....now it's spring, what are you all up to?

I've been busy in the veg patch, the rose bed and doing garden visits which
always inspire me and fire me into action.

We've had 8 huge pine trees removed from between my rose bed and the veg
patch so now there will be no further root competition from the blasted
things. It was amazing to watch the men clib the trees to drop them in
chunks but in the process they dropped a huge branch on my wonderful old
Hills Hoist and it took weeks before they replaced it with a new one. Of
course the new one is crap quality.

On Mon, 5 Nov 2012 17:32:31 +1100, "Farm1"
wrote:

...now it's spring, what are you all up to?

Watching the weeds in the veggie garden grow! Every bloody time I'm
all set to get stuck into it, something else comes up that has a
higher priority... it'll have to be either later this week or early
next. Gotta get those spuds in soon, with luck all the serious frosts
are behind us now.

I've been busy in the veg patch, the rose bed and doing garden visits which
always inspire me and fire me into action.

We've had 8 huge pine trees removed from between my rose bed and the veg
patch so now there will be no further root competition from the blasted
things. It was amazing to watch the men clib the trees to drop them in
chunks but in the process they dropped a huge branch on my wonderful old
Hills Hoist and it took weeks before they replaced it with a new one. Of
course the new one is crap quality.

Bugger on the clothesline...

I imagine the soil is fairly acidic where the pien trees were, could
be good for Azelias or Blueberries.

Speaking of Blueberries and acidic soil, I have several plants
scattered around the gardens but they haven't exactly gone crazy.
I'm thinking of creating a bed just for blueberries, I have access to
plenty of decades-old sawdust, which they would love to grow in.
I'm making a LOT of blueberry mead these days, so it's something I
should do, as supply of quality berries can be patchy at times.

"Jeßus" wrote in message
On Mon, 5 Nov 2012 17:32:31 +1100, "Farm1"
wrote:

...now it's spring, what are you all up to?

Watching the weeds in the veggie garden grow! Every bloody time I'm
all set to get stuck into it, something else comes up that has a
higher priority... it'll have to be either later this week or early
next. Gotta get those spuds in soon, with luck all the serious frosts
are behind us now.

I know the feeling. We got stuck in the other day. I've been faffing round
for weeks trying to make a mark and Himself did more in 1 day than I've done
in weeks. It really emphasisied for me the difference in how men and women
work. He really focusses and I (sort of) multi task. I notice a plant
needs water as I'm trying to weed near it. I give it water and then 'cos
the soil is so soggy I cant' continue to weed there till the next day, but
while I was getting the water int he watering can, I notice that the area
under the tank looks like a snake haven and so clear that. And so it goes
on. He just does what he set out to do.

I'm sure that when you do get time you'll make huge inroads ina short time.

I've been busy in the veg patch, the rose bed and doing garden visits
which
always inspire me and fire me into action.

We've had 8 huge pine trees removed from between my rose bed and the veg
patch so now there will be no further root competition from the blasted
things. It was amazing to watch the men clib the trees to drop them in
chunks but in the process they dropped a huge branch on my wonderful old
Hills Hoist and it took weeks before they replaced it with a new one. Of
course the new one is crap quality.

Bugger on the clothesline...

I imagine the soil is fairly acidic where the pien trees were, could
be good for Azelias or Blueberries.

Ah! Thanks for that tip. I'd prefer something productive and azaleas don't
do well here because of our savage frosts.

Speaking of Blueberries and acidic soil, I have several plants
scattered around the gardens but they haven't exactly gone crazy.
I'm thinking of creating a bed just for blueberries, I have access to
plenty of decades-old sawdust, which they would love to grow in.
I'm making a LOT of blueberry mead these days, so it's something I
should do, as supply of quality berries can be patchy at times.

So how many blueberry plants do you have? Are your own plants the ones
that you make mead form our are they bought in? In any event, it sounds
delicious.

On Tue, 6 Nov 2012 11:09:43 +1100, "Farm1"
wrote:

"Jeßus" wrote in message
On Mon, 5 Nov 2012 17:32:31 +1100, "Farm1"
wrote:

...now it's spring, what are you all up to?

Watching the weeds in the veggie garden grow! Every bloody time I'm
all set to get stuck into it, something else comes up that has a
higher priority... it'll have to be either later this week or early
next. Gotta get those spuds in soon, with luck all the serious frosts
are behind us now.

I know the feeling. We got stuck in the other day. I've been faffing round
for weeks trying to make a mark and Himself did more in 1 day than I've done
in weeks. It really emphasisied for me the difference in how men and women
work. He really focusses and I (sort of) multi task.

LOL. Well, I'm most woman-like then
But I've learned (I think)... once the seemingly endless half-finished
projects I have are completed, in future I'll start ONE project and
complete it - then move onto the next... that's what I tell myself
anyway

I notice a plant
needs water as I'm trying to weed near it. I give it water and then 'cos
the soil is so soggy I cant' continue to weed there till the next day, but
while I was getting the water int he watering can, I notice that the area
under the tank looks like a snake haven and so clear that. And so it goes
on.

Yes, exactly! I do this all the bloody time.

He just does what he set out to do.

I'm hoping to become more like that...

I'm sure that when you do get time you'll make huge inroads ina short time.

I've been busy in the veg patch, the rose bed and doing garden visits
which
always inspire me and fire me into action.

We've had 8 huge pine trees removed from between my rose bed and the veg
patch so now there will be no further root competition from the blasted
things. It was amazing to watch the men clib the trees to drop them in
chunks but in the process they dropped a huge branch on my wonderful old
Hills Hoist and it took weeks before they replaced it with a new one. Of
course the new one is crap quality.

Bugger on the clothesline...

I imagine the soil is fairly acidic where the pien trees were, could
be good for Azelias or Blueberries.

Ah! Thanks for that tip. I'd prefer something productive and azaleas don't
do well here because of our savage frosts.

Speaking of Blueberries and acidic soil, I have several plants
scattered around the gardens but they haven't exactly gone crazy.
I'm thinking of creating a bed just for blueberries, I have access to
plenty of decades-old sawdust, which they would love to grow in.
I'm making a LOT of blueberry mead these days, so it's something I
should do, as supply of quality berries can be patchy at times.

So how many blueberry plants do you have? Are your own plants the ones
that you make mead form our are they bought in? In any event, it sounds
delicious.


I only have a few blueberry plants at this time, I still buy from a
couple of people most of the time, for the mead at least as it
requires an awful lot of blueberries. One day I'll put a decent patch
in but it's a big job. I'll have to fence the lot with corrugated iron
just to keep the possums out, just for starters.

My poor Silver Birches have taken a real hammering from the little
*******s. It's so disheartening to see a birch tree grow so well, then
overnight the main stem is snapped clean off about 2 metres from the
top... I melted some lard yesterday and mixed some kero in it. I'm
going to smear it all over the birch tree's trunks in the hope it
deters them.

"Jeßus" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 6 Nov 2012 11:09:43 +1100, "Farm1"
wrote:

I know the feeling. We got stuck in the other day. I've been faffing
round
for weeks trying to make a mark and Himself did more in 1 day than I've
done
in weeks. It really emphasisied for me the difference in how men and
women
work. He really focusses and I (sort of) multi task.

LOL. Well, I'm most woman-like then

:-))

But I've learned (I think)... once the seemingly endless half-finished
projects I have are completed, in future I'll start ONE project and
complete it - then move onto the next... that's what I tell myself
anyway

LOL. Betcha don't!

I notice a plant
needs water as I'm trying to weed near it. I give it water and then 'cos
the soil is so soggy I cant' continue to weed there till the next day, but
while I was getting the water int he watering can, I notice that the area
under the tank looks like a snake haven and so clear that. And so it goes
on.

Yes, exactly! I do this all the bloody time.

He just does what he set out to do.

I'm hoping to become more like that...

I'm sure that when you do get time you'll make huge inroads ina short
time.

I've been busy in the veg patch, the rose bed and doing garden visits
which
always inspire me and fire me into action.

We've had 8 huge pine trees removed from between my rose bed and the veg
patch so now there will be no further root competition from the blasted
things. It was amazing to watch the men clib the trees to drop them in
chunks but in the process they dropped a huge branch on my wonderful old
Hills Hoist and it took weeks before they replaced it with a new one.
Of
course the new one is crap quality.

Bugger on the clothesline...

I imagine the soil is fairly acidic where the pien trees were, could
be good for Azelias or Blueberries.

Ah! Thanks for that tip. I'd prefer something productive and azaleas
don't
do well here because of our savage frosts.

Speaking of Blueberries and acidic soil, I have several plants
scattered around the gardens but they haven't exactly gone crazy.
I'm thinking of creating a bed just for blueberries, I have access to
plenty of decades-old sawdust, which they would love to grow in.
I'm making a LOT of blueberry mead these days, so it's something I
should do, as supply of quality berries can be patchy at times.

So how many blueberry plants do you have? Are your own plants the ones
that you make mead form our are they bought in? In any event, it sounds
delicious.


I only have a few blueberry plants at this time, I still buy from a
couple of people most of the time, for the mead at least as it
requires an awful lot of blueberries. One day I'll put a decent patch
in but it's a big job. I'll have to fence the lot with corrugated iron
just to keep the possums out, just for starters.

That IS a huge job. We don't have possums (Thank God!) but we have copious
numbers and varieties of bird and they love our fruit and veg. Netting is a
constant chore near harvest time.

My poor Silver Birches have taken a real hammering from the little
*******s. It's so disheartening to see a birch tree grow so well, then
overnight the main stem is snapped clean off about 2 metres from the
top... I melted some lard yesterday and mixed some kero in it. I'm
going to smear it all over the birch tree's trunks in the hope it
deters them.

Interesting recipe :-)) Wonder if it'll work? I'm trying to deter rats
round my hen house ATM. I don't want to use poison so it's a watering can
of water down each hole once a day. I now know what the expression 'drowned
rat' means. I haven't quite managed to drown any yet but they sure hate
water in their holes and come up looking very saggy and most definitely 'Not
happy Jan!'. ******* things.

"Jeßus" wrote in message
So how many blueberry plants do you have? Are your own plants the ones
that you make mead form our are they bought in? In any event, it sounds
delicious.


I only have a few blueberry plants at this time, I still buy from a
couple of people most of the time, for the mead at least as it
requires an awful lot of blueberries.

I had meant to ask... How do you make blueberry mead?

"atec77" "atec77 wrote in message
On 12/11/2012 3:27 PM, Farm1 wrote:

happy Jan!'. ******* things.


feed the rats some antifreeze down the hole

How do I do that? Do I put it on something foodlike so they eat it or just
straight antifreeze poured down?

On Mon, 12 Nov 2012 08:54:40 +1100, Jeßus wrote:

My poor Silver Birches have taken a real hammering from the little
*******s. It's so disheartening to see a birch tree grow so well, then
overnight the main stem is snapped clean off about 2 metres from the
top... I melted some lard yesterday and mixed some kero in it. I'm
going to smear it all over the birch tree's trunks in the hope it
deters them.

Ratsak one shot embedded in peanut butter works a treat. Just make sure no pets are
around.

"atec77" "atec77 wrote in message
...
On 13/11/2012 5:12 PM, Farm1 wrote:
"atec77" "atec77 wrote in message
On 12/11/2012 3:27 PM, Farm1 wrote:

happy Jan!'. ******* things.


feed the rats some antifreeze down the hole

How do I do that? Do I put it on something foodlike so they eat it or
just
straight antifreeze poured down?


antifreeze seems to have attractive properties to animals , cats like it a
lot and will lap a saucer full

Presumably with fatal results?

On Tue, 13 Nov 2012 22:10:53 +1100, wrote:

On Mon, 12 Nov 2012 08:54:40 +1100, Jeßus wrote:

My poor Silver Birches have taken a real hammering from the little
*******s. It's so disheartening to see a birch tree grow so well, then
overnight the main stem is snapped clean off about 2 metres from the
top... I melted some lard yesterday and mixed some kero in it. I'm
going to smear it all over the birch tree's trunks in the hope it
deters them.

Ratsak one shot embedded in peanut butter works a treat. Just make sure no pets are
around.

That's the problem - I have poultry, dog and cats around, so poisons
are too risky. The dog loves to bail them up but doesn't go further
unfortunately.

A friend has a Jack Russell/Foxy cross and he's just amazingly
efficient at dispatching possums. I was in his ute (the friend's, not
the dog's!) one day and just as we pulled up at his house the dog was
out the window and had a possum just before it could climb a tree.
I need one of those!

On Tue, 13 Nov 2012 22:10:53 +1100, wrote:

On Mon, 12 Nov 2012 08:54:40 +1100, Jeßus wrote:

My poor Silver Birches have taken a real hammering from the little
*******s. It's so disheartening to see a birch tree grow so well, then
overnight the main stem is snapped clean off about 2 metres from the
top... I melted some lard yesterday and mixed some kero in it. I'm
going to smear it all over the birch tree's trunks in the hope it
deters them.

Ratsak one shot embedded in peanut butter works a treat. Just make sure no pets are
around.

That's the problem - I have poultry, dog and cats around, so poisons
are too risky. The dog loves to bail them up but doesn't go further
unfortunately.

A friend has a Jack Russell/Foxy cross and he's just amazingly
efficient at dispatching possums. I was in his ute (the friend's, not
the dog's!) one day and just as we pulled up at his house the dog was
out the window and had a possum just before it could climb a tree.
I need one of those!

On Mon, 12 Nov 2012 16:27:41 +1100, "Farm1"
wrote:

"Jeßus" wrote in message
.. .
My poor Silver Birches have taken a real hammering from the little
*******s. It's so disheartening to see a birch tree grow so well, then
overnight the main stem is snapped clean off about 2 metres from the
top... I melted some lard yesterday and mixed some kero in it. I'm
going to smear it all over the birch tree's trunks in the hope it
deters them.

Interesting recipe :-)) Wonder if it'll work? I'm trying to deter rats
round my hen house ATM. I don't want to use poison so it's a watering can
of water down each hole once a day. I now know what the expression 'drowned
rat' means. I haven't quite managed to drown any yet but they sure hate
water in their holes and come up looking very saggy and most definitely 'Not
happy Jan!'. ******* things.

Yeah, I can't any kind of plastic around the chook pen as the rats eat
it... I've had a few rats and mice drown themselves in the water
bucket, which is great. I use rat traps with peanut butter, caged off
so only rats and mice can access it.

On Mon, 12 Nov 2012 16:41:55 +1100, "Farm1"
wrote:

"Jeßus" wrote in message
So how many blueberry plants do you have? Are your own plants the ones
that you make mead form our are they bought in? In any event, it sounds
delicious.


I only have a few blueberry plants at this time, I still buy from a
couple of people most of the time, for the mead at least as it
requires an awful lot of blueberries.

I had meant to ask... How do you make blueberry mead?

I'll go get my little blue recipe book if/when the cat gets off my
lap...

But basically you need blueberries, honey, yeast, water and some yeast
nutrient if you want it to ferment out as much as possible (meaning
quite dry and high in alcohol). I use a LOT of blueberries and honey,
which means its not all that cheap to make but I get the result I
want.

Note that different honeys produce very different results in terms of
flavour and clarity. Brewing mead is a longer process than say beer -
an absolute minimum of two months before it'll be drinkable... but two
years is generally the ideal.

And watch out... it's one of those drinks that hit you much stronger
than the alcohol content would suggest...

On 15/11/12 07:18, Jeßus wrote:

That's the problem - I have poultry, dog and cats around, so poisons
are too risky. The dog loves to bail them up but doesn't go further
unfortunately.

We have a cat that chases the cabbage white butterflies to the wife's
please then displeasure as the silly then then liftsd is paws to let
them fly away.


A friend has a Jack Russell/Foxy cross and he's just amazingly
efficient at dispatching possums.

Those dogs were bred for suck work.

"Jeßus" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 13 Nov 2012 22:10:53 +1100, wrote:

On Mon, 12 Nov 2012 08:54:40 +1100, Jeßus wrote:

My poor Silver Birches have taken a real hammering from the little
*******s. It's so disheartening to see a birch tree grow so well, then
overnight the main stem is snapped clean off about 2 metres from the
top... I melted some lard yesterday and mixed some kero in it. I'm
going to smear it all over the birch tree's trunks in the hope it
deters them.

Ratsak one shot embedded in peanut butter works a treat. Just make sure
no pets are
around.

That's the problem - I have poultry, dog and cats around, so poisons
are too risky. The dog loves to bail them up but doesn't go further
unfortunately.

A friend has a Jack Russell/Foxy cross and he's just amazingly
efficient at dispatching possums. I was in his ute (the friend's, not
the dog's!)

As a former (multiple) JR owner, I have to tell you that the ute does indeed
belong to the dog, it just lets your friend drive it. Ask your friend if
this is so, I'm sure the reponse will be in the affirmative.

one day and just as we pulled up at his house the dog was
out the window and had a possum just before it could climb a tree.
I need one of those!

Brilliant little dogs, but if you do get one, be aware that Phillip Adams
calls them disposable dogs - he and his wife Patrice Newell have them on
their biodynamic farm up close to Scone and they need replacing frequently.
Ours didn't get replaced so frequently, but they did end up being $5,000
dogs after multiple life saving trips to the vet's. We couldnt' stand the
thought of losing the little blokes as they were such great mates.