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    Name: Joseph Murray
    Subject(s): Duplin Agribusiness Academy
                      Agricultural Production and Management I
                      Agricultural Production and Management II
                      Animal Science I  
                      Animal Science II
                      Horticulture I
                      Cooperative Education I and II
                      Advanced Studies in Agriculture
    First of all, I hope you all are doing well during this time.  If there is anything I can do for you please let me know by email or by phone at 910-289-0474.  Next I want to encourage you to continue to work on your SAE activities.  A home garden is a great idea for the times we are in now.  Not only will it provide fresh food for your family but also will give you a chance to put to use some of the skills you have learned in class.  Local stores are full of seed and plants now and it is a great time to begin.  Please let me know if I can help you in any way!
     
    Monday, April 6
     
    I hope you all are still doing well.  I just wanted to share a few SAE ideas with you today.  Remember that the purpose of your SAE is to put to use skills you have learned in class.  In the leadership unit, one possibility is to hold a "family business meeting" with you being the chair.  You can decide what you are having for supper or what game or activity you would like to do as a family.  Using the steps in dispensing with each motion will help you to become more familiar with the process.  Remember to document everything you do in your SAE as it can count for credit in a future class and if you have any questions please let me know!
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     April 20, 2020

     Rooting Formosa Cuttings

     

     
     
     Potting soil ingredients
     
     These are some ingredients for a potting soil mix.  From left to right is vermiculite, perlite, sand, and potting soil.
     
    Mixed potting soil
     
     
     
     This mix is 2 parts sand to one part of vermiculite, pearlite, and potting mix.
     
     
     
    Formosa cutting
     
     
     Take your formosa cuttings early in the morning before they are stressed from the heat.  I use the new growth on the ends after the blooms fall off.  Wet the end, dip in rooting hormone, shake off the excess and put in the soil. A pencil works well to make the holes.  I put two in each pot.  The pots are leftover from plants I bought earlier.  Water them well and keep covered with plastic until they root.  This is a great SAE project and there is a ton of information online about how to propagate other plants.  Email me with any questions.
     
     
     
    BACKYARD POULTRY AND DISEASE
     
    I am getting a few questions on this topic so I will share some links that may help.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    ROOTING GRAPE VINES
     
    It may be a little late to get started but you can try.  We had a vine we were trying to save before some property sold so I took some cuttings.  
     
     
     
     Grape vine cutting
     
    I took one small cutting and put in a peat pot with some rooting hormone.  I cut the top off of a water bottle and dropped it in.  This works well because you have cut the plant off from the root system and the bottle helps you keep the cutting moist until it grows roots of its own.  It is better to do this when the plant is dormant but in this case I had to get it when I could.  I encourage you to try several of these if you do because sometimes one won't root.
     
     
     
     
     

    SAVE YOUR TOILET TISSUE ROLLS!!!

     

    I recently saw a good way to make seed starter pots from tissue and paper towel rolls.
     
     
    Tissue roll seed pots
    Cut the roll in half with a scissors (1).  Make 4 cuts about 1/2 in long in the top of the roll (2).  Fold down in a clockwise manner and tuck the last one in, like you would fold a box top (3).  Fill with potting soil and plant your seed. (4).
     
    The nice part is that these will degrade in the soil, so you can plant the whole thing.  Keep them moist in a container with a clear top until they germinate or sprout, then remove the lid.  A rotisserie chicken container works very well!
     
     
     
     
     
Last Modified on May 5, 2020