Love the boys curiosity and the freedom to dig and explore. From a grandma that homeschooled her girls and felt like they were the best days of my life. Freedom!!
Good luck with your little chickens! You both have the best attitudes and its great to see your kids enjoying themselves! DO NOT WORRY ABOUT REPLIES!!!
My father who came from a very long line of farmers and was smart as a whip. Never NEVER planted trees at any other time except in the fall. Put a little cow poop in the hole with a whole lot of water until it was all absorbed and never lost a tree. I have followed his advice and I have never lost a tree either. From my father to you! Enjoy his gift of knowledge!
It's really great that you're concerned about our feelings regarding responses to comments, but you've got to concentrate on building your dream. We're just happy that you allow us to tag along.
Love you guys, you are amazing and inspirational, no return comment required, just keep enjoying your beautiful lives together and keep sharing your journey xxx
I am glad to see that you guys know about adding compost to your clay soil. You will have great garden soil in a few years. Also the kudzu makes spectacular compost! We have both wild blackberries as well as Himalayan blackberries in abundance. Freezing blackberries on a single baking sheet allows you to freeze the berries solid before bagging them so you don't end up with a glob of berries.
Love your chicks!!! Y’all are working sooo hard! I really love watching your videos. Ty for sharing. You will never not see something that needs to be done!! But y’all have done so much! Love seeing your children being so involved!!!
Apples are grafted trees. Over winter cut back the suckers and keep an eye on them afterwards. Apples are best pruned right after they bloom. Then again when they become dormant The apple trees might also be stressed if the walnut trees are within a 1000 feet of the apples. Walnuts naturally kill apple trees. You may need a barrier tree between the two. Pear trees are a good type to ward off the walnut trees.
Apples and Asian pears I believe. You also have walnuts in your berry patch. Definitely cut the smaller root stock suckers. The one you showed with the 3 large suckers might be too far gone. You might kill the tree if you cut them back, but the tree will also struggle if you leave them. You could try pruning them out one at a time over time, but I'd be tempted to prune them all off and plan to replace it if the tree dies.
I just have to run my mouth. Austerlorps are my most favorite chickens. My ole Roo, Johnson was the best. He was gentle to all animals and all his ladies. They respected him, not in a mean dominating rooster way, but in a sweet way. Our chickens ran free on a busy 2 lane road. He kept all our birds, ducks geese and chickens, away from the road. The most intriguing thing about their beauty are their round eyes. Just lovely.
I understand you not having time to answer everyone. Just spend the time working on the homestead. That’s your priority right now. We’ll still be here watching your journey. Love & Hugs from Vicki in Ft. Worth, Texas 🇨🇱
You have become one of my go-to channels. I don't stress over when or how often you post. I just love it when you do. I keep clicking like. I don't have the means to do the whole patreon thing, but I keep on liking and passing your posts to friends.
I know you guys are absolutely overwhelmed with the sheer amount of work you are facing. Just mow a path through the patches, and put it on the wayyyy back burner. So awesome you have a crop ready to eat now!
It’s called Life!❤️😊 I may not comment often but I have been watching and praying for your precious family for about a year now and I LOVE watching your videos. I don’t even care if you don’t acknowledge my comment - I just LOVE watching your family vlogs.😊 I have learned a lot from y’all and I’m old enough to be your mother. Lol but seriously, you all are a joy to watch!❤️ May the Lord bless ya’ll❤️😊🙏✝️🇺🇸
Best tactic for new fruit trees is to dig nice big deep holes in September. In October, November, shred all the yard/garden waste and leaves from fall clean up with the lawn mower, and dump into the holes. In December, cover with square bales of oat straw or spoiled hay. January, order fruit trees. February, best planting date is Valentines Day. However, if ordering by mail, the nursery may not ship that early. But, the compost filled holes are ready so it's easy to plant the trees when they do arrive. Then, just water thouroughly and mulch thick. Ta da. All Done.
I cannot begin to tell you how much I am enjoying watching your journey, thanks for sharing. You have such a wonderful family and your boys are a trip just tell them to be careful with the ants, they bite. God bless you all.
My grandfather's farm had an irrigation ditch and the blackberries were like ten feet tall and all over both banks. Made the best blackberry pies and cobblers. Also if you get bees, you can press out the berries for blackberry jelly and throw the seeds and skins out for the bees. Flavored honey! So if you just want to keep the berries in one area, You will have more than you can jam and freeze for pies and cobblers and juice. Have fun with the rest of your property. Glad you now have friends to come help too.
You take care of what you all need right now! Iam sure we all understand what a handful you have at the moment trying to get things kinda in order!!! Your chicks are going to be some pretty chickens there colors are just so pretty imo❤️
Your channel has exploded. A few months you had 12K subscribers and now you have 45K. Glad your getting. up there. Hope you can still answer comments when you have one million subscribers! 😉
Y’all are great!! Yeah, winter will be here before you know it. Do what y’all need to to do, I know I will be here. Be safe and see y’all when you have the time. Beautiful place!!!🌻😊💕
I m glad you mentioned what I told you before "hard stone clay soil"... You guys are blessed living in US because there are thousand of ways to make that soil possible to farm it. It's really takes TIME and patience to build up good soil on clay one. I believe having a mixture of compost and other material will speed that process A LOT. You could also pass irrigation lines over there... I believe you guys will do excellent over the year it's just take time to build. You are my top one favorite yt vid. We know the time is short building a new home plus taking care family, dont worry. I do hope videos are longer lol. Blessings for you all.
Those chickens are some of the very best egg layers you can get. here in our area folks use those blueberry bushes as an extra income. I am a very faithful customer of one our small growers. I love Farm Alarm and I really like their berry videos. For tree identification,I would take some fresh leaves from each of those trees and go find one of your local mom-and-pop nurseries let those guys help you identify what your trees are by letting them look at the leaves and quite possibly Branch showing the type of barked that is on them. that was always the best way we would have people come in and let us see what it was they were asking us about when I was manager of a local plant nursery.I love seeing the progress that y'all are making on your new homestead. I know that you are all very very busy, but I wanted to tell you thank you for sharing your progress with all of us. Y'all take care and be blessed.
Hi from Australia. Keep up the great work, doing an awesome job. Just want to mention that over tilling clay soil can contribute to turning it solid, especially if wet. Adding the compost will help, but here in Aus we add lots of gypsum (clay breaker) to loosen while compost breaks down. Just add heaps before rain hits. Good luck and staying tuned. Cheers
Hey, Meg -- just saw your family helping with the carrot harvest over at the Rhodes' farm. How wonderful that the two homesteads reciprocate with services! Cannot begin to tell you how happy and contented your family looked while helping to bring in the harvest -- definitely in your element! Delighted that the Rhodes family will help you next week! Best wishes from Kate in Olympia, WA -- 7/11/2019
As long as you water the trees you plant in the fall and give them a large mulch ring (at least two times the size of the width of the canopy) you shouldn’t have any issues. As far as your current trees they look like they may be peach trees. Prune the young suckers coming off the root base and subordinate the older suckers until you can eventually remove them a few years down the road.
Tree Lesson Concept: Trees have a thing called "a drip line". This is a bordering circle around the tree where you would expect to see rain or dew drip off. You can guess the root mass of a tree is about equal volume as its branches.
Linda Polle yep! And it’s been studied that the larger the mulch ring, the more vigorous the tree will grow, hence why the drip line should be the minimum size for your 3” mulch ring
You will never be alone as long as u tube is available to reach you. Many people love your family and are willing and able to help and support you. Beautiful baby chicks you got today, plus a great place to buy beef. Those berries are speaking to me of jelly and fruit cobblers this winter. Maybe a large freezer is on top of your list. Much love, peace and respect. Blessings. 🍓🌻🐝🌱🍒🍇🍑🍎🍏🍐🍉🥝🏡
Please don't ever feel you need to play down your video content. No lie, I see your videos come up and I'm on them!! I love to hear about every single detail of your journey. Thank you for sharing. And your little peepers are soooo cute.
Berry patches, how great ! Boy berries are something I live on, because they taste so good and are so good for you. It sounds like your land has a lot of happy surprises ! Berry cobbler, apple , berry pie, berry jam, or jelly, and berry juice. Berry items to sell at a farmers market or to save and give as Christmas gifts. Have a berry nice night. :)
Howdy yall,just want to say so proud of what yall are doing and getting done,If you have heard of off grid with doug and stacy,she has a video called the oldest chicken trick,hen or rooster.She shows and explains how and what to do to find out what they are.keep up the awesome work and videos.
I had a massive blackberry patch too. About 40' wide and down my whole property line. Too thick to get into and many were way over my head in the middle. Last fall after berries were finished I knocked rows through them and cut them to my height, first with loppers than ran through with my mower. This year I have amazing amount of berries right in arms reach. It's exciting to see your dreams happen! Have a good day!
There was a huge mass of blackberries between our property and neighbors in Washington. Just before we moved we discovered an outbuilding in there! The week before the move with 4yo twins... I was canning berries...insanity or what?
...best to luck with ALL the new baby 🐣🐤🐥's...such fun again for both mom & dad...AND the kiddos... ALWAYS love seeing y'all's notification...annnnnd ALWAYS l❤️be watching what the hollar family is up to...☮️
Juice, jelly, compote, pie!! That is what you do with all the berries lol! Enjoying your channel, we are about 1-2 years behind starting doing what you have done: get an rv and travel for a year to find our home and then homestead!! Love the new chicks! So cute!
If someone unloads a truckload of trees, before September, then you dig trenches to heel them in, covering the root balls, leaving the trunks on the ground, resting, until time to plant upright. Then anchor with strong wire, and cover the planting hole with a minimum of 6" mulch, for first 3 years. After the third year, the mulch is not necessary and will just smother the roots.
You and your family are moving along at rocket speed! You deserve a lot of praise and admiration. You must have a lot of wealthy viewers that don't need to prioritize things in their life. Most of us simply cannot do everything all at once! I am totally sympathetic to you making a plan of attack and working on the improvements in the order you find appropriate AND the cash is available! Plans are always subject to revisions but I believe they should be YOUR revisions and the rest of us on the sidelines should be cheering you on for support and encouragement. Keep your eye on the prize and don't let others question what is right for YOU! No two people have the exact same situation and circumstances.
We have an apple tree with four different types of apples grated on it and that one little tree produces about seventy apples right in our front yard, beautiful flowers in the spring and yummy apples in the fall. Good luck with your homestead, all your hard work is making the place look good.
My great grandpa ( 3rd generation farmer ) always used to say " the best time to plant trees was 7 years ago" xD Its exciting to hear all of your plans for your homestead! I can't wait to see how it all comes together ^^
The vision you guys have for your homestead is so amazing. Y'all are determined and hard working. I absolutely love to see what your kiddos are up to. If there is anything I could recommend it is to show more of what life is like for them homeschooling, playing, working and building on your new homestead. I also love watching the Rhodes children and all the kiddos from 1000's of Roots homestead. Your videos inspire me greatly!
Hope you are busy on your new homestead, you are blessed with so much more than a lot of new homesteaders, you have water and electricity and septic, you will have plenty to do of your own choice. Your enthusiasm and eagerness will carry the family thru what lies ahead. Good luck and blessings to you all. Thank you for posting for us to enjoy. Great progress so far, friends helping friends.
I recently found your channel & have been binge watching your progress. I am so happy for you guys:)) May your new Homestead bring a lifetime of Joy:-)
Get working! lol I love following your progress. No need to be overly social. We all have jobs to get done. Good luck and looking forward to seeing the progress as it happens. Don't forget that valuable family time.
That clay has lots of minerals, it just doesn’t drain. Once it has been amended with compost over a couple of years, you’ll have an awesome garden. Just keep working it. Best of luck.
Yea, the "poor" soil comment kind of has me baffled. It's not the easiest to work with for sure, but I've always found it to be very rich soil. I almost wonder if on a small scale bringing in some sand and working it in might do wonders. I know in Maryland and Virginia that red clay soil in areas where you have just enough sand in it that it drains some is some great stuff! Compost will, of course, help that, but I'm guessing that will take a lot of time to get it draining better. In a low area, it can stay wet for months and months. We used to have a couple of areas out in the fields that we just worked around because they would never dry up (I think one had a spring in the middle). That said, we also had bumper crops most years and you could see the difference against more the sandy soil on different parts of the farm.
@@cheryllamb8831 while I appreciate why you would think that....... nope, that's not how it works. :) The problem with clay is it doesn't drain. Clay with enough sand content (and it is sand mixed in I can assure with the land having been in the family since the 1940's) does start to drain. Not super well but enough that it will dry out. Now, organic material such as peat moss (or similar) along with sand absolutely will work well. The organic material on its own will eventually be broken down completely and..... your back to clay and all that brings with it. Keep in mind I'm talking actual land with everything from a lot of clay to almost pure clay and decades of experience farming that land (going back too the late 70's for me personally). It's all about the drainage (our lack of). If you dry it out for months and months, doesn't matter what the makeup is, it'll end up like concrete. lol Generally not an issue back east however.
Re: clay soil practice Yes, on the organic matter. Here is a cheap fix. Plant 1) nitrogen fixing trees between the apple trees. 2) plant Japanese radishes around or under your trees. Then do nothing. As the radishes go through their life cycle, the mature deep roots will rot away, leaving deep holes, as if you had dug up under each tree.
S B Much older here in Arizona than in California actually (see Casa Grande)! Lol But then you’re talking an apples to oranges comparison. VERY different soil and VERY different conditions. Sand and clay need more of a binder than just the clay and the southwest is full of it (plenty of ground up rock in the soil to act as a binder). That’s why we have ground that is as hard as concrete (in some cases dynamite is needed to put in a pool, and no, it’s not bedrock.). Particularly when you have long and very hot dry seasons (as much as 6 months and as high as 120+ here in Arizona). You kind of have the perfect conditions for sun fired pottery pretty much! Also why rammed earth does REALLY good out here (though it still requires some Portland cement). The soil and weather back east is another world. Anyway...... I mentioned small scale for a reason. You are correct, on a larger scale, it would take a LOT of sand as well as a lot of working to get it mixed. It may be possible but probably not practical. One element we don’t know (and would be critical) is how far down does the clay layer go? It can be shallow or very very deep back east. If it’s deep enough, it will still hold water because of the underlying clay. And that’s true for pretty much anything you could add to soil if it’s really deep. That’s why in many places back there building a pond is very easy. If the clay is 15 feet deep, just dig it and the clay will do the rest! :) At any rate, I don’t expect they would (or should) consider dump truck loads of sand. If that’s what it would take, do raised beds! Amending soil yes, but there are limits to what is practical. Hopefully the raised portions they have and the hillsides give them enough land that drains well enough and the soil proves richer than they suspect. 🤠
With all the blackberries that we have, I use a steam juicer to extract the juice then use it in jelly, popsicles, sorbets, just to drink..just juice and can the excess to use in the winter! Believe me you will relish it when the snow flies! During the summer, muffins , cobblers and pancakes are great ways to use the bounty!
Great video! Love that you're so open to advice in a new place... not everyone is. Every place is different and you have a lot of experienced subscribers here. I'm learning something from them every time you post! Don't worry about commenting back... we know you're busy. 😘
Here on Oregon coast we trellised the wild blackberries. With pruning, watering and constant tying up berries are getting bigger and bigger each year. I did remove all under growth, dig up root balls and use cardboard and weed fabric before laying down compaction gravel. So much easier to pick and enjoy.
Yes, in a grafted tree the root stock wood will want to take over. BUT [ the big butt😁] if you find a root stock stem [ called a "sport"] keep it with an eye to graft on to it in a coming year. Check out Franken trees on the web.
I couldn’t get a clear enough view of the first small tree. The second tree that you comment had been surrounded by broom sage did look like an apple. Again with the third tree (with the suckers) it was hard to really clearly see the leaves, but they did seem to have damage that looked like pear and cherry slug, so maybe a pear. I agree with another commenter, Casey will set you right with the trees, and get the job done with your soil. That will be a fun day!
Hi Megan & Ben you have a lot on your plate don't worry about us were following you that's for sure I don't know how you manage to answer at all with all that work you do what you gotta do bless you all and good luck with the trees. ♥♥♥♥
I suggest you take detailed photos on your phone of the trees, bark, leaves, etc. and take to your local garden center (not big box store). They will probably be a wealth of information. Planting fruit trees in the fall is ideal. It gives the roots time to establish before the heat of the growing season. If you plant in summer, they will be so stressed and need so much water. Way too hot right now. Take care!
Yeah chicks! 🐥❤️. We’ve raise most breeds considered excellent egg layers. Australorps are beautiful with the green sheen on their wings. We also grow thornless triple crowns. They all came on and matured a month early this year. We froze about 20 pounds for future pies. Best wishes. ❤️🌱
You can gently hold the chicks up by the head, with your thumb and forefinger on the left and right, under where the 'ears' would be, and the ones that struggle are usually female. The ones that just hang calmly are male. There's an app called 'PictureThis' that will tell you what just about any plant is. I've watched FarmAlarm for a couple of years.✌🏻
Can you set up a freezer in the trailer you are renovating? All those berries would be great to freeze and have in the winter along with any extra vegetables. You've done so much, it's amazing.
Absolutely, u two need to step back and get to your homestead getting things done....very Happy you voiced you need some head space! You go enjoy working up your new place!! Maybe you could have your oldest son take over reading comments? I don't know if he is up for that, but maybe it will help.... Love how u r making us of what u have 👍
Vivian, great idea for the oldest boy (or any of them) to take over the reading...good practice...plus he can read to mom and dad while they work and they can talk about what they think of the comments. Great family time while getting work done. Love it!
Good for you guys knowing your limits and prioritising your home. I'm so excited to watch you transform this place into your dream farm. We are right along there with you. We are closing on our home very soon and starting our homestead adventure too! Much love. 💚
Keep an eye out now at box stores for fruit trees and bushes! They are going on clearance now! And will keep being marked down! They are probably not the best trees, but they would be cheap and would help add some bulk to your orchard 💕
Yay chicks... your doing it... it sounds like a zoo here at my house in the morning LOL everybody is so happy to be let out in the morning.. 15 roosters all learning to crow 2 geese that have already found their big boy voice lord have mercy.. and 30 turkeys mostly boys working on the gobble fest.. which is entertaining.. I love it .. it’s real and it’s great.. raised every one of them at the same time this spring from babies that was a bit of a challenge.. I’m happy your homestead is coming together.. one step at a time... yay baby chicks
I live in the middle unit of a five unit townhouse in a suburb on the south side of Kansas City Kansas. I'm recently retired on a low budget. I don't have any yard but I have a front deck and a three car concrete driveway. I have six containers planted with peppers and tomatoes between the deck and a portion of the driveway. Several years ago four 20 something guys were living next door. I tried to ignore them for awhile. The best way to get along with close neighbors is to not spend much time together, sort of like visiting the in-laws. That didn't work, and since they have all moved away, but not before I became "Uncle Mike". I have kept in touch with one of those guys. This morning on FB I posted a Farm Report from Uncle Mike's Tailgate Pepper Patch. My point is in response to your comment about "never thought you'd get so much family" from your TH-cam Blog. I feel like family. You can call me Uncle Mike. All my friends do! I'm homesteading within my means and financial capabilities with my little pepper patch. I'm not going to waste our time by wishing but when I win the lottery look out!!!
We love ya, can't wait till you make a longer video, I understand its hard just starting a homestand take time, hope you make tree fort for the kids will be fun to watch, see ya on next video, God Bless you all
From Louise Riotte's gardening books from Storey Publishing; keep fruit trees mulched with oat straw ( not hay ) about 8 inches deep minimum, and about 1 foot out from the drip line. The deep oat straw makes a safe, sun free place for the earthworms to climb up into when it rains heavy and they still will not die from being sun burned. Earthworm castings are the best fertilizer for fruit trees. Louise Riotte wrote Roses Love Garlic and Carrots Love Tomatoes. Both books are about Companion Planting Combinations. Good Luck and Best Wishes
Use some of your berry patches as berry nurseries to use and move into your understory of your permaculture orchard! You can harvest for now, but organize them as you wish with the companion plants that you plan on growing. If you have a moment here or there, watch some of Stefan Sobkowiak's videos for ideas for your orchard. Yes, the time to plant trees is yesterday, but it's also hard to reorganize your trees if you don't like how they turned out, so take you time and think it through. Also ask around to see what varieties grow best in your area. So exciting!!! But not everything can happen at the same time! And you now have time and land!
With fruit trees, I’ve always bought them in Winter, when dormant. You could buy them then, heel them in to some potting mix and plant them in early Spring. Maybe dig the holes for them before the ground gets frozen? Apples and pears often need pollinating pairs. You can get peaches, Apricots and plums that don’t need a pollinator. A handful of fruit tree fertilizer couldn’t hurt those sickly trees, getting rid of the stuff from below the graft is a priority. Good luck with your garden, I’m sure it will be brilliant !
Pear tree leaves are rounded where apple tree leaves are elliptic shaped. I'd say the trees are 3 years old, very stressed. See about systematic fertilization to feed and strengthen those poor babies. I've been watching and catching up on your journey, and I'm vicariously excited for your journey!! Woohoo!!
For comments after your videos, do certain word searches and make a note of those questions, and then do other main topic searches, and then do a question and answer video or chat time to answer recurring questions. That way everyone gets the info they want and you haven’t had to reply to everyone individually. Best wishes for your continued success.
We have an organic food forest and orchard in N. GA. Harvesting apples now. :) If those are sucker (root stock) I would remove them and leave the grafted variety. LOTS of quality mulch needs to go on the rings around the base out 3 feed minimum and compost tea to inculcate the mulch for fungal growth. Limbs/leaves are best mulch and not something like cedar or cyprus (made that mistake once). If you can connect the trees with a line of mulch all the better (mycelium grows from one tree to the other bringing in nutrients). Prune first time in winter due to the sucker removals this summer. You may have blooms next spring!! There is still plenty of time for the trees to put on new growth this year. Add mulch and safe manure/composted manure every 6 months. SO exciting!!!
all good, take your time and get your place set - we will all be here when you are back. i usually catch all you good homesteadies with my morning coffee!
Omg ! Those baby chicks are precious! I got myself 3 :) two black copper Maran and a blue Maran :) I’m so excited ! I haven’t raised chickens in 15 years !
Those are apple trees. They won't produce blossoms if they are stressed...so no fruit. But I rescued the most sorry looking little spindle 3 years ago by carefully pruning it and this year it is bearing fruit! I have confidence that you can do the same with your trees...just wait until it's pruning season where you live :) Your property is looking awesome already!
Hey Hollars. I know that you are doing awesome. My permaculture knowledge is more like a mole hill. I am enjoying your adventures. We have chickens, ducks, rabbits, and very large garden.
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Nothing cuter than a batch of baby chicks. So much life in a tiny body.
Love the boys curiosity and the freedom to dig and explore. From a grandma that homeschooled her girls and felt like they were the best days of my life. Freedom!!
Your property is a true gem. What a blessing
Congratulations on the chickens. Smart move.
Good luck with your little chickens! You both have the best attitudes and its great to see your kids enjoying themselves! DO NOT WORRY ABOUT REPLIES!!!
Just noticed the T shirt shop...I was hoping for one that said "Hello beautiful people!"
Oh!! I would love a shirt that said that.
Me too. I want.
Me three.
I want one too. Please carry plus sizes for us buxom ladies!
@@karlagrymes649 they do
My father who came from a very long line of farmers and was smart as a whip. Never NEVER planted trees at any other time except in the fall. Put a little cow poop in the hole with a whole lot of water until it was all absorbed and never lost a tree. I have followed his advice and I have never lost a tree either. From my father to you! Enjoy his gift of knowledge!
Only plant trees in months with an "R" in them, is my favorite tip.
@@nancymckittrick7277 LOL! September, October, November. We agree!
It's really great that you're concerned about our feelings regarding responses to comments, but you've got to concentrate on building your dream. We're just happy that you allow us to tag along.
Love you guys, you are amazing and inspirational, no return comment required, just keep enjoying your beautiful lives together and keep sharing your journey xxx
I am glad to see that you guys know about adding compost to your clay soil. You will have great garden soil in a few years. Also the kudzu makes spectacular compost!
We have both wild blackberries as well as Himalayan blackberries in abundance. Freezing blackberries on a single baking sheet allows you to freeze the berries solid before bagging them so you don't end up with a glob of berries.
Love your chicks!!! Y’all are working sooo hard! I really love watching your videos. Ty for sharing. You will never not see something that needs to be done!! But y’all have done so much! Love seeing your children being so involved!!!
Just do what you have to do for your peace and joy we are with you all the way.
I can’t get over how perfect your land is !!!!
Apples are grafted trees. Over winter cut back the suckers and keep an eye on them afterwards. Apples are best pruned right after they bloom. Then again when they become dormant The apple trees might also be stressed if the walnut trees are within a 1000 feet of the apples. Walnuts naturally kill apple trees. You may need a barrier tree between the two. Pear trees are a good type to ward off the walnut trees.
Apples and Asian pears I believe. You also have walnuts in your berry patch. Definitely cut the smaller root stock suckers. The one you showed with the 3 large suckers might be too far gone. You might kill the tree if you cut them back, but the tree will also struggle if you leave them. You could try pruning them out one at a time over time, but I'd be tempted to prune them all off and plan to replace it if the tree dies.
I just have to run my mouth. Austerlorps are my most favorite chickens. My ole Roo, Johnson was the best. He was gentle to all animals and all his ladies. They respected him, not in a mean dominating rooster way, but in a sweet way. Our chickens ran free on a busy 2 lane road. He kept all our birds, ducks geese and chickens, away from the road. The most intriguing thing about their beauty are their round eyes. Just lovely.
I understand you not having time to answer everyone. Just spend the time working on the homestead. That’s your priority right now. We’ll still be here watching your journey. Love & Hugs from Vicki in Ft. Worth, Texas 🇨🇱
I'm just happy for the more frequent videos. We can just talk amongst ourselves. ;)
You have become one of my go-to channels. I don't stress over when or how often you post. I just love it when you do. I keep clicking like. I don't have the means to do the whole patreon thing, but I keep on liking and passing your posts to friends.
I know you guys are absolutely overwhelmed with the sheer amount of work you are facing. Just mow a path through the patches, and put it on the wayyyy back burner. So awesome you have a crop ready to eat now!
It’s called Life!❤️😊 I may not comment often but I have been watching and praying for your precious family for about a year now and I LOVE watching your videos. I don’t even care if you don’t acknowledge my comment - I just LOVE watching your family vlogs.😊 I have learned a lot from y’all and I’m old enough to be your mother. Lol but seriously, you all are a joy to watch!❤️ May the Lord bless ya’ll❤️😊🙏✝️🇺🇸
So stinking cute! All the babies, love the motions to that Meg!
Best tactic for new fruit trees is to dig nice big deep holes in September.
In October, November, shred all the yard/garden waste and leaves from fall clean up with the lawn mower, and dump into the holes.
In December, cover with square bales of oat straw or spoiled hay.
January, order fruit trees.
February, best planting date is Valentines Day.
However, if ordering by mail, the nursery may not ship that early.
But, the compost filled holes are ready so it's easy to plant the trees when they do arrive.
Then, just water thouroughly and mulch thick.
Ta da. All Done.
I cannot begin to tell you how much I am enjoying watching your journey, thanks for sharing. You have such a wonderful family and your boys are a trip just tell them to be careful with the ants, they bite. God bless you all.
My grandfather's farm had an irrigation ditch and the blackberries were like ten feet tall and all over both banks. Made the best blackberry pies and cobblers. Also if you get bees, you can press out the berries for blackberry jelly and throw the seeds and skins out for the bees. Flavored honey! So if you just want to keep the berries in one area, You will have
more than you can jam and freeze for pies and cobblers and juice. Have fun with the rest of your property. Glad you now have friends to come help too.
You take care of what you all need right now! Iam sure we all understand what a handful you have at the moment trying to get things kinda in order!!! Your chicks are going to be some pretty chickens there colors are just so pretty imo❤️
Your channel has exploded. A few months you had 12K subscribers and now you have 45K. Glad your getting. up there. Hope you can still answer comments when you have one million subscribers! 😉
Y’all are great!! Yeah, winter will be here before you know it. Do what y’all need to to do, I know I will be here. Be safe and see y’all when you have the time. Beautiful place!!!🌻😊💕
I m glad you mentioned what I told you before "hard stone clay soil"... You guys are blessed living in US because there are thousand of ways to make that soil possible to farm it. It's really takes TIME and patience to build up good soil on clay one. I believe having a mixture of compost and other material will speed that process A LOT. You could also pass irrigation lines over there... I believe you guys will do excellent over the year it's just take time to build. You are my top one favorite yt vid.
We know the time is short building a new home plus taking care family, dont worry. I do hope videos are longer lol. Blessings for you all.
Those chickens are some of the very best egg layers you can get. here in our area folks use those blueberry bushes as an extra income. I am a very faithful customer of one our small growers. I love Farm Alarm and I really like their berry videos. For tree identification,I would take some fresh leaves from each of those trees and go find one of your local mom-and-pop nurseries let those guys help you identify what your trees are by letting them look at the leaves and quite possibly Branch showing the type of barked that is on them. that was always the best way we would have people come in and let us see what it was they were asking us about when I was manager of a local plant nursery.I love seeing the progress that y'all are making on your new homestead. I know that you are all very very busy, but I wanted to tell you thank you for sharing your progress with all of us. Y'all take care and be blessed.
Don't worry about the comments. Just seeing your excitement and smiles as things progress is very special.
One thing you can do is add a comfrey plant to each fruit tree. That will help feed them.
Hi from Australia. Keep up the great work, doing an awesome job. Just want to mention that over tilling clay soil can contribute to turning it solid, especially if wet. Adding the compost will help, but here in Aus we add lots of gypsum (clay breaker) to loosen while compost breaks down. Just add heaps before rain hits. Good luck and staying tuned. Cheers
You guys ... and boys are such an inspiration....and know that you have a real fan here in Florida....!!!
Hey, Meg -- just saw your family helping with the carrot harvest over at the Rhodes' farm. How wonderful that the two homesteads reciprocate with services! Cannot begin to tell you how happy and contented your family looked while helping to bring in the harvest -- definitely in your element! Delighted that the Rhodes family will help you next week! Best wishes from Kate in Olympia, WA -- 7/11/2019
As long as you water the trees you plant in the fall and give them a large mulch ring (at least two times the size of the width of the canopy) you shouldn’t have any issues. As far as your current trees they look like they may be peach trees. Prune the young suckers coming off the root base and subordinate the older suckers until you can eventually remove them a few years down the road.
Tree Lesson Concept:
Trees have a thing called "a drip line". This is a bordering circle around the tree where you would expect to see rain or dew drip off.
You can guess the root mass of a tree is about equal volume as its branches.
Linda Polle yep! And it’s been studied that the larger the mulch ring, the more vigorous the tree will grow, hence why the drip line should be the minimum size for your 3” mulch ring
Take the time you need. We ain’t going nowhere. Be healthy, safe and prosperous.
You will never be alone as long as u tube is available to reach you. Many people love your family and are willing and able to help and support you. Beautiful baby chicks you got today, plus a great place to buy beef. Those berries are speaking to me of jelly and fruit cobblers this winter. Maybe a large freezer is on top of your list. Much love, peace and respect. Blessings. 🍓🌻🐝🌱🍒🍇🍑🍎🍏🍐🍉🥝🏡
I heard about your story and I had to watch! I’m glad seeing your dreams come true! God bless your beautiful family.
I love the little fluff ball's you got, they are so cute! Love you guy's!
Please don't ever feel you need to play down your video content. No lie, I see your videos come up and I'm on them!! I love to hear about every single detail of your journey. Thank you for sharing. And your little peepers are soooo cute.
Berry patches, how great ! Boy berries are something I live on, because they taste so good and are so good for you. It sounds like your land has a lot of happy surprises ! Berry cobbler, apple , berry pie, berry jam, or jelly, and berry juice. Berry items to sell at a farmers market or to save and give as Christmas gifts. Have a berry nice night. :)
Howdy yall,just want to say so proud of what yall are doing and getting done,If you have heard of off grid with doug and stacy,she has a video called the oldest chicken trick,hen or rooster.She shows and explains how and what to do to find out what they are.keep up the awesome work and videos.
I had a massive blackberry patch too. About 40' wide and down my whole property line. Too thick to get into and many were way over my head in the middle. Last fall after berries were finished I knocked rows through them and cut them to my height, first with loppers than ran through with my mower. This year I have amazing amount of berries right in arms reach.
It's exciting to see your dreams happen! Have a good day!
There was a huge mass of blackberries between our property and neighbors in Washington. Just before we moved we discovered an outbuilding in there! The week before the move with 4yo twins... I was canning berries...insanity or what?
...best to luck with ALL the new baby 🐣🐤🐥's...such fun again for both mom & dad...AND the kiddos... ALWAYS love seeing y'all's notification...annnnnd ALWAYS l❤️be watching what the hollar family is up to...☮️
Most important to plan ahead and not rush into anything. Good luck.
Juice, jelly, compote, pie!! That is what you do with all the berries lol! Enjoying your channel, we are about 1-2 years behind starting doing what you have done: get an rv and travel for a year to find our home and then homestead!! Love the new chicks! So cute!
If someone unloads a truckload of trees, before September, then you dig trenches to heel them in, covering the root balls, leaving the trunks on the ground, resting, until time to plant upright. Then anchor with strong wire, and cover the planting hole with a minimum of 6" mulch, for first 3 years. After the third year, the mulch is not necessary and will just smother the roots.
You and your family are moving along at rocket speed! You deserve a lot of praise and admiration.
You must have a lot of wealthy viewers that don't need to prioritize things in their life. Most of us simply cannot do everything all at once! I am totally sympathetic to you making a plan of attack and working on the improvements in the order you find appropriate AND the cash is available!
Plans are always subject to revisions but I believe they should be YOUR revisions and the rest of us on the sidelines should be cheering you on for support and encouragement. Keep your eye on the prize and don't let others question what is right for YOU! No two people have the exact same situation and circumstances.
We have an apple tree with four different types of apples grated on it and that one little tree produces about seventy apples right in our front yard, beautiful flowers in the spring and yummy apples in the fall. Good luck with your homestead, all your hard work is making the place look good.
My great grandpa ( 3rd generation farmer ) always used to say " the best time to plant trees was 7 years ago" xD Its exciting to hear all of your plans for your homestead! I can't wait to see how it all comes together ^^
The vision you guys have for your homestead is so amazing. Y'all are determined and hard working. I absolutely love to see what your kiddos are up to. If there is anything I could recommend it is to show more of what life is like for them homeschooling, playing, working and building on your new homestead. I also love watching the Rhodes children and all the kiddos from 1000's of Roots homestead. Your videos inspire me greatly!
Hope you are busy on your new homestead, you are blessed with so much more than a lot of new homesteaders, you have water and electricity and septic, you will have plenty to do of your own choice. Your enthusiasm and eagerness will carry the family thru what lies ahead. Good luck and blessings to you all. Thank you for posting for us to enjoy. Great progress so far, friends helping friends.
I recently found your channel & have been binge watching your progress. I am so happy for you guys:)) May your new Homestead bring a lifetime of Joy:-)
Get working! lol I love following your progress. No need to be overly social. We all have jobs to get done. Good luck and looking forward to seeing the progress as it happens. Don't forget that valuable family time.
That clay has lots of minerals, it just doesn’t drain. Once it has been amended with compost over a couple of years, you’ll have an awesome garden. Just keep working it. Best of luck.
Yea, the "poor" soil comment kind of has me baffled. It's not the easiest to work with for sure, but I've always found it to be very rich soil. I almost wonder if on a small scale bringing in some sand and working it in might do wonders. I know in Maryland and Virginia that red clay soil in areas where you have just enough sand in it that it drains some is some great stuff! Compost will, of course, help that, but I'm guessing that will take a lot of time to get it draining better. In a low area, it can stay wet for months and months. We used to have a couple of areas out in the fields that we just worked around because they would never dry up (I think one had a spring in the middle). That said, we also had bumper crops most years and you could see the difference against more the sandy soil on different parts of the farm.
Mixing sand into clay soil will turn it to cement! Compost - yes, peat moss - yes
@@cheryllamb8831 while I appreciate why you would think that....... nope, that's not how it works. :) The problem with clay is it doesn't drain. Clay with enough sand content (and it is sand mixed in I can assure with the land having been in the family since the 1940's) does start to drain. Not super well but enough that it will dry out. Now, organic material such as peat moss (or similar) along with sand absolutely will work well. The organic material on its own will eventually be broken down completely and..... your back to clay and all that brings with it.
Keep in mind I'm talking actual land with everything from a lot of clay to almost pure clay and decades of experience farming that land (going back too the late 70's for me personally). It's all about the drainage (our lack of). If you dry it out for months and months, doesn't matter what the makeup is, it'll end up like concrete. lol Generally not an issue back east however.
Re: clay soil practice
Yes, on the organic matter. Here is a cheap fix. Plant 1) nitrogen fixing trees between the apple trees. 2) plant Japanese radishes around or under your trees. Then do nothing. As the radishes go through their life cycle, the mature deep roots will rot away, leaving deep holes, as if you had dug up under each tree.
S B Much older here in Arizona than in California actually (see Casa Grande)! Lol But then you’re talking an apples to oranges comparison. VERY different soil and VERY different conditions. Sand and clay need more of a binder than just the clay and the southwest is full of it (plenty of ground up rock in the soil to act as a binder). That’s why we have ground that is as hard as concrete (in some cases dynamite is needed to put in a pool, and no, it’s not bedrock.). Particularly when you have long and very hot dry seasons (as much as 6 months and as high as 120+ here in Arizona). You kind of have the perfect conditions for sun fired pottery pretty much! Also why rammed earth does REALLY good out here (though it still requires some Portland cement). The soil and weather back east is another world. Anyway......
I mentioned small scale for a reason. You are correct, on a larger scale, it would take a LOT of sand as well as a lot of working to get it mixed. It may be possible but probably not practical. One element we don’t know (and would be critical) is how far down does the clay layer go? It can be shallow or very very deep back east. If it’s deep enough, it will still hold water because of the underlying clay. And that’s true for pretty much anything you could add to soil if it’s really deep. That’s why in many places back there building a pond is very easy. If the clay is 15 feet deep, just dig it and the clay will do the rest! :)
At any rate, I don’t expect they would (or should) consider dump truck loads of sand. If that’s what it would take, do raised beds! Amending soil yes, but there are limits to what is practical. Hopefully the raised portions they have and the hillsides give them enough land that drains well enough and the soil proves richer than they suspect. 🤠
We are not going anywhere so focus on what you think is important. We will always be here to support you. YEAH!! Reply not necessary.
With all the blackberries that we have, I use a steam juicer to extract the juice then use it in jelly, popsicles, sorbets, just to drink..just juice and can the excess to use in the winter! Believe me you will relish it when the snow flies! During the summer, muffins , cobblers and pancakes are great ways to use the bounty!
Great video! Love that you're so open to advice in a new place... not everyone is. Every place is different and you have a lot of experienced subscribers here. I'm learning something from them every time you post! Don't worry about commenting back... we know you're busy. 😘
Here on Oregon coast we trellised the wild blackberries. With pruning, watering and constant tying up berries are getting bigger and bigger each year. I did remove all under growth, dig up root balls and use cardboard and weed fabric before laying down compaction gravel. So much easier to pick and enjoy.
They look like apple trees. You need to cut all the suckers off if you want the grafted treees to prosper.
Yes, in a grafted tree the root stock wood will want to take over.
BUT [ the big butt😁] if you find a root stock stem [ called a "sport"] keep it with an eye to graft on to it in a coming year.
Check out Franken trees on the web.
@@lindapolle1665 very interesting tip! Thanks!
Yes to this whole thread..
I couldn’t get a clear enough view of the first small tree. The second tree that you comment had been surrounded by broom sage did look like an apple. Again with the third tree (with the suckers) it was hard to really clearly see the leaves, but they did seem to have damage that looked like pear and cherry slug, so maybe a pear. I agree with another commenter, Casey will set you right with the trees, and get the job done with your soil. That will be a fun day!
We are with you no matter what.. Thanks for taking time to do a video..
Hi Megan & Ben you have a lot on your plate don't worry about us were following you that's for sure I don't know how you manage to answer at all with all that work you do what you gotta do bless you all and good luck with the trees. ♥♥♥♥
I suggest you take detailed photos on your phone of the trees, bark, leaves, etc. and take to your local garden center (not big box store). They will probably be a wealth of information. Planting fruit trees in the fall is ideal. It gives the roots time to establish before the heat of the growing season. If you plant in summer, they will be so stressed and need so much water. Way too hot right now. Take care!
Yes, you too can have the fun of bringing bugs in a plastic bag to a plant center.
Yeah chicks! 🐥❤️. We’ve raise most breeds considered excellent egg layers. Australorps are beautiful with the green sheen on their wings. We also grow thornless triple crowns. They all came on and matured a month early this year. We froze about 20 pounds for future pies. Best wishes. ❤️🌱
"What are you guys doing?" "Uhhh....we're just trying to cause trouble." No lies, just truth. Ha I love that.
You can gently hold the chicks up by the head, with your thumb and forefinger on the left and right, under where the 'ears' would be, and the ones that struggle are usually female. The ones that just hang calmly are male. There's an app called 'PictureThis' that will tell you what just about any plant is. I've watched FarmAlarm for a couple of years.✌🏻
Can you set up a freezer in the trailer you are renovating? All those berries would be great to freeze and have in the winter along with any extra vegetables. You've done so much, it's amazing.
Those were my thoughts exactly!!
It's gutted. . No electric cables apart from the fans. And the joists need to be checked before anything
It's their home now; so in time I'll bet canning, freezing and dehydrating happen!
Absolutely, u two need to step back and get to your homestead getting things done....very Happy you voiced you need some head space! You go enjoy working up your new place!! Maybe you could have your oldest son take over reading comments? I don't know if he is up for that, but maybe it will help.... Love how u r making us of what u have 👍
Vivian, great idea for the oldest boy (or any of them) to take over the reading...good practice...plus he can read to mom and dad while they work and they can talk about what they think of the comments. Great family time while getting work done. Love it!
Good for you guys knowing your limits and prioritising your home. I'm so excited to watch you transform this place into your dream farm. We are right along there with you. We are closing on our home very soon and starting our homestead adventure too! Much love. 💚
Trees I’d prune in winter - suckers now. Look like apples. Just love looking at your property with you!
For the Berry's try using a tiler to form a path this will also loosen up the soil to aerate and add mulch to give the berries more nutrients .
G'day guys, best thing for that clay soil is lots of organic matter and deep mulch and worms. Great little chickens. God bless you guys.
Keep an eye out now at box stores for fruit trees and bushes! They are going on clearance now! And will keep being marked down! They are probably not the best trees, but they would be cheap and would help add some bulk to your orchard 💕
Welcome to North Carolina.... Praying for you and the family..
Yay chicks... your doing it... it sounds like a zoo here at my house in the morning LOL everybody is so happy to be let out in the morning.. 15 roosters all learning to crow 2 geese that have already found their big boy voice lord have mercy.. and 30 turkeys mostly boys working on the gobble fest.. which is entertaining.. I love it .. it’s real and it’s great.. raised every one of them at the same time this spring from babies that was a bit of a challenge.. I’m happy your homestead is coming together.. one step at a time... yay baby chicks
I live in the middle unit of a five unit townhouse in a suburb on the south side of Kansas City Kansas. I'm recently retired on a low budget. I don't have any yard but I have a front deck and a three car concrete driveway. I have six containers planted with peppers and tomatoes between the deck and a portion of the driveway. Several years ago four 20 something guys were living next door. I tried to ignore them for awhile. The best way to get along with close neighbors is to not spend much time together, sort of like visiting the in-laws. That didn't work, and since they have all moved away, but not before I became "Uncle Mike". I have kept in touch with one of those guys. This morning on FB I posted a Farm Report from Uncle Mike's Tailgate Pepper Patch. My point is in response to your comment about "never thought you'd get so much family" from your TH-cam Blog. I feel like family. You can call me Uncle Mike. All my friends do! I'm homesteading within my means and financial capabilities with my little pepper patch. I'm not going to waste our time by wishing but when I win the lottery look out!!!
good luck uncle mike from the uk
Family :)
Good job Uncle Mike, from Sydney Australia
I wait all week to see you guys! Been praying for you and want to see you make it !!!!!
We love ya, can't wait till you make a longer video, I understand its hard just starting a homestand take time, hope you make tree fort for the kids will be fun to watch, see ya on next video, God Bless you all
Do what u have to do to get moved in your mobile home! Dont worry about us.
Kay DeFreese that is way tooooo depressing to think about!!! You are right saying 6 months from now is January and it makes me 😢
@@timfennema7682 We're close to March now. Only a few weeks after the ice storm. The ice isn't even melted yet and we have planting weather.
Chickens....the gateway drug to homesteading....lol!Love watching your vids.
Cool video. Love the matching pony tails twinszies...
More posts!!! LOL Some channels do an answer/comment video. You guys make great videos. TY, you're such a inspiring family!
From Louise Riotte's gardening books from Storey Publishing; keep fruit trees mulched with oat straw ( not hay ) about 8 inches deep minimum, and about 1 foot out from the drip line.
The deep oat straw makes a safe, sun free place for the earthworms to climb up into when it rains heavy and they still will not die from being sun burned. Earthworm castings are the best fertilizer for fruit trees.
Louise Riotte wrote Roses Love Garlic and Carrots Love Tomatoes. Both books are about Companion Planting Combinations.
Good Luck and Best Wishes
In so happy for you guys.😊 my town just legalized backyard chickens. So now I just have to convince my husband that getting chickens are a good idea.
You are LOVED X X X X X X GOOD FOR YOU ALL X X X GREAT JOB X X X HAVE FUN X X X
Love watching you guys move forward !!!
Use some of your berry patches as berry nurseries to use and move into your understory of your permaculture orchard! You can harvest for now, but organize them as you wish with the companion plants that you plan on growing. If you have a moment here or there, watch some of Stefan Sobkowiak's videos for ideas for your orchard. Yes, the time to plant trees is yesterday, but it's also hard to reorganize your trees if you don't like how they turned out, so take you time and think it through. Also ask around to see what varieties grow best in your area. So exciting!!! But not everything can happen at the same time! And you now have time and land!
How sweet y'all are! I love your video's and don't worry about answering! Get your home ready and I will love to see the progress, God Bless!
With fruit trees, I’ve always bought them in Winter, when dormant. You could buy them then, heel them in to some potting mix and plant them in early Spring. Maybe dig the holes for them before the ground gets frozen? Apples and pears often need pollinating pairs. You can get peaches, Apricots and plums that don’t need a pollinator. A handful of fruit tree fertilizer couldn’t hurt those sickly trees, getting rid of the stuff from below the graft is a priority. Good luck with your garden, I’m sure it will be brilliant !
Pear tree leaves are rounded where apple tree leaves are elliptic shaped.
I'd say the trees are 3 years old, very stressed. See about systematic fertilization to feed and strengthen those poor babies.
I've been watching and catching up on your journey, and I'm vicariously excited for your journey!! Woohoo!!
The smiles on your faces are a great pick-me-up every time I watch, it's contagious in a good way.
For comments after your videos, do certain word searches and make a note of those questions, and then do other main topic searches, and then do a question and answer video or chat time to answer recurring questions. That way everyone gets the info they want and you haven’t had to reply to everyone individually. Best wishes for your continued success.
If I had all those berry bushes I'd learn to can like my Mom use to do.. yum! Syrups, jellies, jams.. I can't get enough video's of you guys!
Good luck, have fun, and we will all be waiting patiently to see your progress. Stay hydrated!
We have an organic food forest and orchard in N. GA. Harvesting apples now. :) If those are sucker (root stock) I would remove them and leave the grafted variety. LOTS of quality mulch needs to go on the rings around the base out 3 feed minimum and compost tea to inculcate the mulch for fungal growth. Limbs/leaves are best mulch and not something like cedar or cyprus (made that mistake once). If you can connect the trees with a line of mulch all the better (mycelium grows from one tree to the other bringing in nutrients). Prune first time in winter due to the sucker removals this summer. You may have blooms next spring!! There is still plenty of time for the trees to put on new growth this year. Add mulch and safe manure/composted manure every 6 months. SO exciting!!!
all good, take your time and get your place set - we will all be here when you are back. i usually catch all you good homesteadies with my morning coffee!
Omg ! Those baby chicks are precious! I got myself 3 :) two black copper Maran and a blue Maran :) I’m so excited ! I haven’t raised chickens in 15 years !
Those are apple trees. They won't produce blossoms if they are stressed...so no fruit. But I rescued the most sorry looking little spindle 3 years ago by carefully pruning it and this year it is bearing fruit! I have confidence that you can do the same with your trees...just wait until it's pruning season where you live :) Your property is looking awesome already!
Focus! Love it! Can't wait to see the next thing you have planned!
Hey Hollars. I know that you are doing awesome. My permaculture knowledge is more like a mole hill. I am enjoying your adventures. We have chickens, ducks, rabbits, and very large garden.