Cowlitz Peaches. Progress Report. 6.21.19

Cowlitz Peaches.  6.21.19

The big test will be in the ripening, but so far the Cowlitz Peach Tree is looking great.   There are about 20 peaches, maybe 25.  A few have been mauled by critters or birds.  It's not in an ideal spot, probably too much shade.

However, this might be one of my best peach yields in a long time. 

I'm guessing they'll ripen some time in July, maybe August.

Cowlitz Peach Tree.  6.21.19

Fall Fruits - First Harvest 9.23.17

The smaller red apples are Jonared. 

The small peaches are Charlotte, didn't do great this year but still, it's some fall peaches. 

The golden apples are Porter.  The large red/green apple is Sutton Beauty. 

Dark blue, Stanley Plums.

Various Asian pears.

At the center, an Asia/American pear hybrid, "Maxie".  Actually, not very good.  Maybe I didn't let it ripen enough.

Unseasonable warmth. 1.24.16

Peach buds swelling.  1.24.16

The temperatures have been 40s to 60s here in Southwest Washington State.  Combined effects, I imagine, of El Niño and climate change.

These are buds on the containerized "El Dorado" peach tree.  The in-ground, more standard peach trees also have swelling buds.  

Other trees with evidence of early awakening include the newly planted Maxie pear, and terminal tips of some apples.  The persimmon buds appear to be swelling, but not cracked open.  The pawpaw flower buds look larger but also still closed.  Same with fig buds.  Some lilac buds are open to the point where primordial flower buds can be seen.

Most of the fruit and other trees are in dormancy or have barely begun to break dormancy.  Now it's a waiting process.  If no hard freezes, we should be good.  If there are some hard freezes, nothing I can do about it.

Buds. Pollinating. Bud Grafts. 3.10.15

Crimson Pointe Plum.  3.10.15

Peach and Plum flowers for pollinating.  3.10.15

 Many of the plums and peaches are in full bloom.

Unkown Battleground plum.  Mid to late bloom.

Unknown #2.  Scattered bloom.

Crimson Pointe Plum.  Full bloom.

Toka.  Early, almost full bloom.

Oregon Curl Free Peach - Early, almost full.

Charlotte Peach - Early, almost full.

Q-1-8 Peach - Early.

Hollywood Plum.  Full bloom.

Shiro Plum.  Full bloom.

Methly Plum.  Only 3 flowers on the tree.

Genetic Dwarf Peaches.  All full bloom.

Stanley Plum.  Buds eginning to swell.

Gage Plum.  Buds beginning to swell.

Sweet cherries.  Buds beginning to swell.

Tart cherries.  Barely noticable swelling.

Apples.  Buds swelling.

Asian Pears.  Buds swelling.

Pawpaws.  Buds beginning to swell.

Persimmons.  Barely detectable growth bud swelling.

Mulberries.  No noticable swelling.

Shan Zha (Chinese Haw) - see photo.  I don't know if these are flower buds or new growth.

Shan Zha buds, almost open.  3.10.15

I cut stems from the genetic dwarf peaches, Hollywood and Shiro plums, to take to Battleground as pollen sources.  I used artist paintbrush to transfer pollen from those to peaches and plum flowers.

Many of the bud grafts from July 2014 are opened and growing.  They are a bit less vigorous compared to other buds on those trees.  I cut back the stems to about 1/2 to 1 inch above the growing buds.  It's a long wait, from July to March, to see if they took.

It's interesting that some of the bud grafts are blooming, such as the Hollywood, pink, buds on the unknown, white flowered plum tree.   I noticed several such buds bloomed.  I think it's OK, the stem growth will follow.

New sign for the yard - Washington State Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary.  I had to fill out an application form describing the places in the yard where wildlife can find shelter, the trees, potential pollen and nectar sources for bees and butterflies, no-spray area, some native plants although by no means all.  Now signs up on both parts of the yard.

Hollywood buds on unknown variety of plum.  3.10.15

Toka plum in bloom.  3.10.15

 On bud grafts - it looks like plums did the best.  The couple I did on peach tree did not take.  Only 2 of about 8 on lilac took.  On cherries, hard to say because not all buds are swelling.  Some have fallen off.  I think all of the plum buds took.  Some are growing, some have flowers.

Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary

Progress Report. Rain. No Puttering. Grafting Illustrations. 3.26.14

It's been very rainy.  Constant rain for a week.  I'm concerned the plums and peaches may not pollinate.

When I use a small paintbrush on anthers there is no visible pollen.  Washed off.  Just water.

Today about 50F.  Inside poly tunnel raised bed, 55F.  Not enough sun to warm it up.  Portugal Red Pepper I moved a week ago looks OK, maybe some new growth.  Chinese chives a foot tall.

At about 3 weeks, only one Four O'clock from the first, room temp non-soaked batch has germinated.  At about 1 week, one Four O'clock from the second, soaked, seed-warmer batch germinated.  So now, so far, I have 2 plants.  Better than none.  It looks like another is beginning to push up seed growing medium.   Will keep them on the seed warmer a few weeks.   No conclusions.  Not a randomized, controlled, statistically analyzed trial.  I think the soaking and warming is probably beneficial.

On Grafting, so far the grafts look OK.  Slowly swelling buds on all.  None have shriveled.  With the cool wet weather, they might look OK if they have not taken.  Found some illustrations from Gutenberg.org which are available to everyone to download.

Whip and Tongue Graft Illustration.  Dr. John A Warder.  1867.  American Pomology.  Apples. 

Side Graft Illustration.  Dr. John A Warder.  1867. American Pomology.  Apples. 

Whip and Tongue Graft Illustration.  H. Harold Hume.  1906.  The Pecan and Its Culture.  

Cleft Graft Illustration.  H. Harold Hume.  1906.  The Pecan and Its Culture. 

Fall Garden Chores.

No photos today.  Doesn't look like much.

I mowed the little orchard, until rain started.  I used the grass catcher, and collected grass clippings to mulch around the Buddleias and some of the fruit trees.  I try not to use too thick a layer.  Maybe 2 inches thick.  I extended the mulched areas a little.  It will break down quickly in the rainy weather.  It's a start.

Antique botanical sketch of mint.

I wanted to remove the rest of the culinary herbs from the bearded iris beds.  It was a nice idea.  If there was more room, I think it would be a great idea.  But with the small space, the herbs encroach too much on the bearded irises.  The herbs did not go to waste.  I moved them to the mulch rings around the fruit trees.  There the herb flowers will benefit pollinating nectar collecting bees.  And I can use them in the kitchen as needed.  I cut some tall mint.  It will be in the garage drying.  If it dries well, I can use it for mint tea (tisane).

Antique botanical sketch of Thyme

Among the herbs I moved, traditional thyme, French thyme, Lemon thyme; a short variety of Catmint - short but still encroaching on the bearded irises - and violets.  Most of these should provide bee forage.  I'm not sure about the violets.

Antique botanical sketch of violets

Violets are not considered a culinary herb, although some people candy the flowers.   I'm trying them because they are compact, make a mat that is difficult for weeds to penetrate, might be difficult for moles, too.  The roots are shallow, so I think not competing with the fruit trees.  They too were competing with bearded irises.  Not much, but shading the rhizomes.  So I moved them too.

I also planted in-ground, a 2-gallon size Lavatera.  I've gave it TLC all summer.  I have to plan for decreased energy, meaning fewer plants that need extra care.  With my illness, fatigue is a growing challenge.  It will have the rest of fall, winter and spring to establish roots before leaves and new branches grow.

I also did some minor shaping pruning for several fruit trees.  For the most part, that meant cutting the tips from branches, so they will branch out lower and more compact.  Peaches, Plums, Tart Cherries, Apricot seedling. 

Not much left for winterizing the orchard.  Much less work than last year.  I have a plum tree to move from Vancouver.  A jujube will need to move to the bee garden, to make room.  Late winter, add one peach and one jujube.  Get some compost to mulch the trees that I haven't so far.  That's about it.

Harvest Early September

Harvest Last Weekend

Charlotte Peach with Yellow Jacket

Pepper barrel

Hawaiian Pineapple Tomato

Fresh Peaches

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