The thing is, that I had not properly read your comments, and since they were mostly about the subject of the colorado beetle, which is very dear to our hearts at the moment, especially since Lester is spending at least two hours a day going leaf by leaf through our potato crop to squash the eggs, juveniles, near adults, and proper adults. He is steadily winning the fight. His efforts are heroic.
As for myself, I am squirting flea beetles who are busy chomping away at the brassicas. Putting straw round the plants did seem to make me the overall winner of that particular battle, but yesterday the beetles seemed to have regrouped and come out in force again. Sometimes, ....... just sometimes........
As for the rest of the farm....... the sheep are sweating their socks off in the mega heat we are continuing to have...... 34C forecast in the next few days. Still wearing their winter fleece, they are struggling. The shearer man should be coming soon. Meanwhile, they sweat away. The flies are also out in full force, which is another discomfort they are struggling with.
As for the cows, two are out in the field and are well, but Lissie got a wound in her flank which has turned nasty, so vet called out yesterday, it is serious, she is now indoors for a few days as flies need to be kept away from the wound because of the potential of fly strike (eggs.... maggots....etc). This she does not like. Neither does her daughter, Milly, who is old enough now to be thoroughly weaned but still manages to grab a drink of milk now and again throughout the day. So Milly is out in the field moaning about her lack of milk supply, and Lissie is in the barn moaning about not being outside with the others. Lester is going over to the neighbours this morning to apologise for the endless moans. He thinks a second day might be just a bit too much for the neighbours to cope with.
Things are coming along alright with the Market Garden Project, and I am getting experience with keeping the seed / seedling production line rolling along. I love it. However, I am getting into a tangle between what the house needs me to do, and what the Market Garden Project needs me to do. But I did finally manage to clean the back and front kitchen floors yesterday, and for that they blessed me I am sure. Those floors were mucky, especially the one in the back kitchen, and I am not exaggerating.
I have also learnt that seedlings in pots need feeding. I was wondering why the little plantlings seem to gallop along to second leaf stage and then seem to come to a halt. So this morning I gave them a feed, and by lunchtime they had risen up quite a bit as if to say thank you. I was, however, not impressed to see Blue, one of the rottweiller girls, up in the raised bed amongst those newly fertilized pots of seedlings. We have lots of small lizard type creatures here, which the girls love to do 'search and capture' activities with. Previously the lizard creatures lived on the walls of the house and courtyard, but now it would seem that they have moved in to the raised bed area. They do no harm. But having two big dogs romping over the growing produce does not bode well for a harvest of any worth.
The Chicken Hut Project is coming along, but the fierce temperatures and the demands of other farm activities are slowing the project up. Not to worry, the project is coming along and will get done in its own good time. Meanwhile we wait in anticipation of eventually getting some chickens to put in the eventually finished Chicken Hut so that we can eventually have our own eggs once more plus have the enjoyment of having chickens getting into mischief about the place.
Hope you all had a good weekend, ..... it is now Monday morning (and oh how the weeks seem to be cracking along at a tremendous pace), Lester is on beetle attack, I have done my daily hoeing, watered the newly planted juvenile seedlings, and scythed down some naughty weeds that are soon to flower so that they can make more of themselves. I have come in to have a breather, and thought I would finish off this blog. I am hoping to have some puff left to scythe some rampant burdock plants growing in the Chicken Paddock, but to be quite honest I think I am all drizzled out.
Anyway, bye for now,
and once again sorry for deleting those comments.
Vx
10 comments:
Don't know anything about Colorado beetles but love your blog. Love reading about your animals big and small. The best of British luck to you and Lester for this coming summer.
These things happen, not to worry.
It was very hot yesterday but much cooler today. Hope Lissie's wound heals quickly I can imagine how she feels about being shut in!!
Have a good week Diane.
Busy time of year for you. After reading your post, I reminded myself to fertilize my plants as well! I have flower fertilizer, but need to get something specifically for vegetables. -Jenn
LOCAL ALIEN, thank you for your kind words.... we are forecasted a heat wave so not sure what the weather people are calling this current patch of hot weather!
DIANE, thanks, and I hope you have a good week too. Lester put Lissie out in the field this afternoon as there were more flies in the barn than would have been out on the field!
JENN, good luck with finding the right fertilizer..... our main problem is not that there is none available in the local shops but that all the products are written in French so are not understandable to us!
I've never used fertiliser on my veg, but if I did I hear a bucket of nettle fertiliser is good. Have you tried it?
In my eyes, you are leading "the good life", to which I aspire, but it takes so much energy and time to sustain. Perhaps that's why many people who attempt self-sufficency "fall off the wagon". Good luck with those pesty beetles.
That sounds awfully hot. We are starting to hit summer heat here as well. I hope Lissie heals up, poor girl. And good luck with the chicken hut! I miss having them. There is just something comforting about them beyond the eggs they provide.
KERRY, I am only using fertilizer on the seedlings to help them along, but the main vegetable gardens are not fertilized. I do have a brew of nettle fertilizer on the brew though, but have not had the courage to open the lid yet. I know that the brew will be potent!
ELIZABETH, you have to be stubborn and dedicated to be successful in this way of life that we are leading, but it is worth while. The sense of achievement is huge!
TOIRDHEALBHEAD BEUCAIL, it is 'awfully hot' and getting hotter! And we are still in early summer and not in full summer, so we can expect a continuation of the same. Phew!
I forgive you
JOHN, thanks! x
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