Goodbye TWENTY13. Hello TWENTY14.

2014 is here. Are you like me, wondering "where did 2013 go so quickly?" It's a good thing I have this blog to help me answer that question or might I not remember all that transpired in the last 12 months. Although, this blog is only 10 months old, so February and January are blurred memories. Except at the end of February, I do remember the very hard landing I took after taking an unscheduled dismount off my Arab gelding's back. Ouch! Somewhere during my recovery I started thinking about this blog...and how much I looked forward to walking again and being out of pain.

My first post went live on March 16, 2013. I chickened out with a short post and a photo.

I enjoyed reading back over the year's post to see all we accomplished as a family. Please be my guest to look back over the year at Stable Road Homestead.

March

We showed you how to make codling moth traps for your fruit trees

April

The Fix-It Month poem brought a few laughs
You met, Yeller, our Strawberry-loving Labrador Retriever

May

Celebrated Mother's Day and remembered on Serviceman and women in the US Armed Forces.

June 

We celebrated Father's Day and our son graduated high school.

July

The harvest began for apricots, grapes, and lettuces.
During the BIG HEAT WAVE, we took off to the lake to do some fly fishing.

August

Deer hunting season...There was nothing to "write home about", if you know what I mean...

September

We tracked a bear and harvested an abundance of apples, thanks to the codling moth traps we set out at bud-break in March.
Stable Road Homestead joined in The Homestead Barn Hop, hosted by The Prairie Homestead and New Life on a Homestead.
 

October

October was a busy month:
I wrote a review (non-paid) about Twisted X All-Around boots, which I like a lot.
We harvested Icicle Radishes and planted garlic--for the first time.
We began our experiment with growing in SmartPots.
Our Yellow Labrador, Bodie, turned four.
We joined other family members for a week on the North Coast.
We introduced you to one way to remove the "pickle smell" from a great big pickle jar so it can be reused to store whatever you like.
I closed out the month with a week of jury duty service.

November

We assessed our To Do List and felt pretty happy (and a little tired) with what we accomplished in 2013.
We helped neighbors move and adopted their 4 Barred Rock hens, who graciously give us two eggs a day.
We gave thanks for His grace and provision.

December

Winter came in hard in December. The Big Snow Storm sent a tree through the top of the horse shelter. The horses were not hurt, thank God.

Your Top 3 Favorite Posts

1. What I Like About Line Drying Clothing
2. Homestead barn Hop 134
3. Grateful the Horses Weren't Hurt

Your Least Favorite Posts

 ...Did I Say the Freezer is Full?
This post is a follow-on to a post about filling the chest freezer with meals, home-raised/home butchered meat. The point was...the freezer didn't stay full long enough and I need to improve the plan for next time.

Winter to Spring
A photo-only post that contrasts a cold, gloomy snowy winter day with the cold-but-sunny brilliance of spring buds on the Crepe Myrtle.

7 Projects to Complete Before Summer Strikes
I'm happy to report we made progress on this project list. The old pond is now filled with gravel and decomposed granite. The next step is to add the quartzite stones, seating and fire pit.

The carpets were cleaned in time for Thanksgiving. One day we hope to have wooden flooring again.

What Would You Like to Learn About in 2014?

Now it's time to hear from you. What is it you would like to know more about in 2014? Please let me know!

Thanks for joining us at this week's Homestead Barn Hop. Don't forget to stop in to say "hi" to Prairie Homestead and New Life on a Homestead, both of whom graciously hostess this blog hop.

White Icicle Radishes

Also known as Lady Finger, these White Icicle Radishes are fresh out of the garden.

White Icicle Radishes grow a slim 4"-6" root taper to a point and have a very slender taproot. The flesh is "crisp", mild (in case you don't like the "sharp" taste of some varieties) and, yep, you guessed it--white. The green "tops" are good to eat, so don't toss them to your chickens just yet. Add them to your salad, saute them, or toss them in a soup or stew.

Give Growing Radishes A Try

Radishes prefer well-drained soil with plenty of added organic matter. They have low nutrient requirements (one of the attributes that makes them easy to grow). But, they don't like a lot of nitrogen.

Cool weather is their favorite kind of weather. Start by sowing seeds directly wherever there is extra space in the garden. Some gardeners like to use radishes as row markers for slower germinating crops like carrots. I like this idea!

You can harvest the White Icicle Radish whenever it's large enough to use. Store them in cool, moist conditions. Ours usually go straight into the salad.

Radishes of all kinds are quick, reliable growers; a rewarding crop to grow for new  gardeners!

Fall Renovation with Smart Pots

Fall is a season of change and after experiencing a fairly disappointing summer harvest, we are  making some big changes for fall, winter and spring. The two major changes we're making include growing in Smart Pots and amending the beds--including the Smart Pots, with all new organic loam.

Why Smart Pots?

I learned that our wooden raised beds probably hold too much of the sun's heat (which was excessive this summer), hampering the plants' root growth ...and causing other problems, too. Smart Pots, I read, are made of a tough, felt-like fabric (polypropylene) that breathes and "air prunes" the roots to encourage growth. (See the study). The breathable fabric pots ventilate well and don't over heat. Nor do they hold in too much water if a heavy rain occurs..or the irrigation system takes on a mind of its own :/

When it comes to starting plants from seed or starts, the Smart Pots' black fabric quickens the warming of the soil, increasing germination rates and speeding up the growth process of the plants.

Another benefit is we can amend each pot individually according to the plant's needs. While in a large bed, all the plants experience the amendments--whether they need it or not.

SmartPots are lightweight (when empty) and portable. They can be moved from sun to shade or vice verse, or hosed off, folded and brought inside for the winter. They also last 3-5 years, which is about how long our wooden beds last.

Finally, they are well priced compared to wood which is expensive these days and Smart Pots come in a wonderful selection of sizes.

Normally, we gr ow our vegetables and fruit (except for fruit that grows on trees ;)  ) in wooden raised beds with bottoms that are screened to keep gophers out. Gophers can eat through Smart Pots so we emptied one wooden planter box and put three 30-gallon Smart Pots inside it to take advantage of the gopher screen (See the photo above).

We're Expecting Great Results

Since this is an experiment, (not highly scientific though) we are growing in our typical wooden raised beds and in Smart Pots. But, I'm very optimistic; I expect to see great crop production from the plants grown in Smart Pots. We planted lettuces in both our regular wooden beds and in the Smart Pots. It will be interesting to compare the results, even if  we aren't being truly scientific.

Where to But Smart Pots

If you're interested in trying Smart Pots, we bought ours from Peaceful Valley Nursery. You can order them from a number of places, including Amazon and Smart Pots themselves!

Don't forget to drop by.

Disclaimer: Stable Road Homestead is in no way affiliated with Smart Pots the company or Peaceful Valley Nursery. We receive no compensation from either company. We are customers. Period. These remarks and opinions are our own.

Apples

Pick

Peel

Cook

Can

Slice

Freeze

Pies