A Jesusfreaks tales of farm life with soon to be Seven kids

[Jesusfreak101]

Well its been awhile. I been kept busy, the garden has me nonstop weeding. I have almost decided 2600 sq ft garden is to freaking large especially without weed tarp. The corn we planted isn't doing very well. The soil is lacking what it needs and apparently the fertilizing did not do much in time for it. Thinking of trying another spot of the fall corn planting but debating on that since that means more areas to water and things to till. Most everything else is doing well my tomatoes are finally producing (will start new seeds soon (can plant them again in my zone)) both my jalapeno peppers and banana peppers are producing the bell peppers have yet to start. That is okay I am going to start more from seed. apparently were we live now I can pretty much replant everything for a fall harvest. So I am thinking of starting some of the seeds indoors and working towards having them planted late August- September. The chickens are growing another month or so I should get my first eggs from them, I bought all pullets and got three roosters one maybe two will stay one is freezer bound. The guineas are doing well, I end up with three males so two will be freezer bound. Working on budget today, also meal planning, and home-school. My kids go all year around so we can take off when ever. Grades are 6th, 4th, 2nd, 1st and pre-k. Also recently found out if the four test I took where accurate I am about 4-5 weeks pregnant. Which is awesome, was happy with the six but seven a good number lol. Dh is trying to decided on if we going to stay in this area or not as our lease come up in October been talking about staying at least one more year. We shall see if that is what happens or not. personally I am keen to move for rains sake but at the same time packing sounds awful. Plus we haven't decided where we would want to live so that something we need to work on first. Not sure on anymore updates we are pretty boring lol.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

correction some where between 6-7 weeks pregnant lol I am estimating lol

 

[farmerjan]

Boring is NOT a word I would associate with you and your family. Since it sounds like you are good with it.... CONGRATS on your coming baby.
I am assuming that the job for DH is going well and you all being together is working out well.. Except for the lack of rain.
We are getting TEXAS heat here... already is 100 on the recording thermometer in the sun, but the air temp is in the upper 80's, once the sun moves a bit and the leaves shade it, it will drop back for a few hours. Still, yesterday we hit 94 and it was sweltering. Too early for temps like that here.
Hard to believe that the oldest is in 6th grade...
Don't be gone so long....

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Yeah, its been hot here a couple of weeks ago we hit 110 my peas died that day lol. We have been staying between 90-100 lately. Which I find okay for summer lol. Once we get hotter its not nice. The temp last August got to 120..... I vote that isn't a really temp number and should never happen lol. I can't believe y'all have gotten that hot already that sucks I always thought y'all had mild summers and unacceptable winters. I view us a boring lol we are both home bodies, my husband job is okay. It is in a constant flux of every changing confusion lol. I have decided until he tells me other wise that its going well and move on. When the mission he currently on ends he going back to running his trucking business and until then I am along for the ride.

 

[fuzzi]

Did you know that the second tomato crop can be grown from suckers? Slice off the suckers and root either in damp soil or water. It's doable in zone 8.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Oh yeah we been doing that lol. I have three inside already almost ready to plant I plan to do more if able most of my tomato plants don't appear to have very many suckers right now

 

[fuzzi]

Did you know that the second tomato crop can be grown from suckers? Slice off the suckers and root either in damp soil or water. It's doable in zone 8.

...the practice of growing tomatoes from suckers, which are the small shoots that grow in the axil between a tomato plant's stem and a branch. These suckers can be removed and used to grow new tomato plants, which can then produce tomatoes in the fall, depending on the growing season and climate.

Growing tomatoes from suckers is a common practice among gardeners. When suckers are removed, they can be rooted in water or soil to create new tomato plants. This method is particularly useful for extending the growing season or increasing the number of tomato plants without purchasing new seeds or seedlings. For example, if a gardener has a long growing season, they can take suckers from their existing plants and root them to have additional plants that may produce tomatoes in the fall.

However, the success of growing tomatoes from suckers in the fall depends on several factors, including the local climate, the variety of tomato, and the timing of the sucker removal. In regions with a shorter growing season, it may be challenging to get tomatoes from suckers before the first frost. In contrast, in areas with a longer growing season, it is more feasible to grow tomatoes from suckers in the fall.

Additionally, some gardeners choose to prune their tomato plants to manage their growth and encourage fruit production. Pruning suckers can help improve air circulation, reduce disease risk, and direct the plant's energy toward producing larger, higher-quality tomatoes. However, pruning is not always necessary, and some gardeners prefer to let their tomato plants grow naturally, which can result in more tomatoes, albeit smaller ones.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

This is the garden

 

[SageHill]

Great garden!! Congrats on #7 on the way.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Thank you!!