several topics

[rockriver]

covering several topics and issues with this post.
i thought old billie was too old of an old goat and gave her away. now i hear she's in the family way! shock.
this left an open "pasture" so i planted pecan trees... having no concept of all that involved. water/spraying/protecting/too small a plot/etc.
moral - learn all about something before you proceed!

then decided to put in a garden spot between trees. seemed smart as sprinklers had been installed for the trees!
moral- make sure you've got plenty of pipe and fittings and glue before you start!

sprinklers would automatically water the garden.
then found huge roots from pine trees that had been cut down.
so, decided to use "middle buster" to dig up roots. this thing makes putting pipes in the ground much easier than a shovel.
moral- don't forget where the water lines are. they are not meant to stand up to the middle buster!

tractor and middle buster sort of worked, but often just broke the root.
no problem. just grab one end of root and pull it out of the ground. right? well that worked on the little roots..
and worked when the ole geezer wasn't old and was more used to similar activities.
so, that's what old axes are for. for lots of reasons, this process needed to be done quickly.
there was a time, snatching roots and going crazy with an ax, came easy. this time, the body revolted to the extreme stresses unfavorably.
moral -- be moderate with the exertion if you haven't stayed in shape. and have some ibuprofen/tylenol on hand.

deer like to nibble on new young pecan trees.. so spray them with "deer out." seems to really work.
deer repellant washes off with rain. we haven't had much rain, less spraying. grass/weeds like all the water the irrigation is putting out.
so time for the roundup. (folks this stuff lasts for years) i bought it from a farmer 11 years ago,
the "deer out" is sprayed from a container with a pump and a wand.
the roundup is sprayed from a container with a pump and a wand.
moral- don't have both containers with you at the same time. it's too easy to spray roundup on new pecan trees and other small trees (figs/citrus) when you get in a hurry.

maybe it be best to just buy groceries at wally world and be assured that prices were coming back to low levels and that there would be plenty of groceries on the shelves
and that the gov't would take care of us and send us more free money so that we wouldn't have to worry about prices going up.

[Lowdown3]

Good post.

Recently had to bulldoze one of our older orchards due to non production for a couple years. I think the belief that semi dwarf trees do well for about 15 years may be accurate.

Replacing some trees, bought 8 apples last fall, in 5 gallon pots, put in ground a few weeks after receiving and kept watered well, etc.

Come budding out time, only 2 made it. Gave the others a little longer, did the bend slightly test- they didn't break so I stayed hopeful. Water, sunshine, wood ash around the trees, limed the orchard area, fertilized lightly near trees. A few weeks back still no budding out or leaves on six of the 8. Remaining two are looking great.

Went harder on the bend on the bad six, most broke this time. They went on burn pile. Had to get some more replacements.

"Go big or go home"- this is one of the main reasons we went with a higher quantity of trees first go around. We won't starve, but lost six months (winter/early spring) to waiting on six of the 8 of these.

Russian saying- "there is a certain quality, about quantity.."

[surviort_wwdnet]

Strenuous outside work and maintaining focus don't mix! I cannot swear that I've never used the wrong chemical and had to wash my plants.

However, never mind about Wally World; I get a few things from there, like the 3 cases of canning jars I've gone through in the past week! I used to work for a glass manufacturer, but can't make my own Mason jars...