Tag Archives: vegetables

Homestead weekly update

Posted on May 17, 2013 by | 2 Comments

Welcome to this week’s homestead update.

Last week, I forgot to talk about the beekeeping meeting I attended.  When I took the beekeeping short course, it included a year’s membership to the Susquehanna Beekeepers, that’s my local beekeeping organization.  Each month, we have a different speaker that’s an expert on some part of beekeeping.  This month the speaker was an expert on the Small Hive Beetle.  I learned quite a lot about them.  They just made it to my area, so lucky me, I get me bees late int he year and we just started having problems with the SHB.  But according to the expert, there’s not a lot that we need to worry about when it comes to the SHB.  As long as the hive is strong, the bees are able to keep the SHB in check. Continue reading →

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Homestead weekly update

Posted on May 4, 2013 by | 7 Comments

Welcome to this week’s homestead update.

I mentioned last week that I had forgotten about the other trees that I ordered.  This past weekend we planted them.  Actually, my wife and daughter did most of the work.  I found that I have a hernia so I have to take it easy.  So I got started on planting the trees and they came out to keep me from doing it all.  We planted the Lodi in a row with the other apple trees.  But the Brae Star is a full sized tree, so we planted that a little farther away to allow plenty of room to grow.  The other trees were peach trees.  We planted a July Elberta and a Starking Delicious peach.  The July Elberta ripens in early August and the Delicious ripens in mid-July. Continue reading →

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Homestead weekly update

Posted on April 26, 2013 by | 6 Comments

Welcome to this week’s homestead update.

Asparagus harvest

Asparagus harvest

I picked the first of my asparagus this week.  We planted about 25 crowns 3 years ago.  This is the first year that we get to make a harvest.  I noticed the shoots coming up on Sunday, but they were just tiny.  Then on Tuesday I cut these shoots.  It isn’t enough for a meal, but it is a start.  I snapped that long one, there was only about 5″ of tender shoot on it.  The bottom portion is woody.  I did find one spear that was about 6″, but it was cut in half.  I know this was a usable spear Sunday, but Tuesday it looked like something just cut it in half.  I wonder if cut worms attack asparagus. Continue reading →

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Homestead weekly update

Posted on April 13, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Welcome to this week’s update.

Unknown plant

Unknown plant

As I’ve mentioned in my soil cube post, I “make” my seed starter mix. Since I don’t use all that much of it, I usually have some of the materials left over each year.  I guess some sort of seed blew into the materials because I’m getting plants that I haven’t planted growing in my soil cubes.  There are just 2 or 3 plants per flat of soil cubes.  I had one grow in a cube where a cabbage plant didn’t grow, so I decided to plant it in the garden to find out what it is.  This picture is the unknown plant in case anyone can identify it.  If not, I guess I’ll figure it out as the season progresses. Continue reading →

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Homestead weekly update

Posted on April 5, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Welcome to this week’s homestead update.

Hives in place

Hives in place

I took the hives out to the apiary and set them in place this week.  The delivery date was Saturday.  I’m really looking forward to working with them.  I have 3 mediums in place for each hive, but my understanding is that when I install the packages I will only leave 2 mediums of frames for the bees.  I will use the other medium box to cover some jars of sugar syrup.  Since I’m starting off as a conventional beekeeper, I need to feed them when I install the package.  I intend to stick with no chemical treatments, but initially I need to feed them sugar-water. Continue reading →

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Homestead weekly update

Posted on March 29, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Welcome to this week’s update.

Hive foundation

Hive foundation

This past weekend I built the base of the hives.  Initially, I bought 2 of the big cinder blocks.  But once I got them home, I found that they weren’t big enough to support the entire hive.  So I bought one of the smaller cinder blocks to put in the back of the hive.  I ended up just digging out the grass. The cinder blocks are about 2 inches down.  I made sure that they are level side to side, but the rear of the hive is slightly higher than the front.  This is so any water that gets in can run out the entrance. Continue reading →

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Homestead weekly update

Posted on March 23, 2013 by | 2 Comments

Welcome to this week’s homestead update.

My new hives

My new hives

I decided that I would go with all 10 frame medium boxes.  This allows me to have just 1 type of frame and everything will be interchangeable.  I looked at what all the big bee catalogs had to offer. Then I found Pristine Valley Farms.  They are a local family business that builds their own wooden ware and I like that they glue and screw everything together.  To me this means they are built very well.  I dealt with each of the owners and they have answered many of my questions.  So I picked my hives today.  For each hive, I got 3 mediums, a screened bottom board with insert, entrance reducers, inner top and telescoping top.  As the season goes on, I’ll get more boxes and a queen excluder. Continue reading →

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