Michigan

[Dascountry]

I have not planted any lettuce yet, but I really need to get the rest of that garden weeded, raked and planted with lettuce. Do you know, can it survive hard freezes because it seems to drop to 28 every other night here. This would be early for me to plant it outside simply because there is no snow and the ground as thawed! It's as though I have to rethink everything this year so nothing is second nature! I actually planted 10 potato chunks today, around here the potato farmers usually wait till May 1. At least according to my FIL.

But my chicks arrived today so I'm sort of staying inside watching them. Plus it's really windy out there, only 50 degrees yet it feels about 38! Sunny though which is nice.

My tomatoes in the basement are finally getting their first set of true leaves, I may be able to plant some to bigger pots in another week or so. They seem to be growing so slowly, or am I just over anxious? Been a few years since I've started my own.

This is the first time I've started tomatoes so can't help you out there. The lettuce I'm not to sure on either as you said this is a rethink everything year I'm gunna plant some outside on Saturday I think, just to see :tools
My chicks are are 6 and 7 weeks old now. I love watching them. They finally come up to me when they hear my voice. ALL 47 of them I must of been crazy when I ordered them!
Have fun getting to know yours.

 

[swampducks]

47 chicks at once! I've got 25 more coming first week of June and the others will still be too young to eat, etc, so I guess in June I'll be overrun. Never really thought about it that way before.

Too dang chilly and windy today to do anything outside but walk the dogs. I did finally get my new cell phone working, old number and minutes transferred over. Took a 45 minute call last night to one guy who was clueless and left me with nothing. Today's call was 2 hours and 15 minutes and talked to 4 different people fixing last night's mess. Got them to give me 60 free minutes for my trouble. Should have been at least 2 hours but last time I had a more minor problem they wouldn't give me anything. Nice to have a phone again as I don't have a land line.

what kind of chicks did you get? I got golden buffs and blue andalusians.

 

[Dascountry]

47 chicks at once! I've got 25 more coming first week of June and the others will still be too young to eat, etc, so I guess in June I'll be overrun. Never really thought about it that way before.

Too dang chilly and windy today to do anything outside but walk the dogs. I did finally get my new cell phone working, old number and minutes transferred over. Took a 45 minute call last night to one guy who was clueless and left me with nothing. Today's call was 2 hours and 15 minutes and talked to 4 different people fixing last night's mess. Got them to give me 60 free minutes for my trouble. Should have been at least 2 hours but last time I had a more minor problem they wouldn't give me anything. Nice to have a phone again as I don't have a land line.

what kind of chicks did you get? I got golden buffs and blue andalusians.

Overrun is right....but boy what fun. I several different kinds. More barred rock then anything else. Two turkens, two feathered feets, one red sexlink (one of my favorites), several golden buffs a couple silver wyndottes, anyways what I did was ordered the standard sized brown layer mix from McMurries and got the barred rocks from down by Mio. I think I have only about 6 roosters. Still a little hard to tell yet. All but two of them will be going to the freezer.

And I agree with you about the wind today. It would of been a really nice one if the wind wasn't so darn cold!

I think we are in for a hard frost tonight If that's the case I won't be planting any lettuce this weekend. That'll mean its still to cold out. I know the lettuce is a cold weather crop but not that cold! Burrrrrr

We don't have a land line either. When we moved here 10 years ago they estimated it would be $12000.00 to put a line in. We're 1/2 mile at least from the nearest line, and it would have to all be underground like our power. I couldn't see paying them that much so they could charge me monthly for the service, the power was bad enough. But at least we were charged for above ground seeings on how they had to come so far back. And by regulations it HAD to be underground. We use to have to go up on the hill to use the cell.....thank heavens now all we have to do is stand by the window LOL

 

[swampducks]

When we moved here 12 years ago there was no phone line so it cost us $900 to have them bring one in under the 1/4 mile driveway. We needed it for dial-up and we didn't own cell phones. I think it was pretty much all 2 year contract phones back then so in the long run, we thought, the phone line would be okay. I didn't know DH would just nuke the thing a couple years ago!

Very hard frost last night, I had only covered the small rosebushes and one lilac. I am sick to death of having to do this. With so many possible frost dates left I think it will all be for naught anyway. I know one small rose had lots of crispy leaves yesterday so the sheet blew off once before already or else it just isn't enough.

In June I'll have a few buckeyes, blue laced red wyandottes dark cornish and dominiques coming. My very first issue of Backyard Poultry had an article on dominiques which got me interested in chickens in the first place but this will be the first year I've had them. Ought to be an interesting summer. Going to be so hard to decide who to keep! I wonder if I could sell a few to good homes? Eating them all just seems so wrong!

 

[Dascountry]

When we moved here 12 years ago there was no phone line so it cost us $900 to have them bring one in under the 1/4 mile driveway. We needed it for dial-up and we didn't own cell phones. I think it was pretty much all 2 year contract phones back then so in the long run, we thought, the phone line would be okay. I didn't know DH would just nuke the thing a couple years ago!

Very hard frost last night, I had only covered the small rosebushes and one lilac. I am sick to death of having to do this. With so many possible frost dates left I think it will all be for naught anyway. I know one small rose had lots of crispy leaves yesterday so the sheet blew off once before already or else it just isn't enough.

In June I'll have a few buckeyes, blue laced red wyandottes dark cornish and dominiques coming. My very first issue of Backyard Poultry had an article on dominiques which got me interested in chickens in the first place but this will be the first year I've had them. Ought to be an interesting summer. Going to be so hard to decide who to keep! I wonder if I could sell a few to good homes? Eating them all just seems so wrong!

$900 would of been fine for me, but TWELVE THOUSAND was out of the question. $1200 would of been fine too.

Can you believe my Iris leaves have turned brown from this cold weather? They have always been so hardy

I know what you mean about hard to decide who to keep. I have a friend who wants to buy a few laying hens once they mature. But I know I'll still have more to sell also. I thought I'd try Craigslist.

Sun is out this afternoon but still a bit chilly.

 

[Jared77]

Alright you 2 roped me in. I had to comment. I've been bad this year I haven't covered anything. Our rhododenrons looks AWFUL stick like and each year they just don't do as well. Follow the directions on the Holly Tone, prepped the bed for them, and they still look "eh" at best.

Tulips are just now opening but they are not in full sun more like partial and sheltered by the house. Our bleeding hearts are doing good which amazes me they took a licking and just keep coming back every year looking great. Its like they thrive on being ignored.

Garden still needs to be turned over its just sitting idle right now. Grounds been so soft or wet. I have onions and shallot sets to start but until I can get the whole garden turned over. Otherwise can't get the tractor in there, so that means using a rototiller. And at 2000sq ft Id rather not have to do it that way.

Its been cool but sunny. Hope we can get a few more decent days and we can get the garden prepped for the Memorial day planting binge.

 

[swampducks]

HI Jared! Nice to have another person pop into the thread.

I love bleeding hearts but don't have any. Don't really know why. I tried astilbe one year, they didn't make it through winter. I have problems with shade loving plants, I think it may be my soil, since I live in a cedar swamp it's probably very acidic. Do you know if bleeding hearts would mind acid soil? I do have access to lots of wood ash, I think that makes things more alkaline. The wood stove has plenty of ash whenever I want it.

It's made it to 49 here which is slightly warmer than yesterday. I'm expecting another freeze tonight low of 28 predicted. *sigh* I really do need to get more snow peas planted but I'll be busy all weekend, maybe Sunday. Two of DH's siblings and a spouse are up till Sunday. Fish fry at the farm tonight, I'm bringing the wine. Shopping in Alpena tomorrow. May rain Sunday. *sigh*

That heat wave sure messed with my expectations!

Memorial day is so far away.

 

[Dascountry]

Hi Jared, I agree with Swampducks its nice you dropped by, come on in and chat anytime. We reached a high of 46 today And we did get a hard frost last night. My tulips are only showing their leaves. And are in full sun! I do have 4 daffadils that have bloomed though. Lots more to go. But I'm farther north then both of you I miss being in Millington. We lived there for 20 years. I've done enough whinning.

I transplanted a couple tomatoe plants to larger pots today. I need to check my list and see what else I need to get started.

Swampducks have a nice visit with the family and enjoy the fish fry

 

[Jared77]

I honestly don't remember the soil preference of Bleeding Hearts. We prepped the soil I do know that because when we transplanted them I didn't think they'd make it. They took a beating when we moved so I felt bad and actually tried to save them. I know I mixed in a fair amount of humus, but that was really it. They have hostas around them and they look great. Nice way to get some variety in height and leaf texture/shape.

They may be getting too wet if your near the cedar swamp. If its a shaded area the ground may not be drying up enough and the roots may be dying. I don't know but thats the first thing I thought of.

We've got tulips that are budded but haven't opened yet. Our hyacinths bloomed beautifully. So did our crocus. But then crocus never let me down. For my wife and I they are always the first sign of spring and we love them for that. We plant them near the door and other areas that we can easily see them so when they bloom we get excited.

Our daffodils never do anything. I went to the trouble of planting some and all I get is a few scraggly leaves that never do anything. I'm pretty much over them. I don't pull them, but I've given up any expectations for them. Id rather plant more hyacinths they are MUCH prettier and come in a wider range of colors. I did see the hostas popping up at the YMCA when we took our daughter to the open swim. I still can't believe it.

Swampducks family is what really matters and I'm jealous your going to a fish fry. LOVE 'em. Nothing like pan fried Walleye cooked over a wood fire. Thats how we do it here and the thought of it already has me lol

Alright so what's going in your 2012 gardens?

 

[swampducks]

Fish fry was great, It was walleye caught by a bunch of my nephews. Also french fries done right in a fryer. My MIL made her own coleslaw which is the only one I can eat because I hate cabbage but hers doesn't taste like cabbage. My sourdough wheat bread accompanied it and my MIL's homemade creamed corn, so much cream and butter in it I could feel my arteries clogging. We brought the white wine, all MI from the Leelanau Peninsula (went there last fall for our 25th anniversary). And dessert was pineapple upside down cake. I was stuffed!

After much chatting till nearly 10 pm we finally came home, got my dogs back from my dog-sitting neighbors. then about 20 minutes later, their 10 year old yellow lab, Yogi escaped, barreled past my house, and took Ziggy with him. Luna started after them but she comes back when called. Ziggy is only a year old, half beagle and beagles are hard headed. Acres and acres of swamp out here, no point looking for them. So I tried to go to sleep, still awake at 2, ended up taking various pills to get some sleep, barely got 4. I am exhausted and feel fuzzy as the pills haven't worn off yet. Drinking black tea to try and wake up, can't drink coffee, too much caffeine is really bad for me. My neighbor called at 7:30, (had woken back up at 6 anyway) they were back muddy but undamaged. Last time Yogi escaped, about 3 weeks ago he and his buddy Tank had to have about 394 quills removed by the vet. Thank goodness they didn't find a porcupine last night!

My tomatoes in their little pots are looking pretty good, I think another week before transplanting them to the 4" pots I have. And every one of the dianthus seeds, there were 16 in the package have come up and looking very good. I can never get those to grow so I am pretty excited about it. The nurseries up here don't seem to carry many varieties of them.

My earliest daffodils are blooming they're the solid yellow King Alfred I think. I'm wondering Jared, how deep did you plant yours? Six inches is deep enough, any deeper and they just won't do it. Have you tried fertilizer? I bought almost all of mine from Brecks. Got a couple of those cheapo packages from wal-mart but they don't do as well. I love daffodils because they are cheery and deer don't eat them. I remember living in Virginia and having a ton of daffys and Brecks sent me a free gift of 5 red tulips. I planted them smack in the middle of the daffys hoping they'd be safe. Nope, after they bloomed the next morning I look out and the daffys are find but all the tulips were chomped. So I don't pay money for those.

My part of the swamp the house is on is a sand hill, water table pretty far down. It's not till I get to the pond side, the water table there is 2-3 feet below. Only thing growing there are wild raspberry bushes and the 2 lilacs I planted. One blooms the other doesn't. may have to move that one.

Okay, I'm going on way too long. Off for a day of shopping and Easter dinner tonight at the farm. Ham today. They have to drive home tomorrow. Hope I can stay awake.