Montana Gardener's Lets Thread - Part Deux

Or at least their feet.

The feets probably rebelled and threatened to walk out if they were not properly shorn for winter.

Shorn or shod? Now I'm confused.
I'm sure the feet recruited a few tushes for their rebellion. Derrières that got bounced on pavement, you know.

Maybe even knocked some sense into a few heads as they bounced too. Picante may have been right all along.

'Shod' as in 'shodded' and not 'shoddy'. Shorn is a luvly word but inexplicable in this context.

I assumed that "shorn" was on the heels. Sans heels = shorn.
My mother has to buy boots with elevated heels because she has had high heels all her life.

So her achilles tendon is shorn of its elasticity?

Shorn enough.

Shoddy joke, I say.

Dave, I beg to differ. The number of men who have had sprained necks from neckties is far lower than the number of women who have had sprained ankles from high heels!

Me and my hypotensue thank you Dave-who-is-Dave for that splaination.

Unless you count "necktie parties" in which case the numbering is far more dire for the men.

Are those the same as 'lampshade on your head' parties mulch? I am fond of 'lampshade on your head' parties. Peoples are so funny at those.

I'm not saying more injuries don't occur with heels, just that neither garment is anywhere near sensible. An accident with a necktie is likely lethal. The knot is almost the same as that on a noose. It just isn't wrapped 13 times on a necktie.

Dahlia, your sweet naivete is showing. Necktie parties were held for various reasons, like hanging cattle rustlers. Not festive for the "necktie" wearer, who undoubtedly would have greatly preferred wearing a lampshade.

Dave we may be more in agreement than it appeared at first glance.

:O I thought those were 'lynching' parties. Good to know. I shall RSVP with a firm ' will NOT be attending' if invited to a necktie party in the future.

Seems we are mulch.

I tend to view ties in terms of the "stranglehold" certain entities in society place on you. A little discomfort for a reminder when being allowed to hold a little power. There are very few positions of authority that do not come with the implied requirement.

I haven't contemplated the symbology of heels to the same extent. There is an element of power to them and an element of discomfort.

They are clicky. I like their clickyness.

Different heels have different messages.
Spike heels are sexy and dangerous (for the wearer).
Wedge heels are dependable. Stalwart, in fact.
Flamenco heels -- now there's a solid, grounded heel. They are powerful enough to pound anybody into the ground and have the nails to prove it.

Northern Climate Question...Anyone tried adding nematoes to their gardens in the spring after it warms. I keep looking out my back window thinking what effect all this sub-zero weather is having on my garden. Since I have never seen a native earthworm in my yard or garden I am presuming the other helpful critters like the nematodes could use a boost come spring. I have been researching mason bee and bumble bee housing to augment these helpful critters as well. Any suggestions along these lines would be muchly appreciated.

I guess I'd have a question as to why you don't see earthworms. Note that the traditional earthworms aren't native in the sense that they were brought to this continent from Europe. They have naturalized, but perhaps not in your yard. Have you tried adding earthworms? If so did they die off? If earthworms don't survive then I would find out why.

Yeah, I.,too, suspect that if you put enough organic matter in a pile and keep it moist, you will have earthworms. There are two kinds that are common -- red wigglers which are small and red and large gray ones which my dad called angle worms and which I think are also called night crawlers.
Nematodes ? No, those are usually for grubs and I don't have that many grubs so I don't see much need for them. Bees are great. Again, we have those naturally, if we have any flowers at all, so I don't feel I have to do anything but supply flowers and voila, I have lots of bees. Even the flowers on weeds are tasty to them.
Yeah, I am with dparsons, it is important to find out why you don't have earthworms. They are not usually around if the soil is not very very dry. To find if you have them, soak a cardboard box and put it over a patch of soil. Weight it down with rocks and keep it moist. When you do that you would normally find some earthworms underneath it. They may not come in Helena, MT. winters, but they will in the spring. It doesn't have to be all that warm either.

Morgan, there are loads of earthworms in our yard.
We feed them coffee grounds in the compost and here and there.

They like leaves and cardboard too, just to name a few thinks that attract them.

mraider o yes make a compost and they will come. Then as you spread the compost and enrich your soil they will come morefull. I am so wormful I have trails of robins following me about to feed their babies in the spring as I weed and plant. Bees the same. Get those hardy plants flowering in waves and the bees/wasps will bounce off you.

Well Julie, as soon as it thaws I'm bringing my shovel. Since some of the red wigglers are managing to survive areas where I have used copious amounts of composted horse manure, I believe I'm ready for some natives. divit...divit...divit What do these earthworms look like???

Funny dahlianut....a bee magnet huh. Well I am working on building mason bee and bumble bee nests for next spring. I like those big fat orange backs that come out of the ground early in the spring. Like you say their real bee buddies. We have had a few more each spring and they like the tomato blossoms, but don't stay around long for some reason. The robins like my transplanted red wigglers and are smart enough to avoid PK (the watch cat), but they like cherries and apples too. Small price to pay though.

Morgan, you come right on over about May 15th when we take the tarp off the back 40. That's our lasagna pile. The worms are an inch or more long, and generally brown, but maybe that's because they're covered with dirt. Worm ID is not my specialty.

I not surprised you get giant heebiejeebie worms in your compost picante. It's a luvly one.

My worms are small red ones, large brown ones and a few night crawlers. My compost is still above freezing (42F) because I buried a thermometer that sends to my weather station in the house. I wanted to see how long it cooked and I think it is now almost stopped. But come spring there will be hundreds of worms in each fork load.

Morgan, better bring your shovel to Kalispell. Sofer's hosting a rendez-vous in late June.

A worm rendez-vous. Sounds good to me...what can I bring?

Got a question. Have decided on planting a few rutabagas as one of my experimental crops in a rasied bed that has been dug down about two feet. I've down loaded several hundred pages from the net on rasing these and have reviewed most of the material. Direct seeding appears to be the best method for this so called cool climate, short season plant, however I keep seeing a few comments alluding to transplants. Since its about a 90 day plant from germination to harvest I have chosen to go with the raised bed approach to try and guarantee a crop. Last season we barely had 60 days between killer frosts and it was fortunate that we got our corn, potatoes, onions, and a few tomatoes and peppers in early. Neighbor's gardens didn't fair so well. I have plans to improve my covering systems for next season in the advent of a repeat, but I'm wondering if anyone has success with rutabaga planting in our short season, cool climate???

Can't say I've had to battle a 60 day frost free period mraider3. You might consider planting them out early in a cold frame. Even a couple weeks has to help.

dparsons01, that is exactly what I plan to do. I have a 4' x 8' raised bed which has also been dug down about two feet giving me roughly three feet to work with when covered. I may try several successive plantings to see what time frame for direct seeding works best. I don't anticipate more than one decent crop based on our short season, but I should be able to raise more than enough for two people in that area. May even throw in some turnip and kolroby seed as well since they are all family.

My soil does not grow good tuber plants like radish and potatoes. This year I am starting them earlier. April so I can get the cool garden plants like rudabaga. Though I think they will turn out bitter. I love these little ones and buy many to snack on with a meal. I went hunting with the "guys" and cooked up a bunch of Rudabaga and they were totally surprised how good they were.
Everyone is welcome to the RU in June 18-21. Lots are coming. I have said just bring what you want to and we will make it work. Lots of worms to take home. Though the Robins and my chickens will be waiting to eat any you expose.

Soferdig, thank you very much for the invite. Putting it on my calendar.

Fortunately we got our potatoes out before the early hard freeze in August this year. Onions were okay but they came out after a hard frost and some are now rotting in the centers, esp the Walla Walla's which we like so much. Next season we plan to pick them earlier instead of letting them grow to soft ball size. Will probably cube and freeze as many as we can since the have the shortest storage expectancy.

RU???, four days! Sounds like a heck of a party.

Well it will start on Friday for those who are locals and the rest are coming from Seattle and Oregon. I am in the Pac NW forum also. Yes it will be a big crowd. Lots to do here but you have probably been here for lots of it anyway. Several are making it a vacation so they will be staying longer. We have lots of camping areas and our rooms are full but there are several close Motels.

What a stunning garden, Soferdig!

I presume your close to a lot of good fishing/campling locations. I hear Smith lake is good for perch fishing.

Another beautious view of your garden Sof! I SO can't wait to see it at the RU.