Becky Proske

When I discovered the kickstarter through the daily-ish email, my first reaction was similar to Sue's. This kickstarter follows to closely on the heels of the Great American Farm Tour done by Justin Rhodes and lacks a sense of originality because of that fact, even though it is a great idea. And I've already acquired many of the add-on bonuses through previous kickstarters with a paul wheaton connection.

Please delete, thanks.

Burnt Ridge Nursery in Washington offers a selection of rootstock by the piece. They also have a nice variety of scionwood.

http://www.burntridgenursery.com/default.asp
http://www.burntridgenursery.com/Rootstock/products/98/

I've also seen rootstock available through local orchards that do their own grafting and buy rootstock in quantity. Sometimes they are willing to sell just a few to the homestead hobbyist. Only need to ask or do a little search.

I bet you could sell those extra M111s on Craigslist or something and recoup some expense.

Good luck with your grafting! It's always interesting to see what works out.

I'll echo the brand Kamik, I have a pair of their Hunter boots and I am pleased with them. I've had them for a couple of years and they are holding up well, but they might not be receiving the same level of wear as mentioned by others. My Kamiks are insulated and I wear them mostly during chilly spring and fall wet weather. I have worn them through summer but only briefly to do morning chores. The boots where stiff and uncomfortable at first when brand new. But thankfully that changed over time with wear. They now bend adequately and I find them comfortable for walking great distances over uneven terrain.

I understand the frustrations of finding a durable pair of muck boots that will last. I've spent some time researching brands before I bought my current pair. Here are my top reasons for choosing Kamik.

- Removable, washable liner, (in fact I think this will be the first thing to wear out, but super easy to mend or replace)

- Kamik has a recycling program for their boots. Okay, so I might have to pay a bit to ship them to Canada. But the option is there. I'll gladly support a company that shows responsibility for sustainability. At the time I bought my boots, I found a list on their website of boot styles that are recyclable (not all of them are). I simply choose one from this category that met my needs. And the best part is, I discovered my local farm supply store stocked this very brand and boot. No need to buy online.

Sk Patel wrote:Once you have root growth, do you do anything special when planting out the rooted cuttings?

Once I saw roots on the stems I planted them into pots with good soil that remained light and loose but held moisture well (like a seed starting mix). I waited until the roots were several inches in length before I did this. The mobility of pots allowed me to keep the cuttings out of direct sun. The roots will need to adapted to the soil. I imagine that it's possible to transplant the rooted cuttings directly into the ground, so long as they receive plenty of water afterwards. Water might be need on a daily basis in this situation depending on environmental variables. Some protection from full sun (and wind) would also be beneficial for the cuttings to get rooted in their desired location. Personally, I recommend transferring them to pots with soil (especially if it's just a small quantity of cuttings). Once the stems show new growth, they are ready to be transplanted to their permanent homes.

There are many ways to root plants by stem cuttings. Youtube is where I originally looked for some tips when I first thought about propagating mulberries. Here are a couple vids that I think offer some good visuals on preparing the stems.

In the spirit of Micheal Grab and Gravity Glue, I've been stacking stones in certain places where i walk around the property. The rocks are smallish in size, not very big. My favorite place to put them are on top of fence posts. The birds sit on them, the wind or cattle knock them over, but usually one or two remain. I restack them a little differently each time i pass. It's an easy, interactive and enjoyable form of art in the landscape. I see it as an opportunity to pause, balance and enjoy the view around me. Mini retaining walls, pathway edging and stepping stones are other ways we've made use of rocks in the garden.

Hi Fredy

This is something I'm also curious about. To graft honeyberry onto honeysuckle is something I've considered trying too, since the bush is common around the upper Midwest as well. Honeysuckle has some toxicity. I read in the Grafter's Handbook (R.J. Garner) that a toxicity trait in rootstock could possibly be transferred to the scion wood, ( and maybe to the fruit in speculation ). Not sure if this is a big thing to worry about. The level of toxicity doesn't appear to be extremely threatening when compared to other things, but still, it is there. I don't wish to discourage, I'm just offering a thought. It might be something to look into further or to consider including the awareness of in experimentation. I'm curious too! Good luck!

Here's a link to Organic Valley

https://www.farmers.coop/about-us/

I've had good luck with mulberries. I took cuttings in early summer from new growth and rooted them in water. I used young shoots that were near a foot in length. Trim the leaves from the lower half to two thirds of the stem. New roots are likely to sprout from the leaf nodes so take care not to damage the stem there. Submerged the stems in water up to the leaves. Keep in a shaded or sheltered spot with diffused light. It can take a month for mulberries to root in this way. Check the water level periodically and start looking for root growth in a couple of weeks.