View original postI've always had embarrassing yields compared to my uncle with tomatoes, he lives in the same zone as me too, but I still grow more than I need. I've been doing more square-foot gardening raise bed stuff in recent years and that's helped but not as much as advertised, though it is God Awful easier to weed, the soil is so friable compared to the local stuff. My grandfather replication issue is rhubarb, it just never seems to come out the way I remember.
. My grandfather had gorgeous tomatoes. He ordered double plants accidentally one year. Even after giving them away by the grocery bag and eating them for every meal, I still canned 60 quarts. Rhubarb is nearly an invasive plant where I live, ha!
View original postMy only pest issues are deer and japanese beetles, and while my cats hang out in the greenhouse a lot I've never even run into one of the racoons in there and it's right next to one of the favorite hangouts, my goldfish pond, so I've never ratcheted up security besides in regards to wind. I originally just nailed some boards together as a doorway and hung a pair of plastic sheets but after I replaced the main cover with a translucent tarp I did the same for the door, I just have it bungied in place when not wandering in and out and hung up like a shower curtain.
Raccoons... I had one IN the coop (when the girls and boy were out so the door was open) last week. In the middle of the afternoon! Living in the middle of the woods has its predator issues, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Which reminds me, I have to figure out what to do with my now-illegal varmint rifle.
Never had anything get them a night, we have lots of strong wire fencing all around including the top. we have hardware cloth w/half inch holes over the windows. I have seen lots of coyote and/or fox tracks in the snow this year.
I have the garden fenced off to keep the cats and chickens (and deer and raccoons...) out. I can easily open it and let the girls turn the earth and eat bugs for me. I mixed the pine bedding/manure mixture in during the fall, let's hope it's not too hot... Have to make a pvc hoop/netting cover for the hex shaped strawberry bed to keep the birds and chipmunks out. I have so much to do this spring!
View original postNever raised chickens, though I've flock of turkey that wanders by for a week or so about once a year, always wanted to try permaculture though and chickens seem to be the popular animal add in. Supposed to be a good compost additive but I always worry about the temperature inside my heaps not being hot enough.
. You should get some laying hens. I love it much more than I thought I would. Wait... you mentioned a fish pond. That means you need some meat and laying ducks!
View original postZone 6-ish, Erie lakeshore east stretch, odd-weather lake effect stuff. I should break down and grow grapes, it's the main agricultural product of my township but I've been doing strawberries and rhubarb and waiting with patient rage for my blueberries to finally grow or my dwarf apricot, though at least the blueberries most recent disappointing growth spurt I can partially blame on my new giant six-toed mutant cat Flax, I'd made the soil sandier and he seemed to think it made a good catbox.
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You should grow grapes! Acidify the soil a bit if you haven't already, that'll help the blueberries. If you don't want to use miracid, you can use a few handfuls of crushed pine needles per bush mixed into the surrounding soil.