Ducks 4 in '24

[ducks4you]

Troll Bridge and Digby this morning at DD's house. Btw, Digby is a girl. DD doesn't care. Digby follows her around like a puppy and purrs Very loud. Sweet little thing! Getty leggy!!

 

[ducks4you]

How to Score Cheap Seed Starting Supplies

Learn what to buy (in the non-gardening aisles, no less) and what NEVER to buy from the dollar store as you set up your garden.

www.gardenbetty.com

 

[Phaedra]

How to Score Cheap Seed Starting Supplies

Learn what to buy (in the non-gardening aisles, no less) and what NEVER to buy from the dollar store as you set up your garden.

www.gardenbetty.com

True, many things are more costly when they are specified as "for gardening purpose".

 

[heirloomgal]

How to Score Cheap Seed Starting Supplies

Learn what to buy (in the non-gardening aisles, no less) and what NEVER to buy from the dollar store as you set up your garden.

www.gardenbetty.com

Was the what never to buy list in that? Did I miss it?

 

[Alasgun]

True, many things are more costly when they are specified as "for gardening purpose".

Liquid “organic” fertilizers are a good example. Open a container of most grow formulas and see how much they smell like Blackstrap molasses! Then roll a container of molasses over and read the content percentages!!! Huh, it looks a lot like fertilizer.
I tell a lot of people just breaking into the organic thing “add 1 TBS of blackstrap to a gallon of water and use it on everything.”

Now days my version hasn’t changed much. My recipe is 1/2 fermented rabbit urine 1/4 liquid kelp and 1/4 molassas. I make up a 5 gallon bucket once a year and dispense it from a dish soap container. Just like doing dishes, give your water can a squirt and you’ll be surprised at how any plant will respond.

Just be sure it’s un-sulphured, the Sulphur kill‘s soil microbes.

 

[ducks4you]

@heirloomgal , I copied the list of NOT to buy, so here it is:
What NOT to buy at the dollar store
Don’t buy: Seeds or soil
First, never buy seeds or soil—those are two things worth splurging for from a reputable seed catalog or supplier.
You never truly know the origin of the seeds and soil you find at the dollar store, whether they’re actually organic or even contaminated, how the seeds have been stored and what kind of germination rate to expect. (Sometimes it’s zero, and by the time you realize your seeds won’t sprout, you’ve already lost a couple of weeks.)

Seeds and soil are the foundation of your whole garden, so it pays to know your sources.

Don’t buy: Gardening gloves (unless they’re your throwaway pair)
Second, don’t bother buying gardening gloves from the dollar store. I’ve worn through countless pairs of cheap gloves, sometimes several a season, and in the end it just makes more sense to invest in a good, sturdy pair that will last a long time.

Don’t buy: Gardening hand tools (unless they’re for your kids)
Along the same lines, don’t buy pruners, trowels, or other essential gardening tools because they seem like such a good bargain.
They’re not as sharp or durable as heftier tools from reliable brands, and you’ll end up replacing them sooner than you think.

There is nothing more frustrating than a tool that doesn’t perform or breaks in the middle of a job—I’ve been there.

(Though to be fair, I do have a dollar-store trowel that’s been with me for a few years, but only because it’s a backup that gets used once a year to stir up soft, fluffy potting soil.)

 

[ducks4you]

2nd year, behind on gardening...
BUT, I planted two 12 ft rows of (older) sugar snap peas yesterday, before the heavy rain today.

These were with the 2nd set of 2023 tomato fencing, which will be moved when I transplant tomatoes in May.
Watched a video where peas were planted 3 rows deep/1 trellis, so I will have to go back and plant 2 more rows, probably tomorrow.

 

[ducks4you]

Connecta® Cultivation Kit | Johnny's Selected Seeds

An interchangeable tool system built to last. Choose the right tool head for the job and switch out quickly with a simple push-button release. The ...

www.johnnyseeds.com

 

[ducks4you]

I have several sunflower seed packages. I think that I finally found the one that volunteered in my big garden bed in 2023.
Here it is, below,
...and here is the Arikara Sunflower, native of North Dakota, so pretty much native to North America.

Sunflower 'Arikara' Organic

Arikara is named after the Indigenous tribe that grew and pounded it into a highly nutritious sunflower meal. Touseled golden petals are arrayed around single and multi-headed flowers on tall, sturdy plants. Introduced commercially in 1930.

www.selectseeds.com

So, I bought more seeds...including Hungarian Paprika. **Ducks slaps herself, as a reminder to behave better**
Btw, the volunteer came up late and only grew about 3 1/2 ft tall. I understand that these babies will top off at 10 ft.

 

[ducks4you]

We are about to have an invasion of cicadas this summer, 2 groups are hatching out together.

The cicadas are coming! Periodical cicadas in Illinois in 2024

Can you hear them? Probably not yet, but soon, Illinois will be awash in the songs of periodical cicadas. This year (2024) is a big year for periodical cicadas

extension.illinois.edu