Um the dreaded pests.
Ticks and flies that time of year again. Lambs wormed and sprayed against fly strike and wormed. Lambs now have go blue go faster stripes. Ticks removed. Think Cat has been hanging about with the lambs as she had one too!!
The other pests are the slugs and snails might have to resort to organic slug stuff that obviously animal friendly. The blasted slugs have eaten all the chinese leaves. Something is nibbling the tops off the onions. Mice or rabbits who knows!!
Saturday 30 May 2015
Monday 25 May 2015
Foraging begins
Very productive day.
Turnips, carrots, Suede, cauliflower seeds sown, Potato's earth up, Weeding on the veg patch around the onions. My first lettuce is about to be ready to harvested.
Mint Jelly in the making and foraged nettles and nettle wine on the go along with elderberry. Just got the gorse to forage and will have quite a bit of wine making on the go.
Thinking nettle beer aswell - there are certainly enough nettles around at the moment!!
Ducks also mucked out and chicks and the lambs are buzy munching on the grass all good down on the smallholding
Turnips, carrots, Suede, cauliflower seeds sown, Potato's earth up, Weeding on the veg patch around the onions. My first lettuce is about to be ready to harvested.
Mint Jelly in the making and foraged nettles and nettle wine on the go along with elderberry. Just got the gorse to forage and will have quite a bit of wine making on the go.
Thinking nettle beer aswell - there are certainly enough nettles around at the moment!!
Ducks also mucked out and chicks and the lambs are buzy munching on the grass all good down on the smallholding
Growing your own
This month has mainly been about growing my own vegetables. Despite the poly tunnel blowing down twice I haven't done too badly. The poly tunnel is still up touch wood and full of lovely edible plants. My spuds seem to be doing well along with onions, beetroot, spinach, peas beans and cabbages.
Pesky slugs though going to have to do research into how to get rid in the most human way they have nibbled throug the chinese leaves I planted and starting on the cabbages!!
This year though its been cold for planting out so a little behind but hoping to catch up. The wind is a problem from the sea at times.
Animals Chicks are doing well ducklings are getting bigger and the little orphan lambs unfortunately havent done that well this year. Thats the problem with orphans. I have three little healthy sheep and the two still from last year.
I am planning to increase my stock and get some breeding sheep and try my hand at breeding. Also have my eye on fencing and getting a pig pen set up for pigs. So a lot of planning going on.
Pesky slugs though going to have to do research into how to get rid in the most human way they have nibbled throug the chinese leaves I planted and starting on the cabbages!!
This year though its been cold for planting out so a little behind but hoping to catch up. The wind is a problem from the sea at times.
Animals Chicks are doing well ducklings are getting bigger and the little orphan lambs unfortunately havent done that well this year. Thats the problem with orphans. I have three little healthy sheep and the two still from last year.
I am planning to increase my stock and get some breeding sheep and try my hand at breeding. Also have my eye on fencing and getting a pig pen set up for pigs. So a lot of planning going on.
Sunday 10 May 2015
Good old tidy up
Another fantastic day getting stuff done down on the smallholding.
Todays first plan was to get the little chicks out the shed into a posh des res now they are fully feathered. That went really well. A few pallets and a bit of wood work and a roof (that the storm took) can be created. The chickens moved from the shed into their new chicken coup. One of the chickens ate all the spiders in their and the others quickly acquired a taste for grass.
The baby lambs other then milk time they ran off under the gate and into the big field where they happily munched grass and leaves all day.
A lot of strimmed done and loads to be done. Quick check on the fruit i have berries on the blackcurrents, and gooseberries. Not had any fruit off the gooseberries yet so well chuffed that me rescuing them and putting them in a better position worked. also raspberries coming on and even a flower on the strawberriers.
Herbs doing well, potatoes earth up now just got to get some digging so can get seeds and young plants outside.
Polytunnel - well thanks to my neighbours suggestion polytunnel is up again. Smaller but up. The ripped seem was the front seem and just wouldnt pull to gether in a way that looked safe. So answer rather then not have one the poly tunnel was made smaller. Have turnned the door to face a more sheltered spot away fromw winds coming from the sea. I just got to pray now no high winds until i can get a door kit as the door opening is held together with a clip!! Might be genius or just wishful thinking. I think will give it a few days before putting any valuable plants in just incase!!
Todays first plan was to get the little chicks out the shed into a posh des res now they are fully feathered. That went really well. A few pallets and a bit of wood work and a roof (that the storm took) can be created. The chickens moved from the shed into their new chicken coup. One of the chickens ate all the spiders in their and the others quickly acquired a taste for grass.
The baby lambs other then milk time they ran off under the gate and into the big field where they happily munched grass and leaves all day.
A lot of strimmed done and loads to be done. Quick check on the fruit i have berries on the blackcurrents, and gooseberries. Not had any fruit off the gooseberries yet so well chuffed that me rescuing them and putting them in a better position worked. also raspberries coming on and even a flower on the strawberriers.
Herbs doing well, potatoes earth up now just got to get some digging so can get seeds and young plants outside.
Polytunnel - well thanks to my neighbours suggestion polytunnel is up again. Smaller but up. The ripped seem was the front seem and just wouldnt pull to gether in a way that looked safe. So answer rather then not have one the poly tunnel was made smaller. Have turnned the door to face a more sheltered spot away fromw winds coming from the sea. I just got to pray now no high winds until i can get a door kit as the door opening is held together with a clip!! Might be genius or just wishful thinking. I think will give it a few days before putting any valuable plants in just incase!!
Saturday 9 May 2015
Nearly two years on
Getting bigger by the day - Male or Females thats the question
Food??? we are greedy creatures
All five running for food.
I will just stand here and pose - I am a proper adult now
I have taken my time but I am getting to a good weight
Nearly two years since I started living my dream. Its been an education and there have been some sticky moments but I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Its kinda of weird as now I cant see myself without animals.or without trying to grow or make something.
Baby chicks are coming on batter went on phone so couldnt get their latest pic they are fully feathered.
Lady Stardust the newly status farm cat is still enjoying the life.She
No polytunnel still a problem at the moment specially when I started off seeds that all took. i was pleased that I rescued the chilli plants I have 5 different types so hopefully will be in my sauces later in the season. Had to be ruthless with the tomatoes i had sown and thin out rather then keep them all.
It does feel good today to be having a weekend that I can catch up on jobs around the smallholding. Specially after spending last week with a virus thing that wiped me out. So good to be better again.
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)