I guess we have to watch for those critters too. The netting would not keep them out. LOL
Also, my sister had a bear in her yard last night. Broke the top out of her plum tree. Darn it. It was the best one she had. Plum tree that is. It is so dry in the mountains that the animals are moving down looking for food. Even the berries up there dried up. So, the bears need to put some fat on for winter.
Jeanette
Strawbale Gardening (Part 16)
Yesterday evening before dush, we saw several deer in 3 locations... it's so dry and such a lack of food that housing doesn't deter them in daylight. Opossums and raccoons are getting my back deck when I haven't taken the compost to the bin, and into the dry food for my outside cat. Now I only feed her when she's actually on the deck.
Copperheads and Rattlers are being seen in the tiny trickles in the roadside creeks... no water anywhere else. I expect bears and big cats in my woods before long although there's no food supply.
Don't think I would try telling that bear that is my teritory- get out. At least don't think I would want to pick plums the same time it was there.
We don't get bears around here, I guess there a couple of black bears in the timber North of the city. But there would be too much open space between here and there.
I know Russ, I will never forget when I was a kid I went huckleberry picking with my cousins. I was picking on a pretty big bush when all of a sudden it shook and there was a roar coming from the other side. I didn't know I could move so fast. Locked the doors like I thought it could open them.
Something that feisty can get the adrenalin pumping right quick huh.
I'm almost ready with the seeds , I want to dry one more variety for you. The big beef. As I said I'm not sure about the melon seeds, but we have experienced some failure before. But if they work I think it will be worth the effort. Barb and I both liked the flavor, and we don't necessarily care for honey dews. That may have been the only ripe one we have ever tasted too. Not sure. Gary bought it at wal-mart. We were there the other day and saw they still had some. We still had a couple melons at home, so didn't pick any up. Oh well next week I get paid. If they still have them I think I will get a couple. I also want to get some small envelopes.
I once nearly swam into a school of 7 sharks.
The 20 feet back to the safety of the reef took me 100 years to cross, I swear.
Interesting to read about the bears. I don't need to worry about them coming close. It is also very hot and dry here but absolutely no cover for big animals and no food either. Haven't even seen any deer lately or coyotes. Just birds. i think the hawks are doing their thing going south as have seen more than usual . My favorite hawk is the very pretty little Kestrel. I have a nest up for them but only birds that are interested in it are the darn starlings. A pair found or made a nest somewhere near as I see them on the power wires every day.
Donna
Yup Donna . It seems that house sparrows and starlings seem to take advantage of every thing, a person does for birds.
We do get a few Kestrels here but mostly red tail and a couple others We have some bald Eagles I have seen 5 that were all soaring in the same circles one day. Then of course we have the turkey buzzards too. There is always one or two of those that get hit by cars as they like to scavenge along the highways. I don't know all the hawks but I have seen a really big reddish brown one that seemed to be bigger than the bald Eagle.
Jeanette. I got a little bit smaller tomato and I did remember to weigh this one. It is 2lb 10 ounces, so I am more positive that the one I gave to the lady down the street, was indeed around 3 to 3 and a half lb. As that one was much bigger. However next time I state the weight I will weigh it first. I will be sure to send some of the seed. in hopes that you can grow some of those monsters too. It is kind of fun to give one or two of them to the shut ins who are even our senior. especially when you know they really appreciate it. And you see the look on their face like did you really grow this one. and they say something like I have never seen one this big before. She never lets Barb or me out of the house without a hug either. It makes me feel good that she appreciates what little we do for her.
Are the fires all out by you Donna? We even get the smoke clear over here when the wind blows. Almost every year when it is so smoky people say it's from Omak.
You know Russ, those eagles are scavengers too. One day we had to stop on the highway because there were crows, a turkey neck buzzard, and an eagle eating on a deer. They all flew away when we drove right up to them except the eagle. We honked and everything before that guy would leave. Must have been hungry and had a lot of nerve.
Do you guys have the Piliated Woodpecker? Looks just like Woody Woodpecker. About 18 inches long? I had never seen one until we moved over here from the coast.
That's a big tomato Russ. Would love to have some seeds from that one. Yes, people who just cannot garden anymore especially appreciate the produce this time of year just like we do.
Guess it was about May when we wanted the taste of a good tomato so bad and the produce manager in a store we normally don't go to suggested we try a local hydroponic grower's tomato. He said it was the next best thing to your own home grown tomatoes. So, I took him up on it and forked over $3 per pound to try them, and you know they were so good that we bought those until my sister's came on and then ours. Too bad to because it kind of ruined the long wait thru August and the anticipation for our own. LOL, but they sure were good.
Jeanette
I have to admit I haven't seen a pileated woodpecker since we left Missouri. I haven't seen as many of the red headed woodpeckers here as in MO. either. And yes Eagles are an opportunistic bird. The last few years that I worked I drove for a delivery company. I saw the most Eagles out in Nebraska somewhere around Neligh And they were usually sharing a meal of deer with crows and a hawk or two. Although they were not all eating at the same time. The crows kind of kept their distance.
We had someone that tried to grow tomatoes hydroponically for a while but quit when they lost the whole greenhouse full from some virus. They were good while he lasted but they were too expensive for me. I make a pig of myself during the season though. The rest of the time it is well, lets open a jar and have stewed tomato. Once in a while I will break down and buy two or three for a salad. But am getting more and more Leary of any salad greens that have been shipped in.
Know what you mean Russ, but I cannot eat those cardboard things they sell in the markets during the winter. The hydroponics place is about 20 miles from me. But, I see they have put a stop to the spinach again.
Jeanette
Yes, the local wildfires are out now. Had a couple of smoky days last week. i think the worst fire was near Chewelah. We have been really lucky not to have had more fires in this very dry summer. No lightning lately and of course no rain. Nice day today only got to 80 degrees.
I think I will go to Okanogan tomorrow to the OK. county fair. For more than 50 years i entered things in the fair, baked goods, canned things, flowers, garden produce, sewing and decorative stitching and won many blue, and grand champion ribbons. Got so disgusted with the internal politics of the fair the past 3 or 4 years that I stopped entering. Didn't go to the fair last year, the entries are way down. But thought I might take a little time and go tomorrow and see if things are better. A friend and I for many years judged Adult Arts & Crafts, but haven't in a couple of years, there was hardly enough entries to be judged.
Donna
Sure am glad the fires didn't bother you Donna. They were pretty bad everywhere.
That is so sad about the fair. There is so little for rural folks to do that when a few people ruin it for the rest it just isn't fair. You need to go though and see, maybe it has gotten better. If you haven't been there in that long you might be pleasantly surprised.
You might even get involved in it for next year. You do all that work anyway so you might as well enter some of it. I always thought it would be interesting to see on what basis they judge the arts and crafts, and even the animals. I would think it would be so difficult.
A couple of years ago there was a big issue with the Pend Orielle County fair here because the PUD purchased one of the animals. People cried foul, and they said they were just participating in the auction. Can't remember if it was a friend of the family who purchased the animal or even how it came out.
I just thought that was poor judgment for a publicly owned utility to selectively purchase an animal from one youngster.
Would you call that politics?? LOL
Go and have fun. Jeanette
Jeanette;
Went to town today, primarley to get some juice for Barb. They only had 2 of those melons left. I typed in the name on the melons and this is what came up. I don't know if you can do 110 day melons or not but I Will include some of the seed. I guess start them early and then move them outside later.
Piel de Sapo (Toad Skin)
110 days. Oval, 8" long fruit, skin mottled green and yellow, somewhat like a toad’s skin. Sweet, white flesh has a very good taste; one of the earlier maturing winter melons, but still rather late. Very rare, from Spain.
For all of those who are so persnickety about their straw bale gardening, I want to show you something. This pic is of my compost bin last winter. It's 2 bales high & probably 5 bales x 3 bales around. The pic is taken from an upstairs bedroom window.
Late this spring, I filled it with everything I could find, stomped it all down & covered the whole mess with a thick layer of straw. I planted a dozen tomatoes: Sungold, Tomosa & Lemon Drop, a test sweet pepper plant, plus a few melon-y things, most of which died.
This is the sum total of my maintenance: No prepping of bales, some water-soluble crystals in the planting hole, water the 1st two days after planting, one application of organic food, and 2 foliar sprayings, one of kelp & one of Epsom salts.
THAT IS IT. Here is what the compost bin looks like today, looking back toward the window from the previous photo. (This was the only viewpoint from which you can even SEE any straw):
Summerkid,
Could you tell me more about your foliar sprays? Do you make the solution yourself, if so how? What do you use in your application of organic food? It looks fantastic! Rachel
oh heck no. i just bought a liquid kelp bottle from somewhere or other, and the epsom salts you can buy at the drugstore (it's either a laxative or something you put in the bath, can't remember which). what the epsom salts do, mainly for peppers, is get key ingredients, magnesium & calcium, directly to those leaves. i only did that because i always do it for my peppers. The granular fertilizer was an organic one from Gardens Alive.
i was just trying to make the point that some people get a little anal about the straw bales. I don't prep, water, fertilize or stake. I just gave them a little attention the first 2 days & moved on to other things.
i'm still puzzling over why other people have needed to water their bales constantly. even in drought conditions that lasted till august, my bales were wet inside.
i didn't want to do the wholesale straw bale thing but thought i'd work with it on the compost "bin," which is dead space once it's topped off (i also do not turn or layer or measure my composting stuff, plus throw dead animals in there, so i let it sit 2 years).
i do NOT like working HARD in the garden, just working, can you tell?!
of course, harvesting has become a problem ... i can see ripe canteloupe in there but will have to devise a tool to retrieve them!
Here's a view moving one corner to the right:
Those lemon drop plants blossom so hard it looks like baby's breath.
And they are a very tasty tomato, unlike yellow pear, which i loathe & view as an unwanted invasive.
What, NO posts for over a month???
Here's some squash grown on my bales. There are more of the tromboncino (long ones) yet to pick.
... and a few tomatoes. My tomato plants are still loaded (I was late in getting them planted) and bed sheets protected them for our one night of frost. If the forecast is correct, we will have about 10 more days before another frost.
Darius, the new posts are in new "threads" now that we have our own forum. I think the most recent is "straw bales directly on lawn?" Or some such....
Oh, Rats! I forgot we have a whole forum now, but actually this thread IS in that forum. I don't see a newer 'general' thread, though.
Thanks.
I guess I missed that one too Catmad. Darius, we haven't had a frost yet, but I tried eating one of the tomatoes on the vine that looked so good and the skin was so tough that when I tried to bite it the juice squirted at the stem end. Never did get my teeth into it. LOL Guess I should have tried harder but thought I would have juice all over myself and the tomato wouldn't be worth it anyway.
Jeanette
I have also noticed the tougher skin on the tomatoes as the days grow shorter and cooler. But they still slice up just fine. The big ones don't seem to be getting as large as they were earlier either. I still can't complain. All too soon I will be longing for the flavor of a nice fresh home grown tomato! Speaking of tomatoes- - -I think we will go slice up a couple and call that supper LOL
Hi... a question a little bit off the topic..... (sorry)... but is barley straw ok to use? Im trying to source straw bales a bit cheaper through wholesale, and this is what ive been offered.
Thanks, Lena
Hi Lena,
I can't imagine any reason the Barley bales wouldn't work. You may get a few seeds germinating and coming up. I did with oats. But, they pull easy. I don't get many when I put the bales with the string down.
Jeanette
darius: awesome job with the squash; I'm growing the trombocino again next year; I had a blast with it this year.
Lena: the barley straw will do just fine; if possible, though, just ask if any herbicides were used on the fields.
Kent
LenaBeanNZ
Hi Lena,
I use barley straw bales and they work fine. I don't find any problem. I do drip irrigate them, one hour a day. I also have a fertilizer injector along with my drip system.
The tomatoes have done great. I have picked green ones and have them ripening in the kitchen.
If anyone wants to know about my drip system speak up and I will write a report.
God Bless you, Lonejack.
Lonejack, I'm speakin' up!! Please tell us. Jeanette
I second that speakin' up!
Michelle in MIchigan
Can't beat that Lonejack! Have at it. Jeanette
Drip system??? Im listening...
lonejack: same for me on the drip system info!
Kent
loanjack; Same here. Love anything that makes things a little easier!
Hi All
good thoughts to all ......
Darius, I hope you're doing as well as your garden, it looks great!
Russ you haven't said what they found out about your daughter.....thinking about it a lot....good luck to you
J'nette.....the spinach recipe was great!
all you melon folk...try the little charantais melons.....they did great for me this year & were sooo good!.....they climbed the fence & were so small they didn't need support( about fist sized).....
But...My gardening ended early when the well went dry......now we're afraid to use the new one for the garden at all & so because of the water problems...we are setting up something new for next year...
First.....we're moving the bales out into the field where they'll get more sun (barely 5 hours of sunlight a day in the old site) & its out of reach of the hose.
I am taking one of the solar panels from the pump house & attaching it to 2 small solar pumps ($30 ea.) fixed to a buried 100 gallon lidded plastic container & feeding into a drip system to the bales.....
(waiting for instructions, Lonejack),
......the bales are being underlaid with waterproof plastic which feeds into 8"plastic sewer pipe sawn lengthwise which carries excess water back to the container....
No water waste.......I have a water carrying golf cart which lets me refill the strawbale tank when It needs it from salveged roof water.....no heavy lifting or well water required.....the pumps are timed to go 3 times a day...haven't tested how long they'll need to be on......
Added Hep C to my list of maladies & my health has begun to interfere with the amount I'm able to do so things must be easy for me to keep gardening......& I
LOVE my strawbales.....thank you, thank you, thank you Kent for spreading the word & all your great instructions......
Kent.....do you think I could add Miracle Grow to the tanks water & maybe that would take care of the feeding?...Anybody?
have enjoyed watching all your input, folks..........you really feel like friends...maybee 'll be able to add more next year
Foggy