You will get there, and I hope all of us realize a very short but sweet winter. I have some elderberry shoots going Dormant if anyone wants any. meanwhile these two are NOT hibernating, so outside I go to find some worms in this unseasonably warm winter. So far they have been eating crickets, boiled eggs, fruits and vege scraps.
We had a hunter get bit by a mid-western rattlesnake here.. they are supposed to be hibernating by pheasant season, but they are not this year so far.
Elderberry grows wild here. Thats a lot of eating for the season! Can you buy mealworms at a pet store if your worms disappear? I tended a box turtle once- he loved yellow flowered purslane.
I have squirrels building nests in the trees, big ones. They never have before, I must have too many again. I also find I have more leaves this year on the ground. We had a light frost, but nothing hard, most nights maybe lowest temp is 42*.
I am afraid snakes are still active here. One very light freeze, days range from 60's to 90. Have to go make the bees some syrup and get a late breakfast. I haven't started my refrigerator seeds yet for their cold stratification. Just got some pink blossomed milkweed seeds from another beekeeper in new york state, no idea what species or if they will like Texas but will give them a try along with my green milkweeds and A. tuberosa
all it takes to raise mealworms is a lot of wheat bran and a not too tight and damp, not too loose and dry dark box and some mealworms to start. and potato slice every couple of days. I had a colony for my chickens for a few years, gave them away in 2016
Thanks! I will try that.. I do get worms from the compost, but we need rain first. no rain in a month so far!
I know I have seen pet stores that raise crickets, mealworms, and know they do some good. Have also seen folks who sell tomato horn worm eggs to be raised, don't ask me where, just know I have seen it. I know snakes are active here- dormancy same as for gators- a fewdays in Jan. No reaching by hand! Of course that is why my hands are blistered again and sore. Chuckl, you would think ? I wouldn't push so hard.
I ordered a mealworm kit from a lady on Backyard chickens .com, but I daresay you could set one up with purchased mealworms. Give em some wheat bran, a slice of potato and a piece of newspaper to hide under, use a plastic box with lid, but put a couple of vent holes in the center of the lid, cuz too much humidity will kill them. Costs about $10 for 50 lbs of wheat bran. However the stuff comes with bug eggs, have buckets with tight lids to move it to, and always heat wheat bran before putting it in the worm farm. I think I did a big bowl in the microwave for 8 minutes to kill any bugs and eggs. Mealworms can get mites. So I had to keep them in the house. (you begin to see why I gave it away?) However I didn't have hungry turtles
Kitt, I've found this wonderful invention called gloves. It's amazing. If I can manage to keep them on. All typos are the responsibility of Cuchulain the desk cat.
BIG Sigh. I DO have gloves, several types. Every single one has this tendency to be somewhere I am not momentarily at. My hands are not accustomed to being this thin skinned. I broke my glass fone, the tiny slivers were affecting my palms, so I scotch taped the sides. Helped the feeling I had stickers I couldn't find, but kept feeling.
Stocked up today on the herbs I was wanting to get planted- do that tomorrow. Succulents are doing good down here where I got my herbs. They had Celosia, but it's the one i call Princess feathers.
I have gloves all over. In the truck, both ends of the garage, one on the front porch, one the upside down tank in the garden, and I hurt myself before I find a pair.
Nipping twigs back, found a cutting that has done well, shrimp plant, blooming itself crazy. My kitten has grown enuff I am making sure he can get down from trees he climbs, but it helps he likes to play near where I am working. 49* @ 8am has gone to 64* by 11am. Dry ground, foggy dew this mornin. Sunshine feels so great
54 and sunny here , working outside awhile , we have a few more days the it looking cold here to stay awhile ,
Probably February and March for wintersowing before I try much more , I have some phlox moved to large tubs to grow , A Meadow rue moved to where it can grow , Large plants ,,
Some Penstemons and Coneflowers reset to grow
Lots to do always ..
I put in a raised bed on Thursday, moved some potted plants into it today, some I don't know the names of, the 50 cent table at Ace hardware, but my 2 hostas will be much happier here than where they were on the hill under the pine where they didn't get sun or enough water. and I should be able to cover if a really hard freeze is forecast.
My A. Tuberosa that I started from seed in July or August up by the fence, and used the soaker hose to water, have all died but one. Roots not getting deep enough, I've apparently not watered often enough. The echinacea seedlings are making much better progress.
You have all been busy, I've just gotten over a tummy bug. I also have gloves everywhere, but rarely use them. I am glad I have a good supply of Helping Hands.
Your plants look great, by the way. We had a record day in warmth this weekend, and the low is only 60 something tonight, which is 30 degrees lower than normal. That all ends in the next day or so. I am glad, I need the flying bugs to be dead! ( outside)
My pet store is within waling distance If I want to walk. I usually get 24 night crawlers for 4 bucks at wally world when it is too cold to find any outside, but learned they don't last well in a worm farm. The mealy worms turn into black beetles, I found. I also get tiny crickets for them, just a couple dozen, I let them loose in the pool, and keeps them busy for a few days. I will be trying to force them into hibernation by leaving the heat lamps and lights off in that area, feed less, maybe they will take the hint. I will be gone for a week- going to Texas at Christmas, really don't want to have anyone needing to come in to feed them. I'll move all the plants in and around them to the back southwest corner where the two windows are downstairs, on the other half of the basement area that is not finished. I figure the real sun can keep those plants active for a week. The coleus babies are up. I'll get pics later. This American Beauty Berry is in the right spot, but, not getting much water, since it hasn't rained for a month. I am using the sink water again to throw around outside..
Warm weather does bring the bugs back, we've been holding steady at just below 80, but last two days went a bit over and right away the skeeters start hatching out.
I see a box turtle in our front yard sometimes, I think it lives under the east side of our house, there is a hole over there burrowed under the house, too small for a big critter.
I wear gloves when doing heavy work, but also guilty of daily light work sticking my bare hands in the dirt pulling out a weed or moving a pot around. (sigh).
I put up Christmas decorations, not much but enough to make it look like Christmas, family all comes here, they all live here all year. We don't put up lights anymore, but got this cool lazer light a couple years ago, fun in the garden.
Debra, the black beetles lay eggs and die. The eggs hatch ans become worms. I had them from 2011 to 2016, no beetles in house
Nice lights, Sun, I think we are the only ones on the block without lights right now.
Not being here helps a lot this year. I am like, what is the point?
Good to know about the beetles, I just leave them in the pool, tho. I just think it is easier to get them to hibernate-if I can. They are both so very spoiled. There are some thngs "sprouting" i the pool area.. one looks like a sunflower, the others .. ?? interesting.
Well in the 60's here today now it starts getting cold , very cold , I finished up the garage and planted a White Daffodil bulb and a Tulip bulb
Enjoying the talk and decor here ,
I use to get beetles in the lizard cage .oops missed a worm ,
Debra cute turtle ,
Debra, weeds would be what come up in my buckets, chuckl, wonder if they know something about the weather that we dont know. A few lights up- the house does the laser light flicker. 5)How I stuffed my 4'x4' raised bed. Has fennel, dukat dill, fern leaf dill, lemon thymes, summer savory, thai basil, purple splash mg, flat leaf parsley, Italian parsley and the neverending weeds that refuse to stay pulled. Onions - last years will be pulled as the new ones show up. Let's see if I can get a night picture...
Kitt, you've gotten a lot done in a short time
I get depressed thinking what I HAVEN'T gotten started that I wanted to do. But this is a play hobby, not desperate need.
Ju, I thought you would have snow by now from the lake effect we see on TV. I am glad you got some bulbs planted. I heard if the ground is not frozen you can plant anything in fall to early winter.
Kitt, I bet you are glad to be off work for a bit. Everything looks great there! I also have so much to do, ( cleaning this house! ) but I end up downstairs instead.
Debra Planting here has been undetermined , I will do a few winter poppies , I have a couple small seedlings growing , I need a bag of regular seed starting mix to try anymore , I will get those Red Gaillardia when the ground buckles here their about good and dormant now , It is ferociously windy here today and feels like 20 degrees
I always have than done to do , it is a thing ,
good time for a fire, and a cup of cocoa and a seed catalog or garden book
My seed cats are showing up, but I am limited cups on tea and honey. Popcorn and choco after supper. Covering plants tomorro that need it. Temp says 41* feels like 36* hard freeze is due even down here. I caught a few slo drizzle times and relocated a few shovels of dirt over some lo areas near plants, should help them weather all the upcoming. Also found some old fertilizers looking for other stuff and scattered it out. 13-13-13 is common grass ferts down here, works wonders on the 'grasslike' plants like liriope, cannas, chives, etc scattered around the yard. And done before the freeze kicks in dormancy. No hard rains here, just steady drizzles.
This message was edited Dec 6, 2017 4:55 PM
Cute turtles Debra, I'm a turtle lover, had a tortoise when we lived in Calif. I do stop my Jeep and move a turtle out of the road. Tons of them of all kinds here in FL. I'd have a hard time staying out of that basement also. ;-)
Ju, stay warm.
Kitt, garden looks good, hope no freeze hits you. They're up in the air how cold it will get here, but seems we'll have some upper 30's two nights, so good chance of frost. I'll be covering some plants too...ugh. I can take my super precious in the FL room and close the windows, debating if I should put my pop up green house up, kind of early for that, but some stations say as low as 35.
I'm going out to pull plants into the garage. first freeze tonight, and then it won't freeze again for months. I didn't even put the pool cover on my greenhouse. After last winter - too much work. going to drape plastic from the wall over the plants to the ground. with 100 gal tank in the middle. I might run a load of laundry after. Dryer vents into greenhouse
I don't know what it will drop down to tonight , it is 20 degrees now and falling ,
I planted a pot inside of white daylily seeds ,
outside it is windy and cold
I didn't put plants in the garage, but I did water. forecast for 27, IT MIGHT freeze under my trees and bushes and porch. But it probably won't. Just doesn't have that feel. So I watered and I moved the peppers up under a tree. I intended to tarp them, I might. I'm tarping. Forecast low for here is 22. Just checked the 7 day NOAA.
iT's cold, ya'all! My sis in law sent pics of the neighborhood families playing in the three inches of snow they got in San Antonio. It will be 40 something tomorrow so that will be a great memory for all those kids who have never seen snow.
No productivity here today, when I get chilled I slow down and cover up and layer up and sit and sleep. SO, hopefully we will be back up into the 50's by this weekend. I'm just watering stuff with sink pan water to keep outside bushes and gardens hydrated, still no rain. *sigh* OH! I did make some oatmeal raisin cookies.
Have not planted any seeds yet, still sorting seeds from the piles of bags sitting around.
I went and tended an aquarium this morning, then cancelled looking at a pond to see what the noise my truck was making was. I did go out and cover all plants, including the ones in the greenhouse. Without the solar cover it doesn't hold heat nearly as well but I had plants freeze in it WITH the solar cover last year. so piled everything on around and behind the stock tank with its little fountain and tucked in under heavy plastic sheet. Covered with sheets and my truck cover out front.
I think its safe to say dormancy is achieved. Its 34* now, but gonna freeze tonite again. Fingers crossed I haven't lost anything I didn't expect to lose. Our trees apparently caught the snow and the ground was still warmed to 40's. Tonite will be a different story. Everyone in Houston is giggle happy at being snowed on, I want my sock warmers. (Of course, I am still wearing flip flops!)
Wow Kitt, what hits you usually comes to N. FL, hopefully not here, but I have to say the Sago with snow on it looks pretty cool. I've only seen snow here three times in the 40 years I've lived here. First time I ever saw snow was when we lived in El Paso TX, I was in kindergarten.
Cloudy all day yesterday stayed cool, same for today, muggy. Rain coming in late tonight, so I'm waiting until tomorrow so everything gets watered. So far doesn't seem we'll get any colder than 38-39 for a few hours at dawn a couple days...fingers crossed they are right, they keep changing it though. Tomato plant will come into garage as it is covered with blossoms and new tomato buds.
Sun is shining on the 14 degree low coming into warmth this am. The birdbaths are frozen and I will go out and put some cold water on top to give them something to drink. I think it is now up to 27. Not a breeze out there. What was still blooming and green will now sleep with it's slow loss of leaves. I can watch the birds are eating the cone flower kernels, and snowberries from here.
My membership expires on the 20th or thereabouts. Want to wish everyone a happy holiday. I've learned a lot here. May come back in spring, or in summer
Will post a few pics when I fire up the computer
Gypsi , Like all things Spring, we will look forward to that ,
I have a few plants started here for then ,
Cards and presets getting done , not the best time of year now to send anything ,
1 Amaryllis from seed still going The makes the yellow , the plant is all bright green Difficult to believe it is almost Christmas
2 Tribbles seems to have been over celebrating ,
3 Homemade clay pot tray , upside down ,
This message was edited Dec 10, 2017 3:52 PM
Take a bath, the tub breaks. I'm not having a good year. Happy new year everybody.
Hang in there Alice. I know exactly how you feel. This year is almost over! Love your kitties! beautiful sunset. (((hugs))) We are not letting you go anywhere! You are staying!
Hay JU, please let's start a new thread for December? I love that you started amaryllis from seed. I have a bag of seeds from the "white orchid iris" that was given to me by my great aunt Effie. I have no clue how to start those. Sending a couple out to you... my seed packets will be coming in Spring, tho. Just letting you all know.
My newest "mouser" shows up everyday. If you look real close, this tiny nest is at the end of a thin branch, it has my green curling ribbon I use to tie things together all summer.. oh! I got a vitex to root.. finally! red snowberry is in full color...
Love your Mouser. I may hang around. can't stand Gardens.org.
