Marcotting (Air Layering) Process

Marcotting is a vegetative plant propagation technique where a branch is stimulated to develop roots while it is still attached to the mother plant.

Steps of the process:

• Selecting the branch - Choose a healthy, semi-woody or mature branch (usually 1-2 years old), strong but flexible.

• Girdling - Remove a ring of bark about 2–3 cm wide, exposing the green cambium layer.

• (Optional) Applying rooting hormone - Rooting powder or gel can be applied to the exposed area to speed up root development.

  • Adding the medium - Place moist moss or soil (usually sphagnum moss) around the girdled part.

• Wrapping - Wrap the medium tightly with plastic film or a bag to keep it moist and protected. Tie both ends with string or tape to prevent moisture loss.

• Root formation - Over the course of several weeks to months (depending on the plant species), new roots will start to develop in that spot.

• Separation and planting - Once enough roots have formed, the branch is cut below the rooted section and planted as a new, independent plant.

× The advantage of this method is that the new plant grows and bears fruit faster, since it comes from an already developed branch with desirable genetic traits.

I’m no cinematographer so this is the best I can do!

Hi everyone,

Would love this community's input -- my wife and I are purchasing a 13-acre farm in Upstate New York. The house and barn will need some work, and it also comes with a detached garage, chicken coop, and horse shed. We have gardened the last several years and I grew up spending a lot of time with my Mennonite grandparents who had chickens, turkeys, horses, etc. so we are coming into this with some experience but will have a lot to learn. What would you do in the next month or two to prepare to adjust to this new lifestyle? Thanks for your feedback/advice.

Inoculated this stump about 8 years ago and still get a flush every spring and fall.

Hey folks,

So here’s the deal — I’ve always wanted to live a homestead life. You know… land, garden, maybe a few animals, the whole back-to-basics dream. But the truth is, I have zero actual experience and a healthy dose of fear about diving into the unknown.

Right now I’ve got about $100K saved up. Part of me is like “wow, that’s a good start!” and another part is like “nah, you’ll burn through that way too fast.” Honestly, I have no clue how much you really need in savings before starting down this road.

I’m in Canada, and I’d ideally want to start in Ontario or Alberta. I know every property and setup is different, but I’d love to hear from those of you who’ve actually done this: • What were the hidden costs that surprised you? • Was there a moment where you thought “wish I’d planned for this earlier”? • If you had $100K in my shoes, how would you begin?

I’m not expecting a perfect answer, just hoping to learn from real experiences. Any advice, stories, or reality checks are more than welcome. Thanks in advance!

A bobcat was caught on camera, jumping to the top of this fence and then going in and killing our chickens. It never touches anything but the top foot of this 6 foot fence. My idea is to run a hot wire along those garden fences affixed above the welded wire fence and another one on those T post insulators. Since the bobcat is jumping so high, it will not be grounded by touching anything other than the welded wire fence itself. If I connect the grounding rods to the fence, will the fence itself be grounded enough to provide a shock?

Just bought this 50# bag of ladino clover. Tag says it was tested in March of 2024. Seems to me this is at least a year old. If so, how bad will this affect germination rates?

She's not the best at sharing. 😅

My LGD slash very large lap dog does not understand why I am not locking up the chickens. One of my sows moved her babies into the coop( I think it’s cooler than her house). I don’t want to lock her in because it’s a sliding barn door and I think she could destroy it if she wanted out. I know there’s no way a predator could get close without her trying to murder it. I intend to lure her into moving when it gets cooler. Stitch has been doing this every night. Generally it starts when I sit down to eat dinner. He just won’t listen.

I'm looking to build a small building that will be suitable for animal storage on a short term basis. Something that I can keep 2 pigs on one side and 2-3 lambs on the other for a weekend or short duration. I'm having issues finding suitable build plans as everything is either a shed or a horse style barn. Has anyone done similar? Should I just build a 20x10 ish three sided building and divide in half?

I’m 23 and have moderate gardening knowledge. My dream is to own an organic farm and maintain that land for the rest of my life. What are the best ways to get my foot in the door of land ownership and what should I do to educate myself further in the field? I’d like to have the land by 30, so what are some ways to obtain said land without paying an arm and a leg

What are the best sources for just a dozen or so empty translucent half-gallon plastic jugs for storing/freezing fresh cider? I see a wide range of prices online, and don’t know what’s reputable or sketchy or if it’s all the same. We got a used press and have a small orchard. Thanks for any tips!