Darn pretty day

[Treepep 564]

How does your garden grow?  Cold season business is thriving.  Planted a few warm season.  Oaks are leafed out and we are mired in pine pollen so that should be fine however it is a little early.

[8ntruck 7,004]

Them be pretty fancy wheels on your tractor.

[953 nut 55,230]

Western part of the Tar-Heel-State is looking great too. Our favorite restaurant has outside dining and it was fully occupied at lunch today.      

[Ed Kennell 38,177]

40F and 50MPH winds here today.        Down to 26 tonight.     Probably going to freeze the budded out pear and plum trees.

[Ed Kennell 38,177]

25F this morning, but the wind has calmed down a bit.       

The pear buds have not opened yet so I am hoping they survive these two subfreezing nights.

[Darb1964 1,042]

3 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

25F this morning, but the wind has calmed down a bit.       

The pear buds have not opened yet so I am hoping they survive these two subfreezing nights.

Brutal here in the Berkshires of Massachusetts last two days, high winds and teens at night. Luckily the trees have no buds yet, two inches of rain tomorrow.

[Handy Don 12,232]

1 hour ago, Darb1964 said:

two inches of rain tomorrow.

NYC Metro under flood watch with ~2.5” of rain forecast from midnight tonight.

Our sump pump has had a real workout these past couple of months.

Lawn has been de-thatched and pre-emergent crabgrass killer & fertilizer applied and it’s already greening--earliest I can remember doing this.

Edited March 22 by Handy Don

[peter lena 8,628]

@Handy Don  my sump pump  has also been on overtime , years ago did a plumbing addition to regular set up , basically added a  1,1/4  tee / valve  off main line , that goes  out to corner street drain . had that line back flood  from that drain , into my sump pit !  just closing , flow direction, lets me discharge pit  to gutter base drainage point  thru foundation  black plastic pipe . that way your pump will always be able to get WATER OUT OF YOUR CELLAR , another  you can't do that . pete

[Handy Don 12,232]

23 minutes ago, peter lena said:

plumbing addition to regular set up

I’m fortunate that the 1-¼ PVC and backflow check valve work very well. I can outlet the water onto a yard area which lately is growing lushly!

Because we are in the Northeast and extended below-freezing weather is possible (or maybe not any longer?) I left a 3” air-gap where the down-facing 1-¼ pipe outlet empties into a short vertical piece of 4” PVC pipe sticking upward from an elbow at the end of a lengthy perforated 4” PVC. This larger pipe carries the water under some bushes and out to the yard. If the 4” pipe were to freeze/clog, the water would spill out  onto ground closer to the house but not back up into the house.

BTW, in many towns (including mine) the emptying of sumps or downspouts onto a roadway requires special permitting. It is banned altogether for state-controlled roads. Before my Certificate of Occupancy was approved, the inspector flushed dye through the gutters and sump to assure that there was no discharge to either the sanitary sewer or onto the roadway.

[peter lena 8,628]

@Handy Don  my house is one of original 5 ,  starter homes , that was to be a 160  lot layout , town , including us , fought this to a stop . land owner / mayor , turned it into farmland , for animal tax write off . the entry way is my drive way , has 2 corner storm drains that are piped to my sump pit , so mine is easy , access.  on the other hand , with extensive  rain , it sheds water off the  property , on old main access road , over whelming storm drains , to under road lower land access. every town / district  is different , don't have to switch discharge valves often , but when its backing into your sump pit , its a quick , close / open yard valve , switch, first experience with that street drain back up , put plan in motion , added a TEE , to elevated  pump discharge , line to drain valve . another  valve to yard , just switch them , and water is out of pit . stay dry , pete

[Treepep 564]

Turf repairs. Early, cool spring for a change.  Always winter damage without a winter.  Go figure...another pretty day.  Gotta use em before it gets hot. Had supervision so should be good 😊 

[Ed Kennell 38,177]

43 minutes ago, Treepep said:

Had supervision

[Treepep 564]

On 3/22/2024 at 7:51 AM, Ed Kennell said:

25F this morning, but the wind has calmed down a bit.       

The pear buds have not opened yet so I am hoping they survive these two subfreezing nights.

I have 2 pear trees.  This is the second year in 11 years that we did not have a late frost,  I have 1 pear.  Plenty of peaches till the tree rats graze on them green.  Someday I will have a productive orchard.  I need dogs that protect the yard instead of defending their pillow to pull that off

 

Hope that your trees made some tasty babies for you!

[Ed Kennell 38,177]

2 hours ago, Treepep said:

 

 

Hope that your trees made some tasty babies for you!

My pear trees are my best producers.   I have a Moonglow and a Red Bartlett both self pollinating and I get 4-5 dozen pears off each tree.  The plums (Stanley Prune and Santa Rosa) also do well.

 

The apples have not done so well due to the late frosts and lack of bees for pollinating. The blossoms do look good this year.  Hopefully the winds will help to pollinate.

Honey Crisp and Cortland( supposedly ) a good pollinator look good.

 

Gala and Mcintosh both produced some small apples last year.

 

[Handy Don 12,232]

7 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

My pear trees are my best producers.   I have a Moonglow and a Red Bartlett both self pollinating and I get 4-5 dozen pears off each tree.  The plums (Stanley Prune and Santa Rosa) also do well.

In my yard, they’d be nothing but deer candy--all the tender branches chewed off during the winter.