I found that Leek plants are rather "carnivorous" meaning they need a LOT of food to grow properly. I sowed them into flats last year but the plants never grew well and stayed pretty pale until they were planted in the ground.
This year I made a point to really "meat" their needs and feed them protein, in this case in the shape of milk rinses and whey. For a while we were feeding a goat bottle kid and had lots of bottle rinses left, together with our own yoghurt / soy / rice milk rinses, collected in a mason jar I gave all that to the little leek (and onion) plants. They grew like crazy! They grew so big and numerous that I had 100+ little plants left over after planting from only two flats & envelopes of seed...
I came to the idea when I read that houseplants like the rinses of milk bottles and then do not need commercial plant food. It seems to work! I've fed my plants left over cold tea which also works, but not as good as whey & diluted milk.
Zucchini, pumpkin and squash also like lots of extra feed, so I plan to keep saving whey etc to feed that to them over the summer and see what happens. If my chickens let me, that is :-)
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
where to get those "vruchtenhagel"...
Net via de Cornell Dutch Club een nieuwe site doorgekregen met allerlei nederlandse lekkerheden voor een voor zover ik kan inschatten redelijk normale prijs - ex. verzenden natuurlijk :-)
www.destroopwafel.com
De moeite van het bekijken waard, hoewel de site zelf nog niet helemaal honderd procent werkt... maar ja, ze zijn ook nog maar net geopend!
www.destroopwafel.com
De moeite van het bekijken waard, hoewel de site zelf nog niet helemaal honderd procent werkt... maar ja, ze zijn ook nog maar net geopend!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
easy brassica tunnels & bellpepper "greenhouses"
Last year I got some row covers from GardensAlive.com to help with cabbage worms on the broccoli and green cabbage plants. Up until then all my little transplants would be devoured by caterpillars but after using the row covers we had both a good crop of broccoli and cabbage...
I used two designs to keep the fabric off the plants, one a permanent wooden a-frame on which I stapled the fabric and another a bent into a "v" shape metal rebar sheet which I just covered with the fabric but removed it when it was not needed anymore and stored overwinter. I found that the mice went to town on the fabric of the wooden a frame but that the fabric and metal frames of the other set up were in perfect second year use - and very easy and light to set back up!
The fabric is a light weight insect and frost barrier, also good for zucchini, cukes etc. It is pretty affordable and I got mine (and left over) from GardensAlive.com. The width 61 inch of the fabric matches perfectly with the folded in half metal frames with just enough skirting left over to weight down with dirt. If the plants are fairly sturdy the fabric can be placed right on top of them and pinned into place. You can make your own pins by bending old rusting metal wire into a "u".
Last year I reused the metal frames as a climbing frame for the cukes when they were large enough and the cabbages did not need anymore insect protection. I got the rebar sheets from Lowe's for about $6 each (all the way to the right, last row of store at the contractors end, at left on bottom row about 20 feet from corner), and when bent in the short direction they also make perfect tomato cages!
Another experiment that is going real well is growing bellpeppers in old window frames. With scrap wood 2x4 and 2x3 we've made permanent window boxes (no lid necessary, only at beginning and end of season). My two are one window wide and two windows long, about 4 feet wide and 8 feet long. When there is a frost warning they're easy to cover and the glass keeps in heat overnight to keep the peppers warm. I find that peppers in the "greenhouses" produce more, bigger and faster than ones planted outside of them! I also immediately mulch with grass clippings, and that way you'll only have to weed occasionally, the windows & mulch do a good job discouraging weeds.
p.s. keep an eye out on gardensalive, they have 50% off coupons regularly, especially early spring...
Enjoy the summer!
I used two designs to keep the fabric off the plants, one a permanent wooden a-frame on which I stapled the fabric and another a bent into a "v" shape metal rebar sheet which I just covered with the fabric but removed it when it was not needed anymore and stored overwinter. I found that the mice went to town on the fabric of the wooden a frame but that the fabric and metal frames of the other set up were in perfect second year use - and very easy and light to set back up!
The fabric is a light weight insect and frost barrier, also good for zucchini, cukes etc. It is pretty affordable and I got mine (and left over) from GardensAlive.com. The width 61 inch of the fabric matches perfectly with the folded in half metal frames with just enough skirting left over to weight down with dirt. If the plants are fairly sturdy the fabric can be placed right on top of them and pinned into place. You can make your own pins by bending old rusting metal wire into a "u".
Last year I reused the metal frames as a climbing frame for the cukes when they were large enough and the cabbages did not need anymore insect protection. I got the rebar sheets from Lowe's for about $6 each (all the way to the right, last row of store at the contractors end, at left on bottom row about 20 feet from corner), and when bent in the short direction they also make perfect tomato cages!
Another experiment that is going real well is growing bellpeppers in old window frames. With scrap wood 2x4 and 2x3 we've made permanent window boxes (no lid necessary, only at beginning and end of season). My two are one window wide and two windows long, about 4 feet wide and 8 feet long. When there is a frost warning they're easy to cover and the glass keeps in heat overnight to keep the peppers warm. I find that peppers in the "greenhouses" produce more, bigger and faster than ones planted outside of them! I also immediately mulch with grass clippings, and that way you'll only have to weed occasionally, the windows & mulch do a good job discouraging weeds.
p.s. keep an eye out on gardensalive, they have 50% off coupons regularly, especially early spring...Enjoy the summer!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Metzendorf tidbits
From Metzendorf.blogspot.com
What does Metzendorf mean?
Metzendorf is a surname that is from the German language. It can be split into two basic words – Metzen and Dorf. Metzen is the metonymic (a name derived from) occupational name for a cutler (someone who makes knives). It is derived from Middle Low German messet, metset ‘knife’, ‘dagger’ or Middle High German metz(e) ‘knife’. Dorf is a nickname or topographic name for someone who lived in a village. The meaning of Metzendorf is essentially “the village knife-maker.”
What is a Metzendorf?
The Metzendorf Trailer Manufacturing Company manufactured travel trailers under the same name from the late 1950s to early 1960s. The trailers themselves did not have model names, but were referred to by length. The trailers ran from 12 to 15 feet and were not much taller than 6 feet high so they could be stored in a garage. [haha, I researched this too but when I came home from Seneca Falls with out trailer it sure did not fit our 8 ft garage door...] The trailers sometimes had drop floors so an adult could stand up straight. The trailers were manufactured in West Farmington, Ohio, approximately 10 miles northwest of Warren, Ohio.
The owner of the company was named Martin Metzendorf. Martin Metzendorf and his wife had the traliers built with Amish laborers. Mrs. Metzendorf picked out the interior patterns and colors. They delivered most of the trailers themselves until a delivery accident deprived Mrs. Metzendorf the use of her arm. They sold the business in the early 60's and the trailer was produced for a few more years under the Metzendorf name.
What does Metzendorf mean?
What is a Metzendorf?
The Metzendorf Trailer Manufacturing Company manufactured travel trailers under the same name from the late 1950s to early 1960s. The trailers themselves did not have model names, but were referred to by length. The trailers ran from 12 to 15 feet and were not much taller than 6 feet high so they could be stored in a garage. [haha, I researched this too but when I came home from Seneca Falls with out trailer it sure did not fit our 8 ft garage door...] The trailers sometimes had drop floors so an adult could stand up straight. The trailers were manufactured in West Farmington, Ohio, approximately 10 miles northwest of Warren, Ohio.
The owner of the company was named Martin Metzendorf. Martin Metzendorf and his wife had the traliers built with Amish laborers. Mrs. Metzendorf picked out the interior patterns and colors. They delivered most of the trailers themselves until a delivery accident deprived Mrs. Metzendorf the use of her arm. They sold the business in the early 60's and the trailer was produced for a few more years under the Metzendorf name.
Tomato Blight spotted in Northern PA...
Excerpt from the site Gardening Tips: Tomato Blight: Causes and Treatment
The first step is to remove all of the damaged leaves. Also, remove all leaves on the ground around your plants as the blight can remain in the soil. Wash your hands in between plants so as to keep from spreading blight to healthy plants or leaves. Dispose of infected leaves away from your garden in either a cull pile or thrown in the trash. You will need to plant your tomatoes in a different location for the next few years, as blight will continue to be present in the soil.
The first step is to remove all of the damaged leaves. Also, remove all leaves on the ground around your plants as the blight can remain in the soil. Wash your hands in between plants so as to keep from spreading blight to healthy plants or leaves. Dispose of infected leaves away from your garden in either a cull pile or thrown in the trash. You will need to plant your tomatoes in a different location for the next few years, as blight will continue to be present in the soil.
If you want to try to control late blight with fungicides, you need to begin spraying fungicide before you see symptoms – and you need to continue spraying regularly. Use a product that contains chlorothalonil. Even here, these products are only effective if used before the disease appears and should be reapplied every 7-10 days, or 5-7 days in wet weather. Chlorothalonil is a protectant fungicide, with no systemic movement in the plant, so thorough coverage is necessary. For organic farmers and gardeners, the options are very limited, since only copper fungicides can be used, and copper is not very effective on late blight. It is easily washed off by rainfall.
Continually check your plants and remove any leaves showing signs of the fungus. Though this process is tedious, it is the only way of minimizing the damage to your plants and encouraging as much tomato-production as possible.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Tin Can Rally pictures
Third Annual TCT Northeastern Regional Gathering May 20th -23rd, 2010
in Sampson State Park, Finger Lake Region, New York
in Sampson State Park, Finger Lake Region, New York
The Third Annual Gathering is being presented in the spring rather then the fall as the first two Gatherings. This Gathering has proven to be the place to be for vintage owners. For more information about this rally and about the Tin Can Tourists please visit the website www.TinCanTourists.com
Above the smallest camper we've ever seen... called a teardrop (for obvious reasons) and made by Serro Scotty (hence the scotty dog on the bed!). It has a kitchen in the back and a (sort of) two person bed inside. Very, very cute, and very, very much a one person camper!
The little Winnebago that won third place, and I'm sure the bright yellow studebaker out front had nothing to do with that :-) Rolf and I were debating between this one and the Shasta that ended up winning first, so I guess we have good taste! Our camper could be as shiny as this one... Dad? you planning to come visit this fall?!
As you can see from previous pics, our trailer is one awning and light string short... hopefully by our next camping trip (Letchworth? the Adirondacks? the Pennsylvanian Grand Canyon?) we'll have that fixed. Literally, as Rolf drove into a tree branch when reparking to get ready for the rally and dented the roof line and awning strip... oh well, it's probably not going to be the last dent & bruise :-)
For more, check out my Picasa web album Tin Can Rally 2010
old handles versus new handles...
After seeing pics of the new handles I really like (as did she) but did not choose, my sister wanted to see what the other handles look like. For reference, above is a pic of a horizontal chrome handle original to the trailer - all the other cabinet doors and small drawers had wooden knobs.
Here you see the vintage chrome drawer pull knobs (they came out of our 1960's kitchen) and the chrome cabinet handle I found at Significant Elements. It has the same "bent curve" up front as the original drawer handles, and I really like the asymmetry of the vertical use (bigger on top, smaller on bottom). I did not drill the second hole yet, though... and the retro knobs are still on my desk as well... (I did not get the return mailer yet, honest!)For all the pics about the trailer restoration adventure you can visit my (new) Picasa web album Metzendorf Mania!
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