We have never had trouble with it building up in our drains. However, when the drains get a bit slow, I send a jet of water through them. Thanks for watching our videos!

Thanks for subscribing! You can add water to the tomato powder to make tomato paste quick and easy.

Never made tincture from mullein, but would imagine it can be done. If there's a flower stalk, we just dehydrate those as well. I've heard of other uses for the flowers as well, but not coming to mind.

Yeah, no doubt! Most years that's the case, but this year we figured we paid ourselves about $20/hour growing taters. It was the least work for the most taters we've ever had.

The only grass we want in our garden comes in the corn variety!

Sorry for the late response. When we clean out the chickenhouse, we use the powdery, dried chicken manure. Occasionally we use semi-composted horse manure.

Bag filters are too slow for the volume of syrup we produce. We used to use them, but this system is quicker, easier, cleaner, less waste, and creates a more clear final product.

We use a Siro canister filter made by LaPierre. We actually have a video coming on it sometime in the future. Have it recorded, just need to edit.

We use wood, and how much depends on how much we concentrate with the reverse osmosis. I don't keep real close track, but this year while removing 1/2 to 2/3 of the water with the RO, 1 cage tote of wood was enough for about 15-20 gallons of syrup

@@applecreekoutdoors4589 Thank you!

Thanks! Enjoyed yours as well. It's amazing how good fire is for the wildlife.

Possibly so. Years ago, I paid much closer attention to the prune point, but in 30+ years of raising blackberries, I haven't noticed any appreciable difference in yield or plant health. For the purpose of saving time, I move quickly through the patch trying to make the pruning cuts within 1/2 inch of a node. I'm curious as to what you consider too far from the leaf node.

@@applecreekoutdoors4589 >1/4". It's possible, too, you're just cutting out the previous season's cuts, so decay isn't setting in. I have decades' experience in fruit pruning, so I base my thoughts on that.

Thanks for the encouragement! Hopefully we have some coming soon. We’re working on getting some faster internet to edit the videos.

@@applecreekoutdoors4589 we know that struggle well!

Thanks! For the past 15 years, I was a full time teacher and bus driver, so I left home in the dark and got home in the dark. Needless to say, a lot of my maple work was done in the dark. First year of "retirement" I actually was able to do most of my work in daylight.

I'll have to try that. Does it even soften the lime scale on the sides?

@@applecreekoutdoors4589 yes sir it will look brand new. I have friend in Canada that have a sugar house. We rent cabins at the lake front property to fish walleyes. Anyway he showed me their operation and they put sap in their pans for like months. It does smell sour but it works awesome. Then I saw it on KZbin one time and could believe it. I will link the video in my next vlog.

The sap has been coming in around 1.5. We always run a lower than northern producers, but not this low. Definitely an anomaly year.

Just checked a couple days ago. 0.9%.

The only thing I can find that I can have shipped is Oakite. Is that the right stuff?

I 've heard that works and would be willing to try it if I had welded pans. Is that safe for soldered pans? My pans are the lead-free soldered pans.

is it silver solder?@@applecreekoutdoors4589

Like a scraper?

no it is like a sucktion hose when you hitch it up to a dry vac.@@applecreekoutdoors4589

Thanks! I'll get some ordered. Where do you get it from?

@@applecreekoutdoors4589 we get ours from leader evaporator in Vermont you can order it online, hope you guys have a good season!

We do save them - they are delicious!

Boil it and put it on flapjacks

You should see dad when he's really in a hurry.

Yes, they seem to have no problem. Many times, the seam from the straw flakes down the center of the row gives just enough opening. I also think it helps focus new cane growth near the center of the row so the patch stays manageable. And, many times, the new canes will poke through the center of the straw flake.