Eon MacNeill

I have black knot on a couple trees this year, trying to decide how much to excise. One of the main scaffolds has it pretty low on the branch, and it’s raining every day.

I added a Spring Satin plumcot to my tree order because I heard it does well in the east. Now I’m second guessing just how well it will do here in the NORTHeast, zone 5b canada wet coastal area. Im also wondering if the cot flavour will actually come through and how it will handle exposure to potential black knot now that it’s shown up. Anyone have any thoughts? I considered a galaxy donut peach instead but I have had bacterial canker (I think) on most of the peaches I have tried. Honestly, I’m not very successful so far and wondering if I should be growing something hardier to the wet and cold. Although this winter was quite warm and a huge amount of snow broke the branches off my one persimmon instead. Uh.

Hi John, thanks for the reply.

That link just seems to be for the actual gutters/downspouts themselves, which I have plenty of. What I am looking for is accessories/diverters that FIT those gutters. I was hoping to plug and play some sort of system to connect them into my IBC, for example components like this:
https://www.amazon.ca/14209-Mystic-Rainwater-Collection-System/dp/B003E1RJVU

But, among the dozens of bits I Have found online they all seem to be for 2x3 or larger sizes even when listed as “universal”.

Using a kitchen sieve for a mozzie screen is an interesting idea, I may need to find a bunch of solutions like that since the easy road seems blocked.

Hi friends,

I was trying to set up a simple rainwater collection system off downspouts on my house and shed. I put IBC containers at the base of each, but I have found that most or all of the “universal” and purpose-built parts like diverters do not exist to fit my downspouts which seems very strange.

I’d like to just place 1 order due to shipping rural, but can’t find anywhere that has this type of stuff for these sizes, and I’m also looking for parts for the IBC (maybe a mosquito screen cap for the top lid of the tank, hose connection, etc)

I browsed the first couple pages of the forum but couldn’t see anything. Are 2x2 vinyl 2 5’8 aluminum downspouts that rare? They seem to be the only ones in the local hardware store, everything online is for 2x3 , 3x4, etc. I already bought one universal earthminded diverted that fit neither downspout.

The rabbits and deer shredded all my bushes this year. I thought they wouldn’t take the old growth (they hadn’t in the past, just the fresh shoots and leaves) but they annihilated even the oldest bits. And often just chewed them off at the base and left them lying around the garden. Like they aren’t even hungry, just want to kill the plants.

/rant

Eivind Ter wrote:

Trace Oswals wrote:


I'm all for people doing whatever they like, but why buckthorn?  I find that plant to be terrible.  People here will do almost anything to eradicate it.

I was tginking of planting it because a youtuber I follow called Canadian Permaculture Legacy speaks warmly about the plant.
Why does it have so bad of a reputation in the place you live in?

There’s a plant called “common buckthorn”, & maybe some other names like European buckthorn (can’t remember exactly), that is inedible and considered by many to be an invasive weed. The plant known as “sea berry” or “sea buckthorn” is a different plant altogether. However, the species in the wild  have been known to spread significantly in certain biomes as well. I think it might be considered invasive in the northern sand dunes of Alberta.

I’m guessing you’ll be fine with sea buckthorn in your area in a sunny spot. I’m trying to nurse along a couple of cultivars in 5+ hours of sunlight and coastal wind, and they are doing mediocre.

If you’re in Canada probably no one in the world will sell you a Paw Paw tree for any price, no matter what you do. There seem to be about like 20 sold every year nationwide from a small handful of nurseries that actually carry them and if you don’t get one you’re out of luck. No one will ship to you from anywhere. Good luck.

I’m in zone 5 and have a tiny struggling/almost dead clump of fargesia Murielae (probably too much wind exposure, or soil too dry there?)

Anyway, I REALLY want to establish some bamboo for real, I have a very windy site mostly in part shade. The only bamboo for sale around here is very rare and expensive. Do either of you know if any of the species you grow actually come up well from seed? Especially hardy varieties that might actually make it here?

Thanks.

Can you ship to Canada? Put it in a box labelled “computer paper” or something so customs don’t mess with it.

Are these available in Canada? I assume the shipping would be a problem.

I find the large rock below the tree interesting. I have noticed when pulling out some of the (healthy) trees here to make room, a lot of them had their roots growing down over a large rock or a few rocks. Now this is possibly totally coincidental, but seeing it done intentionally makes me wonder. Are these trees able to establish more quickly because they have something to grab onto? Is it getting extra minerals from it? *shrug*