What did you do in the garden today?

[Nym]

New Zealand christmas bush full of dazzling red flower. It fills a very narrow edge between the house and side path alongside my bedroom. The native honey eaters love have a morning chatter in it.

 

[TJAnonymous]

If you get good with this technique, you can use it to "sterilize" the inside of your coop if you ever get mites. I've never done it, but another member has.

Oh, wow! I'll finally be able to clean the inside surface of the glass from of the wood stove!

I use wet newspaper, dip in the ash, and then clean away.... After I've cleaned all the residue off, then I spray with windex or vinegar water. Cleans easily to a sparkling shine.

Oh, one more word of advice... Wear dish gloves! Otherwise your hands will be black by the time you are finished.

 

[TJAnonymous]

They did good for @Nym. I bought a chemistry set to see if I can possibly extract the essential oil from the holy basil and use it in tea. I hope they do good for you.

I've been wanting to buy a small copper still to make essential oils! I won't buy any of the crap Chinese ones from Amazon. DH knows the moonshiners up in the hills. They take their stills pretty seriously so I'm hoping they can point me to a quality still that doesn't break the bank.

 

[chickengr]

Well, the 2025 garden is officially kicked off! I started a bunch of seeds:

Bunching onions
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Cabbage
Kale
Swiss Chard
Huckleberries
Goji Berries

Tomorrow will be in the mid-50s. I'll sow some spinach, arugula, carrots, and lettuce outside.

Also looking to dig out an old metal trash can that I'm going to use to store wood ash from the fireplace. Typically we dump the ash can in the compost but I think I'm going to save some of it for other things in the garden and around the house.

that would be my winter garden except berries, lol. although I'll sow some spinach and chards as they can be harvested before heat.

 

[chickengr]

If you get good with this technique, you can use it to "sterilize" the inside of your coop if you ever get mites. I've never done it, but another member has.

I did. also burnt wood is somewhat fire resistant.

 

[chickengr]

On a gardening video about using ash in the garden, the comments sections was taken over by ppl sharing all their household uses for wood ash. You can also clean rusted metal and SS cutlery with it. i wish I could remember more uses.

I use it to cover the dog's collection bucket to prevent flies.
It reduces odors and can also be used in the house to absorb moisture and damp.
Applying it to driveway seams / cracks will kill weeds - broom in into cracks while it's still quite warm.
Snails and slugs don't like it (when dry at least).

I am throwing wood ash in my flooded coops. unfortunately I don't have enough.

 

[chickengr]

we finally had a sunny day yesterday. managed to wash half of my dirty clothes and there was enough electricity for a dishwasher too. I feel great. this morning my outside pipes were frozen. only the one in a goat corral was not as it is placed on a lower level. this was the coldest night/morning this winter. hopefully from tuesday weather will worm up.