Category Archives: spring

Digging up Grubs

Posted on April 28, 2016 by jkmcintyre
[caption id="attachment_2728" align="alignnone" width="2448"]Photo Mar 30, 4 09 14 PM Enter Grubs dug from the overwintered veggie garden[/caption]

Preparing the street beds for spring planting I first pulled the winter plants (kale, cilantro), hoed the weedlets, and mixed in complete organic fertilizer (COF). During this process, I unearthed nearly 40 large grubs of varying designs.

Happy happy day for the hens.

Is there a professional or amateur entomologist out there who can help me identify these guys? What do they become? Continue reading →

Posted in animal behaviour, bugs, chickens, pest control, spring, vegetable garden | Tagged | Leave a comment

Definitely Dead

Posted on March 26, 2014 by jkmcintyre

The Carny hive, suspected of demise (and then a spark of hope), is now, finally, dead. Here is what I found: Of 23 top bars drawn out with comb, bars 13-19 were heavy with honey. Dead bees littered the floor … Continue reading →

Posted in bees, spring, top bar hive | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Twice blooming fruit trees?

Posted on July 16, 2013 by jkmcintyre

The past few years I have noticed something unusual. My fruit trees bloom twice. Once in early spring, when I am expecting it, and once in mid-summer when I am not. I noticed it first in our pear tree. With … Continue reading →

Posted in flowers, fruit, spring, summer | Tagged , , | 25 Comments

Starting Seeds Like a Pro

Posted on April 2, 2013 by jkmcintyre

OK, ok.  Enough of this make-do seed starting nonsense.  Rearranging my tiny house to make use of the south-facing windows, too little light, inconsistent heat.  And trying to start seeds in cold frames was hit-and-miss (hit 2011, miss 2012). The … Continue reading →

Posted in spring, starting seeds, tomatillos, tomatoes, vegetable starts | 2 Comments