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Strip-Grazing a Small Sheep Flock Across a 1-Acre Pasture With Three Strands of Polywire and a Small Solar Charger

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Turning a few sheep loose on a whole acre wastes grass, since they graze favorite spots to the ground and trample the rest. A movable polywire strip gives them a fresh slice each day, and a small solar charger keeps it hot with no outlet nearby. Can a small solar charger run a temporary polywire fence for sheep? Yes, for short runs. Most solar energizers put out under 0.5 joules, which is generally enough for temporary fence under 1,500 feet, grounded with a single 2- to 3-foot rod. Train the sheep first and keep the fence hot, ideally near 7,000 volts. Virginia Cooperative Extension's Reducing Labor When Using Temporary Electric Fencing (SPES-709) gives that output and length guidance. It says many producers keep fences at 7,000 volts for sheep so the animals respect the fence even when power is briefly lost. Oklahoma State University...
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Cutting Out Fire Blight Cankers on a Backyard Pear in Winter With a Folding Pruning Saw: 8 to 12 Inches Below the Dead Bark

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Fire blight leaves a pear tree with blackened shoot tips curled like a shepherd's crook, and the bacteria wait out the winter in sunken cankers on the limbs. Removing those cankers while the tree is dormant is the single best way to cut down next spring's infections. When and how should you prune out fire blight cankers? Prune cankers out in winter while the tree is dormant. Cut each infected limb at least 8 to 12 inches below the visible dead or sunken bark, back to healthy wood. Remove the stubs left from any summer blight cuts, and clean your saw if it touches infected tissue. Utah State University Extension's fire blight annual management guide says removing overwintering cankers from dormant trees is one of the most important steps in managing the disease. It says to cut limbs with wet, off-color, or sunken bark at least 8 i...
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Lifting and Splitting an Overgrown Daylily Clump With a Round Point Shovel: 2 to 3 Fans per Division, Crowns 1 Inch Deep

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. A daylily clump that once lined the fence in a neat row can turn into a dense mat with a bare middle and fewer flowers. Lifting it whole and splitting it into fist-sized pieces brings back the bloom and fills the next stretch of border for free. How do you divide an overgrown daylily clump? Dig up the whole clump with a spade in early spring or late summer, shake off the soil, and pull or cut it apart. Each division needs 2 or 3 fans of leaves and good roots. Replant right away with the crown about 1 inch below the soil. Iowa State University Extension's answer to when you can divide daylilies gives those steps and timing. It adds that late-summer divisions should have their foliage cut back to 6 to 8 inches , and that divided plants usually do not bloom well for 1 or 2 years. University of Minnesota Extension's guide on how and when...
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Topdressing a 1,000-Square-Foot Back Lawn With a Quarter Inch of Compost After Core Aeration: Wheelbarrow Loads and a Shovel Fling

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. A thin compost topdressing right after core aeration is one of the few ways to improve the soil under an established lawn without tearing it up. The hard part is moving the right amount and spreading it thin enough that the grass still sees the sun. How much compost do you need to topdress a lawn? At a quarter inch deep, a 1,000-square-foot lawn takes about 21 cubic feet of compost, or roughly 0.8 cubic yard. Apply no more than half an inch at a time, rake it into the turf, and keep at least half the grass blade height showing. Clemson Cooperative Extension's fact sheet on topdressing a home lawn says applications should be light, with no more than ½ inch at a time. It says compost may be used on all soil types and that organic matter can be added immediately after core aeration. University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension's Lawn Aer...
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Re-Tightening Sagging 12.5-Gauge Wires on a Backyard Grape Trellis Before Bud Break With In-Line Wire Joiners

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. A backyard grape trellis that looked tight at planting often sags by the third winter. The fruiting wire dips between posts, the catch wires go slack, and the cordons start to bow under the crop. How do you fix a sagging grape trellis wire? Check the end posts first, since a leaning end post is the usual cause. Then cut the slack wire and splice it with an in-line joiner sized for 12.5-gauge wire, or add one to each run. Pull it snug before bud break, without over-tensioning. University of Minnesota Extension's page on trellises for grapes says end posts bear much of the force from wire tension and vine weight. It notes that wires on steel end posts can be wrapped and connected with a Gripple connector or wire tensioner. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension's Grapevine Trellis Systems for Wine Grapes in Texas (EHT-121) recommends 12.5-...
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Adding Two Electric Offset Wires to an Old Woven-Wire Backyard Goat Fence: 6 to 8 Inches and 18 to 24 Inches High, About 10 Inches Out

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Goats lean, rub, and climb until an old woven-wire fence bellies out and the bottom lifts. A pair of electrified offset wires on the inside keeps them off the mesh and gives a tired fence years more life. How high should electric offset wires be on a goat fence? For goats, sheep, and other small ruminants, mount one offset wire 18 to 24 inches off the ground, at nose height, and add a second at 6 to 8 inches to stop crawling under. Wire-mount offsets hold the hot wire about 10 inches inside the woven wire. University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension's Using Electric Offsets as Part of Fencing Systems (ID-269) gives those heights. It explains the goal is a shock to the face, and that the low offset also helps with predator protection. Oklahoma State University's fact sheet on electric fencing for sheep says old fences can be made to...
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Taking Down a 3-Inch Yard Tree Limb With a 10-Inch Folding Pruning Saw: The Three-Cut Method That Saves the Bark Below the Collar

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. A 3-inch limb that sags over a path or rubs a roof is right at the size where one cut from the top goes wrong. Its weight folds it down halfway through, and a strip of bark tears off the trunk below. How do you cut off a 3-inch tree limb without tearing the bark? Use three cuts. Undercut the limb 12 to 15 inches out, a third to halfway through, then cut down from the top just outside that undercut to drop the weight. Finish with a clean cut just outside the branch collar, never flush with the trunk. Colorado State University Extension's page on pruning cuts says to use a three-cut method on any branch larger than 1 inch in diameter. It places the undercut twelve to fifteen inches from the branch union and says the double cut keeps the branch's weight from tearing the bark below the collar. University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension...
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