Planting evergreen shrubs is a great way to layer in color and texture in the garden.
Near my Winter House were some potted evergreens that were in need of transplanting. While a couple of the pots had broken, other plants had just grown too big for their containers. I instructed my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, to transplant some of them into the pinetum, an arboretum of pine trees and other conifers. This time of year, late summer into early fall, is ideal for transplanting specimens into the ground as temperatures are cooler and less stressful on the plants.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
As a serious and passionate gardener, I am always looking for ways to add more beauty and texture to all my garden beds. One area that is constantly evolving is my pinetum – an arboretum of pine trees and other conifers.
Some of these hypertufa pots had chipped or cracked, so I wanted the plants to be moved. This is a hypertufa container. Hypertufa is a lightweight, porous, man-made material that looks like stone and is often used to make garden containers and ornaments. It’s made from a mixture of Portland cement, peat moss, and either sand, vermiculite, or perlite.
The plant removed is a long-lived, fast-growing, needled evergreen juniper with lemony fragrant leaves.
Ryan starts by digging the hole at least twice the size of the plant.
Ryan sprinkles a generous amount of food into the hole and mixes it with the existing soil.
Then he place the evergreen into the hole and backfills.
Ryan is removing another evergreen from a container so it can be transplanted into the ground. It had outgrown this small container and will do much better here in the pinetum.
Ryan removes as much of the root ball as possible to minimize root damage.
He places specimens strategically around the pinetum taking into consideration the size of the plant at maturity, its light needs, and its proximity to other plantings.
On this shrub, Ryan lightly packs the soil around and under the root ball to eliminate air pockets.
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. They are hardy evergreens that thrive in most US growing zones. Junipers are deer resistant, salt tolerant, and extremely low maintenance.
On this evergreen, Ryan trims out the four Ds of pruning – dead, damaged, diseased, and deranged – those branches that cross or rub against each other.
He also cuts off the bottom of the root ball. Scarifying helps promote healthy growth and nutrient absorption by loosening the roots and allowing them to expand into the new soil.
These were actually two plants in one container, so Ryan splits it up to plant separately.
Once again he sprinkles a goodly amount of fertilizer into the hole.
Notice that the hole is about twice the size as the root ball itself.
In time, this cypress will fill out in this space. Cypress are loved for their gorgeous and deep blue-green color. This will grow nicely in the pinetum.
Here’s Ryan planting a taller evergreen tree. Some of these newer specimens had grown fast. When planting be sure specimens are planted at the right depth. Planting a tree too deep can kill it. Plant it only at its flare – the bulge just above the root system where the roots begin to branch away from the trunk.
My pinetum collection has grown so well over the years. I am pleased with how it looks, and so happy these trees are thriving here at the farm.
Here at the farm, I try hard to keep everything clean, organized, and in good working condition - especially all the large and important agricultural equipment.
Last week, my outdoor grounds crew baled our second cut of hay - 663 bales for my horses from three large fields. I am so proud I can make hay right here at the farm. After all the hay is properly stacked, it's crucial that all the equipment is checked and cleaned before storing. Keeping farm equipment clean and maintained ensures optimal performance, minimizes breakdowns, and extends the lifespan of the units.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
I am very fortunate to have all the proper equipment to make nutritious and delicious hay for my horses. I try to impress upon my team how important it is to take good care of everything we have.
This is our mower-conditioner. A hay mower conditioner cuts, crimps and crushes the hay to promote faster and more even drying. My outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring Sherpa, thoroughly power washes the hood and top of the mower.
When weather conditions are ideal, these machines allow farmers to cut wide and fast – the best formula for quality field productivity.
Next, Chhiring washes the tedder. A tedder spreads and fluffs the hay in a uniform swath after the mower-conditioner has cut the hay.
It uses a rotary motion to grab the hay with spinning tines and then cast it out the back of the machine.
Here is a closer look at the tines, or moving forks, which aerate or “wuffle” the hay and speed up the drying process.
Chhiring rinses each of the tines individually to make sure they are free of any crop debris.
He also thoroughly cleans underneath the tedder which can accumulate clippings.
The bar rake, also known as a basket rake is hydraulically driven. This rake allows for consistent movement across the fields making well-shaped windrows, or rows of hay.
This apparatus also has tines that pick up the hay and sweep it into the long rows around the field.
I’ve had all these pieces for years and am glad to say good care has kept them in the best working condition.
A baler is a piece of farm machinery used to compress a cut and raked crop into compact bales that are easy to handle, transport, and store.
This is the pick up cylinder which rolls over the cut hay and gathers it into the chamber.
The spiked wheel grabs the bale and with the motor helps to move and propel the bales through the baler.
And then it goes up the conveyor belt to where it is thrown into the wagon.
Chhiring cleans every crevice to remove any debris caught in the machine. This is also a good time for Chhiring to check any parts that may need more maintenance attention.
Most of the equipment is pulled by our trusted Kubota M4-071 tractor, one of the most important pieces of equipment here at the farm. It is used every single day of the year.
And look at the wheels – each one is five feet in diameter.
Chhiring takes time to also clean the tractor. He cleans around the mechanicals, but is careful to avoid any direct contact with bearings and seals.
Look how much cleaner it is after just a few minutes. The M4 tractor is designed for basic farm chores, such as raking, tedding, and rotary cutting, but I also use it for moving heavy planters, transporting mulch and compost, and other important tasks.
Chhiring also makes sure to clean and check all the lights and other safety features.
Once the hay baling equipment is cleaned and adequately sun dried, it is all pulled one by one behind the tractor to the barn specifically designated for these pieces.
I house them all indoors for the cold season to prevent any weather damage and rust. This barn provides adequate air circulation and proper drainage to keep them all dry and safe from the elements.
Here is the baler parked for the off-season. Chhiring checks the equipment periodically through the year to ensure it is all safe from moisture, mold, and pests. Good, clean, well-maintained equipment of any kind is sure to last many years.
Here in the Northeast, recent weather has been dry, sunny, warm, with light winds and lower humidity - perfect for the multiple day process of baling hay.
Hay is a harvested plant that’s dried and cured after being cut in the field. In most cases, hay is cut during the late bud or early bloom stage to maximize its nutritional value. Last week, my outdoor grounds crew cut, tedded, raked, and then baled the hay from my giant fields. They did a first cut back in June. This is the second cut - it's greener, more dense, and filled with lots of protein - my horses love it.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
My crew is at it again, pulling out all the necessary equipment to harvest our second cut of nutritious hay for my horses.
Timing is everything when cutting the hay crop. We hope for at least a week of good, dry, warm weather, so we can work in the fields and guarantee a good harvest.
This is our mower-conditioner. It cuts, crimps, and crushes the hay to promote faster and more even drying.
The discs and blades are located behind the protective shield of the mower-conditioner.
Here, Chhiring shows two blades – one new and one that needed replacing.
Each blade can be used twice – usually for the first and then the second cut of hay in the season.
On cutting day, Chhiring goes around the fields counter clockwise cutting all the hay. The process of cutting should take about an hour per field. I have three large fields.
The next day, the cut hay is ready for tedding, also known as fluffing. This is our hay tedder. A tedder spreads and fluffs the hay in a uniform swath. It uses a rotary motion to grab the hay with spinning tines that cast it out the back of the machine.
Here are tines, or moving forks, pointing downward and ready to aerate or “wuffle” the hay and speed up the drying process even more. The tedder moves up and down the field taking all the greener hay from the bottom and turning it over to dry.
Next, it’s time to make the windrows, which are rows of hay raked up and shaped before being baled. Here is Phurba pulling the bar rake and making windrows from the tedded hay.
The bar rake, also known as a basket rake is hydraulically driven. This rake allows for consistent movement across the fields making well-shaped windrows. One can see how the machine pulls the hay to create a windrow.
The hay is ready to bale when samples pulled from the bottom of the windrow make a crunching sound when snapped. My fields are all planted with a mixture of timothy, orchard grass, Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, and clover.
Phurba creates the windrows around the fields as Chhiring sets up the next step, the baler.
A baler is a piece of farm machinery that compresses the cut and raked crop into compact bales that are easy to handle, transport, and store. The baler is attached to the tractor, and then the hay wagon is attached to the baler.
When the baler is in motion, the hay is picked up first in the front. Then it is formed into a bale.
Once it is tied, it moves up this conveyor belt…
In one compartment, large rolls of twine are positioned and tied to each other, so they can feed into the baler and secure the hay just before it shoots out into the trailer. There are three choices of materials to wrap bales – twine, net wrap, or plastic wrap. If properly baled and stored, hay can last a long time without degrading in quality.
And finally, the hay is picked up, made into a bale and thrown into this trailer where other outdoor grounds crew members work together to grab the bales and stack them.
Here is a bale of hay as it is lifted in the baler’s reel and moved up the conveyor belt. And then propelled into the wagon by a mechanical arm called a thrower or a kicker. The bales are manageable for one person to handle, about 45 to 60 pounds each.
In less than an hour, the wagon is almost completely filled with bales of hay. Each bale is about 15 by 18 by 40 inches large. The number of flakes in the bale is determined by a setting in the baler. Many balers are set for 10 to 12 flakes per bale. I have two hay trailers. Each one can hold about 150-bales.
Chhiring drives the tractor and starts the process midday when there is the least amount of moisture. Here he is driving our trusted Kubota tractor.
This cut of hay is stored first in the loft above my run-in shed. It will be moved closer to the stable when needed. And that’s a week of hard work in the hayfields – we got 663 bales this round. It makes me so happy to know I can grow good, nutritious hay for my horses right here at my farm.
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