Homestead Happenings

Just a reminder that spring is on its way 

A few flowers from my early 2012 spring flower garden.

I often wonder (maybe it is more like being nosy) what other people are doing on their homesteads. I guess I basically wonder that because I am wanting to know if I should be doing something that I'm not or if I am doing something and I shouldn't be doing it at that time of the year. So, if I am wishing others to tell me that, then I need to be doing it myself. “Do unto others” and all of that. :-)

I have made a new section to my blog called. “Homestead Happenings” which will be a list of some of the things (I hope) that I will be doing around my homestead. For example: for this week (24-30 March 2013) what I will be doing is:

• Make stand for indoor grow lights
• Take garden soil samples to the County Extension Office for testing.
• Fertilize gardens according to soil test results
• Mulch around fruit trees
• Apply 1/4 c. Epsom Salts to each rose bush
• Prune deadwood from shrubs & roses
• Plant lettuce in cold frames
• Finish building and paint new raised garden bed boxes

If you are interested, you will find this list right under my picture on the right hand side of my blog. It, of course, will be updated weekly. However, if you are a subscriber to my blog, you will not be receiving any kind of notification of the changes. And, you will have to visit my blog in order to view the list. (Sorry about that.) A strike mark through the task means the task has been completed.

 I haven't decided yet if I will be archiving the lists or not. If I do, the list will be just amended on this post.

Thanks for reading and visiting my blog. :-)

Edited on 4/1/2013 to add
Week of 1-6 April
** Clean rain gutters
**Prune raspberry canes
**Wash windows
**Transplant herbs into larger containers
**Burn out fence rows

 Edited on 4/5/2013 to add
Week of 7-13 April
**Do general maintenance on all lawn and garden equipment
**Unwrap and set out yard furniture
**Plant root crops such as potatoes, onions, carrots, and turnips
**Install decorative fencing around yard
**Wash winter clothes and store for summer
**Split and stack wood for firepit
**Clean up debris from winter in yard

Edited on 4/15/2013 to add
Week of 14-20  April
**Begin transplanting cold crops into garden
**Put out peony supports in garden
**Repair fencing
**Do regular maintenance on air conditioning unit and duct work. 

Edited on 4/22/2013 to add:
Week of 21-27 April
**Thin out the onion rows.
**Paint the front entry door
**Build new strawberry planting area using rain gutters
**Pay property taxes YUCK!!

Edited on 4/29/2013 to add:
Week of 29 April -4 May
** Make May Day baskets for neighbors
**Service generators
**Apply tick control to dogs
**Powerwash driveways and sidewalks
**Transplant onions and leeks