Some of the times I was at my computer and with a catalog in hand I was making a new seed list.  I was going to order today, but time flew by and didn't get it done.  

I filled the shedder bin last night.  I put on my boots and took the shreds out to the garden where I dumped them on top of the other shreds.

I planted seeds cilantro seeds in the tray that contains 105 cells.  The seeds are fairly large and could pick them up with my fingers.

I covered the seeds with vermiculite.  I cut the most of the top of the bag away to make it easier to get the vermiculite. There is not much left.   I filled the small picture with vermiculite and poured it out gently on the seeds.

I planted beet seeds in the top tray and in the bottom tray was the cilantro.   I covered them with the vermiculite.  

I put together a bag of vegetables.  In the zip bag were radishes, salad onions, and Italian parsley. A small CSA.

The potting soil contains wood pieces, peat moss, and perlite.  Filling the 105 tray is a little difficult because that sticks and some of the peat moss won't fit in those small cells.  I made this sieve that would remove the larger pieces.

I always lock the chickens up of the night.  It was dark when I went out tonight.  I took a flashlight which makes it easier to put the door into place and let it slide into place.


Comments and questions are welcome.

Fixing, Weeding, & Soil Prep.

First thing after breakfast is to water the baskets.  Then I fixed the thermostat in house six.  I had to take off the cover and move the red wire on the right so it did not touch any metal.  Of course, I turned off the power.  I fixed it and turned the power back on.  When it got hotter in the late morning, the fans turned on automatically.

 I filled the little sprayer with water and a half cup of round-up. I sprayed weeds starting north of house one to the tomato plants in the north garden.  There is a lot of morning glory and some annual weeds.  I used a piece of plywood and wood clamps to shield the tomato plants from any weed killer spray.

We drove to Fillmore for groceries and to get a half in garden hose connecter.  I got the hose from Walmart which cost about $8.00  It is picture above.  We also bought some snail, slug, and grasshopper bait.

This evening I looked over a half our before I found it in the car.  It had rolled under the passenger's seat.  I put the bait in to three green houses and the  two flower beds north of the house.

After lunch I prepared the south garden for watermelon and Topaz melon planting.  I used the tiller to make two rows north of the grape vines and two rows south of the grape vined.  Topaz melons will be planted on the north side and Crimson Sweet on the south side.  This should have been nearly two months ago. I tilled the place for the row and then made a farrow. I run water down each row to make the ground softer for planting tomorrow.

While I was making the farrows I saw an apricot on the apricot tree in the orchard.  There was only one.   I picked it and took it two the house.  There I cut it in half.  I ate half and Carol got the other half.

This is a nice Elder Berry plant.  Several years ago I dumped the elderberry fruits in the garden  A couple of years ago seed germinated and has grown into a nice size bush.  It was laying on the ground.  I drove a pipe into the ground and tied it to the pipe with some twine.  It is now standing up like a bush.

There is flowers and fruits on the same stem.

There are a lot of milk weeds growing west of the driveway garden.  I cut off all the blossoms and pods that are beginning to grow.  I wanted to save the plants for the Monarch butterfly, but I didn't want anymore.

I water everyday and sometimes twice a day the plants in house three.  I keep them too wet or not wet enough.  I cleaned out a spot in pad one for the pictured plants above and below.  The pad fills up automatically with water every three days.   These are being tested to see if they will get enough water.  I may have to change it to every other day.

I am getting control of the weeds in house one.  I hoed out the weeds out of the row in the above picture.

I was going out to house two to shut off the water and nearly stepped on this frog/toad.  I haven't seen one of these for several years.

Comments and questions are welcome.

Major Tomato Planting

Yesterday, I filled the cracks and holes with Elmer's Putty.  This morning I sanded both benches, even though, only one bench is shown.  There were numerous cracks and low spots that did not get filled.  I applied more putty.  I may sand it again in the morning.

I am having trouble with the jointer.  It is set for cutting 3/16 of an inch of wood which makes it hard to hold and to keep edge of the wood against the fence.  There is a wheel to turn to move feed table up of down,  When I turn it nothing moves.  I worked on it for over an hour.  I sprayed WD-40 on all parts that should move, but nothing moved.  I loosened some small bolts.  That didn't help.  There is a knob that looks like I could pull it back and that would release the feed table.  Using a wrench, I loosed the knob nut.  I tapped the feed table with a small hammer to jar it loose.  Finally the knob pulled loose and it was fixed.  I then tested it with several boards and was able to make a smooth face or edge on the board.

I decided to do some tomato planting.  The potting soil was so dry and dusty.  I gave it a lot of water and stirred it in.  It takes a couple of hours for the soil to completely soak up the water.  I left it like that and begin to get the tomato seeds.

I gathered up some of the seeds.  I have a computer and a label printer in the little bedroom.  I laid the seed packets in alphabetical order on the bed.  Then I made two labels of the seeds.  One to attach to a plastic stick and the other one to keep in a journal of some type as a record of what I planted and when it was planted.

The above tray is a recycled plug tray in which I got liners for different flowers which I grew to a larger size before selling.  It has seven rows with fifteen cells in each row.   Or look at it another way there are fifteen rows with seven cells in each row.  I planted seven seed of each variety.  I watered it and placed it on the heating mat.  Two of the three heating mats are plugged in.

Here is a close-up of the labels.  Zoom in a little and you can read them.

I need a box to hold my seeds where I can keep them in alphabetical order.  I had a plan, but I really struggle to get it right.  I got all pieces glued up.  I am letting the glue set all night.


Comments and questions are welcome.