Thread: In the Garden 2016

Is it normal for Elk and Deer to hang out?

Originally Posted by rolodave

Is it normal for Elk and Deer to hang out?

No - BUT

There are spots that simply attract animals, we just happen to be one of them

There are two separate herds of Elk that visit us, this is the smaller of the two with about 20 members, the larger one has 50-60.
The Whitetail are part of the resident band, we also have a roaming band of Mule Deer that comes through mostly late night.
We have Moose year round

This is even a more Rare Occurrence and I was very lucky to catch it on camera Deer Moose and Elk all in the same shot




Pretty much explains why we HAVE to have fences around the garden too

Originally Posted by Ernie1980

I am going to plant next week since we are getting 80 degree days I am going to plant the usual pepper, tomatoes, etc along with somthing new for me- watermelon!

We have about 5 weeks before it is "safe" to plant. Even in June we have to be on our toes when frost is threatened.

I remember those south Texas watermelons as being extremely sweet and great tasting. The "yellow" no-acid ones were also good.

Starter plants have been started InThe house, potatoes if it stops raining here will go in next week, that and some onions, hoping to get a little jump this year now that I have all my trellis set up for plastic to cover my new stuff while its early,, I,m planting a watermelon or two this year myself, hoping it works out, that one f the new things I,m trying this year and a couple more peppers. Tc

Pruned my fruit tree yesterday. I have a small orchard of 9 trees. 65 degrees here in Maine. Unusually warm. Last year there was still 2 feet of snow on the ground when I pruned the trees. Humping the ladder around in the snow was a PITA. 2 years ago the cold almost killed my 2 peach trees. Killed the top of one and the bottom of the other. No fruit on them last year as they recovered. Looking pretty good this year. Looking forward to the wife's peach jam this year. I think I'm on the ragged northern edge of were peach tress can grow.

Getting the her Pumpkin seeds and my Tomato seeds started here inside during the next week or so

Put up a kritter cam this year. We got garlic up with spuds showing and some lettuce popping. Going for mostly Heirloom veggies this year.

Just checked they made it through a pea size wave of hail a few minutes ago. Har!! Love March.

Going to do a weekly snapshot and do a time exposure flic. Should be fun to see.

Well 13" of rain over the last 5 days, we ain't planting anything for a few days, my new tractor would just sink in the yard. Tc

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Anyone put in any thought into or maybe even using a BTE or modified BTE system

Has it worked for you ???

I watched the vids & read the articles out there and it seems to almost too easy


Thoughts Ideas Negatives ?????

I couldn't get the video to load well so only watched a few minutes but when I was younger we had a sawmill. I was warned about putting to many wood chips/sawdust on the ground to grow things in because as it rotted it took the nitrogen out of the soil. Does this get addressed in the video?

Last weekend and next I am helping a friend boil maple sap into syrup. He built a sugar shack with his neighbor last summer. Lots of fun learning the idiosyncrasies of his new stove. Based on watching the "old" guys of our youth and his experience with building manholes for a living. Maybe these trees aren't a traditional garden but

Back to the traditional garden I have the tobacco plants ordered and have to get off my rear to find some broom corn seed. I have to figure out where to grow enough on my small lot to make a broom! My son who tried gardening in the back corner of my lot wants to give it a go again this year. He didn't listen to me last year but I hope he does at least a little this year after the failures of last. Not that I know everything but I decided to offer what I know and let him fail. If I donate a small patch of my yard for him to dig up and he learns a lesson that is a small price to pay. My apple trees are getting bigger and this is the second year the rabbits didn't kill one. My cactus look terrible but then they always have this time of year.

As you can tell I don't rely on my garden for survival!

I forgot to add that I am going to try raising bees again this year after doing so in my youth. I wish that I could have a hive in town for my garden between the rules and my wife and the neighbor being allergic to them it is not an option. I will put them on my camping land and hope the can pollinate the neighbors gardens there!