Sunday, April 26, 2020

April Farm Update

This month my sons and I pulled weeks and planted most of the young plants that students placed seeds into trays back in late February and early March.  I also removed a bed of strawberries and transplanted into individual pots.

I planted a whole plot of corn, but I am disappointed that we experienced a very low germination rate. The container the seeds were in, after a rain, was flooded, literally the container with the seeds filled with water.  I do not know exactly how long the seeds were submerged in the water.  I had hoped more would sprout. Only about 6 seeds of over the 100 seeds sprouted.

I also brought in two Jasmine climbing vines and two Passion Fruit vines. The Jasmines were store-bought and the Passions vines were transplants from my home. They were placed in the bean trellis area. I want it covered when the students come back in the Fall.

Began training the two grape vined that are left to grow on the chain-link fence. Removed the small gauge wire that ran between the two 4"x4" posts and replaced it with the goat fencing. The fencing is placed as a lean-to trellis.

Planted 3 pumpkin plants, 12 zucchini plants, 12 broccoli plants, four tomatoes (of various varieties), beans, peas, cilantro, peppers (both hot and sweet), and some lettuce.

The raised center planter box is partially planted.

I also worked on the sprinkler system this month. All lines are functional. I added manual control valves on two of the areas that the grant folks installed last year. They had removed my manual valves. I have one planter and the citrus grove to place manual valves on.

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Bees!!!

Over the weekend I picked up a beehive from the back of a neighbors house where the bees had taken over a birdhouse.  Mr. S Randles, a friend helped with the birdhouse gathering.



Getting bees into new hive 4-19



I brought the beehive home and transferred the combs from the birdhouse beehive into the Top Bar Hive I have made on Sunday 4-20.


Monday, April 13, 2020

Coop Update

This past week we lost three chickens on the HHS Farm.  On Thursday morning found PIP (large black rooster) dead on the side of the road west of the shipping container.  I was able to get all but two chickens back into the coop. I could not find Rockstar.  The following day, Thursday, I found one hen dead in the coop right at the door opening, it was a barred rock. That night I tried to get all of the chickens into the coop but could not find Rockstar. I sealed the opening.  The next morning, Saturday, Megan found Rockstar about 100 feet from the coop entrance in the football field dead.

Sunday night April 12, I placed an iPad at the coop opening hoping to capture what ever was coming around in the evening causing the havoc.  I also installed four motion detector lights. I was able to catch one image. The motion detector lights went off 5 different times during the night.  I will need to readjust the camera.

 The Video