Broccoli and cabbage plants to the garden.

     This morning I transplanted the broccoli and cabbage that I had started indoors to Indiana.  10 cabbage plants  on the south end and 12 broccoli on the north end. I have enough left to replant if any of these freeze out, or I decide I want more.  I also mowed the grass area of the garden for the first time this year.  Besides the lettuce and spinach popping through the ground earlier, I noticed the peas and radishes showing little flecks of green today.  The day was sunny and in the 60's, so I spent some time sitting in front of the garden house, meditating.  That's the garden's real purpose.

A note on egg production

Feed costs 12.5 cents/egg

     In 21 days, from 27 March to 16 April, 8 hens produced 108 eggs.  That averages out to 5 eggs a day from 8 hens.  Pretty close to my ideal of every day and a half, a hen and a half lays an egg and a half.  (That's today's math challenge)
     They also consumed 50 pounds of laying mash, costing $13.42.  This cost amounts to $1.50 per dozen.  Other costs, housing, initial cost of hens, periods of low production, probably bring that cost up to at least $2 or more, but the quality of the eggs and the camaraderie with the chickens make it a bargain.
     I'll probably be changing to a less expensive laying mash, but otherwise I'm pretty happy with the way things are going.  Comments or suggestions are welcome in "comments" below.

Planting root crops in the moon's 3rd quarter

Busy day.  Last day of the 3rd quarter, so I had to get those root crops in.

     I didn't have a picture of the Kennebec potatoes or the white onion sets, which I bought in bulk, nor of the radish seed, which was saved from last year's radishes.
     The map below shows where things were planted, except for the radishes.  There is one row of radishes in Wyoming and one in Colorado, in the middle between the 2 rows of potatoes.  The radishes will be harvested before the potatoes get very big.  The blank spots either have already been planted, as the peas in western Iowa and the perennials in northern Wyoming, or are areas yet to be planted.
  
     Rain predicted for tomorrow.  If it doesn't rain, I'll have to water.

Planting on 12 April, 2012

 

     In other news, the chickens took a well deserved rest, laying only 5 eggs today, after their marathon performance of 9 eggs yesterday.

8 hens, 1 day, 9 eggs!

     The old record of 8 eggs in one day is shattered!  You know by now we have 8 hens and 2 roosters.  Today they produced 9 eggs!  5:30 last night, I gathered eggs.  This morning I found 2 eggs in the coop, and at 3:30 PM there were 7 more. Super chickens!
     It's been cooler and windier than usual the last few days with low temperatures in the 20's, highs in the 40's, with a cold, usually west wind of 10-25 mph.  Monday and Tuesday we even had some snow in the air.  Today after about 10 AM it finally started to warm up a bit, and the winds let up.
     Tuesday I scooped more pigeon manure out of the barn, and today I spread it and tilled it into Colorado, Kansas, Texas, Maine, Pennsylvania, New York, the eastern part of Iowa and the southern half of Wyoming.  Those are the areas that I'll be planting to potatoes, carrots and onions on Thursday or Friday, weather permitting.

Garden Map

Seed Packets

I've decided to scan the info off the seed packets for future reference.  I may need a magnifying glass to read them, but the information is there.  The Ferry-Morse peas are 2012 seed.

Peas

The squash on the left is 2012 American seed, on the right is 2011 Northrup King.  The lettuce on the left is 2011 Ferry-Morse, on the right 2012 Burpee.

Squash and Lettuce

The spinach is 2011 Ferry-Morse, the carrots, sweet corn and green beans are American Seed, 2012..

Carrots, Sweet corn, Spinach and Green beans

8 eggs a day!

     These are the 8 eggs I gathered on Thursday, and the 8 hens and 2 roosters responsible.  I give the roosters some credit in keeping the hens happy, and fertilizing the eggs.  We all know that fertilized eggs are better for you than the commercial unfertilized eggs.  They're lower in cholesteral.  (My opinion.  Does anybody know of any studies proving or disproving this?)  You'll also note that 2 hens were very busy when it was picture time.

     The next day, on Friday, I gathered 8 more eggs.  I swear to you I don't have a turkey or a goose in the group.  

     Wouldn't it be fun to hatch out that big one and see what we get?

Cucumbers planted, seed potatoes bought

     I planted 2 pots of NK Sumter cucumbers indoors on Friday.  A pickling cuke.  Seed packet says harvest in 56 days.  On Thursday I bought 2 bags of seed potatoes, Yukon gold and red.la soda.  Two 5 pound bags at $6.50 a bag.  Each is supposed to plant a 50 foot row.  Still looking for Kenebec.  I've always had good luck with those, and they're the best keepers for winter.  Also bought a bag of 100 white onion sets for 99 cents.
     Today, Saturday, I found Kenebec potatoes at Bemidji Co-op.  2 pounds for $1.  I bought them there 2 years ago, and they produced very well.  I will plant the potatoes, onions and carrots within the next week.

Transplanting tomatoes and peppers

     When I planted the 36 pots of tomatoes, I put in 3-5 seeds per pot.  Germination was good so today I transplanted.  they were at the 4 well developed leaf stage.  I ended up with 39 re-potted Rutgers and 52 super beef-steak tomato plants.  The peppers didn't do as well, the year old seed did not germinate, but the new seed did well, so I have 16 re-potted pepper plants.  Now I have 91 tomato plants and space in my plan for 24.  I have 16 pepper plants, and space for 10.
     The first week in June, a decision will have to be made.  What will become of the 67 displaced tomato plants?  the 6 displaced pepper plants?  Will they be left to die for lack of resources?  Will they be relocated to new frontiers, like Manitoba and Ontario north of the barn?  Or Siberia, east of the chicken yard?  Or will they find new homes in gardens on distant planets?  Stay tuned for upcoming episodes of "As the garden turns."

Tentative plan for 2012

     This is the tentative plan.  Things change you know.

     Starting from the west, Alaska is unplanned.  Washington, Oregon and California will be tomatoes.
Minnesota will be green beans, Iowa, west 7 feet peas, east 13 feet potatoes.
Idaho, Tomatoes and peppers, Montana, peas. north 3 feet is garlic planted last fall.
Wyoming, north 7 feet is perennial asparagus, chives and thyme. south end, potatoes.
Colorado and Kansas, north end squash and corn, south end potatoes.
Missouri, North to south, radishes, dill, spinach and lettuce.
Texas, Sunflowers on the north edge, carrots in the south west, onions in the southeast.
Maine, green beans and potatoes.  Illinois, perennial strawberries.  Louisiana, cucumbers.
Indiana, broccoli, Ohio, cabbage north, lettuce south. Pennsylvania, potatoes
New York, carrots in the north, onions in the south.
     Details and changes will come as I do the planting.

Squash, peas and compost

     2nd day after the first quarter.  Indoors I started 3 pots of American Seed table squash, and 5 pots of last year's table queen squash.  They did well last year, planted directly in the ground, late May.
     Outside, I planted the south 15 feet of  Montana, and the west 7 feet of Iowa in FM Alaska early maturing peas.  Temp in mid 30's with no wind this AM, mid 50's, 10-20 mph SE wind this PM.  6 eggs.

     My daughter left a book here on her last visit, "Composting Inside and Out" by Stephanie Davies.  I've been composting for many years, and reaped the results for my garden, but haven't been as serious as I could be..  I sat out in the garden and read about half the book this afternoon. She explains the process and different methods suitable for city and country.  Composting is not just for gardeners.  I learned some new things about the process and the benefits of composting.  Just as gardening illustrates birth, maturing, dying and rebirth in a single year, composting illustrates the necessity of death and decomposition in the nurturing of continuing life.
     The second half of the book deals mainly with earthworms.  Ms. Davies is also known as the urban worm girl.  Who knows?  I may get serious about that too.