Thursday, August 20, 2015

Homesteading Update

Changing Seasons

Have I mentioned a time or two that Mr. Marvelous is most happy when he is actively gardening?  

Summer is coming to an end around here.  The light is changing and the days are getting shorter.  The angle of the light is shifting, giving the homestead and the back hill that "here comes fall" look. 



The dogwoods are turning red. 




It has been a milder summer with only a few days of temperatures over 100.  Fall is on its way.

Our cucumbers are finished for the year.  

We thought we would get another batch, but it just did not happen.  Fortunately I have a good supply of pickles in the basement.  I will be picking beans today and canning what I find, but I'm not sure it will be another 15 pints.  The peas and tomatoes will probably hang on for at least another month.  Our second planting of squash is trying to decide if it is going to do anything. 

The peppers are doing great. 

The Scotch Bonnets are finally turning orange.

That Carolina Reaper is growing and putting out fruit and looking frighteningly hot.  I won't be handling that one!

Mr. Marvelous has been busy getting ready for fall.  He has already started planting some fall crops in the basement under the grow-lights, and the plants are already coming up. 


We are trying broccoli, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, and chives.  If we can find some seed potatoes from somewhere we will do another fall crop of those too.  

Do you remember the hens' hoop-house?
The hens have been moved into tractors out front so Mr. Marvelous is doing his marvelous magic and turning this into a greenhouse.
 








It's thirsty work!








We should have let Jack help.
We are putting it up against the garage door so that we can open the garage to help heat that end of the house (which also helps keep the greenhouse from getting too warm).  

We will also put a full water barrel in there. 
That helps keep the humidity up and helps maintain the temperature.

Since it is being built on the concrete ~ which chills faster than the ground ~ that will be important for the plants. The plan is also to dig up one or two tomato plants, some of the peppers, and maybe the rosemary plants to overwinter there in pots, giving us a jump on next Spring.  

I'm wondering if we might even be able to put the chick brooder in there once the chicks start feathering out (we don't have any chicks right now, but I am planning on a hatch in January).
I'm not sure what Mr. Marvelous will think of that idea though.

I'll keep you posted on the progress with this.  In the meantime, if you know a place that has seed potatoes for a reasonable price, be sure to let us know!

No comments: