RD & Gwyn's In-Town Homestead

[Gwynmael]

Had to take a break for a few days. The cold/wet weather had me aching something fierce. Plus paint primer doesn't dry nor does concrete set when it's raining.

We were able to get a few things done between rain bands (Thurs/Fri) and the next major step done on the coop yesterday. It started raining about 5:30 yesterday evening and isn't supposed to stop until around 2am tomorrow.

Changed the bolt direction - nice catch Dode, thanks.


Side door and chicken door on. I was able to get them completely primered (plus the areas from the bolt direction changed on the nesting box doors). I'm still not sure what type of "catch" I'm going to use on them. I picked up a couple of different types/sizes (plain hook & eye, safety hook & eye, hasp (and a couple of carabiners to use as "locks"), even have a door chain lock - thought that might work well to hold the chicken door up). Suggestions are welcome.




Major step on the coop -- Roof/truss/gable ends! Tarp wrapped for rain protection.






The tree branches in the last pic is the mulberry tree, which is finally producing edible fruit again! The city hacked it (the main trunk is on the outside of the fence), and the male tree at the east corner, to pieces several years ago.
Tomorrow, the metal roofing will be installed!! ~Happy Dance~

Then it's just outside caulking, more painting, some finish trim and other type stuff, figuring out how to place and secure roosts, chicken ramp, etc. We're definitely entering the homestretch on the build! We will then need to set fence posts, stabilize and secure the wood fence, install fencing and gates (yes, we're putting in two - one right by the nesting boxes and one at the other end of the run area). RD is going to build me some pvc feeders ( http://www.instructables.com/id/PVC-Chicken-Feeder/ thanks Nichevo!), that build he's actually looking forward to. lol We'll need waterers and feed, and finally the hens. Still crossing my fingers that it can all be accomplished by the 1st. Not holding my breath though as we have MORE rain in the forecast for much of the coming week.


Small update on the garden - straight neck squash popped up and it looks like definitely three but possibly four of the pole bean plants survived their interaction with the dogs.

[Tex]

You guys have it looking good. It's too bad you can't have a milk goat in your backyard. Contrary to popular belief, it does not take very much ground to lead a fairly self sufficient lifestyle. Even on a small patch of dirt though, it does take alot of effort and time.



Tex

[nichevo]

Looking really good Gwyn and RD. You are in the homestretch!

[tk]

looking good guys.

[Dode]

One thing I learned about gardening is that the bugs will get almost everything if you aren't diligent with Sevin dust or some kind of homemade spray. Flea beetles ruined my eggplant crop one year. Another year, they got my cabbages. I had an awesome plot of sweet potatoes; at harvest, I found them full of holes from wire worms. It's a learning process for sure. Always had good luck with tomatoes, sweet/hot peppers, okra, beans. There's a bug that lays its eggs inside the stalk of the squash plant. When the larvae start growing, they suck the plant of its juices, causing it to wilt and die. At the first sign of the crumbly, tawny colored debris on the stalk base, slit open the stalk, going with the grain at that spot, and dig out the larvae. Try not to damage the stalk too much. Close the slit and pack wet soil over it; keep it damp. Sometimes the plant lives, sometimes it doesn't. Keeping the squash sprayed with Sevin dust (over, under and at base of stalks) can prevent the bug from laying the eggs in the stalks. I think it's the Mediterranean Fly that causes the problems. If you do your spraying in the morning when the dew is there, the dust will stick.

To till or not to till? With root crops, it's good to till. Tilling brings the wireworms to the surface and they don't reproduce as well. By the third year of tilling, your root crops will be worm free. If I ever do another root crop in virgin soil, I'll go ahead and douse the soil with something to kill them the first year. It's hard seeing your harvest a complete waste. I had to toss every single sweet potato, as they were riddled through and through with wire worms.

I know it doesn't sound right using chemicals, but Sevin Dust is one that isn't as bad as some of the others. Hot pepper spray might work for some applications. With both of these, if it rains, you reapply. Good luck with your back yard garden!

[Dode]

Something that I've done to keep down the weeds, is after everything is planted, is to lay 2 sheets of newspaper all over the garden, as close to the plants as possible, and then put straw on top of it. This really cuts down on weeds and retains soil moisture.

My cousin never did this and he watered every week. I watered 2 times for the whole season. I did have soaker hoses under the newspaper, but this newspaper technique can be done w/o them. If you have a dry spell, just turn on your sprinklers for a day and that will be enough for another couple of weeks if it's still in a drought. The newspapers keep the moisture from evaporating.

The newspaper and straw will help build up your soil, just till it in every year. In the fall, add all your leaves to the garden, too. My first few years, I used a homemade bagging system on my riding mower. That way the leaves were chopped well and I just dumped them on the garden. I always had about 2' of leaves on the garden. In the Spring, I laid an old pool cover over the garden for a few weeks and it solarized the soil. The heat generated would kill bugs and weeds and break down the leaves even more. In raised beds, you can use a garden fork to turn the leaves under. I did this for 10 years and ended up with some really good soil in that part of the yard.

Check out my Garden Album and you can see the homemade leaf bagger. I collected leaves from 4 yards the first few years, just to build up the soil. The neighbors loved me.

[RD]

I use soap water for my tomatoes and peppers it has done me well for a lot of years, I don't do chemicals on any of my plants. I also put newspapers and straw down in my tomato and pepper garden.


RD

[Dode]

I use soap water for my tomatoes and peppers it has done me well for a lot of years, I don't do chemicals on any of my plants. I also put newspapers and straw down in my tomato and pepper garden.


RD

That's great! Do you think it would work for flea beetles on eggplant? I've never put anything on my tomatoes, peppers, gr. beans or okra. I wonder why bugs don't bother them? The squash plants with the med fly....that's a problem for me. I wonder if soapy water would work for that?

I was supposed to be rotary plowing the garden this week. The knee and ankle is a bit of a problem. We'll see.

[Gwynmael]

#$%^&*@# rain! It was supposed to be done around 0200 this morning. Then we had another thunderstorm hit around 0730 and it poured until 0900.

During the rain yesterday




After the additional thunderstorm this morning




It's like trying to stand on top of pudding


ALL of the post holes were completely full of water. No, none of the posts were set in concrete yet.






Due to how just completely sloppy the ground is, the metal roofing could not be installed. There was just no safe way to use ladders. Hopefully next weekend.
Also due to how humid it is, no caulking or painting could be done. RD was able to get the latchings done on both the side swing doors and the chicken door. He also installed safety hook & eyes for holding them open.






We couldn't even work on reinforcing the rear fence. While I know my area has needed the rain and that the over 3" we got this weekend is nowhere as bad as our TX and OK members have been dealing with, it's still frustrating to have the build repeatedly stalled.

[Gwynmael]

Dode, it can work for the flea beetles. But it's definitely NOT a once and done method. RD uses a pump sprayer with water and basic dish detergent. You have to shake it so it foams and diligently spray the plants, especially the underside of leaves. He typically does it every other or every third day.

The squash beetles I'm concerned about. Usually non-chemical methods won't kill them, so I'll be checking the plants daily to pick off any I see.

Another thing we do in the North bed with the tomatoes and peppers - if we see a "garden" spider elsewhere around the place, we'll transport it in there and let it feast. I don't know what kind of spider it actually is, it's an orb weaver and looks like it was in the room when Jackson Pollack was painting (it looks splashed with lines of color on it's back). I'll make sure to take pics when we get one this year.

[nichevo]

Gwyn, I wish my yard looked as good as yours. We got POUNDED again today with rain. The rain was so hard you couldn't even see 10 ft out the window. I'm going to be cleaning out the goat shed tomorrow morning as the entire floor is drenched.

[Dode]

GWYN.... that's a lot of water! Does it do that every Spring? Hey, that's a great idea about transplanting the Garden Spiders! I think they are quite lovely; scare the dickens out of most folks, though. There are tons of spiders here, mostly field spiders that are a stripey brown and get quite large and they eat plenty. The straw mulch in the garden gives them a safe place to live..woohoo!

I just got jacked around by Lowes. They advertised a special offer on a 205 cc wood chipper for $489. After paying for it, waiting a month, driving 80 miles, 8 phone tags and now a manager saying they can't get it, but would sell me a more expensive one, I'm ready to explode. They just broke two of MO's statutes. I think my cousin lawyer should file a lawsuit for me, just to screw with them. I ended up ordering from WalMart the same thing that Lowes couldn't get, and at the same price.

I wanted to do all this wood chipping back at the first of the month when it was 70 degrees.... not in June at 85 degrees.

[Dode]

I wish I had goats and all that lovely manure laden straw. Actually, I did quite well with bunny poo and straw a couple of years ago (I had a goat for one day and then the Goat Nazi showed up at my door).

[Gwynmael]

Dode - no, it doesn't. We've had some short term flooding there when it's poured but it's usually gone within an hour after it stops raining. We've been in this house for 15 years and it's the worst it's ever been. Probably due to three dogs and the area that's now covered in straw (just mud btw) used to grow grass.

RD and the neighbor agreed today to split the cost of renting a trencher so they can put french drains in on both sides of the fence. That area on his side of the fence pools water too, just not quite as bad.

That stinks about Lowe's.

[Gwynmael]

Today's update --

While a lot of it has dried up, there's still a bit of standing water in our "swamp" area. And most of the post holes have drained, except for one. Yay! ~sigh~ Just in time for more rain forecast for late tonight, tomorrow, and Friday. Regional metro weather said this morning that today is only the 4th dry day we've had in the MONTH of May! yikes





Coop - RD installed the trim boards needed to help close up/cover some gaps and I proceeded to caulk the heck out of them (on the outside). I also laid some sticky-backed vinyl tile to the inside floor. This is in effort to help the floor last longer and be a bit easier to clean. I'm not quite finished with those as I have to figure out how to get the corners and end pieces to fit in around the obstructions. I miscounted when I bought them and was one short for the laying boxes. However, those three aren't sticking anyway so I'm pulling them.

I used up the last of the primer on the new items installed. Items to do remaining: finish laying the vinyl tile, figure out how to deal with the light/air gaps at the top of the egg retrieval doors, roosts (build & install), grind off pokey ends of screws on the inside of coop, finish painting, roof material install; then all the stuff needed for fencing; feeders built, waterers hung, litter material, feed bought; HENS bought. Then we're done.