One of our pears tree died over the winter, so today's chore was to cut it down & burn it.
Whatcha Up To???
- Thread starter Mike
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Mrs. Ranch & I spent the day cleaning our closet as we had way too many clothes that we will never wear again... Some will stay here & some will be sent south. I then started burning what we were getting rid of.
M
Mr_Yan
Guest
Woke up to a dusting of snow. Made it up to 38 F with full sun. Around here that is tee-shirt and hat weather this time of year.
Pruned the privet hedge (last week I cut about 1/3 of the old wood out of it).
Raked out the front beds.
Removed the dead Rose-of-Sharon hibiscus. We decided that we will replace it with a North Star cherry tree.
Decided that I will put together a small dutch bucket hydroponic system for peppers this year. These will be mounted to the south wall of the garage. Put together many parts of the system from stuff I had sitting around. I'm using the "MPH gardener" design based on the you-tuber by that name.
Pruned the privet hedge (last week I cut about 1/3 of the old wood out of it).
Raked out the front beds.
Removed the dead Rose-of-Sharon hibiscus. We decided that we will replace it with a North Star cherry tree.
Decided that I will put together a small dutch bucket hydroponic system for peppers this year. These will be mounted to the south wall of the garage. Put together many parts of the system from stuff I had sitting around. I'm using the "MPH gardener" design based on the you-tuber by that name.
Formed the rows & planted the melons ('Crimson Sweet watermelons, 'Sugar Cube' cantaloupes & Ernie's 'Crane' melons), then watered them.
Also replanted some of the 'Murai' corn as something dug up some of the seeds (Grrrr).
Also replanted some of the 'Murai' corn as something dug up some of the seeds (Grrrr).
Don't feel bad, I had a heck of a time with corn this year. Looked like a total amateur today...actually took the time to transplant some spots that were thin, and then re-planted another spot for the 3rd time. Grrrr is right. But, I think the corn should be good to go now.
Well, here's what we've got going on. I've been a member of this forum since Jan 2015 and have yet to have anything worthwhile to post that's garden related. The floods really kicked our butts since that time. This year has started out OK. Had some early flood damage, but we fixed that and things are coming along. We've got quite a few potatoes planted, some at different stages because we lost some early seed to rot from too much rain. Have 80 heirloom tomato plants coming along, all different types my wife grew from seed. And then sweet corn, cucumbers, squash, okra, peppers, onions, eggplant, peas, corn, beans and a few herbs.
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M
Mr_Yan
Guest
Cold and rainy here - call it English winter. Almost warmed to 40 F today.
Kids woke up at 4:45, 6:00, and 6:30. Coffee is my friend.
Car wouldn't start after church today. One click when you turned the key - was told that is probably the starter. Kind of thinking there is a greater intermittent electrical problem as the radio had NO power for the drive to church. Bumped the fuse block opening it and the radio worked but the starter didn't. Bumped the fuse box again jumping the car and the car started and ran fine.
Kids woke up at 4:45, 6:00, and 6:30. Coffee is my friend.
Car wouldn't start after church today. One click when you turned the key - was told that is probably the starter. Kind of thinking there is a greater intermittent electrical problem as the radio had NO power for the drive to church. Bumped the fuse block opening it and the radio worked but the starter didn't. Bumped the fuse box again jumping the car and the car started and ran fine.
Yesterday it drizzled (really a heavy mist) all day, so we did our weekly shopping.
Today it was more of the heavy mist... Ordered some more Cree LEDs for the lights in the bathroom's shower & 'water closets'.
Tonight I ordered 4 new vanity lighting fixtures (per Mrs. Ranch's orders)... Now I'll need to order another 20 Cree LED light bulbs tomorrow, LOL!!!
Today it was more of the heavy mist... Ordered some more Cree LEDs for the lights in the bathroom's shower & 'water closets'.
Tonight I ordered 4 new vanity lighting fixtures (per Mrs. Ranch's orders)... Now I'll need to order another 20 Cree LED light bulbs tomorrow, LOL!!!
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I'll pass this along in case anyone wants to try it. I got introduced to this stuff many years ago in this class I took at TX A&M. It's a micronutrient fertilizer for hydroponics, but it works just as well for dirt farming. Gives plants the finishing touch on everything they want, and since it's built for hydroponics the nutrients are super easy for the plant to take in. I use very little of this stuff, usually at about 1/3-1/4 recommended dosage. A little goes a looong way.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/General-Hyd...hash=item2ecb9197f2:m:mk5tikPeS0UbsH0tWPd3-DA
http://www.ebay.com/itm/General-Hyd...hash=item2ecb9197f2:m:mk5tikPeS0UbsH0tWPd3-DA
Had a storm roll through last night with some good sized hail. Can't catch a break.
Same here (minus the hail). After 2 days of near-constant heavy misting, we got a big thunderstorm last night (strong winds & a total of 2.28" since midnight). We're suppose to get another 3.24" over the next few days, so I imagine that there'll some things in the garden that won't make it again this year... The life of a gardener in Texas...
Ordered 20 More Cree LED's.
Changed out/rehung some artwork in Mrs. Ranch's bathroom per her instructions.
Put up 2 hummingbird feeders per request.
Ordered 20 More Cree LED's.
Changed out/rehung some artwork in Mrs. Ranch's bathroom per her instructions.
Put up 2 hummingbird feeders per request.
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- Thread starter
- #1,912
This week has been busy and still plenty more to do. Mowed the front and back yard, trimmed, cut back a bunch of brush from the fence row and still have more to do tomorrow. Cleared out the garden and ready to add compost. Also have a several tree limbs to cut out as well.
M
Mr_Yan
Guest
Sunny and got to the mid 60s F here today though it was 35 F when I left for work.
Planted some
Grilled burgers and eggplant for dinner and roasted beets over the dying coals in the grill (beets in a dutch oven). How many three year olds eat eggplant?
Planted some
- cilantro
- parsley
- dill
- spinach
- beets
- lettuce mix
Grilled burgers and eggplant for dinner and roasted beets over the dying coals in the grill (beets in a dutch oven). How many three year olds eat eggplant?
Still far to wet to do anything in the garden. Some stuff is dying & will need to be replanted however we have 8 straight days of rain coming (another 5.51") so there is no sense in even attempting it right now. By the time the soil is dry enough, it may be too late in the season to produce much, in which case I just cover it with heavy black plastic (weed suppression) & call it quits for the season...
I managed to get the grass cut ahead of the rain... It took a while for the dew to dry up before starting.
Installed the Cree LED bulbs that I received yesterday. The new bathroom fixtures are suppose to arrive on Monday, as are 20 more Cree light bulbs.
Made a beef pot roast which should hold us for the next few days...
Fed the cattle.
I managed to get the grass cut ahead of the rain... It took a while for the dew to dry up before starting.
Installed the Cree LED bulbs that I received yesterday. The new bathroom fixtures are suppose to arrive on Monday, as are 20 more Cree light bulbs.
Made a beef pot roast which should hold us for the next few days...
Fed the cattle.
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Looks like we're about to have a lot of hard work washed away...again. Seriously thinking about putting away the garden hoe. My time could be better utilized doing things that actually have some pay-off.
^^^ That's what I'm talking about. ^^^
Sometimes I think it's just God's way of telling us to do something else...
Sometimes I think it's just God's way of telling us to do something else...
They 'updated' the forecast & now we are looking at a ridiculous amount of rain over the next 10 days. If we get this amount, there will very little in our garden this season. Batten down the hatches Wolffman, there's another 9.72" coming & it's suppose to start around 1300 hrs today!!!
I should probably go take some pictures of the garden before it gets washed away. SMH.
Potatoes were just starting to get after it.
M
Mr_Yan
Guest
Got up to the low 70's F and was sunny all day.
Cleaned up a little more in the yard.
Peach tree in full bloom and there were honey bees in the flowers today. Tied some of the branches down in hopes of training some shapes.
Took the bird netting off the grape vine and pruned it back to a dozen or so buds.It was really late for this but the buds aren't really growing yet so I hope it works out.
Planted another row of snap peas. Got trellising mostly ready for them.
Hardening off the other 96 soil cubes. Spent all day outside with indirect lighting.
Seeded 15 tomato starts. 15 Petunia starts. 10 Alyssum starts. All in soil cubes.
Cleaned up a little more in the yard.
Peach tree in full bloom and there were honey bees in the flowers today. Tied some of the branches down in hopes of training some shapes.
Took the bird netting off the grape vine and pruned it back to a dozen or so buds.It was really late for this but the buds aren't really growing yet so I hope it works out.
Planted another row of snap peas. Got trellising mostly ready for them.
Hardening off the other 96 soil cubes. Spent all day outside with indirect lighting.
Seeded 15 tomato starts. 15 Petunia starts. 10 Alyssum starts. All in soil cubes.
- Thread starter
- #1,921
Man what a rough weekend. Started off cutting the front yard then going across the street and cutting the neighbors yard then blowing the sidewalks, driveway, and mower clean with the blower. Then I spent about 5 minutes hanging my ENO hammock and enjoying the clear mid 70's weather. I might have even taken a nap or two in said hammock. 
4" of rain and counting. It will have to stop now if we'll save anything.
We got 6.42" so far & it's still coming down... Could be worse, places in Houston have had 10-16" already.
No UPS delivery today (bathroom lights/bulbs) due to the weather... maybe tomorrow.
No UPS delivery today (bathroom lights/bulbs) due to the weather... maybe tomorrow.
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Well I hope the rain is over. We ended up with 5". Had one tomato row submerged for about 8 hours and most of the corn submerged for about 12 hours. I'll have to loosen up the soil around them as soon as it dries out enough. If they make it.
We got another 0.23" last night & are expecting 0.38" today... This is far from over.
Made bread & another batch of 7-layer cookies.
Received the LED light bulbs via the USPS, yet I'm still waiting on UPS to deliver the fixtures... I'm coming to dislike UPS with their ever increasing late deliveries (we're ready for bed here). I'll give them 20 more minutes & then the gates get locked & if someone steals them, then screw them (let the vendor try to collect the money).
Made bread & another batch of 7-layer cookies.
Received the LED light bulbs via the USPS, yet I'm still waiting on UPS to deliver the fixtures... I'm coming to dislike UPS with their ever increasing late deliveries (we're ready for bed here). I'll give them 20 more minutes & then the gates get locked & if someone steals them, then screw them (let the vendor try to collect the money).
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