Planting a Sourwood Tree

Out of the nursery pot, showing root ball

 Here is the sourwood tree I bought.

When I bought it at the nursery, I thought these trees had been sitting in the containers for the season.  Taking out of the pot, I see that's not true.  They were dug up from the nursery row, balled and burlapped, and transported to the nursery.  There, compost soil was placed in the container, the tree added, then more compost.  So they looked like the root mass was much bigger than it was.

That makes me think it will be harder to establish.  The tree is quite large for its root ball.

Planting.  Daffodil bulbs surrounding the tree.

Soaking in.

 Planting the tree - I surrounded it with mixed varieties of daffodil bulbs.  During the summer this tree should be mulched, with no competing plants.  However, daffodils grow their roots in the fall and winter, and the tops during rainy season.  I don't think they will be much competition for the tree roots.

Daffodils are reportedly deer and rabbit resistant, so I'm hoping they will have a bit of a protective benefit for the tree.

Planted and mulched.

Planted, watered in, and mulched.

I hope it grows.

We are heading into the rainy season.  That should help this nice tree establish roots and settle in.

Kitchen Garden

Here is the kitchen garden now.  Yesterday I added a raised bed.  As usual bottom is lined with chicken wire to prevent mole damage.   I planted tomatoes.  This time the deer/rabbit fence is vertical.

 There is space in this format for 2 more raised beds.  Then it will be three by three.  It does not have to be that formal.

I planted the tomatoes deep, as is the recommendation.

 Instead of a gate, the chicken wire on one side is looped over screws and held in place by clothes pins.  The fence posts are screwed to the sides of the bed using deck screws.

On the sides that do not open, the chicken wire is stabled to the frame.  To frustrate and annoy rabbits.

I don't think the deer will jump in.  I read they don't like confined spaces.

The lighter-green tomato was in the raised bed with radishes and snow peas.  I don't know why it's lighter green.  Maybe not enough nitrogen.  The other plants in that bed are quite green.

This soil is 50/50 compost topsoil mix from recycler.  That might green it up.

I have some seedling tomatoes at home that will also be added.  Maybe next week.

Raised Beds. Kitchen garden and irises.

Vegetable bed.  I temporarily added a couple of irises, I didn't want in the one iris bed so far.  Also some raspberries from home.  If I can build another bed in a couple of months, they will move to that.

The black wooley-looking stuff  is fur trimmed from Charlie.  Purpose is to deter rabbits and deer.  Might help.  Might not.  Bok Choy,  chinese cabbage, radishes, turnips, spinach, have all sprouted.

Allium vegetable bed.  Looking great.  We are getting lots of scallions.  Garlic chives are growing the thickest and sturdiest I've ever seen them grow.  They will be ready to harvest in 2 weeks.

Iris bed.  Some wooleys on here too.  Even though deer are said not to like irises.  The locations for the heritage iris  order are laid out and labeled, in case they come in the next couple of weeks.

I won't be posting for a week or two.  Maybe something on fig cuttings tomorrow.  Likely wont do much in the garden for a month or two.  We will see.  Having these progress reports to look at, will help.

Winter Planting. Grape Vine and Anemones.

I saw this grape variety at the local "Everything Store". Remembering, Buffalo is considered a Concord-like grape that bears in this cool summer area, unlike Concord. The plant looked OK, so I bought it and planted it today. Other plants in the grape / kiwi row have been harassed by moles, so I planted in a chicken wire basket. WA State extension lists these grapes as potential table grapes for this area:

Buffalo – midseason Concord type, blue
Canadice – early pinkish red (I have Canadice, the grapes are small and I'm not crazy about the taste) Interlaken Seedless – early white, vigorous (I have Interlaken, I like this one)
Jupiter – early, blue, large berries
Lynden Blue – very early blue, seeded
Mars – medium early, blue
Neptune – medium early, white
Reliance – early, red, table and juice
Saturn – medium early, red
Van Buren – blue Concord type, early
Vanessa – early red
Venus – early red (I think this is wrong. I have Venus, it's good but they are blue. I like Concord-type grapes better)
NY 78.836.06 – selection from Geneva, NY breeding program

I also planted these Anemones. I've read that anemones are both deer and rabbit resistant. After reading that Muscari are deer resistant, I planted quite a few this winter. Rabbits have eaten them all off. I'm guessing it's rabbits. We'll see what they think of Anemones. Soaked for 2 hours per label instructions, and planted in the tree circles.