Ducks4you for 2022

[Zeedman]

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How to ensure your pumpkin produces fruit to harvest

Focus on these three items when you grow pumpkins and you will have many to harvest this growing season.

afreshlegacy.net

Some of the flowers that are suited to attracting bees in the garden that you can add include:

• borage
• cornflowers
• chives
• dill
• lavender
• lemonbalm
• rosemary
• sage
• sunflowers
• zinnia

While the link contains some good info (such as the list of bee plants) I would take it with a grain of salt. There is a fair amount of erroneous info posted there. To quote from the link:

If the pumpkin in the compost pile was grown from F1 (genetically modified seed) it is unlikely to produce fruit. This is one reason a pumpkin plant may not produce any pumpkins.

F1 seed refers to a hybrid, not GMO. Saved seed from hybrids will fruit (although the fruit may not be useful.

If you choose to leave self-seeded pumpkin from the compost it can be successful if you know you have purchased organic pumpkin.

Also not true, since that seed could have either been from an organic hybrid, or from an OP variety that crossed in the previous season.

It appears that the link may be Australian, and what they refer to as "pumpkins" we would refer to as "squash". For most of us in the U.S. there is no need to separately attract bees for squash; since unless you are in the heart of the Concrete Jungle, squash plants are quite good at attracting bees on their own. Bees will in fact travel great distances to harvest that rich pollen (sometimes over 1 mile) which is what makes saving pure squash seed so difficult.

 

[Zeedman]

I think I'll grow the chives in a pot. I understand they are invasive!

They are, if allowed to go to seed. Think of them as onion-flavored dill.

 

[ducks4you]

Good agricultual books are a great way to learn.

10 Books About Food & Farming to Read Before Winter Ends - Modern Farmer

As you wait for longer days and warmer temperatures, here are some new books to pass the time with.

modernfarmer.com

 

[ducks4you]

Why is the horse the most curious feeder in the world?
He eats best when he has not a bit in his mouth.

 

[ducks4you]

Snow Moon: Full Moon in February 2024

February's full Moon reaches its peak on Saturday, February 24, 2024! Learn about the full Snow Moon and see moon phases, best days, and more from The Old Farmer's Almanac.

www.almanac.com

I have not needed any light walking over the snow and ice for a good few days now.
Heard a couple of canadian geese hooking last night, too.

 

[ducks4you]

Some food for thought as we await seedlings to grow.

19 Household Items You Probably Should Have Tossed a Long Time Ago

Declutter your home by checking the expiration date on these household objects and ditching as needed. We'll walk you through exactly when and how you should get rid of items like cleaning products, pillows, toothbrushes, and more.

www.bhg.com

13 Storage Mistakes You’re Currently Making (and How to Fix Them)

Storage might seem like a no-brainer, but a few mistakes can hold you back from the ideal organizing situation. Luckily, most are an easy fix. Here’s how to improve your storage strategies and get organized the right way.

www.bhg.com

 

[ducks4you]

Seems like the only drawer that I have been able to keep organized is my underwear dresser drawer!
WHAT does this mean?!?!?

 

[ducks4you]

Cursed Crooked Cucumber

ME: "Hey GF, why are you putting a cage around those cucumbers?" GF: "It will help them grow better." Cucumber:

www.theeasygarden.com

I may have a few of these next year. In 2021 I bought/grew a handfull of cucumbers up against the 40yo+ fencing 12 ft from the st. Didn't pick them all so I left them to rot and hope to have some volunteers this year. I am sure that at least one of them will do this.

Watch about 10 minutes in. He has to rescue a pumpkin that grew into the caging.

 

[flowerbug]

...
Watch about 10 minutes in. He has to rescue a pumpkin that grew into the caging.

sometime i've had to cut them out from between big rocks that i don't want to move. same for a few melons.

 

[ducks4you]

Season of ice, season of snow, season of mud.
Yesterday morning I was balancing on the snow on top of the ice. Yesterday afternoon (and today) I have been pushing 6 or more wheelbarrows through 5-6" of sloppy mud.
Today, mud.
Tomorrow thunderstorms, then, HOPEFULLY, wind enough to dry off the roads.
Wednesday night the temperature plummets from about 60 to 20, and snow through Thursday, probably about 5 inches. Temperatures don't get out of the freezer again until Thursday, March 3rd.
Ponies get either days in their stalls or playing in the mud and puddles.
Last storm I turned them out after 3 days straight inside. Buster Brown went dutifully in his stall. Cindy Lou and Cup and Cakes ran out of the barn and out north of the barn. They stared at me. I stared them down and they retreated back inside. Today was their first day out since Wednesday. I didn't get any arguments when I let them back in at 7:30PM.
I am SO grateful that they have their own stalls, one is 12' x 12', another 10' x 12', and the last is 10' x 13', so roomy.
Didn't always have stalls for my horses, but these are very fortunate. I have 3/4" rubber mats over the cement. Easy to clean and insulates against the cold.
One good thing--my mechanical friend (who has borrowed my tractor), found out that the latch that holds on the hydraulics to that the bucket will work, had a loose bolt. The poorly engineered bolt requires 2 washers to fit, else it would constantly be loose, so I'll need to keep my eye on it. I guess I will keep the original pieces until it's paid off and the warranty lapses, but we BOTH agreed that I have owned it for 2 1/2 years and THIS PART has been a problem for 2 1/2 years, so after that, it gets replaced.
I also had to put the axle on my wheelbarrow back bc it managed to slip out today. I improvised with a hoof pick and a mallet.