Comment

Comment by Idaho Spud yesterday

Randy, do you need to bury the rabbit fence in the ground to keep them out?

Two days ago, I dug out most of the dandelions in my garden and watered my avocado tree.  It looks totally dead but I'll wait a couple of months to make sure.

Comment by Randall Smith yesterday

FINALLY! I was able to work in the garden! 

First, I tilled (about half). Then I put up my chickenwire "rabbit obstacle" fence. That's where I will plant (today) my lettuce, spinach, peas, and other greens that rabbits love to eat. Outside the fence, I planted two rows each of potatoes and onions. Potatoes are leftover "nubbin's" from last year. They may not turn out too great.

Comment by Joan Denoo on April 15, 2018 at 3:36am

The official trailer of the Great American Farm Tour, the story of a homesteading family converting a school bus into a home that took them to all 48 lower states and launched them to Alaska and Hawaii in a 10-month adventure of discovery of the United States. They visited homesteads and small farms in each state, went to national parks, and discovered different farming techniques. A gentle celebration of the U.S. and a love of their home. 

Randy, I imagine your farm family to be similar to the Rhodes. 

Comment by Randall Smith on April 4, 2018 at 7:38am

The Rhodes resembles my farm family! Wonderful, Joan.

Comment by Jotham Timothy Bessey on April 4, 2018 at 7:23am

Yeah. That seems to be an awesome family.

Comment by Joan Denoo on April 3, 2018 at 10:06pm

One of my favorite homesteading families, The Rhodes, and these amazing kids, learning how to do so many things; they experiment, explore, and experience life as only kids on a farm scene can. 

Comment by Joan Denoo on March 25, 2018 at 1:13am

Comment by Randall Smith on February 28, 2018 at 7:26am

Good stuff, Jotham. 

The only "winter gardening" I do is sprouts. Instead, I crack nuts. That's a labor of love (of nuts).

Saving seeds is something I also do--not with a lot of luck, however. You mentioned parsnips. I really have trouble getting them to grow, which is surprising being my carrots do well.

I did get a truck load of black compost. Ooh, it looks so rich! It's been wheelbarrowed to about 20 small piles scattered about the garden. Today (if it doesn't rain) I'll spread it about. I've also been tossing my "pee in a bucket" throughout the garden all winter. Good thing I live alone, because my house stinks of urine!

Comment by Jotham Timothy Bessey on February 27, 2018 at 3:16pm

I've been gardening all winter. Practicing getting seeds to grow for transplants. I don't seem to be doing it right. I have some plants growing, but most of the seeds I plant still don't produce.

I tried some beets I just got from veseys. I know the seed is good, and when I plant them in the garden, most of them will grow. But less than half of them grew in the plug tray, sitting on a heating pad, and under a grow light.

Seeds are finicky. The rutabaga seeds I harvested gets almost 100% germination in the same conditions. But they won't produce with the paper towel germination test and mostly not when trying to grow them in a sprouter. 

Speaking of which, I tested my rutabaga, turnip, and carrot seed that I grew last year, all have good germination.

Saving seeds is important. I just watched matt powers talk about his Ameranth. From a package of seed from Baker Creek, he only got one plant to grow. He saved seed from that and now he has Ameranth that grows with ease and self seeds at his place.

So grow your own seed. That's what I'll be doing. Currently I have carrot, parsnip, Rutabaga, Turnip. This year I'll grow them again and what ever I can get to grow to seed of the annuals I have.

Comment by Idaho Spud on February 27, 2018 at 10:33am

Black compost sounds delicious.

It's time for me to plant some peas in my small greenhouse, but not being as ambitious as you, I haven't done it yet.

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