Ponca is Alive! 5.16.2021

 One of the pokey looking Ponca blackberries has put out some new growth.  I wondered if it would survive.  This is the most vigorous of the three.  We'll see how they all do as the summer comes along.

I imagine it will lose the red colors and become a more typical green as it grows,  Pretty colors now.

Babycakes Blackberry. 7.12.2020

Here is how Babycakes Blackberry is doing for me.  I bought the plant last Spring at Tsugawa.  It already had blossoms at the time.  Those fruits did not fill in well.  If I remember correctly, the later fruits, on new floricanes, filled in better.

This year, the floricanes again seem to have less than complete pollination on at least the earliest fruit.  The earliest fruits, again, are not well filled in at all.  This may be due to chill and rain when they were first blooming.  The seller claims they don't need a pollinator, but did they really test that?  If they do need one, then that could be a factor.  This Babycakes bloomed long before any of my other blackberries did. 

It looks like the later berries will be better filled in.  We will see.  Plus, there are new primocanes growing.  I want this one to work out.  It is small enough to have in my miniature tree garden, which is nice.

Babycakes Blackberry.  7.12.2020

Babycakes Blackberry.  7.12.2020

Fall Chores. Collecting Tree Leaves for Mulch. Blackberry Maintenance. 11.17.18

 This is a good time to collect tree leaves from around the neighborhood, for mulch and for compost if there are enough leaves.

During 2018, the leaf mulches helped a lot.  They keep the soil more moist, prevent most weeks from growing, cool the soil, and add to humus and nutrients.  Last year's mulch is almost completely degraded, so needs replacing.

I already mulched around many of the fruit trees.  This time, I cleaned up the blackberry bed and mulched that.

This year, I pulled out all of the Cascade Star blackberries.  They didn't produce enough, and they are more trouble, compared to Prime Ark Freedom and Triple Crown.  I also pulled out the Ebony King - way to thorny, not as productive, and the berries are not as good as PAF and TC.

That left Prime Ark Freedom, Ebony King, and two one-year-old Arapaho.  I'm not that impressed with Arapaho, but giving them another chance.  I did move one out of the main blackberry bed, and replaced that with a Prime Ark Freedom that was crowding the other two of that variety.  I also pruned them to about 6 feet tall, pruned out all of this year's floricanes (canes that already bore fruit and are dying off), and pulled the few weeds that are present.

Then I mulched with about 9 inches of loose maple and sweet gum leaves.  Those will flatten to a couple of inches, over the winter.  I repaired the trellises, and that's about all.  Now they are ready for winter and for next year.

Blackberry Update. 6.29.17

Fenced Apples and Blackberries.  6.29.17

Ebony King Blackberries.  Year 2.  6.29.17

 I think I have enough blackberry cultivars for trial.  It will take 2 or 3 years to see how they really produce, and that will also give me a chance to see how they survive the weather.  Three of the cultivars were planted last year in the winter and spring, and two are planted this year in spring and early summer.  Triple Crown was a container plant from a nursery, that was planted within the past month.  Despite hot weather, it's growing nicely.

Blackberry Columbia Star.  One year.  6.29.17

The varieties are:
Ebony King - old variety, probably diploid, some thorns.
Prime Ark Freedom - new variety, tetraploid, thornless.
Columbia Star - trailing, thornless.  I'm guessing this is tetraploid but I don't know yet.
Arapaho - tetraploid, thornless.
Triple Crown - I think tetraploid, thornless.

Blackberry Prime Ark Freedom.  6.29.17

So far the biggest challenge is deer and rabbit browsing.  Deer browse the tops, eating a significant part of the new growth.  That was a major set back last year, resulting in some complete loss of Prime Ark Freedom - half of the plants that I bought - plus they pulled Columbia Star out of the ground and destroyed most of the top, and ate half of the growth of the Ebony King.    Deer even ate the somewhat thorny Ebony King.  I notice they eat the tops of the brutally thorny local invasive Himalayan blackberries, but only the succulent tops with soft thorns.  All are in enclosures or cages now.  Rabbits ate off the emerging canes, up to one foot - thornless Prime Ark Freedom and somewhat thorny Ebony King.   That means, enclosures must also protect to the ground, Chicken Wire works for that.

I expect to taste some Ebony King in a few weeks, from the one plant, of three, that is producing this year.  All of the Ebony King are producing primocanes now, more vigorous than last year, and I hope my enclosure prevent loss of growth this time.  There may be a taste of a couple of Columbia Star blackberries, although only a couple from canes that survived the trauma and winter.  Prime Ark Freedom is primocane bearing, so there is a chance to sample those in a few months.

Blackberry "Arapaho" .  Two Months.  6.29.17

Blackberry Triple Crown.  One Month.   6.29.17

Only two of the Prime Ark Freedom survived the winter with strong growth emerging this spring, one stronger than the other - very vigorous.  However, I see tiny plants emerging from the roots of what I think are the plants that appeared to die off completely.

Of the new plants that I started this spring, Arapaho is getting off to a good start, and both plants have nice primocanes emerging.  They are in protected cages.  I may rearrange the beds this summer or fall, for better access and neatness.  The Triple Crown was blooming in the nursery pot, at only a foot tall.  There is a nice primocane emerging from that one as well.   I will leave the berries on the plant, to get a taste, if they develop.

If all goes well, there should be a taste of 4 varieties this year, maybe a few bowls of berries in 2018, and a good sized crop in 2019.  That is a big "if", but life makes no promises.  Gardening is always a bit of a guess, a bit of a gamble, some promises, some science and information, some work and some luck.

Kitchen Garden. 6.11.17

Tomato Plants.  6.10.17

Today I planted the 4th batch, probably final batch, of sweet corn seeds.  The variety was Bodaceous, which I bought last fall at Fred Meyer on close out.  I don't think I will try to keep sweet corn seeds any more, they are less able to remain viable with time.  Still, one year old should be OK.

Bodaceous is a yellow sweet corn, SE type (sugary enhanced) - not the supersweet type, but remains sweet longer on the plant - matures in about 75 days, has improved disease resistance, and is well adapted to the Northwest.  Since I'm not planning to save the seeds another year, I planted the entire packet in 4 rows, and will thin to a foot apart if germination turns out to be good.

I noted that a blackberry plant - Arapaho - had purple leaves.  Researching that, it appears to be caused by phosphorus deficiency.  I will need to find a supplement for that.  In some cases, I read that plants with deficient magnesium in the soil, are not able to take up phosphorus.  Since I know from soil test that my soil is magnesium, and probably not phosphorus, deficient, I will apply some Epsom Salts, 2 tablespoons per 2 gallons of water, for more of my kitchen garden plants.  When I did that for Saijo Persimmon, the result was dark green leaves, instead of the usual pale green / yellow leaves.  So I think it helped.  I applied that amount of Epsom salts solution for the tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, and chestnut tree saplings, then ran out.  That kind of gets away from the concept of phosphorus deficiency, but phosphate was normal to high in my soil.  Other side of yard, but that I what I have to go on for the time being.

I don't know if I blogged on this - I added another horticultural blackberry, Triple Crown.  My readings pointed me to this variety, tetraploid - as is Prime Ark Freedom but I don't know about Ebony King.  Triple Crown is described as disease resistant, highly productive, and a delicious fruit that works well in Pacific NW.  I bought the plant at a local nursery, already green and growing; bare-rooted it carefully, removed planting compost, and planted in the native soil of my garden.  I protected from deer and rabbits, with chicken wire.

I read that primocanes should have the growing tip removed, with both primocane-bearing and  floricane-bearing, varieties of blackberry, at around 3 feet tall.  My brambles are young, and only two have primocanes that tall, so I tipped them.  Tipping means the growing tip is snapped off by bending.  That promotes growth of branches, resulting in much higher yield and stronger plants. 

Garden Blackberries. 4.21.17

As a reward to myself for hauling 7 loads of brush to the yard waste recycler / composter, I stopped in Lowes and found these Arapaho blackberry plants on sale half price.

Cultivated blackberry varieties have much better garden characteristics and better flavor, compared to the invasive wild ones.  The plants are much smaller, often thornless, and the berrys sweeter.

Of the varieties that I have tried so far, there hasn't been much chance to evaluate fully.  Last year I bought 6 Prime Ark Freedom® plants, which bear on first year canes as well as second year canes.  Being fully thornless, the deer and rabbits liked them, but the main thing was  the plants did not survive the freeze.  The berries were big juicy berries last year, but only 2 plants survived the winter.  The tops did not survive, so the berries this year will be primocane berries.  Ebony King plants survived the winter and have nice starts of floricanes now, so I'm optimistic to have a taste this year.  The only Columbia Star plant survived, and has starts of floricanes, so again maybe there will be a taste this year.  These Arapaho plants will need a year for evaluation.  Plants from big box store have the advantage of no postage, and you get to inspect the plant, but the disadvantage of limited selection of varieties,and they are often no in great shape.  Shipped plants may also not be in great shape, so I appreciate being able to inspect the store bought plants.  Plus they were on sale.

Ebony King Blackberries, 1 year old.  4.21.17

Of the others, 3 of 3

So of the ones I planted last year, I got a taste of Prime Ark Freedom, they were good but most did not survive the winter.  Ebony King and Columbia Star survived, and we  will see how they do and how they taste, if this year if good.  Ebony King is nearly thornless and needs protection from deer.    Ditto for Columbia Star.  Columbia Star is trailing, so needs support.  I think the same is true for Ebony King, but not Arapaho.   Arapaho is thornless too.

Columbia Star Blackberry, 1 year old.  4.25.17

Prime Ark Freedom Blackberry, 1 year old.  4.25.17

 The new growth on these looks pretty lush.  I think there is promise there for some nice blackberries, at least a taste, in 2017.

(Photos updated 4.25.17 for better pics with more clarity)

Here is some descriptive info about Ebony King.  It's hard to find info about this variety, even though it's on many nursery catalog websites.  The info is from USDA/ARS at Corvallis, website:

"Place of origin and originator unknown. Introd. about 1940 by Krieger's Wholesale Nursery, Bridgman, Mich. Parentage unknown. Fruit: large as Eldorado, which it resembles; skin black, glossy; flavor sweet, tangy, good; ripens early. Bush: upright; hardy; resistant to orange rust"

From various websites, Ebony King is cold tolerant,  disease resistant, vigorous, nearly thornless or reduced amount of thorns.

.This old variety is not patented or trademarked as far as I can tell.  It is way past any possible patent expiration date.

Here is some info about Arapaho.
Summarizing from Edible Landscaping website, "earliest ripening thornless variety... ripens its fruit in a 4 week period...Plant Patent # 8510... thornless, erect, self supporting canes, good fruit quality, earliness of ripening and its ability to establish a full fruiting row quickly. Zone 6-8"

From Texas A and M University website: "released in 1993 by the University of Arkansas, is an erect growing, thornless variety that produces a medium sized, firm, high quality fruit over a four week season. Arapaho is very productive, has no thorns, and is resistant to both Double Blossom and Orange Rust. Arapaho is a lower chill variety suitable for zones 8-9 and above."  So Arapaho looks like a pretty good choice.  According to the US Patent Office, "A plant patent expires 20 years from the filing date of the patent application."  I'm no lawyer but to me that means the patent for Arapaho expired in 2013.

Info about  Prime Ark Freedom®:   Primocane ("Prime"), from University of Arkansas ("Ark") free of thorns ("Freedom?") released in 2013 although I don't have the patent date - I assume this one is patented and therefore can't be reproduced.  I thought this one sounded good because it is primocane as well as floricane bearing, so potentially early and late crops each year.  According to University of Arkansas, "the world’s first primocane-fruiting and thornless commercial blackberry introduction. It is intended primarily as a home garden or local market plant. It has very large fruits with good flavor, and is very early ripening on floricanes, the earliest of all Arkansas blackberry varieties."  Since universities now patent, trademark, and license their releases, I don't have a lot more faith in their release descriptions than I have for commercial nurseries - interesting to read, but they have a profit motive so take with a grain of salt.

Information about Columbia Star Blackberry - this time from Oregon State University - "very high- quality, high-yielding, machine-harvestable,thornless trailing blackberry with firm, sweet fruit that when processed are similar in quality to or better than fruit from the industry standards ‘Marion’ and ‘Black Diamond’."A patent was applied for and granted in 2013 so still under patent #US PP25532 P2 .

Arapaho Blackberry, New Planting.  4.25.17

Home Orchard Chores. Deer and Rabbit protection. 1.19.17

Stone Fruits.  Image via Vintageprintable.com

Today I did some orchard chores.

Last year I planted 3 blackberry cultivars, 5 plants of "Prime-Ark Freedom", a thornless primocane upright blackberry, 3 plants of "Ebony King", a reduced thorn standard upright blackberry, and one plant of "Columbia Star", a new thornless trailing blackberry. Most were in the fig tree row, and were subjected to deer and rabbit foraging. Prime-Ark Freedom was much loved by rabbits, while all of them were chewed, chopped off, and pulled up, by deer.

Yesterday and today I prepped an orchard bed, which consists of the mini-dwarf "Liberty" apple and dwarf "Jonagold" that I moved from Vancouver earlier this winter, and extends to a semidwarf "Winecrisp" apple that I planted bare-root in early 2016. This bed was squashes and tomatoes in 2016. I fenced it off, using 1-inch mesh plastic fencing. This fencing is better to avoid deer browsing, because they cant pull leaves and stems through the mesh, unlike metal 2 x 4 inch fencing.

There was room for a row of the 3 Ebony King blackberries, and separately for the "Columbia Star" blackberry, which will need a trellis. These are not protected from rabbits, who only seemed to like the "Prime-Ark Freedom" variety. In a separate bed, with fencing that should also protect from rabbits, I planted the "Prime-Ark Freedom" plants. Some of these look like they had significant freeze damage.

Persimmons.  Image via Vintageprintable.com

The ground is quite wet. I tried to minimize any tromping, by staying off the garden soil as much as possible and working from the edges.

I also worked on deer fences in the main orchard. Mostly, I now have larger cages for several of the trees, which were subjected to deer browsing via pulling stems through the larger fencing openings. Most got the 1 inch plastic mesh. I have about 5 trees remaining that need some deer cage adjustments, mainly making the cages bigger.

Most of the deer cages are as big as they will ever need to be.  As the trees grow larger, most will be too high for normal deer browsing.   The deer cages are a hassle, and make it more difficult to mulch, weed, prune, and otherwise maintain the area.  Over the next few years, I hope to remove several if not most of the cages, and change to just mowing between trees.

Blackberry Progress Report. 5.20.16

Ebony King Blackberry, planted February 2016.  5.21.16

These are the domesticated blackberry plants that I planted a few months ago.  It has been interesting to watch them, and I have learned a few things.

First, the Ebony King.  These were packaged dry-root starts from Lowes.
The stems were about pencil size, with minimal roots, packed in peat moss.  I planted them Feb 21st.  Of the 3 plants, one started growing in about March, one in April, and one just began growing now in late May.  So they all are alive and growing, and there is some chance for a taste next year.  These are floricane varieties that bloom and bear on the previous year's canes.  It pays not to give up, since one of the plants required 3 months to start to grow.

I need to get some protection on these, from marauding rabbits and deer.  They have not eaten the Ebony King Blackberry plants yet, which are not as perfectly thornless as Prime Ark Freedom, but I don't  want to take too many chances.  Damn rabbits.   Damn deer.

Second, the Prime Ark Freedom, thornless primocane blackberries from Starks.  These were expensive, and the plants were tiny.  They are growing nicely now, with one exception that is failing to thrive and still only a couple of inches tall.  Tow of the most vigorous were eaten half-way off by rabbits or deer, so now I have fencing sleeves on each plant.  Herbivores have not been eating the Himalayan invasive blackberries - possibly due to thorns, or there could be protective flavors that are lost in domestication.  These are primocane, so could potentially bear this year.  They have bloomed at only a few inches tall, but I removed the flowers so their photosynthetic energy goes to establishing roots, canes, and leaves.

Growth on Ebony King Blackberry, at 3 months.  5.21.16

Prime Ark Freedom Blackberry Plant, Planted Feb 2016.  5.21.16

The third is one plant of Columbia Star blackberry, bought in a one-gallon container at Yard - And - Garden - Land here in Vancouver, I think in March.  The plant was really a tiny tissue culture plant like the Prime Ark Freedom, planted in larger container for sale, I suppose.  Or to grow larger in the nursery pot. The Columbia Star is growing with the same vigor as Prime Ark Freedom.  Columbia Star is a trailing blackberry that will beed some support.  I have already built a frame for that, using 6 foot long tree limb prunings.

Blackberry plants. 4.20.16

Establishing blackberry plant "Columbia Star"  4.20.16

 Most of the blackberry plants are growing.  All 6 of the "Prime Ark Freedom" plants, that were so small when received in the mail, are growing new leaves. 

Of the 3 "Ebony King" plants that I bought at Lowes, as dry bare root plants, one is growing, the other two look alive based on can coloration but no growth yet.

I also bought a potted "Columbia Star" plant a few weeks ago.  That turned out to be a small tissue culture plant that had been placed in a larger container.  That one is also growing.

Establishing blackberry plant "Ebony King".  4.20.16

Establishing blackberry plant "Prime Ark Freedom".  4.20.16

Planting Blackberry Starts. 2.21.16

Prime-Ark Blackberry Starts.  2.21.16

The irony is not lost on me.  I'm still in the process of clearing massive blackberry bramble thickets.  After several hours of clearing them yesterday, I'm so sore I can barely move.

Then I buy blackberry plants.

The difference is, these are a compact growing variety, developing into a bush about 5 feet tall  and similar or less width.  Prime-Ark Blackberry, is a new hybrid from Arkansas, which I have not tried before.  They are a thornless variety.  So, I don't need to climb into 12 to 20 foot tall thickets, and come back bloodied, for the delicious blackberries.

I don't know if deer will eat them, not being deterred by thorns.  But the leaves seem coarse and unappetizing, so maybe not.

These are small plants.  They are going into the garden beds South of the house, for full sun.

I also bought 3 Ebony King Blackberry starts at Lowes, for variety.  Almost thornless.  I am hoping the timing will be a little different, for a longer blackberry season.  I love these fruits, and they also make an easy and delicious jam. Ebony King is almost thornless - at leas from the stems of these starts, no where near as vicious as the wild Himalayan Blackberries that I am striving to clear.

I read Prime-Ark needs to be 3-4 feet apart, or 5 feet apart, depending on who I read.  Mine are at the close end of that.   Some may need transplanting later.

New Year's Day. Clearing Blackberries. Rain Water Barrel. 1.1.16

For New Year's, cleared more Himalayan Blackberry bramble.  I might be half way through them now.   Those haystack-looking mounds are blackberry brambles that I cut up with pruning shears.  It's not physically hard work at all.  Does require patience, persistence, and falling into a rhythm.  Ultimately I think I will pile all of them into one large, hidden-in-the-woods compost pile.  Blackberry bramble stems are not woody, even the very large, thicker than my thumb and 20 foot tall ones.  The stem is pithy.

When this area is cleared, the back / North end may get some Cyprus as a privacy hedge and to hold soil.  Downhill from that is a ravine.  More within view and  a little south of the Cyprus, I want to plant some diverse types of trees.  The remainder of horticultural remediation for the Himalayan blackberry thicket monoculture, will involve planting grass seed and frequent mowing until blackberries are fully dead and no more self-regeneration from seeds or underground roots or runners.  Then maybe let it go a little more wild with wild flowers.  I may not follow that plan as my thoughts evolve.

Cat was hiding in the brambles.  I hope she finds a good place to hide otherwise.  We need a predator for rabbits and voles and moles and t mice.

I placed the first of the black plastic sod-killing weed-killing sheets.  Rather than tilling or applying weed killer - no damn way - we put down the big plastic sheets for about 4 or 5 months.   All of the plants under the plastic die.  On removing it in Spring, the soil is soft and easily dug.  Far easier than any other method, effective, and no poisons used.  We will create, maybe, 4 or 5 beds, for sunflowers, sorghum / broom corn, amaranth, and Indian corn - all of which are for experiment for  home-grown chicken feed.   Plus they all look interesting and beautiful.  The Indian corn will need to be a big distance from the sweet corn, so neither gets pollen from the other.

I installed a rain water barrel that has been sitting unused after hauling it from the old place.  This one is 57 gallons.  Now that I am comfortable with the installation, I want to install a much larger water harvesting and storage system.  There are reused food-grade plastic containers that hold several times more, for much less.  Will post when I buy one.

2016 is expected to be hotter and more dry than 2015.  We are on a well, but the water, especially in summer, is very mineral rich and full of iron sediment.  The filters clog quickly, and are expensive to replace.  Harvested water will be much less expensive in the long run, avoid run-off, and is plenty pure enough for garden and chickens.

This was a Fiskars unit, bought a few years ago at Home Depot.  There has been no leakage but algae does grow in the barrel  during summer.

Fruit from the garden

Lattarula figs, Shiro plums, Blackberries

Mulberries

NoID Plum

Fresh fruit from the garden.  Lattarula figs, Shiro plums, wild Himalayan Blackberries.

Mulberry has a few remaining berries.

Unknown plum variety at the Battleground place.  Still very firm.  Next year maybe there will be more bees and more flowers on nearby pollinating varieties.

Crimson Pointe plums

 I've been waiting for the 4 plums on the "Crimson Pointe" ornamental plum to ripen.  Last week they were rock hard.  Today there were none on the tree.  I found 2 on the ground, rinsed them off, and ate them.  They were absolutely delicious - tasted like red wine.  Mildly sweet, mildly sour.  Perfect balance.  I just planted this tree last year.  It's not listed as an edible plum.  That's possibly because they fall off when ripe.  But those plums were so good.