Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, April 29

Hi, everybody! Watching nearby flooding from dam releases, plus rising water levels elsewhere in our area. Temperatures are up!

How are things going in your yard, garden and natural world?

We got an exciting update from Bonecrusher:

Howdy Katy,
This is a follow-up on Cactus flowers. I had a trifecta of red on the Cactus formerly known as the Barbed Cocktail of Satan and a bonus flower from a pot of Cactus that has never bloomed before.
Be well

That flower above is spectacular! Love the ones below, too.

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

Hi KT,
We are deep into Mulberry season here. Everyday I go out and pick at least one 24oz yogurt cup full of Mulberries. Since they don't last I put them in the freezer right away. So I have been having Muberry smoothies for breakfast, and Mulberry Margaritas at cocktail time. Both delicious. I already have 4 bags of Mulberries frozen and it doesn't look like it is going to stop anytime soon. I love spring!
WeeKreekFarmGirl

They look remarkable! The drinks look great, too.

I have a Pakistani Mulberry but that isn't fruiting yet. The one that is fruiting I got from a guy who sells trees in downtown Phoenix called Shamus O'Leary and I said what tree should I buy that I may not have and he said this mulberry. I said I already had a Mulberry, but he said, not like this one. So I bought it and he was right, the fruit is MUCH better than the Pakistani but it did not have a tag so I am not sure of the variety, but it does amazing here and the fruit is so delicious. Sometimes you have got to trust a good tree man.
Doing some research on different Mulberries I think that my other one is a Shangri-La Mulberry. It fruits earlier than the other one. But it's just a guess. . .

A Mulberry Mystery . . .

From Nan in AZ:

The grape is going over the top of the arbor now, and the Anne's apples are getting bigger. In the 80's and 90's now in Surprise AZ.

Crabapples have set, the fig is going great, and little guavas on the plant. I have no idea what they are going to do.

Little baby guavas! ! !

The rhubarb is growing, peas, cabbage, and the artichokes are cute!
Nan in AZ

They all look great. The artichokes are especially adorable. Don't let them go too long in your climate.

Let us know how the peas taste!

Puttering

Courtesy Mr. Weekreek:

Gardens of The Horde

Anybody have anything going on indoors? Outdoors?

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

If you would like to send photos, stories, links, etc. for the Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden at g mail dot com

Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

Week in Review

What has changed since last week's thread? Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, April 22

Any thoughts or questions?

I closed the comments on this post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

Posted by: K.T. at 01:19 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Good afternoon Greenthumbs

Posted by: Skip at April 29, 2023 01:21 PM (xhxe8)

2 Puttering when should disconnect are reconnect my water heater.
Did get 2 of 3 tent caterpillars nests and turned them into pure carbon. Other one is higher than I can get.

Posted by: Skip at April 29, 2023 01:23 PM (xhxe8)

3 Satan's Cocktail seems to be moving.

Posted by: Eromero at April 29, 2023 01:25 PM (mE3sO)

4 Eromero at April 29, 2023 01:25 PM

The mulberry cocktail is probably better. Though the cactus is spectacular!

Posted by: KT at April 29, 2023 01:27 PM (rrtZS)

5 I bought a used tiller and it is having gas feed issues. I suspect I have old gas, but that might mean I need to get into the carb as well. I hate doing mechanical things.

On the positive side, I have tilled 3/4 of my garden before the powers stopped moving the tiller.

Posted by: Kindltot at April 29, 2023 01:31 PM (xhaym)

6 > I bought a used tiller and it is having gas feed issues. I suspect I have old gas, but that might mean I need to get into the carb as well. I hate doing mechanical things.
____________

I have had similar issues. Drain the gas out. Spray carb cleaner into the carburetor and refill with fresh gas before doing any dismantling. I did this to my push mower when it wouldn't start and had fuel problems. Started on first pull afterwards.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at April 29, 2023 01:34 PM (Q4IgG)

7 Here in the Houston area, our mulberry trees only produce fruit that is full of worms. The birds love them.

Posted by: Toothless Appalachian cat prick at April 29, 2023 01:34 PM (KHHb/)

8 On the positive side, we had an 80F day yesterday and that got all the apples to finally leaf out, my seedless grapes to leaf out, and it looks like my experimental plot of thimbleberries are starting to set buds.
I also think I spotted a bumblebee nest on the edge of one of my bark-chip borders, and I think I remember there was a gopher/vole burrow there.

Ooh, and the other thing, I have a worm bin that the hover flies get into, and this morning I saw a very young hoverfly with its wings still crinkled from the chrysalis warming itself. Hoverfly maggots are horrible to look at, but they are native pollinator so I am glad to see them.

Posted by: Kindltot at April 29, 2023 01:36 PM (xhaym)

9 Beautiful cacti blooms!

Globe artichokes are better than the other type because they don't stab you.

The Urban Farmer in Phoenix has a popup tree sale (twice a year if I remember). He has trees and fruit bearing scrubs that he has tested in our low desert: peaches, nectarines, apples, mulberries, and blue berries.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at April 29, 2023 01:37 PM (gUvIq)

10 Working on heater finally.
Chives are getting flowers, they are quite nice but one can cut them off with no ill effects it seems

Posted by: Skip at April 29, 2023 01:37 PM (xhxe8)

11 Hi all.

A couple of weeks back, someone posted about mini tomatoes.
I have been growing a variety called 'Tiny Tim'.
I've been growing these all winter under a grow light, along with lettuce. I haven't had to buy much for salads all year.
These tomatoes are a little smaller than cherries, but I got dozens off of just one plant. They only grow to be about 12" - 16" tall, so ideal for inside or a porch.
Thanks for all of the gardening info you guys!

Posted by: COMountainMarie at April 29, 2023 01:37 PM (Hgk43)

12 I bought a used tiller and it is having gas feed issues. I suspect I have old gas, but that might mean I need to get into the carb as well. I hate doing mechanical things.

Posted by: Kindltot

Had a carb that barely supplied gas, bought a bottle of Sea Foam and poured it through until the outflow was clear (pour slowly) then filled plugged the outflow and let it sit over night, and flushed again with SF. It cleaned that carb so well it turned over right away.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at April 29, 2023 01:42 PM (gUvIq)

13 This snow we got here in the Sierras for 4 months straight really brought out the green. Had a deep freeze break my second to the last non freezeproof faucet (I forgot to turn the water off beginning of the freeze) so I dug it up and put in a good freezeproof one. It frigging leaks so I gotta do it all again and will use help next time. Good enought to get though the summer though.
Be up on the roof doing the swamp cooler pads and cleanup here soon.
Frigging deer are eating everything volunteering in the garden. Hope they understand if SHTF they are dinner as I feed their asses. I also need taller fences, which I'm pretty sure they'd just jump over.

Gotta get to work. First Saturday without the grands in a long time and the basic spring cleanup and maintenance is neglected.

Posted by: Reforger at April 29, 2023 01:44 PM (f8eHM)

14 "fruit bearing scrubs" that should be "shrubs".
(Can you tell I was a RN? )

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at April 29, 2023 01:44 PM (gUvIq)

15 The tiny Tim tomatoes sound interesting. May try those.

Have three types of cherry tomato seedlings in the hardening off stage, ready for big pots next week. They are heirlooms and are admittedly spindlier than the hybrids I grew two years ago. If they don't yield a lot, I swear I'm buying hybrids again next year. I loved the idea of saving seeds, and they did germinate. Just don't seem as robust.

Posted by: skywch at April 29, 2023 01:46 PM (uqhmb)

16 The worm bin is supposed to be a type of composter, but mine is made out of an old bathtub set up to drain into a bucket. I catch the leachate and put it on the trees and gardens. I also run some of my dish water through it to keep it from going dry in the summer. I think the regular watering with the worm bin leachate made for much happier saplings last year, including an apple that I think I broke the root on putting it in the hole and I thought was a goner.

I suppose digging out the old dirt and putting in new material for the worms is in order.

Posted by: Kindltot at April 29, 2023 01:50 PM (xhaym)

17 Got 1 more turn on the threaded coupling, and Flex Sealed around it in case.

Posted by: Skip at April 29, 2023 01:50 PM (xhxe8)

18 I have been growing a variety called 'Tiny Tim'.

Posted by: COMountainMarie at April 29, 2023 01:37 PM (Hgk43)

I ordered some Tiny Tim seeds and they just came in the mail. I was thrilled with the way they did 2 summers ago. Very tasty little buggers.

Posted by: Disemvoweled Businesses of America at April 29, 2023 01:54 PM (Mzdiz)

19 Got 1 more turn on the threaded coupling, and Flex Sealed around it in case.
Posted by: Skip

Hope it holds for you!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at April 29, 2023 01:55 PM (gUvIq)

20 Mulberries? Those look like blackberries!!!

Posted by: Close The Fed at April 29, 2023 01:59 PM (LeNk3)

21 Meanwhile we just got record-breaking rain this past week, so tilling is out. And this week temps are projected to go into the low 40s at night. So I will be tending my 73 tomato plants in pots for another week at least. Gonna hold back on planting okra, peas and beans as well. Publius did plant some a week or so ago, hoping it wouldn't turn cold; they may do OK.

We have time for one more run of corn, if we plant this week. Any later and the corn worms will be a royal pain once the ears are developing.

Potatoes, onions, broccoli and cabbage look real happy out there!

Posted by: Disemvoweled Businesses of America at April 29, 2023 02:00 PM (Mzdiz)

22 Military jet just passed overhead, uncomfortably low.

Posted by: KT at April 29, 2023 02:01 PM (rrtZS)

23 Had a carb that barely supplied gas, bought a bottle of Sea Foam and poured it through until the outflow was clear (pour slowly) then filled plugged the outflow and let it sit over night, and flushed again with SF. It cleaned that carb so well it turned over right away.
Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at April 29, 2023 01:42 PM

Hmmm. Thanks. I may try that with my mom's tiller.

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at April 29, 2023 02:01 PM (Wnv9h)

24 Just checked the weather forecast for tomorrow, looks like we'll either hit or break 100F.
Apr 30th for 1st 100F of the year... I'll take it!
(The earliest I remember was 104F in Feb.)

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at April 29, 2023 02:02 PM (gUvIq)

25 One would think a threaded coupling is easy, tape it and screw together. My luck with them is poor every time.

Posted by: Skip at April 29, 2023 02:02 PM (xhxe8)

26 Adaptive has some varieties that have been de-hybridized. You might look into those. I think Sunrise was de-hybridized from Sun Gold.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at April 29, 2023 02:03 PM (u7leW)

27 20 Mulberries? Those look like blackberries!!!
Posted by: Close The Fed at April 29, 2023 01:59

That's what I was going to say. I've never seen a mulberry plant or bush.

The drink looks yummy as well.

Posted by: CaliGirl at April 29, 2023 02:03 PM (0Cl6X)

28 Haven't got any veggies yet, still been mostly 60 by day and 40 at night. A few nice days but far between.

Posted by: Skip at April 29, 2023 02:04 PM (xhxe8)

29 Those are peas by the flat leaf parsley? They look huge. It must be the angle of the picture.

Posted by: CaliGirl at April 29, 2023 02:05 PM (0Cl6X)

30 Or that is celery by the peas?

Posted by: CaliGirl at April 29, 2023 02:06 PM (0Cl6X)

31 Heh.
From up here on the roof it looks like my driveway is paved with Ice-melt. Gray gravel looks white. I can't remember how many bags I used this winter, at least 20.
I gotta get a tractor.
Shit. Now I'm stuck up here or I face the neighbor lady. She just came out to do gardening stuff.
I'll just jump.

Posted by: Reforger at April 29, 2023 02:08 PM (f8eHM)

32 Shit. Now I'm stuck up here or I face the neighbor lady. She just came out to do gardening stuff.
I'll just jump.
Posted by: Reforger

JUMP!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at April 29, 2023 02:09 PM (gUvIq)

33 Six months ago I had a few herbs in pots and now I have an entire "cat tv" set up (minus recording equipment) in the back yard and a good start at a cottage garden in the front. I blame/credit Miley (though okra is still right out) and her link to a video by Homesteading Family.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at April 29, 2023 02:09 PM (nC+QA)

34 Last Christmas my daughter gave me a Satsuma orange tree, about 3 feet tall. I transferred it from pot to ground in late February, after any chance of frost had passed. After about six weeks, it blossomed.

Now there are about six tiny green oranges on it, each about the size of a pea, but other than that I haven't seen any sign of growth. No new leaves, buds, or branches. I am wondering if there is anything I can or should do to help it along in its growth.

Posted by: Toad-O at April 29, 2023 02:09 PM (cct0t)

35 /off disemvoweled sock

This is why I can't have nice socks.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at April 29, 2023 02:09 PM (Mzdiz)

36 Mulberry smoothies and Mulberry Margaritas are great but you should really think about Mulberry jam/preserves also. And if you do decide to try doing some jam/preserves I would be glad to taste test and rate them, no charge, if you send me some. :-}) Mulberry pies are good too.

Posted by: Flywheel at April 29, 2023 02:10 PM (OyBGA)

37 Been too wet to till the garden but hopefully next week we'll get the tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers in. Still a bit cool in the evenings, but we should be done with frost.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at April 29, 2023 02:11 PM (Q4IgG)

38 Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at April 29, 2023 02:09 PM (nC+QA)

I'm not sure what a "cat TV" might be, but mine want one. Right now.

Happy to hear your cottage garden is in gear! I have some seedlings but nowhere near what I need to have for a medicinal garden.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at April 29, 2023 02:12 PM (Mzdiz)

39 Note: I always save the pots I buy plants in, but I've run out of everything but the larger ones and the small-celled trays. I bought some styrofoam cups to use for now.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at April 29, 2023 02:14 PM (Mzdiz)

40 One of the things I got from Homesteading Family was step-by-step instructions for an "instant garden". Another video from someone else taught about all the different vegetables that could be grown from regular grocery packs. Such as pinto beans. It works great! Pintos and lentils sown into potting soil over cardboard, and under mulch, are both helping enrich the soil and providing food while assisting in breaking down the cardboard.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at April 29, 2023 02:17 PM (nC+QA)

41 No gardening here for another month.
Wife has been making seed tapes.

Posted by: Ronster at April 29, 2023 02:18 PM (kDDMF)

42 Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at April 29, 2023 02:12 PM (Mzdiz)

Cat TV are the YouTube videos of birds and butterflies visiting feeders that are supposed to keep cats occupied when their people are gone. I can't show them to my cats as the male looked like he was going to attack the TV the one time I tried. Ironically, The cats are practically always elsewhere when the finches, sparrows, and chickadees visit. There was a cardinal last week, and a hummingbird checking out the nectar feeder the week before, so I am very happy.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at April 29, 2023 02:22 PM (nC+QA)

43 Posted by: Ronster at April 29, 2023 02:18 PM (kDDMF)

I am very concerned about the shortening of the growing season in Colorado. I always had a hard time planting in time here because the season is so early. I got around that this year by starting in the fall. Fortunately, some of the stuff survived the Christmas freeze and that gave me a good incentive to continue in the spring.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at April 29, 2023 02:24 PM (nC+QA)

44 Polliwog the 'Ette at April 29, 2023 02:24 PM (nC+QA)

About 3 months of growing season. Long enough for Radishes I guess.

Posted by: Ronster at April 29, 2023 02:29 PM (kDDMF)

45 I bought a used tiller and it is having gas feed issues. I suspect I have old gas, but that might mean I need to get into the carb as well. I hate doing mechanical things.

On the positive side, I have tilled 3/4 of my garden before the powers stopped moving the tiller.
Posted by: Kindltot

Generally, if you pull the float bowl under the carb (7/16" mostly), you can tell how clean the carb is. Wipe it out really well, and run air, spray or a wee wire through the metering hole at the bottom.
Where most carbs booger up.

Posted by: MkY at April 29, 2023 02:30 PM (cPGH3)

46 You should look up Fy Nyth on You Tube. She gardens in Wyoming. And she's always managed to have a lovely garden, but knows exactly what she can get away with planting.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at April 29, 2023 02:31 PM (u7leW)

47 Anybody have anything going on indoors?

I'm 71 and Viagra resistant

what would I have going on ?

Posted by: REDACTED at April 29, 2023 02:32 PM (us2H3)

48
From this morning's Pixy Tech thread

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 29, 2023 02:32 PM (pNxlR)

49 The front yard is pretty much done, possibly needs a windchime, especially since Littlest Kidlet and I got some solar lights yesterday. We put three in the front and one in the back garden since they came in a pack of four.

I strewed a couple of "bird and butterfly" seed packs in the front flower beds. I had no idea what would sprout so It's been fun finding out what the various flowers are. There are masses of Scarlet Flax, Bachelor's Button (in white and blue) and a really lovely type called Ensign Tri-color Convolvulus that is a morning glory but not a bindweed (which I hadn't realized was possible).

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at April 29, 2023 02:33 PM (nC+QA)

50
I have three mulberry trees in my backyard, one which overhangs my deck. I never thought to eat the berries, but that smoothie does look interesting. Maybe with a little vodka to help sterilize the berries. It pays to be careful.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at April 29, 2023 02:34 PM (enJYY)

51 On the veggie front:
We're harvesting asparagus every third day.
Have beets, lettuce and spinach coming up.
Finished the (re-done) deer fence, and are laying out the plants, to be planted in a coupla weeks, every day to harden them off a bit.

Posted by: MkY at April 29, 2023 02:36 PM (cPGH3)

52 You might enjoy this video of gardening in Japan. I think there are three videos of this guy.

https://youtu.be/yScflfXDJTs

Posted by: Notsothoreau at April 29, 2023 02:37 PM (u7leW)

53 About 3 months of growing season. Long enough for Radishes I guess.
Posted by: Ronster at April 29, 2023 02:29 PM (kDDMF)

Theoretically radishes only need 30 days for maturity. I'm bad at radishes though, so I grow them for the young leaves and the young seed pods. The flowers are actually quite pretty as well. Unfortunately, The ones I planted recently don't seem to be forming seed pods, which is disappointing when they were the main point.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at April 29, 2023 02:38 PM (nC+QA)

54
From this morning's Pixy Tech thread --

I ordered a 4-wheeled garden cart to replace the POC Radio Flyer wagon which suffered a catastrophic collapse of one of its POC plastic wheels. I went to pick it up yesterday, in the rain, of course.

The box would not fit in my car, so I had to open it, pull out all the parts, and load them one by one. In the downpour.

I need to get outside, unload the car and let it dry out inside before getting the gKids this afternoon.
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot

Someone advised, "avoid pneumatic tires". Too late for that, I'm afraid.

Our practically never used metal hose reel (on pneumatic tires, natch!) will be offered up for sale later this summer in order to clear out storage space in our overfilled garage.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 29, 2023 02:39 PM (pNxlR)

55 I actually saw the top of my garden beds this week. The snow is down to about a foot now. Highs approaching 50 degrees during the day. I have ordered seed, and at some point I will be able to turn over the dirt, maybe even this week, if it unfreezes.

Unfortunately, the snow melt has uncovered the dastardly deeds of the dogs. They tipped over the trash sometime in December and spread it all over the yard, while we were out of state. It was buried under the snow, but now....

Posted by: tcn in AK, Hail to the Thief at April 29, 2023 02:40 PM (LOVUx)

56 I always love the photos of cactus flowers. Such lovely shapes and brilliant color coming from such an unlikely looking source. It makes me think there is an important life lesson to be had, but I'm not sure just what it is. Maybe 'don't judge a book by its cover.

Posted by: JTB at April 29, 2023 02:41 PM (7EjX1)

57 I pulled up and chopped up dead lantana from in front of the house. Filled up 15 40 gallon bags with it. That stuff is wearying, too many tendrils. I think we planted it in 2006. Now looking at a replacement plant.
Probably lantana.

Posted by: gourmand du jour, stay savory, morons! at April 29, 2023 02:41 PM (jTmQV)

58 I've been making Inspector salads almost every day from the lettuces that made it through the freeze. They are starting to bolt though and I'm trying to figure out what to give him next. The pinto beans are starting to produce now, but they aren't really salad material.

It made me wonder what the rhythm of succession eating was back when eating seasonally was required instead of optional.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at April 29, 2023 02:43 PM (nC+QA)

59 Probably lantana.
Posted by: gourmand du jour,

Hah!
That's the spirit.

Posted by: MkY at April 29, 2023 02:44 PM (cPGH3)

60
Got my tractor running again. There was some sort of safety switch to prevent the mower from starting if the cutting blade was engaged. For some reason it could no longer be depressed, so I used some thin wire and wired it down into the depressed position. I'm not so dumb I'd try to start the mower with the blades engaged.

Sat down on tractor seat turned switch. Nothing. Took a nap. After nap I remembered I saw a fuse in that area. Pulled fuse, checked continuity, it was fine. Reinstalled fuse, sat down on tractor seat, turned switch. Roar!!!

Posted by: Divide by Zero at April 29, 2023 02:44 PM (enJYY)

61 Now looking at a replacement plant.
Probably lantana.
Posted by: gourmand du jour

LOL, you know if you didn't get all the 'tendrils' you'll probably have Lantana again no matter what you plant!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at April 29, 2023 02:45 PM (gUvIq)

62 I have an embarrassing story about neutral safety switches and lawnmowers. Sufficient to say every single safety switch is new, except the electric blade clutch switch.

Posted by: MkY at April 29, 2023 02:46 PM (cPGH3)

63 Electric clutch blade engagement switch, I guess

Posted by: MkY at April 29, 2023 02:47 PM (cPGH3)

64 Flywheel, I would try jam but I gave up bread about 4 years ago. I might have to try a pie though. Divide by Zero, the berries are amazing. I was thinking that I should juice some of the berries and put it in champagne. I think that would be fantastic, but vodka wouldn't be bad either... Just know that when you harvest the berries you will look like you murdered someone. And it stains for a bit so you still have slightly purple hands even after you wash them.

Posted by: WeeKreekFarmGirl at April 29, 2023 02:50 PM (83Gjm)

65 The giant pile of snow is retreating from my townhome 'yard,' allowing the full spectrum of crocuses to bloom! Yellow, purple, white, light purple with white stripes.....The interesting thing is that each color pops up and first blooms at a slightly different rate. The light purple ones come up slightly before the yellow ones, even when right next to each other...

Posted by: Castle Guy at April 29, 2023 02:53 PM (Lhaco)

66 Posted by: WeeKreekFarmGirl at April 29, 2023 02:50 PM (83Gjm)

I feel about mulberry the way the Forrest Gump character feels about shrimp. Its uses are nearly infinite, and that's just the fruit. The young leaves are also edible and, the inner bark can be used for cordage, and the wood is good both for woodworking and for smoking meat.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at April 29, 2023 02:55 PM (nC+QA)

67 tractor seats get some folks motors running

Posted by: REDACTED at April 29, 2023 02:57 PM (us2H3)

68
I wonder how many horrific accidents happened every year before they had all these safety switches installed on tractors? Because I've never heard of a single one. Backing up with blades engaged? I wouldn't do that without looking. But safety switch for that. Start mower with blades engaged? Dumb thing to do and tough on engine and starter. But safety switch for that. Start mower without sitting on the seat? Not sure why anyone would do that but safety switch for that. I'm probably missing another one or two.

I'm sure there are exceptionally dumb people in the world. Without question. But fixing all these safety switches that go bad after a few years is a PITA.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at April 29, 2023 02:57 PM (enJYY)

69
tractor seats get some folks motors running

Posted by: REDACTED at April 29, 2023 02:57 PM

I don't know if it's time yet to tell Jerry about the tractor seat.

Posted by: Sophie at April 29, 2023 03:03 PM (enJYY)

70 Half of all people are at or below average IQ, ya know. Present company excluded, of course...

Posted by: gourmand du jour, stay savory, morons! at April 29, 2023 03:03 PM (jTmQV)

71 I have pneumatic tires on my 3 wheelbarrows and yard cart, not a problem but then I have a air compressor

Posted by: Skip at April 29, 2023 03:04 PM (xhxe8)

72 57 I pulled up and chopped up dead lantana from in front of the house. Filled up 15 40 gallon bags with it. That stuff is wearying, too many tendrils. I think we planted it in 2006. Now looking at a replacement plant.
Probably lantana.

Posted by: gourmand du jour, stay savory, morons! at April 29, 2023 02:41 PM (jTmQV)
----
That is a weed in Africa, one that is governmentaly deemed a nuisance and must be killed.

Posted by: Ciampino --- idem, the same, identical at April 29, 2023 03:04 PM (qfLjt)

73 I'm sure there are exceptionally dumb people in the world. Without question. But fixing all these safety switches that go bad after a few years is a PITA.
Posted by: Divide by Zero at April 29, 2023 02:57 PM (enJYY)

Forklifts. Seat switch cuts all function. Like steering and brakes. Nothing like cruising along and ¡beepbeepbeep! and physics takes over until it rolls to stop.

Posted by: Reforger at April 29, 2023 03:06 PM (zuCd6)

74
Nobody needs more then one wheelbarrow. Or more then one choice in deodorants.

Posted by: Bernie Sanders at April 29, 2023 03:06 PM (enJYY)

75 My Kubota tractor won't start with the PTO engaged. If I don't disengage it and hop off, the tractor dies. There's no way to do any sort of adjustments with it running unless there's two or more people. The switch is a pressure type and is under the seat. The grandson isn't heavy enough to sit on it and run the mower, which is a bit of a pain. He's 14 and doesn't weigh enough.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at April 29, 2023 03:08 PM (Q4IgG)

76 You raise silkworms off mulberry leaves too. I had a friend that raised silkworms.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at April 29, 2023 03:08 PM (u7leW)

77 1st I bought, 2nd was old company's that used from here, 3rd was a dumpster find.

Posted by: Skip at April 29, 2023 03:15 PM (xhxe8)

78 PET NOOD

Posted by: Skip at April 29, 2023 03:16 PM (xhxe8)

79 "That is a weed in Africa, one that is governmentaly deemed a nuisance and must be killed."

I can see why. It damn near killed me!

Posted by: gourmand du jour, stay savory, morons! at April 29, 2023 03:17 PM (jTmQV)

80 Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at April 29, 2023 02:22 PM (nC+QA)

My cats appreciate birds very much. Sadly, there is a blue bird head here on the back porch.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at April 29, 2023 03:17 PM (Mzdiz)

81 I loved the idea of saving seeds, and they did germinate. Just don't seem as robust.
----
Skwych, I saved seeds from my Rebel Starfighter Prime tomatoes, which were underachievers last year. The seedlings I started look very weedy next to my other robust seedlings. Maybe it's just a milqetoast mater.

For all that I love the odd varieties available in seed, I sometimes think I'll just plop in stuff from the nursery next time.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at April 29, 2023 03:18 PM (qPmox)

82
I've watched deer stand perfectly balanced on back legs alone to eat mulberry leaves that are more then six feet off the ground. It's a nuisance to keep the low branches cut to seven feet so they can't do that. But that's my spring, summer, and fall. One nuisance job after another, while all winter I'm bored and can't wait for spring to arrive so it starts all over again.

It is fun to watch the squirrels fight over the mulberries, though. They get into some real nasty turf battles that I sometimes have to referee by persuading them with a very loud air rifle to take it somewhere else.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at April 29, 2023 03:18 PM (enJYY)

83 Jake the Uncouth freaks out if I play "cat TV" on the laptop. He hates sound from the computers.

He also hates the piano when my MiL plays it. He hasn't jumped up and tried to stop her - yet.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at April 29, 2023 03:20 PM (Mzdiz)

84 Sadly, there is a blue bird head here on the back porch.
Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at April 29, 2023 03:17 PM (Mzdiz)

Ours are very much housecats for that exact reason.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at April 29, 2023 03:23 PM (nC+QA)

85 I'm 71 and Viagra resistant

what would I have going on ?

Posted by: REDACTED at April 29, 2023 02:32 PM (us2H3)

I didn't know that Viagra resistance was a thing (guesses this isn't OT since we're talking about growing things).

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at April 29, 2023 03:24 PM (Mzdiz)

86 Divide by Zero at April 29, 2023 03:18 PM

Some people plant mulberries near orchards of other fruit to distract birds from the main crop.

People who grow mulberries to eat often keep the trees in bush form, since they have to be picked often.

Posted by: KT at April 29, 2023 03:29 PM (rrtZS)

87 Ours are very much housecats for that exact reason.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at April 29, 2023 03:23 PM (nC+QA)

Ours go au naturel, and there's a lot of murdering going on. At least when SHTF they'll be able to feed themselves.

Upside is that we're at least 600 feet from the road and there are no immediate neighbors. They have plenty to interest them here, and they haven't really gone into the woods much.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at April 29, 2023 03:33 PM (Mzdiz)

88
People who grow mulberries to eat often keep the trees in bush form, since they have to be picked often.

Posted by: KT at April 29, 2023 03:29

I have three of them on my property. The original one which the first owner of the property says he doesn't know where it came from. Two more that popped up near my deck, suddenly, out of nowhere. Then a fourth one that popped up on my neighbors farm. They're not there, and suddenly you have a six foot tall tree in the spring. They're very strange and very hardy. But they keep the birds around and mosquitoes are rare. So a good trade off - except for the bird poop.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at April 29, 2023 03:36 PM (enJYY)

89 People who grow mulberries to eat often keep the trees in bush form, since they have to be picked often.

Posted by: KT at April 29, 2023 03:29 PM (rrtZS)

That's another great thing about mulberries. Since fruit grows on new wood, I always cut the tree back to just a couple of leaves on 3-5 branches after the harvest was over. That kept the tree from getting too large for our small yard and also ensured plenty of fruit the next year with plenty of wood for the smoker.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at April 29, 2023 03:39 PM (nC+QA)

90
The switch is a pressure type and is under the seat. The grandson isn't heavy enough to sit on it and run the mower, which is a bit of a pain. He's 14 and doesn't weigh enough.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at April 29, 2023 03:08 PM

little length of wire with alligator clips on either end...clip to the contacts to by-pass the switch

Posted by: AltonJackson at April 29, 2023 03:47 PM (ENBF0)

91
little length of wire with alligator clips on either end...clip to the contacts to by-pass the switch
Posted by: AltonJackson

Great suggestion, thanks.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at April 29, 2023 04:02 PM (gUvIq)

92 Unfortunately, the snow melt has uncovered the dastardly deeds of the dogs. They tipped over the trash sometime in December and spread it all over the yard, while we were out of state. It was buried under the snow, but now....
Posted by: tcn in AK, Hail to the Thief at April 29, 2023 02:40 PM (LOVUx)

Tell us when you find Ötzi!

Posted by: Kindltot at April 29, 2023 04:02 PM (xhaym)

93 I forgot to mention in my list of the wildflowers from the seed pack that one of the ones there are a lot of is coreopsis (called tickseed). The scientific name includes "tinctura" which means I struck gold and got *a lot* of dye material for the price of those seed packs. Dyers coreopsis was used by both Zuni and Navajo to make yellow (*everything* makes yellow) and, more importantly, red dyes on wool. I feel like I won the lottery.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at April 29, 2023 04:48 PM (nC+QA)

94 That cactus flower is stunning! I'm so jealous. I tried to add a plant to my little cactus garden and completely messed it up. Have to wait and see if I saved the arrangment.
Container planted two kinds of cherry tomatoes, jalapeno and poblano plants, basil and cilantro. They look peretty good so fingers crossed I get a decent yield.

Posted by: sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 29, 2023 04:56 PM (Y+l9t)

95 Those of you with figs (in AZ or elsewhere), how do you keep the birds off the fruit until it ripens? We have yet to have a harvest because the birds eat literally every single fig well before they're ready to pick. Or should I just pick them early, will they ripen once picked? Any and all advice appreciated.

Posted by: quietI at April 29, 2023 05:03 PM (Op1Aj)

96 From Boise area: Lows 37-49 F, highs 55-83. Another year of the usual sudden temperature shift - low of 28 F on the 20th, high of about 83 on today 29th! Our 2nd of 3 consecutive Saturdays at a rifle range running an event.

Indoors, up-potted the 6 poblanos into small yogurt cups. Tomatoes all looking good, now need to be hardened off so we can plant them. Still 2 more slow tomatoes to up-pot.

Outdoors, HOA irrigation on; husband is testing zones - many dead sprayer heads...
Lots of tulip buds out front - the 2 behind the kitchen window have flowered.
We tilled the corn patch, set up the "squid" of irrigation tubing, tested it - I planted ten 10 foot rows of corn and two 10 foot rows of green beans so far.
Asparagus harvest is starting - we lost the earliest spears to cold nights.
First spinach sprouts, some onions up, more radish sprouts - nothing from lettuce, carrots yet.
I did a quickie trim on oregano (a few live leaves in there), thyme (a live branch or two) and spearmint (which might have died!). A few live leaves down in the sage.

Posted by: Pat* at April 29, 2023 07:11 PM (VsoW4)

97 I would love to taste both the Mulberry smoothie and the Margarita. They both sound and look delish. Breast implants are hilarious and the artichoke reminds me of my mom. Just transplanted sunflower seedlings. Enjoy your springtime.

Posted by: sidney at April 29, 2023 07:19 PM (hGlnS)

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