Urban Homesteaders Tribe - Page 4

[beth144]

its great to see so many great projects going on! so inspiring! i'm only 22wks pregnant and i figure i won't be doing anything but watering in a month or so just planted a bed of watermelons and cantalopes that hopefully i can train vertically. we'll see how it goes. also my chicks will be ready to go outside in another couple of weeks

hope everyone's gardens get blessed spring showers!

[gagin37]

Originally Posted by beth144

just planted a bed of watermelons and cantalopes that hopefully i can train vertically. we'll see how it goes.

we had a lot of luck last year training cantaloupes up a fence. We made little hammocks for them once they got heavy.

[diana_of_the_dunes]

Originally Posted by beth144

i'm only 22wks pregnant and i figure i won't be doing anything but watering in a month or so

I thought the same thing, but I actually stayed pretty busy right up to the end. I didn't actually have any energy, but just knowing that there were things to be done kept me going. I still haven't figured out if that was good or bad.

[Paigekitten]

I got a lot done this week! I finished seeding some grass in the backyard for the kids (it might get turned into garden space later, but we are super excited to get a swing set there for now!). I have a worm bin and a brooder set up for chicks, and we will be getting the worms and chicks next week or so. I planted some more seeds, nursed some seedlings back to health that the cat sat on, harvested my first ever homegrown spinach, and am halfway building a wood frame for another raised bed! I am running late on planting and sprouting, but this is my first ever in the ground garden so this year I am really trying to focus on all the new things I am able to do.

Saturday my husband a couple friends and I split about 50 logs into firewood and we still have 17 big ones to go, and then stack everything up to season this summer. I am hoping it's enough wood for next winter. We installed the wood stove in the middle of winter this year, so I am not sure how much we will needs.

[beth144]

gagin- what did you make your hammocks for your cantalopes out of?

if i'm able to stay busy through the end of my pregnancy that would be good, but i have somewhat troubled pregnancies toward the end so we'll see how it goes. i've got dh and in-laws to help out with stuff so hopefully everything will work out.

lets hear what everyone else is up to!

[Momma2DoubleCuties]

I've read old nylon panty hose works good for hammocks also a stretchy old t-shirt would work too.

I'm super excited to be huge pregnant and be gardening!

[gagin37]

Originally Posted by beth144

gagin- what did you make your hammocks for your cantalopes out of?

if i'm able to stay busy through the end of my pregnancy that would be good, but i have somewhat troubled pregnancies toward the end so we'll see how it goes. i've got dh and in-laws to help out with stuff so hopefully everything will work out.

lets hear what everyone else is up to!

we had some left over bendy wire fencing (kind in the roll, from Lowes I think) and dh made them out of that, we actually used the same fencing to let the cantaloupes and tomatoes both climb up. I think you could use about anything though, old panty hose, or strips of cloth.

[swellmomma]

We just went today to get the keys for my new small town home today and I was so excited to see the size of the garden. When we viewed the house before there was still lots of snow, now it is all gone and the garden takes up 2/3 of the backyard. I am a wanna be homesteader. Between my big plans for that garden and the raspberry bushes I hope to have a good start at growing my own veggies and making jam. I plan to plant some apple trees this year as well. The property already has a big clthesline and I am so excited to use that rather than waste power on a dryer. I have just started cooking from scratch more, and plan to start baking my own bread once the move is over.

I am bummed that we can't have chickens, but the town does not allow backyard chicks(though if I had not been trying to be lawful and just built a pen without asking regulations I likely could have gotten away with it lol ). I may tempt fate and build a pen next year and see if I can get away with it.

It seems many in the town have their own greenhouses so I plan to build one of those as well to help with my garden in the future.

SInce I can not have my own chicks I plan on being at the farmers market weekly to see who sells what and find a source for my eggs, chicken (and possibly other meats as well) rather than continue buying from the grocery store.

We move on Saturday and I plan to be tilling my garden plot and mixing in manure this week, as well as getting a rain barrel and compost bin started(I never had one before so that will be a big adventure) before next week is over.

[ambersrose]

My seedlings are doing well. I have begun hardening them off and yesterday I planted the cold hardy seeds in the ground. My kitchen counter still looks like a science lab with jars of filmjolk, kiefer, sourdough and sprouts all doing their things. I will soon be moving the chicken coop down to the bottom part of our yard for the summer and hopefully the dog wont bug them as much down there. I have been loving the warmer weather and the ability to hang dry our laundry again. It is so relaxing to hang clothes on the line I am hoping to get a rain barrel this weekend at the local Earth Day festival.

[rlmueller]

Where to start?

I work full time but have dreams of leaving the work world to homestead on my one acre o' land.

I recycle
cloth diaper
breastfeed
vegetarian
compost
I don't garden yet--time constraints--what are good low maintanence foods to grow.
How do I start to chicken raise.

I need to manage my time while working slowly toward steading. What beginning steps would you take? Where to start.

[gagin37]

Originally Posted by rlmueller

How do I start to chicken raise..

We started small with our hens. dh built the coop out of scrap wood, and the run out of PVC and mesh fencing. We got 4 nearly grown pullets rather than starting with chicks. One died right away, but the 3 remaining hens have done well. After a few months we let them start free ranging in the yard (ours is fenced). This spring we got 4 more small hens, and kept them inside about a month, before putting them out in the run. Now they free range with the others. Once you get them going, they are pretty low maintenance.