Where did you get your greenhouse panels? And what temp are you keeping it in there? Thanks
Itâs a kit greenhouse from farmtek.
50 F overnight and the fan is set to turn on if temps reach above 80 F.
Dax
Can you take some pics (maybe you have them somewhere already) of where your putting 900 trees? Iâm going to be overwhelmed with 100 when my orchards complete so iâm curious.
I had 23 large conifers dug several weeks ago and I hand dug and wrapped another 20 plus myself completely opening up an acre.
Iâll do straight lines to put the grafts in the ground (for selling them).
And Iâm beginning a second orchard.
Here are a few photos showing the property. Itâs difficult to get a total view of the space quite naturally.
All donated to Columbia Missourâs Parks & Rec. Dept. upon where they have built a beautiful and new arboretum/park. This is the very kind article they posted on their website a day after the conifers arrived. A great friend is in charge of the Parks and Rec. Dept. and thatâs how it all came together.
And circled in white is the entire area. I have six-acres total.
Dax
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Dax:
I see you are over in the deep leoss soils near the Mississippi river. But it looks like you are on a forested area rather than prairie. I used to dream about soils like Muscadine silt loam, one of the best corn and soybean soils in IL. Thatâs a prairie soil.
Thatâs exactly right. My exact soil type is Hickory Silt loam on more than half of my property and the other part is called greenbush silt.
Muscatine soils are so much better. I never saw such poor soil in IL until I moved here but, the land is so beautiful in its rolling hills that I couldnât pass it up. I did dig a few holes prior to getting the property and of course I dug in areas where the soil was much better than all the rest here. But, these loamy soils hold water so awesomely that thereâs hardly any watering necessary in the worst of droughts. I would prefer black soil though! 
Dax
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The black soils are great for corn and soybeans. But for fruit trees all you need is drainage and water holding capacity. The rich soils would make fruit trees too vigorous. Now nut trees like pecan would benefit from a richer soil provided itâs at least moderately well drained. But fertilizer will compensate for lack of organic matter. Water is key for pecans. Down here they need 48-60 inches irrigation per yr.
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Whats your plan when everything begins to produce Dax? I havenât really thought much beyond getting it started⌠
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Dax and Fruitnut:
I am seeing rocks. Am I seeing rocks or just clods of dirt? In 3rd photo from the bottom? Are they distributed through the soil with depth, or just on top (such as from road/building construction)?
If there are rocks in the soil, then it isnât loess, but rather till. Given your location it is probably till from the penultimate glaciation (Illinoian) about 150,000 years ago. https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/education/Pages/SchwegmanGlacier.aspx
Here is the USDA-NRCS description of the Hickory soil series. Note it can be loess-mantled, but doesnât have to be. Official Series Description - HICKORY Series
Anyways, glacial and Pleistocene geology is a fascination of mine. So I thought Iâd share.
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Thanks for the info on Hickory series soil. I was going to look that up. I suppose much of the loess has eroded off or wasnât that thick to start with. The really deep loess is usually close to the river. Interesting soils in Illinois.
Try not to spray Dan very often and just let the birds, family, friends, neighbors, eat from it. Then, find local food marts where the yuppies go and sell pawpaws and persimmons and anything else they could be interested in. Maybe go put up a table at my cityâs farmerâs market. Iâve also considered putting a table full of produce on my road with a box that people can buy and pay w/o me needing to be there.
@Levers101, Hi Drew. I donât see which photo but what I can tell you is very rarely I find a couple smooth rocks or reddish rough rocks or other colors. Itâs very rare to find rocks and theyâre all an inch or less in diameter. I would say I could dig 20 holes and never see a rock. There was construction for the house in 2008 and driveway rocks got drug around, however. And my snowblower throws them into the yard. As you see I have a long driveway.
Dax
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Lol. I worked on a vegetable farm in western Minnesota for a few years. They had honor system stands in town⌠until the Bosnians came. I heard about those â#*@# Bosnians in their minivanâ so many times. Theyâd just go and load it all up without paying.
Just curious about your persimmon grafts. Do you get them to break dormancy in that greenhouse before grafting?
oh yeah. you bet.
Best regards,
Dax
Tater tot hot dish for dinner now, dontcha know.
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Microwaved yellow potatoes cut burning hot and into the frying pan with olive oil onions and fresh garlic and then 4 more cloves added till the end with a good sprinkling of dill.
Dax
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