Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
On My Oasis – Lingering Seasons and Failed Hatchings
It’s turning notably colder this week, and though there was a lack of dew on the ground this morning, I’m expecting the weather to take a turn for the worst. There’s been some highs and lows this week on my oasis, from continued tomato yields and thriving seedlings, to bad hatches in the chicken incubator.
One little chick….
I have to introduce you to the latest member of the chicken crew – Ayam (so named because he/she is a rare, jet black Ayam Cemani). They have a genetic condition which causes every part of their body to be black – pretty cool. Unfortunately, the incubation went rather wrong, namely because I’m a novice and still don’t really know what I’m doing.
I had six eggs; and after the first candling on Day 7 realised, happily, that 5 were fertile and growing well. It’s amazing how fast these little embryos get going – just 21 days (a few days less normally) and a fluffy chick appears. However, I totally screwed up the humidity.
Humidity, when it comes to incubation, controls the development of the air sac – I understand this now in more detail. Eggs have to lose a small percentage of their weight throughout the incubation, and this is done by perspiring air through the shell. A high ambient humidity restricts the growth of the air sac, a low humidity allows the air sac to grow rapidly. On previous hatches I’ve had a humidity of around 55% throughout, raising it at lockdown (a term for when you raise the humidity to around 65% on day 16 and leave the incubator well alone). The seller of these eggs advised 45%, so that’s what I went with. As bad luck would have it, this meant the air sacs grew too large, stunting embryonic growth and restricting the chick’s movement at hatching. It resulted in four deaths before they could get out of the eggs. Gutted.
I am determined to crack it, though. Next time, instead of going with a random number, I’m going to mark the air sac growth throughout the incubation and adjust humidity accordingly. I’ve got another six Ayam Cemani eggs on their way to me, so try, try again!
An extended season
If you watch any of the gardening shows about now, they’re all discussing cleaning your greenhouse ready for winter – wait, what? I STILL HAVE TOMS ON THE GO. That’s right. Perhaps it’s because I’m in the south-east and there’s a little more heat and sun, but I didn’t pick all my tomatoes last month because they’re still ripening. Are you finding that too? I can’t bear to pull them down yet when the fruit still seems to be doing well, so I’m leaving it as long as possible.
My Pak Choi and Winter lettuce seedlings are doing well too, but they’re not at a stage requiring potting up yet. As such, there’s no great rush to get the toms out to free up space so, for now, I’m enjoying the slight extension of season.
A burst of dahlia
You might recall me mentioning before that my autumn planting has never been great. As a result, aside from some nicotiana, a few stray cosmos and the few lingering verbena bonariensis, there’s rather a lack of colour. That is, apart from the dahlias, however. The tropical border is still full of vivid hues, with the bright green and silvers of the ferns contrasting wonderfully with the dark foliage and bright blooms of the dahlias. I’ve potted up about twenty canna seedlings too, so they’ll go into the border next year, hopefully creating an even more vivid display.
Got any great and unusual plants for autumn colour? I’m all ears – I’ll be planting up in spring for next year. Yes, there’s echinacea, rudbekia, grasses – anything you love and think there should be more of in gardens?
Perhaps not this – Euonymous europaeus. Beautiful tree I discovered in the quarry, but HIGHLY toxic!
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Warning: Use of undefined constant powered_by - assumed 'powered_by' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/thegui11/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-followme/followme.php on line 58
Leave a Reply