Mid-March Mentioning of Mixes
 
Did I say something like "so far we don't have much for snow" in the last column?  True to New England form that was clearly an open invitation to get several good dumpings of get-the-plow-out white stuff.  The regular storms throughout February have left us with a current hard-packed snow depth of about 22".  The thermometer read 4 degrees F when I got up this A.M. and we're expecting winds up to 40 mph today. 'Tis the season. 
 
Knowing that my kids have been walking on the snow's crust for a week now, I can't help but sympathize with the deer and wildlife trying to survive in the few wintering areas we have here in southern Vermont.  This is the most critical time of year with regard to critters' survival.  The habitat improvements and management efforts we put forth throughout the entire growing season all come together here.  Now is the time to watch and observe and see how our job can be done better or what improvements should be made next season.

 
Since the outdoor conditions are out of our control, we've been focusing our efforts on the indoor seed-like chores.  We've put the finishing touches on our Birds & Bees Kits and added new blends to our annual and perennial line-ups (see NEW Annual and Perennial Pages).  We're hoping our Birds & Bees Kit and Bee Blend will help to improve the habitat and survival of our honey bees in the face of Verroa mites and the latest issue, Colony Collapse Disorder.  Both have devastated bee populations across the nation in the last few years. 

 
We also made a judgement call - regarding our pea/bean blend - based on customer feedback.  Our final decision was to keep the sorghum/sudangrass and corn separate from the original pea/bean blend.  Some gardeners did not want them mixed, while several micro-plotters did.  Instead of having two blends with fixed ratios, we've made the sorghum/sudangrass availabe in its own flask so it can be mixed at the time of planting in the ratios of your choosing.

 
Not to be forgotten, time and space needs to be taken to thank all of you out there that have helped Whitetail Micro-Plotters grow.  Our growth through your help is a testament to peoples' willingness to improve wildlife habitat across the globe - no exaggeration.  WMP's now has clients and friends as far west as Lake Tahoe and Illinois, and regular website traffic from Europe and Asia.  A mother recently contacted us about sending a copy of Whitetail Gardening to her son, one of our soldiers called to duty in Afganistan.  So for you dedicated micro-plotters out there, your habitat interests and hard work are being noticed all over the world.  Keep up the excellent work! 

 
Lastly, take a second to look at the photo at the top of this page.  He's a micro-plotter buck who's picture was taken March 23rd three years ago.  His pedicels are starting to show antler "buds"... and we're approaching this spring-is-near stage with every passing day.  So while it's discouraging to think of the deer in their yards this time of year, don't lose hope, we'll be seein' greenery soon.  The most you can do is have your habitat, plots and seeds ready for snowmelt! 
 
Wishing you a shallow and traction-filled mudseason,

Vaughn P.
 
President and Founder, Whitetail Micro-Plotters