Walt's doins

[walt]

I've thought for some time of doing one of these threads.  Now I have time on my hands and might as well get started.
So why do I have time on my hands during the busiest time of the year?  Yesterday I cracked a rib, and doc says take it easy for 4 to 6 weeks.  Not a good time for this.  But I am quite OK.
Other bad news, landlord sold lot next door to my garden.  Water for irrigation ran from that "house".  Now water will be torn down so water is disconnected.  Serious bummer.
So I'm land shopping.  I know of 3 towns in this county and 2 adjacemt counties that are 1/2 or more vacant houses.  Most of the vacant houses are beyond repair.  So I'm noting locations of these junk houses and contacting the county tax roles for the owner of record.  Surely one will be glad to get something for the lot.
So I may not be reporting on my garden much this summer.

[mskrieger]

Sorry to hear of your cracked rib. But the land shopping sounds like quite the opportunity, actually. Wow.

When I was in a community garden in Washington, DC, we had no water tap. So we used to crack open the fire hydrant and run a hose to the garden once a week in the summer. Yes, moderately illegal. But in DC at that time, the cops had way better things to do than prosecute us for growing food.

[steev]

I once came off a ladder, landing on a low retaining wall, cracking a rib or two; for several days, it really did hurt to laugh; I thought about going to the doctor, but I wasn't coughing blood, so I figured he'd want a nice fee for poking to see if it hurt (hell, yes!), then get some x-rays ($$), then tape me up and prescribe pain-pills ($$), so I saved the pain of cleaning out my wallet. For weeks though, sneezing felt like ripping out any healing that had happened; teary eyes, I kid you not.

[imgrimmer]

That is bad news! I hope you´re getting well soon and find a new garden!

[walt]

I've managed to learn some things about my body.  Like which way to get out of bed without using muscles attached to certain ribs.  That information will come in real handy next time I break a rib.  Otherwise, broken or cracked ribs are pretty much a waste of time.  Not much pain at all, unless I put strain on those ribs, which I quickly learned to do.
Yes, looking for land is something I should have continued back when I was divorced, rather than getting married.  But it isn't too late now.
I'm moving Poncirus trifoliata trees I started 5 years ago.  But this time, due to Kansas community property laws, I will put new land in my sister's or my daughter' name.  Recently found out our house is in my sister-in-law's name.  
I have located one house in Kanopolis on an extra big lot, $5,000 and the owner is willing to do a rent-to-buy arrangement.  Most of the house is rotten, but kitchen and bathroom were added on much later than the rest, and I could live in that part and take down the rest.  A greenhouse could be built on the old foundation.  Greenhouses make lovely living rooms.    Bedrooms too.  And a glass ceiling is great for admiring night sky.  Yes, I used to live in a greenhouse.  My daughter and sister were suprised I ever moved out.  "But you were happy there!"  They were right.
In Frederick and Ada there are lots with houses one could put a chain around and hire a farmer to hook on his tractor to pull them down.  I think they might be cheaper.  But I'd have to remove huge trees to garden.  If one has a basement, it could be the one.  My old greenhouse was mostly below ground, and tomatoes and I survived winters with no heater.  I moved outside summers, as did the tomatoes.
Steev, one of the downsides of medicare is I see a doctor sometimes when I might not really need one.  But on the other hand, a doctor caught me with 180/120 blood pressure.  Without medicare, I would likely be dead.  Of course they only put that off, but for now, I'm good with putting it off.

[steev]

Yes, Medicare has made me much more willing to get my owies checked; still don't much like medical drugs though.

[richardw]

We entered into a rent-to-buy arrangement with this place, the owner couldnt sell mainly because she didnt do nothing to the place, it was just a house stuck in the middle of a empty paddock, when we come to look at it it was a mid winter day, raining/snow and blowing a gale, it looked so miserable that the misses bust into tears, a whole different ball game now there's heaps of trees planted.

[walt]

I have a place for at least this summer.  1.2 acre for $300 per month, paid off when it reaches $10,000.  That is way too high for this area, but it gives me a place to work this summer.  Transplanted 22 hardy oranges in the last 2 days.  I'll finish those tomorrow.  Just a few more.
Put out intermediate wheatgrass seedlings from seeds from the Land Institute. The parents are Kernza, but that name is trademarked, so I think that I can't call my plants that. "A rose by any other name will smell as sweet."
Also putting out sorghum seedlings.  Male sterile 8, for crossing with johnson grass.  Tetraploid, for crossing with johnson grass. 
And of course, johnson grass.  Also 3 samples of possibly winter hardy sorghum seeds from experimental farm network.
Dill and Southern Charm basil seedlings got planted out.  Southern Charm has a slightly different flavor and smell than I've tried before.  Good though.  Never found a basil I didn't like.
This year all my seedlings were started in 2 L. soda, or pop, bottles.  I cut them in two about 1/3 up from the bottom, and turn the top upside down into the bottom.  I try to cut it so the top of the bottle is just a tiny bit above the bottom, which makes a drip tray for the pot.  It has worked pretty well.  The resulting pot holds about 1 L. of soil.
You may not drink as much pop as I do, but most of you know someone who does.  

[walt]

Planted 48 citrus relatives this morning.  They are seedlings.  They are going into corn ground, so much easier than the 4 and 5year old seedlings I was planting in an old horse pasture the last 2 days. 

It is a cool day for a change, and work is going well.

[walt]

Planted 77 citrus in the last 3 days.
Ready to put out tomatoes.  
No peppers started yet.  I wanted to have chiltipines this year, and seed isn't ordered yet.  I'm way behind on my regular gardening.  You know, for food, not just "I wonder what would happen....?"

[walt]

Finally finished transplanting citrus this morning.
It has been drier than usual, and usual is pretty dry.
Wheat harvest started last Sunday in the county east of me, but still hasn't started here yet.  Saline county is getting low yields, as low as 26 bushels per acre.  I haven't heard of yields that low for years.
I'm way behind due to moving.  Tomatoes were set out late last week, just before temps hit the high 90's F.  Most survived, even thrived.  I never lost all of any variety, so my crossing plans have a chance of succeeding.  And there should be plenty for eating later.  But the tomatoes that should have set before the heat never had time.  That's why I don't grow any determinant tomatoes.  We never know when the heat will hit anyway.
Perennial sorghum breeding stock is showing some heat/drought stress.  There are plenty of varieties that would not show stress yet (leaves curling and turning gray-green), but those don't make fertile hybrids with johnsongrass, so I'll use what works, for now.
Most of my intermediate wheatgrass seedlings didn't survive their transplant.  I've never had any trouble transplanting any grass before.  I didn't expect any trouble with it and I'm really surprised.  I do have leftover seeds for fall planting.

[prairiegardens]

Wheat harvest already? Wow, people only finishing seedling here in Saskatchewan in the last week or so. I know we're a long way north of you but that is a real shock. I'm used to thinking of places like Australia being way out of sync with us, the US not nearly so much!

[walt]

I'm having to carry water 5 miles to the garden. Citrus are doing well, with daily watering of 2 L. each daily. Some are waist high, others are less than knee high. All are doing well with the same 2 L. H2O.
Perennial sorghum breeding stock was getting H2O daily, but now is mostly not showing heat and drought stress so they will start getting it every other day.
Intermediate wheatgrass is getting established. I was suprised it was so traumatised by transplanting.
Tomatoes that were transplanted about 10 days ago have done well, in spite of heat.
ASAP corn is doing OK. I wonder if it will pollinate though. Stress tends to make corn tassels and silks not happen together. My population is so small that I'm concerned about it.

Where I haven't watered, the soil is dry down as deep as I can dig.  But the ground is so hard, I can't dig very deep.  Most native plants are not showing drought stress, though a few are.  It is dry here.

[walt]

Prairygardens.  We grow winter wheat here, your area grows spring wheat, I'm sure.  Winter wheat is planted in the fall and starts growth then.  It is quite cold and drought hardy.  Not only do we get a good crop of wheat, usually, it is also good winter grazing for cattle.  In fact, grazing the wheat during the winter delays growth of the blooming stalks, which are not freeze tolerant.  So grazing the wheat during the winter can improve yield.  That may not be true everywhere, of course.

[walt]

Got another good rain last night. That is 2 this week. Good for my garden, and for sorghum and soybeans, major summer crops here. But not good for wheat harvest. The wet stalks are less stiff, and some of the wheat may be laying on the ground. But for myself, I'm enjoying the rain and cool weather.