February 05

2011

Gardening in the High Desert

• After a week of being gone on travel, it is good to come home. I am amazed at how well things are growing in my mini green house
  
• At 8 am, it is still slightly below freezing. If it gets into the mid 40's, I will set out toms for some natural light. If it gets to 50, will set out basils, too.
  
• The 5 of 6 Striped Cavern (hollow stuffing tom) and 5 of 6 Alaskan Fancy planted on 1/16 are well ready for transplanting to cups today
  
• The peppers have not germ's. Going to put my heat pad under them this week and see if I can coax them along.
  
• Toms in cups need transplanting to bigger cups (Tco Bell cups) soon. I can see their roots against the translucent walls. A few have opts that are expanding beyond the drainage holes
  
• I know that, for most places, I have started toms way too early. What I need, however, is toms that are mature enough to set fruit when I set them out, so that they will be able to fruit before the summer temps go crazy. I am hoping, hoping.
  
• Before we had a fence up, Alaskan Fancy had set a dozen fruit. I have 5 plants now, and we'll start another 6. They are determinate, so once they set and ripen fruit, they won't be useful - except maybe as hosts to horn worms. I love the hawk moths.
  
• Hawk moths like sunflowers, too so a sunflower "tomato cage" should be quite an invite for them. Mybe will be able to go out on a moonlit night and photograph them this summer [2012 Note: did not]
  
• Need to plant seeds closer for things like basil that can be done in pairs, or further apart for toms, because it's hard to cut them apart when they are so close [Referring to seeding in flats]
  
• Ivys are growing horizontal - move them to shelves with limited height - move taller toms to top shelf. I'm going to be out of room real soon.
  
• I have lots of south facing windows. Maybe that's where toms go during the day. They could get 8 hours of light that way.
  
• When IS our last frost? April? May? Will have to look at my next journal
  
• Chickens and little birds love my old Christmas tree. Need to move it into the chic hen run for them to enjoy
  
• Had a happy Imbolc earlier this week. Would have been better at home, but still good.
  
• Will Thym and Oregano grow like weeds?
  
• Wildflower area needs to be chicken proof as some items could be poison
  
• 9:29 am and into the fourtys, now. Time to get out and about. Bring chickies warm water. Check for eggs, water things, etc. Take pictures. But first, breakfast!
  

Backyard [not garden] Temperatures
00:17 24*F
3:21 18*F
4:06 18.3*F
6:42 16.9*F
11:39 86*F (full morning sun)
16:15 59.2*F
16:45 54.3*F
20:02 34.7

January 30

2010

Gardening in the High Desert

• Freshened up coop with half a bale of pine shavings
  
• Filled bird feeder. Little birds making all kinds of noise hiding in the old Christmas tree
  
• Hurried to put food and water under cover for the chickens
  
• Imbolc is this week - the halfway point between winter and spring
  
• Old seeds still seem to be quite viable
  
• no more peat pots - I have advanced to sowing seeds in flats and transplanting. This works for items that transplant well, anyways. Going to have to figure out how to deal with MG's [Morning Glories], however.
  

December 07

2005

2007

2010

2005

Gardening in the High Desert.
Sweet potato has many branching roots. Moved it to a lg blue vase with a narrow neck a few days ago. Some of the "eyes" appear to be swelling.

Our little ficus tree is doing very well. It like the filtered light and gets plenty of water. Not going to feed as its potting soil is still fresh.

Son put the bags of mulch out by the sweet gums, but I haven't spread it about yet.

About a dozen fence posts are in for the back yard fence. D cut our propane line while digging. She stayed home from work so he could deal with getting it fixed. It's going to be an awesome back yard. [2011-11-17 No, it turned out to just be more desert...]

The hole for the future pond is just sitting happy as can be, big hills of dirt [sand] on the east and west banks. Bought a few bond building magazines for D to peruse.

Love my filing cabinet. Started filing my magazines last night. Waiting with much anticipation for my seed catalogs to arrive. Also will file my seed packets, too, along with other things to file.

2007

Gardening in the High Desert.
Of course I have "enough" seeds for a delightful and enjoyable garden. But of course, I need more, more, more. A new type of zucchini, more sunflowers, a fancier morning glory. The seed catalogs don't sell seeds - they sell "The Garden That Could Be."

2010

Gardening in the High Desert.
Stayed home from work ill. Spent 30 min in the warm (30*F) sunshine with the chickens and garden - I swear that that did me more good than Motrin and sleep.

Found a good user for pulled cheat grass. Don't want to put in compost because it will survive and proliferate. So I put it in the chicken run and the chickies trample, toss, and pick at them until theyare dead, dead, dead. They eat a little of it, but not much. They don't like it all that much - but it does provide them with exercise and entertainment.

Turned compost and put ice from chicken bowls on it. Ice melts and seems to add the right amount of moisture. Have at least 50 gallons or more of compost to used before starting new pile. New pile will be slower to cook since it's so cold, but should still be ready for Spring planting. New piles stink to high heavens - all that ammonia being burned off - but the end results are worth it.

Small birds visiting feeder. Need to fill a few times a week now. They aren't comfortable eating when I'm out there, but they were circling and hanging out on the fence waiting for me to leave.

My light/seed starting setup is just about done. So excited. Can't wait until seed starting season. Tomato seeds are on the way. Got my collection of other seeds organized. I probably don't need to buy seeds for years, but the primal urge to acquire seeds is overwhelming.

[Entry later that evening 21:10]

Got my seed starting setup completed - finally. Amazingly, found my timer, so I didn't have to buy one. My heat mat needs an outlet without a timer, though. To early to start Spring seeds, but I'm thinking of a few indoor plants - and maybe an indoor tomato to coddle.

Reading The New Seed Starter's Handbook by Nancy Bubel.

Going to try two cherry toms for winter indoor toms. Main crop to be started in Feb for planting in April/May and to give away.

FOR INDOOR PLANTS
• 2 - Cherry Toms
• 6 - Basils: lemon, purple, sweet - 2 each
• 2 - clumps chives - 1 garlic, 1 regular
• 2 - Salvias
• Separate my little pot of ivys [into however many plants they will make]

September 26

2010

Gardening in the High Desert.
Bought a nook e-reader from Barnes and Noble. Lots of free old books. Reading about this early 20th century Scottish farmer.

Unusually warm spell after what look like an early winter. Temps in the 90s again.

Heat means I have to water veggies deep again and set out extra water for the chickens.

Planted out about half my daffodils - some in the ground and some in bed number one. I have another section that I cleaned out that will be ready to plant tomorrow or so.

08 – August – To Do – Week 2

2006

• Change Fridge Water Filter – Whirlpool WHCF-R-Plus
• See Lists from Week 1
• Feed ficus and other houseplants
• Start acquiring “Chicken Stuff”

November - To Do - Week 1

2009

2010

2009

Gardening in the High Desert.

• Move bird feeders to garden area
  
• Set up nest boxes [for wild birds]
  

2010

Gardening in the High Desert.

• DONE - Clean, set up bird feeders [for wild birds]
• Mix chicken feed [make 25% corn chicken scratch + 75% chicken layer pellets]
• Feed/Water houseplants
• DONE - Stock up on [wild] bird feed
• Clean chicken coop
• DONE - Mulch strawberries
• Wrap trees
• Deep water pines
• Turn Compost
• DONE - Keep bird feeders filled
• Take more photos
• Feed houseplants
• Deer-off [for trees - keeps bunnies from eating bark]
• Continue planting spring bulbs
• Shred paper for mulch

March - To Do

2006

2007

Breeding & Birthing

Goats

Bees

2006 - Nevada

• Look for Ducks at Lake Carson now through September
  
• Ending of the Snow Gease Season at Lake Carson
  
• Canadian Geese have returned to Lake Lahontan
  
• Deer in the Genoa area until April
  
• DONE - Fertilize trees - add spikes if not done in Feb
  
• DONE - Plant Pease
  
• Order chickens - not this year
  
• Buy light meter
  
• Buy food scale to weigh harvest
  
• Get another set of grow lights
  
• DONE - Order more driveway rock (Note 3/06 - MDH built a pickup truck bed hauler and can get it himself for cheap, now. He's so clever with building stuff)
  
• Plant more winter rye & also the yellow clover
  

2007 - Nevada

• March - April - Good time to move day lilies
  
• Plan some vacation days for March, April and May for planting out
  
• Stromberg's Chickens - Turkeys start being available mid-March; Common Geese available; Bobwhite Quail available; Ring neck pheasant available mid-March
  

Breeding & Birthing

Bred on March 1 gives birth on

• Mare - Feb 3rd
• Cow - Dec 8th
• Ewe - July 30
• Sow - June 22

Birthing

• Day old chicks available by mail order
• Mare bred April 1 - birth on Mar 6
• Cow bred June 1 - birth on Mar 10
• Ewe bred Nov 1 - birth on Mar 27
• Sow bred Dec 1 - birth on Mar 21

Goats

• Comb Cashmere Goats
• Crotch does before they kid
• Collect kidding gear
  
• Have fecal samples tested and worm if needed
• Set mouse traps near feed storage
• Check fences and gates for winter damage
• Clean out stalls
  

Bees

• Inspect hives & medicate if needed