Name Today - Leeks

This morning we watched TV together and then drove to Fillmore for gas and a few groceries.  After lunch I began work in House Two.  I wanted to transplant all of the leeks.  They were in six packs and it took quite awhile.

I began with the leeks by using a dibble and making holes about four inches a part.  I then pulled the leek out of the six pack and put it in the hole.  It was a little tight so I pushed it to the bottom of the hole with long handled tweezers.   The holes are about six inches deep.  When mature they should have a white six inch shaft.

A look at two of the six packs.    These had six leeks in each pack.  Most were missing two or three leeks.  Some were transplanted and they had more plants in the six packs.  Others were direct seeded and germination was a little spotty.

After I had planted some,  I discovered that if I cut off most of the roots it was much easier to put them in the hole.    The roots would fall to the bottom of the hole.

The above photo gives a better view of the size.  They are about fourteen inches long.

I put them in a small pan.

This is a view of the holes and leeks.

This is a view after they were irrigated. I sprayed them with a gentle spray.  The water washed soil into the hole and covered the roots.  More soil will be washed in the roots every time I water.  Eventually the holes will be filled completely with soil.

I pulled radishes and prepared them for the post office where they may be picked up by anyone that might like them.  Some of the radishes split into grotesque shapes.  These I feed to the chickens.

 I pulled quite a bunch.  I used two buckets of water.  I swished them one at a time in the first bucket and the rinse them in the second bucket and then put them on the seventeen inch square tray.

I cut off the stems and leaves.  I made six small plastic bags with six radishes in each bag.

These are the stems and leaves.  I left them outside and will give them to the chickens in the morning.

I pulled up a large radish which I gave to the chickens.  They seem to like them.

Late this afternoon I walked out to the nursery three deer were checking things out. Two are in this picture.  There is a doe and to yearlings.

Here is the doe in house five.  I followed them and they did seem to want to move very fast.

Here is another photo as she is getting closer to the west door of house five.

Here are the two yearlings.

Comments and questions are welcome.

Nursery in the Afternoon

It was getting light when we left for the Manti, Utah temple.

The morning sun shone on the clouds and contails  on the way to the Manti Temple.

After we got home I checked the mouse traps.  The bait was gone from one trap.  Two others still were baited.

I glued a piece of dry cat food to the trap trigger.  I set the trap and dropped it.  The trap went off and the cat food went a fling.  I went back to the house and applied wet cat food to the trigger of four tramps.

Above is a photo of one of the traps.  We will see what happens in the morning.

There were more leek seedlings that needed transplanting. I filled a 1206 tray with seventy two cells.

I put eight pieces of cat food on this concrete block.  If they are gone in the morning it will be a sure sign of mice.

More Snow and More Planting

It was snowing lightly when we got up this morning.  After breakfast we started doing one of the things that I don't enjoy.  That is boxing up all of our indoor Christmas decorations.  We started with the nativity scene.  I unloaded the closet that has all the empty boxes.  We will fill them with the inhouse decorations.  

I worked on putting each piece of the nativity scene back into the Styrofoam containers.  After nearly three hours I still couldn't get all the pieces in.  Carol was going to the post office.  I wanted to push the snow of the driveway before she backed out the car.  When I got back in the house.  She had put the piece in.  It was kind of like putting a three dimensional puzzle.  I had it upside down.  She put the right side up and it fit perfectly.

We then put the nutcrackers away and put the pictures and knickknacks back in their usual places.  It took three boxes.  The above photo shows the TV and the items on top of it.

 I caught the mouse that has been eating the corn seeds.

 I reset the trap in case there is another mouse around.

I planted leek seeds in the 1206 tray.  One in each cell.  I used a small spoon, picked up one leek seed, and put it in each cell.  I covered each seed with vermiculite.  

I set the trap for the photo.  I later planted the seeds.

The corn seeds were put in three six packs.  Above the six packs is a 1206 tray holding 72 leek seedlings.

I planted one row of radishes, and two rows of Detroit red beets.   It takes about two weeks for the beets to germinated and one week for the radishes to germinate.

I cleaned the snow off the front sidewalk.


Comments and questions are welcome.

Transplanted the Blue Lake Pole Beans

Some friends of ours, the Richardsons, needed some cucumbers.

I picked four nice ones that were in house two.  They are 12 to 14 inches long.  

We drove to Fillmore for a few groceries this morning.  

I planted Blue Lake Pole beans several months ago.  They are large enough with a good root structure to transplant into raised be #1.

I made some holes with the dibbler.  It is hard to see the black holes in the black soil.  The red arrow points to two of them.

The hole and the bean plug are mate perfectly.  There are six cells in the six pack.  Some insect of slug ate off the leaves of one of them.  Hence, only five plants.  They will climb the twine in back of them.

I dug up the largest leek that I have ever grown.  It is laying on the 1206 tray which is 20 inches long.  I cut off the roots and soil.

I cut off the top and cleaned it up.

I shredded more papers this afternoon.  Raised bed #3 is completely covered with shredded papers.

I harvest some Italian parsley.  It has a nice flavor.

We had a little snow around twelve today.


Questions and comments are welcome,