BennyB1966

The Sugar Snap Peas, Snow Peas, and Fava Beans are blooming. The Potatoes and Onions have started growing fast now. All of these were planted outside in February and have done very well with little to no frost protection. Looking forward to a Late Spring / Early Summer harvest.

The 8' x 12' UV-Treated Woven Shade Cloth is ideal for the Greenhouse Tent-in-a-Box. One day in the scalding sunlight was all it took to cook and kill most of my Heirloom Tomato and Pepper seeds before they even had a chance to germinate. Getting ready to give it another try now with the Shade Cloth in place. I really like that it has grommets along the edges for easy tie-down. It's been very windy here today along with the torrential downpours and everything. I definitely need to get some more of these to provide some additional Solar Protection for the plants and the chickens.

Enjoying some freshly-picked strawberries from the backyard! Strawberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow in the home garden and they are very cold-hardy with little to no protection. They do sometimes get fungal diseases, but usually respond well to low-level fungicides like Sulfur Dust. My biggest challenge has been to keep them watered enough to survive the many weeks of 100+ degrees days we get here. They will definitely benefit from a shade-cloth covering to prevent them from getting scorched during the Dog Days of Summer. I like that they send out runners and multiply on their own. These I have growing around the house escaped from their containers years ago. They are mostly the 'Cardinal' variety developed by the U of A. We also have some California 'Chandler's'. I have a few of the 'Everbearing Ozark' variety, but they have not produced much fruit for me in my open air backyard MICROWAVE OVEN SCORCHED ZONE. There are many different varieties and types of Strawberry Plants. "June-Bearing" generally ripen all at once during a 2-week period in Early Summer. This type seems to produce better for me here, but it's more like Late-April, not June. The "Everbearing" type will produce a smaller amount of fruit intermittently throughout the Summer, if the conditions are mild and favorable to them. They stop producing when it gets too hot, but they sometimes produce another small crop in the Fall when it starts getting cool again.

I had to press and hold down the Pilot Light Button for several minutes to prime the 10-Foot Hose in order for it to light. It's working good now and I'm very happy with it.

Installing the Heat Hog 10-foot-long GC-00670 Quick-Connect Extension Hose for the 20-Pound Liquid Propane Tank. It does not fit into the same receptacle as the 1-pound Cylinder. There is a smaller brass fitting port located in the Left side of the compartment for the "Quick-Connect " Receptacle on the hose. Slide the Hose Receptacle onto the port until it locks into place. You may need to move the ring on the Hose Receptacle down slightly to unlock the connector, then release to lock the connector onto the port on the Heater. Double-Check to make sure it is fully connected. Attach the Coupling Nut on the opposite end of the Hose to the LP Cylinder Valve. Turn the Cut-Off Valve Counterclockwise to open the tank and pressurize the hose (Left to Loosen-ON, Right to Tighten-OFF). I had to press and hold the Pilot-Light Button down on the heater for several minutes to Prime the 10-Foot-LongHose and get the Heater to light. After that, it lit right up and works great! I really like it and no more having to change-out the little 1-pound cylinders every few hours when running it continuously.

This hardy "White Iceberg" Climbing Rose Bush has outlived all the other roses I've planted here the past eight years. It appears the others have succumbed to the sub-zero Winter lows and scalding weeks of 100+ degree Summer Sun in spite of heavy mulching. This one has had the advantage of a shady protected spot out of the cold wind and the scorching Sunlight.

The Wild Geraniums, also known as "Cranesbill" are in full bloom here in NW Arkansas. Pollinators love them and they are very easy to grow from the interesting seed pods that self-sow and scatter late Summer/early Fall. Once established, the plants also spread out into large clumps that grow back on their own late Spring/early Summer.

Native Plants and Wildflowers such as Eastern Red Columbine, Wild Geranium, and Jacob's Ladder look so pretty together and help attract pollinators to the garden. It can take several years to grow and bloom from seeds, but once established, they are practically maintenance free and many will grow back on their own every year.

Very excited to see there does appear to be some embryonic development with blood vessels and dark blobs floating around inside several of the eggs. If all goes well with the temperature and the humidity, we'll be hatching some baby chicks by the end of this month.

Preparing to check the eggs started on 04/08/2024 with a "candler" light to see if there is any development. The good eggs will show a web-like growth of blood vessels and a small dark blob that is the developing chick embryo. The clear eggs at this point, were either infertile or failed to develop, and should be carefully removed from the Incubator before they rot and explode. I've had some problems maintaining the temperature in the optimal range, so I will be very surprised if any of these hatch. I may need to order a replacement thermostat for this cheap Incubator. I'm having to run it several degrees below 100 to keep it from overheating when it cycles on and off. Hopefully at least half the fertile eggs will hatch with no major issues.

None of the 100+ Heirloom Tomato and Pepper seeds I planted the day of the Eclipse germinated. Also, it appears the rim of the plastic seed trays have melted and warped. This is really weird since the daytime highs have only topped out in the low 80's. That's not hot enough to melt plastic or kill the seedlings. I don't know what to make of it, but looks like I will have to invoke "Plan B" and get most of my starts from the nursery this year. Very disappointing since they only carry a small number of the Heirloom varieties I like to grow. Thankfully, the peas, beans, onions, and potatoes are still doing great.

The Purple Italian Fava Beans I planted outside on 02/16/2024 have started blooming. The plants have survived many nights of sub-freezing temperatures with minimal frost protection. These are some of the most vigorous disease free and pest free plants I've seen in the past three years. Hopefully we will have some amazing Fava Beans to harvest in a few more weeks.

Planting some Watercress, Claytonia, French Dandelion, and Purple Orach for the Permaculture Food Forest Plot I've been dreaming about starting. Listening to Celeste Solum talk about Fatal Fungal Disease Plant Destroyer: https://celestialreport.com/programs/fatalfungaldiseasemp4-095493

Preparing a batch of Preventative Biological Fungicide to pre-treat the pre-emergent Tomato, Pepper, Eggplant, and Tomatillo seedlings. Early-Season Fungal Diseases have been a huge problem here for many years. The cool and wet, then warm and humid conditions are an absolute breeding ground for plant Diseases. First it will be "Damping Off" that kills some of the seedlings. Then it will be all forms of blight and bacterial diseases that start at the base of the plant. The disease will slowly progress up through the stem causing the plant to turn yellow, then slowly wither and die. Tomatoes and Squash are particularly susceptible to these fungal and bacterial diseases. Cucumbers, melons, and pumpkins can also get it. Other variations of the disease will literally cause the plant to wilt and turn to mush overnight. I've tried many less lethal organic remedies, such as baking soda, epsom salts, buttermilk, garlic spray, and cayenne pepper spray, with very little success. I also water the plants at the bottom only and try not to get any water on the leaves. Dirt splashing up onto the leaves can easily spread the disease even faster. Currently I am pre-treating with a commercial greenhouse grade Organic Fungicide called "RootGuard Plus". A little goes a long way at an application rate of 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of water. If this doesn't work, I will consider dusting with Sulfur powder and/or a foliar application of Regalia to slow the inevitable progression of the disease. Listening to Celeste Solum talk about her similar struggles with Fatal Fungal Disease and the Plant Destroyer: https://celestialreport.com/programs/fatalfungaldiseasemp4-095493

Putting the Tomato and Pepper Seed-Starting Trays on the Heat Mat to speed up the germination process. This Heat Mat can get very warm without a thermostat. I use a cookie sheet cooling rack to slightly raise the trays off the surface of the Mat to prevent it from cooking my seeds. This method has worked very well for me in the past and will cut the number of days to germination in half or even less. The Clear Plastic Dome helps to raise the humidity level inside the tray and also helps to speed germination.

Planting a tray of Organic Heirloom Peppers along with some Eggplant and Tomatillos. These will be going outside to be placed on a seed-starting heat mat and covered with a humidity dome for fast germination.

Planted a 50-cell tray of Organic Heirloom Tomato Seeds. These will be for the Fall Garden since I'm getting such a late start. There's not much point in trying to grow much of anything outside in this Giant Microwave Oven anyhow. After 6 to 8 weeks of 100+ degree days, the entire garden will most likely be burnt to a crisp until late September/ early October. I'm planning to use sunshades and drip irrigation but even that may not be enough to save it from another Summer of extreme heat.

Getting ready to plant a couple trays of Heirloom Tomato and Pepper Seeds. Should have already done this a month ago, but better late than not at all. For some reason, I just have not felt like doing this until now. Good news is they won't need to be started inside the house at this point. They should be just fine to start outside on a heat-mat for fast germination and a humidity dome to keep them from drying out.

Mixing up a small batch of my favorite homemade organic seed-starting and soil-blocking mix. I adapted this formula from Elliot Colemans Soil-Blocker Recipe and another one called "Patches of Green" found open-source on the WWW. I really like this combination for seed-starting and also for making homemade soil blocks and plugs with a soil-blocker mold or hand press. I have started using reconstituted Coconut Coir instead of Organic Peat Moss since it is a more sustainable product and less expensive than Peat. The cost of biodegradable pre-made Peat Pots has tripled over the past few years. Here is the Small Batch Formula I'm currently using to start most of my seeds: 2 Cups Reconstituted Coconut Coir 2 Cups Earthworm Castings 2 Cups Composted Chicken Manure 1/3 Cup Perlite 1/3 Cup Alfalfa Meal 1/3 Cup Soft Rock Phosphate 1/3 Cup Texas Green Sand (from Glauconite) Sift the ingredients through a coarse screen or wire mesh to remove any large chunks or debris then mix it all together to evenly distribute. This mix is loaded with natural sources of the Plant Fertilizer Nutrients (N-P-K) Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, and several other micronutrients and minerals that plants need to grow and thrive. It also provides for moisture retention, aeration, and drainage to promote healthy root development. Before starting my own Chicken Manure Compost Pile, I used store-bought Composted Cow Manure and Organic Mushroom Compost. Those worked just fine, but now my chickens provide more than enough compost for my raised beds and Containers. I let the Chicken Manure, Straw, and Pine Shavings from the Chicken Coop break down in the Compost Pile for at least a year before using it in the garden; otherwise it will burn the plants with too much Nitrogen and heat generated by the decomposition process.

Loading the Chicken Eggs in the Incubator, blunt/wide end up, at 100 degrees for 21 days. Will need to check daily to make sure the average temperature remains as close as possible to 100 degrees without going over 101 degrees. Will check the eggs with a "candler" light in about a week to see if there is any sign of embryonic development. Getting ready to add a few more fresh eggs that were layed today 04/09/2024.

Adjusting Incubator thermostat and calibrating with analog gauge thermometer probe to read no more than 101 degrees during on/off cycle of the heating element. Sustained incubation temperatures greater than 102 degrees will either kill the embryos or result in birth defects and low hatch rate. Did not wash the eggs selected to be incubated. It is believed the natural bacterial "bloom" on the eggshell protects the developing embryo and helps the chick to build up immunity to disease. Selecting the darkest chocolate brown and speckled French Copper Marans eggs and the lightest blue and green tinted Ameraucanas eggs for this batch. The eggs have been marked with a pencil to indicate the date they were layed. I write an "O" on the blunt wide end and an "X" on the pointed narrow end to help me confirm the eggs are positioned correctly in the automatic turning tray. The tiny air sac inside the egg should be located near the top of the blunt wide end. This apparently helps the hatching chick to make that first "pip" out through the eggshell when the hatching process starts in approximately 21 days. I will check the eggs with a "candler" light in about a week to see if there is any development inside the eggs. I may add a few more eggs today if we get some exceptionally dark and pretty ones; other wise we will go with what has been started so they hatch at close to the same time. I really don't need more than half a dozen baby chicks to raise this Summer, so I will be very happy with a 50% hatch rate. Also, there is a 50/50 chance of hatching out more roosters. I don't know anyone here that wants to raise roosters since they are very loud and can be aggressive. They're mostly just good for breeding and eating, lol.

Getting ready to set a batch of chicken eggs in the "cheap" Styrofoam Incubator. I paid around $130 for it a couple of years ago. It has the optional "forced air" fan and an automatic egg-turning tray (essential for any success at all). I've had good results with it in the past, but the thermostat is not accurate. I had to re-calibrate it with a more accurate analog gauge probe thermometer. This Incubator consistently runs 3 to 4 degrees too hot. That is enough to kill the embryos or cause the chicks to hatch with horrible birth defects. Ideal incubation temperature for chickens is 100 degrees. I aim for 99 degrees since the internal temperature fluctuates plus or minus 2 degrees every time the heating element cycles on and off. Humidity can also be a major issue. Too much humidity will cause the baby chicks to drown before they can hatch. Not enough humidity can cause them to get dehydrated and stick to the inside of the shell. It's a balancing act and has to be watched closely to keep it optimal for developing and hatching chicks. There is a port on the side to add distilled water as needed. Being careful not to get the electrical components wet, I washed it out with warm soapy water and then disinfected it with a weak bleach solution. Rinsed it out to air dry and then plugged it in to stabilize the temperature for several hours before adding the fertile hatching eggs.

An X-shaped "Chem-Trail" appeared to materialize in the sky SE of Fayetteville, AR during the Eclipse. I've seen these many times. Sometimes they look like a "Tic Tac Toe" grid. It just seems a bit odd to see one right now. Also, the location would put it in the vicinity of the Arkansas One Nuclear Reactor near Russellville. That is the one and only "active" Nuclear Power Plant in this entire region. I don't even want to think about what a nightmare scenario it would be for Russellville, Little Rock, and anyone in the path of the prevailing winds if something bad ever happens there. I really wish they would permanently decommission that horrific accident waiting to happen.

Thank God it's finally over and we're still here getting back to our semi-normal routine. We were up all night, then fell asleep this morning. I woke up just in time to grab my disposable ISO approved shades, poured a cup of coffee, and then ran outside to stare at the sun for 10 minutes. It was only a 99% partial eclipse here in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It did become dark and eery for a few minutes, but we did not see a total black-out. There were some odd looking high altitude wispy clouds and a huge "Chem-Trail" X in the South-Easterly sky (approximately in the vicinity of the Arkansas Nuclear One Reactor near Russellville). Will post that suspected "Chem-Trail" video next. My chickens did not go to Roost during the Eclipse, but they did stop crowing for a few minutes. Shortly after, they became very agitated, pacing back and forth, and squawking. It appears at least one of the hens layed an egg during the Eclipse. I will definitely try hatching some of the eggs collected today to see if anything unusual develops.

First time growing edible broadleaf weeds on purpose. Looking forward to finding out what they taste like in a salad. I do like the Rabe stir-fried with olive oil and garlic. The celery leaf has a very strong flavor, but the stalks don't grow very big here. The Celeriac Root seems to do better for me and it is very cold hardy.