Showing posts with label pollinators. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pollinators. Show all posts

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Summer Bud Grafting Cherries, Plums, Peaches. 7.27.14

Cherry Budwood.  7.27.14

Cherry Budwood, trimmed.  7.27.14
Today I am lazy.  I did re-work 2 cherry trees, added new varieties to the established Asian plum, and added a pollinating peach variety to Indian Free Peach.

Why.

I have 2 cherries, in Battleground, that did not produce this year.  The first is North Star, a tart cherry, which is in its 2nd year, about 5 feet tall.  The branches tend to grow horizontally, which results in deer eating them.  Some branches finally took off and grew, but it doesn't look like much and I don't expect much next year.

So for that one, I chose bud-wood from a Sure-Fire I have been growing in Vancouver for 10 years or more.  Sure-Fire has an upright shape, so once the branches get past deer-height, should be relatively free of deer foraging.  There are 3 main branches, with some bifurcations, on the North Start tree.  One looks unhealthy, so I used the other two.  I grafted the Sure-Fire buds onto each ramification of the branches, about 10 grafts.

The Cherry bud-wood is pictured.  I cut it this morning, kept in water, and trimmed off the leaves before using.

The next photo shows the method I have been using.  I slice into the bud-wood making a vertical cut on each side of the bud, a horizontal cut above the bud , and 2 angled cuts below the bud.  I then peel the bud from the bud-wood.  This is not the method most authors describe.  I think it's an easier method for a novice like me, and it gave 100% success on the plums in June.

The 2nd cherry was Almaden Duke.  I bought that variety thinking it might bloom later than sweet cherries, thereby giving a 2nd chance for cherries in late frost years.  As it turned out, it bloomed at the same time as the sweet cherries.  I moved it from Vancouver to Battleground in 2012.  It was looking  very nice, but this year the deer developed a taste for cherry branches.  Again, this variety has a horizontal form, giving the deer fresh salad each time the branches started to grow.  The branches that did survive being browsed, did not produce many cherries.  It's time to rework it.  Ning especially likes Ranier, so I removed budwood from the Ranier Cherry in Vancouver.  Some Lapin as well, to keep it varied.  I bud grafted using mostly Ranier, and a couple of Lapin buds, making use of all of the branches as close to the trunk as I could.  I can let some Almaden Duke branches remain, to pollinate.  They may produce better with the other in-tree pollinators, too. 
Peeling Cherry Bud Shield from Budwood.  727.14


T-Bud Cherry.  7.27.14

T-Bud Cherry.  7.27.14


Reworked North Star -> Sure-Fire Cherry.  Deer Net Added.  7.27.14
I wrap each bud as I go along, for minimal exposure to the elements.

The budwood now has a thin papery cuticle layer.  I do not know if that layer should be removed.  For maximum cambium contact it seems that layer should be peeled off.  It seems to be non-living, peels like paper.  For maximum protection of bud, it seems the cuticle layer should remain in place.  So some buds, I left it on, and other buds, I peeled it off.  It peels very easily, is not strongly adherent to the underlying epidermis.

I replaced the deer net for the re-worked tart cherry.  I have not done that yet for the Duke / Sweet cherry but should.

I also added  some buds to branches of established Asian Plum.  I added Toka and additional Prunus cerasifolia.  I think it would be useful to have In-tree pollenizers because it's so windy when they are in bloom, maybe all pollen from other trees, which are all downwind, blows away.

Finally, I added 2 buds to the little Indian Free Peach.  This is one of the few peaches that is listed as needing a pollinator.  In addition, that little tree is upwind from the potential pollinating varieties. I chose Oregon Curl Free because it was less bothered by leaf curl, compared to Charlotte.

This is my first attempt at grafting cherries and peaches.  I'm curious to see if they take.

Bud grafting is an act of optimism.  Growth is not likely until next year, and bloom or fruit, in 2017.  A lot can happen before
Shiro Asian Plum, Bud Grafted onto unknown variety, at 2 months.  7.27.14
then.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

June, July, August - Pollen and Nectar Plants for Honeybees, Pacific Northwest and my Apiary garden.

Working on plants to encourage and feed honeybees for the apiary garden.  Some parts of year are covered - in Spring, Acer (maple)  flowers are plentiful, other spring-blooming trees, shrubs and flowers.

For early Spring, we've planted a hedge of pussy willow.  That may be too early to benefit honeybees, due to cold.  But it needed, it's there.

Following Acer, are fruit trees and Buckeye.  Then there is a dearth of pollen and nectar.

From list of "Main Honey Plants in Pacific Northwest" for June, July, August:

June

Thistle - Noxious weed.  There are some around, but I wouldn't plant more.

Cascara - had to look these up.  I think there is one large cascara shrub on the Battleground property, but only one.  There are semi-wild areas, may be some there.

White Clover. via commons.wikimedia.org

White Clover = pollen and nectar.  In bloom now.  I've planted quite a lot of white clover seeds.  It is in bloom now.

Snowberry = haven't seen much around the area.

Red Clover.  via commons.wikimedia.org

Red Clover - pollen and nectar.  There is some of this blooming.

Wildflowers - Ning's wildflower meadow is looking nice, in bloom.  Still a lot of grass.  No sure how to remove the grass.


July
Fireweed.  via commons.wikimedia.org

Fireweed - no pollen, variable nectar


White Clover - pollen and nectar

Blackberry flower.  via commons.wikimedia.org

Blackberry - Considered a noxious weed but so ubiquitous, might as well be native.  Plentiful on our property as well as in the area.  I might remove some this fall and winter, and replace with raspberries which are also good honeybee forage and not as invasive.  I have lots of raspberry plants, I can move here.

Red Clover- There are some blooming now.  Also crimson clover, I planted last winter and spring.  I don't see bees foraging on either, at this time.


August
Fireweed - no pollen, variable nectar - not sure why this is listed.  I've seem some blooming around the area.
Red Clover - pollen and nectar
Mint flower.  via commons.wikimedia.org
 Mint - pollen and nectar

September
Mint - pollen and nectar
Sage - pollen and nectar - we have some sage that just finished blooming.  Interesting.

Also from wikipedia., list of plants listed as bee friendly, I've added-
Clovers - last fall winter and spring, I sowed white clover, red clover, crimson clover, and blue clover seeds.  It looks like white clover took nicely, growing throughout the lawn, especially compacted and poorly fertile areas.  Some of the crimson clover is blooming now as well.  I also included clovers in Ning's wildflower meadow mix.
Ceanothus - these shrubs will require a few years, before they make significant bee forage.  They are quite beautiful, and contribute nicely to the landscape.
Buddleia - B. davidii is a noxious weed.  There are other, acceptable, cultivars which are see-sterile, so not invasive.  They are patented, so it takes some investment.  I added about a dozen plants.  They are growing rapidly.  Some varieties - "Miss Molly" and "Miss Ruby" are among the few plants blooming now.  .Most of the plants are small this year, but have put on about 18 in since planting in winter and spring.  I think next year they'll have enough flowers to add significantly to the bee forage.  I can't find info about whether Buddleia is, or can be, significant for bee forage.  Some gardeners who want to encourage butterflies, love these plants.  Others hate them because they are invasive and non-native.  I'm sticking with the noninvasive ones.  I haven't seen many bees on the flowers yet.  This is one of the few plants that is blooming significantly, now.
Thyme - Planted among irises.  not enough to be significant, but bees covered the flowers last month.
Lavender - This week I bought a blooming-sized 1/2-gallon "Goodwin Creek Gray"  As soon as I sat the plant down, bees were on the flowers.  Only a few are open.  I can see lavender being a significant forage plant, if I can add enough plants.
Caryopteris X clantondenis via commons.wikimedia.org

Bluebeard - Caryopteris "Blue Mist" - bought a 1/2-gallon in bud this  week.  It's hot and dry outside, but this is a dry-tolerant plant.  I think it will be OK.  I watered thoroughly and mulched with a deep layer of grass straw.
Pussy willow - Ning planted a hedge of truncheon cuttings in March, and all of them took.  Won't be much bee forage next spring, but there is potential for the following winter.
Garlic Chives, Chives - Not enough to contribute significantly, but the flowers are always covered with bees.
Rosemary - small amount.
Basswood - doubt there will be enough to contribute to bee forage, for several years.  Have to start somewhere.
Plum - as these trees mature, they will contribute.  Will take a while.
Sumac - just a seedling.
Apple - Pear - As for the other trees.
Mint - We have some areas where it's OK for mint and lemon balm to be invasive.
Lemon Balm - ditto.  I moved about a dozen plants from the Vancouver place.  I'm thinking the orchard will have mint and lemon balm tree surrounds.  And Oregano
Blueberry - There is one large shrub.  We added 5 new small ones.
Borage, via commons.wikimedia.org

Borage - started some seeds late this spring.  One packet.  Only a few seeds germinated, and rabbits or deer ate some of the leaves.  Still, looks like it's going to take.  This was an experiment.  These would be nice to include in a border or wildflower meadow.  It's hard to find borage plants at the nursery, or borage seeds, but apparently once they bloom, they scatter seeds and volunteers come up all around.

Others we have in multitude

Dandelion - a major bee forage plant.
Henbit - blooms early spring.
Cherries - big cherry trees, and new small ones.
Maple - Majestic trees in the area.
Wild Carrot - these should start blooming in August.
Buckeye - one mature tree.  It was covered with flowers - should make for a lot of forage in the space of one tree.
California Poppy - mostly from seeds I planted.