[Orangeball]

I’m in NC and will be following this thread. I don’t even know where to buy shade cloth or how to install but I’ve got so many tomatoes in the ground and don’t want to lose them to the sun…

[Orangeball]

Not a job I would want…but somebody has to do it…right?

[Orangeball]

I have gotten back into penny shopping. (I slacked off for a while since there wasn’t much on the list that I wanted or needed) This week I was able to pick up barrels of cheese balls and pretzels as well as a bunch of Valentine’s candy. Spent less than a dollar for a huge pile of things. I bought my seeds last fall for a penny per pack and have my tomato starts well on their way to going into the garden in a month or so. I get 50 lb bags of potatoes and leave at least 5lbs in the bag to produce my seed potatoes. Those will be going into the ground this week. I just got back from the local butcher because they had on their website that chicken breast was $1.99 per pound… thought I was going to pick up 15 or 20 lbs but they said they hadn’t updated their website and it was $2.99 per lb…only got 10 lbs but it will go into jars this afternoon or tomorrow. Also stopped by Aldi’s and picked up a spiral sliced ham for Easter at 1.49 per lb. Leftovers will go into soups and be canned.

[Orangeball]

We also have a couple of boats and a couple of “spare parts cars” that we have been filling with gas and adding stabile to for use in the generator. Wish I had solar something but I’m afraid it’s a bit out of my league on social security income. I have plans to get a few chickens this year but I’ve got to make sure I have a predator proof pen for them (lost 2 flocks to coyote and racoons a few years back). I have a 10 x 10 dog lot I’m going to turn into a chicken pen with a pontoon boat top to use as a shade roof. Haven’t figured out all the details yet, but I think about it constantly. Will start cleaning out the garden this week and hopefully get it tilled up a bit…can’t even imagine having to buy “fresh” produce at the grocery store.

[Orangeball]

Thanks for posting this. I watch Toni all the time but must have missed this one. So glad I don’t live in Canada after seeing this, but thinking about it, it probably happens here in the states as well, just not publicized.

[Orangeball]

I bought 8 50 count styrofoam cups (about half the size of the solo cups) for like 20 cents a pack a while back. Planning on using those for my starters. I’ll just melt a hole in the bottom for drainage. Hope to be able to line them up in a tray and bottom water. Lowe’s had a sale on grow lights (still going on till Feb 5th) $14.98 for 2 foot LED grow lights. Not a bad deal if anyone is looking.

[Orangeball]

Yes the garden was bubbling from that rain we got…way too much! The weeds loved it though. I’m going to keep a few of the tomatoes, including the indigo rose and my small pumpkin patch and the rest will get turned under. Any suggestions on what to plant for a fall garden? Not sure if all of NC is zone 7B so I’m not sure if you can help with that. I’ll keep plugging along, but it will only be for an hour or so in the morning before the sun hits it and then an hour in the evening after it goes behind the trees. Wish I had started all this earlier in my life and had gotten accustomed to the workings of it all, but better late than never. If next year’s garden doesn’t work out for me, I’ll try container gardening to alleviate some of the back stress…if I’m even able to do anything by then. Thank you for your encouragement and input.

[Orangeball]

Yes I really think it was a pollination problem as well as the flooding rains. What really blew me away was my neighbors garden (right beside mine) did wonderfully well. We planted everything at the same time and fertilized at the same time. When mine became overrun with weeds while I was sick theirs was completely weed free. At 65 I can’t spend enough time out there to keep it weed free especially after it got overrun. I’m going to till under most of it (keeping a few of the tomatoes to see what they do) and the small pumpkin patch. I’ll have to do the research to find out what I can put in for a fall garden. The farmers market will provide what I’ve missed out on growing. Thank you for your encouragement and wisdom!

[Orangeball]

Everyone, including you have been so encouraging and helpful. I’m feeling much better today, after a peaceful night of rest. Had a bad case of the doldrums yesterday after finding all of the Frankenstein veggies. I’m not giving up completely. I’ll till under the weeds and the leftovers from the supposed veggies and try again. I’ll keep several of the 35 tomato plants including the indigo rose cherry tomatoes because they fascinate me. I’ll have to figure out what I can put in for a fall garden and try not to start it too early. That may have been part of my problem as well. I was so anxious to get something growing I planted nearly a month before mother’s day (rule of thumb around here). Thank you! Oh and my pumpkins are at least 25 to 30 feet from my squash and cucumbers.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by  Orangeball.

[Orangeball]

I think my main focus for the rest of this summer and into fall will be on the new plot. I want to till it a lot to get it broken up good. Then add some compost along with the grass clippings and leaves in the fall. My apple trees will go out the end of this month (grown from seed) and I’ll be watching them closely. Spring time will bring more tilling then the weed barrier will go down. Im hoping I’ve got the order right on all of this…like I said it’s only my second year and at 65 I don’t feel like I’m going to get too many more chances at it…

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by  Orangeball.

[Orangeball]

I really think a lot of it was weed control. I wasn’t allowed to use weed barrier (the neighbor likes to run his tiller between rows) . After the pneumonia I was just too weak to get out there and the darned weeds took the opportunity to take over. Then came the flooding rains then scorching heat. My corn is 3′ tall and the leaves are as yellow as squash. I’ve got ears coming on but it’s like baby corn… Frankenstein stuff. Watermelon came up and before it got it’s second set of leaves the rabbits ate it down to the ground. My peas came up beautiful but after the rain they turned yellow and I only got 1/2 cup of shelled peas. I spent months getting my tomatoes ready for the garden…then this….no one said it would be easy but this was a reality check for me.

[Orangeball]

I’ll keep an eye on my cherry tomatoes and wait to see what my pumpkins turn out like. I’ve been so busy trying to get my freezer canned up I don’t get out there much. My refrigerator went out last month and I lost $500 worth of meats so I’m refusing to let anything sit in there for long. Got 5 quarts of chicken canned up today. Tomorrow will be hamburger meat. I’ll keep a few things in there but not like I had. I also have a small chest freezer that I need to get canned up as well…seems like everything falls apart at one time for me so I’m starting to worry about the freezer too. Been a rough year… hoping for a better second half…

[Orangeball]

I’m planning a new plot for next year. This year my neighbor allowed me to use half of his garden but told me id have to take the back half…I was fine with that since last year we had split it as well but in the opposite direction. I had a bumper crop last year…more than I could can, give away and consume. Next year it will be on my own property. The ground hasn’t been turned in 30 plus years. I had such a problem with weeds this year and they wouldn’t allow me to use weed barrier…I will next year. I’m 65 and getting out and weeding that much garden without the benefit of weed barrier was disastrous. After the pneumonia there was no catching up and I guess I just gave up on it.

[Orangeball]

Yeah we cleaned everything… thank you for responding. I guess it’s just dead…has a chemical/plastic smell so I assumed it was a freon leak. Still haven’t been able to replace it but havey feelers out for getting a free one…sure can’t afford to buy one. My neighbor was kind enough to allow me a portion of her freezer space so I didn’t lose everything but enough to bring me to tears… thank you again for responding… thank goodness I was prepared with home canned items and a good stock pile to get us through this minor disaster… gave me a pretty good taste of what will happen when SHTF. Will say that I’ve learned my lesson and won’t rely on appliances… everything will be in canning jars…lol

[Orangeball]

Hi there. I’m in NC and have a question about refrigerators. I have a very old (pre 2000) GE side by side with ice maker in the door. Last week I had an exterminator come out for 6 month maintenance (spiders eeww). He pulled my fridge out about 4″ to be able to spray behind. It did not come unplugged but has gotten warmer and warmer since he did that. I had to throw away most of my food in the fridge and I’m afraid I will lose my freezer as well (ice cream is like soup). My question is do you know if there is a reset switch on the compressor? I can’t afford a new one right now!