Yes the blueberries where in 1 gal. pots and where getting leggy and heavy with new fruit which made them fall over all the time. Get tired of setting them back up and they get bruised. This is when we generally bump them up to 3 gal. pots for next spring.
They have all mostly bloomed and set fruit now but you can still set them out at this time. You will just have to keep them watered well through the heat of the summer. In another month or so I can walk through the nursery and have breakfast by picking all the fruit and berries as I make my inspection tour.
We got a total of ¾ inches of rain last night. I know the plants appreciated it more than the city water they usually get. LOL. Temp. this morning was 50 and nice.
April on the Homestead
I made a mistake last night and watched the weather. I was expecting 33 this morning but it was 60 when I went out. I got all the feeding and watering done early to beat the rain. It started to sprinkle just when I came in. I let the goats out this morning to browse and carouse a while. They are so funny. They didn't challenge the fence so I still don't know if it's working. Can't find my meter and I can't risk touching it myself. I have an irregular heart beat from the muscle disorder and getting a jolt could give me problems. It also hurts my muscles bad to get shocked. I walked (crawled) the perimeter and pulled every blade of grass that was anywhere near the fence. I hope it did the trick. I got a tray of various melons and squash seeded yesterday and put in the cellar under the light. Also put 2 dozen bantam eggs in the bator yesterday. I must be nuts! :) Got a ladies meeting at church tonight so I have a pot of beans cooking to take with me. I need to replant my basils. Nothing is coming up. I don't have more seed for some of them so I'll have to get my trading seeds together and head toward the seed trading forum. Wish me luck!
My ponies, Max and Tug. Max pulls my cart and Tug we have raised form a baby. He will be 2 in June and I need to start working with him to break him to ride. He's gentle as a kitten so I'm not expecting any trouble from him. He needs a bath.
It din't get too cold this morning, and it's only 50 now at 11 am and complete cloud cover, but frost is in the forecast for me the next couple of mornings.
frost is expected her also ,
got plants in GH and in basement, some i m covering with a sheet.
wind is nasty out and its cold ! brrrrr. no sun for us the next couple of days. :(
we don't get BB until July . i m looking forward to this. Love them things. I didn't get any BB plants this year. :(
got two trays of tom's potted up in 3" containers. They are growing to fast for me. I really didn't want to sell them in 3" pots but as six packs . They just grew to fast ? i think next year i will do 6 wks. not 8.
I bought 2 blueberry plants at TSC a few weeks back. I planted them under some trees on the hillside. they seem to be doing well. I hope so. They are special for colder climates. I love BB too and they are good for you. My raspberries are all putting on leaves but 1 of the golden ones. It's just a stick still so I think it's a bust.
Two bears reported to be just up the hill from my house last night in the church parking lot. We have a ladies meeting there tonight so we'll have to be on the lookout. I may bring my pistol just in case. I know it wouldn't kill it but it would likely scare it off.
Just a thought on the blueberries, don't know about the special kind for cold weather but most of them all require full sun. My have a problem with them bearing planted in deep shade.
Well, I'll gripe... only 4/10s of an inch last night. We sure could have used more rain already. 38° tonight so I guess DH will gripe too because I took the sheet blankets off the bed last weekend.
Cajun ~ basil is so easy to sprout. Do you think your seeds were too old or seeded too deep? What flavors were you growing? Once more I will offer. I know I have a few seeds and will gladly share. Pistou for sure, should also have lemon, lime and I think I still have some cinnamon left. Will look for sure if you want any. If I lived closer, I'd take a hatched chick in trade for them but I am saved by the distance ~ LOL I keep resisting "chicken temptations".
Lizards_Keep ~ you are no help on the shade for blueberries. Just when I thought I knew where to plant them, you botched that idea. May have to get out the chainsaw and clear some trees. Right now I have them potted and may keep them in pots thru summer.
Hey, Podster, I know, it's a constant battle here over the heat and ac. Have you thought about just keeping your blueberries in containers?
We're suppose to get down to 36 tonite and 38 tomorrow nite. I think everything already planted out is frost hardy. If not, I've got some replacements in the greenhouse and I can reseed the others. If we get a heavy frost, this will be the third year in row the fruit trees won't produce.
I'm hoping to spend all day tomorrow out in the gardens. The rain we had last night sure made a mess of things today.
I hadn't thought about keeping them in containers. I would have to be very careful not to let the containers dry out though.
That is a fine line on the fruit tree blooms. You want them to bloom early to produce before it gets too hot but too early lowers the odds of a good crop when a frost nips the blooms.
On the pollen ~ I saw this link posted on another forum... www.pollen.com It will tells us how grim it is...
Hope it will be a great day outdoors for you tomorrow and maybe your "hired hand" will show up to help. 8 )
As a child I spent some summers on Cape Cod (Mass.) There Blue Berries grew in the woods wild - so both cold and shade tolerant.
The BBs I planted are in dappled shade. They grow like this in the wild all over here in the mountains. They seem to be doing well. I think the shade has protected them from some of the heat while they are getting established.
I have more seed for the green and cinnamon basils but not the Italian or lemon. I didn't know there was a lime basil and never heard of the pistou. I'd love to make a trade. LMK what you'd like to have and I'll see if I have or can get it. Thanks a million!
The bb’s will grow and produce in dappled shade but won’t set as much fruit. Ours are out in full sun and usually load up.
Pod, containers will work just fine. Use about a 10 gal. pot and keep the bush pruned back. It will produce a lot for you that way. The plus is that you can move them around where you need them. Water is important since they like to be moist, especially when they are producing. The cold won’t hurt the bush; ours took the 12 and 14-degree temps. we had with no problem. The fruit will tolerate some like frost but a hard freeze will make them drop. We always get an abundant amount off the ones we carry over in pots.
Msrobin, look for fruit trees that bloom late. Not familiar with your climate but here we have trouble with peach and almond getting nipped by a late frost. The later blooming varieties usually salve the problem. An example would be Methely and Santa Rosa plums. Here they have already bloomed and set fruit but the All Red are just now in bloom.
Oh my aching back... moving all these 10 gallon containers around! LOL Think I'll crank the chainsaw instead. Meanwhile, I'll leave them potted till I get the spot ready. I find I am moving slower and thinking DG has something to do with it. 8 )
I had blueberries before in high shade that cratered after a few years and I actually think what happened was the tree roots competed for moisture and nutrients. Try, try again.
Cajun ~ just went and looked at my basil seed stash. I have a few and will dmail you. I love the herbals but am by no means an expert at them. Always glad to share...
Hello all
Thanks a million Pod! I'm a newbie with herbs.
what do you do when your cilantro gets lanky ??
i chopped it and am hoping it will grow out more bushy ?
anyone do cilantro ?
my dill is the same way.
i guess my lights were to high ?
well i have all my plants potted up
lost some to dampning off or maybe the frost ? , they were in the GH ?
Hey East how is it going ?
tonight i m drinking wine. so if my ramblings are not clear ... then you know why LOL
but i m sure i will pass out by glass two. I m a cheap date LOL
Taynors ~ homemade wine??? Sounds good either way. No experience with cilantro but the dill is probably a tall cultivar. I wouldn't trim it back much. How long before planting out?
Cajun ~ you will be surprised how easy herbs are. Many will overwinter in ground with no problem ~ not the basils of course as they are annuals.
Hello EastOf ~ what is going on in your neck of the woods?
What kind of herbs do you reccomend I start with? I have some dill seed, some morjoram and some sage.
Those are good. I will also send you some oregano seed which is perennial. It is used in seasoning spaghetti sauces, pizza, I even add shredded oregano leaves to pizza crust or Italian bread dough.
Another one that should be winter hardy for you is Rosemary. I will see if any of my rosemary branches have set roots where I can take a cutting. I love its' fragrance and it is used with the Italian seasonings and also in cooking meats.
I use bay for cooking and have a small bay tree that I keep potted. It may or may not be hardy here so I move it in for winter. I keep it shaped and harvest the bay leaves to use in cooking both dried and green. I add a bay leaf in soups, stews, roasts and will use dried bay leaves in containers to repel weevils, etc.
I like the scent of any and all of the mints and particularly like lemon balm. Again drying the leaves for use in teas. Some of the mints will come back from roots here, some are more tender.
I like the dill and also have a fennel plant which is perennial here. I use chives, parsley, par-cel, thyme.
I shall have to rummage thru my seeds and see what I have extra ~ then you can experiment some and let me know what you think.
I grow more exotic herbs but not what I'd recommend for starters and some need more winter protection.
FYI, my Rosemary didn't survive this past winter, but Lemon Balm, Tarrogon and Chives did. Cajun might be in a more protected area and with some additional mulch, the Rosemary might make it over the winter. But it also roots well from cuttings.
Al mowed and bagged the entire 4 acres on this side of our property today. I spread the mulch around the fruit trees and ornamental bushes and trees on the 1 acre corner near the gardens and Al spread mulch in a couple of big flower beds by the house and around some bushes we planted along the fence line on the other side. I also weed eated the paths in the perrenial garden and started pulling weeds in the rows. A job that usually only takes 45 minutes, took me 4 hours. Didn't have any of the weeds that grows to 6' tall that it took us all last summer to remove, but we do have some new weeds that are a bear to remove. Just can't win the battle against the weeds. My June Bearer Strawberries are already blossoming. Going to have to order some new plants just so we can have Strawberries available for our CSA members. I am so glad I set up the crockpot with stew before we went out today.
Tomorrow we are going to finish setting up the rows in the new garden and hopefully plant the seeds the next day. Still a little nervous about putting out all the greenhouse plants, as we had frost the last two nights.
And with that, we are dead tired and headed for showers and bed....
I recently got this from a buddy re Bambi burgers…
“People say what they want but deer is the BEST!!! I do not even add any type of fat or beef to mine. If on the grill your best bet is to cook them on foil so you can wrap them and "simmer" them to perfection. In the kitchen use a skillet with a lid and cook them on LOW! I make the burgers then sprinkle them with cajun seasoning, put them in the skillet, slice onion and place on the burgers, put the lid on and simmer them on low. Meanwhile your taters are cooking in another skillet(or on the grill wrapped in foil). DO NOT SMASH THE BURGERS-LET THEM COOK SLOWLY! Once they are cooked to your desired level then place a slab of cheese on them and return the lid for a minute to melt the cheese about halfway.(cut cheese off a block about 1/8 in thick is the best)...It they don't turn out to be the best darn burgers you have had then send them to me!!! haha!
If you make the taters on the grill just spray the foil with nonstick spray and also the taters then sprinkle them with cajun seasoning also and cook covered until they are golden****SECRET-MICROWAVE THE TATERS FOR A FEW MINUTES TO COOK THROUGH AND ADD BUTTER ONCE IN THEY ARE IN THE FOIL-THE GRILL JUST ADDS THE FLAVOR!!***. NOW THAT IS SUM GOOD STUFF!!!! Let us know the results. Tonight I made deer steak with hickory grill seasoning wrapped in bacon and grilled taters with cajun seasoning. ALL I GOTTA SAY IS MMMMM MMMMM”
GD
I was doing great till i read the post above. Now I'm hungry and there's not a deer to be had. Bummer!
We always have deer in the freezer and jerkey in the pantry. We are overrun with the critters here. We usually have a 4 deer season....more than we can eat.
I have to run them off every day, or they will be lounging around in the yard.
My garden is growing so good this year, as it has been cool and the rains have come when needed. We are picking lettuce, Hakuri turnips, onions, and broccoli already.
The deer got all the asparagus. Potatoes are knee high already, and cabbage is heading now.
I have expanded the (soon to be) fenced area, as the oaks are shading my old garden out now as they grow. I am putting chicken wire with electric fence on top, and hope to stop the raccoons from getting my corn. It is a project that I will be working on all summer, and I am just now clearing it. Today I chainsawed a lot of Kidneywood that was right in the new fenceline. I hated to do it, as it smells so wonderful, and is very old. I kept one clump that will be inside the new fenced garden. It always attracts so many bees and butterflies.
I have a cedar thicket to start on tomorrow.....dreading that, but I need it out of the way.
I have 2 favorite ways to fix deer. For a roast I cut slits in it and stuff it with finely chopped onions, garlic and bell peppers. I also add seasoned salt and basil. Then I cover the outside with the same mixture. I wrap it all very tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil.I bake it at 250 for 5 to 6 hours depending on the size. Another way I love deer is to slice the backstap very thin. Put 2 slices together in a cross pattern and put a dollop of stuffing (recipe to follow) in the cross. Wrap it up and wrap that in a slice of bacon securing with a toothpick if needed. Grill it all until done. Stuffing: In a heavy iron skillet saute sweet peppers, onions, garlic and whatever seasonings you like. When it's tender, add a block of cream cheese. Stir and heat until melted.
Yum... that sounds really good. Bet thin sliced with the stuffing would be delicious in a tortilla wrap too.
Cajun ~ I got your seeds in the mail. Hope they will arrive by the weekend. PLMK
Sounds like most of y'all are MIA with springtime and nice weather...
Thanks, Pod. I'll be looking forward to them. We should have good weather the rest of the week but may have frost next week.
Unreal... hard to imagine now that we are in the 80°s and too dry already.
The sure sign that springtime has arrived here is the pecan orchards are budding out and they have!
My apple tree is blooming and so are the peach trees. Hope we don't get a hard freeze. We could use some rain too.
Yep-typical Texas, two weeks of spring and then the hot miserable summer starts. It’s already too hot, when will winter get here. LOL Us Texacuns are all the same … Pray for rain then turn around and cuss the mud. Gotta love us. lol.
Just wanted to let you guys 'n gals know, MsRobin is in the hospital. She'd been having some really bad headaches and just wasn't sounding good. I'm a no-doctor person for the most part but did hope that she would go in, even went so far as to suggest it. She did, and they are keeping her until Friday. Her oxygen level was down to 82 percent, and apparently that sinus thing she had back in March didn't get cured. MrRobin is taking good care of her and the plant babies and she sounded MUCH better on the phone.
I'm sure she'd appreciate your thoughts and prayers.
I got hit by the storm last week and had the entire electrical, meter and all, ripped from the house and was without power for a couple of days. Just got the downed tree taken care of today (along with the entire 3 acres of mowing, it had already gotten ahead of me and the push mower...lol); still have the deck and some siding to get repaired.
Taters, onions, peas are all moving along nicely in the garden, spinach is struggling, but my biggest crop right now is dandelions. Even though I had several days off in a row I ended up having to run to town, meet with electricians and other contractors, and don't feel like I got much done. Riding mower's battery is shot, so a neighbor is going to help me try to cokify it (pour coke on the bad grungy stuff to make it go away). If that doesn't work, then I'll get a new battery this weekend. I'm seriously considering having someone mow for a month or so until I get the garden done correctly. It is expensive convenience but it does lighten my load some. I'm waiting for a quote for the cost and then will decide.
Got the stuff to make some low hoops to grow beans over salad and spinach, if I can ever find the time to get out and make the dang beds. I swear, this TIME thing just eats me up while I'm working these 12 hour shifts. Oy! I did find a couple of quite nice raspberry stands, one near the edge of the property behind the barn, and then a huge one out in the woods. Not too hip on that one since it's rather 'wild' around there even when the path is mowed. And no one will cut this hayfield. So I guess I'll rake it down with the yard rake and mow over it little by little until I get it cleared. I feel like I make two steps forward and five backwards lately...LOL!
Glad everyone else is doing well and things are progressing for all :)
When it rains, it seems to pour! I missed MsRobin and am glad her husband is home to tend to her and her efforts. I do hope the pollen clears and she gets the self determination to quit smoking and all is well on her home front. Thoughts and prayers going their way. Please let her know we are concerned.
It sounds like you have also been blessed with more aggravation. I am glad you are out of the dark ~ I guess that meant you were on 'vacation' from work for a short while.
Not sure what you have to chose from on the mowing, but you might see if you can find someone willing to prepare the garden beds as well as mow. That is if they need groundbreaking for the first time. Are you doing a large garden spot? Sometimes when one works, it is worth paying a bit more not to have to trouble yourself. Then you can spend your spare time doing what you enjoy. Fingers crossed you find someone reasonable and trusting to do the job.
Lizards_keep ~ griping about the weather is what I do best. LOL DH reminds me "climate is what we expect but weather is what we get"!
Thanks for the news about Robin. I had missed her posting but figured she was just too busy. Will surely be praying for her. So glad her DH is home. He must feel like he came home to the "perfect storm". Poor guy.
Hi, Might be a good idea to get the mowing done until you get lined out. Then you wouldn't always feel behind and working yourself to death. That's an awful feeling. Great find on the raspberries! I have found a lot of different "brambles" here but will have to wait until they fruit to see what each one is. I think I would like to tag them and then move them later into a more ordered fashion. Some will be okay where they are.
Lizzard, Know what you mean about the mud. We need rain too but I don't look forward to slopping through the mud to do the work. Gotta take the good with the bad but it has been so nice not having to wear my big mud boots. They are heavy and hard on my legs.
There are Railroad and Power-lines nearby, I have already picked my blackberry picking spots on the railroad need to check out the power-lines.
Get well Robin … DW and I are pushing good thoughts your way.
I’m not particular Pod, I just like to gripe mostly. LOL
Yep, my thorn –less blackberries are blooming their little heads off as we speak. We will soon be in blackberry heaven. That is if I can figure out how to beat the Mocking birds to them.
HEy folks
Sending big (()))) to msrobin.
Well i have most of my plants potted up for sale.
today i got in my sedum "neon pink " can't wait to see it bloom.
today was geranium day and weed patrol. I talk to the weeds but they don't seem to listen to my
commands ? nor do my chickens when i ask them to lay a golden egg. Sheesh you think i was asking to much ??
today was very warm 80 and we sure could use some rain. The dirt is dry ! and cracking.
we hope to get some friday.
hope we get a least an 1 "
take care everyone
podster the cilantro is looking better :)
Taynors ~ good for you on the cilantro. Did the move to the sunny GH make a difference? If you are successful at chicken and weed persuasion, please come on to my house and work on these two dogs. LOL
My thornless blackberries are blooming for the first time here too. I wonder if I should not let them produce fruit but work on root development instead this first year. Too many new things in ground that need moisture and we look like another blessed drought! Cracks in the ground here too.
Hey Dyson! Glad to see you drop in. Around here we have dewberries which produce on low growing vines and deliver fruit early. Dewberries are tasty and make a great jelly! The wild blackberries are nubbins so I leave them for the critters... maybe they'll leave mine for me?