Author: Caryn

Alpaca mulch

On By CarynIn Garden

I connected with a local alpaca farmer and picked up two fleeces that were not spin quality. One was second cuts (not prime fiber) and full of vegetable matter, the other she had washed vigorously and it felted.

Photo description: plastic bin full of partially felted brown alpaca fiber

I wanted them to run an experiment with mulching around my pumpkins, so I placed the “waste” fiber around the plants, not up against the stems, and watered them down.

Photo description: two alpaca fleeces laid down as mulch around pumpkin plants, then watered in

Now the waiting and watching. My hope is that the fiber will felt into pads and block weed growth and provide protection from the dirt for any pumpkins that form.

They are trying

On By CarynIn Wildlife

We have an algae problem on one part of our siding on our house. It needs a good scrub, but the snails make interesting paths in the field of green as they eat their way into a food stupor.

Photo description: green algae on hardy plank siding with snail tracks and a browsing snail, upper left

Better late than never

On By CarynIn Wildlife

Last year my youngest and I assembled and painted a small wood birdhouse. I sprayed a clear coat of UV protection on it and left it in the garage to dry, for a year. The year was not intentional, life got busy, and whenever I would see it in the garage I was on a different mission. Then iNaturalist popped up a message that it is chickadee breeding season and showed a bird house the same size as the one we had in the garage. That was my sign.

Photo description: small blue and green bird house hung on ropes running under the tree branches

I found a length of chain and a spring hook and attached the bird house about 7 feet above the ground at the back side of the yard. I can just barely see the small house from my kitchen table, so now we wait and see if any birds find it acceptable.

Onions

On By CarynIn Garden

Walking through TSC I saw onion sets and grabbed a bag on a whim.

Photo description: bag of red onion sets, pumpkin patch in the background

I planted the onions around my pumpkin and cucumber plants. Some of the sets were dry and didn’t seem viable, but others were firm and a couple had some green already at the tip. Six days after planting I noticed a few of the onions were growing.

Photo description: freshly watered soil with onion leaves coming up

I’ve tried onions from seed with no luck. I was hoping the squirrels and other critters would leave onions alone, but I found one set excavated. I’m hoping to harvest some green onions when they are young. I don’t have much hope that there will be mature onions this winter.

The eyes of Texas

On By CarynIn Insects
Photo description: Texas eyed click beetle on Post Oak bark (ID by iNaturalist)

I saw a new beetle! I first thought it was an iron-clad beetle, it was black and white mottled and about the right size, but it moved way too fast. It took several attempts to photograph it. iNaturalist says it is a Texas eyed click beetle. I can certainly see the reason for the name with those two large black sots on its thorax.