What did you do today? - 2021 version

[Hermit]

I put the second coat of paint on the kitchen/living room ceiling and painted the ceiling edges. I'm done with flat white ceilings. I think I will take the rest of the day off.

 

[Souschef]

I just bought 4 one gallon tomato plants. I dug the hole for one set, and will dig the other hole tomorrow. Gotta pace myself

 

[rodi]

Got my 2nd dose of Pfizer this morning!

Then booked a 1 way plane ticket and two hotels for a road trip at the end of the month. Hubster is leaving sooner, going further (all the way to the Jersey Shore), visiting family... I'm joining him for a portion of the return trip: NOLA to San Diego. Just hope the adult kids a) won't have a party, b) keep the dog fed and walked, c) don't burn down the house while we're gone.

 

[ivinsfan]

Got my 2nd dose of Pfizer this morning!

Then booked a 1 way plane ticket and two hotels for a road trip at the end of the month. Hubster is leaving sooner, going further (all the way to the Jersey Shore), visiting family... I'm joining him for a portion of the return trip: NOLA to San Diego. Just hope the adult kids a) won't have a party, b) keep the dog fed and walked, c) don't burn down the house while we're gone.

But how refreshing to worry about "normal" everyday problems!

 

[6miths]

Raked the grass, mowed the grass, fertilized the grass. Cut up a tree that had been knocked down over the winter. Dove into Lake Huron's chilly waters four times for my earliest entry ever (by far!). It was 81 F in the shade today. Hard to believe.

 

[rk911]

2nd pfizer vax this morning. so far very minor pain and only when i touch it.

 

[fancy free]

Next year, I will look for pea species that are fungus resistant, and find a way to sterilize the soil. Maybe using sodium percarbonate?

Look into sterlizing with boiling water or by putting your soil into an oven if your spouse is okay with it.

 

[Gumby]

The temperature hit 100F yesterday. The day before, it was 98F. It was 70F a week earlier.

My snap pea plants burned to a crisp due to the heat, and that's not an exaggeration. I tore them down, and put away the trellis frames for next year. The harvest has not been as good as it could have been, and I suspected that the plants suffered from Fusarium fungus root rot. I don't know how to know for sure. I already used good soil from MiracleGro. Next year, I will look for pea species that are fungus resistant, and find a way to sterilize the soil. Maybe using sodium percarbonate?

Did you start them indoors and transplant out or direct sow?

 

[Walt34]

Generated lots of dust in the "balsa dust factory". I've nearly finished the fuselage and left wing on the airplane I'm building, still need to do the other wing and "tail feathers".

Oh, and I found the "Slot Machine" that I'd thought was lost in the move!

This is a specialized tool for cutting narrow slots in soft wood for control surface hinges in model airplanes, no longer made by Great Planes. They used to cost ~$30, now they are usually north of $100 (in good shape with all parts) on eBay if you can find one at all.

 

[skyking1]

We camped at Fort Warden state park last night, then mobilized down to Dosewallips state park for a couple of days. Now we're feet up and covered with dogs on the new loveseat recliner we purchased earlier. This is the first trip out with it, but we have a similar loveseat at home and the battery lasts 3-4 weeks on it so we are good for dry camping.

 

[Souschef]

Dug the second hole for my tomato plants. I will transplant them tomorrow. Do not want to leap into things.

 

[NW-Bound]

Look into sterlizing with boiling water or by putting your soil into an oven if your spouse is okay with it.

Fusarium fungus has more than 20 species, and affects many plants and crops. It's tough to treat, and there's no chemical to control it. I found some articles on soil solarization to control Fusarium, which is basically covering the ground with a plastic film to raise the soil temperature to as high as 60C (140F) at a depth of 6". That depth is really pathetic, so I don't know how useful this method is.

Did you start them indoors and transplant out or direct sow?

I sowed the peas directly into pots.

 

[Gumby]

I sowed the peas directly into pots.

I ask because I have always sown peas directly in the ground and have never had a problem with them. I know they don't transplant well.

If you do have a fusarium problem, you may need to get new pots or sterilize the old ones with bleach (also sterilize your gardening tools), and get entirely new bagged potting soil. Throw away the old soil somewhere distant. There are also fungicides that can help. A google search should find them.

 

[NW-Bound]

I have been doing a lot of research on the Web regarding Fusarium Oxysporum, and have not found any reference to an easy treatment. Fusarium attacks a plant through its root, then moves up through the stem and chokes off its sap flow and kills off the plant. I used fresh potting soil in new pots, and that did not help. There may be spores in the bagged soil already.

I found a research article mentioning a solution of methylbromide and chloropicrin as an effective fungicide, but it looks like availability is limited to commercial growers.

PS. One thing I will do next year is to look for fusarium-resistant peas. Another thing is to start the planting earlier, so that the flowering and fruiting occurs in the winter (it's not cold here). Fusarium infection of plants occurs when it gets warm, and that's what I saw happening. My pea plants were doing so well, then they started wilting from the base going up to the top. It coincides with the time when the night temperature got up to 50-60F and the day up to 80-90F.

 

[NW-Bound]

I have been doing a lot of research on the Web regarding Fusarium Oxysporum, and have not found any reference to an easy treatment. Fusarium attacks a plant through its root, then moves up through the stem and chokes off its sap flow and kills off the plant. I used fresh potting soil in new pots, and that did not help. There may be spores in the bagged soil already.

I found a research article mentioning a solution of methylbromide and chloropicrin as an effective fungicide, but it looks like availability is limited to commercial growers...

A bit more reading shows why the above chemicals are not for sale at Home Depot or through Amazon.

Methyl bromide is an odorless, colorless gas used to control a wide variety of pests in agriculture and shipping, including fungi, weeds, insects, nematodes (or roundworms), and rodents...

Agricultural growers inject methyl bromide about two feet into the ground to sterilize the soil before crops are planted...

Methyl bromide is highly toxic. Studies in humans indicate that the lung may be severely injured by the acute (short-term) inhalation of methyl bromide...

Along with other countries, the United States has phased out production and consumption of methyl bromide with important exceptions for critical uses...

Chloropicrin was manufactured for use as poison gas in World War I. In agriculture, chloropicrin is injected into soil prior to planting a crop in order to fumigate soil. Chloropicrin affects a broad spectrum of fungi, microbes, and insects. It is commonly used as a stand-alone treatment or in combination / co-formulation with methyl bromide and 1,3-Dichloropropene.

 

[Walt34]

Mowed both front and back with a half hour or so break in between each half. The last few days have been too wet, we get a break of somewhat dry weather today, and then the rain starts up again tomorrow for the next several days. If I hadn't done the mowing today I'm not sure the mower would have been able to take on full width cuts if the grass was any taller.

 

[Gumby]

I transplanted my celery and parsley seedlings out to the garden today. Also planted my onion sets (Walla Walla, Red Zeppelin and Yellow Spanish), along with the shallots. It's supposed to rain tomorrow and Monday, which will be good for the new plantings. That will also give me a chance to bottle my latest batch of beer, which is just now ready for it, and to fix a seat leak in my bathroom sink faucet.

 

[Time2]

We had strong weather pattern run through around 8am this morning. 60+ mph winds. It blew down a dead 35ft tree, broke one of my wife's papaya plants and while looking out the kitchen window, I was watching the roof ridge cap on my shed flipping up like it was about to take a ride. Thankfully, the high winds last less than 1/2 an hour. We had lots of traffic lights out and 20,000 people lost power, we didn't although the lights blinked a dozen times. There was a tornado less than 10 miles away. It was the type of weather that the weather man lives for. After the weather was done I preheated my sauna and spent 20 minutes in there, then took a cold shower.
Later in the afternoon things were dry and I put all the screws in the ridge cap, like I promised the inspector I would do when he said he would pass it for the inspection, two years ago. Took a long nap, had a bag of popcorn and later split part of a Pomelo* (that fell of the tree in the high winds) with my wife.


* From wiki, Citrus maxima or Citrus grandis (I like that, they are huge)

 

[Gumby]

Bottled 5 gal. of newly brewed beer, cleaned up everything, then drank one of my last batch to celebrate. As usual, I also did the NYT Spelling Bee and the Crossword (I'm on a 223 day streak).

 

[GalaxyBoy]

What Gumby said. Except I kegged my brown ale and my NYT crossword streak is much much shorter. DW and I are hooked on the Spelling Bee game, and we have a routine to compare answers over lunch each day.

Made sourdough, took a walk, and pilled the cat. That last one was by far the most strenuous.

 

[Dawg52]

Took the mutt on a walk on the golf course this morning and cleaned the house afterward. After lunch went for a walk/run around a pretty lake across town. I mostly walk but incorporate some jogging to get the heart pumping. What a beautiful day too.....sunny and mid 70's. Later watched the last few holes of the Masters on tv. Oh yes....bathed the mutt after our morning walk. That's a chore in itself. Ha.

 

[skyking1]

Yesterday we drove up to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National park.

Dungeness spit in the distance from about halfway up.

Today we packed up and headed home, driving down 101 along Hood Canal.

 

[Gumby]

Yesterday we drove up to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National park....

That's a beautiful drive. The young wife and I drove up to Hurricane Ridge and had a snowball fight on the 4th of July, 1984.

 

[street]

skyking1 >> beautiful!! We have been getting some much wanted (moisture) snow, over the last 40 hours. A white cover this morning of snow will keep me close to the house today. No turkey hunting, fishing but may go check minnow traps today.

 

[fancy free]

I used fresh potting soil in new pots, and that did not help. There may be spores in the bagged soil already.

Unfortunately even fresh potting soil needs to be sterilized to be safe.

Here's a nice link about sterilizing potting soil: https://www.senior-gardening.com/how2s/sterile_potting_mix.html