 |
| The Miyabeana cuttings, coming back to life |
4/3-8
For the last 2 weeks, we have been planting the cuttings from our first harvest. It seems frantic, mostly due to the weird weather we are having. Almost no rain, hot sunny days and cold nights until this week. I still suspect there will be another cold snap, but since the cuttings are starting to sprout leaves and roots, we don’t have the luxury of waiting.
The Miyabeanas and Flame cuttings were the most advanced in their spring growth. I got them in first, and they looked peaked for the first few days. We went back to hand-watering and thankfully perked them up enough to survive. Some of the thinner, less robust varieties are turning black - bad sign. I've cut the black parts off where I could, but still not sure they will live. I've been planting them on the edges and trying ad hoc to guess the best layout and location for questionable stalks. What do other willow farmers do when a whole block of new stalks go bad? I had thought of buying some from other growers but it's really too late in the year for purchasing. I guess there will be some holes. :(
We are doing a few things differently from last years plantings. First, to combat the ongoing wind that continues to rip up our landscape fabric, (regular 30-40mph gusts, everyday) we have put down 1 foot strips of netting on all the fabric edges. Cutting the strips is tedious, and right now we are constantly tripping on them, so those are the downsides. But it holds up to the wind really well! The first test beds did not blow away!
The other new thing we are doing is using 10” heavy galvanized landscape nails (Amazon :( about $45 for 100) to hold down the fabric and netting. Very effective, though the nails really need a washer of some kind to hold the fabric without tearing and the netting without slipping. We tried rubber washers but they still allow the netting to slip out, though they are great on the fabric. So right now, the hack of the moment is, wrapping apiece of rope around the nail under the head and using that as a washer. We did one whole strip with a rope perimeter to try that. Hope it stays - it’s the cheapest solution so far.
Final change in MO this year: we hacked together a planting tool to preserve our backs. We took two pieces of wood, two of the 10" nails and some bolts and rope and slapped it together. It works, but isn't really strong enough to stand up to hundreds of holes - the nails are bending in the hard clay and then the planting holes are wonky. We have to put in new nails in the tool every new strip we plant, and we are trying to improve it a little each time, but I think we will have to get one forged next year. This year, we are just glad not to be on our knees fighting with the clay.
 |
| Step on the top bar to sink the nails, pull up with the rope. Inspired by the system used to make crop circles |
We are just halfway through, and now that we are getting good rain every few days I am more hopeful that the last stalks will survive. At the outset I wasn’t sure! And all of our now 2 year old plants are coming back strong, even the ones still in pots! Our now 1 year old bed is coming back now too, though I see we cut some back too short and they are getting caught under the landscape fabric. That's another reminder for next year, cut them a little taller!
 |
| The 1 yr olds, coming back to life. |
 |
| Even the potted willows are coming back! |
There is so much more work to do this spring! Here's what we had planned before the summer: a storage shed, foundation and install done; a built-up pad for parking an RV (a gravel base with railway timbers supporting it); selling our walk-behind mower and getting a used riding mower; getting some big water totes up with a roof to collect rainwater; and not least, build or buy a catio so we can come live on the farm this summer and close down the house in Hickory.
However, if our SS checks don't come this month or after, we will have to skip everything above and just move us, the cats and the RV over and shut down all other expenses, including internet. We will hunker down and start a vegetable garden asap. Life will look different, but we and the willow farm will continue. I hope.