Fun Times

Well, my cousins have left. While they were here we had lots of fun in the creek, played fun games, and got some gardening done.

We planted quite a few brassicas while Jether was here. Kale, Brussels Sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, chinese cabbage. I also planted some rye and vetch in a few places.

We also worked on the rototiller. We took off the pull string, retied it, put it back in, but the spring that pulls the cord back in everytime was a little loose. So, today we redid it, the pull string is working wonderfully. Besides that we were not able to get much more done on the tiller. I think it is probably water in the gas, but I'm not sure. I am hoping that I can clean out the gas line and see if that helps.

We did get some brush cleared, and cut down a poplar tree that was 70ft tall, and 18" in diameter with axes.

Well, I'd better go.


English Vintner

?

I'm not really sure if I'm angry. I'm not really sure what I'm feeling. You see, about three months ago I decided to plant corn, I got two packets, each packet had 250 seeds in them. Last night a raccoon finished up every last ear of corn. I had a row of 250 that was finished up last night, and the corn I planted by the lettuce, yup that two, and the corn up by the fence. All eaten. Well, I did in fact get one ear, isn't that nice, I got one ear of corn!

If I didn't compost I think I would go out there with some corn, wait all night and murder every stinking raccoon in our woods. You see, the only benefit that growing the corn gave me is organic matter. If I didn't compost then I would pull up the stalks and trash them. So, the only thing good about growing the corn this year was that I got organic matter.

I actually might get some corn, if the raccoon don't get it from some stuff I planted later. The question is, how to secure it? Paper bag? I know cucumber doesn't work, at least cutting it up and putting it around the corn. Would a radio really work? If so I need 3 extension cords to get it down to it. Oh brother.....

I could really use some coffee this morning.

I've been researching crop circles, very interesting. I am also doing research into Shaman secrets of plants and Egyptian plane models, and all sorts of things since my Uncle came.

I am just now reading about the benefits of fasting, I knew some, but it is nice to be able to read about it.

Anyway, I guess thats all I am able to write right now. So, fare thee well.

English Vintner

Been a while eh?

Yup I've been busy. Friends came down and life stayed busy. Then Saturday (7/31) my two older brothers came home and my Uncle stayed over until this morning. We've been having tons of fun. But I would say probably a big highlight of last week was talking with my Uncle and two older brothers. We talked about theology, and then some about astrology and about some of the geniuses in the world. We also talked about some of the mysteries of this universe and some of the mysteries in the bible. I also was able to talk to him about his view on foods and stuff like that. He is all into juicers and he has done a lot of research on the Gerson (spelling?) method of cancer treatment. An alternative to conventional methods. Look it up for more on it.

I realized just this last time how much he really knows. He doesn't let on how much he knows, but he has books on astrology and 'anti gravity' stuff, and he has done some massive research. He is so interesting to talk to. I like to listen to what he has to say about lots of things.


Garden.

Everything was fine in the garden, no corn attacks. Until Saturday night I think it was. Five corn stalks broken down and most of the corn eaten (from those stalks). How do raccoons know that corn tastes good? You know, is it smell?

I picked a lot of stuff Saturday evening. Three huge bunches of basil for drying. Some more small onions and shallots. I am realizing that most of my onions are not going to get a whole lot bigger. So, maybe I will start some sets in a week and try growing my own sets next year. But, I also want to start onions a lot earlier next year too. I think I might get a good amount of leeks and the shallots did really well.


I pulled up a parsnip to see how well they were doing. It was 1 1/4" in diameter at the top and 18" long! Wow! That is one LONG parsnip!

My tomatoes still are not really ripening. Maybe the last few cool nights will help them. I sorta think that it has a lot to do with half sun or something instead of full sun. I think next year I will do squash or cucurbit on the fence next time instead of tomatoes. (besides the fact I am doing crop rotation)

My wheat is a few inches tall. My cover crop is growing too.

I harvested a cabbage Saturday it was about the size of my fist. We actually used it today for supper. My Kale and Brussels Sprouts haven't sprouted. We got a whole bunch of rain and the rain sorta filled in the row where I planted them. I may have to replant.

My peas are coming up too. The deer seem to have not respect for my garden. They trample it it seems about every single night!?! Stinkin' deer! They trample the ground where I plant things and eat the things that come up. :) I am hoping when my cousin is here we can put up some fishing line around the beds. It is suppose to spook them when they bump into it.

Well, I could keep writing. Its been a while, I apologize. But my computer says 14 minutes and too soon it will be gone.

So, keep up the gardening!


English Vintner

Blueberries

We went blueberry picking this morning. We got 30 quarts in under 2 hours. The price was pretty good too. And, I don't think he sprays his blueberries! A definite plus!

I harvested 2 more cucumbers. I think by the end of the season I will have gotten several hundred from those 7 vines! They just keep producing, despite the stink bugs that are on them.

I really wonder if I will get more than one watermelon. The way the stinkin' deer keep at em'. I have one vine at the house that has a watermelon on it, and I have a few vines that have not been touched.

No corn last night. I expect something tonight though. I dammed up the creek a little more. I am wondering when it is going to dry up. Probably sometime in August, the driest month of the year.

I plan on working some more on the winery, get it all cleaned up so I can bottle some wine next week. I have friends coming over next week that will be staying for 10 days (ages 12-15). I hope I can get them and my younger siblings to count corks for me. I would like to get 4000 corks in 40 bags, one hundred each. That way, when I get an order I can quickly send it off.

I watered my tomatoes by the creek today. Did about 12-14 gallons. I picked to roma looking tomatoes. One had so many bites in it from stink bugs I threw it over the compost (freebies next year?) and saved the one of them.

I am amazed at the amount of hops on my hop pole. WAY more then I expected and they keep coming (the hops).

Well, I'd better go, stop writing and start doing something.



English Vintner

Corn Missing

At this rate I am losing one stalk of corn a night. How many stalks can I afford to lose before they are 'ripe' enough for me? :) I am planning on mixing up some cucumber spray and spraying it on the corn from a few of my cucumbers.

The deer didn't seem to have eaten much, though they did trample down the beans again. I think next year I might have to see about interplanting cucurbit with EVERYTHING to keep the deer and coons away. The funny thing is that last year I had one wild pumpkin growing in the strawberry bed, and one morning a deer came by and ate all the leaves. I didn't think they really liked squash, but I guess it didn't have much else to eat.

I harvested all my rutabaga yesterday evening. 10 pounds before cutting off top and bottom. A measely amount to what I wanted to get. The biggest one was 3 inches in the middle. I plan on freezing them chopped to add to soups. If I get my greenhouse tilled up I plan on growing some this fall. I think the reason why I didn't get a good harvest were a few things. They should have been started earlier, more water during the drier times, and less bugs. The leaves had a LOT of holes in them.

Do wasps eat onion stems? I found a wasp on an onion stem and once it flew off I found that something had eaten away the stem revealing the hole inside. I was curious as to wether or not this was common. Also, basically all my shallot and onion stems have fallen over, is this normal?

I have plenty of compost composting. I have the one compost pile that is basically done, still condensing. And then the pile to its left is huge. Tons of stuff. Weeds, hay, kitchen scraps, rutabaga leaves. The hay that I got started composting. But it has sorta stopped. So I have hay that is whitish from the mold. So, I try not to breathe when I throw some over the compost.

I need to sort out my seeds again. I like that Johnny's seeds packets are probably the most informed seed packets I have gotten, but they don't have pictures on them that you can readily identify the packet. It probably saves costs, so that is a good thing though.

I can see the hops forming on my hop vine.

Well, I guess that is all.

God bless!

English Vintner

Lettuce, carrots, beans, peas, kale, brussels sprouts, wheat for green manure, and a few more cucumbers

I planted some stuff this evening (got pretty sweaty doing it too!). I planted some summer lettuce. I planted about 2 sq. ft. of carrots. I also planted pole beans along the fence I put up as trellis. I planted a few peas where I had some brassica. And where I pulled out the beans I planted two rows of kale, and two rows of brussels sprouts.

I planted some wheat among the sweet potatoes.

I found a few spots to throw in some cucumber seeds here and there! :)

Anyway. Man! 9:20p! I would like to get up early tomorrow and do some more work! Yipes!

God Bless!

English Vintner

Hops

I have been reading through a very cool book, The Homebrewers Garden. It explains how to grow hops and grains, and also numerous other herbs for brewing. Most of the herbs cultivated today were used in brewing 1-2-400 years ago. It is my desire to at least me malting my own barley and growing hops and some of the other herbs. I don't know if I will get to grow barley next year or not, but if I think I have enough space, then I will try a small plot with barley.

Speaking on hops, I have quite a few on my hop vine! I cannot believe how big it is. It grew to the top of the pole, and halfway down, and sent shoots ALL over the place! I think I might get a couple ounces of hops this fall!

I have not really had to water my plants for the last two months, and I am happy to say, the only things that have suffered from it are the tomatoes. My parsnips are getting close to 24 inches. My onions are very nice. My shallots are doing well. And my leeks are growing fabulous.

My corn is growing well, and Saturday night and last night a raccoon has come and eaten at least one ear of corn. It's not even ripe! Maybe he is getting me back. In the spring Tasha (our dog) chased a raccoon out of the blackberry patch, he ran right past me, tearing at my bare legs with his venomous teeth, foaming at the mouth. Sorry, I made up that last part. But he did run right past me. And, it probably is the same one. We see his prints all the time in the creek.

Basil is doing well. Mint is growing, maybe a little too well? :) Horehound is well, I think I will harvest some next year. Comfrey, I've harvested TONS of it and it is growing madly!

When can I plant peas for a fall crop? I think I have about 15 heads of cabbage, that are doing alright, about half of them are about half as big as the others.

I am planning on using a couple row covers next year. I'm tired of worms in my cabbage. Do you know what row covers are? It is a hoop house greenhouse, except instead of plastic you use a fine mesh fabric. The results? Plants that are VERY healthy, and don't need ANY pesticides or insecticides of ANY kind, organic, or nonorganic. A lot of farmers that are growing organicly and I think some that are not certified are using them. The main cost is the fabric. Which, actually, thinking about it, couldn't you probably just buy white fabric, of the right kind at a cloth store? Or, maybe it would be wide enough? Some ideas to think about.

I planted chickling vetch and winter rye this morning. I did it where I planted the zucchini early spring. I discovered that the deer had visited the sweet potatoes (ate all the leaves off one vine that was 2.5' long) and watermelon. Well, I know one thing, I know where I am growing watermelon next year! Closer to the greenhouse, maybe under a row cover.

Maybe I can get around to planting some brassica later today. I go down to the garden to do one thing, and I see all the other things it needs. More poles for the beans. Weeding for the sweet potatoes etc.

Well, I'd better go, and see what I can do for the rest of the day!

God Bless!

English Vintner

Bad News

bI am writing this here, because most of you who read this, were supporting me, either in prayer, or finances. Our Haiti trip has been canceled. We had already purchased tickets. So, at this point, we are planning on postponing the mission trip until next year. And, wether we go to Haiti next year, or another place will depend. Maybe we will go to Peru.

On a lighter note, gardening.

I got up at 6:30am today. I fully considered sleeping in till 7am or later, but knew I would regret it later. So, I forced myself to get up.

I weeded the blackraspberry bed. I found that three of the long canes of blackberries, had gone over and were touching the ground and one of them already had roots on the other end! So, I planted that end in the bed. This Autumn I will probably cut it in two. The canes I bought from Stark Bros, and the ones I got from my cousin wild, look exactly the same, identical. The difference was this year mine bore fruit, and his did not. I like how the canes have that, frosty white look to them. By the way, why do people like blackraspberries better? I tasted them and they didn't taste that much different, I mean, I guess they tasted a little more juicy, but did not have as strong a 'raspberry' flavor as red ones do. Anyone care to comment and answer as to why they like them better?

I got the rototiller in the greenhouse, and started rototilling. The ground is hard as rock (almost), but I did get somewhere. I shut it off because it was making a sorta chugging, sorta bang bang bang sound. I filled it up with all the gas left, making it 1/4-1/3 full (maybe a little more). It had a little trouble starting, but started up. And then, it died. The motor quit. I didn't want to try to start it again, so I didn't, I left it. I hope to till up one fourth of the greenhouse, move some stuff around and to another fourth. I am thinking do about half of the greenhouse tilled up. I need it pretty deeply till if I'm growing roots!

I found that something had pulled to corn stalks over and had gotten to the corn, and eaten part of one cob. I saw foot prints at the dam, right before I stepped on them. I don't know if they were possum or raccoon. Do possums eat corn? It didn't look like a deer, besides I sprayed the corn with smelly blood meal. So...what am I going to do? Well, the next time I go to Lowes I need to get some 5ft (at least that tall) fencing of some sort, to put around at least some of the corn.

I was just reading on how to keep raccoons out of corn. The easiest method sounds like a radio, or a light, you keep out in the garden.

I also heard cucumbers work real well too. You plant them and they grow up the corn. So, next year I will be growing cucs with the corn! Kinda hard to plant cucs with the corn since the corn is 5ft tall. :)

Anyway. Thats about all for right now.

God Bless!

English Vintner

I have worked Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and now I get a day off. I needed the work though, so it was good. $200 will help pay for the corks I bought, and for the motor too. Speaking of which, I would have thought it had shipped by now, I payed the next day after getting the highest bid.

I took a 3 hour nap yesterday (could have slept for probably 5) so I could get up at 6am this morning. Getting up at 6am during the summer is my favorite thing to do, I have some time to go down to the garden while it is still cool, while the dew is still wet (and maybe prevent some mishaps from happening?).

Speaking of the garden, I went down today and found something had been up to know good. It was not a deer this time. My guess is squirrels or raccoon. See, I had indian corn which I had been thinking of planting, but I had it in a box with gourds and it was tipped over. I had thrown some of the cobs around the garden (I threw them as far as I could over the fence, behind the greenhouse etc.), but had saved a few. Well this morning I found a few of them all gnawed off. I then found shallots that had been dug up. Four or five of them at least, and more had been trampled (crushed to the ground). Do raccoons like shallots/onions? What about squirrels? Well, my best guess is that one or more squirrels decided to plant some corn, along with eat it, and also decided to pull some shallots. I replanted them, they were only about the diameter of a quarter. Not too much damage done, but still annoying.

It looks like the deer may have come back and eaten some more bean leaves, hard to tell though. I sprayed everything with blood meal water. I have to say I hope the deer stay away. The smell of it is AWFUL! I can hardly stand it. I was opening up my sprayer because the hose and sucked up too many granules of blood meal to spray, and it had a lot of pressure in it, and it blew me right in the face with the blood meal! Yuck! If I don't like it, will the deer? I took some of the water and poured it all along the fence, and where I was growing the watermelons. Then I sprayed all my grape vines with a weaker solution of it. I also sprayed most of the plants in my garden. Not only does blood meal work as deer deterent (supposedly, I guess we will see eh?), it works as a foliar feeder. Foliar feeders (I think I am getting the name right) are liquid fertilizers that you spray on the plants to get quick absorption of nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus. Liquid sea weed extract is the most popular. It is mainly used for plants that are under stress, that have been attacked and could use a 'shot of caffeine' you might say.

My squash plants are going WILD! I can probably harvest round zucchini any day now, I have two ready. My lufa vines are going mad, and my winter squash vines are doing real well. Most of the vines that we planted in the spring don't seem to be doing too well. Probably part deer, part lack of water, care, food. I have one squash vine that looks like it has about 6 butternut squash on it.

My onions are doing pretty well, the bulbs are forming pretty fast right now. I am hoping for no animals to eat them, though I don't think onions are normally a favorite thing of most animals, since garlic is pretty offensive.

I have pulled up all the zucchini that I orginally planted. The vines were looking so bad, under a lot of attack from stink bugs (I forget the correct name), they were not SVBs thankfully. I got a lot of zucchini from them. I would like to do even more zucchini next year. I think I will get a few more from the other plants that we planted later. Though they are under some severe attack as well.

My peppers haven't done much at all. No flowers, I wonder if I will even get a couple before a frost. They were getting attacked by some bug. I think I might get a few egg plants from my eggplant. It is flowering and doing quite well.

My corn is doing well. Though, I can guarantee you, once it is ripe, either the deer will get it, or the raccoons. And at that point I will have a couple of options. Some how fence the corn, maybe put paper bags over each head, or sleep out in the garden.

I got another tomato this morning. A Thomas Jefferson. It had a bad spot in it, and wasn't quite ripe, I ate a slice out of it, BOY is it good! No wonder it is an heirloom tomato! Very sweet, even when it wasn't fully ripe!

Cabbage is doing well, it has heads the size of my fist. And the worms seem to be gone again (for what, a week or two?) that were eating it.

I need to pull the bush beans and plant brassica in it. My hands still smell of blood meal. Think of rotten meat kinda smell. :) Yeah, not a very nice smell at all.

I am getting a few ideas for how to keep the deer out of my garden. They say you need a 10+ foot fence to keep deer out of your garden. What if you had a bed, 6ft wide, 20ft long. And had that fenced with 5-6ft chicken wire? Could a deer jump into it and still get out? It seems it would be like getting real close to a wall, and then jumping up and over it, if you catch what I'm saying. If it took a running jump to get in, wouldn't it nearly jump right over the other side? Some ideas I've been thinking up. The cost of the chicken wire might be expensive. But it might be worth it.

I need to work on some cold frames. A couple months back I picked up a bunch of 2x" stuff. Some of it 4" wide, some of it 6" wide. So, I have free wood for it. And I have a couple glass windows and some doors I can use. I might need to buy some screws though.

I made some yogurt last night. Cannot wait to try it. Wednesday I made some peach chutney with all the peaches we got. It is pretty good, though a little on the spicy side. I need to make some more freezer pickles.

Some friends from church want to buy at least a couple hundred corks, so that is good. The guy asking about 500+ corks hasn't replied back, yet. Isn't human nature, your interested in something, you ask the person about it, he tells you about it, and then, for some reason you decide you don't want it. And the guy asks you a few times if you are still interested, but you are to afraid to reply and tell him you don't want it? I know I've done it a few times. And, on the one hand you feel bad for the person for not replying, but on the other hand you'd rather not tell him you don't want them.

Well, I'd better go. I hope to do some math today, some gardening, and some cooking/preserving. Have fun! God bless!


English Vintner

deer

I am not sure what to say. Except, I am MORE than annoyed with the deer in my woods. It has been weeks since I have gone out to my garden and not seen foot marks, a leaf eaten here, and vine here. Up until today I could handle it alright. But, today has gone to far, I don't know what to say. I had almost 30 heads of summer lettuce that are the best summer lettuce seed you can buy. I had it up by the fence, you know, the L of corn around the summer lettuce. Well, today I went out and found that the deer had eaten 28 out of 30 of the heads of lettuce. Yeah, I'm not sure what to say, in 30 days I could have been harvesting heads of summer lettuce. What do I do? I mean!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! Man!

And that isn't all. I had sugar baby watermelon. Yeah, well, the deer thought they looked good too. I am not sure if I lost the actual melons (only a few inches in diameter each), or just most of the leaves off the watermelon plant. They also snapped in half a butternut squash vine I had. Meaning the two squash on it had to be harvested. They are about half the size they should be.

So, I took immediate reaction. I went to the house, got my sprayer, filled it with water and blood meal, and a little soap and sprayed. The lettuce, beans, corn, squash, watermelon, and anything else that was by the fence.

I know I should have known better than to plant the lettuce so close the the fence, but....

Oh well. I was just SO looking forward to some watermelons and lettuce. And now......

All I can do is sigh. I guess I need to be spraying with blood meal and garlic more often. Take warning fellow gardeners! :) If you see the foot marks, spray with garlic or blood meal. :) Don't do what I did. :)

Have fun, try to garden without killing all the deer. ; ) hahaha! :)

English Vintner