Getting Ready to Plant Tomatoes & More

Our tomato plants are growing great and we're about ready to put them in the ground.  We started them several weeks ago and they're getting pretty tall now:

We've been starting to harden them by putting them outside every evening when we get home so the get used to the sunlight.  We have a two tiered indoor greenhouse where we start our seeds.  We also have eggplant starting to grow.  We haven't gotten as much planted indoors as we usually do.  The chicks, and especially the time building their coop, have slowed down our planting.  We'll be sowing more seed directly into the ground this year than normal.  The lettuce, kohlrabi, and some other vegetables that we sowed a few weeks ago outside in the beds have started to come up.

I hope to turn over our Spring cover crop in most of the beds this weekend and start sowing seeds.  The clover didn't grow as tall as I would have liked but we definitely have some green to work back into the soil and clover improves the nitrogen content in the soil as it grows so the soil will definitely be better off with its small amount of growth than if we hadn't planted anything at all.  Our last frost date is May 15 but the weather for the next 10 days looks good to go ahead and plant.  Also, even if it frosts, most of the seeds we plant this week will not be coming up by then anyway and if they are, we can cover them for a night with plastic.  Better to get a head start since we weren't able to start as many plants indoors as usual.

Our tomato plants are growing great and we're about ready to put them in the ground.  We started them several weeks ago and they're getting pretty tall now:

We've been starting to harden them by putting them outside every evening when we get home so the get used to the sunlight.  We have a two tiered indoor greenhouse where we start our seeds.  We also have eggplant starting to grow.  We haven't gotten as much planted indoors as we usually do.  The chicks, and especially the time building their coop, have slowed down our planting.  We'll be sowing more seed directly into the ground this year than normal.  The lettuce, kohlrabi, and some other vegetables that we sowed a few weeks ago outside in the beds have started to come up.

I hope to turn over our Spring cover crop in most of the beds this weekend and start sowing seeds.  The clover didn't grow as tall as I would have liked but we definitely have some green to work back into the soil and clover improves the nitrogen content in the soil as it grows so the soil will definitely be better off with its small amount of growth than if we hadn't planted anything at all.  Our last frost date is May 15 but the weather for the next 10 days looks good to go ahead and plant.  Also, even if it frosts, most of the seeds we plant this week will not be coming up by then anyway and if they are, we can cover them for a night with plastic.  Better to get a head start since we weren't able to start as many plants indoors as usual.

Our tomato plants are growing great and we're about ready to put them in the ground.  We started them several weeks ago and they're getting pretty tall now:

We've been starting to harden them by putting them outside every evening when we get home so the get used to the sunlight.  We have a two tiered indoor greenhouse where we start our seeds.  We also have eggplant starting to grow.  We haven't gotten as much planted indoors as we usually do.  The chicks, and especially the time building their coop, have slowed down our planting.  We'll be sowing more seed directly into the ground this year than normal.  The lettuce, kohlrabi, and some other vegetables that we sowed a few weeks ago outside in the beds have started to come up.

I hope to turn over our Spring cover crop in most of the beds this weekend and start sowing seeds.  The clover didn't grow as tall as I would have liked but we definitely have some green to work back into the soil and clover improves the nitrogen content in the soil as it grows so the soil will definitely be better off with its small amount of growth than if we hadn't planted anything at all.  Our last frost date is May 15 but the weather for the next 10 days looks good to go ahead and plant.  Also, even if it frosts, most of the seeds we plant this week will not be coming up by then anyway and if they are, we can cover them for a night with plastic.  Better to get a head start since we weren't able to start as many plants indoors as usual.

Progress on the Chicken Coop

This past weekend we made significant progress on the chicken coop.  I'd debated how to treat the wood so it would last longer but be safe for the birds.  I decided on barn paint because it said that it was safe for animals.  We chose red over white and on Saturday morning, the boys and I started painting.

Karson really wanted to do a good job.

Pretty soon after my four year old started painting, the almost two year old decided that he had to help.

The boys helping paint the coop.

However, it took about 30 seconds before he'd painted both hands and was rubbing the paint in his hair.  Thankfully I chose paint that cleaned up with water.  After about 3 different trips to the water hose, I decided that my little one had helped enough and was done painting.  Shortly after that, my oldest realized that his brother was playing and decided that he would rather join him than continue to work.  that meant that I got the rest of the painting to myself.  It went much faster after that.  

My friend Cathie came over and she created the air vents at the top of the coop and covered them with wire while I continued to paint.  By the end of Saturday the entire coop was painted, the door frame painted and assembled, and we placed the roof brackets and laid on the roof to check the fit.

Sunday, in between the rain, I dried off the seam of the two roof panels, caulked them, put them in place and then, with Cathie's help, got the roof attached to the coop.  I also reattached most of the floor tiles we'd installed in the house because we accidentally used adhesive that wasn't suitable for the outdoors.  Here's the completed work up to now:

We really love the red paint.  This weekend we'll make sure that the interior door in the floor of the coop is working smooth to let the chickens in and out of their house, paint and install the ramp for the girls to get in and out of the house, start stapling wire to the coop and door, and hang the door.  I've also got to make a handle for the house doors so their easier to open.  I'm happy with the progress but I'll be even happier when it's done.

This past weekend we made significant progress on the chicken coop.  I'd debated how to treat the wood so it would last longer but be safe for the birds.  I decided on barn paint because it said that it was safe for animals.  We chose red over white and on Saturday morning, the boys and I started painting.

Karson really wanted to do a good job.

Pretty soon after my four year old started painting, the almost two year old decided that he had to help.

The boys helping paint the coop.

However, it took about 30 seconds before he'd painted both hands and was rubbing the paint in his hair.  Thankfully I chose paint that cleaned up with water.  After about 3 different trips to the water hose, I decided that my little one had helped enough and was done painting.  Shortly after that, my oldest realized that his brother was playing and decided that he would rather join him than continue to work.  that meant that I got the rest of the painting to myself.  It went much faster after that.  

My friend Cathie came over and she created the air vents at the top of the coop and covered them with wire while I continued to paint.  By the end of Saturday the entire coop was painted, the door frame painted and assembled, and we placed the roof brackets and laid on the roof to check the fit.

Sunday, in between the rain, I dried off the seam of the two roof panels, caulked them, put them in place and then, with Cathie's help, got the roof attached to the coop.  I also reattached most of the floor tiles we'd installed in the house because we accidentally used adhesive that wasn't suitable for the outdoors.  Here's the completed work up to now:

We really love the red paint.  This weekend we'll make sure that the interior door in the floor of the coop is working smooth to let the chickens in and out of their house, paint and install the ramp for the girls to get in and out of the house, start stapling wire to the coop and door, and hang the door.  I've also got to make a handle for the house doors so their easier to open.  I'm happy with the progress but I'll be even happier when it's done.

This past weekend we made significant progress on the chicken coop.  I'd debated how to treat the wood so it would last longer but be safe for the birds.  I decided on barn paint because it said that it was safe for animals.  We chose red over white and on Saturday morning, the boys and I started painting.

Karson really wanted to do a good job.

Pretty soon after my four year old started painting, the almost two year old decided that he had to help.

The boys helping paint the coop.

However, it took about 30 seconds before he'd painted both hands and was rubbing the paint in his hair.  Thankfully I chose paint that cleaned up with water.  After about 3 different trips to the water hose, I decided that my little one had helped enough and was done painting.  Shortly after that, my oldest realized that his brother was playing and decided that he would rather join him than continue to work.  that meant that I got the rest of the painting to myself.  It went much faster after that.  

My friend Cathie came over and she created the air vents at the top of the coop and covered them with wire while I continued to paint.  By the end of Saturday the entire coop was painted, the door frame painted and assembled, and we placed the roof brackets and laid on the roof to check the fit.

Sunday, in between the rain, I dried off the seam of the two roof panels, caulked them, put them in place and then, with Cathie's help, got the roof attached to the coop.  I also reattached most of the floor tiles we'd installed in the house because we accidentally used adhesive that wasn't suitable for the outdoors.  Here's the completed work up to now:

We really love the red paint.  This weekend we'll make sure that the interior door in the floor of the coop is working smooth to let the chickens in and out of their house, paint and install the ramp for the girls to get in and out of the house, start stapling wire to the coop and door, and hang the door.  I've also got to make a handle for the house doors so their easier to open.  I'm happy with the progress but I'll be even happier when it's done.