Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[JacinLarkwell]

We lost our old gal to diabetes too a few years ago. Totally agree that what you did was absolutely the kindest thing you could do in this case.

Broccoli, kale, chard, bok choy, red (purple) cabbage, chinese cabbage (basically, napa), and two varieties of green (white) cabbage - an early and a late), beets, carrots. Also trying to protect some oregano (I know, it will come back - stuff is unkillable once established) and some basil I still need to harvest.

The stuff I just bought is a cold hardy bananna, two pawpaws (cold hard, once established - these are still in pots), and a pair or purple passion fruits.

Hopefully your broccoli does better than mine. chickens gobbled it right down

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Aka, Michigan banana. But I couldn't get mine to grow. The new neighbor is trying.

How many years until they fruit? Wondering if I should try again.

These are grafted, so if I'm lucky, four years. Six is more likely.

 

[NanaK]

Broccoli, kale, chard, bok choy, red (purple) cabbage, chinese cabbage (basically, napa), and two varieties of green (white) cabbage - an early and a late), beets, carrots. Also trying to protect some oregano (I know, it will come back - stuff is unkillable once established) and some basil I still need to harvest.

The stuff I just bought is a cold hardy bananna, two pawpaws (cold hard, once established - these are still in pots), and a pair or purple passion fruits.

You've been busy!
My oregano stays pretty green all year. It is planted outside my greenhouse and I never protect it. We are zone 8a.

I never protect the carrots either except netting because of deer and rabbits.

I have had broccoli (Gypsy) and cabbage (Early Jersy Wakefield) heads get burned below 25f or so but young plants do ok with no cover. I try to pick these if they are ready before an extreme freeze. Only cover small heads if absolutely necessary. Usually get lots of side shoots on the broccoli most of the winter.

I find kale, mustard and collards are very tough. I've had mustard die back some in low 20s but recover nicely. Kale and collards rarely get damaged very much.

I've not grown beets or bok choy but considered. Would love to have Paw Paws!

Cold hardy banana? Do you know the variety name? I have Musa Basjoo. It is mostly ornamental although said to be edible but seedy. They get huge and multiply quickly. I've had mine fruit but my never completely mature large enough to eat. I love the way they look and have given lots away over the years. Frost takes the foliage and it's too big to protect. This was taken before we had frost.

Good luck with your garden!

 

[Sally PB]

These are grafted, so if I'm lucky, four years. Six is more likely.

Well, dang. I wish I had known more and tried harder when I planted them about 20 years ago.

If I were to try again, I better do it this coming spring.

I know the fruit are too delicate to survive shipping, and thus never see them in stores. I've never had them. What do they taste like?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Well, dang. I wish I had known more and tried harder when I planted them about 20 years ago.

If I were to try again, I better do it this coming spring.

I know the fruit are too delicate to survive shipping, and thus never see them in stores. I've never had them. What do they taste like?

No idea. That's why we are planting them. To F around and find out. And @NanaK, I got our banana from shuckleberry farms. All their bananas are semi- cold hardy. In this case, they had one small banana plant they had repotted and needed to be repotted again which I took off their hands. Unfortunately, it was not labeled (part of why it hadn't been sold), so we are not certain which of the apple banana varieties it is.

 

[NanaK]

I used to have a dwarf cavendish easier to protect when necessary. Supposed to be a good eating variety. I received it from a friend as a baby mid winter so was going to plant the following spring. Daughter over watered it in my absence so no more cavendish.

Thought I'd mention in case you come across one.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

No idea. That's why we are planting them. To F around and find out. And @NanaK, I got our banana from shuckleberry farms. All their bananas are semi- cold hardy. In this case, they had one small banana plant they had repotted and needed to be reported again which I took off their hands. Unfortunately, it was not labeled, so we are not certain which of the apple banana varieties it is.

Oh I had an apple banana when I was in Costa Rica a few years ago. Really good!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Looks like migrating birds brought mites. Spot treated a couple birds. Sprayed the whole coop and the goat barn. No concerns, just annoying that the birds suddenly stopped using the cooop just as we started hitting freezing temps, and its one of the few places that blocks drafts. Still air last night, no issues. Earlier this week, they were all lined up using the barn as a wind block, sitting under my almost 2' overhangs.

They joys of free range living.

 

[Molpet]

Looks like migrating birds brought mites. Spot treated a couple birds. Sprayed the whole coop and the goat barn. No concerns, just annoying that the birds suddenly stopped using the cooop just as we started hitting freezing temps, and its one of the few places that blocks drafts. Still air last night, no issues. Earlier this week, they were all lined up using the barn as a wind block, sitting under my almost 2' overhangs.

They joys of free range living.

Yes the Blackbirds came in over the flock of turkeys one year,as soon as they left I seen lice on a jakes head.
Elemental sulfur powder dusted on him and in the dust bath took care of them.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

The wilds here are constantly dropping bugs onto my chickens. It's too the point where I just try to keep them from getting too severe. There is just no way I can keep everything mite free with my setup and rhe wilds unfortunately