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The Homesteading Thread

Discussion in 'Permanent Threads' started by Popped Cherries, Mar 23, 2020.

  1. Nettdata

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    Mr. Toast

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    Unggggggggggg
     
  2. Rush-O-Matic

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    I can't imagine my phone being down to 6% at 5pm.



    But, I also wouldn't have 14 tabs open, lol.
     
  3. Fiveslide

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    I usually have a minimum of 30 open. It's all boats, classic cars, heavy equipment that's for sale and I'm watching for a price drops and signs of desperation from the seller so I might can get great deals.
     
  4. Kubla Kahn

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    Easy to wrack up tabs on a phone, hell safari doesn’t even show a number, when all of the tabs are in the background. Every now and again I’ll clear 40 or so just to get down to zero.
     
  5. GTE

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    If there's a phobia about having a dead cell battery, I have it. My phone is rarely below 40%.
     
  6. bewildered

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    If it's over 50% after an emergency charge during the day, that's good enough and it's back in my pocket.
     
  7. bewildered

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    I got 9 eggs today! Everybody is back to work. I listed them for sale on nextdoor and really hope somebody bites because I'm about to have to waterglass about 100 eggs. Halp.

    IMG_20230305_103152_(1900_x_1400_pixel).jpg
     
  8. dixiebandit69

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    We're incubating our own eggs again; so far we've got two silky chickens hatched, and - sigh - a peacock that one of JJ's clients gave her.

    I swear, she's so pumped about that baby peacock that you would have though SHE laid the egg. Also, we have reason to believe that it's a white peacock.

    So far, we've got some African goose eggs and some Sebastopol goose eggs left to hatch.
     
  9. bewildered

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    I reserved and paid for my fruit trees today. One apple, one peach, one cherry (sweetheart is self fertile). I have also cleared an area for 2 raspberry bare roots, I might actually get around to planting them today. Then I have to clear another rock section for 2 more raspberry canes. I was planning on a couple fig bushes too but learned that the hardy Chicago fig available here is more of a tree? So maybe not. Next up, about 10 blueberry bushes. I really wish someone would come take all these fucking rocks out of the beds out front.

    Also @dixiebandit69 , you're gonna hate that peacock.
     
  10. walt

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    Is it self-pollinating?

    I finally got a seed catalog in the mail, from Burpee. Turns out my dear wife heard me lamenting the lack of catalogs and ordered it for me.

    I’m thinking the new raised bed isn’t going to work in the space I’d thought to put it. I’ll figure it out of course, and maybe it’ll be a good excuse to have six beds instead of four.
     
  11. bewildered

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    @walt thanks for the tip! Nope, just one. I'll call tomorrow and swap it for something else.
     
  12. AFHokie

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    Any crab apple trees nearby (20-50ft)? They're a pretty universal pollinator across apple varieties.

    This link has pollination pairings for apples, pears blueberrys, sweet cherries, etc
     
  13. bewildered

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    I was thinking about that but don't think there are any nearby. I saw crabapples for sale at the nursery too and was confused until I learned about that.

    It's probably another reason the multi apple variety grafted tree is popular, but the one I saw had some varieties I would not choose so I passed on it.
     
  14. AFHokie

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    I looked at the grafted multi-variety trees, but from what I read, even experienced growers can struggle getting them to thrive.

    My wife and I talked about planting apple trees, but our yard isn't really big enough.
     
  15. walt

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    No problem. Apple trees can be a pain in the ass as it is, never mind growing one that never bears fruit. Here's a good general info article about fruit trees. ( I highly recommend Backwoods Home Magazine as well. )
     
  16. bewildered

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    All the trees at my local place are on dwarf or semi dwarf root stock. You're supposed to prune them heavily into almost a bowl shape,empty in the middle with branches all around, so they are wider than tall. I have a very small yard (but, a ton of full sun), and have room for these trees. I am thinking about placing some up front as well, but that might be a next year project.

    I actually discussed my fruit tree picks with my neighbor who has experience with them and he was very anti apple. He says you can spray on a schedule every 2 weeks and still end up with wormy fruit. He said you do need to spray cherries but they aren't as hard to maintain to get good fruit.

    Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.
     
  17. walt

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    I'll never plant them again. While our region is great for apple and other orchards ( we have several very large scale operations in the area ) part of our problem at our place is we're in a valley. More often than not, the trees will blossom and a late frost comes along and fucks everything up. In '21 we had an amazing year, and even then, the apples were kinda small so we put them all in the cider press. Meanwhile our two peach trees produced so well they branches were breaking even after I thinned the fruit. Then in '22, nothing, other than one of my best apple trees blown over in a windstorm.

    We pruned them a couple months ago, and I need to spray for fire blight sooner than later. Generally speaking I don't spray them a lot, which drives my Dad nuts. To be honest I'm kinda over them, and if it weren't for the hope of more delicious homemade cider, I'd cut the friggin things down and buy apples in bulk somewhere.
     
  18. walt

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    I stopped by Tractor Supply yesterday for something and noticed they have a new shipment of chicks in. This time they have a good selection of pullets instead of straight run.

    The question now is, where could I put a half dozen and more importantly, how to best integrate them into the existing flock. The biggest concern being the current adults are free to come and go from the coop in the daytime and I don’t any the little ones having that option until they’re well grown.

    I have an idea to split the coop into sections so the littles are visible to the adults ( so they get used to them ) but they are separated.

    We’ll see.
     
  19. walt

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    I forgot to mention, in this household, "We'll see" or "We'll just take a look" turns into:

    Screen Shot 2023-04-04 at 12.15.01 PM.png
     
  20. bewildered

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    Good morning. Here are some duck butts.

    Mr drake has new semi permanent accomodations because he just can't resist being a total assdick to the OG black ducks.

    IMG_20230414_073812_(2000_x_1500_pixel).jpg