:<br />
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1. <b>Two Meiwa (Sweet) Kumquat Trees</b> - from Houston Garden Center. The grower is Saxon-Bechnel and the trees are grafted onto most likely Volkamer Lemon rootstock (I have learned from other citrus growers more experienced than myself that rootstock makes a huge difference for citrus trees - see <a href="http://thebellhouse.weebly.com/1/post/2012/10/buying-citrus-trees-in-houston.html" target="_blank">this great blog article</a> about different rootstocks in the Houston area). This particular rootstock is unfortunately not the best but I was having a ridiculous time finding kumquats (they were sold out everywhere) so I decided to try my luck. They are being placed in a raised bed in the front anyways, so hopefully their feet won't get too soggy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC70RllndUkj-WZzMnlRmAPvGc-Jbk35wpSZ3DB4-LI822J99wIK_Cpzh65XaywshH0-K8SxMR3xrCp8QhBQ9l47fttQ9xzXANjc7PXtiD-3KAvmAdcYtpGGyq8LXm6ix04Mjp5H-p1tE/s1600/IMG_2154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC70RllndUkj-WZzMnlRmAPvGc-Jbk35wpSZ3DB4-LI822J99wIK_Cpzh65XaywshH0-K8SxMR3xrCp8QhBQ9l47fttQ9xzXANjc7PXtiD-3KAvmAdcYtpGGyq8LXm6ix04Mjp5H-p1tE/s640/IMG_2154.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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2. <b>One variegated pink lemon</b> - from Harris County fruit Tree Sale. The grower is Brazos Valley Citrus, so it is on a decent rootstock, either Carrizo citrange or Trifoliate. This one seemed like an interesting one to try - it has beautiful variegated leaved and the lemons are green and yellow striped until they ripen to yellow like a regular lemon. But then, you cut it open and they are pink! The original pink lemonade! I'm looking forward to it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_41skEAtdQa4In0xITWU5PwHOWoOSkiD-sHxC3kk8ngnnDayHYzEQW9Ai9lilxFxvg3l8fiV-QQ_QZtENFfTWVJaYnKEGqf1A8kk4KDbI9T7infX6wmSrL8zehuT7fhm9Ut636g29EoM/s1600/IMG_2156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_41skEAtdQa4In0xITWU5PwHOWoOSkiD-sHxC3kk8ngnnDayHYzEQW9Ai9lilxFxvg3l8fiV-QQ_QZtENFfTWVJaYnKEGqf1A8kk4KDbI9T7infX6wmSrL8zehuT7fhm9Ut636g29EoM/s640/IMG_2156.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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3. <b>One 'Browns Select' satsuma mandarin</b> - from Wabash Feed Store in Houston. The grower is also Brazos Valley Citrus so the rootstock is again either Carrizo citrange or Trifoliate. These fruits are known for being rather prolific and very, very tasty!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGo0-Ci11z1tLi5wKlUwraWwMghWcirLpY08MJO_pf1QAhcTaVhrQBTpHpWprInLBFCe9zV8aTB9HVte9CsiQsJqvfR1HjuyLI8jVj0w0fITBWz8kAmG_uOnVYdyq0OEp3eNi7qQU2SE/s1600/IMG_2159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGo0-Ci11z1tLi5wKlUwraWwMghWcirLpY08MJO_pf1QAhcTaVhrQBTpHpWprInLBFCe9zV8aTB9HVte9CsiQsJqvfR1HjuyLI8jVj0w0fITBWz8kAmG_uOnVYdyq0OEp3eNi7qQU2SE/s640/IMG_2159.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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4. <b>One Celeste Fig</b> - from Houston Garden Center (I love their half-price sale!) These are supposedly very good figs for this area. Hopefully I will have good luck with it (and get the fruit before the birds do!).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgEqhFMIEaUT96bqSAYixbUO2yOAnfmEIh5rfvqyjO8-j7yk8Kpkl2r89wDbxwQiXGyubp-Zzb51q4eFzyp9iSXskRlF-0Qgfc7zyNvlUkK2BFI39xnkdnaXWhIrFZT2-mvN934abYgc/s1600/IMG_2158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgEqhFMIEaUT96bqSAYixbUO2yOAnfmEIh5rfvqyjO8-j7yk8Kpkl2r89wDbxwQiXGyubp-Zzb51q4eFzyp9iSXskRlF-0Qgfc7zyNvlUkK2BFI39xnkdnaXWhIrFZT2-mvN934abYgc/s640/IMG_2158.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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5. <b>One 'Sunshine Blue' blueberry</b> - this is a Southern Highbush dwarf variety that is said to be very prolific and grows well in containers. This one was so hard to find, but I found it at Wabash as a bare root plant. The thing was loaded with blossoms, so it pained me to pluck them all off (I have learned that it is a good idea to pull the blossoms off fruit plants the first few years so that it can put effort into growing good roots and leaves first. Then you will have a good strong plant to bear a great harvest!) This is a self-fruitful plant but it will produce a larger harvest if planted with other varieties of blueberries - I plan to get a few rabbiteye blueberry plants very soon.</div>
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To plant this one, I soaked some peat moss in water for a few hours (I filled a 5 gallon bucket halfway with peat moss then added water and realized that the peat moss expanded WAY more than I thought it would so I had to split it in half into another 5 gallon bucket. I only ended up using half of that - so for peat moss, a little goes a LONG way!). I added the soaked peat moss to the pot (a little more than a third the volume). I then added Ladybug Vortex Potting Soil (good quality organic stuff), Leaf Mold Compost from Nature's Way Resources (amazing stuff!!!), and some pine bark mulch to make up the remaining volume of the pot. I mixed it all together, planted the blueberry, and watered it. This was two days ago, and it hasn't died yet so hopefully it won't! It is in a smaller pot than I would have liked, but it was all I had, and it was better than letting the bare root plant just sit there. So I may replant it in the fall.</div>
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Plants I've had for a while:</div>
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6. <b>One Mexican Lime Tree</b> - I have had this tree for years and have abused it and yet it still provides me with some fruit. I am going to try to actually start taking care of it and see if it does better (watch it die on me). If you look in the picture below, spotting the Mexican Lime is like finding Waldo:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZEuWYjFjg0Z-Iaxf-g72-6YsbUduPPPfhHJa-VPFq_-eFzSWsECSUMol6EiioSLXzydKfQg6OuKaopTZ-NG7V10KqsUadE9J-XR_q8O52Gu-yQVtbAp7fTQXlvyLINzGEWA7oENl97E/s1600/IMG_2160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZEuWYjFjg0Z-Iaxf-g72-6YsbUduPPPfhHJa-VPFq_-eFzSWsECSUMol6EiioSLXzydKfQg6OuKaopTZ-NG7V10KqsUadE9J-XR_q8O52Gu-yQVtbAp7fTQXlvyLINzGEWA7oENl97E/s640/IMG_2160.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you look at the top left hand corner, you can see a lime growing on one of it's gangly branches. I am also growing a prolific crop of weeds in the same pot as my lime. I actually thought it died last winter so I threw it in the compost pile at the old house. Lucky for the fact that I am a lazy gardener, I didn't chop it up and amazingly it came back from the graft a few months later so I repotted it and there it sits.</div>
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7. One Satsuma Mandarin of unknown variety - perhaps even more abused than the lime, it struggles along in a bed of weeds, no water, and no fertilizer. And it still gave me I think close to 15 of the most amazing tasting mandarins I have ever had. Which is why I am definitely going to start taking better care of this one! (can you see it back there behind all the mess?)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBl4p2oaXtnfDcWF8zofP6zsDrBiUtz30C-gUqNmug5zUgNuLCfmck_EzJWPPMPItpDyogzqcypzvInztvfp_xqn1JgoeYzOdQuk5TObPCSARR6bgV7I0gCEIyTqiDLLYCKhLa0orY3d8/s1600/IMG_2161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBl4p2oaXtnfDcWF8zofP6zsDrBiUtz30C-gUqNmug5zUgNuLCfmck_EzJWPPMPItpDyogzqcypzvInztvfp_xqn1JgoeYzOdQuk5TObPCSARR6bgV7I0gCEIyTqiDLLYCKhLa0orY3d8/s640/IMG_2161.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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8. One Meyer Lemon - I got this a year ago in the Lowes clearance for $2. So who knows if it really is what it said it was. It has grown quite a bit since I replanted it a few months ago but it has suckers growing from below the graft and does not look entirely healthy, so if it starts being a pain I may just chuck it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGeJ1MYi8AjF0parjbm5_Szhp-bKZAcbWCGTLT7CWEKolgY_M88B4-dWmbGMojuEZnW-W-LxvaGCt_RiRbn3DiWrkK7pmRlkr67IfgpVtmstoxszBvNtIgN8T_rTETgXyAvtI8g0fGe4/s1600/IMG_2162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGeJ1MYi8AjF0parjbm5_Szhp-bKZAcbWCGTLT7CWEKolgY_M88B4-dWmbGMojuEZnW-W-LxvaGCt_RiRbn3DiWrkK7pmRlkr67IfgpVtmstoxszBvNtIgN8T_rTETgXyAvtI8g0fGe4/s640/IMG_2162.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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So there you have it! My "orchard" is off to a good start I think! Once I get the compost in, I will be ordering rabbiteye blueberries, 'Kiowa' blackberries for along the back side fence, and some 'Sweet Charlie' strawberries. I am excited, but no fruit this year. Patience . . .</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-12750208234128383462013-01-31T20:09:00.000-06:002013-06-30T21:18:37.955-05:00"Homestead" PlansI have been planning like crazy around here, trying to get something set up before the start of spring (which is here early I guess, with all this hot weather we've been having! Although I have a feeling we're in for it in February - it has been so warm everything has been blooming, including all the fruit trees, and a major freeze and drop in temperatures in February would be devastating.)<br />
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But things are finally starting to take shape. About a week ago, I was laying in bed, unable to sleep, and I came up with the whole plan for the backyard area (if only I could know what to do with the front!). Will it work? Who knows. The lighting of the lot is the main issue. The bed design will be on the side that gets the most sun, but it changes from season to season how many hours. But it's worth a try!<br />
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Here is the current overall plan:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhXA1A3fZvxo-8eJ7sTTwIuaYwNN7U9jVITI3NxaHy4-bhSGNtXzrXtMK9yI0b962R12vBSCbJeifeFZ80XZRQScIZWcgLGm51qrkpFGXS8oegg0hZWRF66eJPQcPZ8JU-lVQqStW8vc/s720/IMG_2168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhXA1A3fZvxo-8eJ7sTTwIuaYwNN7U9jVITI3NxaHy4-bhSGNtXzrXtMK9yI0b962R12vBSCbJeifeFZ80XZRQScIZWcgLGm51qrkpFGXS8oegg0hZWRF66eJPQcPZ8JU-lVQqStW8vc/s640/IMG_2168.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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To give you an idea, here's what the backyard looks like right now:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCxSR2EMyu4vv_pipq_3B6sI0ECtmRuJk2ctsNMcFp0g1DkwSvhVVPgirtMtHKpCgsU1SY9WG6QCJs5xT7ZTjM5ylDrbhJFv8V57d9WtphAziPUJSsBWgqAl64GKnXhxXlW25sF2Ysx4/s1600/IMG_2150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCxSR2EMyu4vv_pipq_3B6sI0ECtmRuJk2ctsNMcFp0g1DkwSvhVVPgirtMtHKpCgsU1SY9WG6QCJs5xT7ZTjM5ylDrbhJFv8V57d9WtphAziPUJSsBWgqAl64GKnXhxXlW25sF2Ysx4/s640/IMG_2150.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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So basically the right hand side will contain the beds, and the fencing, with the arbor that will lead to the possible chicken coop behind the garage, will be back by all those trees. Why am I going to put up fencing, you ask? Well, a few reasons. . .</div>
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1. We have snakes. Not that putting up a fence will keep snakes out (I'm not that dumb). But behind our current fence is a wet weather creek. A few weeks ago my father in law killed a water moccasin snake right outside the door in the fence back there. Nasty venomous snake + curious 2 year old toddler = not good combination. By putting fencing, I can contain where said two-year-old goes, so that she does not go back there digging for snakes in the bushes. The plan is to put a bunch of crushed gravel on the ground back there (yea for no grass to water!) I have heard that snakes don't like that stuff because there's nowhere for them to hide, plus I imagine it sucks to crawl on it. We will be eventually putting it around the vegetable beds in the toddler-approved part of the yard as well. So anyways, I guess it's partly for my peace of mind.</div>
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2. It will block the sight of nosy, rule-following neighbors. They say "good fences make good neighbors" and that is probably very true when you are wanting to house chickens in a not so chicken-friendly area. I actually did look into the restrictions for my area, and the wording was recently changed from a more restrictive and specific rule, to a vague and debatable one (yea for me!) It states: "Homeowners may only keep <u><i>customary</i></u> household pets on the lot". What the hell does that mean? Well, I say that chickens are a customary pet to keep - it's not like I am keeping a zebra or something! Chickens have been domesticated for thousands of years, right? That sounds like a pretty customary human companion, does it not? I rest my case. However, my neighbors may not interpret that rule the way I do. So, fencing to block out sight and noise for as long as possible, and then when they find out, as someone will eventually, taking a peek back there will reveal a beautiful Williams-Sonoma-esque chicken coop (as mentioned in <a href="http://backtothelandmama.blogspot.com/2013/01/recent-book-reviews.html" target="_blank">this post</a>) and perhaps they will be ok with it since I don't have stinky chickens pecking around a rusted out car up on cinder blocks </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLIoV4uKs9eTo8p55onFm2g-Eu_RNi5TBozX92UHrgxX-cXrwKml3LPWNMmtOkmyzogLKLNIXqPhsm2KNmdU8NaVKVohumCjQmghfrA2sTV8-aUznM9LBIW0jEoqkRKUb5IckTJB9BhXU/s1600/1907330-311972-abandoned-car-surrounded-by-poultry-over-the-green-grass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLIoV4uKs9eTo8p55onFm2g-Eu_RNi5TBozX92UHrgxX-cXrwKml3LPWNMmtOkmyzogLKLNIXqPhsm2KNmdU8NaVKVohumCjQmghfrA2sTV8-aUznM9LBIW0jEoqkRKUb5IckTJB9BhXU/s640/1907330-311972-abandoned-car-surrounded-by-poultry-over-the-green-grass.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That's the plan, anyways. . . This is what the real area where we may put chickens actually looks like right now:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSBJnEbs1FEAZdvNxygeWvuNBfyyUnp_fyPVytNmdNMyWB2XktTAFly7TfhkVaD2-1VjGmN4trW5VG2kgkSZXOmBJwOK92I5Mc5sVYMl-K_nXxaqVNVb36HjoEbgmf90Jfk9V5iw0sFU/s1600/IMG_2152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSBJnEbs1FEAZdvNxygeWvuNBfyyUnp_fyPVytNmdNMyWB2XktTAFly7TfhkVaD2-1VjGmN4trW5VG2kgkSZXOmBJwOK92I5Mc5sVYMl-K_nXxaqVNVb36HjoEbgmf90Jfk9V5iw0sFU/s640/IMG_2152.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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As you can see it is a rather large area that is currently a scary snake pit (in my mind anyways). Be it chicken coop or something else, it is wasted space right now, so anything other than what it is would be great!</div>
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For the vegetable beds in the back, I came up with this plan:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPhUhD8X-AZJSN4VGq5fP_sEDFHj0evsS-JB4us_V0oWyLfpPpD6gg912OT-eZYFDlFFx_nUQjWE_NJn3pIVmob93HoiElIrnjQ5mOp2FpMEJRqYx0uzFx9vGgRyYGLQwzaPrLjqpfhI/s1600/IMG_2167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPhUhD8X-AZJSN4VGq5fP_sEDFHj0evsS-JB4us_V0oWyLfpPpD6gg912OT-eZYFDlFFx_nUQjWE_NJn3pIVmob93HoiElIrnjQ5mOp2FpMEJRqYx0uzFx9vGgRyYGLQwzaPrLjqpfhI/s640/IMG_2167.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Total sq. ft. (minus the little squares at the top which will contain citrus trees or blueberries) is 228 sq. ft. Not too shabby. I could hopefully get at least a few veggies and some herbs to grow back there (I hope!). I have broke this up into two stages - Stage 1 is the green, Stage 2 the pink. I figure I will complete Stage 1 first, then see how that fares (and I will have to opportunity to remind myself what random places the sun shows up in the summer) and if all is good, I will complete Stage 2 later in the year (fall, perhaps). I would do it all at once, however with the sun coverage being as iffy as it is, and materials being expensive (I have decided to use cedar wood for the beds which is more pricey, but they look nice, rot slower, and offer some insect resistance) I figured it would be better to do this in pieces. If the Stage 1 area ends up getting not good sun during other parts of the year, I still have a pretty garden layout that I can plant other things in, like herbs, so it wouldn't be a total wash.</div>
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So anyways, stay tuned! Things are going to start happening very soon!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735120084733300256.post-3530450695358191902013-01-31T15:14:00.000-06:002013-06-30T21:13:57.385-05:00Community Garden Harvest 1/31/13Trying to keep updated with my harvesting (maybe I will finally buy a scale and start weighing stuff!). I harvested some more carrots (there are maybe only 6 or 7 left in the ground) and a grocery bag full of lettuce and spinach. It has been so warm here (almost 90 F in January. Seriously.) I was worried about it bolting so I harvested it all, but I cut it an inch from the soil to see if I may get another round (if it doesn't stay this ridiculously warm!)<br />
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Here are my carrots:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzdi4vYrCN4jUENHwRUuEtOAH40CQ7dMUrvwszrYoKFE-284m11N74kNOzVqXNxAND9lAFonuFFPUwXhcJADpH6OaLE8xbKme2WUxolV78QvorGMY35wRtD1_PWBeG_L9uPqljInvjyk/s1600/IMG_2146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzdi4vYrCN4jUENHwRUuEtOAH40CQ7dMUrvwszrYoKFE-284m11N74kNOzVqXNxAND9lAFonuFFPUwXhcJADpH6OaLE8xbKme2WUxolV78QvorGMY35wRtD1_PWBeG_L9uPqljInvjyk/s640/IMG_2146.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I had two more "legged" carrots and a small round spaceship carrot</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01Q7UN0q1ObjuswmJUAE4HIHftXnHxQ-g2XOneRZ2IjGS66C-HDU5ddN9yqRl2cH-baQjtV_RYZU8wIEQoUba57g3km_MFBl3-dNS6xB-CK5MNVpyBL1K8LoGP8b0VeHm0osj89PxeTs/s1600/IMG_2147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01Q7UN0q1ObjuswmJUAE4HIHftXnHxQ-g2XOneRZ2IjGS66C-HDU5ddN9yqRl2cH-baQjtV_RYZU8wIEQoUba57g3km_MFBl3-dNS6xB-CK5MNVpyBL1K8LoGP8b0VeHm0osj89PxeTs/s320/IMG_2147.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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And here's my leafy greens:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUrQc4o4grIGKxUJPmb7sBnZHlId4cmSJRSbIrEVZNIXiMFdOBkR_Xp2L4mXr9_V51ZJmXSQg-PMXgP_NQlVkwyqsf-RbS1zyvPQdejmeWs6iZRYoydvoaabV-FH9hEpdlVicg82Lh98/s1600/IMG_2164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUrQc4o4grIGKxUJPmb7sBnZHlId4cmSJRSbIrEVZNIXiMFdOBkR_Xp2L4mXr9_V51ZJmXSQg-PMXgP_NQlVkwyqsf-RbS1zyvPQdejmeWs6iZRYoydvoaabV-FH9hEpdlVicg82Lh98/s320/IMG_2164.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Now it's time to make a salad!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0