Barncast 158 — Call In show/maple syrup

I think the picture above is the web cam in the barn.

Hey, the barn cat is a grey tiger, huh? He must like the camera too. I keep seeing a whisker or a stripey paw!

On killing the ground cover (grass) I just read that putting down two layers of clear plastic with a small area between them (1 in.) in the sun will kill every thing under it using the trapped suns heat.
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Some one asked about hardening there new seedlings and I just happened to see this:

CONDITIONING TRANSPLANTS
Objective: To prepare plants to withstand stress conditions in the field.
These may be low temperatures, high temperatures, drying winds, low
soil moisture, or injury to the roots in transplanting. Growth rates
decrease during conditioning, and the energy otherwise used in growth is
stored in the plant to aid in resumption of growth after transplanting.
Conditioning is used as an alternative to the older term, hardening.
Methods: Any treatment that restricts growth increases hardiness. Coolseason
crops generally develop hardiness in proportion to the severity of
the treatment and length of exposure and when well-conditioned
withstand subfreezing temperatures. Warm-season crops, even when
highly conditioned, do not withstand temperatures much below freezing.
1. Water supply. Gradually reduce water by watering lightly at less
frequent intervals. Do not allow the plants to dry out suddenly, with
severe wilting.
2. Temperature. Expose plants to lower temperatures (5–10
F) than
those used for optimum growth. High day temperatures may reverse
the effects of cool nights, making temperature management difficult.
Do not expose biennials to prolonged cool temperatures, which induces
bolting.
3. Fertility. Do not fertilize, particularly with nitrogen, immediately
before or during the initial stages of conditioning. Apply a starter
solution or liquid fertilizer 1 or 2 days before field setting and/ or with
the transplanting water (see page 78).
4. Combinations. Restricting water and lowering temperatures and
fertility, used in combination, are perhaps more effective than any
single approach.
Duration: Seven to ten days are usually sufficient to complete the
conditioning process. Do not impose conditions so severe that plants are
overconditioned in case of delayed planting because of poor weather.
Overconditioned plants require too much time to resume growth, and
early yields may be lower.

I’m waiting- do we have boys or girls? :)

Hi there, thank you for another great show! I’m really looking forward how your maple sirup is coming along.

I didn’t call the farm phone, but wanted to add the links to the farm phone call about the Dervaes family:

http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/
http://www.freedomgardens.org/

Greetings from Germany,
Eva