Ducks4you 2021 Ragtag Thread

[flowerbug]

I've always wondered whether you could use vines to offer the same shade protection as large trees. Erect a trellis on the West wall, and build a framework suspended above the roof, maybe 2' above it. You could use grape vines on the trellis, and train ivy or some other hardy vine (trumpet vine?) onto the roof frame. That would give you protection from heat in Summer; and after the leaves fall, allow sun on the roof in Winter. It could be really attractive. Obviously the roof framework would have to be strong, and it might be necessary to hose off the leaves in Fall... but I'd really be curious to see if that concept would protect a home from excessive heat.

there are certain plants that may work, but others which are horrible (they will penetrate any slightest crack they can find in the exterior and as soon as they do that they can cause a lot of damage). also once you have any kind of organic matter then you are also going to possibly get weeds and animals and on top of that fire danger.

those old ivy covered mansions look beautiful to me, but they've got walls several feet thick and it is usually a damp enough climate...

grapes are notorius for having roots that will seek moisture through rock. i would not want grapes growing on any structures. i've seen them bring trees down too. too heavy and they grow a lot and require care to do well IMO. nope, not grapes, not for me.

heh, sorry ducks we went off on a tangent here. haha, sorry, we can take it to another thread.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

otherwise known as cedar trees. they will like a lot of water. less water they may not grow as well, but perhaps there are some adapted to the more dry and further south areas.

here they are capable of growing in swamps and they will actually create their own mounds as they grow.

in the worst of the winters the deer will graze them and rabbits will eat the bark.

Not really. They are separate and distinct from our Western Cedars, like Deodar. They are related to Junipers and Cypress.

 

[baymule]

@flowerbug poles and a tarp would be an ongoing "something to take care of" and wouuld wind up being a sharp pain in my backside. LOL LOL Wind would tear up a tarp in a short time.

@Rhodie Ranch arborvitae is an attractive tree. It's a cedar that isn't as stickery as the red cedars we have here on our property.

 

[ducks4you]

elaeagnus bushes are a good option for a windbreak or privacy screen. They’re tough as nails and gain 3-4 feet in height a year. If you don’t trim them they get about 16-18 feet. We have them between us and the road.

For what zones, pls? Thanks!

 

[ducks4you]

there are certain plants that may work, but others which are horrible (they will penetrate any slightest crack they can find in the exterior and as soon as they do that they can cause a lot of damage). also once you have any kind of organic matter then you are also going to possibly get weeds and animals and on top of that fire danger.

those old ivy covered mansions look beautiful to me, but they've got walls several feet thick and it is usually a damp enough climate...

grapes are notorius for having roots that will seek moisture through rock. i would not want grapes growing on any structures. i've seen them bring trees down too. too heavy and they grow a lot and require care to do well IMO. nope, not grapes, not for me.

heh, sorry ducks we went off on a tangent here. haha, sorry, we can take it to another thread.

LOVE it when we go off topic!! Don't know about YOU, but I want to post stuff, get busy and forGET, so I'm cool with it.

 

[ducks4you]

Speaking of getting busy, I signed up for University of Illinois 2021 Small Farms Winter Webinar series, and missed it (working on Feb. 4th), but they sent me the YouTube link. It was about Aquaculture and Aquaponics. Here:

 

[Artichoke Lover]

For what zones, pls? Thanks!

There are several different types ranging in hardiness from zone 7 to zone 3. All are tough drought and wind resistant plants.

 

[flowerbug]

@flowerbug poles and a tarp would be an ongoing "something to take care of" and wouuld wind up being a sharp pain in my backside. LOL LOL Wind would tear up a tarp in a short time.

good quality tarps don't fall apart with some wind. the el-cheapo ones you can get that look like they are made of tiny strips of t-shirt bags, well for sure those won't last long. nothing i've studied for sure as to what might be possible with this kind of idea, but to me the overall concept of insulation in layers is common and how those folks in the hot climates can live in tents without roasting to death and how the folks who live in yurts also manage it in colder climates too.

 

[flowerbug]

ok, but isn't the idea for shade to have some kind of tree that grows up and then out? to my recollection i know of almost none of the cedar types of plants that do that. yes, they make excellent wind blocks and that is what they are mostly doing here along most of our property line to the South and West of us. they just don't go, "out".

i'm listening if there are any examples of those that do.

 

[ducks4you]

Dealing with lots of snow and I hope to take some pictures of our tractor shoveling and snowblower-ing earlier this week before it starts melting with tomorrow's rain. Thought I'd copy and paste re: pumpkins on another thread.
I didn't Grow pumpkins last year, BUT I froze what I had, what was given to me, and saved their seeds for 2021 planting. I am a canner and have been advised Against canning, instead to freeze. just some FYI. Congrats on your storage, though.
I have seeds saved for:
Blue Doll (from my 2019 harvesting)
Pink Porcelain Princess
Some kind of commercially available orange pumpkins
Some kind of commercially available white pumpkins
White mini boo
Purchased New England Pie Pumpkin
I also bought Hubbard Squash seeds last year that I never planted.
Funny, I dried out the pink pumpkin seeds on the top shelf of my seed starting, open weave metal 4 shelf shelving unit. 2 fell into some pots and have begun to grow. I smelled the jar where I poured them. It just seemed a little bit off, so they are now in a metal tray on top of my microwave to dry out some more, even though I am sure that they are viable.