What's happening today - 2018 edition

Yeah, if I remember, changing the oil is a pain, and can be messy. I believe it came with some kind of plastic tube to hook up to the drain, so that’s ok. But, taking the filter off is the bigger mess, it does get on the frame. I need to get the oil and filter changed on it, I think it’s been 3 years.

My rider has a 24hp Briggs and Stratton V engine on it; I just got a filter for it, it cost $11 from Lowe’s.

It still has the original battery in it, so it’s at least 4 years old, and it sits out in an unheated shed. I had to have it charged last year, it wouldn’t start for the first mowing then, but did after that. I thought this long winter would’ve done it in, and while it didn’t start the first time, it did take a charge and has been fine since.

I like it, but I’m probably going to have to sharpen my mulching blades. Sometimes in high grass it leaves some of it uncut, and I have to go over it again.

It gets great gas mileage, I think it holds about 3 gallons, and I can mow our hilly 2 acre area, and not run out.

It got a real workout this weekend, I had to mow the barn orchard after it hadn’t been done in about 3 weeks, it looked almost like our un-mowed pasture, some really high grass and weeds. It took a while, but it got done, after having to go over it a couple times. If you let the grass go two weeks around here, it can look really shaggy in a hurry.

Ate my first ripe blueberry…but after having had a RC and a cookie…it tasted sour.

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Looked at Starkbros today, they have greatly expanded there selection of peach trees. Expensive and small because they are potted but a much nicer selection then what they have had in the past.

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The first two are irises, the next is my raspberries starting to bloom, the fourth is my strawberries setting fruit, the fifth one is my native plum, the sixth is my three year old black walnut tree, and the last is of my garden around my apricot tree.

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RC?? Are you talking Royal Crown cola? I thought they stopped making that along with Fresca and Tab twenty years ago.

We have a grand total of 5 blueberries on our Patriot plant. They’re still looking a bit pale, so gotta wait a couple weeks I’m guess.

My Jewel black raspberries are starting to pick up some color!

The Cat’s Claw Sensitive Briar is blooming and is beautiful…

Delicate flowers of Ohio Spiderwort…

And an up-close good morning from one of my heifers…

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After spraying my new Mericrest nect last fall and this spring, I see it today covered with red blotches of PLC

So that didn’t work

What type of copper did you use?

I’ve sprayed with copper hydroxide once this spring (usually twice in late fall and early spring). No issue.

Bonide liquid

Once in fall, twice in spring

The Bonide brand is too weak.Even their strongest stuff, Fung-onil,which uses Chlorothalonil,didn’t work for me.Brady

The apricot season is in full swing here. Nicole is done, Orangered is almost done, Gold Kist is about 2/3 over, and Tomcot is at its peak. Harcot is likely the next one to ripen after that.

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Not sure if you want to spend money on it. Kocide 3000 is your answer.

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How early in the spring? Copper should be sprayed prior to bud swell in spring.

This photo tortures me… :sleepy::joy:
I have not eaten quality apricots in many years… Hopefully I’ll get some from my Royal Blenheim late July…

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Is kocide 3000 much different from Bonide if you use Bonide at higher strength?

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Yes, then

It was a long, cold, dormant spring

Linvilla orchard should have apricots this year.

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You would need 4 times the amount in Bonide to have the same percentage of copper, and also copper works better in a copper hydroxide form than in Copper Octanoate form. So maybe 6 times
Two weeks after I sprayed, my trees looked like this. Needless to say I have zero leaf curl.

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Thanks, I did not know they have them. Have you tried them before? Are they good? Oftentimes orchards will open the picking window too early and the fruits are not that good. I find that most people go picking just for the fun of picking, without paying much attention to the quality of the fruits…

I’m not sure if the apricots are pick your own, we buy strawberries from them and I got to try one 2 or 3 years ago when frost got almost all of them. It was very good.

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