Whatcha Up To???

[Mr_Yan]

I've had butternut and acorn squash go up 12' when they ran out of trellis. The vines were still reaching for more. Expect to need a ladder for harvest if you give them the height.

 

[ErnieCopp]

Thanks, both of you. I am not doing it to save space, as i just plant one row, so i will train the vines up, and eithe support the larger melons or remove them while small, My panels are about four feet tall.

Ernie

 

[Ibtsoom]

Been a while since I posted but I'm on here pretty often reading all of you guys' updates. Weather down here on the gulf coast has been awful this winter. I normally do lots of fishing during the winter but I concentrated more on hunting this winter due to the rainy cold weather. Wound up with 2 deer from Arkansas and 2 from Texas. Freezer is full at least! I didn't even plant a fall garden this year which is totally out of the ordinary for me as it's my favorite time to grow things. Guess I just needed a break.. I did get in some onions towards the beginning of Nov that are doing well and I planted a small bed of potatoes last weekend. Got everything tilled and weeded last Sat. I'm going to run up to Madisonville here in a couple weeks and buy a truck load of mushroom compost to till in for the spring. Hope to get my tomatoes and squash in the ground by the 2nd weekend of March. Fertilized all of my fruit trees last weekend - I still have grapefruit, kumquat and limes on the trees as we've yet to freeze here - come really close though. My loquat is loaded down with fruit and all of the peaches are blooming. I'm thinking if the loquat makes good, a big batch of wine is in order this year. Hope things warm up for you guys up north - looks like it's been a bad one. See you guys between the rows..

 

[Rahab222]

I bought my tomato and pepper plants at the Master Gardeners Sale on Saturday. I have three flats total - one of peppers and two of tomatoes. All the herb tables were wiped out by the time I got to that end of the property; so I only got some onion chives and peppermint for iced tea. I'm going to have to see which herbs made it through the winter when I do my garden clean out. The peppers didn't overwinter, so I'm starting over. Everything looks really healthy. I always take Mom to guard my wagon while I plunge through the crowd to the tables and haul out what I can carry. People at these sales like to shop your wagon vs. dealing with the mass frenzy. I still don't have my potatoes in the ground because Houston has had so much rain and freezing/cold days. I think/hope this spring is going to be a repeat of 2014's, with temperatures not heating up until June and plenty of rain. My strawberry plants are loaded with blossoms and green berries. I didn't buy any compost at the Master Gardener's sale this year, due to it having so many pill bugs in it last year. I really don't need anymore of those - they beat me to my strawberries and ruin them. I have lettuce growing and I've planted one, large bed of onions; but I still need to plant more - many more, as I ran out of onions early on last year. My potatoes, Yukon Golds, have sprouted. I haven't been out looking for Pontiac Reds since I haven't even gotten the first ones in the ground yet. I need to shred a bunch of leaves, but by the time everything dries out, days of rain come again. The peach tree I planted last year is loaded with blossoms, as is my Satsuma orange tree. My pear tree is also loaded with buds; so I am seeing signs of spring. No robins, yet, but my Cardinals have reappeared at the feeder. I accepted a teaching position in January, so now I don't have as much time to work on my garden. It's usually almost dark by the time I get home, so I'm ready for that time change. My garden is still a disaster, as I had to let everything go when Mom went in the hospital in October. I've been cleaning it out one bed at a time and hope to play catchup on spring break which is only one week away, so the teenagers are feeling rowdy.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Cold/rainy (constant mist) the last couple of days, so I've only gone outside to get firewood.

Baked an applesauce/raisin cake & made bread.

 

[ErnieCopp]

I did some irrigating Friday and Saturday, and sure enough, it worked again. Scattered showers had been forecast, and having lost what little trust i have in the weatherman anyway, i went ahead and watered things that needed. So this morning we had a good inch and a quarter, which is the biggest rain we have had in three years, and it is still dropping a few drops here and there.

We really needed it to wash some of the salt out of the ground, and i expect a good response from it.

Ernie

 

[ErnieCopp]

MY CUP RUNNETH OVER, or when it rains, it pours.

Forecast was for showers, but was to taper off today. But no, that is not how it happens. The ground is completly saturated, so we have been getting downpours this morning.

CA badly needs the water in the mountains to fill our reservoirs, as we are in a 100 year drought, but it has been falling here within ten miles of the ocean, so it is all wasted as runoff to the sea.

This is the first time in three years that i have seen a puddle of water standing on the dirt from rain.

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

Opened up the greenhouse & watered everything in it as it finally warmed up (77 degrees). Forecast says it will be warm like this until about 1900 hours tomorrow evening & then the wind will change again... Thursday is nasty (47/27 with ice pellets). Sheesh...

 

[w_r_ranch]

Bought new dishes & ordered the additional pieces that Mrs. Ranch wanted.

Feed the cattle ahead of the cold front...

Made bread & grilled chicken for supper.

Mad ice blocks as it is time to start harvesting/blanching the Brussel sprouts.

 

[Mike]

Well starting in the next hour we're supposed to get more snow. Another 6"-10" is what they are calling for at the moment. Good thing I picked up a new snow shovel.

 

[w_r_ranch]

The front blew through here at 1815, just as I was taking the chicken off the grill. Temp went from 77 to 56 in about 20 minutes. Wind is 18 MPH out of the north. The low tonight is forecast to be 31 with an 80% probability of ice pellets.

Tomorrow is 47/28 with a 50% probability of ice pellets...

 

[wolffman]

It blew in here at 2100. Not liking it a bit. Good thing the potatoes haven't broken soil yet.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Started picking, blanching & vacuum packing the Brussel sprouts today. When were done with these, we need to start on the spinach so I can start tilling.

.

 

[w_r_ranch]

The heater in my greenhouse died last night... Ordered 2 replacement units (Mrs. Ranch's concerned hers will fail too as it is the same age) & moved the smaller backup heater in for the interim.

Started picking, blanching & freezing the spinach. We'll vacuum pack them tomorrow after the containers are frozen.

Made bread.

 

[Mr_Yan]

We got well above freezing today. I pushed some snow around to aid melting. We also did some cleaning.

Now we hear a bat flying around above our sun room and in the joist cavities. I have a tennis racket and leather gloves ready.

 

[wolffman]

Worked with the cattle today. Have 7 little ones on the ground in the last few weeks. Yaaay! Had to kick renters out of one of the farmhouses this week and they left a terrible mess behind. I swear, some folks just have no decency. I know what I'll be doing for the next few weeks.

 

[Rahab222]

Spring Break has finally arrived and I have 8 more days to play catchup in the garden and elsewhere. It's been really cold and misty in Houston. Today was the first day I could get in the backyard to work in the garden. By far, the hardest part of gardening this time of year is the garden cleanup and soil preparation. Today was the perfect day to be outside - a high of 59 degrees, slight breeze and cloud cover. I planted (3) 4' x 4' raised beds with Yukon Gold potatoes and side dressed my onion bed with fertilizer. The squirrels had dug up some of my onions, so I replaced those with new ones. I have (5) sprouted potatoes left to use should the squirrels dig my potatoes up. All the mockingbirds, one large hawk and a few squirrels watched me in the garden all day. I guess the birds were waiting for me to leave so they could grab some of the earth worms I tilled up with my broad fork. We have three days of rain coming that was supposed to start Sunday night with an expected rainfall of 4 inches the first two days if the system doesn't stall over us. I was hoping to plant more onions and lettuce tomorrow, plus fertilize all my fruit trees, but the rain came in a night early and we've got lightening to the south; so I'm not sure what's going to happen to my planting day tomorrow. Hopefully, the heavy rains will hold off until I can get a few more things done in the garden. I keep having to bring my tomato and pepper plants inside at night, as we are still having light freezes. Then I put them back outside during the day as long as there's not a lot of wind blowing. Last year, I got really bad windburn on my tomato and pepper plants from winds. Houston is expecting major thunderstorms with 35-40 mph winds and street flooding from the rain that has appeared early. Thankfully, everything I have planted so far is in raised beds, so they shouldn't be underwater (hopefully). I've got a BIG job ahead of me in my largest bed for tomatoes and peppers. I'm just going to eat that elephant one small area at a time. It felt really good to be back in the garden and I had plenty of company in the wildlife, checking to see what I was doing. Hmmmmmm...

 

[ErnieCopp]

We got a lot done yesterday in my garden, too. Mowed the weeds in the easement behind my place, Picked up the broken Pecan branches and mowed and weedwhacked the easement alongside my place,, rototilled the melon patch, and put up Tomato trellis around the Cold frame where i grow my tomatoes.

I think i had a wonderful idea for the cross members of the trellis. The uprights were easy as they are just 2 X 4s, and i finally thought about trying steel electrical conduit. It is Zinc coated and the half inch is strong enought to support tomatoes on a ten foot span. Looks good, Cheap, $0.23 a foot, and i will surely be using it from now on, instead of PVC or the 1.25" Tubes that are used as top rail for chain link fences.

Picked a nice head of Cauliflower and some small Asparagus today. I plan to dig the old asparagus roots out soon and replant.

Fruit trees still showing some confusion from the hot Autumn and warm winter we had. Nectarines have set fruit, Peach is blooming but Apricots, persimmons, etc., not showing any life yet. Afraid a Jujube i planted this winter may not make it. Will wait and see about it.

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

It has been raining here for the last 2 days (I'm not complaining) so I haven't even been able to harvest & process any more spinach or Brussel sprouts without scuba equipment, LOL!!! We received 1.42" yesterday & 3.76" thus far today (& it's still coming down).

​

 

[wolffman]

Wow, that will make for some happy cattle here in about 4 weeks Ranch. It's good to see some good rains finally.

 

[whistech]

Mr. Ranch, the rain will sure be good for your cattle pastures and garden. I have had 3.75 inches since Saturday night and I'm sure not complaining.

I have some questions concerning your fertilizer injection system. I bought the 1.5 Easy Flo Injection System and 25 pound bag of 15-30-15 fertilizer for the system I am going to hook it up so I can fertilizer my yard through the sprinkler system and I am also going to install drip irrigation for my little garden. My questions are: (1). How often do you fertilize your garden? (2).You mentioned you also use insecticide and fungus control in your system. Is the insecticide and fungus control something made especially for the system? (3).Lastly, can you turn off the system? It looks like on the cap there is slow, 1, 2, and fast?

As always I appreciate any advice and input you have.

Thank You,
Arlie

 

[w_r_ranch]

My questions are: (1) How often do you fertilize your garden? (2) You mentioned you also use insecticide and fungus control in your system. Is the insecticide and fungus control something made especially for the system? (3) Lastly, can you turn off the system? It looks like on the cap there is slow, 1, 2, and fast?

1) When I first put the transplants & seed in, I set the dial to '1' (the lowest setting) & apply it every time I water. After about a month, I set the dial to '2' & only fertilize once a week (the rest of the time I close the valves & apply only water).

2) I always buy a water soluble insecticide/fungicide for use in the system. The insecticides are always liquid (usually malathion or sevin) & the fungicide is copper sulfate crystals (99% pure), although you can also find copper in liquid form at a lower concentration.

3) The system has 2 in-line valves to control the inlet & outlet flows on the tank itself. They are attached to the tank's cap (they are gray- bodied & located at 12 & 3 o'clock positions in my picture). Be sure to either turn them both on or both off to control the flow from the tank.

​

 

[Rahab222]

Nice creek, WR. Is there anything you don't have on your property?

As for me, I've been watching it rain in Houston for the past two days and I'm not complaining either. It's supposed to start clearing out tomorrow afternoon, but there's more rain coming in the morning. It'll probably be a day or two before the backyard is dry enough for me to get back there and do anything; but I've got plenty of other stuff to do around here.

 

[whistech]

Thank you so much Mr. Ranch!

 

[w_r_ranch]

I picked 5 tubs of spinach & got all the leaves stripped/cleaned this morning... this afternoon we blanched them & packaged an additional 16 1 pound containers, which will be vacuum packed tomorrow. Mrs. Ranch says we have more than enough, so the remaining plants will be fed to the cattle.

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Still need to finish picking/processing the Brussel sprouts, probably tomorrow as it is still way to wet in the garden to till.

I noticed that the potatoes are breaking ground today!!!

Made bread & wiener buns.