New Red Potatoes, Our Story

About 2 pounds of new red potatoes dug on the 4th of July.

They were planted on April 10th under this low tunnel, a week and a half

before our last significant snowfall on April 21st.

On warm days in April I removed the cover, and replaced  it for the cold nights.

As of June 14th.  The first 3 rows are the red potatoes,

the 2 rows behind are Kennebecs planted on May 4th.

As of June 28th, red potatoes on the right, Kennebec potatoes  on the left.

July 4th, after digging up 3 hills of red potatoes. 

I'll let most  of the rest get bigger, but I needed a taste  of new potatoes.

 

     The homespun hydroponic salads experiment is going well, and I hope to have a more complete report on that project soon, along with the pea harvest in about a week or two.  In the meantime, a part of our kitchen garden is on the porch next to the kitchen, if one needs a leaf or two of lettuce, kale or arugula to put on that chicken salad sandwich.

 

 Eat well and love more; so shall you live long and prosper.

Peachicks Arrive, Garden Still 2 Weeks Behind

3 day old peafowl

     On Sunday, Amber, grandson Alex and I made another trip to Sharon and Earl's farm to pick up our 3 baby peachicks.  Sharon and Earl are such nice folks and have such a pretty and picturesque farmstead. It's always a pleasure to visit.

The Guinea Choir

     It's been 3 weeks since we were there to pick up our 6 guinea fowl.  At 4 weeks of age you can see that they're already learning how to sing in a choir.

Our 2 Roosters watch over the remaining flock

      Of course we can't forget the chickens.  After the stress of losing 7 of their fellow hens to varmit violence, they seem to be recovering.  With the 10 remaining hens, we're coming back to 6 or 8 eggs on most days.

Other Garden News as of July 20

     We continue to run about 2 weeks behind due to the cold spring.  I know you're tired of hearing that, but I'm not complaining, it's just a fact.

East Garden Tomato and Pepper Patch

A Few Small Green Tomatoes

Tomato Cage Factory

     A roll of woven wire fence that I got from a friend who was cleaning up an empty lot makes better tomato cages than the commercial ones I bought previously.  Cost a lot less too.

Home made Cage in Use

South Garden, Cabbages, Broccoli and Sweet Corn

     No flowers on the broccoli yet, but cabbage heads are beginning to form and the corn is beginning to tassel.

New Garden Cart in front of Beets and Beans

     I made my new garden cart out of  a discarded gas grill.  I just removed the grill portion and added a platform on the bottom to hold a sack of compost, and a box on the front to hold small tools and seeds.  The long handled tools are held in place with the same holder that formerly held the gas bottle in place.  Whatever the project may be, I just load up with what I plan to use, a few things I might use, push the igniter button to get me going and the job gets done in half the time.
     The beets are almost ready, but the beans haven't blossomed yet.  The pumpkins and sunflowers in the back have a ways to go.

3 Sisters with Arugula in Front

      The 3 sisters, corn, beans and squash, have a ways to go.  The arugula in front is something I just discovered this year.  It's easy to grow and a few leaves added to a salad, a sandwich or a stirfry, adds a little peppery seasoned taste that just makes life a little nicer.  If you see me in your neighborhood next year with a sack on my shoulder and throwing something in your yard, you'll know it's just Johnnie Arugulaseed, adding a little spice to life.

     It's often the little easy things you can do that make the biggest difference.

Guinea Keets Arrive, and Deer for Dinner

     For some time Amber has been singing the praises of Guinea fowl.  They announce the arrival of visitors (or intruders) with their "goodle goodle" cry and they wander about the yard devouring insects and weed seeds, without doing significant damage to the flowers and plants.  We have enough ants, woodticks and other insects to keep them happy for a long time.  They also produce eggs at almost the rate of regular laying hens.  Though the eggs are about half the size of regular chicken eggs, they are edible and good for home use.

Guinea Keets about a week old

     A while back, Amber's friend Sharon told her that she had some excess guinea keets available.   Last Tuesday Amber, my grandson David and I made a field trip to Sharon and Earl's farm near Shevlin to pick up some week-old guinea keets.  We decided 6 was a good number to start with.

Compost sifter on top keeps them from jumping out

     Before we brought them home, I had fashioned a nursery for them out of a cardboard box, which I set on the porch.  We already had a feeder, waterer and a heat lamp, but were told we needed a cover because they can easily jump out of the box, even when they're that young.

     The cover shown in the picture is a homemade compost sifter; a wooden frame with chicken wire nailed to one side.

     In two or three weeks, they'll be moving out to their new home, a four by twelve foot section of the garden house, formerly used as a chicken house before we enlarged our chicken flock.  None too soon, as I understand the peacocks are about a week away from hatching on Sharon and Earl's farm.  Amber and I were both eyeing them longingly while we were there, and they'll be ready for transport about a week after hatching.

Our Dinner Guest

Sunflowers for Dinner

     We had Deer for dinner Friday night.  Not as a main course, but as a guest.  You can see from the pictures that he ate his fill, and then left his calling card, so I would know he was here.

With a Side Dish of Tomato Leaves

     Friday at dusk when I went out to close up the chicken coop, I saw a deer standing in our garden.  It was my own fault as I had left the garden gate wide open.  He left as soon as he saw me, without a thank you or a fare thee well.  Like some other unwelcome guests, he left a mess behind.  

Deer's "Business Card"

     I think these plants will recover as long as they don't get attacked again.  Last year the chickens ate almost all the leaves off my young cabbage, but they recovered and produced a fine crop of cabbages. I'll try to keep the gates closed, and may try some of the garlic,cayenne,soap mixture that I use as a spray for cabbage worms.  It sounds like something that might keep other unwanted guests away.

Skunk and Me

     I haven't seen any evidence of Skunk since we last met in the chicken house about a week ago.  Maybe he heard that I bought a 22, and decided to cross us off his nightly hunting route.  At any rate, I'll be watching for him.

     I don't know who our next guest may be, but let's remember in this hot weather to keep our animals watered and our powder dry.

When Skunk and I Met in the Henhouse

     Monday night at dusk, about 9 PM, I went out to close the henhouse.  As usual, I first closed the north door from the outside, then went into the coop from the west.  The chickens were all on their roosts, but walking on the floor below them, looking up, was Mr. Skunk.  I told him he wasn't welcome, and should leave, but I don't think he was listening.  I went outside, re-opened the north door so he would have 2 exits available, and quickly returned with a stick in my hand.  I threw the stick at him, which got his attention.  He looked at me, but even after I told him again, he refused to leave.

Scene of the Skirmish (after window reenforcement)

     I left to get another diplomatic tool, my air rifle, and quickly returned with rifle in hand.  It isn't powerful enough to kill, but could offer further encouragement for him to leave.  When I returned, he was gone.  No chickens were lost, and there were 3 eggs from late afternoon that were unharmed.

     2 weeks ago, there were broken windows in the coop.  As it was summer, and we hadn't had trouble for several years, I put off the repairs while I worked on other projects.  After I lost seven hens over a period of a few days, I repaired the windows and started closing up the coop at night. That stopped the mass killings, but I didn't know until Monday night what kind of predator I was dealing with.

Tweety is stationed on the South Fence

Battle Plans

Buckethead guards the North Perimeter

     Pictured on the right are two of the sentries who have been rather successfully guarding the main garden for several years. However, they have their hands and talons full protecting the tomatoes and the carrots. Buckethead has some effect on the North side of the henhouse, but is in need of re-enforcements.

Left to right: Peekachu and Charmander, new recruits

     Below that are two new recruits, coming out of retirement from the back of the garden shed. They will be stationed on the north side and the south side of the henhouse.  Almost 20 years ago, I cut them out of plywood and Amber painted them.  Their previous employment was to entertain my youngest son, Jeremiah, when he was going through his Pokeman phase.  I believe that qualifies them for their new mission.



     I hope that Skunk becomes discouraged and takes us off the route for his nightly hunt, but we will remain vigilant.  I also plan to buy a 22 rifle.  I don't wish to kill Skunk, but if it comes down to him or the chickens, we must act.

     30 years ago I shot a skunk next to my house and thought nothing of it.  He was just a varmit. Today I know that all God's critters have a reason to be.  If I do kill Skunk, I won't regret it, but I will respect him in his passing as a worthy opponent.

More gardening, less blogging

     I haven't written anything here since mid-May, but I have been out in the garden.  We've had lots of lettuce; spinach as both a salad and as a cooked vegetable; some early red potatoes grown in the greenhouse; carrots from the greenhouse; and a few young carrots started outside.  We had our first meal of broccoli last week, and of course radishes.

 

3 sisters

     The jungle shown above is the 3 sisters garden. It's a 14 foot diameter circle with corn, beans to climb the corn stalks and squash for a ground cover.  Behind that is a backdrop of 6 foot sunflowers.

 

East Garden

     This is the East garden, formerly known as NY, PA, AL and GA.  From back to front is sweet corn, pumpkin, cucumbers, broccoli with cabbage peeking up in the front.  These are the same cabbage that the chickens ate the day after I transplanted them, but they mostly recovered, and are only a little behind the ones I planted in the South garden.  The blank space is where the green beans didn't sprout.  We should have a second meal of broccoli this week or next.

 

South Garden

     This is the South garden, formerly known as Puerto Rico and Martinique.  The Kennebec potatoes on the right continue another 15 feet to the right.  In spite of being planted late, they're doing well, and some are starting to flower.  To the left of the potatoes is  cabbage which  should be ready in about 2 weeks; beets, not too long now; acorn squash for fall; and carrots that will come soon.  Out of sight to the left are 2 watermelon plants.  The vines are growing well, but no blossoms yet. 

 

Potatoes not so great

     In front of the greenhouse are tomatoes, a few small green ones and lots of blossoms.  In front of those are red and Yukon gold potatoes.  They look stunted, so the yield will probably be low compared to the Kennebecs in the South garden.  The white flowery plants on the right are radishes.  The flowers will produce seed pods which are great in a salad.

 

Recycled Futon Frame

     The North garden, formerly known as MN, has 5 foot sunflowers in the back and tomatoes in the front.  The tomato cage pictured is made from the frame of Jeremiah's old futon.  I love it when things recycle so easily.

 

Garlic, Carrots, Peas and Onions

     On the north side of the 3 sisters and the sunflowers are these garlic and carrots.  I'll be cutting those seed pods off the garlic for a salad tomorrow or the next day.  We've eaten some of the carrots, but they're still only 5 to 6 inches long and not very thick.  They'll be better in a few weeks.  To the right of the carrots are peas.  We'll have the first of them for supper either tomorrow or the next day.  Behind the garlic are onions I started in the greenhouse, and more that I sewed directly in the garden.

     Not pictured is the California garden, which is half corn and squash, and half spinach, with a little lettuce.  As we've eaten all the spinach and lettuce, I've tilled up that half.  I'll probably plant some more spinach and lettuce in that space.  Also not pictured is the strawberry patch and the asparagus patch, which both came in late and feeble.  Both are full of weeds now, and don't look very pretty.

     In spite of, or maybe because of a few disappointments and the late start this spring, the small successes are giving me plenty of enjoyment.  I will eventually be getting those weeds out of the asparagus and the strawberries.

The corn is hip high by the 4th of July

A Fourth of July Sampler

MM-MM Good!

     To the right is the produce I gathered on the fourth of July.  The onions in the foreground are about 2 inches in diameter.  I know they look dirty, but they cleaned up real nice.  The carrots are rather small, but I wanted to see how they were coming, and they needed a little thinning anyway.  Behind the carrots and the Hungarian wax pepper are the new red potatoes.  It's a little early for them too, but one hill was crowding my carrots, and the other hill was shading one of my cucumber plants.  In a week or two I should have lots of nice new red potatoes.  Behind the potatoes is my second picking of peas and one late-coming asparagus stalk, that we'll mix in with the peas for tonight's supper.

Tomato Patch

Tomato patch, July 4, 2012

     This is my tomato patch in Puerto Rico.  In the front are 8 Early Girl plants.  I know you can't see them but they have several green tomatoes a little more than an inch in diameter.  Behind those are 8 Better Boy, a later, larger variety, and then 6 Roma plants.  Bringing up the rear is one hill of cantelope.

Corn patch in Martinique, July 4, 2012

  

 

 

Corn Patch

     This is Early Bantam sweet corn that I planted in late April.  A little early for this far north, but what did germinate is about hip high right now.  Probably 2/3 of it did not germinate due to the cold weather in late April.
     The other corn patch I planted in late May germinated much better, but it's only a little more than knee high right now.
     In the background on the right is the large chicken house, the barn in the center, and on the left is the combination garden/chicken shed, formerly a milk house.

Poultry Report

      This is my first experience with setty hens.  I understand the eggs are supposed to hatch after 21 days.  I'm not exactly sure when they started, but I know they both looked real serious on June 12th.  July 3 was 21 days, and as of 3:30 pm July 4, nothing has happened.  I gently moved the white hen off her eggs to take a look, and the eggs looked fine.  However, I must have woken her up from a trance, because she got up and ran around clucking for at least 10 minutes.  From experience I know that any expectant mother would probably do the same thing.  Hopefully she settle back down again soon.

     If anyone has any suggestions or ideas on what I should do, or how long I should wait, please send me an e-mail, or write in the comments below.  Of course, you're always free to comment on any aspect of my homesteading endeavor.