A Glorious October Day!

This afternoon I enjoyed being outdoors in the cool autumn air, under a blue cloudless sky, while doing garden and chicken chores.  Rouse was nearby, building his workshop.  Noah was busy replacing the brake pads on his jeep.  I guess you'd call that parallel play!

I planted half of one raised bed in two types of spinach:  "Red Cardinal", a hybrid smooth leaf, and "Spargo", a hybrid savoyed (crinkled) leaf.  The other half of the bed is already filled with lettuce seedlings that have sprouted since I planted them last Monday, as well as volunteers that seeded themselves from last spring's crop.

I placed row cover over the spinach/lettuce bed and redid the row cover on the bed of cooking greens.  Last week I had run short of insect barrier fabric.  I had just enough to cover the bed of greens close to the soil rather than on a structure that gets it up off the ground.  I bought more row cover fabric from the local feed and seed store, reinstalled the pvc pipe support structure, and got the fabric placed correctly.  Now the baby plants have room to grow.

I watered all the beds that contain my fall garden crops, then picked what's still coming in from the summer garden.  The long beans are about to play out.  I picked a handful of them, then picked the pole beans.  They're coming in as strong as ever!  There are still black beans drying on the plants.  I'll leave the hot pepper plants in the garden until frost kills them.  It's nice to go out to the garden to grab a jalapeño or two as needed.

After taking a lunch break, I returned to the outdoors.  Destination - the chicken coop.  I filled up the automatic waterer and the food dispenser, then cleaned and sanitized the crate we use to isolate sick chickens.  The chores were finished.  I went inside and took a nap!

Rainy Day Monday

I tried to beat the rain.  I knew it was coming, and I had lettuce and spinach seeds to plant.  I hurried out to the garden, prepared half of one raised bed, and planted a spicy mesclun mix and two types of green romaine, "Winter Density" and "Parris Island".  I sowed the seeds amid baby volunteer lettuce plants that had seeded themselves from last spring's crop.

I pulled up the shrub-like Thai basil and was preparing the soil for the spinach patch when the wind at the front of the storm hit.  The sky was a menacing dark gray.  I dropped the rake, gathered up the seeds, hollered up the dog, and barely made it to the back door before the downpour came.

Black and Beautiful

The black turtle beans have been successfully left to dry on the plant.  They've provided a nice cover crop in one of the beds throughout the heat and drought of late summer. Now, they give up their fruit.  There are still some in the garden, continuing to mature and dry, but here's a photo of some that Andrew and I have already shelled out.  Can't wait to cook up a pot full of these black beauties!

Cruciferous Plants - Take 2

It may be late in the season, but I've got to try!  Some varmit cleaned out my initial (right on time) plantings of broccoli, cabbage, and collards.  I sure don't want to go into winter without some of those plants in the ground.  I went to the seed and feed store yesterday to see if they had any plants left at this late date.  They did ... bargain priced at $1 per 9-pack.  I bought one pack each of premium brocolli, an early-maturing cabbage, and carolina collards.  It's worth the $3 gamble!  These plants will often over-winter, and last year we didn't have a hard frost until December.  I planted everything in one bed and covered it all with the insect barrier cloth.  Hope to keep those hungry cabbage worms away this time ... and maybe other garden raiders, too!

Cooking Greens - Take 2

While working in the garden the other day, Andrew discovered that the kale was infested with aphids.  He cut a lot of the plants out that day.  Today I went out to have a look.  Good grief!  The bugs were everywhere.  And in addition to the aphids, I found a handful of cabbage worms!  I thought I might be able to salvage some of the leaves, but decided it wasn't worth my time.  I ended up pulling all the kale, along with resident pests, and throwing it into the chicken yard. So far, the adjacent mustard plants appear to be clean.

After I cleaned up the greens bed, I moved on to the okra.  I took out the spent plants, fluffed up the soil, then sowed seeds for more kale, more mustard, and some Asian greens.  I finished just as Mother Nature released a nice gentle soaking rain.  When the rain quits, I'll install the Agribon + (insect barrier fabric).  Doing my best to keep the bugs at bay this time!  Here's what we have to look forward to:

Toscano Specialty Kale

     30/65 days (baby/mature)

Green Curled Winterbor Kale

     28/60 days (baby/mature)

Tendergreen Mustard

     55 days to maturity

Asian Yukina Savoy Greens

     21/45 days (baby/mature)

Toad Abode Disturbed

The okra has finally played out.  The okra "forest" has been pulled up and hauled away.  While working the soil in that bed I uncovered plenty of living beings - spiders, worms, ants, grubs - and this handsome toad.  I fed the grubs to the chickens. I guided the toad to the asparagus bed where he should be able to rest undisturbed for a very long time.

More Root Veggies in the Ground

I came home from a long day at the office and discovered that Andrew had been busy in the garden.  The summer tomato bed was cleaned out and ready for the next round of plantings.  The last of the sungold cherry tomatoes (green as well as ripe) had been harvested and were piled on the kitchen counter.  The heavy-duty tomato support system had been removed.  In its place, the structure to support our row covers.  Man, he's handy to have around!  All I had to do was plant the seeds, then cover the bed with Agribon + (insect barrier fabric) we bought from Johnny's.  I've had it with bugs!

I planted three 12' rows ... one row of radishes, one row of carrots, and one row of beets  ... in these varieties:

Small Tricolored Easter Egg Radish
     30 days to maturation
Shunkyo Semi-Long Radish
     32 days to maturation

Red Ace, Round Red Beet

     50 days to maturation

Purple Haze Carrot
     73 days to maturation

Egg Production Decreasing

My girls all appear to be healthy.  They eat a good, nutritionally balanced diet and have plenty of water available.  There are no obvious stressors.  But shorter days and advancing age are contributing to a decrease in the number of eggs I collect.

 After two or three years, many hens naturally decline in productivity.  Typically, hens will lay efficiently for two laying cycles.  This is the third laying season for the "charter members" of our small flock, and that includes everyone but First Lady!  I've also noticed more thin-shelled eggs, a problem associated with older hens.

The days are short between October and February.  Hens require 14 hours of day length to sustain egg production. Once day length drops below 12 hours, egg production will naturally decrease and frequently stop.   Last year, egg production went down to nothing in the first couple weeks of January, then promptly picked up again in February.  I could provide artificial light to extend the short days, but I've never set that up.  Maybe the chickens deserve a vacation.

Another Dead Chicken

This time, death by dog.  Rouse has been training granddog, Grayson, to leave the chickens alone while they're free-ranging in the afternoons.  The dog's been really good, but the instincts must've kicked in last night.  Rouse and Andrew were working outdoors on the new workshop.  Night was falling.  The chickens had gone to roost.  All seemed to be well.  Suddenly, there was a commotion near the chicken house.  Grayson exited with a chicken in his mouth. Peace-loving Andrew bolted toward the coop, yelling "no", and beat the dog, forcing him to release the chicken.  They put the chicken in the hen house, but the fright (or the internal injuries) were enough to do her in.  She was dead the next day.

Wineberry Jam Earns Red Ribbon at Chatham County Fair ...

... and a dollar fifty in prize money!

Chicken Lost to Unknown Illness

When I went out to close up the chicken coop last night I noticed that one chicken was missing.  A quick head count, and I realized it was the Barred Rock hen.  She's had a droopy, pale comb lately, and has been feeling poorly.  I fully expected to find her dead in the chicken yard.  All but.  Something neurological had happened to her.  She was on her side and unable to stand.  I gently picked her up and settled her into the isolation crate in the barn.  She was still alive today, but obviously terminal.  This afternoon, I convinced Rouse to perform the unpleasant job of putting her out of her misery.  I haven't killed a chicken yet, but one thing I know for sure.  If I'm going to be responsible for a bunch of chickens, I've got to learn how to cull the unhealthy from the flock.