Garden out and doing great

[Western]

You might try a few "streamers" to ward off a hawk. I know Owls will get'm too!

 

[jinman]

Carolyn, I was in Lowe's yesterday, and they had lots of bird netting in rolls and folded for large pieces that could cover your coop and fenced in area. I like touching and feeling things before buying them, so seeing the product in Lowe's or TSC works best for me. Then, if I like it, I can normally find it on the web. I ordered four 100' rolls of deer netting on the web at a reasonable price with free shipping. It sure keeps most pests out of our garden and can easily be strung between 8' t-posts that are 25' apart or more. It's not decorative, but it sure is effective.:thumbsup:

BTW: I lost 2 Early Girl tomato plants. I think I damaged the root and stem as I was planting. Anyhow, we saw plants in Lowe's yesterday that were about 16" tall in 5" pots. They were expensive at $3.68 each, but they will probably grow and produce tomatoes at least 2 weeks before my much smaller plants I bought for $10 per flat at the nursery.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

It didn't work, lost 2 more today. I never thought to look at Lowes just ordered it. I might go up there and buy some and send it back. As my tenant said by the time I get it they are going to have eaten them all. I also need some for my fruit trees or the squirrels will eat everything off.

So only 14 left out of 24 and they were expensive. It's just to warm to keep them in the chicken house. I say that, its between a bit. I can open the screened in windows but not quite ready yet. I will buy more, but I've never had this problem before. Dogs yes. And I spent a lot having a new park bult and wire buried in the ground plus 5 ft tall to keep the dogs out and decided I wasn't going to let them in the yard this time.

I'm wondering if its because its so dry that the hawks can't find little varmints to eat so are going after the chicks, just never had this issue before.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

I watered today, gosh its dry. I was out in the far yard and I'm starting to see some small cracks in the dirt. We should be flush with water and rain right now. I think its going to be a terrible summer if we don't get some rain and we just don't in the summer.

 

[ShenandoahJoe]

We set out 20 pepper plants yesterday: 8 sweet banana, 4 pimento, 4 red bell pepper, 4 green bell pepper.

I did almost the same thing two years ago. Only problem came last year, when I planted seeds I'd saved from the best of the bunch. No matter which 2009 plant the seeds came from, the 2010 plants all produced red/green belanimentos. Gonna need more space between the plants, in the future.

Stabilist-- I think the bird netting works best if you wrap it around the hawks.

 

[jinman]

I did almost the same thing two years ago. Only problem came last year, when I planted seeds I'd saved from the best of the bunch. No matter which 2009 plant the seeds came from, the 2010 plants all produced red/green belanimentos. Gonna need more space between the plants, in the future.

Joe, I never plant seeds for peppers, tomatoes, or onions. With the price and varieties available with buying sets, I just never thought it was economically feasible to plant my own seeds and raise seedlings to set out except for some seeds a TBNer sent me a few years back. Also a few years ago, I planted some Japanese and Isreal melons in with regular cantaloupes. When I replanted the seeds the next year, I saw that the new fruits seemed to be a cross between all three rather than a pure variety. I noticed that my nursery has some ****** melon sets a few days ago. When I go back to get bedding flowers in a week or so, I may buy some ****** melon sets. They are very tasty and sweeter than normal cantaloupes.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

I netted that whole dang park. I'm going to win over those devils or die fighting.

I also bought 10 barred rocks to replace the others lost. Awfully optimistic aren't I?:laughing:

 

[jinman]

Oh Boy! Good luck Carolyn. I hope you have lots of frustrated hawks after all of this. I hope it's not a sneaky skunk getting your chicks. I don't know how that could be without a mess of feathers and down around on the ground though.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

My husband laughed and said what are these chickens costing me?:laughing: He doesn't even care to eat chicken!:licking: I love fried chicken, but he likes noodles and things made from them. I couldn't stand the red bones anymore is why I started raising them. I hope to get 24 in the freezer. But now I have some a few days old and some about 4 weeks old or more. Hubby says well at least you won't have them all to dress out at once.

Went out to the garden today, I likely will be canning green beans next week. Pickled beets, next week or week after. I'm thinking of planting flowers where I clean out rows of veggies, that should be pretty.

I sure hope it doesn't get to hot and ruin my tomatoes, crossing my fingers here.

I am having to water and water. Tomorrow up to water our sweet corn and plant cantaloupe and watermelon.

 

[jimmyj]

Sorry about the chicks, I hope your netting saves the rest of them.

I am so jealous of the gardening you are doing. We have some stuff that is cold tolerant JUST started in the greenhouse but we are a ways a way from real gardening yet.

Thanks for the posts, makes me feel spring is really coming!