"What in tarnation do you think you are doing?!?" Kubota bellowed.*
In Mrs ERJ's absence Kubota appointed himself my keeper.
I knew I was in trouble when I heard the Duramax come up the driveway, but I can only sprint just so fast with the walker. Add that to the 100 feet of sod, the soft dirt of the garden and the snarled mess of 14 gauge wire between me and safety, I knew I would just have to take my ass-chewing like a man.
"I am grafting" I told him.
It did nothing to calm him down.
The good news
 |
| The first mulberry I was going to graft |
Good looking tree, right? Unfortunately you are looking at the hazelnut behind the dead mulberry.
 |
| Blurb Silk Hope mulberries |
Mulberry wood is soft and easy to work. The bark can be filled with latex and the Genus demands high temperatures to knit together, but I have lots of heat to work with this late in May.
 |
| The potato patch. The soil is too wet to hoe. |
Well, I just happened to know that I had several mulberry seedlings growing in the asparagus patch on the other side of the potato patch. Onward, ho!
 |
| Not my best work but not my worst. |
 | |
| I opted to use black, EPDM #33 rubber bands because they have lots of UV resistance. The stripped-off shoot you see is on the rootstock. The latent buds at the base of the shoot emit growth regulators that prevent the rootstock from aborting the area damaged by my surgery and promote healing. |
 |
| I had pre-wrapped most of the scion in the house and followed up with wrapping the graft up to the pre-wrap with parafilm when I was in the field. |
I was this close ===><=== to being done when Kubota pulled up the drive.
Busted!
I told him I would behave. And then, under my breath, added "for the rest of today."
* Those might not have been his EXACT words.
We have a word for patients like you...... Noncompliant.
ReplyDeleteThe doc said to let pain be my guide.
DeleteI am moving slowly so I can process "pain" and adjust speed and gait to stay within my envelop.
My thinking is that the limiting factor is muscular rather than bone/structure. That could change with impact but one way to avoid impacts is to increase muscle strength and stability.
It is a balancing act and I am liable to error on the side of pushing a little harder with intervals of recovery.
LOL, in other words you got caught...
ReplyDeleteGood for you Joe! Glad you got out where you wanted to be.
ReplyDeleteYou have found out over time as I also have that judicious mobility promotes healing if done carefully . Resting too much causes many other ill effects . Go Joe . Carefully as you have been . I had two Mulberrys pop up in my front garden/yard area 3 years ago and one has little berries forming from the flowers already . I'm excited . I also love Mulberries .
ReplyDeleteKubota is a good loving person Brother. Also I love his name. Can I have an assigned name in your blog as your brother. I personally like Flush. 😆
ReplyDelete