Bushcrafting, the weed addition: Bugout patch

[Larry {the} Gardener]

nobody come's thur every year or two to clear or spray?

If it was Longleaf Pines, you would have to worry about them being burned. But that is done before now, and they are Slash Pines. They might get mowed, but the folks who own the land don't have a tractor up here. They would ask me to mow it, or borrow my tractor. This is a small plot that belongs to an out-of-town cousin. The trees are too small to really grow in, but they are good for my holding ground. Planted pines have a few years between when they are tall enough {or there is weeds tall enough} to hide your plants, and when they are old enough to sell the pinestraw that is great for growing. Then again after they have been thinned. My AL, HR and BP patches are in older thinned pines. Generally speaking, when you thin pines, you cut 3/4 of them. That is clear cutting every other row, and half of the ones in the row you leave. If you are brave, you can grow in the clear cut row for more sun. I choose to grow in the thinned rows, just looking for sunny spots.

There are some tracts of trees here that are several thousand acres. When I was younger I grew on nothing by timber company land, but now they lease the land to hunt clubs. Some still grow on that kind of land, but I don't want any traffic where I'm growing.

I try to pick safe places judging from past land use. But like the CP holes this year, sometimes things change and you have to abandon a patch. I'm just glad I didn't have plants in it.

 

[Larry {the} Gardener]

Some good advise from the boys from Muscle Shoals. Don't call what you are wearing an outfit. . .

 

[cindysid]

I can't wait to see how your plants turn out! I used to grow in old brush piles on Weyerhauser Land, then back in the 90's they stepped up their security. i have tied many a plant down with a pine sapling. You know ur stuff, that's for sure!

 

[Larry {the} Gardener]

I forgot to mention I got two inches of rain last night. Great for the garden, but I had gave about 3/4 of a gallon to the young plants yesterday morning. Wish I had waited now. It's raining again tonight, but so far not as hard as last night. It may be Monday before I can go check on them.

Speaking of Monday, there is a slim chance of a frost that morning. The forecast is for 39F but I'm always a couple three degrees colder than where the weather station is. I'll camp the night before, and check on them early. If there is a frost, I'll wash it off before the sun comes up. As @TWS said in another tread, you could cover them with paper bags the night before. Using my fingers and toes, I came up with 47 plants in my holding grounds. Too many to try to cover them all.

 

[cindysid]

They'll turn purple for sure, or mine used to when I put them out early up there. I think a little stress is good for them.

 

[thumper60]

I forgot to mention I got two inches of rain last night. Great for the garden, but I had gave about 3/4 of a gallon to the young plants yesterday morning. Wish I had waited now. It's raining again tonight, but so far not as hard as last night. It may be Monday before I can go check on them.

Speaking of Monday, there is a slim chance of a frost that morning. The forecast is for 39F but I'm always a couple three degrees colder than where the weather station is. I'll camp the night before, and check on them early. If there is a frost, I'll wash it off before the sun comes up. As @TWS said in another tread, you could cover them with paper bags the night before. Using my fingers and toes, I came up with 47 plants in my holding grounds. Too many to try to cover them all.

being that small I would cover twigs grass wont tate much as long as ground is warm

 

[Larry {the} Gardener]

Speaking of frosts. . . . I just saw an improvised green house over an a gardening thread. I can't remember the name, but he had turned a 4 foot folding table upside down and wrapped stretchy plastic around the legs. He was growing his young tobacco plants in it so he needed sun. For a day or two thing, you could just set it right side up and cover it with a clear plastic sheet. If it was in the yard, it wouldn't stand out. But I would hate to risk it in the middle of patch of pines.

 

[thumper60]

Speaking of frosts. . . . I just saw an improvised green house over an a gardening thread. I can't remember the name, but he had turned a 4 foot folding table upside down and wrapped stretchy plastic around the legs. He was growing his young tobacco plants in it so he needed sun. For a day or two thing, you could just set it right side up and cover it with a clear plastic sheet. If it was in the yard, it wouldn't stand out. But I would hate to risk it in the middle of patch of pines.

as long as the ground is warm it wont take much.

 

[thumper60]

iam always dealing with frost,early-late sometimes july aug .it has made me a better grower over the years

 

[Larry {the} Gardener]

as long as the ground is warm it wont take much.

The plants are bound for Darwin patches anyway. Survival of the Dankest

 

[thumper60]

sounds like u got the perfect spot good luck.still cold up north come june-july I show u what I do in swamp's

 

[Larry {the} Gardener]

iam always dealing with frost,early-late sometimes july aug .it has made me a better grower over the years

Our hottest weather is in late August and early September. We will be in the high 90's for days on end. It's always the 2nd or 3rd week of September before you can feel it starting to cool off at night. So, {I ask myself} why in the hell am I starting so early?

When I was truck farming, we always had to roll the dice on melons, planting early trying to get them ready before the competition. When we had a real heavy frost we would run the sprinklers on them right before the sun came up, washing off the frost before the sunshine hit the leaves. That is when the real damage is done. Looking at the hour by hour forecast, I see there is 8-10 mph winds Sunday night/Monday morning. That would be enough to dry the dew and keep much of a frost from forming. While not forecast to be as cold, Tuesday morning there is no wind, so the dew would be just sitting there waiting to freeze.

 

[Larry {the} Gardener]

sounds like u got the perfect spot good luck.still cold up north come june-july I show u what I do in swamp's

I look forward to your swamp grow. This will be my first time growing in those conditions. I'm used to digging holes in the ground. You go down a couple of inches and you hit mud where I'm going to do the BST grow.

I had thought about trying some sort of floating garden, but can't think of how I could support the plants and still allow for the float to go up and down with the water level.

 

[thumper60]

I can tell u have farming for a bit an not mj.

 

[thumper60]

I look forward to your swamp grow. This will be my first time growing in those conditions. I'm used to digging holes in the ground. You go down a couple of inches and you hit mud where I'm going to do the BST grow.

I had thought about trying some sort of floating garden, but can't think of how I could support the plants and still allow for the float to go up and down with the water level.

I stopped digging hole's back in the 90s. I grow out on floating mats,every one says its to fuckin wet u will get flooded.the mats float I have 15-20 ft of water under me never floods just go up an down.u just have to have the nut to go out on them,it takes a bit to get used to just keep moving watch u step

 

[Larry {the} Gardener]

I stopped digging hole's back in the 90s. I grow out on floating mats,every one says its to fuckin wet u will get flooded.the mats float I have 15-20 ft of water under me never floods just go up an down.u just have to have the nut to go out on them,it takes a bit to get used to just keep moving watch u step

How do you support the plants? Is there enough soil on the mats that the roots will hold them up?

 

[Smidge34]

I'd like to see that.

 

[thumper60]

I'd like to see that.

u will my friend me new around here not to the game

 

[thumper60]

How do you support the plants? Is there enough soil on the mats that the roots will hold them up?

well I can walk on it so that say something.there's also high bush blue berries,alder's.scrub spruce.that grow on it some places mat 2 ft thick 3 feet over 2" thick.i have grown right on top of beaver house;s

 

[Smidge34]

I can't get a picture in my foggy head today what exactly you are doing thump.