Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[txcanoegirl]

Thanks Jill!

I've been told that peaches are a pain, lol. But, I got these 6ft trees for less than $10 last fall and they are varieties that are supposed to do well here. So, no, they are not well established at my place, but they were in huge 30 gallon pots, not bare root if that matters. I will probably go ahead and toss a sheet over that one, and maybe try the bucket trick too. I'm thinking I'm obsessing because it probably won't even get that cold. In fact, I just checked our local weather and now they're only calling for a low of 35...

I have never grown mayhaws, in fact have never even seen a mayhaw bush/tree that I know of. However, I have had mayhaw jelly and it's divine!

Years ago we had tons of dewberries along our fence line and I could pick for hours. Now I have goats - 'nuff said! Hence, the blackberries I have on the garden fence now. They're bigger and easier to pick, but they simply can't take away my childhood memories of a good dewberry cobbler!

I'm anxious to try the strawberries in the gutters. You're right though about keeping them watered. Maybe put some soaker hose... I specifically want to try it to keep the berries off the ground. We have a big problem with pill bugs and slugs and I really hope that raising them will help. I like to experiment, so I think it's worth a try!

Thanks for the tips and for suggesting the book. I think it may be something I need and would enjoy.

If the peaches are still in pots, I would protect them in freezing weather.

Mayhaws are in the hawthorn family. They are harder to find in the wild because of urban sprawl and woodlands being developed. The two I have aren't actually mine! They are on my mother's side of the boundary between our yards. They were propagated from an old family member's trees. They are lovely trees, even if you never harvested the fruit. One of the early blooming trees, like redbuds. Pretty white blooms on the mayhaw.

A drip system might be good for the gutters, too, wouldn't get them too wet. Maybe run the soaker hose above the gutters and let it drip down to all of them? And by putting them on the fence like that, you might keep the possums out!

I tried some tea today from blackberry and dewberry leaves. Much better than I expected...not all that different from black tea. Lighter in color, a mild astringent taste, but quite tasty. First time I used them. Used 'em fresh, not dried. I can see gathering and drying a lot now that I've had a taste. Also very good for you, especially cold, flu, stomach upsets. Not only medicinal, but safe for everyday use.

BTW... they sell the book on the website, but if you look for the book at Half Price Books, thrift store, or Amazon online used, my version is the 12th edition, updated in 2006. I don't know if there is a newer version or not. It is really good about being specific about which varieties will grow in our area, and if something is borderline, they tell you what the problems and considerations are, and what you have to do to baby it if you really want it anyway!

Jill

 

[pinkfox]

i ctually had an hydrophonics idea id like to try with strabwerries and gutters...put the gutters on the wall s a tslight angle so one end is higher than the other but just enough for a gentle flow...zig zag a few like this and put the growing medium in as you would any hydrophonic system...then a small fish pond/stock tan underneath it with a pond pump, you wouldnt need super immense flow, just constant flow. toss a few hardy fish in the tub/pond below, fih poop fertilies strawberry plantsand eeps them well watered, strawberries filter the fish poop water cycle continues, youll have to top up the pond occasionally but ithink it might work...i want to put in a little goldfish pond so this is somehting im thinking of tryingbut probably not untill enxt year. and thinking ll do 1 gutter of strawberries, another of herbs ect...the idea being the last gutter then becomes the "watefall" to your pond

 

[SSDreamin]

i ctually had an hydrophonics idea id like to try with strabwerries and gutters...put the gutters on the wall s a tslight angle so one end is higher than the other but just enough for a gentle flow...zig zag a few like this and put the growing medium in as you would any hydrophonic system...then a small fish pond/stock tan underneath it with a pond pump, you wouldnt need super immense flow, just constant flow. toss a few hardy fish in the tub/pond below, fih poop fertilies strawberry plantsand eeps them well watered, strawberries filter the fish poop water cycle continues, youll have to top up the pond occasionally but ithink it might work...i want to put in a little goldfish pond so this is somehting im thinking of tryingbut probably not untill enxt year. and thinking ll do 1 gutter of strawberries, another of herbs ect...the idea being the last gutter then becomes the "watefall" to your pond

Pink, that sounds like it would be beautiful!

 

[Wannabefree]

That does sound really cool, and inexpensive. Mind if I steal your idea and try it out in my greenhouse? Ya know, when i get my other million projects that are started finished...

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Now THAT is a cool idea! It doesn't even sound like it would be that hard to do - and I've always wanted a water feature....hmmmmmmm..

Thanks, Pink!

 

[pinkfox]

absolutly, i got the idea form people doing larger scale aquaphonic/hydrophinics in greenhouses using HUGE tubs and growing tilapia using little more tha a simple waterfall pump and those little clay beads...
if i can find a little pond pump cheap enough that has enough lift and a good stock tank to turn into a pond ill do it this year, but im thinking itll probably benext year before i get the chnce its going to be part of my meditation garden

you could easily do it against a wire fence ect too for easier acess from the back for havesting

and its definatly something i plan to do as i set up my greenhouses too if i can make them big enough ill grow tilapia or even a few catfish

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Get out of my head! LOL

DH and I were just talking about a meditation garden. I like the way you think, Pink!

 

[Wannabefree]

That is gonna be one cool project!! It is also kinda what i had in mind prior to life getting a little bit confounded lately Needless to say it got pushed WAYYYY back to the back burner.

ETA: Guess I should clarify, my actual idea involved swimming pool and lots of floating trays, so much larger scale. I think I can squeeze this in soon though

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I just finished my breakfast of two big beautiful chocolate covered strawberries. One of the gals in our program brought us all a 4-pack yesterday. I had two yesterday and finished 'em this morning. Yum! I usually don't eat store bought strawberries unless they're organic - but who can turn down a chocolate covered one? They were sooooo good.

I'm cautiously optimistic about at least one goose egg. I candled last night and it looks like one little gosling had penetrated the airsack. I could see it's little beak moving around! I'm hoping for pipping by today. In fact, today is day 28 so this might actually happen. I'm afraid to get too excited, cuz even getting 'em to this point doesn't guarantee successful hatch....

I think this weekend is supposed to be beautiful, even if it's a little cool. I might go get some fence posts and work on replacing some that have rotted off... We've 'patched' them with metal posts, but it really looks kinda tacky. I can deal with tacky to a certain point - but after awhile it begins to gnaw at me and I have to do some fixin' up!

One of the students in my program needs to earn some extra money for a retreat he's taking over spring break, so he offered to work this weekend. I've had him out to work a couple times already and he's a beast, lol! He's strong and energetic and a very hard worker - and a big eater, lol. I always try to have something big for lunch and he always makes me glad I did. He comes from a large family and they don't have a lot of money so I always send him home with something. Around thanksgiving I had an 'extra' turkey that I sent home with him. This time he'll get a couple dozen eggs for sure. There are five boys in their family and even if they weren't low income I know it would be hard to feed them all!

I'm gonna try to get one more blueberry plant. After talking to my mom she suggested that I try not to squeeze three of them into an 8 foot bed. So, I'll go ahead and get one more plant and put two eacj into each of the 8 foot beds I have. Until they grow some more, I'll still have room to plant a couple things between them. I've got plans for a bunch more beds anyway - it's just coming up with enough dirt/compost/organic matter to fill the beds that's the problem. I might have to break down and pay to have some top soil brougt in and that ain't gonna be cheap...$$$

 

[Denim Deb]

Wish he was closer to me! I could use an energetic young man to help me at times. Only problem being, I couldn't pay him, so that probably wouldn't work. Oh well.