I'm glad it's fall. 10.19.14

I'm glad it's fall.  I can clean up what's become messy, and not have it become messy before I can clean it up again.  I can plant trees and shrubs, or transplant them, and not have to water them every few days or every week.  The grass is green again.  It's cool enough to be outside without becoming winded.  I can harvest pine needles for mulch.  And leaves.  I love planting Spring bulbs in the fall, to have something to look forward to.  I love having a fire in the fireplace in the morning when I'm up, alone.

I've quoted this before....

"My creed is that:

Happiness is the only good.

The place to be happy is here.

The time to be happy is now.

The way to be happy is to make others so.

 

Robert Green Ingersoll

Sourwood tree at one year after planting.  10.19.14

This is the Sourwood after a year.  The madrone that I planted at the same time died quickly.  I read that would happen, so shouldn't be surprised.  I wondered if the sourwood would live.  It did.  There is still a "Dr. Suessian" look.  That may take a few years to fill in.  Leaves will be pretty in a week or two.  Having survived a historic freeze it's first winter, and the nursery abuse / removal of most roots, with a chance to recover for a year, it has a good start for the future.

New Trees progress report.

Cherry "Almaden Duke"

Jujube "Li"

 Here is the progress report for new trees planted 2012 - 2013.  Most, but not all, are fruit trees.  They are young.  Not all are pictured here.  They are in no particular order.

Duke Cherry "Almaden Duke".  Now 6 ft tall.  Growth this year, 6".  Transplant from Vancouver yard last fall.

Ginkgo seedling from Illinois.  My dad's collected seed, tree is the smallest of the 3 I grew.  6ft tall, growth 0 inches.  There were tufts of new growth from each node, but no stem extension.  Leaves remain green so far.

Madrone.  New planting this fall.  6 ft tall.

Sweet Cherry "Vandelay".  New bare root from Raintree, started late this winter, before my surgery.  3'8" of which 2" is new.

Sweet Cherry Sweetheart.  As for Vandelay.  3'10" of which  1'2" is new.  Bloomed after planting, no fruit.

"Greenspire" Linden, South side of yard near house.  6'6" of which 1'6" is new. 

 Jujube "Li".  Planted as container plant last fall.  about 1 ft tall, of which 6" is new.

Pawpaw "NC-1".  All pawpaws were planted summer 2012.  2'7" of which 7" is new.

Pawpaw "NC-1"

Pawpaw "Rebecca's gold".  This tree was eaten by an animal, leaving only about 3".  It grew to 1ft 7" tall, 3 stems.

Pie Cherry "North Star".  Planted as container tree from Lowes, late Spring.  This tree is 5'4".  Growth occurred before I planted it, about 1 ft was new.  This tree had cherries when I bought it.

Pie Cherry "Montmorency".  6'3".  I moved this from Vancouver last summer.  18" of the growth was this year.  This tree bore cherries this year.

Wild Plums - grown from seeds summer / fall 2012.  Tallest is 4'3", next is 3', and smallest is 2'.

Peach "Indian Blood".    Now 4' tall, of which 1ft 4 inches is new.

Persimmon "Seijo".  Now 4'10", of which 15"  is new.  This was bare root planted this year, from Raintree.  The growth was nice, but there is a wound on the north side, narrow, extending much of the old stem.  The wound is about a mm wide.  I don't know what that bodes for next year.

Pawpaw "Rebecca's Gold"

 Persimmin "Nikita's Gift".  2'6" of which 2" is new.  Small but survived the first year.  Persimmons are considered difficult to start, but making it through the first year is encouraging. 

Peach "Charlotte"

Peach "Oregon Curl-Free"

 Peach "Charlotte".   6ft total, of which 2'2" is new.  Fast starting tree.  Moved from Vancouver last summer, started from bare root Spring 2012 as container tree.

Peach seedling and Grape "Price"

Peach "Oregon Curl Free".  Total 4'5" of which 3'7" is new.  Same issues as for "Charlotte"

Pawpaw "Sunflower"

Pie Cherry "Surefire"

Apple "Red Sentinel"  2'4" tall and "Golden Sentinel" 2'4" tall.  Minimal added height this year.  These were planted last summer.  The rootstock may be super-dwarfing. 

Linden "Greenspire" in front yard.  This was the first of the Lindens.  9"  tall of which 1" is new. 

Peach Seedling 8" - unknown parentage, suspect genetic dwarf.  Volunteer in vegetable bed, which was treated with compost.  If it develops leaf curl, I don't plan to keep it  The "Price" grape 8" was a cutting from my vines at home.

American Linden "Redmond"  5 ft tall, 4" is new.  This was container tree planted last winter.

Pear "Rescue"  4 ft tall, 9" is new, and pear "Orca, 4 ft, 9" is new.  Both bare root trees from Raintree, planted late winter 2013.

Apple "Spitzenberg" 3" of new growth on 6" of rootstock.  This was new graft, grown from new graft early Spring and given TLC with fertigation; Apple "Sutton's Beauty" 1'6" of new growth on 6" rootstock, same situation.

Chinese Haw "Red Sun", 4'8" of which 1" is new.   Bare root from "One Green World" nursery planted last fall. 

Plum "Stanley"

Sweet Cherry "Sweetheart"

Plum "Toka"

Mulberry "Illinois Everbearing", 6'4" tall, of which 11'1" is new this year.  Moved from Vancouver yard last fall.

Plum "Stanley" 7'6" of which about 2' is new.  Moved from Vancouver last year.

Plum "Toka" 5'10" tall, of which 1'4" is new and plum "Satsuma" 5'6" of which 3" is new, both bought as potted trees last summer on sale at Home Depot.

The Sourwood I planted in Sept, is 7'8" tall.

I've started applying a layer of compost around each tree.  Ran out, more expected with another truckload of compost this week.

Madrone roots

Here is the madrone, taken out of the container.  I felt disappointed - the roots were so minimal.  The tree had been dug close to the trunk, and shallow  The remainder was added compost / soil.  It did look like there was mycorrhizae growing through the medium.  I mixed the medium with soil and placed that around the planted tree.

It will be pretty surprising if this tree grows.  I'll try to water it enough, but not too much.  I added a stake given how little root mass there is to anchor it.

I will also order some more Plant Success mycorrhizal inoculant to add to the soil and water in when it arrives.

Madrone, planted

New Trees. Madrone and Sourwood.

Madrone Arbutus menziesii

 Yesterday I bought 2 trees.  Each has a commemorative purpose, and each may be a challenge.

The first is a Pacific Madrone . Arbutus menziesii.  Native to Pacific coastal areas, including Pacific Northwest.  I don't see them very often.  They have a Dr. Seuss appearance.  I like the peeling bark, sort of like a Sycamore.  According to most web sites, Madrones can be very difficult to establish.  The reason I'm hopeful for this one is I am thinking it's been in the container for a season and so has some fine roots.  I could be wrong.

I also read that Madrones depend on mycorrhizal fungi.  So I will transfer some soil from other trees, if I don't have any innoculant on hand.  Which I might

I started to regret buying the Madrone, after reading how hard they can be to establish.  But if it grows, it will be a conversation piece and something to be proud of.

I read that Madrones are good bee forage. 

This should be a good time to plant.  Start of rainy season and cooler weather.

Sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum

The second is a Sourwood.  Not native here.  They originate in the US Southeast.  Oxydendrum arboreum is a fairly cmall growing tree, with clusters of flowers that look like Lily of the Valley.  The nectar is considered one of the best for fine honey production, at least in the Southeast.  This tree also may be hard to establish - reportedly likes a soil with a lot of humus, and always moist.  Does not like competition - prefers a well mulched surround.   Sourwoods are described as having brilliant red fall foliage.

So we'll see.  So far I've had good successes.  These sound more challenging.  Other tree species that are said to be difficult to starts, that I managed to establish, so far, include pawpaw and persimmon.  The pawpaws are in their second summer, and the persimmons are finishing their first.

I might have to ask Ning to dig the holes and help me move them.  I tire too easily.  But these will give me something to ponder so are worth the effort.