AI BENEFITS FOR CATTLE.

RED ANGUS BULL



Just a quick answer to a quick question asked today. What are the advantages of AI

You can choose bulls from all over the world that will give you what you want in your herd.

Better protection against inherited defects brought on by in-breeding.

No need to keep a dangerous bull in your herd.

The ability to cross-breed your cattle.

More uniform calf crops.

Go well.

DIY FRUIT FARMING.

FRESH FRUIT

Had a visit in our little shop from a city farmer. He has bought a small farm (40 hectares) and has the money to develop it.

He has appointed a manager to develop the farm.

Here is the sadness. I asked him (knowing the piece of land he has bought) when do you start ripping?
Ripping he asks? We will just level the fields, mark out the orchards, dig holes, and plant.

Disaster!!!

Soil preparation is vital. It is not an optional extra. The best plant material, high quality water and the correct and best fertilizer will all come to nothing if you do not do proper soil preparation.

Good soil drainage is also essential for growing healthy, productive trees.

Every farmer owns a small fortune. He however started with a big fortune. What will completely erode your fortune is poor farming practises. Do not take short cuts.

My advice today, to our visitor, was do your homework.

TUNNELS TWO CROPS IN 12 MONTHS?

A local fruit farmer grows tomatoes under shade net once a year to fill up some dead time. He does well.

This morning the phone rang.

Foreigner, (a term used for folk not born and bread in our valley) I read your blog last night.

You say two crops in 13 months?........ He believes, "He who speaks first loses" thus the long silent pause.

I paused him back and low and behold he spoke first. Mind you if a short gruff  "two?" is speaking first then he spoke.

I put him out of his misery.

Planning, planning, planning. 

Let us use 3 tunnels.  One in full production, one coming into production, and one going out of production.

Growing your crop in pine wood shavings your crop will take about 6 months from seedling to final pick.

Then you need to strip and disinfect the tunnel.

Plant again and you are on your way.

"YOU SAID PLANNING"

Yes. You need to turn the tunnel around in two days.

This means, growing new seedlings in advance. About 4 weeks in summer and 6 weeks in winter.

Your new bags must be filled and disinfected in advance.

When the tunnel is ready, the bags need to be placed and all drips checked and connected.

Stripping, cleaning and disinfecting day 1. Preparing, placing, connecting day 2. Early the morning of day 3 you plant. It should not take you longer than an hour.

" THAT IS ONLY 12 MONTHS FOR TWO CROPS, YOU SAID 13 MONTHS ON YOUR BLOG"

Boet, you are a farmer. Leave some time for the ups and downs of the weather.

"Yes  thanks.  Better pop around today and collect some peaches". 

Thanks.

Enjoy the day.

WHICH TOMATOE MUST I PLANT?

My goodly neighbour, Justgivemethefacts has been back.

I have bought a tunnel. It does not fit into my garden. It is 10m wide, that's OK. It is to long and I will have to shorten it to 18m.

Do you need help? No. Just tell me what's the diffirance between determinate tomatoes and indeterminate tomatoes. 

A simple explanation neighbour? True to his nickname, Justgivemethefacts,  answered, yes.  

  Determinate tomatoes bear their crop all at once, while indeterminate tomatoes bear fruit over the course of a season. Indeterminate varieties grow longer vines.


Thanks.
Waite neighbour.
Justgivemethefacts paused with that, what now look on his face.

Done properly, indeterminate tomatoes will allow you to grow two full crops over a 13 month period and you could harvest 10 kg per plant. 

I could see the calculator working overtime in his brain. 

In your downsized tunnel that's about 400 plants twice in 13 months times 10kg per plant.

That's  400x2x10?

It was getting late and my dinner was waiting.

Yes.

I turned to go. What brand of seed must I use? Tomorrow  neighbour, tomorrow.

WHY HYDROPONICS.

My goodley retired neighbour was waiting for me when I arrived home today. I could see he was vexed with a question.

Why hydroponics? He is a man for few words. My nickname for him is, Justgivemethefacts.
These are the facts I gave him.

No soil is required.
Plants are irrigated automatically.
No water stress.
Nutrients are available at all times
Only soluble fertilizers are used.
Hydroponic fertilizer formulations contain a balanced nutrient content.
Soil borne diseases can be eliminated.
Higher yields.

DIY MUSING.

 The most important piece of equipment in any toolbox?

Safety goggles/glasses

 Find out if your toilet is leaking? 

 Add a small amount of red food coloring to the tank, and then check the toilet bowl later. If the water has turned red, water is seeping through from the tank, and you may need to check and change some cistern  parts .

Stripped a screw.

Take a drill and drill a small hole in the center of the stripped screw.

Take the end of a file that normally fits into a wood handle ( its square) and lightly tap it into the hole you drilled. Once it "bites" you might get lucky and it will back right out.

GERMINATING SEEDS FAST. Part 4

For the home gardener just about the same results can be achieved.

Take your left over plastic punnets you got when you purchased seedlings from the nursery. They may be 6,8 or 12 cavity trays.

Wash them. Fill with potting soil. Water lightly. Place your seeds on top. You can make a gentle indentation with the back of a pencil. Do not make a hole. Do not cover them.

Take a black rubbish/bin bag and place the tray in the bag. To keep the bag from touching the tray, blow it up. Now tie it closed. Place in a warm spot.

Remember your seeds will bake if they dry out or get to hot. Keep them moist. You can add a little water to the bag to maintain humidity.

Follow steps described in part 3.

Once you are ready to remove them from the black plastic bag, have a see through bag ready. Use a plastic translucent/transparent bag. Cover the seeds lightly with vermiculite.  Place the seedling tray inside.

To prevent the plastic toughing the seedlings, Blow the bag up. You can also use thin green shoots from a sapling to make a frame inside the bag. Be careful of sunburn.

When the seedlings are ready remove them and place them in a lightly shaded warm spot till you can pull a plug. Then plant.

Do not let the seedlings dry out at any stage. Remember the cavities are small and contain very little moisture.

Have Fun.

GERMINATING SEEDS FAST. Part 3

Carefully move the trays to your tunnel. Place them. Now cover the seeds with a layer of vermiculite. Do not cover them to thickly.  Water lightly.

The seedlings will grow very quickly in the tunnel. Commercial growers will feed the plants through daily watering. Each time they are watered they are fed. The concentration is thus fairly weak. Remember the cavities are small and dry out quickly water regularly. Do not let them dry out.

Be careful to use a fine spray. If you do not, the newly germinated seeds will wash out.

Watch closely. You do not want leggy seedlings. If they just begin to stretch move them from the tunnel to the shade house. Here they will grow on and harden off.

Your seedlings are ready when you can pull a plug. Take one seedling and gently pull. If the seedling comes out of the cavity with the growing medium intact and in the shape of the cavity, they are ready. This is called a plug.

In summer it will take about 4 weeks from seed to plug.

Vegetable, herb, flower and tree seeds all do well. Tree seeds may take longer to germinate.
You can even grow pumpkin, melon, butternut and cucumbers this way.

Part 4 is for the home gardener.

GERMINATE SEEDS FAST part 2

GERMINATION TRAYS





Commercial growers use polystyrene or plastic planting/seed/germination trays. I used the polystyrene ones. They are all the same size in width and length. The cavity sizes are different. The smaller the cavity, not the tray, the more cavities. I used the 200 cavity trays.


Fill the trays with a good quality growing medium. Commercial growers treat the growing medium with Previcur to control damping-off. To do this on a large scale use a cement mixer.


Take a hand held dibbler to firm the growing medium in the cavities. This will also leave  small indentations to hold the seed. Dampen the growing medium.

DIBBLER

 Now place your seed on top of the growing medium. Do not cover the seed. Place the trays in the germination room, on top of each other. Place little spacers between each tray. Use thin little planks as spacers.


Set your thermostat at 26 degrees Celsius. Close the door.


Check the seeds each morning. Once about 60% of the seeds have cracked or opened remove the relevant trays from the germination room. Do not leave them till they start growing stems. This will leave you with a leggy, weak seedling.


Various seeds take longer or shorter to germinate. An average is about 3-4 days.


Germination is now complete.


Your next step is described in part 3.

GERMINATE SEEDS FAST part 1

OK this is perhaps not for the home garden but the principles used here, I have tried and tested over and over again. I have introduced commercial farmers as well as nurseries to the same practises. They work.

In part 4, I will give the home Gardener a way to achieve the same results.

Things vital to quick germination are humidity, darkness, moisture, the correct temperature and good quality seed.

A low cost germination room will provide you with  these.

THE ROOM.
Darkness.

I built this with cement blocks. No windows, a flat roof and one door. Hight 2m, width 2m and length 3m.
The interior was plastered and painted black.The roof was corrugated iron and was insulated with egg boxes. You can insulate both the walls and the roof with polystyrene but remember to paint them black.

Humidity, heat, temperature and moisture.

Take a plastic drum the about the size of an old 44 gallon drum. Cut it in half length ways. Use the half with the lid/bung hole. Lie it flat like a bath. You  may have to provide supports to keep it level and secure. Bricks will do.

Fit a hot water geyser element in the hole of the drum. Connect to power supply. Fill with water. Fit a thermostat. Make sure the electrical box to house, both the power supply and the thermostat are fitted on the outside.

Set your thermostat to  26 degrees Celsius. That's it.

The heated water will provide, humidity, heat and moisture. Seed will germinate within 2 to 3 days.

Warning. Get an electrician to do the connections.

Part 2 will tell you how to sow your seed.

Some growers have used an old shipping container instead of a purpose built room. You can also convert and old small room on your farm instead.

AIRCONDITIONER PURCHASE TIPS

The Split type air-conditioner is to be preferred over the older window type. The main reasons are as follows.

1. They look good. REALLY GOOD.
2. They do not need a window.

3. Noise levels are reduced drastically. The compressor is outside.
4. They can be installed any where in you home. Even in your windowless basement. 


Numerous companies and makes are available. If you live in rural parts, make sure the company or it's agents are available in your area. You do not want to have high travelling costs for call outs.


SHOP AROUND. PRICES DIFFER QUITE A BIT.

DIY BALDNESS PREVENTION.

NEED TO HIDE YOUR BALDY?

Some men look good bald. Women however do not look so good bald, do they?  Prevention of hair loss is better than curing baldness.

B VITAMINS will reduce hair loss.

B1 Gives your hair shine.

B2 Without B2 your bodies cells cannot breath properly. If they do not breath properly they will lack oxygen. Your cells need oxygen  for repairs and new cell production.

B3 Without good blood circulation to the scalp, hair growth is not stimulated. B 3 will increase blood circulation.

B5 Hair looking dull and turning grey? B5 will help restore colour and add some shine.

B7 Breaking hair ? Restore elasticity and thickens hair cuticles with vitamin B7

B12 Vital to hair health is red blood cells. B12 regenerates red blood cells.

NEVER EXCEED DOSAGE AS INDICATED ON YOUR VITAMIN BOTTLE.

Love your hair. Feed your hair.

DIY DANDRUFF REMEDY THAT WORKS

DANDRUFF FREE HAIR

Forget about expensive dandruff products. Here is a cheap, easy to use recipe for free.

Massage a little warm, not hot, peanut oil into your scalp. Go and make a cup of tea and enjoy it.

Finished your cuppa? Now take a medium sized lemon, squeeze it and use the juice by gently rubbing it into your scalp.

Now find something to do, that will last about five minutes. Done it? OK? Now enjoy a  shampoo.

Repeat once a week till dandruff has disappeared.

REMEMBER YOU ARE TREATING YOUR SCALP AND NOT YOUR HAIR

Why it works I do not know, but this I do know it works.

Enjoy.

DIY ROOF TILE REPAIR.

Replacing a cracked roof tile may be impossible because you cannot find a match. It can also be expensive if you need to replace more than one.

Do not dispair DIY.

HANDLE THE TILES WITH CARE TO PREVENT FURTHER CRACKS.

Clean the tile with a brush. Dampen the cracked tile bits (do not make it dripping wet).
Apply a flexible roof compound. Join the broken pieces. Smooth with a damp cloth. Allow to dry.

Your local hardware shop will stock various brand products. Just ask for A FLEXIBLE ROOF COMPOUND.

You can add a little paint or pigment powder to the compound to match the colour of the tile.

If your tiles are painted then paint over the repair.

This is not a difficult job and any amateur DIY lady or man can handle this with ease.

Save money repair do not replace.





   Have fun.