Fat Guy on a Little Bike

Man, I dug up the garden plot today and planted potatoes and I’m really beat now.  The plot is still really, really wet, but I used the field hoe to dig up some trenches to get the potatoes in the ground.  Ended up with 108 sq ft of potatoes.  We’ll see what kind of yield I end up with.  All the digging, shoveling, carrying of compost, dirt and leaves is tough for a desk jockey like me.

My neighbor also let me use her tractor tire to plant the potatoes in.  I’m interested to know what I end up with there.  I ran out of compost so I laid the potatoes on top of the fill dirt and covered them with leaves.  Usually I add some compost to the ground before I lay down the potatoes.  Yet, another experiment.

While I was at the plot I also did the last of the onions, some broccoli and a bed of carrots.  I had a little helper who was pretty excited to be helping, and he dumped a whole packet of carrot seed at his feet.  “To make sure we get some carrots”  We spread it out later.  I’m pretty sure we’ll get some carrots. 

I planted about 250 sets so I think if they all take I’ll be mailing onions to everyone I know.

While I was running around I bought the supplies for the chicken coop.  My wife and I cleaned up our basement and had three sacks of items to return to the home center.  (I’m an ex-landlord so things accumulate)  The one where you “save big money”, and I ended up with enough store credit to buy most of the necessary chicken items.  I also was able to find tongue and groove boards to use as the exterior of the nightime box in their scrap wood area.  I think it should turn out well when I affix that to the frame and paint it.  I’m pretty excited about that.  Maybe I’ll spend a little more and build them a pretty cool house.  I’m seriously considering bringing in professional help to make sure things turn out well.  I have a hard time getting things square, which could be a problem in this situation.

We’re enjoying lettuce from the markets again.  Mine is still lagging, but the only vendor I can find with lettuce uses a hoophouse so I think I’m probably still on target with most people.  Man it’s good though.  It’s been a long winter.

It seems like more and more people are starting up gardens.  It’s great.  Fun to talk about and it’s nice to give people friendly advice.  I love seeing people out off their asses too.

Time for dinner.  I’m starving!