What have you done today in the Garden?

How to grow sweet potatoes from new stems. I’ve never had luck with this maybe you can have a full harvest by next summer.
https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/growing-sweet-potatoes-in-water/100144838

 

Thanks Pac!

 

Got an email one of my seed orders will be in my mailbox when I get home.

 

With 17F temperatures ( -8C), strong winds, and snow, I didn't go near the garden. I did give the chickens and ducks big basins of warm water.

 

When we had chickens in Texas and it got cold I used to make oatmeal and while it was still warm mix chicken feed and give it to them. They loved it! But none of my pets/chickens are spoiled! I miss having chickens.

 

Same story here.

 

We got about 2" today. It is below zero, maybe only -1F? That is the forecasted low. The high was supposed to 4F today, extremely cold. I only took care of my pets today. I putzed indoors most of the day. I did make a blueberry/cranberry crisp.. Yummy.

 

@Willowisp0801 I made oatmeal for my chickens and kept them inside their coop today and hauled warm water to them.

 

My chickens loved that, do yours? And yes I kept mine in the coop on cold days as well. I thought the heat lamp would be better for them than going out in the cold.

 

I don’t have chickens but I bring warm chopped apples mixed with bran and shaved carrots out to the horses .

 

I just watched an MIgardener video on starting plants now in a milk jug and the top makes it like a mini green house. I've done that before (a long time ago). But I may try it again, since so many tomatoes came up in my garden last year! But I will probably wait until it's single digits not negative.

 

I decided to start some Eucalyptus seeds and stratify some Rudbeckia seeds to start in a month or so.



The eucalyptus can supposedly be grown as an annual, instead of growing trees. This variety is supposed to be strongly lemon or citronella scented Eucalyptus citriodora. I'd like to see how it does in containers during what might be a hot summer.

To stratify the Rudbeckias, I label paper towel using a sharpie, then pour on water and squeeze out excess, so it is barely moist. Then add seeds.



Fold over a couple of times, then place in plastic sandwich bag.



I label the paper towel so I can have more than one variety per bag, using less plastic.

The Eucalyptus seeds are on the warming mat under a desk lamp, next to the Schlumbergera seedlings.



I covered with a glass lid. Again, to reduce my plastic use.

Speaking of the Schlumbergera seedlings, they are growing slowly .



I've never grown them before. It's interesting. Some have started growing tiny cactus pads.

 

I found a box of stuffing mix, expired in 2020. It's just dried bread, and smelled ok, so I fed it to the hens. Also some cheddar that was too moldy for me, but they liked it. They are getting a washbasin full of warm water twice daily. The ducks, too. The ducks usually go out no matter what. With the cold and snow, they circle the yard single file. Quack quack quack quack quack. Then they head back to their hutch and stay all day.

 

Really interesting seed story, Daniel.
I haven’t done that for years. You are having good luck, aren't you. The S’bereras are excellent. Chapeau.

 

No gardening today, as we've had a couple of inches of "designer snow."

Hopefully, this shouldn't last as the sun is out and the temperature is just above freezing,

But it'll be pretty for a while.





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