Sally's GF3 thread

[Sally PB]

The chickens and the bees seemed totally unfazed by the eclipse. I warned them about it ahead of time, and promised it would never happen again.

 

[cavemanrich]

The chickens and the bees seemed totally unfazed by the eclipse. I warned them about it ahead of time, and promised it would never happen again.

At least not until 2090

 

[Sally PB]

Today I planted a few chard seeds in the garlic bed. Since I don't use anything to mark straight rows, there are spots where there's a big extra space. I figure if the chard gets really big, I can just cut it to make room for the garlic.

Both would like a nice layer of compost, so they'll get that too. Tomorrow is the last nice sunny day, so I'll get more spring stuff planted. Thursday and Friday, the sky opens up and we're going to get a soaker.

I think I'll plant a bed of kale and/or spinach where the beans will go later. If they're big enough to be in the way of the beans, then I'll pick and freeze them.

 

[Sally PB]

I spent an hour or so "hands and knees" weeding in the blueberry bed, trying to eradicate some of the brome grass in there.

Some of the berry flower buds are starting to break open. We can get frost/freeze temps for another 6 weeks or more. I will have the frost sheets/tarps at the ready.

We need some chilly nights -- now -- to keep everything in check, and slow the blueberries down.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/blueberries/weather/critical-spring-temperatures

That is a very informative page showing the bud stages and the critical temperatures for that stage. Some of the buds on my bushes are still at stage one (totally safe), but some are at about stage two-and-a-half.

 

[fuzzi]

Today I planted a few chard seeds in the garlic bed. Since I don't use anything to mark straight rows, there are spots where there's a big extra space. I figure if the chard gets really big, I can just cut it to make room for the garlic.

You can pick off the leaves and chard will grow back.

 

[Sally PB]

You can pick off the leaves and chard will grow back.

Thank you, good to know! I will probably be out there picking leaves a lot. I have discovered I LOVE chard!

I tried it raw last summer, and eh, not a fan. Someone here on BYC said to try it steamed or sautéed before I give up on it. Oh, yeah, that makes a HUGE difference!

Ditto with turnip greens.

 

[fuzzi]

Thank you, good to know! I will probably be out there picking leaves a lot. I have discovered I LOVE chard!

I tried it raw last summer, and eh, not a fan. Someone here on BYC said to try it steamed or sautéed before I give up on it. Oh, yeah, that makes a HUGE difference!

Ditto with turnip greens.

I adore both chard and turnip greens, but cooked! Try a squirt of lemon juice on the leaves after cooking.

 

[Sally PB]

Try a squirt of lemon juice on the leaves after cooking.

That sounds good! I'll remember that. Thanks.

 

[Sally PB]

Rainy, grey day. Totally fine by me. I'm getting a lot done inside, and the ground needs the water.

So do the peas and onion sets I planted a few days ago. It's a nice rain too; gentle and steady, with a few breaks. There's a spot at the bottom of the driveway that gets a puddle, but not today, so I know it's soaking in as it comes down.

Yesterday, I weeded around the blueberry bushes. Man! Is the soil there dark and rich looking! It's a hill of sand, but I've been adding coffee grounds. Last year, I added a bunch of white pine needles too. The color may be due to the grounds, but the texture is much less gritty, and feels more like soil than sand.

I'm going to be haunting Starbucks again for their free coffee grounds to put in other places in my gardens. Last Tuesday, I got 6 (!) bags from the local one near Meijer.

 

[Sally PB]

Lots of power outages, but not here. that it stays that way.

They said on the news that a commercial dairy herd has tested positive for AI in Ottawa County, Michigan. I haven't heard any more about the local commercial chicken flock that they found the virus in a few weeks ago.

My birds are under cover and don't free range. There isn't anything more I can do.

Oh, yeah there's this: