Judith Driscoll

I have nothing but questions to add to your question--hope you won't mind my piggybacking on yours!  I have two goats and dragged their fencing 4 cattle attached panels over an acre or two before I got worn out and tilled and planted grasses and alfalfa on my 8 tillable acres.  Is cutting and haying it 3x / year (for weed control) damaging to the soil?  In Googling, I read on a forum that it is.  

Thank you, Todd.  Those are great observations.  Since I have conventional farm fields on three sides, and a road on the 4th, I guess I'm safe.  I did worry about birds or other animals spreading the seeds further, but if you have never seen any growing wild, I think I'm safe.  

I guess I'll go ahead and plant the four or five seedlings that I have.  I'm willing to share a few, though, as I think I'l seeing a few more poking through after all the rain.  Planting close to your chicken coop is a great idea!  

Judy

Hey all.  I've read the Siberian Pea Shrub posts with great interest.  I started some, and they're doing well in their starter pots.  But in a Google search for planting info, I see that it's invasive in Minnesota / Wisconsin, and so checked with my local DNR person to make sure I wouldn't be throwing a wrench in my local ecosystem by planting it.  His reply:   "As for Siberian pea…I don’t know much about it other than what you know.  If it is actually Siberian peashrub (caragana arborescens), (other cultivars may be okay), you probably should not plant it."  I hate to toss these little seedlings, and I'm sure the plants would make great feed for my chickens.  Can I plant these on my 10-acre zone 4a (Wisconsin) farm and keep the seeds from spreading beyond my borders?  I see that one Permie posted that he walks by a row of them near his Minnesota home; it makes me wonder if they're out there and not ruining our natural habitat as much as it would seem.  Feedback would be so helpful!  

Thank you, Mike!  I have noticed the microclimate around the silo.  Besides, snow melting earlier, my Apricot bushes planted nearby (closer than indicated on the plan) were spared losing their blossoms during this very cold week!  Arctic Kiwis sound wonderful.  I think I'll see if I can order some.  I have the trellises ready to go.  

Mulched Garden Plan

I'm wondering if any of you lovely people would be willing to give advice and feedback (or even encouragement) on my farm's perennial garden.  I'm early in my learning, but have already done some planting--eight semi-dwarf apple trees, two dwarf apricots, 6 raspberry bushes, 5 blueberry bushes, Ramps, Sun Chokes, Ostrich Ferns, and Hostas.  This year I started Good King Henry, Sea Kale, and Caucasian Mountain Spinach from seed.  I'm trying to figure out where to put them.  I'll attach a link to the plan for the seedlings, as well as a bird-eye pic of the entire plan with the fruit and other things marked.  The link is to the site I did the garden plan on--I really recommend it for veggie gardening.  You can easily see the planned placement of the seedlings there. This moon-shaped former veggie garden is what I'm converting to perennials.  It's marked in red on the bird's eye photo.  Thanks SO MUCH!  You people are amazing.  

Thank you everyone!  You are all very kind to help out with information.  --Judy

Hello Permies!

Thanks for all of your great posts!  I so appreciate them.

I have eight apple trees (so far).  Five were planted two years ago, and the remaining three last spring.  It's time to prune them, and plan to do that in about a week.  I'm wondering if you can recommend a good pruner for this spring pruning?  I have a regular bypass pruner, but is there is a special tool for fruit trees that would work better?  Any help you can offer will be most appreciated!  I also have raspberry plantings and 3-year old apricot bushes, and would need to know if whatever you recommend would be good for those, too.  

A good "pruning for dummies" resource--book or video--would also be helpful.  I have a few books already, but it seems difficult to get through them.  

Thank you!

Judy

Marco, thanks so much for all your good information.  I so appreciate it!

Thanks so much, John.  That sounds like a perfect solution.  

Judy

I live in Wisconsin (zone 4a) and would like to order bulbs from the Ramp Farm, which is in Richwood, West Virginia.  They ship in March, when the ground is still frozen in my area.  Can I make this work?  There is another option to order from a Minnesota grower, but the price is much higher.  Thanks so much if you're able to advise!