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I have to install a ground stake to mount one of these purple Martin nesting gourd sets. About 15’ tall, lightweight aluminum.

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

https://www.troyergourds.com/Gourd-Racks_c_58.html

Instructions say the hole to set the ground stake should be 36” deep, 12” wide, square aluminum ground stake projects 2’ above the ground, pole base slides down over it. I’ve put up several of these things in the past, but the last one was 12 years back.

This weekend the highs are forecast to be in the 50’s, lows in the 30’s. Obviously the ground stake has to set exactly vertical.

How long does it take Quickcrete to set at lower temperatures?

Tks.


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Gets down to freezing before it cures it might crumble later on. I've heard of masons using a calcium solution with success.


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Go ahead... you will be fine on temp.

Lay plastic over the concrete after it has set. 6" or more of pine needle, leaves, mulch.

Concrete will be hard enough in a week, but I would still give it 3-4 weeks personally... especially if you get it too wet when mixing.


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Originally Posted by Jiveturkey
Gets down to freezing before it cures it might crumble later on. I've heard of masons using a calcium solution with success.


Calcium Chloride is a product I refuse to use... for any reason. Some will argue it's OK, but I will not use it.

Where did you get that Purple Martin house? I like the idea (oops... missed the link... thanks)

Last edited by CashisKing; 01/13/22.

If you are not actively engaging EVERY enemy you encounter... you are allowing another to fight for you... and that is cowardice... plain and simple.



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I agree with the above Comments, and a little warm/hot water will accelerate the drying time,
and the plastic will keep the heat in! Calcium Chloride is used a lot up North!
If you choose to use the Cal. mix it in warm water first, to dissolve it, and activate it properly!
If your worried about the cold a little straw on top of the plastic will help to further keep the heat in,
and dry, and set up quicker! Maybe a little over kill, all depends on Temps.

Last edited by HunterShooter58; 01/13/22.

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It will be fine as is. Cover with a little insulation. The chemical reaction will create enough heat to do the job . You are not running 80000 pounds trucks over it.


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If it makes you feel better, the batch plant in prudhoe bay makes concrete at -20f and they truck it in insulated trucks and pour it.

Warm water and a blanket will take care of any weather in your area.


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As long as it's not below freezing you're fine. Keep in mind that most of this stuff is below grade down in the ground. The temperature of the dirt is probably 50*. Even if it gets down to 32* at night for a short time, it's not going to freeze the concrete. Concrete takes about 28 days before it is close to fully cured. I would wait at least a week before attaching the bird house. If you're worried about the temperatures, throw a piece of plastic over it at night. You don't need to use calcium.


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35-90 degrees F. Cover if it's going to be below freezing at night. Concrete will make it's on heat the first couple of days as it's curing. You can walk on it in a few hours. Give it a couple of days, and it'll be good to go for your bird pole.

A note on purple martins: Once they move in, you won't have any mosquitoes, but everything you own will be covered in bird chit.

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Originally Posted by CashisKing
Originally Posted by Jiveturkey
Gets down to freezing before it cures it might crumble later on. I've heard of masons using a calcium solution with success.


Calcium Chloride is a product I refuse to use... for any reason. Some will argue it's OK, but I will not use it.

Where did you get that Purple Martin house? I like the idea (oops... missed the link... thanks)


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Hi Birdwatcher,

I just put in 2 more ground stakes here in Western PA about 4 weeks ago when temps were in the 40’s.for a day. I drilled 4’ holes, inserted a 12” tube, tamped in dry concrete mix, pounded in the ground stakes, squared and filled in the rest of the ground stakes with mixed concrete. I have 5 total poles and have done the same thing for all of them. I had my first pole in for at least 10 years without issue. I have 1- T-14 made with Spanish Cedar, 2-gourd racks, and 2-T-14 poly wood houses. I have a very nice colony and if I had more time and gumption I would have 5 more. Purple Martin landlording is fun and I meet a lot of nice people.

Last count Florida has 27 adults, we won’t see our birds until the end of March. Good luck, have a great season.

Gary U

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Cool looking rig BW. Wife and I looked at those in Canton a couple of months ago. Let us know how the Martins take to them.


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might consider tamping in with crushed gravel instead

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Temps for SA won't matter enough. Do it Saturday in the morning when its still warm, will be midnight before it even gets close to worry.

as noted if it bothers you cover plastic and toss a blanket on it. Our forecast temps are not low enough to make me worry about your project.

I'd not add the weight for a week or more though if possible. Longer is always better IMHO. Couple weeks if you can manage it. It might not need it. In now way can waiting hurt.


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Good Luck with your project, Mike.


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Originally Posted by gregintenn
A note on purple martins: Once they move in, you won't have any mosquitoes, but everything you own will be covered in bird chit.


First off, thanks for the responses all, I appreciate it.

The mosquito thing? Actually there has never been a mosquito found in a martin’s stomachs or any evidence they feed on them. Purple martins are dragonfly specialists, they prefer dragonflies, dragonflies however do eat mosquitoes.

The Indians started out hanging empty gourds in their cornfields for martins to nest in. Martins chase away crows from around their nests, Indians didn’t need scarecrows they had purple martins.


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Your temps aren't cold enough to bother thinking about it.

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Just keep the concrete from freezing for 7 days. It reaches 3/4 of it's strength in that time. After that the frost won't harm it. Concrete makes it's own heat during curing. Covering it with a poly sheet is all you need to do as long as the ground isn't frozen to start with. Add a little straw if you really want to make sure. Sometimes the poly blows away in the wind so throw a few shovels of dirt on top.


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As long as your ground temp below the surface is above freezing you should be fine don't mix it too wet and put some firm of insulation over the top. I've used concrete bags with grass clippings or even some of the dirt you dug out over tge top.

I put in hundreds of the old big satellite dishes all over idaho and Wyoming 30 years ago and it was usually a 4" steel pipe in a 36" hole. We only worried about it during real cold spells and when the frost level was down deeper than a foot. In 91 we had -40 degree Fahrenheit weather for about a month and that slowed us down but it was far too cold to be mixing mud anyways.

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