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Post by gardendmpls on May 6, 2024 17:53:32 GMT -5
accompanied him to Lowe's Went to Lowes today because I found they carried the 3.8 cubic foot bags of Sunshine Mix #4 with mycorrhizae compressed mix that seems to be similar to Pro-mix. $35 per bag compared to over $100 for the pro-mix. Will know more when I open it.
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Post by Mumsey on May 6, 2024 18:06:28 GMT -5
Day 5 of constant Energizer Bunny mode. I'm pooped to say the least! Went out at 0900 this morning and tackled the peppers and eggplant. Covered with milk jugs, surrounded by shredded leaves and straw. They all got a good dose of compost and Mumsey's Mix. Then on to the basil. Put some zinnia seed in the ground, firecracker mix and mini- something or other and Persian carpet. Turned the straw in the paths, it was sprouting lots of wheat, I think I got really fresh straw. I prefer the older stuff but farmer friend just gives me what he has. Planted Cockscomb plants. Moved volunteer sunflowers. I have quite a large area left.....trying to think what I didn't plant. Not as many cabbage for one thing, but still, seems to be lots of room left. No potatoes this year.....I'm sure I'll find something to fill it with. Plucked dandelions, not too many for 2 days. Then mowed the back yard again. The front will get mowed again before the end of the week.
The Princess has been limping daily, after she's been at rest for a while. I'm thinking arthritis. We are both getting older after all! But she does run in the back yard when there's something that gets her attention, like a neighbor's new boxer, he now has 2. It's a wood fence so they can only see each other through the slats. Funny to watch them racing back and forth. Princess tires of it after a while and forgets about him.
Getting ready to go to Illinois this weekend, will stop at sis's and spend Saturday night there. Then head to DD's Sunday. Just learned I have to be home by Thursday next week for Dad's next dr.appt. No one else willing to take him it seems.....I'm more than happy to do it. I'm making sure the garden is all tucked in before I go and that everyone is happy.
Rain tonight and tomorrow, guess it will be laundry and housework.
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Post by martywny on May 6, 2024 18:52:50 GMT -5
I finished my cleanup of the vineyard and prep of the new blackberry/ blueberry area, just need to set posts and string some wire. My new fruit trees have already begun to leaf out, these are some of the best fruit trees I have ever seen. Again, these came from Schlabach's Nursery, an Amish grower who has been in business for generations. www.amazon.com/BACKYARD-FRUIT-PRODUCTION-David-Schlabach/dp/0976508109 is an excellent guide to everything fruits & berries, picked up my copy with my tree order and found it to be solid, down-to-earth information. Ran the mower in the orchard, put down some fertilizer/ iron on the front lawn, transplanted celery and shallots, picked asparagus. Had an issue with the hot water heater this morning, the pressure regulator valve failed, allowed high pressure into the water heater and it sprung a leak. I am having it all done by one of the best plumbing companies in our area so no more worries. I don't have time and don't want to do it myself, as I have declared myself too old to carry water heaters up and down basement stairs. On the plus side, the pressure valve is exactly where I need to tap into my water system to feed the underground line to my garden, yay! I'll have them add that during the install. First harvest of the season...
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Post by centralilrookie on May 6, 2024 23:03:37 GMT -5
Sunday, with sweetheart at work, I did the usual chores around home before going to sweetheart’s sons to mow his yard as they are away trying to get medical help for their son. After finishing their yard I mowed our yard for the third time this week. 5 inches of rain last week has the grass growing like it’s on steroids. Mowing with the new zero turn mower is taking some getting used to, I can’t say I’m totally happy with our purchase at this point and time.
Today we had our usual Monday 3 year old grandson at our house for the day. For some crazy reason my elbow is hurting like h__l today, in the past the drs called it tennis elbow. What ever it sure puts a damper on my activities for the day. I did deliver a few tomato plants to a buddy and tonight some more plants to the stepdaughter’s mother and father-in-law who I went to high school with. Of the close to 300 plants I started I’ve got 15 that haven’t new homes yet, they’ll go out on a table at the end of the driveway with a free sign in the morning. Now we need a few more days of drying weather so our plants can go in the ground.
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Post by pepperhead212 on May 6, 2024 23:43:20 GMT -5
I got a lot done today, starting early. Even though it was not hot - only 72 or 73 degrees, so about average - it was very humid! Started out that way being foggy, which took a while to lift. I took that eggplant out to start it out, and finished taking my indoor plants outside - something I thought I'd have to get help with, for those lime trees, but I got them out on that homemade dolly, I made just for these things a couple of years ago. One of these nights I'll clean that mess up in there, when I'm finished with the outside stuff! I pulled the last 4 Swiss chard plants out of my front flowerbed, as they were just starting to bolt, plus I had to clean out the bed, and get it ready for some other things. I got over 12 quarts of Swiss chard from it, and that's. after getting numerous cuttings, through the winter. I thought sure it would bolt even faster. The longer, lighter colored stalks in the bowl are a variety from Baker Creek that are an "improved" Rhubarb, which hadn't bolted, while all the others, a Rhubarb from Burpee, were just starting to bolt. A 12 qt bowl, filled with Swiss Chard. by pepperhead212, on Flickr I also got my 'tiller working - something I usually don't have a problem with, but I couldn't get it to start Friday, even with some starter fluid (something I often have to use the first time of the season). I finally thought that it might be the gas, even though I always add STABIL to the gas, and it keeps it OK the entire winter, when some is in the tanks. So I drained the tank, got some fresh today, and it started up! I then 'tilled most of what I could - what is still covered is for butternuts later, and I'll 'til it when I am ready to plant it, and cover it with the fabric, before planting the butternuts. After getting everything put away outside, I went inside, and got a call from my gardening friend, that I gave my extra tomatoes to, and I'll have my extra eggplants, peppers, and a few other things. She was asking me about a number of herbs - not something I thought she used many of, since she's Indian, and these aren't the traditional herbs they use. So I told her that I'd start a bunch of those cuttings off my plants, that root easily, and quickly.
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Post by gardendmpls on May 7, 2024 6:27:59 GMT -5
You iron your lawn? Talk about neatness.
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Post by datgirl on May 7, 2024 7:15:08 GMT -5
Yesterday I finished up cleaning the area where the lilac bushes are. Dug out and cut down the wild buckthorn bushes. They get everywhere. Trimmed some dead branches off the lilacs too. Moved on to potting up some of the peppers into their summer home pots. Moved onto cutting out dead blackberry canes. Scrubbed out the birdbath. It was pretty icky again. Deadheaded all the tulips and daffodils. I have a ct scan at 9:30 this morning and by then the rain is supposed to move in, so it looks like it will be inside stuff today.
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Post by Mumsey on May 7, 2024 18:25:56 GMT -5
It seems Sunshine is replacing ProMix. Menards now has Sunshine. $17.99 for 2 cu ft. They also have Sunshine peet moss but didn’t look at price.
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Post by pepperhead212 on May 7, 2024 21:07:33 GMT -5
I got some of my beans in today - had to pull the chicken wire out on one side, and pull out the irrigation line, to cut all the old weeds out, then put the line back, then put some cardboard down, with some slots cut in it where the drip irrigators go, and to plant the beans in. I got the Thai Red and Sweet White long beans, and the Purple Blauhilde and Rattlesnake pole beans in, with about 1/3 more space to plant more beans in (had to stop, since it was getting dark!). I am having to put off planting the eggplants until after Thursday, or at least that's when they are forecasting "gusting thunderstorms" now, but those things change constantly.
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Post by desertwoman on May 7, 2024 21:13:40 GMT -5
I tried to do some work in the yard in town but the winds were ferocious and I gave up after a 20-30 minutes. Went to a couple of nurseries instead and that was unpleasant too. The best part was to step into the various green houses- warm and out of the winds. Then got an acupuncture treatment from Quinn, after which we stopped at 2 groceries stores to round out the shopping I did yesterday. Came home and I had no choice- had to water the buffalo grass plugs I planted in bare spots a couple of days ago. Watering with a hose in strong winds is not fun.
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Post by gardendmpls on May 7, 2024 22:17:16 GMT -5
Finally, a nice day to get started on cleaning up the beds. First had to mow around some of them so I could see where the edges were. Then spent a half hour pulling weeds from the back garlic bed. After that it was actually too hot to sit in the sun, so came in. Chickens enjoyed two buckets of weeds. Will try to go out early every day it isn't raining. When there is rain, will plant the flower seeds. Have at least a hundred or more flower varieties. Feel like I am getting back on track.
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Post by binnylou on May 7, 2024 22:30:24 GMT -5
Mumsey, be aware that Menard’s 2 cf bag @ $17.99 is a loose fill bag…not a compressed bale. I looked for a bag weight, but didn’t find it.
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Post by breezygardener on May 7, 2024 23:18:31 GMT -5
The rain finally let up in the wee hours, so I was able to refresh & top up a few more planting tubs. Also cut down/removed the annual intrusive Triffid-like invasion of honeysuckle & wild grapevines that annually attempt to take over my little greenhouses.
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Post by emmsmommy on May 8, 2024 4:39:13 GMT -5
Last few days have been somewhat productive. Lots of weed pulling and popping plants here and there. Peppers and tomatoes have been outside for several days now but may have to round them up tonight and stash them in the greenhouse as temps are supposed to drop to the mid-40s and I definitely am not carrying them all back inside. Planted cut-short beans opposite of the peas on the cattle panel arch Monday. Yesterday we went to do a grocery trip but strategically planned it on the same day as a large rummage sale that had been good in the past. Mostly knickknack stuff and clothes but with extremely high prices. I found one of those small strainers with a turn handle for $1 but that was it. Found a new doll and an apple corer at one thrift store and absolutely nothing at the thrift store where we pick up the electronics. The local feed store always runs a sale on their flowers around mother's day and I picked up 2 1/2 flats, mostly for mom. I have a meeting Thursday evening so may go back and get a few more.
Almost forgot to stop and pick up a gardening kit that I reserved at the recommendation of one of the gardening mom's. I honestly wasn't expecting much--maybe some cheap gardening tools and seeds, but I was totally awed to discover that it included a wicking bed kit, a quality set of hand tools, five packs of seed and a bag of organic bed soil! Hopefully I get it set up over the weekend. Stopped at library to pick up pumpkin seeds that were part of the gardening program this year and decided to check out the seed library again. Wow! Not as many seeds but lots of new varieties. Ended up with rattlesnake and San Bernardo Blue beans. The latter was one I drooled over earlier in the year but wasn't wild about the price. Looking forward to growing them.
No more than got home before the school called. Kiddo had horrible diarrhea and needed to come home. Not sure if it's another stomach bug or a result of all the turmoil in her classroom. Substitute teacher is considering leaving even though there's only a few weeks left and honestly I don't blame her.
Today will be a bit of a mixed bag as intermittent rain showers are forecasted. Need to get the water garden bulbs planted and under lights as instructions said to let them get about 2" tall before placing in water. I'm sure various other garden chores will be tackled too.
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Post by Mumsey on May 8, 2024 5:52:12 GMT -5
Did the big city thing after my eye appt yesterday. It turns out I need a new lens in glasses, though I still don't understand how vision could have changed. Dr. said over time after cataract removal, things shift around...... Will be a week before I get the new lens. List was short today, but somehow I ended up with alot of plants. Brother and I always buy a bunch for step mom for Mother's Day to put in her outdoor pots. I spent 3 hours doing my own pots yesterday, was pleased to see that my favorite nursery in Parkersburg has not raised their prices significantly! There are certain things I get for the big pots, giant geraniums, Euphorbia, and sun-patiens. They didn't have Lotus vine (Parrot's Beak) yet. I'll go fix up step mom's pots between the raindrops before Saturday. Was in Menard's, decided to plant potatoes after all. Found their last bag of Yukon Gold. Planted 12 hills, lots left. Cut them up to take to Dad's to plant there. Also picked up a pack of Big Kahuna bush beans, planted 3 short rows. Still room left in the garden! I must have arranged things very efficiently this year. Last night we had a brief wind storm roll through right before dark. Looked outside, the neighbor's compost bin lid was in my back yard. It must have been some serious wind to lift it over the garage/fence!!! No damage that I see. More rain for today and tomorrow. I'm thinking the decks are never gonna get stained.
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