February 1, 2017
- There was a thin sheen of rainwater on the back porch when I first looked outside.
- I watered the beds once where I had planted seeds in the previous couple of days.
- I collected about 30 bags of leaves from the neighborhood and put them on the back porch. The leaves in a few bags were already shredded, so I dumped them directly in the “shredded” pile.
February 2, 2017
Some of the berseem clover and crimson clover has already emerged. The crimson clover is emerging a little faster.
I watched some nematodes squiggle around using my old microscope. I scraped some dirt and algae off the bottom of my birdbath and put in on a slide. I am tempted to get a microscope camera; I can use my phone but it's not nearly as good as a camera would be.
I started shredding the leaves that had been sitting in a long row in the back yard for a few weeks. The mower shut off repeatedly, likely because the mower blade was hitting thick sticks or dense coffee grounds. I was surprised and disappointed at how quickly the mower battery drained.
I started shredding the leaves that had been sitting in a long row in the back yard for a few weeks. The mower shut off repeatedly, likely because the mower blade was hitting thick sticks or dense coffee grounds. I was surprised and disappointed at how quickly the mower battery drained.
February 10, 2017
I moved the following transplants to the garden:
- 3 Georgia Southern Collards
- 3 Red Express Cabbage
- 1 Ace 55 tomato
- 4 Packman Broccoli
- 4 Early White Vienna Kohlrabi
- 1 Black Krim tomato
- 2 Green Globe Improved Artichoke
I moved the following transplants to the garden:
- 3 Georgia Southern Collards
- 3 Red Express Cabbage
- 1 Ace 55 tomato
- 4 Packman Broccoli
- 4 Early White Vienna Kohlrabi
- 1 Black Krim tomato
- 2 Green Globe Improved Artichoke
February 14, 2017
I discovered what appeared to be a green ash sapling on the west side of my driveway, mixed in with the azalea that died in the fall of 2016.
I discovered what appeared to be a green ash sapling on the west side of my driveway, mixed in with the azalea that died in the fall of 2016.
February 15, 2017
I moved the following transplants to the garden:
- 1 Ace 55 tomato
- 1 Sweet Cherry tomato
- 1 Black Krim tomato
I removed most of the remaining bok choi in Plot 2 to make room for more tomatoes at the north end, and took some lettuce from Plot 3 to clear room for tomatoes. Now there is only one free space left in Plot 3 for a tomato plant.
I moved the following transplants to the garden:
- 1 Ace 55 tomato
- 1 Sweet Cherry tomato
- 1 Black Krim tomato
I removed most of the remaining bok choi in Plot 2 to make room for more tomatoes at the north end, and took some lettuce from Plot 3 to clear room for tomatoes. Now there is only one free space left in Plot 3 for a tomato plant.
February 16, 2017
- I took the remaining seedlings out to the porch
- I dug up the large group of green onions in the S bed, cleaned up some and put them in the fridge, and replanted the rest in a few different places.
- I added the following seedlings to the garden:
- one toscano kale in Plot 4, in the south half of bed #2
- one tomatillo transplant in the south end of the S bed and one at the north end of bed #2
- one Red Russian kale in Plot 4, in the south half of bed #2
- two moss curled parsley in the herb garden
- four celery in the S bed
- I took the remaining seedlings out to the porch
- I dug up the large group of green onions in the S bed, cleaned up some and put them in the fridge, and replanted the rest in a few different places.
- I added the following seedlings to the garden:
- one toscano kale in Plot 4, in the south half of bed #2
- one tomatillo transplant in the south end of the S bed and one at the north end of bed #2
- one Red Russian kale in Plot 4, in the south half of bed #2
- two moss curled parsley in the herb garden
- four celery in the S bed
February 17, 2017
I added the following seedlings to the garden:
- one Marconi bell pepper to the north end of the I bed
- one early jalapeno pepper to the south end of the S bed
- one Italian large-leaf basil near the lemongrass in the herb garden
I added the following seedlings to the garden:
- one Marconi bell pepper to the north end of the I bed
- one early jalapeno pepper to the south end of the S bed
- one Italian large-leaf basil near the lemongrass in the herb garden
February 22, 2017
I cut back many of the trees between my back privacy fence and the chain-link fence that marks the property line.
I cut back many of the trees between my back privacy fence and the chain-link fence that marks the property line.
February 23, 2017
The live oak is almost finished dropping leaves.
I picked a few snow peas.
A lot of dew is on the plants at about 10 am.
On fava bean plant has had aphids on it for some time, but the others are clear, or almost. I found a milkweed assassin bug and a lady beetle on the heavily infested one.
The live oak is almost finished dropping leaves.
I picked a few snow peas.
A lot of dew is on the plants at about 10 am.
On fava bean plant has had aphids on it for some time, but the others are clear, or almost. I found a milkweed assassin bug and a lady beetle on the heavily infested one.
February 24, 2017
I bagged endive, romaine, another lettuce, and arugula in the early morning for two of my neighbors.
I tossed milkweed seeds by the west fence where the previous milkweed died in the January freeze. I used the seeds from one of the free packets I got some time ago.
I pulled out some cleavers, violet woodsorrell, etc. Some of the cleavers had seeds.
I put beet seeds in a cup of water to soak.
I ate my first strawberry of the season. It was very small.
I transplanted the beefsteak tomato that I bought at Buchanan's and had been keeping inside under grow lights.
I bagged endive, romaine, another lettuce, and arugula in the early morning for two of my neighbors.
I tossed milkweed seeds by the west fence where the previous milkweed died in the January freeze. I used the seeds from one of the free packets I got some time ago.
I pulled out some cleavers, violet woodsorrell, etc. Some of the cleavers had seeds.
I put beet seeds in a cup of water to soak.
I ate my first strawberry of the season. It was very small.
I transplanted the beefsteak tomato that I bought at Buchanan's and had been keeping inside under grow lights.
February 25, 2017
I sowed a lot of "Detroit Dark Red" beet seeds in the 2nd and 4th beds and the S and I beds.
Two spicebush swallowtails were performing courtship rituals on my azalea flowers in front of the front walkway.
I sowed a lot of "Detroit Dark Red" beet seeds in the 2nd and 4th beds and the S and I beds.
Two spicebush swallowtails were performing courtship rituals on my azalea flowers in front of the front walkway.
February 27, 2017
I heard raccoons in my attic in the middle of the day. I saw them go out of a soffit outside my hall bathroom window a little past midnight. Once the coast was clear, I closed the hole they made in the soffit screen there before I went to bed.
I heard raccoons in my attic in the middle of the day. I saw them go out of a soffit outside my hall bathroom window a little past midnight. Once the coast was clear, I closed the hole they made in the soffit screen there before I went to bed.
February 28, 2017
In the morning, I heard the raccoons in the attic again, and I saw they had torn out the old soffit screen near the west end of my garage door. I bought hardware cloth and used it to cover all the soffits of the house in the afternoon, leaving open the hole they had made the night before. I went out for the evening, and when I got back home I couldn't hear any motion in the attic. I waited over an hour to make sure the raccoons were not there, then closed the hole.
In the morning, I heard the raccoons in the attic again, and I saw they had torn out the old soffit screen near the west end of my garage door. I bought hardware cloth and used it to cover all the soffits of the house in the afternoon, leaving open the hole they had made the night before. I went out for the evening, and when I got back home I couldn't hear any motion in the attic. I waited over an hour to make sure the raccoons were not there, then closed the hole.
