It is hard to believe that the summer session is already half way over… time is really flying by. We have been very busy here on the farm. We have finally received some rain, not even close to what we really need, but every little bit helps. Our last significant precipitation was the hail storm in June, and we are still being affected by its damage. All those other storms? Not a drop here!
After our chicken devastations we set to work building a third layer of protection for our birds. We now present the new Biddy Barn Bunker!
This will (hopefully) keep our remaining hens safe from any predator shy of a bobcat or bear. Now anything that wants chicken for dinner will have to get through 1) the barn, 2) the coop, and 3) the bunker. We built it spacious enough to hold a planned larger flock next year, so our four remaining birds look kind of lost in there, but they are really enjoying their new roosts and being able to get out of the small brooder box we have had them crammed in at night for the past two weeks.
She’s touching me!
We have set a humane trap in the hopes of catching that *#&%^ pesky weasel, but he is much too wily for us. However, we did catch a very confused baby possum which we relocated into the woods. He could not harm a full grown hen, and the current fencing is adequate to keep a full grown possum out. We will keep trying.
We are still playing the tomato ripening waiting game. The cherry tomatoes are starting to pump them out, but the larger beefsteaks are just sitting there. Green. I guess you really can’t rush Mother Nature. They will ripen when they feel like it. This is from http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/tomatoesnotripening.html:
The optimum temperature range for ripening mature green tomatoes is 68–77 deg. F. The further temperatures stray from the optimum, the slower the ripening process will be. And, when temperatures are outside the optimum range for extended periods, conditions may become so stressful that the ripening process virtually halts.
At the same time, tomatoes do not produce lycopene and carotene, the pigments responsible for ripe tomato color, when temperatures are above 85 deg. F. So, extended periods of extreme heat cause tomatoes to stop ripening.
Some commercial growers pick green tomatoes and force ripening with ethylene gas. (You can also do this at home by putting green tomatoes in a bag with a ripe banana or apple). But then the flavor is affected. So we wait.
Lots of blossoms…..more cherry tomatoes coming!
Looking forward, the majority of our fall crops have sprouted in their seedling trays and are now getting their first taste of the outside world. Wait, didn’t we finally just get the last of the tomato and peppers off the front porch? Now we can’t walk there again! Such is life in the fast paced world of minifarming.
Well, the small amount of rain we did get has somewhat dampened the soil so the weeds come out a little easier, otherwise it’s like trying to pull them out of cement. Since we mostly tried to stay inside once the thermometer hit 100oF (which happened way too often!) the weeds definitely need to be reminded of their place (not in the garden walkways!)
Weeds in the walkway between the “tomato wall” and leeks (we didn’t get a chance to mulch here)
After weeding….replacement beans
Until next time,
Jeff and Sandra
