Florida Plantation

[FL Plotter]

I think I figured out why the grease fitting wouldn't take grease...had to chisel out the old grease! All 8 bearings cleaned, relubed and gangs reinstalled with no preload so all gangs spin freely and are centered. 6hrs in the hot Florida sun....November seems so far away!

 

[FL Plotter]

Got my pre-lime samples in....was actually impressed with the pH and the P-K as this land has been in planted pines for decades if not forever. Probably went a little heavy with lime at 2T per acre, but should be OK when tilled in. I'll check again in the spring.

 

[FL Plotter]

Dropped the disc off at the welder and headed to the property to boxblade. After a day of hard use, that will be going to the welder next!

I primarily worked on the house site today....leveling and dragging off sticks. Kinda pissed the dozer guys didn't do this as I asked them to make this spot level for the house since they were on-site with the machines. After 6 hrs, I tapped out....96 degrees and then toad soaker thunderstorms on the hour drive home. At least I didn't have to wash the tractor.

ICPs:


Rear fenceline in Sunn Hemp:


Homesite:


Casualty of the day:

 

[FL Plotter]

Well boys, I took a week off from diesel therapy due to the rains but was back at it this weekend. Picked up the disc from welder on the way to the property and then boxbladed all day to remove more sticks and level out the bulldozer ruts. Told the wife I would leave at 230, but had to run that disc for an hour to check it out! Got about 2 more acres ready to plant and my barn/shed location prepped for the future. Dropped the boxblade off at the welder on the way home as I basically destroyed it!

2 more acres raked and disked. ICPs on the right:


Food plot of Sunn Hemp:


Homesite and future view:


Barn/Shed location:

 

[lakngolf]

You keeping that welder busy!

 

[FL Plotter]

You keeping that welder busy!

He just shakes his head when I drive up. He said "I think your job is bigger than your equipment". Dozer doesn't get everything so there are some land mines out there for sure....I'm getting there though. In a perfect world with unlimited money, I would have a land scrape come in and shave off the high spots and fill in the low ones. Since that's not in the budget, I'll work it all up real good with the disc, then tow a 6x6 to get it smoother. I had access to some old railroad track, but the farm it was on got developed this year and they hauled it all off.

 

[THE LLC]

It sucks here right now. Can't imagine the Florida heat/humidity and the sun bouncing off that sandy soil. Makes me think of my grandmother's farm in south Georgia. Out in the middle of a freshly plowed, 500 acre field. Hottest place I ever been.

 

[FL Plotter]

It's hot for sure....but with the right clothes, it's bearable. If I haven't said it before on here, the Columbia PFG shirts, a buff, and a cooling towel (wetted often) around your neck keeps you in the game.

Picked some pears from the old timer pear tree on the property. Had to have my wife take the FEL to the top height with me in the bucket to get most of these. Tree has so much potential...I have to prune it way back and daylight it by taking down some trees around it.

And a pic my wife took of me working the next chunk of land next to the peas.....tractor looks so small!

 

[FL Plotter]

Well boys, another update. My son is in town this week and hadn't seen the property. So we hooked up the 'Bota for a little fun in the sun. Ended up being 8 more hours on the meter...we were whupped. But we got 2 acres or so planted in brown top millet and bahia grass and another 1/2 or so in just millet. Probably about an acre of the homesite left to get covered in something growing to control erosion.

 

[FL Plotter]

Millet and pasture that we planted 2 weeks ago is coming in...you can see some bare spots that we missed with the hand seeder. Hoping the millet gets to maturity for the late dove season, but as a minimum will help with erosion and organic matter. Got 3 areas of erosion that I backbladed some berms but they washed through. Picked up some silt fence and stakes, but didn't have the energy to dig it in this weekend (hot and humid).

I obviously planted more food than is needed.....will definitely scale back and put more pasture in the front and less deer food. The food plot in the back in Sunn Hemp is 4 feet tall!! Gonna let the ICPs and hemp just run their course and then come back in October/November and put in my grains, clover and chicory.

Been a wet summer....8" above average....so haven't been out the skeeter breeding grounds....AKA my hunting lease.

 

[Triple C]

All your work is paying off! Nothing better than working on your own piece of dirt!

 

[FL Plotter]

It really is. We went and looked at a foreclosure on 50 acres yesterday. About 30 tillable, nice Cape Cod with wraparound porch. Hay pole barn.. Other buildings. Short drive down dirt road. Very tempting at $200K (a steal), but then we drove to our 20 acres and it just felt "right" because we have carved it out and are working towards our vision, not trying to adjust to someone else's. But if I had a spare $200K laying around......

 

[FL Plotter]

About 8 hrs yesterday hogging the tall stuff....man was it hot. Bright, sunny and mid-90s.

This is how it looks when you turn off the paved road now....used to be all planted pines:

Back plot in Sunn Hemp:

And the residents:

 

[Deadeye]

It's really coming along nice! Looks like your Deer are happy with you as well.

 

[FL Plotter]

Took a break from my property and finally made it to my hunting lease....it was very neglected! 10hrs on the Kubota....all mowing roads and plots and pushing some dirt. Plan to plant about a month from now...there's a little chicory left and some Durana struggling to live.

Dog fennel and grass were ridiculous:



The future:


Had a nice surprise on cam:

 

[lakngolf]

Nice buck!

 

[Deadeye]

Looking Good. Don’t take long for those grasses to take over.

That’s a very nice buck you’ve got there.

 

[FL Plotter]

The summer that never ends. Panama City may have had a record hot September.

Put out 10 bag of trip-13 on the brown top millet today. Not a dove in sight. Probably too hot for them.

. Looks like the deer don't like the other feeder in a bushhogged bowl of sunn hemp...need to make the clearing bigger I guess. It's just 30 yards from where they loved it on the back fenceline!

This feeder they like.

 

[lakngolf]

I agree that we've had a HOT September. More overbearing than real summertime. Good luck down your way

 

[dogghr]

You are one tough man to work in that heat but looks to be paying off. Good luck.