Hi All,
Twice in a row now I have cuts stems of Rosemary for the kitchen, right in the dead of winter. Some snow on the ground too.
Man that plant is DEFENSIVE! All you have to do is touch it and it lets loose with volatile oils like there was no tomorrow. Cut off a stem and OH BOY !!! (Poor guy does not realize humans like that scent.)
What ??? Cheating? It is a "evergreen" you say?
:-)
-T
You've got to watch those bad boys too. They can get WAY out of hand if not pruned brutally. Mine got so big it was taking over not only the bed, but encroaching on my driveway.
My zealous pruning proved too much though in the end and now I need to replace it this spring. I may keep it in a pot to prevent it from trying to take over again though.
Nyssa, who needs to drag her plant lights down from the attic before the seed orders start rolling in
Mmmm , it IS that time of year again ennit . Right now my grow light is being used as a light source over my handloading setup . Not with the Gro-Lux bulbs though , just regular ones .
I'm just playing with bonsai trees and growing and multiplying a pitcher plant and a string of pearls so my daughter can have the babies and grow them herself.
Hi Nyssa,
I have been clipping from the side that would affect my garlic bed.
Did you happen to notice if the clipping acted like a bug repellent? Say squash bugs and earwigs?
-T
Any grand kids yet?
depends ... human grandbabies, yet - 3 ... plant grandbabies, not yet! haha
No, I haven't tried that. The rosemary and herb bed was on the side of house, not near the vegetable garden, so not close enough to repel any nasties.
As strong as the rosemary scent is, it's worth a try. Maybe I should have tried that with my pesky deer invaders while I still had a huge plant with plenty of branches I could have used. :(
Nyssa, who is still looking for ways to keep Bambi and company out of her vegetables again this year
Time for me to prune mine, too, as well as the sage and the bay tree. Although, the rosemary still is holding a few blossoms, it, as well as the sage, is a bit leggy. Cutting back the bay will promote a flush of tender milder leaves, better suited for culinary use fresh, in our kitchen. Bay, sage, and parsley are doing well this winter despite the inattention of this past summer and fall. They are not truly "freeze-hardy" or evergreen but so far this winter temperature has not got low enough to threaten them.
snipped-for-privacy@invalid.com wrote: ...
i hope this coming cold blast doesn't get down that far! this morning i woke up and checked the weather station and it was -13F. i think we've made it up to about 10 or so by now with the sun being out and it being calm. the rest of the week has a bump up for a day or two and then right back to colder again.
songbird
Nyssa wrote: ...
a 6-8ft fence...
songbird
Temperatures have been pretty moderate so far this winter?no frozen tomatoes or peas. I'm hoping those behind the front that's headed your way follow the same pattern. Solid 60 ° on the front porch now (more-or-less 2PM on Sat, 1-26) really overcast, though. If the clouds stay, they'll help keep the nighttime temperature up.
We have a flock of sheep which seem to keep the deer away. One morning, I saw a few deer in the pasture; the head ram came charging at them and they ran away. I guess he didn't like those strange animals eating his flock's grass.
They don't bother the garden but sometimes, in the middle of a cold winter, they dig up and eat any beets that my wife hasn't harvested.
Paul
Pavel314 wrote: ...
that would have been fun to see! :)
it is hard to believe they can smell anything with how cold it can get at night, but they somehow manage to find things.
songbird
it won't be too bad tonight. we're due for snow on Mon/Tues but dunno how much yet, wind may be the issue. going to have to get the propane company back soon.
songbird
I just dial "which tree is next?" Was out today looking and found several standing dead oaks that need to come out . Look like they'll be fairly easy to get to with Rusty the Tractor . I recently bought an electric chain sharpener , my saws have never cut this good before - my filing fu sucks . Paid for itself (as compared to paying 6 bucks per) with the first sharpening session .
I bought an electric chain sharpener after a few years of running up to the hardware to get the chains sharpened a few times a season. As you say, pay s for itself quickly and makes cutting much easier. I think my new hip has settled down to where I can do some cutting this year.
Your sig line reminds me of a poster I saw at a gun show a while back:
No trespassing: I have a gun and a backhoe.
Paul
If they can see through it to the other side, they will still jump over it. It is unbelievable to watch.
1+
...
so far we don't have that happen. it is not easy for them to get close to the fences that we already have. the new fence will be around the north garden and more accessible for jumping so it will be interesting to see if they do.
songbird
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