Plums blooming now. 3.21.2021

 It looks like all of the Asian plums and plum hybrids are blooming now.  They seem to have a lot of overlap.

Hollywood Plum.  I grew this from a cutting, from the Hollywood plum I had in Vancouver. It stays fairly small.

Crimson Pointe (I think), ornamental plum.

The white flowered branch for this plum is Beauty.  The tree also has a graft from a very dark skin and flesh pluot, farmer's market, that I grew from seed.  It has never fruited, but it blooms.  This tree was originally "Ember", a hybrid Asian/American plum that never bore either.  I had grafted it on a Hollywood rootstock, which seems to work fine.

This tree is Methley.  The tree is more than 8 years old - I replanted it from my old front yard in Vancouver, where it had grown for a couple of years.  The pollinating Hollywood (again) branch seems not to be there now.  It also has a branch of Shiro also in bloom.

This is Flavor Supreme Pluot.  I don't know if it bloomed before.  I planted this a couple of years ago in the front orchard.  It's too much trouble to water and weed that area now.  It has continued to grow anyway.

There is also an unknown plum, possibly grown from seed, that was here when we bought the place.  I went crazy grafting other varieties to it - Shiro, Hollywood (of course), Ember, Hanska, La Crescent.  I don't think any of those Hansen plums (Ember, Hanska, LaCrescent) has ever borne a single fruit.  They bloom every year.  Still, it's a pretty tree.  

Nadia plum X cherry hybrid is next to the highly grafted tree.  Nadia is also blooming.

Phenology. What's Blooming. 3.28.19

Crimson Pointe Plum.  3.29.19

Flavor Supreme Pluot.  3.29.19

Among the fruit trees, almost anything with Asian plum in it's DNA is blooming.  Ornamental plums are at peak.  Flavor Supreme Pluot (young tree), graft of "pluot" seedling, Hollywood Plum, Methley Plum (just starting), Nadia Cherry x plum hybrid (will it bear fruit for the first time this year?).  Shiro plum is not in bloom yet.

Pussy willows are actually past their prime, but very nice.

Among peaches, Frost, Kreibich nectarine, Seedling from Oregon Curl Free, and Charlotte are blooming.  Salish Summer is not blooming yet.  That's a good thing, less unlikely to be hit by a late frost.

Hollywood Plum.  3.29.19

Seedling Peach.  3.28.19

Seedling Peach.  3.29.19

Pussy Willow.  3.29.19

Pussy Willow.  3.28.19

Seedling Plum.  3.28.19

Note: I don't want to continue calling the peach tree, grown from a seed from Oregon Curl Free, "Son of Oregon Curl Free". So, for the time being at least, I'll call it "Cowlitz Peach", to honor its provenance and the Cowlitz River and people of this area. Ditto for the lovely flowered, variegated leafed plum, grown from a seed taken from deep burgundy "pluots" bought at a local farmers' market. I am thinking about calling it "Martian Spring", for the colorful, somewhat blood-colored leaves.  The plums, if any happen, remain to be seen.

Swelling Flower Buds. Hollywood Plum and "Son of Oregon Curl Free" Peach. 2.16.19

Flower Buds, Hollywood Plum Tree. 2.16.19

These are in the chicken and duck yard.  The Hollywood Plum tree was grown from cuttings taken about 5 years ago, I think.  The tree is covered with swelling buds now.

The peach tree was grown from a peach pit, from an Oregon Curl Free peach tree.  That tree died of canker.  This tree is also 4 or 5 years old.  Last year were the first flowers, no fruits.  It could be a dud, but I hope not.  No evidence at all for any leaf curl.   No canker yet, either.  This tree grew fast. If it bears nice fruits, I want to give it a name that honors those who were here before, possibly a word in the Cowlitz language.

These blooms could be killed by a late freeze.   However, they seem to produce, every year.   Wait and see.

Flower Buds, Peach Tree Grown From Oregon Curl Free.  2.16.19

Fruit Tree Blooming. Pear Graft Progress. Orchard Phenology. 3.31.16

NOID Asian Pear.  3.31.16

Vandalay and Sweetheart Cherries.  3.31.16

 The fruit tree bloom stage now, is sweet cherries and pears.

Full bloom:
NOID Asian Pear - I wonder if this is Nijesseiki?

Maxie Hybrid Pear
Hosui Asian Pear
Mishirasu Asian Pear
Hamese Asian Pear - this one never blooms much.
Shinseiki Asian Pear
Rescue European Pear - just started.

Early full bloom-
Vandalay Sweet Cherry
Sweetheart Sweet Cherry
Ranier Sweet Cherry
Stanley Plum

Vandalay and Sweetheart are described as self pollinizing, which was part of why I planted them.  Even so, it can't hurt for them to bloom together.  Vandalay is slightly ahead of Sweetheart.  There is promise of several bowls of cherries from each tree, for the first time, this year.  This is 4th leaf.

Late Full Bloom
American species plum
Ember hybrid plum
Hanska hybrid plum

Finishing  bloom
NOID Euro Pear, I think Green Gage

 I can't find the grafting date, I think mid February, but here is the progress for the two pollinizers I added to Maxie.  Both are ghrowing.  Both source trees are blooming now, as well as Maxie, so this looks like a good choice.

Graft of Rescue Pear onto Maxie.  ~6 weeks,  3.31.16

Graft of NOID Asian Peare onto Maxie.  ~6 weeks.  3.31.16

A good pomologist would not let the stock bloom below the grafts, but I'm not looking for maximal growth, just some pollinizing blooms.  Also, I really want to try the Maxie pears, and want to give it all the chance I have to bear.  The priority is on the Maxie, not the grafts.

What's Blooming. Fruit tree Phenology. 3.21.16

Forsythia.  3.21.16

 I love this time of year.  Buds swelling and opening, bulbs making themselves seen with leaves and flowers, trees and shrubs blooming.

This forsythia was one of the first shrubs I moved to the Battleground place Oct 2012.  Forsythias are tough and can take a lot of trauma and are drought resistant in my yard.  I grew this specimen by rooting a small stick found on the street about a decade ago.

Most of the front bulbs are transplants from the old place as well.  If you have old clumps of bulbs, they can be dug and divided, and have as much or move vigor than newly purchased ones.  Old ones are proven to grow in their current climate and soil, unlike imported ones, and do not bring viruses and other diseases into the yard.

Same Forsythia Oct 2012

Same Forsythia 2009

Mixed bulb and perennial fron flowr border, now at daffodil blooming stage.  3.21.16

Hyacinths and daylily clumps in tree-ring planter.  3.21.16

Hanska plum first flowers.  3.29.16

 The tree ring planters are nice.  They bring the plants up closer to my eyes.  They are easier to keep free of weeds, compared to the ground level soil.  They have a base of chicken wire fencing, so moles and voles do not get into them.  They are probably a bit warmer and therefore a bit earlier, than ground level soil.  I planted the hyancinths much deeper than the daylilies, so their roots should be even deeper and they can coexist.

Fruit tree blossoms -

Finished blooming -
Hollywood plum.
Crimson Spire plum.
Sweet treat interspecific plum (pluerry)

Almost finished blooming -
Methley plum
Unknown Asian plum.
Shiro plum.
 Charlotte peach

 Eldorado peach.

Late-full bloom.
Toka plum

Full bloom.
Most Asian pears - early to mid blooming
  Mishirasu
  Unknown - maybe Nijisseiki
  Hosui
  Shinseiki
  Maxie hybrid

Early opening.
The historic Asian-American hybrids
  Hanska Plum
  Ember plum
  LaCrescent plum
Green European Plum - green gage?  Came with the place, I don't know the variety
Stanley European Plum
Probably Prunus americana grown from seeds - first bloom this year.  Pollinizer for the Asian-American hybrids.
Salish peach - bought as "Q18"

American plum (Prunus americana?) flowers.  3.21.16

American plum (Prunus americana?) flowers.  3.21.16

 The American plums were from this batch of seeds, collected in 2012.  They have a slightly astringent skin, yellow very juicy, sweet, soft interior.  I have two other starts.  They are much smaller, partly due to browsing deer and partly because I chose the most vigorous for the main tree.

Plums used for tree seeds in 2012.

Maxie pear in early to mid bloom.  3.21.16

Swelling buds but not blooming yet -
Sweetheart cherry
Vandalay cherry
Ranier cherry - ahead of the other sweet cherries, but planted bare root this year so may not be representative.
Montmorency tart cherry - behind the sweet cherries.
Pawpaws -
  Sunflower - seems ahead of other two,
  NC-1
  Mango

Swelling  buds, bloom from secondary growth - later
Grapes
Saigo persimmon
Nikita's gift persimmon.

There are some new trees that probably don't count because I planted them this winter.  Their timing may be off because they were bare root and shipped, then planted.  That depends on how the internal timing works in those trees.  New ones -

Nadia interspecific cherry x plum - a few flowers, finishing and a few more buds.

Empress genetic dwarf peach - a few buds, full pink stage.

Mary Jane Peach - reportedly peach leaf curl resistant.  A few buds at full pink.

No apples are blooming yet.  A few are close - Queen Cox, and the columnar varieties North Pole, Scarlet Sentinel, Golden Sentinel.

What's Blooming. 3.4.16

Anemones.  3.4.16

 It's  been cooler and rainy, but now there are lots of flowers  blooming.  Anemones, many of the narcissus, especially Dutch Master and Jetfire, and some others.  An apricot, grown from seeds, is blooming.  Forsythias are coming into their own.  Flowers are fully open on Crimson Spire plum, starting to open on Hollywood plum, Methley plum, and Toka plum.  Charlotte peach flowers are open.

Daffodils.  3.6.16

Unknown, modern forsythia.  3.4.16

Daffodils, mainly Jetfire.  3.6.16

Prunus Sweet Treat.  3.4.16

Ning with front yard flower bed.  3.4.16

Forsythia, 3 years after transplant.  3/4/16

Fruit Tree Buds. 2.21.16

Flower Buds.  NOID Asian Plum.  2.21.16

Flower Buds.  Methley Plum.  2.21.16

 Many of the fruit trees have enlarging buds, but many are still looking closed tight.  I was anxious about how early they are developing - concern for frost kill on delicate new flowers and growth, but that is becoming less of a concern as Spring approaches and the flowers are not yet open.  We have low into high 30s tonight, not worrisome for fruit tree flower buds.

The furthest ahead so far -
 Charlotte Peach - pink is showing.
Sweet Treat Pluerry
NOID Asian Plum - might be pluot.
Toka Hybrid Plum.
Methley Asian Plum
Maxie Pear - not a fair comparison, because this was a container tree planted in December, which might have influenced this year's  bud development.

Next in line -
Hollywood Plum - almost as far along, can see some pink coloration, this tree has burgundy leaves which influences the color of the buds.
Nadia Cherry - Plum Hybrid - not a fair comparison, I planted this as a bare root tree last month. If the blooms taste, it would be interesting to get a fruit or two to taste on this first-year tree.
Prunus americana seed grown plum - flower color is starting to show.  This tree is 4 years from seeds.
Unnamed Asian Pear
Hosoi Asian Pear

Buds showing signs of life -
Illinois Everbearing Mulberry - leaf buds - flowers form from growing shoots.
Saijo Persimmon - barely.  This is leaf bud, flowers form on shoots that grow from buds, not the dormant buds themselves.
Nikita's Gift Persimmon - barely and as for Saigo
Unnamed Korean or Japanese Cherry, planted this winter.
Juliet hybrid bush cherry - planted from container this winter.

Most of the European cherries bad barely visible swelling on some buds, both sweet and sour cherries.  Most of the European pears and apples have no discernible bud swelling.

Flower Buds.  Toka Plum.  2.21.16

Flower Buds.  Charlotte Peach.   2.21.16

Flower Buds.  Maxie Hybrid Pear.   2.21.16

Fruit tree bloom times. 2.11.16

Sweet Treat Pluerry Buds.  2.11.16

Current bloom status on fruit trees.

Big fat buds.  Sweet treat pluerry, Hollywood plum, Methley Asian plum, unknown variety of Asian plum.

Fuzzy buds but not showing petal color.  Peaches, Charlotte, Q18/Salish.  Leaf buds of Saijo and Nikita's Gift persimmons.

We are not as far ahead as I had worried.  Last year, full bloom for plums was March 7th.  We might be 2 or 3 weeks early this year.

This will be a good year to see if the Asian/American hybrid plums bloom later than the all-Asian plum varieties.

Euro plums, cherries, pawpaws, apples, most pears, no or minimal bud swell so far.

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.

Fruit Tree Blooming. 3.22.15

Unknown - Green Gage? - Plum in bloom.   3.22.15

In Vancouver fruit trees that have finished blooming. 
Shiro and Hollywood Plums.   Genetic Dwarf Peaches.
Fruit trees starting to bloom.  Sweet Cherries.

In Battleground, fruit trees that have finished blooming.
Older unknown Asian Plum.
Young unknown Asian Plum
 Crimson Pointe cerasifera plum.
All peaches almost done.  Indian Free is the last.
At its peak:   Toka plum
Starting to bloom.
Asian pears.
Sweet cherries.

Most apples have visible flower buds but not near opening yet.
Pawpaw buds starting to swell.
Shan Zha.  flower buds are visible.
Tart cherries.  flower buds are visible.

Growth buds are swelling on all 3 persimmons, but not near open leaves yet.

Pourin rain for next few days.  That could impact pollination.

Battery is dead.  Will need to finish in 2 days.

Add caption

Toka Plum in Bloom.  3.22.15

Hosui Asian Pear.  3.22.15

Unknown Asian Pear.  3.22.15

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