I will make note of month changes or plan changes so they can be compared for next year.
Showing posts with label Homestead Management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homestead Management. Show all posts
Homestead {Yard/Garden} Plan - 2014
I will make note of month changes or plan changes so they can be compared for next year.
Whirlwind
It's been a whirlwind here lately, and I don't mean the weather.
School started and I am now taking two classes - Contemporary Math and Introduction to Chemistry which includes a three hour lab one day per week. This year I'm paying out of pocket (last year I did too, but I had more pocket to dig in), and it's expensive! Some days I'm not even sure if it's worth it, but I do want to learn, so I slog through it. Easier said than done. I'm pleasantly surprised by my Chemistry course average so far - a 93 - even though it's easily the worst combination for my brain (difficult math and seemingly random symbols). It doesn't help that everyone is eight years my junior and "just did this stuff last year." I expected to do well in Contemporary Math, as it's very easy, and so far, I'm not disappointed. I am maintaining a 99 in that course.
As soon as school started, I practically abandoned the garden. I was supremely disappointed in how my garden did. I think the first (and foremost) problem was that I chose a very bad spot. One end received far too much sun and the other nearly drowned in water. I chose my plants carefully because I suspected this, but I wasn't prepared for the harshness of it all. The peppers didn't do much of anything until very recently. The only reliable plants were the green beans (and much later, the purple podded pole beans), the carrots, the snow peas, and the herbs. There is some garlic growing, but it was only planted this summer, so it won't be ready until next year.
So I'm left considering my options. Should I grow a garden? I know my grandmother was not happy with the way I kept it (too weedy), so moving from that bad area could be a challenge. I also disappointed myself with my own struggles against laziness in the last stretch. I was so good (out every day to check, weeding fairly regularly, etc.) from March through about September, but then I lost my drive for the care and upkeep. It doesn't help that I feel limited by my own skills and my want/need to please my grandmother.
Some to-dos are still left, and there's no telling when or how I'll accomplish them.
- I really really wanted to finish cleaning out and then installing the pipes for the rain water tank. It held some kind of food grade goo in it, but there's still a small residual amount left and it needs to come out. I've been trying all summer to find someone with a power washer to borrow, but I'm having a hard time getting people to help. I may break down and buy one.
- I really really wanted to build a chicken coop for chickens in the spring, but who knows now? My grandmother is not so keen on the idea and believe it or not, sometimes I find her intimidating to ask.
- I need to weed the strawberry patch before it goes to bed for the winter. It looks tremendous now that I stopped pinching off the runners. Only spring will tell if I've done harm.
Until next time,
School started and I am now taking two classes - Contemporary Math and Introduction to Chemistry which includes a three hour lab one day per week. This year I'm paying out of pocket (last year I did too, but I had more pocket to dig in), and it's expensive! Some days I'm not even sure if it's worth it, but I do want to learn, so I slog through it. Easier said than done. I'm pleasantly surprised by my Chemistry course average so far - a 93 - even though it's easily the worst combination for my brain (difficult math and seemingly random symbols). It doesn't help that everyone is eight years my junior and "just did this stuff last year." I expected to do well in Contemporary Math, as it's very easy, and so far, I'm not disappointed. I am maintaining a 99 in that course.
As soon as school started, I practically abandoned the garden. I was supremely disappointed in how my garden did. I think the first (and foremost) problem was that I chose a very bad spot. One end received far too much sun and the other nearly drowned in water. I chose my plants carefully because I suspected this, but I wasn't prepared for the harshness of it all. The peppers didn't do much of anything until very recently. The only reliable plants were the green beans (and much later, the purple podded pole beans), the carrots, the snow peas, and the herbs. There is some garlic growing, but it was only planted this summer, so it won't be ready until next year.
So I'm left considering my options. Should I grow a garden? I know my grandmother was not happy with the way I kept it (too weedy), so moving from that bad area could be a challenge. I also disappointed myself with my own struggles against laziness in the last stretch. I was so good (out every day to check, weeding fairly regularly, etc.) from March through about September, but then I lost my drive for the care and upkeep. It doesn't help that I feel limited by my own skills and my want/need to please my grandmother.
Some to-dos are still left, and there's no telling when or how I'll accomplish them.
- I really really wanted to finish cleaning out and then installing the pipes for the rain water tank. It held some kind of food grade goo in it, but there's still a small residual amount left and it needs to come out. I've been trying all summer to find someone with a power washer to borrow, but I'm having a hard time getting people to help. I may break down and buy one.
- I really really wanted to build a chicken coop for chickens in the spring, but who knows now? My grandmother is not so keen on the idea and believe it or not, sometimes I find her intimidating to ask.
- I need to weed the strawberry patch before it goes to bed for the winter. It looks tremendous now that I stopped pinching off the runners. Only spring will tell if I've done harm.
Until next time,
It's Official: Cortlands!
I've always thought apple trees in bloom were beautiful, but I've always thought that apples (and all you can do with them) were even better.
I have fond memories of buying bushels of apples in September to keep in the shed. Then Mom would bring in a bunch at a time and peel and slice and dice and make the whole house smell of apples and cinnamon. She'd make apple sauce and apple butter. Sometimes she'd add little cinnamon hearts to the applesauce and turn it pink. For weeks we'd have apple pies, apple Brown Betty, apple pan dowdy, apple cobbler. Sometimes she'd dry the apple slices too.
I think we liked best when she'd peel the apples with her knife, deftly removing the entire skin in a corkscrew. She'd put these in a bowl and how we loved them! We'd sit at the table and snack away!
Armed with these memories and my desire for more self-sufficiency, I convinced Gramma (property owner) to let me get apple trees! I spent a good long week considering everywhere on the property that I could plant a few, and I started research on types. After a long week of research, I talked it over with Mom, and we both agreed: Cortlands!
Not only are they Mom's favorite cooking apples, they are self-pollinating (very rare in the apple world), and were developed right here in New York State! They are a cross between the ever-popular McIntosh and the less known Ben Davis. They are known for their excellent multipurpose flesh and as fair keepers.
I'm planning on planting two in the spring about a foot inside the property line. The neighbors have some pines along there, but there is a nice gap where two will fit nicely. I asked our lovely neighbor and she said she wouldn't mind at all! I promised her I'd share when they started producing.
Even though there's years until a decent crop will come in, my mouth is already watering.
Until next time,
I have fond memories of buying bushels of apples in September to keep in the shed. Then Mom would bring in a bunch at a time and peel and slice and dice and make the whole house smell of apples and cinnamon. She'd make apple sauce and apple butter. Sometimes she'd add little cinnamon hearts to the applesauce and turn it pink. For weeks we'd have apple pies, apple Brown Betty, apple pan dowdy, apple cobbler. Sometimes she'd dry the apple slices too.
I think we liked best when she'd peel the apples with her knife, deftly removing the entire skin in a corkscrew. She'd put these in a bowl and how we loved them! We'd sit at the table and snack away!
Armed with these memories and my desire for more self-sufficiency, I convinced Gramma (property owner) to let me get apple trees! I spent a good long week considering everywhere on the property that I could plant a few, and I started research on types. After a long week of research, I talked it over with Mom, and we both agreed: Cortlands!
Not only are they Mom's favorite cooking apples, they are self-pollinating (very rare in the apple world), and were developed right here in New York State! They are a cross between the ever-popular McIntosh and the less known Ben Davis. They are known for their excellent multipurpose flesh and as fair keepers.
I'm planning on planting two in the spring about a foot inside the property line. The neighbors have some pines along there, but there is a nice gap where two will fit nicely. I asked our lovely neighbor and she said she wouldn't mind at all! I promised her I'd share when they started producing.
Even though there's years until a decent crop will come in, my mouth is already watering.
The photo belongs to Jonathan on Flickr.
Until next time,
June in Review
June also has had it's set of challenges as well, but I met with a lot of success!
Strawberries Are still doing well, including those I got from in and amongst my new herbs! Though they are a wild-type and therefore skinny and small. They are producing small berries.
Tomatoes I planted these outside near the first of the month and they almost immediately got powdery mildew. I made up a solution of milk and water and have been spraying it on the leaves of everything that will hold still and so far, it's being kept at bay.
Blackberries & Blueberries Our lone blueberry bush has tons of blueberries on it, so we netted it over. I got cuttings from another blackberry bush and am trying to root them. I got a blueberry bush on clearance for $2.49. It was the only one left and I thought it the perfect companion to our lonely one. I planted the new one a couple of feet from the first one on the last day of the month.
Raspberries The two surviving raspberry bushes have berries growing on them! I bought two more for a total of four. How excited I am for next year's crop!
Peas My first pea flower came out! I can't wait to taste my first homegrown peas! The first peas came out as well, but are too small to harvest yet.
Carrots Still growing tall and strong, but we have very rocky soil, so I'm not sure how they'll grow. Good thing it's an experimentation year!
Cucumbers Grew big and are planted on Gramma's side of the yard. We started with five, but there's four left now. They are growing strong.
Squash Were planted the same day as the tomatoes and are loving this sunny weather. Gramma has a few of these on her side of the yard as well.
Herbs I received Oregano, Mint, and Bible Leaf from Rachel's mom. I bought peppermint. They're all in containers and very happy!
Beans I planted Purple Podded Pole Beans and green beans, but I can't remember what variety right now. They are coming up beautifully. Except that an entire row of the Purples decided not to grow, and something is eating the leaves off every Purple that did come up. The green beans are coming along great though.
Lettuce I dug up all the Amish Deer Tongue lettuce and replanted black-seeded Simpson because the ADT was too close together and didn't form heads, just spindly leaves. I spaced the Simpson out much better!
Structures I also got pallets this month. The first batch was mostly rotted and bad, but I didn't know that before I accepted them. So a friend with a truck and I drove 45 minutes to get them. When we got back she said she had a few more for me. Then I called the local hardware store and they told me I could have all the pallets I wanted. I got a different friend with a truck to get those for me. I'm planning on building at least the framework and walls for my chicken coop! I built the compost with four pallets with some of these.
I keep letting myself get disappointed by other bloggers' success. I keep having to remember that they probably have longer growing seasons than I do. After all, I can't count on the last frost until almost the very end of May! I have all winter to refashion my garden plan with all the experience I'm getting this year and so next year will be better. But, most of all, I am having fun.
Compost Out of Pallets
Just before winter I followed instructions I found online. They instructed me to purchase a plastic tote, which I did, then carve holes all around the cover and a few in the bottom, which I did, and then stick it outside and add food. Well as you can guess this didn't provide enough air flow or enough drainage AT ALL.
So all winter we added food and all winter nothing happened. I expected that because it was winter so it wouldn't do much with all the freezing. But when summer came, it did the same thing... nothing. It just rotted. So today I finally had the chance to change it for the better! Mavis built one out of wooden pallets and I wanted to do the same. Since I finally have wooden pallets (one of the downfalls of having a car instead of a truck... you have to rely on others to help and they are busy too), and a few hours where it wasn't either burning hot or absolutely swarmed with mosquitoes.
This was the starting point:
Getting the pallets:
I had some extra wire fence stakes, so I grabbed four along with my cordless drill, the long handled mallet, and plenty of screws. I used the stakes to hold the sides up while I pieced it together. The stakes have what I'll call wings on the bottom six or so inches up. I pounded the stakes into the ground so these wings would hold the bottom of the pallet down.
Here's the right side and the back:
Here's a slightly better view:
I did that for the three walls, then used long screws to screw the sides together. I only did that at the tops because I ran out of longer screws. I'll pick up more tomorrow and add more. With the screws in place, the stakes were pulled up (except one).
Here's three walls up:
Here's another view:
Next was the hinges. I had bought hinges forever ago when I thought this project would be done much earlier in the year. I bought four total, two of one kind, two of another. I chose a strap hinge, because it allowed the greater movement and stability overall. I secured them in at angles because my drill couldn't reach well (I didn't know I had a drill bit extender until I was done). I also chose the lightest pallet for the door because I wanted it to swing without a lot of strain on my part.
This is after I added what was in the blue tote and added in some saved leaves to dry it out a bit:
I re-used the stakes to support the front sides. Where the hinges are, there are two stakes. One on the outside and one on the inside. The third stake I pounded in on the outside of the non-hinge side. It stuck out too far so I screwed it in. The screws from the hinges also stuck out too far, so I used the mallet to pound them flat.
Done!
Some things you might want to do differently:
So all winter we added food and all winter nothing happened. I expected that because it was winter so it wouldn't do much with all the freezing. But when summer came, it did the same thing... nothing. It just rotted. So today I finally had the chance to change it for the better! Mavis built one out of wooden pallets and I wanted to do the same. Since I finally have wooden pallets (one of the downfalls of having a car instead of a truck... you have to rely on others to help and they are busy too), and a few hours where it wasn't either burning hot or absolutely swarmed with mosquitoes.
This was the starting point:
Getting the pallets:
I had some extra wire fence stakes, so I grabbed four along with my cordless drill, the long handled mallet, and plenty of screws. I used the stakes to hold the sides up while I pieced it together. The stakes have what I'll call wings on the bottom six or so inches up. I pounded the stakes into the ground so these wings would hold the bottom of the pallet down.
Here's the right side and the back:
Here's a slightly better view:
I did that for the three walls, then used long screws to screw the sides together. I only did that at the tops because I ran out of longer screws. I'll pick up more tomorrow and add more. With the screws in place, the stakes were pulled up (except one).
Here's three walls up:
Here's another view:
Next was the hinges. I had bought hinges forever ago when I thought this project would be done much earlier in the year. I bought four total, two of one kind, two of another. I chose a strap hinge, because it allowed the greater movement and stability overall. I secured them in at angles because my drill couldn't reach well (I didn't know I had a drill bit extender until I was done). I also chose the lightest pallet for the door because I wanted it to swing without a lot of strain on my part.
This is after I added what was in the blue tote and added in some saved leaves to dry it out a bit:
I re-used the stakes to support the front sides. Where the hinges are, there are two stakes. One on the outside and one on the inside. The third stake I pounded in on the outside of the non-hinge side. It stuck out too far so I screwed it in. The screws from the hinges also stuck out too far, so I used the mallet to pound them flat.
Done!
Some things you might want to do differently:
- Depending on where you locate it, you may want to raise the front a bit above the ground to allow the door to swing without resistance. Bear in mind that this may also require a latch to keep it shut.
- If you have very pesky wildlife, you may want to add a cover or chicken wire to keep them out.
- I kept all of my pallets the same way, but if you click Mavis' link above, she alternates hers. Whatever works for you should be what you use!
May in Review
I didn't get specific dates for all the activities that occurred during May, so I'll break them down by plant instead.
Strawberries I couldn't get the strawberries to come up by seed, but I'll admit I was a bit lax in watering them too. I got frustrated and gave up on the seeds. Instead I was in Home Depot and spied some beautiful plants there including some already with strawberries! I let my eyes lead my steps instead of my brain and bought three plants. I know they were definitely grown with pesticides and artificial plant foods. On my way home I stopped at a garden center that I'd never been to before and picked up two more strawberry plants, but these ones were separated from an established strawberry bed on someone's land. The difference? No artificial anything. They even made the loamy, sandy soil on site. I chose a spot behind one of the logs we use to mark the driveway's edge and dug them in. They get plenty of sun there and I haven't lost a single plant.
Tomatoes The tomatoes grew vivaciously and I ended up transferring most of them into larger containers, but it was still too cold to set them outside.
Blackberries & Blueberries The sticks produced lots of nice leaves and were doing well, then suddenly took a downhill turn and died. I'm not sure what happened, but I'll try again next year.
Raspberries I transplanted the two bushes I bought and they are doing well. I bought golden raspberries, but they are dead and need to come out.
Peas The peas are growing well and are enjoying all the rain that May is bringing us. I've been weeding them regularly, but as they get bigger, they trump most of the weeds.
Carrots Carrots weren't weeded for a long time because until their feathery leaves came in, I couldn't tell what was carrot and what was grass and weeds. I've decided that next year I will do rows. The scattering method resulted in one very dense spot of carrots and very few in the rest of the designated plots.
Cucumbers I started cucumber seeds, but accidentally left them exposed to the air when they'd just burst their roots out, so their roots dried up and I wasn't able to revive them. I started new seeds.
Squash I started yellow squash and they are growing well. I swear you can see them grow. They gain almost a 1/2 inch per day!
April in Review
Here's a refresher of the goals I posted in late 2012. It's what I wanted to do for the homestead in 2013. I've decided that I'd like to recap each month what I did to further my education and my goals for the property I have now.
So for April this is what I've accomplished:
- Sunday the 14th: Purchased pruners, a mallet, a knife, and rooting hormone from the hardware store. Purchased two 24 inch windowsill containers with drip trays, two large and deep containers for either flowers or tomatoes, and three bags of organic potting soil.
- Monday the 15th: I dug half the garden and freed that half from weeds and perennials. All perennials were relocated to a new area. White daffodils, chives, a peony bush, and what felt like three tons of yucca bush were all moved. The chives were planted in a container and the peony bush was planted on the opposite side of the house. I also removed a lot of rocks from the garden as well as black gardening mesh designed to block weed growth. I obtained 4 blackberry cuttings and 2 blueberry cuttings from my friend, Morgan. Began sprouting Red Wonder Wild Strawberry seeds and Thessaloniki Tomato seeds.
- Tuesday the 16th: I dipped the black- and blueberry bushes into rooting hormone and planted in containers to await outdoor planting upon root growth. Also, I filled a 24 inch windowsill planter with rocks on the bottom, and then organic potting soil, watered well and sprinkled Amish Deer Tongue seeds on top.
- Friday the 19th: I bought heirloom raspberry plants and am waiting until this rash of cold nights passes so I can plant them in the newly designated berry patch.
- Saturday the 20th: The daffodils dug from the garden went everywhere because we had too many. Some in Gramma's flower garden around the well-house, some alongside the deck, and some way up in the corner of our property where we are trying to encourage a tiny maple tree to flourish.
- Sunday the 21st: Yuccas dug from the garden were transplanted onto the front bank.
- Monday the 22nd: Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce and Thessaloniki Tomatoes sprouted!
- Tuesday the 23rd: I transplanted the tomatoes who had sprouted with gentleness and tweezers.
- Wednesday the 24th: I spied the first of the tomato seeds have produced leaves! I'm sure more will be out by tomorrow.
- Saturday the 27th: The rest of the garden was dug and turned. We extracted the catnip and horseradish roots.
- Sunday the 28th: Transferred more tomato seedlings. I've decided they'll go in the garden after all. Planted peas and carrots. Planted my Lily of the Valleys. I don't know if they'll live. Pulled two seedlings from the Amish Deer Tongue window box. They had malformed leaves. The first true leaves on the blackberry bush cuttings have emerged.
*P.S. I didn't receive any compensation for the seeds linked above. I bought these particular seeds from Baker's Creek this year.
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