Abu is correct; 79% of the time, beer works every time.

Funny story (well, maybe someone will think it's funny):

A couple of years ago after Halloween, my wife got really tired of looking at and dealing with slugs, so she dumped half a beer in one of our jack-o-lanterns. A few days later, we had what might have been the most disgusting cocktail of rotting pumpkin, stale beer, and drunken-to-death slugs you would ever want to see. Naturally, the job of disposing of the foul concoction fell to your's truly. I made it about 20 feet before the bottom of the pumpkin gave way, dropping the full volume of beer/slug swill all over my legs and feet. Few feelings I have known have been anywhere close to as disgusting, and the smell was worse.

After a series of dry heaves and a profanity-rich cleanup session, I calmly asked my wife to use something other than jack-o-lanterns for future slug traps. She laughed at me, but later complied.

I will have to try the alternatives suggested; seems they might produce less ungodly by-product.

I don't care if I have to pet a slug as I feed it my damn veggies one at a time...I'll never stoop to owning, supporting, cheering for, wearing the colors of, or befriending a duck. Ain't gonna happen.

Since the little bastards don't like sliming over sharp scratchy stuff...I've often wondered about laying a few dried branches of blackberry around the garden perimeter. A la keeping the lions out of your camp in Zimbabwe.


Or I 'll just go with cheap beer, and my size 12's in the morning...

Junuary has officially left us, so I thought I'd recap how the garden was growing.



My sugar peas rock. Potatoes, baby reds and Yukon Gold, are growing like champs. White and yellow onions are champs, Wally's not so much. Broccoli is doing well, corn is sucking wind, and my peppers that I have been growing in the house are doing okay. Radishes are moving along, carrots are slow. Got a metric buttload of starts for beets, 9 types of lettuce/cabbage, and a bunch of beans that are doing pretty well. Artichokes are really growing well.

I've used no pesticides, AK fish fertilizer and cow manure have been my only fertilizers, and we have had no heat to speak of for any duration.

How are your gardens growing?

My sister gave me two blueberry bushes in large plastic pots for Christmas. They were sitting on the south side of the house and looking pretty good. But after I returned from Alaska, those few days of hot weather killed one of 'em. I may be in trouble if I can't find a replacement. That's the sum total of my gardening this year.

Sg

Give it lots of water and put it in the shade. They can actually be pretty hardy. It might just come back on ya. May take awhile though. . .

I have a source for blueberry plants if it doesn't recover. One of the oldest blueberry farms in Washington. They told me that as long as you don't drive over them, they'll pretty much take any abuse you dish out. It may also just be the canes, not the main plant that are damaged.

Aunty, if you want more strwaberries, try the native alpines. They are much smaller, however mine have been producing for 2 months now and will keep going most of the summer and into the fall. The blonde ones are especially sweet . . ..

Kidney stones are fun aren't they.

I never got to put my garden in this year. I was stuck on "house stuff" as I lovingly refer to my remodel project when someone sends me a text asking to go fishing, waterskiing, windsurfing, etc....

I did get some strawberries out of our plants we have in these rubber tubs, and some rhubarbs. I have a bunch of grapes that are not quite ripe on a trellis, but I got a feeling they will get picked by a critter.

Apple trees are looking pretty decent, especially the one in the back of the garden. I don't know what makes it different than the other trees. Different brand fruit I s'pose. We have these huge cherry trees which are just bird feeders. The cherries are great, the kids love them, but the lowest fruit is about 7' off the ground.

Tried a new, to me at least, red tipped head lettuce. It's doing fine and tastes great.

Now thats a scary raised eyebrow you got there Vedder!

So...what's the secret for growing monster sized lettuce anyhow?

Been tilling incover crops, and adding lots of compost for 30 years.

Someone should photoshop that schit and send it into High Times.

1 zucchini plant is 1 too many.