TOPIC: Hey Latt

I was wonderin if you had decided to plant any more this season. I have found some priced right considering the shortage. I haven't planted any yet but will probably go ahead and order another five lb.

Hillhopper

I would love to but I have been focusing on clearing the brush for next years big planting plan. I would be out today if it weren't for deer hunting season. I'm not worried about getting shot, I just do not want to mess up the woods for the deer hunters.

I only have one place that I want to plant from now on and I am going to focus on this spot for all future plantings. I should know this spring if this spot is going to be the spot I hope it will be. The roots will be on their 2nd year and I should be able to get an idea of how they will do in that loamy calcium rich soil.

I really appreciate you keeping me in mind. Your spot and the soil you have reminds me of the spot I will be focusing on from now on.

If mine grows half as well as yours I will be happy. I cannot believe I didn't dig up at least a couple from my new spot to see how they did at the end of year one. I did dig up 100 2 year olds from my other spot in Zanesville Ohio but the roots are a bit on the small side. I may transplants all of them to my new spot if the new spot preforms well.

Going big next fall and I know we will talk about seed between now and then.

Good luck on planting and thanks for keeping me in the loop.
Latt

No problem. Iv been too busy with work to plant anything, much less any future clearing for next year. It's about to get on my nerves lol, by this time last year I had ten lb planted already. Seed will be better priced next year anyway Im sure. Like I said earlier on before, we could go and pick em up at the supplier and make a weekend out of it instead payin through the nose for shipping, I would like to see their operations anyhow.

Hillhopper

Sounds like a road trip to me. Looking forward to it. I talked to so my seed suppliers this year I can't even remember which ones you had talked to. Either way I am sure we will get some good seed next year.
Latt

I really can't remember which is which now except two or three different ones. I have a list at my desk iv compiled of about 5 wholesale suppliers and fifteen farmers who dont even advertize (two of them sell to the wholesale suppliers lol)so im sure it wont be a problem next year to find good quality, cheap seed. It's just a matter of bustin out all the middle men.

Hillhopper

Sounds good to me. Good quality seed at a great price. That's a great combination. It is amazing how the price becomes very negotiable when the poundage is up there. I like the idea of buying from a local smaller farmer too. But I am not opposed to buying good seed from a big supplier either.

Can you imagine going to a supplier and taking a couple seeds out of container cutting the seed open and checking out the embryo size. They would be like WTH, these guys ain't no dummies. Glad I learned the info about Embryo growth here on Wildgrown.com and thanks to all that offered this information.

That's why a road trip is in order for sure. Hard to check out embryo development on the telephone.

Talk to you soon.
Latt
Latt

You ain't kiddin. Im kinda tired of bein on the surprise end of the seed supply chain myself. I agree, the embryo development and bad seed % info was good to be informed of.

Hillhopper

Planted the 2 lbs. of seed Friday. The seed looked good and already treated, embryo was good. Got plenty of rain to seat it well.

Next year my son and I are going into it a little larger and more like woodsgrown. I think that is where the money is.

That's the whole idea rootman, it gets a bit addictive the more you sink your teeth into it.

Hillhopper

Latt- I know how you are feeling about concentrating on clearing for next years' planting. In sticking to my business plan, I need to clear another acre, possiblely two this spring, get soil tesing performed, and basic treatments to get things going.

I'm looking forward to getting started, having mapped out the area to clear already. The rhododendron is just so d*^m stubborn to cut down and clear. I'm thinking that I'm going to hire a small crew of migrant workers to assist me with it. I've run the numbers and I can get a 4 man crew [+ me in it] to clear an acre for about $450.-, and get it done in about 6 hours.

I'm going to handle the security concerns by having them clear a different area away from my patch I put in this year. With no mention of what the clearing is for.

That same almost an acre took me [by myself] over 20 hours of chainsaw work, + dragging lap and piling it up. I keep very detailed records as to my efforts on this stuff.

If I hire a crew, then I can be freed up to bed prepping/basic soil amendments/planting.
I'm really looking forward to getting it going next year!