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The last few weeks projects & pics... updating....

Sligh1

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Big variety. Wish I snapped more. Ton of crp planted. Ton of tree spading done. All the willow cuttings put in. Apple & pear trees.
tile plow getting some wet low yielding ground into shape. This is at least a start & give this ground couple years TLC & get producing excellent

tree fort for the boys is getting better by the weekend.

sheds & fertilizer piles.

drilling crp- had to be a badger hole. I took a steel rod to feel around in there but decided I didn’t want to fight a badger that day and didn’t want my face eaten off.

did have to check regulations- rabbit season is closed! :(

My week in a nutshell. My rambled list & jumbled bunch of pics. :)

This weather is great and the work load has been CRAZY!! Good times!!!

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Awesome, hard work pays off, wish I was young again to accomplish all that! That shed pile looks like a life time of collecting, are they from this year?
 
Awesome, hard work pays off, wish I was young again to accomplish all that! That shed pile looks like a life time of collecting, are they from this year?
I’m feeling - bit old right now!! The one thing that gets me is the bending over to plant stuff over & over like the willows & stuff. Back starts to hurt a bit. Maybe I need to take a yoga/spa or massage day. ;)

Ya- this year. Buddies shed hunted some tillable farms in other areas so it’s over a pretty wide area. It’s still great, no doubt but from lot of places. It’s SLIGHTLY better than my years of growing up in MI where I went a good solid 10 years finding ZERO sheds!!! :)

had my boy Charlie with me when he wasn’t in school & wife/daughter when they wanted to. They love it. Kids really into outdoors now- which I love seeing that!! Heck- the dog sat in tractor with me. I think I have a pic....
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You are a busy guy!
What do you store your fertilizer for?
We did some willow stakes this past weekend as well, started on 2 of the 7 areas that need attention.
Also came across the culvert crossing that blew out, called the tenant and he had them fix it for now so he could get anhydrous put on... Always something to do at the farm!
 
You are a busy guy!
What do you store your fertilizer for?
We did some willow stakes this past weekend as well, started on 2 of the 7 areas that need attention.
Also came across the culvert crossing that blew out, called the tenant and he had them fix it for now so he could get anhydrous put on... Always something to do at the farm!
Store it when get really good price. Blows away what some guys get charged when doing some shopping. Put in a great big building & scoop up & put on as needed. No waiting on folks either which is nice!

oh- the “always something to do” part..... oh my gosh is that right!!! My wife asks me maybe couple times a year “u won’t ever be done will u?” Kinda like when I finish a big project - take a big sigh of relief & then need to pummel the next. It literally never ends. This week we doing cattle manure, also fixing crossings & fixing an old silted in pond by my house. I think I have a pic of that too!! So gross!!!
This is the muck pond. Pry built 30-40 years ago and just gross. When I irrigated out of it a couple years ago. Now the dam is busted out & pushing out with dozer. Gonna be nice by end of summer I hope.

then...... it’s alfalfa, followed by corn & bean time!!!! This is why I know I’ll be stuck hanging treestands in July when it’s 500 degrees out.

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Gonna need pics of the work being done on the pond. I think we all have a pond or 3 just like that one. Give us the play by play on that please.
 
Where are you guys getting willow cuttings? I am looking for some to plant a quick growing screen.
My buddy has a truck wash and got “austree willows” ..... u can find em around lots of houses, hog coops & acreages in N 2/3rd of state. All over!! I got 3 other kinds too. Local ones I found. All work and with 4 varieties & “free” - can’t go wrong. Any ditch, creek, wetland, many ponds or river is filled with lots of variety.

Here’s snap shot of today. Pond is JUST started. Not much to see. Just finding bottom. I’ll post more when looks good & clean. & some details. I think it’ll go quick to be honest. Still lot of work but it’s right outside house so sick of looking at a muck hole!!!

Cattle manure at 10 tons to acre. Will be way better than conventional and actually cheaper if got same basic fertility values. Love this stuff.
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Thanks for the info. Been reading a bit on “planting” willows. Some say soak them in water until they start a root then plant them. Others say just cut them, drive a stake in the soil to create a hole and stick them in the hole. What is your recommended method?
 
Thanks for the info. Been reading a bit on “planting” willows. Some say soak them in water until they start a root then plant them. Others say just cut them, drive a stake in the soil to create a hole and stick them in the hole. What is your recommended method?
I have not done many Willow cuttings so I’m right there with u! I think if u r planting in very moist & wet areas- u get away with more. If it’s not quite as moist.... I’d let them for sure send out little roots- plant a bit more carefully and mulch around to hold moisture.

I am letting mine just start to send roots out. IMO- little better but on this issue- I’m not 100% sure. If these aren’t successful - I’ll try some other methods.
 
Not an expert on willow plantings either but one of the best articles I read is : how to plant willows and cottonwoods for riparian restoration Jan 2007 revision by j. Chris Hoag. Usda boise, Idaho
 
Another is: a guide for harvesting, storing, and planting dormant willow cuttings by ann lexberg, technical advisor June 20, 2008
 
Did willows 7ish years ago. I let them stay in bucket of water until several inches of roots. Maybe not necessary. Its so freaking easy. the just pushed them into mucky spots. All flourished.
 
Skip - did you just punch a hole in the dam and let it drain? Then going to push the muck out, reshape/deepen the pond and close the dam back up - all with a dozer?
 
Skip - did you just punch a hole in the dam and let it drain? Then going to push the muck out, reshape/deepen the pond and close the dam back up - all with a dozer?

yes. Ripped a big hole in dam with medium size excavator in maybe 3 hours had it nice... dug deep, ripped out some trees & piled clay in certain areas.

this one is maybe half acre. For this example - went with BIG excavator to clean it out. Will go really fast. Would be a long job with just a dozer unless it was really big.... say D7 & up. & ain’t hauling D7 or D8 for a half acre pond. ;). So- big excavator & small to medium size dozer to move the fill. Will go fast. To hit the floor without silt & black- we got 20’ so it’s a lot of moving!!!!
Ya- patch it back up with dozer or excavator.

Lot of ways to do this. A lot. No doubt if had small machines- wouldn’t be worth doing. & generally - cheaper to build new pond if they are “really bad”. I got some help on this & few buddies throwing a few ideas at it. Woulda taken weeks with small dozer. Be very fast with big excavator.

im paying buddies to do it while they do other projects. It’s “buddies” but I will be paying them fair. I’ll have about $3500 into this job. Maybe $4k. Which - for a .5 acre CLEAN pond that’s 20’ deep - next to my house - I’m ok with it.
 
I haven't seen any benefit to rooted willows over just pushing them into moist ground . Often times when I plant them with roots, the fragile roots break off when I push the cutting into the ground.
 
Dang, you're a busy guy Skip! I'm soaking up a lot of good information and ideas for when I get a place. Keep it coming.
 
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