May Lotito

Use the diluted Epsom salt for annuals is generally beneficial as it adds two secondary macro nutrients if in balance with other nutrients. It is not recommended to give to perennials at this time of the year as they are already into senescence, preparing for winter dormancy. Plants mainly get sulfur from organic forms in soil so the availability will follow the curve of OM degradation and in late summer it is at the lowest point. Adding sulfate ions now will disrupt the natural process and cause the plants to start new growths that won't have time to harden off before winter.

Online pictures showing dwarf mulberries loaded with fruits are impressive. I'd like to try some in the future.

My local wild red mulberries aren't too small, maybe 1" long and if I use a tarp and beat the tree with a stick, it won't take a lot of time to harvest also.

Late winter is dry and windy here but spring is very wet. Since mulberries fruit from the laterals in late April and ripen in early June, too much rain falls can make fruits flavorless and the trees having more fungal diseases. I've seen a few berries popcorn like on the ever bearing mulberry but never on wild rubra. Another killer is the twig blight, which also spreads rapidly in cool and damp climate.

Do you know the reason why the wild mulberries won't fruit well? No bloom? Late freeze kill? Small fruits? Usually wild ones are tougher and I've seen trees loaded with fruits especially in fertile and sunny spots. Both of my dwarf everbearing and Pakistani mulberries are easy to root.  Either as spring root suckers or summer cuttings or through air layering. I don't know how about winter cuttings. So far I only harvested a small handful of mulberries from the everbearing tree due to late freeze every year. They may not be a good choice if your weather pattern is similar.

My local feed and seed store has the 50# bag for $42 or $1.50 if buy by the pound. I bought small grains from that store before for direct broadcasting of cover crops. Usually wheat, rye and oat are $12-16 for $50#. I haven't tried winter pea before because the seeds are bigger and the ground is usually too hard by the end of the year for the seeds to take roots. Do you plan on tilling the soil for dedicated cover crop plot? I'd like to have them growing amidst the grassy yard but there is no way to break up the ground to sow the seeds in.

I have a native Arkansas yucca so I cut a few leaves to process for fiber. Same technique as in this thread on plantain fiber except I scarified the leaf surface with a serrated knife to make the tissues more accessible to microbes. The fibers are so long and durable. I am ready to make more. This plant is very common along the roads on woodland edges.

Sorry for your loss. Hopefully the two missing are just hiding somewhere. It is sad to lose almost the entire flock you cared for. Was there a roo in the pack? Usually roosters will make very loud noises even though can't fight off the predators. If you happen to be home you may be able to hear the alarm and take quick action.

When my home made potting mix contains organic matter that is not decomposed far enough,  it will attract gnats because they can utilize the materials for growth. When it runs out, the infestation will stop. It can take awhile. How about bringing in a pot of fly trap plant to catch and recycle the gnats?

Here in midwest it is common practice to have someone with the equipments to cut and bale the hays and pay half the bales. Is it the same way in other places? The farmer should have better motivation to make quality bales since he's taking them too.

I heard about shiso being used in cuisines so I bought a pack of seeds to plant two years ago. The taste and smell wasn't what I expected and I let the plants be. This year volunteers come up in very acidic soil, in the shade of my yew and oak trees mostly, where nothing else would grow. They have their roles in reducing erosion and feeding soil microbes in those spots so it'snot a bad thing to me.  It seems that they get competed out where soil is richer with more optimal pH range. I am wondering if places with perilla taking over could indicate something is off balance? In that case, remediation such as liming will bring back more species to keep it in check.

Are you experiencing drought as well? We had a wild year, near record wet spring followed by record dry August. September isn't looking good either. My maple tree is already turning color at the top. Do need lots of watering to keep the tomatoes and chayote going. I broadcasted leafy greens a few weeks back but they were slow. Will your turnips form big roots before frost or they are for the greens?