I’m finally somewhat used to my new computer (although I still can’t use the current photo program; I’m used to the old Picasa 3, which I can’t currently download as it has been replaced). I’m back to printing labels for our seed business, copying orders, and doing Backwoods Home and Self-Reliance stuff.
Yesterday/last night, we had our first bout of freezing rain, which turned to snow, leaving half an inch of ice on everything and snow on the top. I’m glad the snow came. That six inches covered the ice pretty well so I’m not teetering and tottering when I’m out doing chores. I have friends in different areas around here that have fallen as they didn’t get as much snow to cover that dratted ice. However, today the sun’s out and it is warming up fast. Hooray! We need the moisture, but I don’t want to risk a fall. My knees are finally starting to improve. (Do I dare say that out loud?) I don’t want any setbacks. Yes, I have slip-on ice cleats, but I leave those for when it’s awful out as they’re hard for me to get on with limited knee bending.
While it was snowing, I got busy and canned up a wonderful batch of ham. We had some for dinner too. Yum! Now we have lots of dinner material in the pantry for another time.
I’ve noticed a funny thing with seeds. I planted a dozen Oda purple sweet pepper seeds in Jiffy Pellets and only had four come up. I replanted several more, from the same pack, in ProMix, in a small container and in five days, they’re popping up like popcorn. Same seeds, same heat, same moisture. The other peppers are already getting their third set of leaves in the peat pellets. Why? Who the heck knows! Weird. So, folks, if you have this or that variety of seeds that refuse to come up, don’t immediately think “bad seeds,” maybe just bad vibes?
This week I’m starting my first tomatoes. As we have about 121 varieties, it does take longer than most folks’ planting. And I’m slower at it, I think. They, too, are going in the peat pellets as it’s faster and easier to separate varieties and label them. I loved Lisa Nourse’s article on soil blocks in the recent BHM issue. Maybe next year I’ll give those a try, at least for some of our crops. Holy cow, I just wrote down the bean varieties we’ll be growing this year. There are a lot of them! A few new ones customers have sent us and, of course, plenty of our old favorite stand-by’s like Iroquois and Crawford. I can’t wait to get in the garden. But first, let’s wait until the ice and snow has melted, huh?
— Jackie
Don’t give up on Picassa. I used it for years until they phased it out and then spent millions (not really) trying to find a replacement. Finally, after multiple searches, I found a version of Picassa still available if you search diligently. It seems to work fine.
Jackie, I’m glad to hear things are improving for you What a lovely calf, too .the snow is beginning to melt leaving bare patches and large piles of snow from shoveling looking a bit forlorn, with big dirty lumps. I got my indoor greenhouse with heat mats, grow lights set up with cuttings and some seeds planted. I’ve got to do more in the morning. We discovered our two car garage is not water proof. A separate structure from the house and we call it the barn to keep it separate from our house garage. It not only leaked top down but from the bottom too and froze with sheets of ice on the floor. Books got wet, Christmas stuff, keepsakes, the curtains I been looking for mildew cover parts of them. What disaster! So instead of planting seeds I’m fighting with this ghastly mess. I’m not throwing out my books but I’m stacking them on any dry supportive things. I’m putting pallets down to elevate this mess. I had no idea this structure would leak that much. No one sealed the gaps and edges around the seams. So I get to do it this summer. I have to say I not looking forward to climbing a tall ladder to the roof but we can’t afford to hire anyone to do it. Mwheelchair and was hospitalized twice this past year. This why the barn has so much of our things in there. We’re still getting shelves put together after moving here two years ago. This past year got delayed with me also being in the hospital and a bad case of the flu for almost a month followed by bronchitis. Oh yippee. Not. I refuse to give in though. Then I need to arrange for a knee replacement. Not looking forward to that after hearing all your struggles.
I’m hoping to sell some tomatoes, peppers and herbs at the farmers market days in larger town about an hour away. I been trying to figure out how many plants to sell from. I’ve a sizable yard and for the most part lawns are over rated. Sometimes I feel like a one legged man in a kicking contest with everything I have to do or want to do. Oh well such is life! X
Boy, I sure hear you Cat! Our life is like that too. A corner of our old goat shed is coming apart and I’ve got to get that fixed. Then there’s the seed business, writing, getting ready for gardening….. Yep. I hear you! I’m sorry you had to go through all those health issues. I’ve got to let you know my knees are FINALLY (I think!) starting to hurt less. I’m able to walk further and stand longer in one place than before and the pain doesn’t wake me up at night. I think I over-did things when they were “fresh” and that probably didn’t help. Most folks heal up and get over the pain much faster than I did.
I used to sell at several farmer’s markets as a side hustle and that plus selling bedding plants helped out a lot.
Your calf is awesome! Glad you’re getting everything planted.
She’s running around now and growing like a weed. I love the calves!!
I just finished filling 4 x 4 pots to plant peppers and tomatoes and wetting down the soil.will plant tomorrow with 2024 seeds. We have had lows in single digits and highs around 40 for the last week but the hoop houses and green house topped at 65!
Great Howard! We haven’t fired up our greenhouse yet. We’re planning on April 1st as the temps are supposed to moderate by then. Today 50 ABOVE and lows in the twenties after highs in the 30’s and lows in the single digits. But we saw our first Robin today so spring’s on the way.
I too had problems with Jiffy Pots, less than a fourth came up but planted in Pro Mix most all came up. Sometimes I think the Jiffy Pots have been contaminated with something. Also many bagged manure and garden soils are contaminated with Garzon. I have know first hand people who lost most of their garden due to that product coming through anything with “hay waste” in it. Also locale sourced manure from animals being fed bought feed made from hay sprayed with Grazon. I always ask about feed before accepting manure and try to warn people about it.
One lady took free loads of hay and manure after a livestock show and ending up moving due to all her garden and flowers dying.
Wow, thanks for the heads up, Sharon. I hadn’t heard of this but will check before buying any bales or manure in future.
Yes, Grazon is getting to be a real problem for many gardeners. What a shame that is to put such lethal chemicals on hayfields!! Fortunately, that practice hasn’t found its way up here in Northern Minnesota. Yet. We cut our own hay and know our manure is totally safe. Thank God!
I am so far behind with my garden that I think I am in first place (I don’t see anyone in front of me). I have almost given up on getting anything started (should have weeks ago!) for the spring garden. However, where I am, I can transplant tomato and pepper seeds in July and harvest through about mid November. Have 9 kids all on the bucket and another batch of kids due…….. Milking all the does is real time consuming. In awe of what all you and Will do.
Tami, that bump on the horizon is me. Waved
Hey, you can only do what you can do. Once we planted potatoes for the fifth time, on the 4th of July. Guess what? We harvested 500 pounds of BIG potatoes when I figured I might get a few little ones to can. Don’t feel bad; just do what you can do and let God handle the rest.
Jackie, Keep posting new ideas for canning, like ham! Great idea!
Glad to hear how your knees are doing. I’m six weeks out from my knee replacement surgery, and pt said not to push myself so hard, that there’s plenty of time. At the doctor today, evidently there’s no problem with scar tissue as a result of aggressive home/pt exercise. My degrees for straight are near zero, and bend near 120. Still, it feels like I’m walking on a block of wood in my knee; it’s numb from the top of the knee to top of foot. Geez.
You’re doing great. Just hang in there. I had pain and then numbness above and below my knees but it’s slowly getting better. You don’t always recover as fast as some people said they did. If they did, that’s great. I didn’t. But I am getting better, day by day. Without the knee replacement, it would have just gotten worse and worse.
Regarding the peppers, maybe the moon was in the correct phase for above ground crops when you planted the second batch in the pro mix?
No, I don’t think it was that or it would have affected all the peppers planted the same day. Only my Odas were stubborn. The second planting is going gangbusters!!
Oh your calf is the cutest!! I just love how you share about your garden! Don’t feel bad about your knees and back. At this age we are all in the same boat
We are happy to share produce from our garden. We have the land, seeds and equipment some folks do not have. We don’t want to do farmers market but are happy to give our extras away to deserving folks.
Wow you are busy- the celery seed I got from you has done well and today I transplanted to individual pots. Tomatoes started today-if the all grow it wil be 128 plants. The peppers are growing and I’ve transplanted them once. The onion seedlings look great. We had a brief snowfall that melted. Tomorrow I’ll get my wizard grandson Bo to help me with my computer. I’d be sunk without him. We have around 10 new calves and 20 yet to deliver. Only had to pull one. Maple syrup all canned up-20 pints. Now cleaning out chicken coop-a job I’m not fond of (all by hand-pitchfork and shovel). I have many takers for the excess eggs. I emptied two compost piles in the garden. It’s all hard on the knees and back-a “good tired” at night.
Yep, spring sure brings its business, doesn’t it? You’ve been busy too, I see. How I wish we had maples here. There are a very few Silver Maples, but they are very young. You’re ahead of me. I will start transplanting peppers in a week so they can go out in the heated greenhouse. Our living room is starting to get crowded with the little plastic covered greenhouses holding peppers and tomatoes!
I sure sleep better at night after a good day’s work.