The Massey

[KSQ2]

Not a whole lot going on at the Massey lately but rain. Hallelujah!
We have done a little bit of fishing on the river lately.

The fruit of our “labor”

Did get some interesting news a week ago. Our hunting spot by our old house had our hopes very high last fall. As I’ve already said, we hunted a buck for most of November that we found out later had already been shot by a neighbor. The other buck we were hoping to see was found by another neighbor about a month ago. He said their neighbor to the south said their nephew had shot a good one in November and never found it. It was found 50 yards from their north line, and by the crow flies 3/4 mile from our stand. The buck was MUCH bigger than we realized.


There was a great crop of high potential, young bucks running around a couple years ago and it looks like some reached that potential; unfortunately for us, they didn’t get near us during season. Here’s to hoping for better luck next fall.

 

[MarkDarvin]

That catfish looks outstanding!

 

[KSQ2]

That catfish looks outstanding!

Thank you! Hard to beat blue cat with a little corn meal and Cavendars.

 

[KSQ2]

Our droptine crabapple was loaded a few weeks ago. It’s a young tree planted just 2 springs ago. I was a little worried about it being so young with so much fruit. Well, it aborted all but one of the crabapples in the last two weeks, and the one that was still holding fell off with a wind gust while I was watching this morning. Is this normal for a young tree?

 

[badgerfowl]

Our droptine crabapple was loaded a few weeks ago. It’s a young tree planted just 2 springs ago. I was a little worried about it being so young with so much fruit. Well, it aborted all but one of the crabapples in the last two weeks, and the one that was still holding fell off with a wind gust while I was watching this morning. Is this normal for a young tree?

Might be the June drop. Not the worst thing to happen to a young tree. My Droptine planted in 2020 was loaded with blooms this year. I might try thinning with sevin soon. Would like the tree to get more size still.

 

[KSQ2]

Might be the June drop. Not the worst thing to happen to a young tree. My Droptine planted in 2020 was loaded with blooms this year. I might try thinning with sevin soon. Would like the tree to get more size still.

How does sevin eliminate fruit?

 

[badgerfowl]

How does sevin eliminate fruit?

It thins it apparently when sprayed when apples are just forming. I don’t know the science behind it. Just what I’ve read.

 

[KSQ2]

Dawna, Audrey, and I picked up some pizza and headed to the Massey to do some deer watching from the barn platform. We ended up seeing just shy of 20. The neighbors have some new beans that are pulling a few over. Fun evening for sure!

 

[Triple C]

Nice job on the blue cat nuggets! A staple in the south for sure. Always enjoy catching up on your thread.

 

[KSQ2]

Did a little spraying to prep for the buckwheat later this month, also did a little spot spraying of some johnson grass in the winter rye and clover plot.

 

[KSQ2]

Forgot the phone at the truck, so no pics. I need to document this though, in case the date works well. Anyway, t&m’d a portion of the lower plot to buckwheat. Did last fall’s brassica plot and put buckwheat in again where I threw it into cereal mix last fall. The rye had such a high germination rate in the buckwheat that NOTHING else grew, no clover, no chicory, maybe a little hairy vetch. Definitely gonna have to spray with cleth soon, need some rain first.

 

[KSQ2]

Went by the old home place big plot this evening while deer watching some. Gonna go hit it with clethodim tomorrow. So glad I looked at it. I sprayed it with cleth this spring, but the warm season grasses are going crazy! This fall’s t&m I’m going to throw a TON of rye. I’m also going to hit it with clover in the fall and frost seed it too. The grass is still green for now, but much longer and it will go dormant. We are now at 4 weeks since our last rain. This monsoon season followed immediately by drought season is getting a little old.

 

[Native Hunter]

Went by the old home place big plot this evening while deer watching some. Gonna go hit it with clethodim tomorrow. So glad I looked at it. I sprayed it with cleth this spring, but the warm season grasses are going crazy! This fall’s t&m I’m going to throw a TON of rye. I’m also going to hit it with clover in the fall and frost seed it too. The grass is still green for now, but much longer and it will go dormant. We are now at 4 weeks since our last rain. This monsoon season followed immediately by drought season is getting a little old.

I sprayed some warm season wild grasses with clethodim and it took two weeks before I started seeing anything start to change. But now it seems to really be doing the job.

 

[KSQ2]

After spraying cleth at the old home place, I headed to the little house plot. I don’t know why this plot does so much better than others, I wish I knew. I did spray the cool season grasses this spring and it’s looking really good. Deer are nailing the clover and chicory. The straw is rye that survived the cleth this spring.

Have I mentioned I DON’T like johnson grass?

This part of the plot will get a complete redo this fall.

 

[buckdeer1]

Spot spray that JG with plateau or I believe panaramic is the other one but check that

 

[KSQ2]

Spot spray that JG with plateau or I believe panaramic is the other one but check that

I figured it’s too late, as that particular clump looks to have matured already.

 

[KSQ2]

Well, gonna test the short growing season of buckwheat this year. Nine days of sitting in dust so far with no rain in sight. Hopefully the critters don’t eat it all. Kansas summers are getting worse every year, I’m not sure why I didn’t move north years ago.

 

[badgerfowl]

Well, gonna test the short growing season of buckwheat this year. Nine days of sitting in dust so far with no rain in sight. Hopefully the critters don’t eat it all. Kansas summers are getting worse every year, I’m not sure why I didn’t move north years ago.

Because winter sucks!

 

[KSQ2]

Because winter sucks!

Actually I’m a fan of winter. Might feel different if I lived in North Dakota though.

 

[badgerfowl]

Actually I’m a fan of winter. Might feel different if I lived in North Dakota though.

It's ok for a day or two. But 6 months gets ridiculous.