AMKuska's 2023 Garden

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,766
Reaction score
15,571
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
Had you in my thoughts when I was sifting a small bag of potting soil for seed blocking recently. Almost 1/3 of it was unusable woody bits. As potting soil this would be okay I guess, but for starting seeds in mini blocks it won't do. Do you think there is a perfect brand of super fine potting soil out there somewhere, and we're just not finding it??
Can't you pile up those little sticks and use them at the bottom of a pot? Kinda like Hügelkultur.
 

AMKuska

Garden Master
Joined
Jan 25, 2014
Messages
2,309
Reaction score
5,717
Points
317
Location
Washington
Can't you pile up those little sticks and use them at the bottom of a pot? Kinda like Hügelkultur.
I had never heard of it before so I had to look it up. That's amazing! I'm definitely going to try that on one of the grow pots I'm getting. I'll see if it performs differently compared to my other pots.
 

AMKuska

Garden Master
Joined
Jan 25, 2014
Messages
2,309
Reaction score
5,717
Points
317
Location
Washington
Just ordered some long term items to play with. I bought raspberry, blueberry and strawberry seeds to try and grow them from seed. I expect it to be difficult, but an interesting experiment. I also bought some asparagus seeds, though I've no idea where to put an asparagus bed as of yet.

Spent most of the day outside today working on a 10x10 part-shade raised garden bed in the back. I also ordered some Sebright fertilized eggs. I want a small chicken to train to do some tricks, and the silkies keep going broodie. Sebrights are supposed to be one of the least broodie banties.
 

Cosmo spring garden

Garden Addicted
Joined
Aug 9, 2019
Messages
1,065
Reaction score
3,196
Points
247
Location
Zone 7B Northeast Alabama/sand mountain
Just ordered some long term items to play with. I bought raspberry, blueberry and strawberry seeds to try and grow them from seed. I expect it to be difficult, but an interesting experiment. I also bought some asparagus seeds, though I've no idea where to put an asparagus bed as of yet.

Spent most of the day outside today working on a 10x10 part-shade raised garden bed in the back. I also ordered some Sebright fertilized eggs. I want a small chicken to train to do some tricks, and the silkies keep going broodie. Sebrights are supposed to be one of the least broodie banties.
Chickens that do tricks? I'm intrigued!
I have grown asparagus from seed and it was easy to do. My friend grew strawberries from seed last year with good results.
Keep us posted about the raspberries and blueberry experiment!
 

digitS'

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
26,724
Reaction score
32,498
Points
457
Location
border, ID/WA(!)
I enjoyed having a little Sebright rooster. Didn’t know that he could do tricks beyond always being able to get himself out of trouble … until the coyote caught him in the chicken pen.

I remember my grandmother saying that the little hen she gave me when I was 4 was supposed to have “barring” but didn’t. I had her for years and came to think when I was an adult that the little “barless” gold hen that I called Goldie, might have been a Sebright.

A Hamburg rooster was the prettiest thing imaginable. If they weren’t so much trouble for the neighbors, I’d enjoy having roosters again. Hens of the heavier breeds are the least trouble and haven’t been in the backyard for years. Should be but aren’t.

Steve
whose grandmother was also called Goldie :)
 

AMKuska

Garden Master
Joined
Jan 25, 2014
Messages
2,309
Reaction score
5,717
Points
317
Location
Washington
Chickens that do tricks? I'm intrigued!
I have grown asparagus from seed and it was easy to do. My friend grew strawberries from seed last year with good results.
Keep us posted about the raspberries and blueberry experiment!
It's quite fun. :) I want to train one to do basic obedience and do a Rally-o course. We even have permission to compete in an online version of Rally-O, should the chicken be fully trained. I got as far as "sit" and "Come" with Ruffles before she went broody. -.- She goes broody so frequently, it's hard to get farther than that.
 

AMKuska

Garden Master
Joined
Jan 25, 2014
Messages
2,309
Reaction score
5,717
Points
317
Location
Washington
I enjoyed having a little Sebright rooster. Didn’t know that he could do tricks beyond always being able to get himself out of trouble … until the coyote caught him in the chicken pen.

I remember my grandmother saying that the little hen she gave me when I was 4 was supposed to have “barring” but didn’t. I had her for years and came to think when I was an adult that the little “barless” gold hen that I called Goldie, might have been a Sebright.

A Hamburg rooster was the prettiest thing imaginable. If they weren’t so much trouble for the neighbors, I’d enjoy having roosters again. Hens of the heavier breeds are the least trouble and haven’t been in the backyard for years. Should be but aren’t.

Steve
whose grandmother was also called Goldie :)
Aww, that's sweet. We have a rooster but he very seldom crows. He's also very friendly and doesn't mind being picked up and petted.
 

AMKuska

Garden Master
Joined
Jan 25, 2014
Messages
2,309
Reaction score
5,717
Points
317
Location
Washington
I’m so impressed by all your seed starting. I’m sorry that the potting soil is such a mix of woody pieces. I’ve run into that too. For this year, I will just buy some started plants, just to have something growing. Maybe by next year I’ll be better set up for a garden.
To be honest, the past few years with all the food shortages and wars and sickness have made me super weary of whether there will be a supermarket to go to. -.- I figure starting a lot of seeds won't hurt, and if there's no need for all these I can always give veggies and fruits to my neighbors. :)
 

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,766
Reaction score
15,571
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
A Hamburg rooster was the prettiest thing imaginable.

Steve
whose grandmother was also called Goldie :)
Agreed, ALmost. IMHO the Lakenvelder is prettier, but opinions differ.
 
Top