Farm update

 Picked a half pound of strawberries in 5 minutes.  Had to stop because I can't freeze them right now and can't eat more than half a pound of them.  The chickens ate the bad ones happily.

The 2 buff Orpington teenage hens followed me around a little, as did a young Rhode Island Red. The Cinnamon Queens might be the most beautiful of the bunch but they are also the most aloof.  Only 3 eggs today.  Andy thinks the Astralorps may have stopped laying. I was hoping Mamma Mia would get back in the laying game after breaking her broody spell (and leaving 15 rotten eggs).  Maybe not quite.  I still need to finish cleaning the coop and run and get it all cozy for laying or rearing the 6 babies.

The air quality was predicted to get bad today so I got up at 6 and used the most quiet device I have, the battery-powered string trimmer. It was still sort of loud.  I got the blueberries almost completely trimmed up and went a little into the woods.  Such a difference from farm to forest.  Very moist, not much growing on the trail and saw a cute little red eft.

Saw a snake in the big orchard.  I hope it doesn't know about the indigo bunting nest down low in the peach tree. I would love it to eat the mice and voles. 

Doug at Common Table told me that the super cold temperatures we had for a few days in February ruined the stone fruits for the whole area. Bummer.  We saw caterpillars, Japanese beetles, and leaf rollers so there are still pests on the leaves, if not the non-existent fruit. 

Ran the brush hog in the apple orchard where the weeds were taller than the trees.  I left some big mullein plants. It needs weeding and wood chips.  There are a couple of vibrant flowers next to one tiny tree so that tree can stay shaded a little longer.

I also cleared around the chokeberry bushes near the vineyard. The weeds around were so tall but somehow the deer find and trim the chokeberries.  One of the 4 bushes is looking pretty good.  I sprayed deer repellent on them all.

I mowed enough to open the fence around the elderberries.  Very dense in there.

I tried to mow around the vineyard bee yard but it's pretty dense in there.  At least I got close enough to see the wires of the fence.

After that it was time for "work work" and the air quality dropped - good timing. 

 

Updates for 6/28/23

 Pond is completely full and overflowing a tiny bit. The frogs are happy and LOUD.

Snapping turtle nest appears undisturbed.

Bee report (from the outside) - very active in orange hive, even bearding a bit although it is only 70 degrees.  Blue hive less active but not bad.  Russians not as busy.  Need to check for water seeping in there.

Strawberries ready to harvest. Got 2.5 lbs 4 days ago.

Cider orchard totally overrun by yellow nutsedge. Need to cut that out ASAP.

Orchard looking great except no fruit set this year. Found a nest in a peach tree, low but protected by a fence.  I startled the mama off. I think it is a female indigo bunting, judging from Merlin's sound ID.

Small blueberry bushes going red are worse today.  Got coffee grounds last week.  Will try composted chicken manure. The big bushes are looking good.  Will need to net them soon.

The potatoes look great after Andy mounded them a few days ago.  The sweet potatoes are overrun by lambs quarters though.

Can see one good row of cowpeas but we don't remember which type.

Most of garden appears frozen in time.  Except the summer squash, of course.

No more broody mama hen.  Got 8 eggs.  The young hens are getting closer and closer to the old flock, both out and about and in the rafters of the carport.  It really stinks in there now.  Need to finish cleaning the coop and maybe the younguns will lay (and roost) in there?  I was walking eating a graham cracker and shared some with the big chickens - they followed me far today! 

Walked the vineyard with the hens but fortunately no Japanese beetles to feed them. I can see lots of little grape flowers! I think the hot spell we had at the time the orchard should have been flowering messed fruit set.  We didn't even get forsythia this year.  Raspberries in Arlington are doing great.  Not so in Becket - tiny plants by the Russians haven't changed much.

First flowers on the elderberries!  Must weed that patch.

Saw a big brown rabbit hopping away from the garlic. New protein source?

There is one lone hop plant climbing up a stalk.  It won't climb the tree next to it - too fat of a tree?