Category Archives: Okra Paradise Farms

Half way between Atlanta and Orlando and all the way to paradise!

Pigweed 2021-06-08

Pulled this out of the corn this morning.

[Palmer amaranth]
Palmer amaranth

We have very little of it. Nearby, where renters grow cotton doused in Roundup (Glysophate), they have a lot of it. Because it has mutated to be resistant to Roundup. So over there, it’s the only weed growing. They’ve resorted to everything from 2,$-D to Paraquat to pulling it up by hand.

In our fields, pigweed has to compete with everything else, and it is not very successful. We have more issues with dog fennel and sandspurs. Nothing a little hoe work and weed pulling can’t fix. Good morning exercise. We do not use any pesticides.

See also Andre Gallant, Modern Farmer, 18 July 2013, Pigweed in the Cotton: A ‘Superweed’ Invades Georgia.

-jsq

Dogs and snake of the day 2021-05-18

Honeybun was happy to back off. She is barely visible, bottom left.

The snake was making a big show of striking at them.

[Honeybun, Yellow Dog, snake]
Honeybun, Yellow Dog, snake

Yellow Dog was more, “I hate snakes. That’s a snake. I’m gonna get it.” But eventually she gave a huff and flopped down to sit near the snake. I had to pick her up to get her to move away.

Then the snake slithered quickly into the woods.

-jsq

Native wild azaleas 2021-04-12

These were many places in the woods, with an acre of them here: native wild azaleas, Rhododendron canescens.

[Nellie, native wild azaleas, Gretchen]
Nellie, native wild azaleas, Gretchen

No, not honeysuckle. That’s a vine. These are a bush. Continue reading →

Planting fruit trees 2021-03-30

Citrus: lemon, satsuma, blood orange, and grapefruit, two of each.

[Gretchen planting fruit trees]
Gretchen planting fruit trees

Better than the invasive chinaberry trees that used to be there. Getting rid of those took a bulldozer and years of mowing and harrowing. Continue reading →