War declared in Blewett!

I have declared war! I planted 18 tomato plants and have only 4 left! So many happy slugs and ants...grrrrr...the number of ants have slowed down...I have tried slug-b-gone, DE twice, cinnamon...tonight it's Irish Spring soap, coffee grounds and eggshells! And I plucked up a bunch too. Anything else? I am so willing to try! I will survive! (There's a song in there somewhere) ... And then there's the gophers....I soaped them too! Mwhahaha...

I also did the beer too and my cats are very happy :-)

Thanks Yuna for helping!

 

I went to Georama's and bought another dozen tomato plants, brusselsprouts, lettuce, celery, dill seeds, and pumpkin plants.

Planted it all in the bails and re-seeded the cukes. Also planted my cabbage, 3 more zucchini,

 

I am trying out all types of gardening...there is straw bales as above...

Below Hugelkulture...started with wood, cardboard, grass clippings...I will be adding some compost and then I plan on planting some watermelons. I had to stop after spreading the lawn clippings as there were quite a few ants!

Notice the potatoes to the right....yeah!

 

Then there is upside containers. It was not easy to cut a 2" hole in the bottom as I don't know why the drill bit for this didn't work...but I finally succeeded and planted little tomatoes in the bottom and petunias on top. I also crumpled up some newspaper a few inches from the top and covered with soil...

 

12 hrs later the tomatoes are turning up....they don't like being upside down? Too funny!

 

The weeds are so tall! I hung pie plates in a couple spots too, hoping to keep critters away.

Our garlic!

 

May 31/June 1 weather

 

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Mushroom Growing

We have always wanted to grow mushrooms. Brent has tried a few times unsuccessfully.

Our young friend, Lauren, brought the topic up a few days ago and was very eager to give it a try. So she and I got together and made a plan, watched a few utube videos, read articles on how to do it. As luck would have it I had stumbled across a technique that used logs....and what do we have sitting in our yard? A huge stack of them! Problem was we needed someone with a chainsaw....and that's where our awesome neighbor, Tom came in! I made the marks and 20 min later we were in business...woot!

 

 

We are trying two techniques. One is with the spawn and the other is with plugs. Because this so late in the season, these were the only ones we could find locally....oyster and white elm oyster. We really wanted to start with Shitake...oh well...

 

We started with 2 pieces of logs cut approx. the same size and 1 piece only a couple of inches for a cap.

 

Spread the spawn on top of piece 1. Place the 2nd piece on top and screw together on an angle to secure them. Spread again on top of the 2nd piece and then secure the cap on top with screws.

One pkg did two sets of logs.

 

With Brent's help, he drilled holes approx 1 1/2 in deep. The drill bit is the same size as the plugs. He spaced them every 2 in. In this size log we used 20 plugs.

 

Hammer in the plugs and use something that will drive them in another 1/4"

Melt wax, I used tealites removing the metal on the bottom along with the wick. With a foam brush paint the wax over the plugs sealing them in.

 

Apparently they are not supposed to touch the ground as they could pick up other fungi.

These have been placed in a very shady area up against the house in the garden.

Now we wait....

 

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Sowing Seeds

Weather today is on the cool side

May 11/12

 

 

but perfect for working in the garden!

Last weekend I scattered DE on all the beds as the spinach, carrots never grew. The spinach came up and then the next morning....gone! I had also transplanted a couple of lettuce and they too were gone...buggars...

On my last day of conditioning bales with 46-0-0 I also scattered some on the linear bed knowing that I was planting in a week.

Planted:

corn / pole beans in the linear bed. One row along the back with beans and one row in front of the potatoes.

In the hotbed seeds from Germany to make a special sauce. Will have to get a translation! Also lettuce and replanted spinach. The rest of the peas along the backside.

 

Temp of bales are in the 80's...good to go!

Seeds In the Strawbales: (spread a layer of potting soil where the seeds were planted)

Peas, bush beans, cucumbers

 

First pick of the season!

 

 

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Project Vanessa

Pictures of the family farm....brings back a lot of memories :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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