How Does Your Garden Grow??????

[too larry]

that's bad ass.. what's the pine straw used for, mulching, composting? I wonder if there's a market here..lol..

It's used in landscaping. Looks good for a while, but doesn't last like bark. Mulch is real local. You will get whatever is close to you. Like if there is a lot of cypress trees getting milled near you, cypress bark would be in all the garden shops. There is a huge pinestraw market here. But then there are millions of acres of pine trees.There are so many absentee land owners that straw theft is a real thing here. The small crew that does mine bales 20 acres in less than two days.

 

[Sour Wreck]

A little of both. I'm 57, so might not see these make poles, but I will be selling pine straw off them in 10 years {7 more years for the burned ones, but Sister and I share ownership of those} The longleaf behind the house {and the 8-9 acres at the river field} were on a habitat restoration program for 15 years. We got something like $1050 each of those years. Plus cost sharing with the seedlings and the planting. But we couldn't sell the straw while it was on the program. Since 2015 we have been getting $100 an acre for the straw. That almost pays the land taxes on the whole farm. Here is last year's harvest. I'm expecting them any day now.

View attachment 4080884

damn, that's hard work


EDIT: just read you didn't do it, lol.... i'm with you on that

 

[farmerfischer]

looks like they're bailed like pine and fur boughs for making wreaths.. pretty cool.. most of the local mulch here is pine or cedar some places get Cyprus mulch..
I'm trying to come up with ideas for my land. it's not huge but I have 14acers land locked on three sides by state land..lol.. I'm out in the sticks..

 

[too larry]

looks like they're bailed like pine and fur boughs for making wreaths.. pretty cool.. most of the local mulch here is pine or cedar some places get Cyprus mulch..
I'm trying to come up with ideas for my land. it's not huge but I have 14acers land locked on three sides by state land..lol.. I'm out in the sticks..

I would love that setup, if the state land didn't have too much traffic on it.

Pine trees are not great money. When the government was paying folks to plant pines, too many pines got planted. Pulp wood prices are slowly picking up, but they were depressed for years. And you have to wait so long to harvest, the land is tied up for a long time. But it keeps the land in green belt so the taxes are not high. Taxes on the river field are less than 200 bucks a year.

Something like Christmas trees would be better income, and sooner too. But it would be more work.

Hay is also a pretty good money maker. Unless you have all the equipment, you would have to lease it to someone else. And I don't like folks on my land.

 

[too larry]

I planted 1 tray of orange seeds today, from my cold resistant strain. 1 tray of saved Mammoth Jalapeno seeds. These were from four store bought plants I grew last year. I know they are hybrids, but I planted a shit pot full of them, so some of them should be true. 1/2 trays of Grand Bell Mix, California Bells, Cubanelle, Cayanne, Serranno and Joe E Parker New Mexico Chilis.

I have pictures, but my camera is in the car. Will post some later.

 

[blake9999]

That's about how it was here a few years ago. There was a terrible drought and the price of hay sky-rocketed. Round bales were going for between 650 and 700 each. Everyone invested in harvesting EQ expecting the high prices. It's been years since that happened and people have hundreds upon thousands of bales stock piled. Now the price of a round bale is around $20 delivered. The boom is over and everyone i stuck with their EQ they paying for.

 

[too larry]

That's about how it was here a few years ago. There was a terrible drought and the price of hay sky-rocketed. Round bales were going for between 650 and 700 each. Everyone invested in harvesting EQ expecting the high prices. It's been years since that happened and people have hundreds upon thousands of bales stock piled. Now the price of a round bale is around $20 delivered. The boom is over and everyone i stuck with their EQ they paying for.

Lots of hay got sent from here to Texas back then. These local boys were selling it in the field. The ranchers were coming to Florida to pick it up.

Some of what happens too, is that when the price does get so high, brood cows get sold off, so there is less demand. We never sold our hay. But I'm glad to be out of the cow and hay business. Too much work, never knowing what kind of payoff you will get.

 

[blake9999]

Cows were selling for $25 head. Farmers just wanted to get rid of them.

 

[too larry]

Cows were selling for $25 head. Farmers just wanted to get rid of them.

Markets are cold sons of bitches. They cut the margins to the bone. Herb growers in the legal states are learning what farmers have known forever. Have a perfect year and you can rake it in. A little bit of bad luck, and you can lose your shirt.

 

[too larry]

Oranges.



Peppers. {do not look under the chair}

 

[too larry]

I saw the first acorn starting to split. Won;t be long now.

 

[farmerfischer]

Oranges.

View attachment 4081382

Peppers. {do not look under the chair}

View attachment 4081384

I had to look... lol.. I'm hoping to see a couple volentiers myself this spring in a couple of spots I let go on their own last season ..
very cool Larry I have some Apple trees on my closed in porch in pots that I've recently started waking up.. I gave them a good drink and the next day they started setting leaf buds.. I'm planning leaving them in the pots for another year to get bigger.. damn deer wipe them out every time I put them in the ground.. so now I'm waiting and I'm taking extra precautions and I'm going to cage them for a couple years..

today I've been checking out the MDARD ( Michigan department of agralcature and rural development) for licensing info for growing and selling mushrooms.. from what I've read it appears I don't need one if my income from sales is under a certain amount of money annually .. so I'm thinking of going that direction for extra cash.. I'm hoping to make some connections at the local farmers markets this year cause I'm having a hard time finding any local restaurants buying mushrooms on the internet.. I may end up having to go to restaurants and talking to the owners/chefs ..

 

[Sour Wreck]

ordered 2 Paulownia (Empress/Princess) root clump today. worlds fastest growing tree. hope to provide shade for the house in a few years. they litterly grow that fast.

some call them invasive. if i don't like it, i'll kill it. lol

anyone have experience with them?

 

[farmerfischer]

ordered 2 Paulownia (Empress/Princess) root clump today. worlds fastest growing tree. hope to provide shade for the house in a few years. they litterly grow that fast.

some call them invasive. if i don't like it, i'll kill it. lol

anyone have experience with them?

check with your township or county first before planting to make sure its not listed as an invasive species .. some trees and plants have been banned in my area and can result in a hefty fine .. j.s.

 

[Sour Wreck]

check with your township or county first before planting to make sure its not listed as an invasive species .. some trees and plants have been banned in my area and can result in a hefty fine .. j.s.

oops, will do. i sure hope not, didn't pay much, but still...

 

[Sour Wreck]

check with your township or county first before planting to make sure its not listed as an invasive species .. some trees and plants have been banned in my area and can result in a hefty fine .. j.s.

a quick search didn't reveal anything. i think i'll be ok.

live out in the country

 

[farmerfischer]

a quick search didn't reveal anything. i think i'll be ok.

live out in the country

out in the country... fuck, go for it.. a lot of states and counties don't push the invasive issue to much but here in MI. there's been a lot of invasive flowers and ornamental grasses taking over everything and causing all kinds of problems .. even are water ways are having issues ..

 

[Sour Wreck]

out in the country... fuck, go for it.. a lot of states and counties don't push the invasive issue to much but here in MI. there's been a lot of invasive flowers and ornamental grasses taking over everything and causing all kinds of problems .. even are water ways are having issues ..

these will be planted away from any native species and mowed around constantly. should prevent any spread anyway

 

[Sour Wreck]

@too larry or anyone. can i plant pine tree seedlings this saturday with 1.5 months to go before the last freeze?

or should i pot them all and put them under a light in a non climate controlled building?

 

[too larry]

I had to look... lol.. I'm hoping to see a couple volentiers myself this spring in a couple of spots I let go on their own last season ..
very cool Larry I have some Apple trees on my closed in porch in pots that I've recently started waking up.. I gave them a good drink and the next day they started setting leaf buds.. I'm planning leaving them in the pots for another year to get bigger.. damn deer wipe them out every time I put them in the ground.. so now I'm waiting and I'm taking extra precautions and I'm going to cage them for a couple years..

today I've been checking out the MDARD ( Michigan department of agralcature and rural development) for licensing info for growing and selling mushrooms.. from what I've read it appears I don't need one if my income from sales is under a certain amount of money annually .. so I'm thinking of going that direction for extra cash.. I'm hoping to make some connections at the local farmers markets this year cause I'm having a hard time finding any local restaurants buying mushrooms on the internet.. I may end up having to go to restaurants and talking to the owners/chefs ..

Here in Florida, in order to sell what your grow, you have to get a Grower's Permit from your county Ag Ext Service, but it's free. I sold peas and melons mainly, but I truck farmed for years. Daddy and Mamma would take a truck load to the farmer's market in Panama City almost everyday. I would pick during the day, and we would load the truck back up when they got in.

They never sold any of them, but Sister and BIL grew mushrooms for a while. They did the kind you drill holes in logs and put the spores in and seal them with wax. They had to be kept under a shelter.