Issue 57

November 2015

During this season of Thanksgiving, we are reminded of all the things we are most thankful for: family, friends, good health, a great harvest, and the list goes on and on. At Cahaba Tractor, we are especially thankful for all our customers and would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.

If you're looking for a great deal on a used lawn tractor, then hurry in for our Used Lawn Tractor Winter Close-Out Sale. We've got many makes and models available at incredible prices. Get one before they're gone!

How are you protecting your plants this winter? Ever thought about a hoop house? Read this month's Chewin' the Cud article, Protection from the Cold and More: Hoop Houses for details.

Get your garden ready for winter with the November Gardening Guide.

Take a look at November Activities and Events for great things to do around the state this month.

Hurry in for the best selection on Used Lawn Tractors!
Inventory won't last long!
(Shown: Kubota T1670 with bagger $1,995)

(See dealer for more details)

Used Products and Specials

There's even more great deals on cahabatractor.com.
Hurry in for the best selection!

Fall's a great time to check out our Used Products!

Kubota RTV500 $7,995

Grab these Specials while they last!

Kubota BX25 $18,338

Shop now for the best selection on
Used and Special-priced equipment!

Chewin' the Cud: The Cahaba Tractor Corner

Protection from the Cold
and More: Hoop Houses

As the season's first frost approaches, instead of digging up and storing plants in sheds or covering them with burlap or sheets, why not consider a hoop house? No. We're not talking basketball arena and definitely not talking greenhouse. We're talking bringing the house to the plants--right where they are planted. It's an ideal, affordable solution to a cold weather problem.

A hoop house is a tent-like structure that is generally placed over an existing garden and protects tender plants from frost and wind. It can extend the plant growing and harvest season, since plants are sheltered from the elements. It can also give farmers and gardeners a jump on early spring planting.

Not to be confused with the more permanent greenhouse that allows for year-round growing conditions and contains a heat and air circulation system, a hoop house is a much simpler structure. Ventilation is achieved by opening front and rear plastic doors or lifting side sheet panels. Since plants will eventually go dormant, there is no heat system set-up. However, large hoop houses may contain an irrigation system.

Hoop houses are generally built with materials such as PVC pipe, concrete reinforced mesh or rebar or polyethylene covered metal frames, depending on the size of the house. Once constructed, the structure is then covered with white plastic sheeting or clear sheeting painted with white latex paint to protect the plants from the sun's rays. The plastic is weighted down with sand or soil to keep winds from pulling sheets loose.

There are two types of hoop houses: mini or low and large or high.

Low or mini hoop houses

Low or mini hoop houses are typically used for small gardens and are relatively easy and inexpensive to build. The structures are used to protect plants during freezing temps and may extend a plant's harvest a little longer. The houses are designed to cover just above the plant. They are placed in garden beds following a snow fall or right after the garden is well watered. The houses are low to the ground to trap in ground heat and limit dead air space between plant tops and the roof. The low roof allows for higher humidity levels to remain-protecting plants from drying out too fast. Plants may need to be watered once or month or so by poking a small hole in the plastic and spraying inside with a garden hose. In spring, the hoop houses can be stored and re-used the following year.

Large or high hoop house

Large or high hoop houses are typically used on larger farms by big growers. Although they are easily mobile, many farmers use them year round. Like low hoop houses, they protect plants. However, farmers who utilize this system are able to extend the harvest into winter and get a head start on early spring planting. These houses vary in size and are large enough to hold several rows of crops. Heights are a minimum of six feet to hold mature plants. The roofs are much higher pitched, so air must be circulated regularly and a watering system must be installed. In the warmer months, farmers simply remove the plastic from the structure. Large hoop houses have many benefits, but plants must be more closely monitored. It helps them extend the harvest into the winter and get a head start on early spring planting. The Alabama Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers a program through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to install high seasonal tunnels (hoop houses) for qualified farmers.

Though some farmers and gardeners may choose to let plants die out or go dormant for the winter, others may want to incorporate some type of protection and perhaps get a little more out of their harvest. Or, they may want to get in some early spring planting. Whether you choose to use a structure like the hoop house or not, being prepared before the first frost will give you and your plants an edge on old man winter

Here are some additional tips for overwintering your plants this season:
1. Never place potted plants on pallets. It only allows cold, dry air to completely surround the pot and roots.

2. Be wary of bringing all potted plants inside where there is a daily heat source. Outdoor plants need to go dormant over the winter.

3. If placing pots in covered areas, make sure they are moderately watered during the winter to keep them from drying out.

4. Taller plants can be placed in mini hoop houses. Just lay them on their side with the first row propped up to keep the plants from getting too wet.

5. When using any type of covering for plants, be wary of critters like mice, rats, chipmunks and rabbits who may overwinter with you plants and eat them. Try using mouse bait to keep the mice away.

For information on building a low or mini hoop house, take a look at these articles from Mike's Backyard Nursery or Modern Farmer. You can also check out this YouTube video How to Make a Hoop House for a Raised Bed for instructions on raised garden beds.

Remember to get your equipment ready before storing it for the winter months. Call our Service Department for an appointment or visit our Parts Department if you plan to do it yourself. We're here to help you keep your equipment in operating for years to come.

Have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,

Cahaba Tractor Co.

2411 Hwy. 31 South

Pelham, AL 35124

(205) 663-1470

From all of us at

Cahaba Tractor

Here's
Mud

Your

Eye

Seasoned Player?

The pro football team had just finished their daily practice session when a large turkey came strutting onto the field.

While the players gazed in amazement, the turkey walked up to the head coach and demanded a tryout.

Everyone stared in silence as the turkey caught pass after pass and ran right through the defensive line.

When the turkey returned to the sidelines, the coach shouted, "You're terrific!!! Sign up for the season, and I'll see to it that you get a huge bonus."

"Forget the bonus," the turkey said, "All I want to know is, does the season go past Thanksgiving Day?"

--Anonymous

November
Gardening Guide

Fruits and Nuts:

Mulch strawberries, blackberries and grapes for winter. Select sites for new plantings.

Vegetable Seed:

Plant cabbage and lettuce in the cold frame. Follow the AL Vegetable Garden Planting Chart for planting dates.

Vegetable Plants:

Continue to harvest tomatoes, pumpkins and winter squash before first frost. Store in a cool, dark location. Pull dead plants from garden.

Annuals and Perennials:

Plant hardy annuals like larkspur, poppies, anchusa, pansies and candytuft. Plant sweetpeas now.

Bulbs:

Continue spring bulb planting. Put lilies of the valley in a shady place.

Roses:

Plant rose bushes now. Be sure to test soil for best fertilization requirements.

Shrubs:

Plant shrubs, trees and vines now. Mulch for colder winter season. Remove dead or diseased branches from trees and shrubs.

Lawns:

Use proper herbicide to kill germinating winter weeds. If you want a green winter lawn, overseed now.

Miscellaneous:

*Plant cold-tolerant annuals like pansies, snapdragons, sweet alyssum and dusty miller in pots for some winter color.

*Houseplant growth will slow down in winter, so water and fertilize less.

*Prepare to drain hoses and store for winter. Also, store away other items that may not survive freezing weather like plastic rain gauges and fountains.

*Plan now to protect plants that may get damaged from winter windburn. Use burlap to cover plants or form a wind barrier.

The gardening guide is based upon the USDA hardiness zones for Alabama.

The state zones are:

North Alabama - 7a

Birmingham area - 7b

South Alabama - 8a

Mobile area - 8b

For more gardening info, visit:

Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

November

Activities and Events

Christmas Sound, Light and Water Show
DeSoto Caverns
Childersburg
Nov. 1-Jan. 1

Alabama Frontier Days
Wetumpka
Nov. 4-8

Christmas Village Festival
BJCC
Birmingham
Nov. 5-8

"Come Home, It's Suppertime"
Brundidge
Nov. 5-14

Frank Brown Songwriter's Festival
Orange Beach
Nov. 5-15

13th Annual Registered Angus Bull and Angus Female Sale
Hayneville
Nov. 6, 12pm

Dixie Division Military Vehicles Club Fall Rally
Tannehill State Park
McCalla
Nov. 6-7

National Peanut Festival
Dothan
Nov. 6-15

Cane Syrup Makin' Day
Rikard's Mill
Beatrice
Nov. 7

Vietnam 50th Anniversary Commemoration Ride and a Day of Thanks
Alabama National Cemetery
Montevallo
Nov. 7, 10am

Moss Rock Festival
The Preserve
Hoover
Nov. 7-8

Veteran's Day at Birmingham Zoo
Nov. 9-11

Nov. 11

Veteran's Day Parade
Birmingham
Nov. 11, 1:30pm

Veteran's Day at American Village
Montevallo
Nov. 11, 10:15am

Hill Ranch Cow Herd Dispersal
Montgomery
Nov. 13

20th Annual Fall Round Up Bull Sale
Union Springs
Nov. 13

West Dallas Antique Tractor, Car, Gas Engine & Craft Show
Orrville
Nov. 13

Alabama Designer Craftsmen's Annual Fine Crafts Show
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Nov. 14-15

Nov. 26

Great Southern Gun & Knife Show
BJCC
Birmingham
Nov. 28-29

Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker
Alabama Theatre
Birmingham
Nov. 29, 3pm

**For more listings on statewide events for October, visit the websites below.

For more Alabama events this month, visit birmingham365.org or

Alabama Farmer's Cooperative, Inc.

Contact Us:
Cahaba Tractor Co.

2411 Hwy 31 South

Pelham, AL 35124

(205) 663-1470

sales@cahabatractor.com

www.cahabatractor.com

Hours: 8:00am-5:00pm M-F

8:00am-12:00pm Sat.