What did you do in the garden today?

[chickengr]

Cloudy cool day here. I have a smart mouse in the garage. It gets in the repeating mouse traps and eats the bait. Can not figure out how he gets out. I first thought it was only one trap possibly malfunctioning. Added a second trap and same thing. Today I setup a bucket with some water and seed floating on the water. See if that works. I will get him one way or another.

I mixed gypsum, sugar and chick mash to feed mice. I put it in my car as they think it is their new home for winter. I also put water next to the mix.

 

[Smokerbill]

I'm in 6 , was 5...big difference from 8
I grow both soft and hard neck. M

I found this garlic growing guide at the Illinois Agriculture Extension, and it says hard neck garlic does best your climate.

https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-06-12-garlic-so-easy-even-i-can-grow-it

 

[Molpet]

I found this garlic growing guide at the Illinois Agriculture Extension, and it says hard neck garlic does best your climate.

https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-06-12-garlic-so-easy-even-i-can-grow-it

Yes it does, but I have a soft neck that I have been growing for a decade. I got it from somewhere in the same or lower zone. So it's acclimated to my area. The ones I got from higher zone, south areas, didn't do as well.

 

[Sueby]

I grow softneck here, I did both the first few years, but prefer the softneck. It stores longer & braids easier. I'm in zone 6, just planted 2 weeks ago. Usually it will poke thru in the fall a little, sometimes not. Depends on how cold it gets how quick. I've stopped planting it so deep, I find it does well at an inch or 2, then topped with compost & then a good few inches of straw. I find it easier to see if it's ready for harvest not planted so deep.
My garlic bed is the one with all the hardware cloth over it to keep the critters from digging it up, lol.

Anyway, got all the beds topped with compost then straw & watered down (straw has tac to keep it from blowing so it needs water). Much to DHs dismay, I leave all the leaves so the bugs & frogs & stuff have a place to sleep for the winter. I also leave all the dead flowers so the birds have something to nibble on till spring too so it looks messy, but makes me feel good.

I got 2 old cedar beds out & a small new metal bed in there for one end of the bean trellis. Once I finish getting the dirt up stone will go down & there will be 2 greenstalks there. I am amazed how dry the dirt is. Even a foot down it's just dust.

My back said enough so I'm sitting on the heating pad but I'm happy with all I got done today.

 

[Acre4Me]

We found a rat in the goat pen. Ugh! I think this is recent- field of corn was recently harvested 30’ away.

So, a friend (with rat issues in her wood barn with dirt floor and 6 kinds of animals ) is going to take care of our goats for a few days bc we have to go to a family event. She was going to put them in the extra garage with a concrete floor, in a large birthing stall to keep them from her herd -fine by me bc she has intact males adjacent (but separated by 30’ or so) to her barn. The garage is farther away and door will be shut. But now she keeps asking “if I don’t see rats, is it ok to put them in the barn?” I definitely prefer keeping them in the extra garage as initially intended. The doe is too young to be accidentally mated. Hmmm… maybe I should ask chicken sitter if they can do goat care for a few days here. <sigh> so hard to get care for animals.

 

[jerryse]

Caught a mouse in the bucket trap. I hope it was the smart one. Bought snap traps and glue traps. The war is on.

 

[WthrLady]

Caught a mouse in the bucket trap. I hope it was the smart one. Bought snap traps and glue traps. The war is on.

here too

 

[Minanora]

There's another rat here but the stupid opossum stole my my good snap trap....

Also, we got our first real freeze last night. I have a cold so I wasn't able to save everything I wanted to. I managed to cover my ancho chili's but everything else is fried. Well, not fried but you know what I mean.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I watered the Fall garden this morning. We may get some rain Monday night. Fingers crossed.

 

[cj2024]

I have just one long squash vine and it is overwhelming me. I must have already picked 20 squashes off them. I have to keep chopping the shoots that start to hang over to my neighbor's yard.

I have it hanging on a nylon trellis 6ft. above. When I am done with them, I will throw the vine and nylon trellis away in my trash bin.