Grape time!

Price grapes. My favorite. These have seeds. I don't mind seeds, and have read that grape seed is good for you. Regardless, the flavor is excellent, "grapey", juicy, sweet. Not a big crop this year, but all I need is a few bowls of grapes to make me happy. Next is Venus, then Interlaken, the Canadice. I think.

The Little Orchard

Here's how the little orchard is progressing. I've planted all 3 of the planned Paw Paws, the unplanned Toka and Satsuma Plums (from big box store on sale, nice looking trees), the 2 peaches from containers at home, a pie cherry (Montmorency) and the Petite negri fig that I grew from a cutting.

The Orchard

Montmorency Cherry.  I moved this last week, from my border at home.  It didn't seem to have a lot of roots.  The soil was dry.  I hadn't watered it all summer.  I dug as wide as I could, pruned lightly, rapped it, and moved to the little orchard.  The leaves did not wilt (good sign) but are now becoming yellow.  That suggests to me it is heading into dormancy, maybe a little early due to the trauma.  Or it may be heading into dead.  We'll know in the Spring.  It shouldn't be too big to move, under 6 ft tall. I've had it one or two years.

One of the Paw Paw trees. They appear to have held up well, despite my breaking a lot of rules. Not the least of which was planting them in mid summer.

Satsuma plum. Does it have red leaves? Or is that impending dormancy? Impending death? Mislabeled? I guess I'll know next Spring - it will grow, or not. And it will have red leaves, or not.

Peach. One of the supposedly leaf-curl resistant ones.  I plan to add one more Peach, probably the Indian Blood peach I have had for 2 seasons now.  It's still really small. I'm anxious to move the other trees that I planned to move, and plant some bare root trees in October. This is a bit of a forced lull now - I don't want to risk killing trees that I've nurtured for 2 or three years. So I'll await dormancy or near-dormancy.

A New Row of Trees

In addition to the commemorative Linden, I planted a golden chain Tree (Laburnun) for Ning, a red leafed plum, and a Korean dogwood. I tried to alternate big tree / little tree / big tree / little tree, but I may have messed that up somewhat. No two are alike.

I measured, moved, measured, moved, measured, moved, while still in containers.

Now it's a row of trees. There are still a couple to add, to complete the row. Beside that, a row of shrubs. There will be shade, bird habitat, and some carbon sequestration. Also fragrance and something interesting and peaceful to look at. If they grow and thrive.

My Birthday Tree: Tilia cordata (little leaf Linden)

I'm not saying here when my birthday is. Not into that. Even so, this year I wanted to plant a tree to thank the Earth for atmosphere and nutrition, and pay it forward a little to the next generation. I did some research. Usually I would select a Ginkgo biloba. This time I went for something a little different for me, a Tilia cordata. T. cordata goes by the alternative name of Little Leaf Linden, as opposed to Big Leaf Lindens. In some parts of Europe it is called a Lime, although T. cordata is not a citrus, does not bear fruit, and is not related to limes. All images here are from wikimedia commons.

Fossil leaf, not Tilia cordata but still recognizable as a Linden leaf. The species, cordatarefers to the heart shaped leaf.  For a tree to be my birthday tree, a fossil leaf is a big plus.

Lindens are said to have edible leaves. I've never tasted one, and will wait for fresh spring leaves before trying. In addition, the flowers are highly fragrant, and attract bees who make a tasty famous Linden honey. The wood was used for making fiber, the term being Bast, resulting in Lindens being referred to as Basswood trees. That is what my Dad called Lindens. I think Basswood refers to the large leafed, American Linden.

Some Lindens live to a great old age, hundreds, even a thousand years. This is the Old Kasberger Lime tree, believed to be 1,000 years old. In decline, but at a thousand years, who wouldn't be? From wikimedia commons.  During the Middle Ages, communities met under large Linden trees, and there were trials and hangings.   Not so good, but not the tree's fault.

Lindens were widely used to line grand avenues in Europe, in the 17th and 18th centuries.  This was the old "Lindenallee" in Berlin. Still there, but newer trees, unter den Linden.

A poem, the Linden Tree (Der Lindenbaum), in translationby Walter A. Aue : The Linden Tree by Wilhelm Müller: * At wellside, past the ramparts, there stands a linden tree. While sleeping in its shadow, sweet dreams it sent to me. * And in its bark I chiseled my messages of love: My pleasures and my sorrows were welcomed from above. * Today I had to pass it, well in the depth of night - and still, in all the darkness, my eyes closed to its sight. * Its branches bent and rustled, as if they called to me: Come here, come here, companion, your haven I shall be! * The icy winds were blowing, straight in my face they ground. The hat tore off my forehead. I did not turn around. * Away I walked for hours whence stands the linden tree, and still I hear it whisp'ring: You'll find your peace with me!

Linden flower tea is used in some places as a remedy for respiratory ailments. I have no idea if it's a helpful remedy for anything, just that it is used.

Linden wood is finely grained, and was used for fine carving such as this one by Grinling Gibbons in the late 1600s - early 1700s.

Here is the Linden tree that I bought. I know this is not the best time of year. I'll post separately about the pros and cons of buying and planting trees now, but in the end it is what it is, and I hope it survives and grows. There weren't many choices - just this and one other. This was the taller of the two by far. Good price.

The top was forked. This is the only thing I pruned. Too high to reach, once planted. Easy with the tree laying down on the grass.  This small amount of corrective  pruning will prevent the tree from having narrow fork, which weakens the tree and makes it susceptible to splitting in the future.

Just some minor surgery. I kept the most vertical looking top. The fork was 3-way. I pruned of the smallest and the least vertical.

The roots wound around the tub a bit. Not as bad as I expected. There are two main approaches to keeping this size tree for sale. One is balled and burlapped, which are placed in tubs with compost. By this time of year, it's difficult to get the roots free of the burlap and compost. The other method is placing bare root trees in compost. That is what was done here.  This is a good reason to get trees in the spring, before roots have grown through the compost, but I think we will be OK with careful planting and thorough watering.

I removed as much of the compost as I could, without too much root damage, so the roots would be in the native soil, and not winding around in a hole that is filled with compost.

And here we are. Planted, post placed to keep the tree vertical in the wind, ready to be mulched, watered, and, I hope, given a good chance to settle in.  Digging the hole in dry soil was hard work.  Plus we have a lot of rocks.  Even so, it's therapeutic and a labor of love.  Few understand this.  It's puttering meditation, and sweat medication.  The sore back and achy hands are good sore and good achy.  I'm proud, and I hope my tree lives and grows and thrives.

After this photo, I did make a little levee from the removed sod, around the tree, watered thoroughly, and mulched with compost from the original container.  Before planting I had also filled the hole with water and let it drain into the surrounding soil, for reserve moisture.

Iris intensive care

Repeating a prior post, here is the remaining rhizome from Iris "Diety", which developed a rot disease and the leaves rotted off, leading me to cut off the growth end, wash, dry, treat with 10% bleach, dry, then replant. Already growing - I'm impressed!

Little baby sprouts. Won't bloom next year, but really is growing.

found this start in dry grass by tree trunk. I recall they are a mini dwarf variety, blue or yellow. Pulled out, cleaned the tiny rhizome, planted in flowerpot. I don't "need" it, but I'm curious to see if it grows.

Why we thin apples

Honeycrisp mini dwarf. I did think the apples, but not enough. They overloaded the tiny tree and it broke off. Oh well. The apples are quite good. I should be able to recover the tree from the stub, but it will take a couple of years.

Today at "The Farm"

Still don't have a name for the 2 Acres in Battleground. I planted the final Paw Paw tree. The others have weathered their transplanting and are essentially unchanged from their planting appearance. The big leaves tend to catch the wind, and are a bit torn from that. Hybridizers take heed: The big leaves are an issue. The Paw Paw might do better with smaller leaves. I saw some much larger Paw Paws at a local nursery - no variety name. I assume they are seedlings. They also had persimmons the same way. Life is too short to waste on no-name varieties unless you have room for multiple trees. So I passed on those. I've been wanting to plant a shade tree. It's in honor of my birthday which is coming up. I figure a shade tree sequesters more CO2 than the fruit trees, so counts for more of a "thank you" to the world for supplying me with oxygen, and climate, and nutrition. I found some sale trees at a big box store. They look fairly decent - not much the worse for sitting in the lot for the summer. I chose a red-leaf maple to serve as my "Birthday Tree".

OK, I also chose a couple of their close-out fruit trees.

An Asian Pear (Hosui, a russeted type) to serve as a pollinator for the Asian Pear already on the property, and which had one - only one - yellow fruit, non-russeted. Not knowing the variety, by choosing one with a different appearing fruit, it should serve as pollinator. I think. Monrovia describes Hosui as drought resistant and heat tolerant - so once established should not need a lot of watering. The tree is a bit misshapen, but that is OK, it will either give it character, or pruning and training will change that.

Toka Plum, from Grandpa's Orchard, identical to the pic from Fedco. The site claims "This fruit was introduced in 1911 by Dr. N.E. Hansen at the South Dakota Experiment Station as a hybrid of the Japanese and European types" but I read elsewhere it is a hybrid of an "apricot plum" with an "American plum".

OK, I bought 2 Asian plums. The first was Satsuma. I saw a couple of other varieties, and wanting a pollinator and something different from the first choice, came home and googled on pollinators for Satsuma. Toka is listed as a pollenizer for Satsuma, on the Burnt Ridge Nursery site. Toka is also listed as self fertile. Seems like a reasonable pair, so now I have then both. Not all sites agree about these as a pollinizing pair, it is confusing.

I might plant at least some of these trees tomorrow and through the weekend. I don't know if I have the energy to plant 4 trees on one day. I've done it before, so maybe.

Currently 58 degrees. This year I'm actually excited about fall. There are lots of fruit trees, trees, shrubs, and perennials to plant. Fall is the perfect time for that. Will also be wanting to make some raised beds for veggies and flowers.

Almost Done With Iris Care

This is a bit of an experiment. These were close-out, and not too special looking. Maybe different enough from my existing irises to add to the variety, a little. For a couple of dollars, hard to lose. Obviously much, much more dried out than the mail order rhizomes. Advantages of the mail order places that I used: better selection, by far, much fresher rhizomes. by far. Disadvantages, more costly. I think some of the mail order houses will send just as dried out selections as these store-bought rhizomes, as I recall from past orders. Those were from budget mail order houses, not the Iris specialists.

"Orange Harvest", listed as a rebloomer. I've had so few re-blooms, I won't count on it. Schreiner's describes Orange Harvest.... "Reblooming Iris Society has identified Orange Harvest as a very dependable rebloomer throughout most of the country". Developed in 1988. Several sales sites describe Orange Harvest as "slightly fragrant".

"Red Hawk". Developed in 1995. The differences in color, for illustrations of this iris, are amazing. It must have colors that don't photograph well. Commanche Acres Iris Gardens states "Pronounced sweet fragrance." Good.

I chose the largest, most plump rhizomes from the store bins. It's interesting that they can be so dried out, and still grow.

Here they are, planted. I took a lesson from orchids, and planted with the old end / cut end next to the container edge, and the growth end / fan toward the center. This gives some room for a little growth, at least one season. Which is all I am interested in here. The growth medium is a fast draining wood-compost-based medium that I used last year for garlic, with great success. After watering-in these rhizomes, and inserting labels, they are set for the fall.

Saving Seeds

Collected more seeds today. Saved them in regular postal envelopes. My seed box is a small wooden file box that I bought at a yard sale, good fit for the envelopes.

Yellow pod bush beans. These are a tasty bean that grew well this year. I "think" they are open pollinated, and they are the only beans that I grew at the time, so they should grow true.

Daylily seeds. These are some of the results from my hybridizing. I'll have to look up how to grow them. My plan is to find a place to grow them out to bloom, and keep anything I like, throw away hybrids I don't like. No way to know until I see them grow and bloom. Just for fun.

These are "Oriental Snow Pea Sweet Taiwan". Similar for the beans I haven't grown any other pea, so unless they are a hybrid, they should grow true.