String

String

Having nice straight neat rows is really important. Masons twine is a real lifesaver. It is very hard to break. It stays nice and tight; and it is strong and stretchy enough that if it is bumped with a hoe, it just goes back where it was. You won’t believe what it does to a tiller. Last year, I got so much string in my tiller I had to send it to the shop. It was not tuned right when I got it back and I was running out of time for spring tilling so I bought another. The old one still is not tuned right.

Before beginning the tilling yesterday, I very carefully searched for leftover string. The problem is that in many places the strings had been grown over with wire grass and other weeds. You won’t believe what a mess it makes when wire grass and string combine to tangle the tines of the tiller. I spent more time untangling the mess on the tines than I did tilling. Lesson #1…pull up string lines as soon as the rows are planted.

Incidentally, I bought 6 blueberry bushes from Burgess last year. Only 3 of them lived and they are only a little bigger than they were when I planted them. I am afraid they are stunted. I have already lost one season. I understand it takes three years for blueberries. Everything I bought from Stark Bros is doing great. It cost a good bit more; but I am not losing whole seasons. Lesson #2 don’t buy anything from Burgess.



David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.