Thursday, March 20, 2014

The Chick's Have Come Home to Roost

We decided to get a batch of chicks from the Murray McMurray Hatchery.  We ordered 25 and they sent two free ones, one that is a exotic chick.  They all made the trip in their little mothership of a box.



 They were born and shipped out on Saturday and we picked up on Monday morning after a call from the post office.  They got settled in their new home all fluffy and small. 

Day 3 (Day of their arrival)

After a week and a half they are starting to get their wings and stretch their limbs.  We lost three from the bunch, but they seem to have stabilized.  I'm sure there's some percentage of chick mortality figures out there...

Day 12



What Can You Plant?

Now that Spring has arrived, what can you sow outdoors in the Pacific Northwest? Hardy leafy greens and spring peas. Green onions, Cilantro, Radishes, Turnips, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Potatoes. Under a cloche you can sow baby carrots, parsley, broccoli, cabbage, beets, endive, and lettuce. There's still time to start indoors; your tomatoes, peppers, celery, and leeks. Time to start your Zinnias indoors.






The starts from the seeds I planted in January and February are growing steadily now.  

 

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Transplanting Your Seedlings

When your seedlings form their second set of leaves, it's time to transplant them into individual containers.  They can then form a good root ball that will take them into the garden or a bigger container.  Yesterday I transplanted the lemon cucumbers, cabbage, endive and lettuce.  There will be more this coming weekend.


We also finished the onion box made of a wood box that contained metal roofing from the barn.  Onions don't need a deep box, so this will be perfect for planting my Walla Walla starts when they are a little bigger.


March Madness

The frog song is noticeably louder, with no individual croak heard, only the whole en mass in stereo.  Like our pond is the center of the frog universe where all the male frogs have come to woo their women.  It's not just our pond though, but all the ponds and interconnecting streams that surround this neighborhood that sings.

While I can't differentiate or begin to identify which frogs hang out in my back yard, here's a list of regional amphibians that might come a courtin'. 

Frogs

American Bullfrog -- Rana catesbeiana
Cascades Frog -- Rana cascadae
Columbia Spotted frog -- Rana luteiventris
Oregon Spotted Frog -- Rana pretiosa
Green Frog -- Rana clamitans
Northern Leopard Frog -- Rana pipiens
Pacific Chorus Frog -- Pseudacris regilla = Pacific Treefrog - (Hyla regilla or Pseudacris regilla)
Northern Red-legged Frog -- Rana aurora
Coastal Tailed Frog -- Ascaphus truei
Rocky Mountain Tailed Frog -- Ascaphus montanus

Toads

Great Basin Spadefoot -- Spea intermontana
Western Toad -- Bufo boreas
Woodhouse's toad -- Bufo woodhousii



Here is a cool link to a site that is about nature watching.
http://peterboroughnature.org/2013/02/an-evening-of-frog-songs-saturday-13th-april-8-00p-m/