Real Estate (Farm & Ranch Land), Rural life

Calf Catching (Today)

Calf catching, back in the day Rick and I used an old ’64 pickup to check calves and work them. Not many of our Hereford cows ever made it in the pickup, the trouble was with the Angus. As we sat inside trying to decide how best to get a tag in the ear while mamma pawed and blew snot. One of us suggest that the other simply sit a straddle the calf, and although she might get close, “mamma will never actually hit you.” Yeah, right.

Rick was the driver of the pickup and assumed that he could somehow keep the old pickup between me and a frothing cow. Without many hints, I’m certain most of you know how that turned out. It didn’t. His roaming around in the vehicle insured that I dared not crawl under for safety.

As times change from 4-wheelers to gators, then a 4-wheeler with a calf catching cage has definitely made the endeavor safer.

Gardening & Landscape, Pruning trees and shrubs

Pruning Shrubs this Spring

Pruning shrubs is easy, even to rejuvenate an old one that has lost its desire to bloom.

You want to thin out the stems of your shrubs each year, so they do not get raggy looking. Start by removing an entire stem or branch, either back to its point of origin on the main stem or to the point where it joins another branch. Remove the oldest canes first never removing over 1/3 of the shrub in one year. This allows the younger stems to grow and it is the younger canes that will grow

Heading mean shorting the height of the plant. Cut to a bud that faces to the outside of the plant, this prevent branches from growing into the plant. Usually done with hand-held pruners, heading stimulates the buds just below the cut, encouraging dense growth. Never remove over ½ of the growth. So, pruning shrubs is not that hard.

Fruit trees and fruit shrubs, Gardening & Landscape, Pruning trees and shrubs, Shade Trees and Shrubs

Pruning Trees (fruit and shade)

You do not need a BA degree in pruning trees either fruit or shade trees. Most trees do best when pruned and trained to a central leader tree (one main stem). This type of tree has a pyramidal shape with a single upright leader limb as its highest point. This leader is the newest extension of a long, upright growing trunk from which all side branches arise. As with all strong growing branches, the leader should be headed back each year. The uppermost bud on the leader produces a vigorous new leader, and no other branch should be allowed to grow taller than the main trunk. Branches should be spaced vertically 4-6” apart, have growth that is more horizontal than vertical and point in different compass directions from the trunk.

Remove weak, diseased, injured or narrow-angle branches (the weaker of any crossing or interfering branches), and one branch of forked limbs. Also remove upright branches and any that grow toward the center of tree. You want to keep your tree from becoming too thick and crowded and to keep its height reasonable. All these objectives promote improved bearing, which is your overall aim. Try to achieve the general shape of the trees in the drawings provided but be sure to allow your tree to express its own individuality. You can not force a tree that grows 60’ into one that grows 20’.

Remove any basil shoots growing from the base of the tree. Also remove any broken branches, water sprouts (shoot growing straight up from a branch or downward from a branch, and sucker shoots around the base of the trunk.