Our Georgia Homestead

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Hey everyone!  I started this new post to keep y'all updated on our fulltime RV life at our Fitzgerald, Georgia property.  Since we won't be travelling much anymore, this seemed like the best way to transition my posts from the Travel blogs.


So lets get right to it!


Today I set up the two new planter boxes, and the tiered strawberry planter for Patti. 


Here are some picture of the strawberry planter, and the new planter boxes filled with dirt.  The strawberry seeds are planted in the tiered box, and the terra cotta pot under the table is planted with rosemary, since rosemary likes the shade.


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

The gentleman that built me the raised planter boxes also made a cover for one of them that converts it into a seedling table for next spring.  It is stored in the barn for now.


After I transplant these seedlings tomorrow, Patti can have her laundry folding table back...lol!


I also managed to put in tomato cages around all the tomato plants and eggplants.


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

And finally for today, I started stocking up on canning supplies.  And I'm STILL trying to find a freezer for sale!  Geesh!


And my basil and thyme finally started to germinate...as did the dill, but the dill is hard to see in these pictures.



Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

I got the seedlings transplanted into the planter boxes this morning!  And the spices are starting to take off in the first planter box.


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

I also transplanted the corn, greenbean, and snow pea seedlings into the mid sized garden.


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

And the baby chickens are getting so big!  Adorable little feather heads!


Kev

[c farmer]

All looks great.  I have 14 chicks.  Gotta build a coop soon. 

[ClydesdaleKevin]

All looks great.  I have 14 chicks.  Gotta build a coop soon. 

I ended up buying one, since it ended up being cheaper than building it myself.  It is supposed to be shipped out either tomorrow or Wednesday.  This is the one we bought.

Kev

[BamBam]

terra cotta pot under the table is planted with rosemary, since rosemary likes the shade.
Kev

Sorry too say you're wrong, but you're wrong! You need to read up and learn about what your growing and it's requirements, nice spread!
http://herbgardening.com/growingrosemary.htm

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sorry too say you're wrong, but you're wrong! You need to read up and learn about what your growing and it's requirements, nice spread!
http://herbgardening.com/growingrosemary.htm

Thanks!  And about the rosemary, this particular variety, according to the seed package, likes partial sun, not full sun like everything else on the porch gets all day.  Where the pot is under the table, it gets full sun in the morning, and shade in the afternoon when it gets hot out here in south central Georgia. 


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

I got my cantaloupes planted in the medium size garden today...and then went out and got the materials I need to install the screen room on the porch, which I'll be installing tomorrow.


When I got home, I reinforced my raised garden boxes, and added caster wheels to them so I can easily move them around to access compartments, etc. 


I also managed to FINALLY find a couple of 9.4 cubic feet chest freezers that were actually available for pre-order from the local Sears...I've been on a waiting list for almost a month just to get on a pre-order list...lol!  I wanted just one 18 cubic foot upright freezer, but you can't even pre-order those.  I paid for them today, and these two smaller ones should be here no later than July 3rd.  These are the energy efficient Hotpoint (General Electric) models, so they shouldn't be TOO expensive to run (around 27 bucks a year according to the manual).  And at least I have then on the way!  It seems like EVERYONE is out of stock, and the manufacturers can't keep up.  A HUGE thank you to Gary Smith over at the Fitzgerald, Georgia Sears for working so hard to make sure I could get these freezers in a relatively timely manner!


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

It took all day, but I got the framing finished on the screen enclosure where it will attach to our metal building on our porch.  It took a lot longer than I thought it would, since the small pieces of pressure treated wood I had to put between each corrugated section on the metal building wall was a different size and each one had to be made specific to its location.  I used the foam backing behind them, and under the C and U channels, made sure everything was level, and then called it a day.


I'll work on it some more tomorrow.


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Holy Moly is the squash and tomatoes and the rest of the garden plants doing well!  I also picked up two peach trees, two sweet southern cherry trees, two blueberry bushes, and two blackberry bushes...which I'll be planting tomorrow.


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

The peach and cherry trees are planted, as are the blueberry and blackberry bushes.


I planted them where they will get water and fertilzer from the garden sprinklers, but not shade the gardens when they get full size.


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

I had to mow the lawn today, so the little Cub Cadet self propelled push mower I bought did an amazing job mowing around the gardens, fruit trees, and fruit bushes, without disturbing anything.  Awesome mower and I highly recommend it!  Starts on one pull, and the propulsion lever is intuitive...it moves at whatever speed you feel like walking.


After the mowing was done, and everything was put away and cleaned, I thinned some of the plants in the porch planter boxes.  Specifically the iceburg lettuce, broccoli, and the beets and radishes.  I gave the cuttings to the baby chickens, and MAN did they go crazy over them!  They were like my wife Patti with some cotton candy...LOL!


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Jurasic Squash and T-Rex Tomatoes!  WOW!!!


Kev 

[ClydesdaleKevin]

I culled and thinned out the broccoli and lettuce plants on the porch raised box gardens today...and the chickens went nuts on the leftovers...lol!  I left the carrots alone, since they can bunch up all they want. 


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

The spice garden raised planter is also doing well, including some celery stubs and garlic cloves I planted...and some more corn and one bean plant is also ready to be planted.


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

And also today, I worked on our screen porch enclosure.  I got a LOT of it done...but then it got way too hot to keep working.  It is supposed to be 10 degrees cooler tomorrow, so instead of 90 degrees, I can finish up in 80 degree weather. 


Kev.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

And finally, box one of three for our chicken coop arrived today.  The other two are supposed to arrive in the next couple of days.


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Yay!!!  The screen room enclosure is DONE, and I'll post pictures tomorrow sometime.


And the rest of the chicken coop was delivered...at 9:15 PM this evening!  The poor UPS driver, a really nice guy, had 172 deliveries to make today, and he still wasn't done when he delivered ours!  The workload delivery personnel are making is insane with the COVID-19 crisis.  God bless them all!


I'll be building the coop in the morning...and posting pictures of course.  And it is just in time!  My girls are fully feathered now and getting HUGE!  Time to get them out of the brooder for sure!


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

So here are the pictures of our new screen enclosure on our porch, attached to our metal building.  WOW it took a long time to complete, because the included directions must have been translated from Chinese by a kindergartner..lol!  But it is done, and it sure will be nice to enjoy sitting on the porch without all the bugs we get here in south central Georgia!  The hardest part (at first) was drilling the holes in the concrete for the concrete screws and hold downs!  Bit quality matters!  I bought three masonry bits at Ace Hardware at around 3 bucks a bit to drill the holes, and only got around one hole out of each bit before it would dull out and not drill anymore!  Then I bought some carbide tip masonry bits from the local hardware store (Merritt Supply) for 1.79 a bit...and one bit was able to easily drill ALL the rest of the holes like a hot knife through butter.


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

And the chicken coop is built and ready for the chicks to be introduced to their new home tomorrow!  I added some extra latches and carabiners to keep the predators out, and 15 inches of hardware cloth all around the base of the coop to keep predators from digging, and snakes from slithering in under the coop.  I stapled it to the base of the coop, and staked it down with long nails and fender washers.


I already put in the industrial hemp bedding in the bottom, and hay in the nesting boxes.  Tomorrow morning I'm going to add a couple more roosting rods higher up in the coop, a swing roost in the run...and by the time it starts to warm up, the chicks will have their new home!  And then I'll bring all the shavings from their brooder to the compost pile at the far end of our property.


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

The chicks are moved into the coop!  They are fully feathered now, and nighttime temperatures are going to be above 50 from now on...so they should be fine without a heat source.  They'll have to stay in the coop for a couple of nights, with their food and water...and then I'll open the door and let them explore their run.  Once I let them out in the run, their food and water will stay in the coop for a few more days so the get used to going in there to eat and sleep...and then I'll move their food and water out into the run itself, with the food under the coop to keep it out of the rain.  Cute little things!


I also planted a whole bunch more corn in starter pots today...I decided to go with three rows of corn in the medium size garden.


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Today is the big day for the baby chickens!  I opened up the door from their coop to their run...and so far they are just curious, sticking their heads out, and testing the ramp.  Once one of them gets brave enough to go all the way down the ramp, the rest will follow.


Kev