Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thanks Jens.

At the beginning of the month I broke down and replace my old, old Davis Weather Station with a new one.
The new one is a vantage pro2, wireless.
So to speak a late birthday present

Had to built a pole, that is horse proof and than augered a nice deep hole, 3 feet deep, 1 food diameter and 3 bags of concrete, the pole is 3 inch square tubing, thick wall, with a 1.5 inch 10 foot muffler pipe as extension.

When I drilled the whole, there was absolutely no moisture in the ground, 3 feet dry. Luckily I have a hydraulic auger that mounts to the front loader, the run of the mill 3 point hitch would have just bounced around. But I had to lift the front axel of the ground to get it into the ground. That's how severe our drought here is.
Today we had 2.6 mm rain, every drop counts, 60% chance for to night and that it will peter out again during the week end.

Those davis weather stations are great I still have the weather wizard 3 had it for 25 years
Only thing that doesent work is wind speed

You can get a job as a WiFi installer like me with that fine mini tower installation.

I totally understand the conventional auger vs the one that mount to the boom to apply a much greater force.

Did your tractor come with this already, or did you add it as a 3rd function? If 3rd function, did you do the install, or someone else?

Lately, I have just been using the backhoe (16" bucket) to make my holes (making H frames for fencing) but I would like the option to be able to punch holes for piers for carports/decks/structures/fencing/etc and not have to fight the old auger.



Adam

I have John Deer 110
http://www.tractordata.com/backhoe-load ... 10tlb.html

But mine is with out the backhoe, mine has a 3 point hitch. It has as a skidsder at the front loader one additional hydraulic outlet. I choose as a bucket the one, that can be opened, the whole front swings away. That is very handy because you can grab things with it, like a log or so.
The bucket has the same quick attach like a skidsder
For the hydraulic auger, I just built a frame that can be attached to th loader, plug the hydraulic lines in and of you go.
Before the 110 I had a green JD, 75hp. I used one of rear hydraulic outlets and than had a 2 way hydraulic valve, similar to a woodspliter valve, mounted on the fender, than I ran 1/2 inch black steel pipe a long the loader beam, al the way to about a foot away from the bucket. That way I had a hydraulic outlet at the loader for auger and other stuff.
You might want to check into that, if your tracktor has in the rear hydraulic outlets and if you can use them for something like that. As I remember, its 15 years ago, I had to change just a small part in the hydraulic out valve, that would allow continues flow, it was $20 or so. The woodspliter typ valve was around $80 and than just the hydraulic lines, tractor outlet to control valve and control valve to the lines on the loader, total around $200 or so.
What I like about the 110, it has hydraulic outlets all over the place, controlled by a multi function joy stick.
with out the hoe, you have a continues flow outlet in the rear. One can use that for stationary equipment, like a woodspliter etc.

That is the one I replaced, the wind speed quit working and than one of my dogs, the cable guy, did a number on the line

Brian I saw on one of your pics, your type of pole dancing, thanks, but no thanks, I need my feed on the ground .

I may bend your ear a bit more if I decide to do anything with adding a 3rd function valve -- but shop wants 1400.00 to add and based on your description, does not sound as if there is much there.

time to research (when there is snow on the ground)

Adam

It is really not a big deal, I need to go through some old harddiscs to see if I have some pics. But it was fairly easy. It than allowed me to built one of those farm hands, the device for the front loader with which you can grab 15 of the small bails. At that time I had 20 horses, that takes some hay for the winter and hand staking it into the barn is a serious pain in the butt.

Did some logging in the last days took 4 dead Ponderosas down. I have 2 more to go. The worst part is the clean up, getting all the refuse piled up for winter burning.

With the 2 to go, I have than done 15 cord of firewood. I am slightly hurting today. The fast weather changes allowed the scares from the shingles flare up again.
My tenant came by this morning and was not a chirpy as usual, actual he look like being in foul mood. I asked him about and all he did pull his shirt up, shingles. So I pulled my shirt up and showed him the irritated scars, it did not improve his mood, when I told him that my shingles were 3 years ago, lasted for 2 and according to my doc, the scares will give me trouble for maybe 10 more years.
What a way to improve somebodies Sunday.
Shingel bells
shingle bells
Shingels all the way, tralalla..................................

Yesterday morning a major cold front came in. At 4 in the morning my shingles scars hurt so bad, that I quit trying to sleep. Made it half way through the day in the company, but than had to leave.

We had the first real serious frost that night-8C. The propane heater kept the greenhouse above freezing and saved the Cucumbers and Tomatoes. Tonight will be just -2 or so but, the next 2 days -5 and -7.

The longrange for the month does look good, no more frost till end of Oct.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/dolore ... t/35564_pc

You're one sic puppy literally!
I'm going for a vaccine ASAP, dammit man! Sometimes I wonder if the human race is going to make it and if so what will we look like?
I hope your pain subsides immediately, if not sooner, dude. Shingles and covers do not mix. My wife has shingles, so I have some appreciation for what you are going through.

Nice little tractor, man.
If mine hadn't been so troublesome in the last few years I used it I probably wouldn't have used it much anyway; no four wheel drive. It is scary to drive in the woods. I've got chains on the back, but the front is like a kick-stand for all it does on uneven terrain.
I dreamed of a 4X4 tractor with a beastie front end like that. Saaweet!

How many more Ponderosa Pines got nailed by bark beetles? I am still wrapping my head around 15 cords. There are I suppose benefits to living at the absolute bottom of the Rocky Mountains, which I just learned sitting in one of the places I find to eat lunch. Just down the road at Glorieta NM, (Civil war site) the Rockies change too https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Rocky_Mountains
We'll only need 5 cords

I came through Glorieta in 1984 and it was friking cold in April and snowing, I was riding a horse and had a pack horse behind me, heading to LA.

I have 2 more dead ones to do, they are rather large and around 2 feet in diameter, so quiet a bit of wood. I should have all of it split by end of the month. Than I have about 20 or so cord. Which should be good enough for next winter, too.

I take a pic of a tree that got hit 2 years ago, but had good moisture in the ground and bled like a pig. I pile some of the snow by the tree in the winter.
If they can bleed the tar will encapsulate the beetle and prevent it from getting into the wood. That's how they are able to defend themselves.

I still feel like a Mac mauled me, but it is not as bad as it was Monday.
So back to work.

Shingle bells
Shingle bells tralalala

Beetle hit 2 years ago, probably a whole swarm.

The wintergarden gets populated again. I brought my Oranges in, dwarf trees with a large fruit and they love it. One has 5 large Oranges. They are starting to turn from green to orange. They are fist size already. The other one is just exploding with flowers, wonderful smell. In 2 weeks I will bring the hardy Hibiscus in, they need a frost cycle and had 5 good night frosts, when all the leaves are off I will prune them and bring them in. They should go like crazy inside

The inside Aquaponics system is showing some live. The cucumbers have take very well to the system and are growing like crazy and show the first fruit. That worked well. The cantaloupe seeds have come up well and are now growing quiet nicely.
I expect them to realy start in the next 2 weeks. I am really interested in them. I will grow them upwards and build a rack for it.
Peper Alley, 3. grow bed, is not doing so good, no idea why the seeds do not germinate. I have to do something there. I would like to have all 3 GBs going before I have to turn the Greenhouse system of. That will be sometimes next month, middle maybe.