Scott Stowers

Hello - this is a loaded question but I'm wondering if anyone has had trouble "controlling" Helianthus maximiliani.

Some background: I don't necessarily buy in to all of the "invasive" labels on plants. I love some of the local "invasives" like autumn/Russian olive, while I agree with others like the callery pear. In our area (midwest) and specifically in my county due to the terrain, invasive plants are part of the landscape and some can seriously take over and be very aggressive like multiflora rose.

I am considering the maximillian sunflower as a part of a site wide strategy for moving deer along certain paths away from our guilds and to build some natural fencing.  I love the characteristics of this plant but I'm wondering if perhaps it might end up being a challenge to contain. Given it's allelopathic properties I can imagine several areas where I wouldn't want these guys to take over. They would be perennial here in our zone 6. I understand they're shallow rooted so removal might not be too difficult but we've had other issues with birds "planting" lots of sunflowers that have been a real headache.

Looking for some words of wisdom as it seems like this plant is used quite a bit in guilds. If you could, include your zone/region so I can have some idea of how it might compare locally. Thanks!

Eric -

It is my understanding that the bx42 is shared engineering with the Wallenstein among others. BUT I don't think it's been definitively proven, at least, I can't imagine the company would deliberately confirm that.

Also out of curiosity, how do you use yours?  Do you go out and periodically chip up some fallen/cut debris?  Do you make piles and then go on s chipping spree?  The reason I ask is that I typically will trim a hedge row over the course of say a month and get a huge pile that includes everything from sticks to nearly 12” diameter logs.  All of this goes into a pile near my garden beds arranged in such a way that I can situate the chipper in such a way that I can simply chip wood right into the desired bed.

We live on a ridge with 5 flat acres of land. 2 acres of this was a dense sumac "forest". I started there, cutting the trees at the base just before running hogs through to tear up the roots. The sumac grow very fast but don't get much more than a 3" in diameter. So I cut a pile then feed through chipper. But yes, the rest is just downed wood that I cannot use in other ways. I pick out the pieces that are useful to us in other ways (carving, firewood, smoking, building) and the rest goes into a pile as near to where I want to use the chips. If it's not close, I just chip onto a tarp and drag the tarp.

Since I am collecting a mountain of chips, I need a big chipper to go through the pile expediently.  Also, those 12” logs just plain need a big chipper in order to take them in the first place.  And one of those logs will produce a LOT of chips.  Right now I have 3 waiting to be ground up (they were all hanging deadfall that I wanted out for safety reasons.

This size log would require a commercial grade stand alone unit. I'd probably recommend renting if you absolutely need to chip something that size. Obviously, something that size creates some serious hazards as well.

We considered renting but the cost of renting was more than having a load of chips delivered plus we're an hour or so from the rental place. I considered also many of the more sustainable uses for the downed wood that Paul and others mentioned above (we do use wood for heat, building structures and fencing, trellis, carving, smoking etc.) but we also need the chips for mulch, compost, pathways, mushrooms and more. Eventually we will transition away from chipping but right now, after much research and considering the other possibilities for reaching our goal, this seemed to be the right solution.

I'm not sure where this topic belongs - so I apologize if I'm posting in the wrong spot. Can I move it if it needs to be somewhere else?

I'm a bit of a science geek when it comes to my planning but I'm a little frustrated (I'm on limited sleep so I'm also a bit cranky and impatient) and I'm hoping you guys can point me in the right direction.

It seems that all I can find is regional weather data that was last updated in 2010. Is this to be expected?  Maybe the local climate isn't much different now than it was 10 years ago (chuckling) but I would LOVE to review more recent data on average monthly rainfall amounts, annual ACTUAL frost free dates etc. just to see what's really going on. I swear it's been warmer earlier in recent seasons and our rainfall patterns have been truly wacky and I want to seek if this is a new trend or part of a normal cycle.

Does this data exist?

I'm digging through the obvious sites but keep landing on that 2010 date. Maybe they're about to update things to 2020?

Share anything you know, I've only just begun to look so I have fairly limited knowledge.

I did a lot of research before making a purchase and eventually landed on a PTO chipper. I had used a few stand alone models in the past and found them to be very slow to use. We're have 15 acres of mostly wooded land and our open areas have poor soil. We're also clearing a large several acre spot that was "invaded" by thousands of quick growing sumac trees to convert it to growing space. We didn't want to keep paying for mulch and compost so a chipper made a lot of sense - we have an endless supply of downed wood.

I compared a lot of models and landed on the Titan BX42. My understanding is there is shared engineering with some higher end brands. In my opinion, a PTO chipper is the best way to go. You're not relying on (and maintaining) another engine and you can get a whole lot more chipper for the money because you eliminate the cost of the engine - Just be very careful to stick within the limits of your tractor's horse power. I was surprised at how much horse power was needed to chip above 4". And 4" on a PTO is exactly that, I would seriously question the ability of lower cost stand alone units to chip up to their advertised diameters.

Overall, I am very pleased with this model. It chips fast and doesn't bog down. Used for just 1 season though, so limited timeline, but I used it A LOT. It's heavy and can take some muscle to load it onto the 3pt. as it resists moving to line up with the lift arms. I'm probably going to build a small cart to set it on so I can move it around when it's off the tractor.

We are cash flowing our farm and have a very limited budget but we do not regret this purchase. It has already saved us a lot of money and time in the first season.

I have similar questions as this will be my first year grafting. I'm following this topic and also wonder if anybody has used a lower priced grafting tool with much success? I received one as a gift. I have invested in some good rootstock and don't want to waste time/$$ on something that's doomed to fail.

Skandi - what kind of lights do you use? Our setup is fluorescent and LED so not much heat is produced. I thought about adding an incandescent bulb or two and covering the seed area with plastic to retain the heat. This is a pivotal year for our gardens and business so I didn't want to risk losing our seed or getting a late start.

You all have made me smarter and Rebecca, my world just got a whole lot bigger! 220v at 10,500 feet! I've seen the Q&A regarding the need for a solution to this and never made the connection. Amazing, Ralph has the right idea.

Well, thread has been helpful and has convinced me that spending a little on the seed mats will probably pay dividends. (Plus I'm worn out on trying to find a way to cobble together a diy solution). I ordered a couple of mats and a thermostat and will post feedback on how they work. Thanks for all the help!

These are great points! Maybe I'll take the plunge for a germination mat. Any recommendations on brand if I head in that direction? Anything I should be wary of or look out for regarding quality/efficiency?

Hi all - gearing up to start seeds. We have an indoor setup with plenty of space and grow lights. Hoping I can gather some wisdom on some easy/cheap/reuse ways to heat up the soil.  Key for me is safe, low energy use and cheap. I'm considering rope lights but hoping someone has a more creative and environmentally friendly alternative than lead coated plastic gook!  

In my area (midwest) if you buy untreated construction lumber in a 2x12 size or larger it's made of yellow pine rather than the softer pines, spruce or fir. The yellow pine seems to hold up really well, though it does break down eventually (all wood will) you should get several years out of it for a low price and the end product is a composted board that you can easily incorporate into the bed and add a new one. We've had several beds of those up for 3 years now and still holding up.

I've also used logs (round ready to cut for firewood) set upright. They last a really long time and will decompose nicely in place as well.