What have you done to prep this week?

[ak474u]

Built a firewood rack out of the wooden fence posts that snapped off at the ground in the wind storm. I just put the posts in the ground 2 feet apart on one end, a single post in the center 2 feet from the end, and another 2 on the other end. The rack is 6' high, and 4-1/2' wide by 3 feet deep. There are 2 bays for wood. Right now, its totally full on one side with fence board scraps for fire pit kindling, and I've got it half stacked with pecan and mesquite for smoking. When summer is over, I'll get some oak firewood and stock it up for the fireplace. Finally had to bird net my maters, I've got 4 beds done, but several more to do. My tabasco, pequin, snacking, big jim nu mex, and banana peppers are doing well. My kale is almost played out, my cantaloupe and watermelons are blooming, my eggplant is almost ready for the first batch and is blooming again, just harvested and re-planted cilantro, about to harvest the last round of Parris island cos lettuce (very impressed with this breed, its been bug free, while the spinach got hammered next to it) carrots are coming along, final batch of taters is almost ready, snap peas and beans are making, squash, and zucchini is doing ok, and my Okra is going NUTS.

[bacpacker]

Stormy, I know you're a totally different climate than I am. But down here we will dig a few to eat on, but for the most part I leave them some until the plants die back before I dig mine. Alsip I wait till after dog days, which typically is in mid August. They keep better after that. I will find out the date from my stepdad. But regardless don't dig them all till after the plants die.
Having said all that, I never thought to ask, how much do you have planted? I have 4 100 ft rows, so my circumstances are maybe different from yours.
I'm also gonna pick up some more chickens tomorrow night. After the Hawks, I gotta build the flock back up.

[Stormfeather]

I only have about 15 plants in, and like I said, this is the first time planting potatoes. I do thank you for the advice, and now that is what I will do with them!

[bacpacker]

We got 5 new chickens, 4 hens and a roo. They are about 3-4 months old, so should start laying by fall. All are Buff Orpington except one. Shes a buff/english orpington cross.
Ive been picking a quart or two of blueberries every other day. A gallon of bell peppers and a pint of Serrano peppers, cukes, and tomatos are starting to produce good as well. Made our first batch of bread and butter pickles today.
I have been working on a couple of raised beds for my wifes boss. I got a drip irrigation system for her installed this week. It was super easy to put together and works really well. I picked it up from here.www.dripdepot.com
I'll post a review after a while, once i get some experience with it.

[Stormfeather]

Currently out on training ops in Fla, so no prepping for me this month.

[ak474u]

About to pickle some okra and banana peppers, didn't have quite enough in this round to bust out the fryer for the okra, so pickling it is. We've got THE BEST cherry tomatoes I've ever had right now, the plant is 4x4x5' high and we've gotten about 75 maters so far with about 60 more on the way. My watermelons and cantaloupes are blowing up, they're about the size of a baseball right now, but I've got about 20. I'm finally getting Roma maters in decent quantities, and our sugar snap peas are almost 6' tall and producing well. Stuttgarter onions are almost ready, the few we've eaten so far were fantastic. I'm starting to plan next year's tater and onion beds, I'm gonna do rows of black plastic with a drip system , so the dirt prep starts now.

[bacpacker]

Ak, sounds like your food is kickin butt! I am most likely gonna instsll a drip system myself. First one will be for the grapes, blueberries, & fruit & nut trees. Taters, onions, and maters will be next. The cost of predone systems aren't bad. If you pick and choose what you need, it would probably cost even less.

[Socalman]

Changed out some of the water supply for fresher water. Added a little bleach to help it keep. Added a few cans of hash for storage. Worked on the garden. Something (perhaps squirrels, I have never seen rabbits in our area) has basically ruined my green beans by eating almost all the plants down.

[ak474u]

Changed out some of the water supply for fresher water. Added a little bleach to help it keep. Added a few cans of hash for storage. Worked on the garden. Something (perhaps squirrels, I have never seen rabbits in our area) has basically ruined my green beans by eating almost all the plants down.

Could also be rats, they did that to every tomato I had ripe until I put out poison. I've policed up 6 big dead rats so far.

[Sniper-T]

Could also be rats, they did that to every tomato I had ripe until I put out poison. I've policed up 6 big dead rats so far.

Mmmm that's some good eats right there!! Oh wait... you did say Cats, right?