New Life

It's that time of year, the snow is finally melting away, and the sun is shining.  I look out and see neighbors tilling the earth and clearing their land in preparation for the new season (it's probably too much to ask for them to remove the toilet and mattress from the front yard for those of you who have delightful neighbors).  There is something innately glorious about the spring.  New Life.

Seedlings in Egg Shells

My son and I spent some time the past few days getting ready to plant.  We cleared out the remaining remnants of last summer/falls harvests, and tilled the ground.  On Saturday, we will till once more, with the chicken poo we collected and mulched all year (this is a point of contention between my husband and I.  I see the potential of chicken poo.  He does not). This is the roughest part, in my opinion; it requires two things that are difficult for most humans: work and patience.

By this time, your indoor seeds should be planted(you still have about 15 days to finish up).  You have until late March to get your seedlings going.  If you have a greenhouse, like we do, you can actually get your garden growing a little sooner than most in Colorado.  At Urban Improv Farm we start our seedlings in early/mid-March, and once the temperature are around 50 degrees during the day we set the seedlings in the green house.  As long as it doesn't get below 35 at night OUTSIDE the greenhouse, they can be left out there until it's time to plant them.  We bring them in at night, if it does get below 35 degrees.

Late Springs Last year

We had a fantastic harvest last year.  And it was a great learning experience.  Some helpful advice I thought I would share with those of you tuning in at home: 1) Tomatillos require at least 2 plants.  Yes, they need to cross pollinate, so you need two.  By August last summer I am looking at this gorgeous tomatillo plant that is easily three feet tall with ZERO tomatillos on it, and enchiladas that were devastated to me missing out on green goodness.  After some research (long after time to fix my problem) I learned I needed two to get the produce.  2) Tomatoes will take over your green house.  Trimming them back(pruning) is essential.  We started with 8 little tomatoes seedlings that harvested about 3 barrels of tomatoes.  I LOVE me some maters! 3) Squash and zucchini get this weird white fungus on the leaves that will kill your plants.  I couldn't figure out what was going on, and after talking to the professionals learned that these plants need CONSISTENT water.  Fungus will grow if their watering schedule gets thrown off.

My Garden Journal

Last, but not least: Write down everything you do in your garden.  This includes the plants, when you planted, where you planted, when and if they sprouted, if they produced well or not.  Keep a running chronicle of everything you do.  Trust me, next year you will be glad you wrote it all down (especially if you are like me, and believe I will remember, but then I don't).

The Cold-cold

I do not like the cold.  No I do not.  I especially don't like having a cold when it is cold.  So what does the Shanny do when she has a cold in the cold?  Makes bath time even more fun with "cold bath bombs."  If you too are suffering from a cold, this is AMAZING, and if I were a dictator, I would make everyone try it if they were suffering from a cold in the cold (or not-so-cold like today). All you need is some essential oils (make sure that they are Pure Therapeutic Grade), some baking soda, and some water.  Now, there are about a million versions of this on Pinterest, so feel free to use one you find there.  For my bath bombs (I was calling them bath balls, and then things got weird and awkward, so I started calling them bath bombs), I recommend using Do Terra or Young Living oils, but whatever you like, you do.  I take a cup of baking soda, 10 drops of peppermint, 10 drops of eucalyptus, 5 drops of lavender, and 5 drops of melaleuca (I have also tried rosemary with a ton of success). I stir it up really well, and then add water until it's a consistency that I can mold.  I get out my handy-dandy wax paper and role 1"diameter bath bombs (see where changing the name to "bombs", instead of "balls" was a good choice?) and set them out on the wax paper over night.  The whole house smells really good, and when I throw them in the bath, or on the floor of my shower, I can instantly breath.  I store them in an air-tight container in our multiple bathrooms, and I promise you won't regret making them.

Chicken Preppers

If I had been paying better attention to my homesteading/farming counterparts (aka the knowledgeable peppers), I would have been more prepared for my current situation. Was I prepared for a zombie apocalypse? Yes. Was I prepared for a second Cold War? Check. But for the most relentless snow I have ever seen in February in my life? Definitely No. But, hooray, it is finally March! Which means there is the promise of Spring right around the corner. So what is the Urban Improv Farm up to? Baby chicks of course!



        Have you ordered your chicks yet? Time to get crackin'! I have talked with a lot of people who are interested in getting chickens, and just don't know where to start. Here is what the Shanny says about getting Chicken Prepared!

Jersey Giants & Easter Egger Chicks

      1. What is your motivation for getting chickens? For pets? For eggs? For meat you can trust?
This is the first and most important question to ask yourself (preferably not out loud). There is a difference between a good meat chicken, and just a laying hen. There is an even larger difference if you are going to name them. If you name them, they are PETS. Sorry friends, that's the truth. If you have named your chicks, there isn't an ice cubes chance in a fiery furnace you will put that sucker in your mouth (unless you are dead inside).

Once you have made that determination, you will know what kind of chickens will work for you. The great classic layers are the Rhode Island Reds and the Orpingtons. But there are many great laying hens out there.

Rhode Island Red

Meat birds tend to be larger, heavier birds. Good examples are the Cornish Cross hens, Dorkings, and Leg Horns. And there are several dual purpose birds that are great layers and are excellent broilers. Some suggestions are the Jersey Giants, Australorps, and Plymouths.


Great pet birds are the exotic birds like the frizzle chicken, silkies, and polish varieties. These birds are just fun to have around! They are friendly and lay unusually small eggs that can be quite pretty, but are not consistent layers in places like Colorado.

Cochin Bantam Frizzle aka "Nugget"

       

2. Next, you need to get yourself ready for your baby birds. The most important thing your chicks need is warmth. It needs to be 100 degrees in there home. This early home is commonly called a brooder, and the chicks will stay there for several months. It needs to have plenty of space, water, food, warming lights, and sand (some folks use newspaper for the bottom of the brooder., but Shanny hates to clean up poop, and discovered fine sand is more like cat litter, and WAY easier to maintain). It also needs to be safe from little hands, cats, dogs, and natural predators (if your brooder is in a barn, raccoons are a serious problem). My poor neighbor lost a chick when she discovered her young daughter had decided it should sleep with her. Co-sleeping is NOT recommended for baby chicks (just in case you had the urge. PS: if you did have the urge to co-sleep with your chicken, and you are over the age of 5, unfollow this blog and seek therapy. The first step is admitting you have a problem).  I encourage friends to use a deep plastic tub (rubber maid is great), with a chicken wire top (for when the learn to use their wings). Next time, I will show you a great, inexpensive brooder that you can make for your baby birds.