Habitat projects for the weekend?

[Derek Reese 29]

Rain dances work! Just got done broadcasting and weedwhacking 2 fields and it opened up hard for 20 minutes or so on Friday...then got the rest of the farm seeded in 99% humidity....got a monster storm on Saturday PM after planting 2 fields and getting some wood done. Already seeing sprouts on a friend's place that we broadcast and mowed Saturday....hope this rain keeps up!

 

[b116757]

Walked the fruit tree plantings at the one farm this evening about 60 or so total fruit trees about half this past spring and half the previous year. I’ve lost one pear and two apple trees at the 12 acre orchard. I pulled some tree tubes and pruned any lower branches from the trunk this evening. Walked some of the oaks this evening also but really was working the fruit trees. The 30 or so Chinese Chestnuts seem to like my site quite a bit I may very well invest in several more of those for the new farm and see how they do over there next spring.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Currently I have an unexpected free weekend. Temps are favorable for some firewood work. I need to move a few stacks I just tossed out to dry, and actually stack it by the outdoor wood boiler. I have about 6-7 cords cut and stacked for this season, and about 15 cord in logs that need to be bucked, and split the larger ones. I am going to use full rounds that I can lift, and that will fit in the door of the boiler. Split the rest. I figured the full rounds will burn slower.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Walked the fruit tree plantings at the one farm this evening about 60 or so total fruit trees about half this past spring and half the previous year. I’ve lost one pear and two apple trees at the 12 acre orchard. I pulled some tree tubes and pruned any lower branches from the trunk this evening. Walked some of the oaks this evening also but really was working the fruit trees. The 30 or so Chinese Chestnuts seem to like my site quite a bit I may very well invest in several more of those for the new farm and see how they do over there next spring.

just wondering about pruning those lower branches now..I have a bunch of 2nd leaf crabs/apples that have lots of lower branches/leaves that I would love to prune, but I thought you had to wait till later winter? I am new to this tree stuff and am wondering what the benefit is..

 

[b116757]

I could probably have waited until this fall or winter and done it but I was there fooling around with them so I went ahead and pruned them. For major structural pruning I usually do that during the dormant season but I will do some light summer pruning on occasion usually water sprouts but on these young fruit trees I really want them to put forth most of their growth in height not lateral branches in the grow tubes. Most guys don’t use grow tubes for fruit trees but even if I didn’t I don’t want low branches on my fruit trees anymore pain to mow under and the deer will prune them to about 5’ anyway when they have access to the trees. Years ago I pruned many fruit trees to low branching open centers now I prefer a strong central leader with no low branches. If I had a front mount mower instead of a mid mount then it wouldn’t probably matter to me that much.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I could probably have waited until this fall or winter and done it but I was there fooling around with them so I went ahead and pruned them. For major structural pruning I usually do that during the dormant season but I will do some light summer pruning on occasion usually water sprouts but on these young fruit trees I really want them to put forth most of their growth in height not lateral branches in the grow tubes. Most guys don’t use grow tubes for fruit trees but even if I didn’t I don’t want low branches on my fruit trees anymore pain to mow under and the deer will prune them to about 5’ anyway when they have access to the trees. Years ago I pruned many fruit trees to low branching open centers now I prefer a strong central leader with no low branches. If I had a front mount mower instead of a mid mount then it wouldn’t probably matter to me that much.

gotcha thanks! I have window mesh around all of my fruit trees thats about 2-3' high and there are some leaves/small branches in there..like you I would love for my trees to keep gaining height and not shooting laterally so I might trim some as time allows...thanks!

 

[fishin coyote]

One of my boy‘s bought me a bag of throw and grow seed for father’s day so I took my lawnmower back to the gas line plot behind the house today and set it to the lowest setting, got it mowed then grabbed my garden tiller and roughed up the soil some and spread the seed. Forecast is calling for rain tomorrow afternoon and Monday, I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

 

[b116757]

Yesterday I walked back behind the home 35 to check on what I think is a Mexican Plum tree I found earlier this spring. It has fruit but not close to ripe yet on the walk out I noticed another DCO on my place I didn’t even know was there. This afternoon after working at the Mill Creek farm all day I slipped back behind the house a cut all the trees around that DCO down it is setting pretty heavy with acorns so I figured I’d do it a favor. Maybe 12-15 feet tall double trunk which pretty normal for them on my place.

 

[b116757]

Checked on a food plot I planted in buckwheat as a little green fertilizer today. It didn’t do nearly as well as I’d hoped it would probably go ahead a give it a bit more time and then just disc it in and throw my Durana clover and WR out in a month or so.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

For the most part I am done with food plots for the season. I planted all my seeds a little early this year, I may park for that, since we have been getting a regular rain, and getting decent sun with it.

My weekend plan was to do firewood, but my wife decided to test the strength of a 12 foot long closet shelf, and she found out what too much was. This wall it was mounted on had a crawl space behind it, and I wanted to add some insulation to that wall anyhow, so I pulled out all the bat insulation, and cut and fitted 2” polystyrene foam boards to add r10, and home foam around the wdges, then re install the r19 insulation that was on it. I also installed reinforcement boards behind the sheet rock where the shelf is. It was a hot, messy miserable job, but that side is done. I have another wall that I want to do as well, but when the weather cools a bit.

 

[PatinPA]

Took the weedwhacker out to knock down the burn weed that popped up everywhere. Stupidly forgot the roll of wire for it and only had one small piece that ran out quickly. The one nice thing about having small plots is I just went around with pruners and snipped the seed heads off all the others. Spot sprayed some areas that had gotten weedy. Planted some PTT for my 3rd and final attempt on Saturday. First 2 attempts were almost total failures, since we've only gotten about a tenth of an inch of rain in the last 2 months. Low and behold though we had a nice storm yesterday and got around an inch of rain. Still have oats and rye to plant. I want to clean up my trails too. Trying to get everything done before September so I can stay out. Finally had a good camera pull. I'll put that in the bucks of 2022 thread.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Broadcast ~1.5 acres for a friend and sprayed gly at a lighter dose on 2 of his plots. Then brought his mower over to my place to mow around some trees planted this spring. Broadcast kale, daikon radish and another mix of clovers/brassicas into my 1/2 acre existing plot. The plant was to mow this field also. We got about 5 minutes into mowing around the trees when my friend hit a smaller tree cage with his big DR brush and field mower. After that it would not stay running. So yesterday, right after a huge T storm (and prior to a few more good ones overnight and hopefully today), me and another friend weed whacked the 3 foot clover and 5 foot rye field down to about 4-6". Not real fun, but it got done so hopefully the seed spread earlier has a chance. Next year I am mowing in May and August, no more of that super tall stuff! Did not get an after pic (it was too dark)...but see below for what it looked like prior to mowing.

 

[PatinPA]

Broadcast ~1.5 acres for a friend and sprayed gly at a lighter dose on 2 of his plots. Then brought his mower over to my place to mow around some trees planted this spring. Broadcast kale, daikon radish and another mix of clovers/brassicas into my 1/2 acre existing plot. The plant was to mow this field also. We got about 5 minutes into mowing around the trees when my friend hit a smaller tree cage with his big DR brush and field mower. After that it would not stay running. So yesterday, right after a huge T storm (and prior to a few more good ones overnight and hopefully today), me and another friend weed whacked the 3 foot clover and 5 foot rye field down to about 4-6". Not real fun, but it got done so hopefully the seed spread earlier has a chance. Next year I am mowing in May and August, no more of that super tall stuff! Did not get an after pic (it was too dark)...but see below for what it looked like prior to mowing.
View attachment 45449
View attachment 45448

ya that looks miserable to weedwhack.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

ya that looks miserable to weedwhack.

especially when soaking wet with most of the rye laying down...it "only took 2 guys 2 hours though....hence the plan to mow alot sooner next spring haha!

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Lots of green manure/organic matter right there, and weed suppression. It may be a pain in the ass to deal with before you want to plant again, but it is great for your soil, and stopped a lot of weeds from growing.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Lots of green manure/organic matter right there, and weed suppression. It may be a pain in the ass to deal with before you want to plant again, but it is great for your soil, and stopped a lot of weeds from growing.

there were some weeds and some old brassicas, but I saw a few that the deer up here really like like ragweed...just hoping those brassicas can poke through after getting a good soaking today...also i am thinking the clover will just jump if we get a bit more rain and some cooler nights

 

[fishin coyote]

Spent the weekend making spaghetti sauce and cutting out a honey bee hive out of cuz’s deer blind, They were in the wall and floor. I did manage to walk out back to pull cards and see if last week’s seeding was up yet. Coming up nicely after a week with an inch or so of rain. Had some bare spots I was blaming on operator error until I looked at the camera card and saw the local flock of gobblers hung out for the afternoon a day after planting.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

there were some weeds and some old brassicas, but I saw a few that the deer up here really like like ragweed...just hoping those brassicas can poke through after getting a good soaking today...also i am thinking the clover will just jump if we get a bit more rain and some cooler nights

Here's some "after" pics...got it down pretty good...now just hoping the daikon radishes and kale can outpace the clover for a little bit...

 

[WeedyJ]

^Is that a typo? 5qrt/A. At least I hope it is.

Nope. Not on Bermuda. Craig Harper and others recommend that rate.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

This weekend is grains weekend!! Planting my neighbors future sweet corn field in WR/clover/turnips, the food plots at my house in WR and triticale, a friend's several plots at his cabin in WR and oats and some plots at our farm in WR and oats. Then we will do several rounds of rain dances while trying to scare the turkeys as far away from these plots as possible.
Also moving a treestand from the top of my home food plot to the bottom so it's easier to access.