Grafting. 3.12.19

This is the first step of wrapping the graft with plastic strip.  Knot tied.

The strip is flattened, wrapped tightly up, then down, and tied again.

Finally, the scion is wrapped to avoid dehydration.  I used parafilm this time.

Today I grafted new scions onto a number of pre-existing apple trees.  I'm comfortable with whip and tongue grafting, so that's what I do.  These trees are young but starting to have some size.  They are dwarf or semidwarf size trees.    For one, a large, mature  branch of Pristine broke due to graft failure, so I'm not grafting Pristine back onto that tree.  There is a small "water sprout" branch near that location, so I grafted a new variety to that branch as a replacement ("Bob's red flesh, a small apple with red flesh throughout).

I thought I would show my current method.  It's much easier than the older methods that involved grafting wax and string, or sticky tape.  I use strips, about 3/4 inch wide, cut from gallon-size "Ziplock" plastic freezer bags.  After experimenting with stretching, I can get a good firm tight binding, without breaking the strips.

The cutting and fitting of the scion and understock is as usual.  I didn't do as fine a job as last year, but apple is fairly forgiving, so I think they should take.  Once the whip and tongue graft scion and understock are fitted together, I tie a strip of plastic strip below the graft, with one end being short and the other long.

Then I flatten the strip, and wrap up, then down the graft.  I pull the plastic strip as firm as I can, without stretching to the yield point where it loses it's stretch and tears.

Then I tie the end of the strip back to the original knot.

I wrap the scion with either a thinner plastic strip, or this time, parafilm.  The goal there is to prevent dehydration but allow the buds to grow

This method gave 100% take last year.  I'm hoping for a good result this year too.

I grafted -

That "Bill's Red Flesh".

A local crab apple variety from an HOS member, "Hi Jack".

Pristine.

I also bought some Bud-9 rootstock at the HOS show, and grafted Northpole apple onto that rootstock.  I want to see if I can better limit the height, and make a much more compact columnar apple tree than I have with the original Northpole.


And quince varieties, to the quince tree that I'm reworking, adding Limon and Crimea Quince cultivars.

Also, onto a plum branch, I added one branch from an ornamental, fastigiate red plum (Scarlet Sentry?) from elsewhere in the yard, for pollination purposes.  That goes both ways - I'm curious to see if those plums are larger or better set, when pollinated by more proximal plum varieties.

New Fruit Trees. Persimmons and Columnar Apples. 3.10.19

Yesterday I receive my order from Raintree, which I planted today.

Two columnar apples:  Tasty Red and Golden Treat.  I think the names detract a little from the trees' attractiveness, because the names are sort of nondescript marketing efforts.  Even so, these are considered disease resistant, they fit in the space I have for them, and I hope to taste-test them in a year or two.

Columnar apples have very stout stems.  It's interesting.

I also planted two persimmon trees. which are pollination partners:  Chocolate and Coffeecake.  Spicy flavored Asian (Kaki) persimmons.  These are far enough from my Saijo and Nikita's Gift, I am hoping they won't pillinate - I want those two to remain seedless. 

There was also a "bonus free gift" in the box, a Triple Crown Blackberry.  It's a giid variety.  I planted that too..

Home Orchard Society Scion Exchange. 3.10.19

 Today was the Home Orchard Society scion exchange.  Hundreds of varieties, apples more than others but zillions of pears and grapes, as well as a few others.  I brought some scion from my apple trees and another member from my area, gave away some scion to other members, and gave away the extra fig trees that I've been nurturing for the past year.

 I did pick up some scions to graft, nothing major.  A male fuzzy kiwi, some quince, a couple of other things I will document when they are grafted.


Overall very nice.  I'm not looking to add a lot of varieties now, just fine tuning my orchard, improving where I see a chance to make things better.  Still, it's a lot of fun, and I love grafting.

Plus, I bought some Bud-9 Apple rootstock.  Bud-9 is very dwarfing, somewhat fireblight resistant, precocious, and hardy.  I want to create some new columnar apple trees (Northpole) that are easier to maintain ar a small size. I have already grafted and planted those.

Early Grafting. 3.9.19

Quince Grafts.  Smyrna.  3.9.19

Today I did the first grafts of the year.  First, I grafted Smyrna quince onto a multitrunk quince that arose after I accidentally mowed over an Aromatnaya quince tree, 2 years ago.  I can't tell if the regrowth is from above or below the graft (oops) .  I was able to purchase some Smyrna scion (Burnt Ridge), so that is what I went with.

I'm reworking the vigorous Chehalis branch on a multigraft tree.  None of the Chehalis apples have been good, so far - cracked, mottled, bad spits, not much taste on the parts that were not discolored.  Yet, it's the most vigorous branch on the tree.

So, I'm reworking that branch with some other varieties.  The first is Pristine.  I salvaged the scion from a Pristine branch that had graft failure and broke off.

My grafting technique is rusty.  Plus, these are small caliper scions.  We'll see how they do.  These are all whip & tongue.  Apple is usually quite forgiving.  I used 1/2 inch wide strips, cut from freezer zip-lock bags, to firmly tie and splint the grafts.  Last year, that method had 100% success rate for me.  To cover the scion and it's cut end, I used 1/4 inch Parafilm.  I think thinner plastic might have bedn as good, but wanted to try it.

Apple Grafts.  Pristine.  3.9.19

Now it's wait and see.  I have a bunch more grafts to do in weeks to follow.

Shallots and Potatoes. 3:6.19

Grocery Store Shallots.  Planted 3.6.19

Last week I planted more shallots, and some grocery store potatoes that had sprouted in the garage and were no longer usable.  I planted the shallots in the fenced bed, next to the garlics.  I planted the potatoes in an "overflow bed", which last year had annual flowers, the previous year was weeds, and the year before that was corn.  This is my overflow bed, because it's in an easement and could wind up getting paved without notice.  Also, I don't want to plant things in that bed that will need a lot of watering in mid to late summer, due to distance from spigot, so potatoes are a good option.

Sprouted Red Potatoes Planted 

More Multiplier Onions, Planted 3.6.19

One set of shallots came from the produce section at the grocery store.  The others were another bag of multiplier onions, which looked so nice I bought this second bag.

For the following 3 nights, the temp dropped into the low 20s.  We'll see if that killed any of the early plantings.

Signs of Spring On the Way. 3.1.19

The First Dandelions of Spring.  3.1.19

 Today was in  the high 50s.  The soil was crumbly, moist but by no means sodden or muddy.

Bearded Iris Bed.  3.1.19

I made use of the nice weather by planting the first 2 rows of potatoes.  Then I cultivated around all of the irises.  Then I did cleanup of another bed, which is on sn easement.  Since I never know what may happen there, that willbe used for extras.  I found another bad of sprouted potatoes in the garage.  The will go there, among other things,

I think those irises are looking promising, so far.

Planting Potatoes. 3.1.19

Left Over Russet Potatoes, Planted 3.1.19

Today I planted the first batch of potatoes.  These were some Russets that didn't get eaten last summer and sat in tbe garage. I had removed tbe tall sprouts and let them chit in a window for 2 weeks. The other row was Russian Banana potatoes that I chitted for 2weeks, in the same window.

These are planted at tbe unused end of the bearded iris bed.  The plan is to grow and harvest these potatoes, then use that area to give the irises more room. There is room for 2 more rowsof potatoes there.

Russian Banana Potatoes, Planted 3.1.19

A Light Exists in Spring

A light exists in spring
Not present on the year
At any other period.
When March is scarcely here

A color stands abroad
On solitary hills
That science cannot overtake,
But human naturefeels.

It waits upon the lawn;
It shows the furthest tree
Upon the furthest slope we know;
It almost speaks to me.

Then, as horizons step,
Or noons report away,
Without the formula of sound,
It passes, and we stay:

A quality of loss
Affecting our content,
As trade had suddenly encroached
Upon a sacrament. 

A Light Exists In Spring

Emily Dickinson

Images from vintage image collection, Yokohama nursery, 1911-1912

Starting Amaranth, Swiss Chard, and Chive Seeds. 2.25.19

 I've never grown Amaranth before.  Today planted some seeds in 6-packs.  They will go into the sunroom for a while before planting outside.  I'm hoping the leaves are tasty. 

I also planted Swiss Chard and Chive seeds.  The chives will go into the border where deer hang out.  Deer don't eat chives.  They make a good bee plant, when in bloom.

Planting Some Itoh Peony Starts. 2.24.19

 We planted these Itoh peony starts.  They have a form similar to the usual herbaceous peonies, with leaves more like tree peonies and flowers more like tree peonies, I think.  Sort of in between the two.

Last year I planted a package of three Itoh peonies, so this brings the total up to 6.  We'll see how they do.