Straw is a byproduct…actually leftover product of mostly grains such as wheat, rye, oats and barley. Will have to see if my bails have any information on them. They never grow anything. I use them every year.
Gardening 2024
- Thread starter GeorgiaPeachie
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I put wheat straw down and it started growing grass and my neighbors hen, who pays a visit to my house everyday, was having a blast in it! She was scratching, pecking and just loving it. Not sure if that is what your looking for, but she sure enjoyed eating in it!
Poltiregist, great advice! I have a small spring fed pond in my back yard and 4 55 gallon rain barrels that stay full at all times that have hoses running to the garden and other plants. Also have several larger ponds and lakes within walking distance.
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Blackberry Island
Blackberry Island
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Our area grows mostly wheat, so I use wheat straw. I use it in the rabbit cages, and when we clean them out, all the straw and rabbit poop goes to the garden, so I do get alot of wheat grass growing.
You know that expensive "green juice" you can buy by the shot at fancy smoothie places? It's just ground wheat grass. I have a hand grinder just for it, because one of our daughters loved it. I think it's bleech. The grinder looked like a mini meat grinder, and I got it off Amazon awhile back. Our son plants wheat in bare spots where his chickens go....cools them down and is nutritious, too.
You know that expensive "green juice" you can buy by the shot at fancy smoothie places? It's just ground wheat grass. I have a hand grinder just for it, because one of our daughters loved it. I think it's bleech. The grinder looked like a mini meat grinder, and I got it off Amazon awhile back. Our son plants wheat in bare spots where his chickens go....cools them down and is nutritious, too.
We use it for our feral cat totes and beds, lol. They seem to like. After it gets old, we swap it out and just throw the old out in the yard somewhere. The cats will even lay on it in the daytime. Then, usually, it will sprout grass.
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We use it in the chicken houses, turkey runs, and goose runs, too. The chickens love going thru the fresh stuff...there's usually some wheat on it to eat.
Question - I also have several rain barrels , but have never figured out a way to run some sort of piping from them , thus extracted water on occasion via a bucket . How did you " or anyone else " manage to run a hose from a rain barrel ?
You add a spigot to the barrel and then just a regular garden hose. Other folks attach their barrels together.
Here is a video, but there are lots of them if this one doesn’t tell you everything you need.
Hooking barrels together
Here is a video, but there are lots of them if this one doesn’t tell you everything you need.
Hooking barrels together
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Add a spigot and use PEX tubing. Then you have all kinds of options.
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Good video GP. So easy, a person who doesn't know the difference between a pipe wrench and channel lock pliers can do it. LOL
And here's a hint. Get twice as long a string, fold it in half to make a loop, then slide the fitting on the loop. Just let go of one end to remove the string, no need to cut the string off of the fitting.
Yeah, what GeorgiaPeachie showed! Mine aren't hooked together since they are at each corner of the house. It's real easy to put the spigot in. My neighbor ran soaker hoses from hers to her flowers and gardens. Just remember to set the drums on blocks or something. I also put screen over the top/hole to keep bugs, trash and most importantly, mosquito out.
P.S. Mine have removable tops to them, makes putting the spigot on Real easy. They are also put under the gutters and have rectangle holes cut in the top. I cut regular screen and made a frame then bolted them on.
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The swarm we captured Saturday night, strawberry flowers and white Grannys bonnet.
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debating on if it is too late to start over on green beans and some more beets. Usually I plant seeds start of May or so but this year they all got eaten or killed by weeds growing around them since I was gone and husband had no time to take care of all that. He saved the potatoes , they look good but I have to pick potato bugs off them every day nasty things
peaches are ripe but small
I put out a package of "wildflower" seeds a few years ago and now my garden is overrun with poppies! LOL. I think those are the same ones people make drugs out of? They look pretty but are spreading like crazy. I will pull most of them up. I also have a lot of blue corn flowers and tons of marigolds which will stay
peaches are ripe but small
I put out a package of "wildflower" seeds a few years ago and now my garden is overrun with poppies! LOL. I think those are the same ones people make drugs out of? They look pretty but are spreading like crazy. I will pull most of them up. I also have a lot of blue corn flowers and tons of marigolds which will stay
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There are a few different varieties of poppies. Those type grown in US gardens are not the kind that one can make opium out of.
You have to plant nettles? That is amazing to me, as I can't get rid of them.
Today just did a tidy up, weeded and planted out half my courgettes. Put the other half in the poly, lifted red onions to dry and planted out cabbage seedlings, will be putting out some each week for the winter now. The slugs are very bad with all the rain, so I'm upping my planting to allow for this. I should do alot more but no mojo today.
It’s not too late for beans. I have to start mine in pots then plant them out or the earwigs eat them, but June is when beans are happy to grow.
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I looked for some more beans to plant and couldn't find any, very few seeds left in the stores, would have to order online
I did find an old pack from 2019, put them in water to see if they will sprout , probably not
. Beans are awesome like that.
Incredibly poor season so far.
Courgettes, pumpkins and peas are weeks behind. I have three in pots I kept in the poly in case of slugs, and they are twice the size of ones I put out a month ago- and that's not saying much.
So far I've harvested the onions I planted in the winter, and garlic. The onions & leeks outside are very slow.
The strawberry glut is over, but there will be another one in a few weeks.
The berries and rhubarb are doing ok because they are well established, and I can top up with wild blackberries. Harvested two pots of potatoes that came from a bag and started to sprout and they were fine but should have been bigger. I'm glad I didn't waste space on energy on a lot that needed looking after this year. Just going to keep planting onions, spinach and potatoes in the poly over the winter. I've cabbage seedlings to put out, thinking of keeping them in the poly also, but I need to do some work on it over the winter.
Courgettes, pumpkins and peas are weeks behind. I have three in pots I kept in the poly in case of slugs, and they are twice the size of ones I put out a month ago- and that's not saying much.
So far I've harvested the onions I planted in the winter, and garlic. The onions & leeks outside are very slow.
The strawberry glut is over, but there will be another one in a few weeks.
The berries and rhubarb are doing ok because they are well established, and I can top up with wild blackberries. Harvested two pots of potatoes that came from a bag and started to sprout and they were fine but should have been bigger. I'm glad I didn't waste space on energy on a lot that needed looking after this year. Just going to keep planting onions, spinach and potatoes in the poly over the winter. I've cabbage seedlings to put out, thinking of keeping them in the poly also, but I need to do some work on it over the winter.
For those that expect the worse and prepare for such matters , I pose what garden varieties do you have the seeds for the Nuclear Winter gardening ? Cooler and overcast skies is what some say . As for myself , I have noticed cabbage in my area , grows better with cooler days and overcast skys . So I suspect cabbage would actually " grow better " in the Nuclear Winter than pre- nuking . Cabbage seeds will last for years simply in a shoe box as I can attest as the very good stand of cabbage that I have , was planted from seeds from that shoe box that are somewhere around 3 years old .
I finally had enough peas to shell a few. It’s freaking July and we are about a month behind. Cabbage, kale, turnips are loving the cool weather but we are in the desert and it’s looking like maybe August before I have a ripe tomato!
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Oranges are ripening up.
Apples are developing nicely.
Ben
Apples are developing nicely.
Ben
Can't remember if I posted this photo of Trip, looking very pleased with himself though he had nothing to do with the potatoes
I was a bit disappointed with some last week- turns out I got the beds mixed up and should have lifted these first! They are mid early 'charlottes'. I am also beginning to lift some new types I was given, one of which is an old type, and purple. Pulled a few carrots for dinner- I sort of thought they may not be in the best bed, and I was correct, but they aren't for show, so will pull as I need, they will be fine for us.Have one bed of onions still drying, the rest are plaited or in freezer, and finished prepping the garlic also. Ordered some more winter seed potato- its a lot dearer than last year; they said it was the cost of cold storage, but all potatoes are expensive now. Last week a small bag- which would do one dinner for us 6, was the same cost as what a 5kg bag used to be. Basically doubled. Have tiny yellow courgettes appearing, and the strawberries going strong still. Started snipping the runners to give to Dad, but it occurs to me I might be able to sell some if I pot them on in spring.
Ah Ha, Trip is a Cutie...!!! Should 
in the Dog Show...!!
in the Dog Show...!!
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Look at all that green grass!View attachment 158762
Can't remember if I posted this photo of Trip, looking very pleased with himself though he had nothing to do with the potatoes
Have one bed of onions still drying, the rest are plaited or in freezer, and finished prepping the garlic also. Ordered some more winter seed potato- its a lot dearer than last year; they said it was the cost of cold storage, but all potatoes are expensive now. Last week a small bag- which would do one dinner for us 6, was the same cost as what a 5kg bag used to be. Basically doubled. Have tiny yellow courgettes appearing, and the strawberries going strong still. Started snipping the runners to give to Dad, but it occurs to me I might be able to sell some if I pot them on in spring.
