This year, almost all of my breba crop was lost to yellow jackets. I've grown figs for 18 years, and never lost a crop to any insect, including yellow jacket. This year was kind of a biblical plague of the creatures.
One nest was inside the garage wall. After trying traps, and catching what looked like thousands, I gave in and hired an exterminator. That took care of those. However, there are still yellow jackets now eating the main crop. I've hung traps in the trees, which are catching many yellow jackets. There seem to be less, but there is still some damage. We'll see!
Monday, September 17, 2018
More tomatoes, for drying. 9.17.18
I've made enough tomato sauce. There are still some ripening tomatoes, especially on the sauce tomato plants. Now, with cool wet weather, there are rotting tomatoes too.
I wanted to make use of some of the remaining fruits. It's been a great tomato year! So, I gathered what I could find, and it turned out there were more than I thought. I washed them off, sliced them, and put them through the dehydrator.
I use a low setting. They turn black in the high setting.
These are so delicious. Great in salads, casseroles, breads, cornbread. When thoroughly dry, almost crispy, but not black, I place them into a freezer bag and store in the freezer. That way they don't get moldy or flies. They'll be good for a year.
Sun drying is not an option in this weather. Plus, I think the UV might decrease nutrients and flavor. The air dryer is a perfect way to preserve these tasty fruits.
I wanted to make use of some of the remaining fruits. It's been a great tomato year! So, I gathered what I could find, and it turned out there were more than I thought. I washed them off, sliced them, and put them through the dehydrator.
I use a low setting. They turn black in the high setting.
These are so delicious. Great in salads, casseroles, breads, cornbread. When thoroughly dry, almost crispy, but not black, I place them into a freezer bag and store in the freezer. That way they don't get moldy or flies. They'll be good for a year.
Sun drying is not an option in this weather. Plus, I think the UV might decrease nutrients and flavor. The air dryer is a perfect way to preserve these tasty fruits.
Friday, September 07, 2018
Sauce Tomatoes. Tomato sauce. Great year in 2018. 9.7.18
Despite other challenges, the sauce tomatoes have been a start crop this year. Until 2016, I thought that growing sauce tomatoes wasn't worth the effort, but had never tried. Then I grew some, and made my own sauce, and I was amazed at how good it was. Far better than any commercial sauce. I also thought it would be a lot of trouble to make tomato sauce, or very complicated. It's not.
The challenges of growing sauce tomatoes, in my yard:
1. Deer. So I grew them in a fenced bed this year.
2. Lack of experience. Now I have it.
3. Blossom end rot. This was a big challenge during previous years. I read it was insufficient calcium, or too much watering, or too much nitrogen. I added lime to the soil, watered less, and gave less nitrogen, but did not have an improvement. This year, I grew 3 varieties: Ranger (From Territorial Seeds), Big Mamma (From Burpee), and traditional Roma (I forget where ).
As it turned out, the Ranger and Big Momma had not blossom end rot at all. The Romas, in the same bed, had a fair amount. So I think the hybrids are better. As for flavor, I didn't test side by side, but the sauce is excellent. As for productivity, the Big Mamma tomatoes are huge! And meaty. But the Ranger tomatoes are a good size and meaty, and I think pounds per plant is more with the Rangers. I didn't measure, but I got a lot more tomatoes on the Ranger plants.
The photos show how I make the sauce. No added salt or sugar or anything, just tomatoes. Additives go in when I make something using the sauce. It's very simple.
1. Wash the tomatoes. Remove stems. Cut each into big chunks - halves or quarters. No water is added. No salt, no sugar.
2. Heat on low/medium until they release their juices and start to boil. Stir with wooden spoon to prevent sticking to the bottom, about once
every 10 or 15 minutes. Then reduce to the lowest setting.
I change to a mesh colander for lid.
3. Simmer for about 90 minutes. I've seen shorter and longer times. This works for me. Volume reduces by about 1/3. I think more watery tomatoes would need longer.
4. Replace lid and let them cool off. A few hours or overnight.
5. Use food processor to puree, skins, seeds, and all. I don't remove anything.
6. Portion 1 cup per labeled 1-qt freezer bag. Freeze flat, then arrange in plastic box in freezer like cards in a file. I use these about one per week, for a year or more.
I think most sites say they will keep for a year. I think that by the end of the season, I'll have about 50 pouches, which gives me about 1 per week, which is about perfect.
The challenges of growing sauce tomatoes, in my yard:
1. Deer. So I grew them in a fenced bed this year.
2. Lack of experience. Now I have it.
3. Blossom end rot. This was a big challenge during previous years. I read it was insufficient calcium, or too much watering, or too much nitrogen. I added lime to the soil, watered less, and gave less nitrogen, but did not have an improvement. This year, I grew 3 varieties: Ranger (From Territorial Seeds), Big Mamma (From Burpee), and traditional Roma (I forget where ).
As it turned out, the Ranger and Big Momma had not blossom end rot at all. The Romas, in the same bed, had a fair amount. So I think the hybrids are better. As for flavor, I didn't test side by side, but the sauce is excellent. As for productivity, the Big Mamma tomatoes are huge! And meaty. But the Ranger tomatoes are a good size and meaty, and I think pounds per plant is more with the Rangers. I didn't measure, but I got a lot more tomatoes on the Ranger plants.
The photos show how I make the sauce. No added salt or sugar or anything, just tomatoes. Additives go in when I make something using the sauce. It's very simple.
1. Wash the tomatoes. Remove stems. Cut each into big chunks - halves or quarters. No water is added. No salt, no sugar.
2. Heat on low/medium until they release their juices and start to boil. Stir with wooden spoon to prevent sticking to the bottom, about once
every 10 or 15 minutes. Then reduce to the lowest setting.
I change to a mesh colander for lid.
3. Simmer for about 90 minutes. I've seen shorter and longer times. This works for me. Volume reduces by about 1/3. I think more watery tomatoes would need longer.
4. Replace lid and let them cool off. A few hours or overnight.
5. Use food processor to puree, skins, seeds, and all. I don't remove anything.
6. Portion 1 cup per labeled 1-qt freezer bag. Freeze flat, then arrange in plastic box in freezer like cards in a file. I use these about one per week, for a year or more.
I think most sites say they will keep for a year. I think that by the end of the season, I'll have about 50 pouches, which gives me about 1 per week, which is about perfect.
Thursday, September 06, 2018
Bearded Irises. Trying Once Again. 9.6.18
Night Hawk. 2013. |
Mixed Bearded Irises. 5.19.15 |
Edith Wolford. 5.15.14 |
However, for some reason, they've done so poorly in some years and locations, I gave up. They develop leaf spot and bacterial rot, die and fall over. Meanwhile, it's difficult to keep them weeded. So I gave up. I didn't throw them away. Instead, I dug out the clumps and moved them to the sunny side of the edge of the woods, where I cleared out blackberries. There, I let them be, to die or grow as they see fit.
This year, there wasn't much bloom. I didn't expect it. But the leaves were stronger and thicker than in previous years, and they did not have any bacterial rot or leaf spot, which were scourges for me. Deer didn't touch them, which is great. I did not water all summer long, and they continue to survive and grow into healthy-looking clumps.
Unlabeled Bearded Iris Clumps - In Recovery. 9.6.18 |
Bearded Iris Rhizomes Planted Summer 2018. |
As for which irises, since I was basically discarding them, I didn't label the clumps. I'm leaving most in place in the border, but re-rescuing any that are in shade or too close to trees. One is transferred from a front border. Most but not all, are historic varieties.
In addition, I ordered rhizomes from Schreiners' in Oregon. This is the best sources, of the healthiest rhizomes, that I know. I ordered, and planted, Victoria Falls (light blue), Cheetah Cheeze (Variegated Orange flower with white splashes), Zin City (Burgundy), Play to Win (Yellow falls, white standards), Beverly Sills (Pink-ish, an older variety), Edith Wolford (I liked this in garden. Blue falls, yellow standards), Red Hawk (and old one that I grew and liked, brick red, sort of), Owyhee Desert (an odd combination of white and sandy buff colors, and tiny burgundy splashes), and Padded Shoulders (white standards, falls with splashes of buff). There was a free bonus of Starting Fresh - white standards, falls with blue and white.
That's probably more than I should have bought. I know that if they bloom, I'll like them a lot. This location is difficult to reach with the garden hose, so I want it to need minimal or no water next summer, good for irises.
I also picked up the package shown, from Costco. The deep red color is "My Friend Jonathan" and the blue is "His Royal Highness".
I may move a few other clumps that are in the trees, where they will dwindle away unless moved.
It will be nice if they bloom like they did at their best. If not, it's not much of a loss. I'll hope for flowers next may.
The Bamboo transplants, progress Report. About 2 summers later. 9.6.18
These are the timber bamboo divisions that I divided (via Sawzall) and planted in Jan, 2016. They are in the chicken yard, so get more water and fertilizer (via chicken) than other bamboo plants that I planted. They have made great progress.
The original photo is a link to my prior post, when transplanting them in Jan, 2016.
My conclusion, is that the Sawzall method of dividing bamboo clumps, works. They took hold, and are growing nicely. There is a big variation - one fell over last winter, and has just a small pole which does look healthy. The others are becoming nice shade for the chickens, and are taller than the original poles.
The original photo is a link to my prior post, when transplanting them in Jan, 2016.
My conclusion, is that the Sawzall method of dividing bamboo clumps, works. They took hold, and are growing nicely. There is a big variation - one fell over last winter, and has just a small pole which does look healthy. The others are becoming nice shade for the chickens, and are taller than the original poles.
Resuming again. Again. :-) 9.6.18
Well, it's been a challenging summer in the garden. The heat was difficult to deal with. With many days over 100, I had to water some kitchen garden crops daily, or lose them. It was hard to be out there watering. Yellow jackets destroyed most of the summer fig crop - a new problem, first time in 18 years of growing figs. That wasn't just here. Home Depot and Fred Meyer ran out of yellow jacket traps. The onions were repeatedly eaten my rabbits or deer, despite some creative mini-fences, so there was not crop of those. I did get a crop of garlic despite the rabbits/deer, but it took frequent adjustments in coverings, and repellent sprays. So some changes will be needed next year.
However, we got through the summer. Subsequent posts will update some of the progress, and preparation for what comes next. Some will be better attention towards the challenges of climate, herbivores, predators, and my own limitations, which are more than before.
Cheers! On the the next joys, which are what it is all about.
However, we got through the summer. Subsequent posts will update some of the progress, and preparation for what comes next. Some will be better attention towards the challenges of climate, herbivores, predators, and my own limitations, which are more than before.
Cheers! On the the next joys, which are what it is all about.
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Summer Seed Plantinbg Experiment: Perennial flowers. 7.14.18
Friday, July 13, 2018
Paw Paw Trees. Progress Report. 7.13.18
These are the 3 largest of the Paw Paw trees. Sunflower and NC-1 were planted summer 2012. That year I also planted "Rebecca's Gold", which died for some reason.
Not pictured is "mango" which I think was planted 2013 0r 2014.
Allegheny has not bloomed yet but looks pretty vigorous. I think I planted it in 2015 or so.
NC-1 is the most vigorous but Sunflower set by far the most fruit this year, which is the first year any of them have had developing fruit this far along. I hand pollinated between these trees. Both Sunflower and NC-1 have several trees a foot or two from the main trunk, which would be the rootstock. I might leave those in place, since they could be pollinators for the main tree. Sunflower looked a bit frail last year, but seems to be better this year.
When I planted these trees, I was so concerned about reported fragility of the roots, I did not untangle them. I don't know if I would take the same approach now. It might be better to bare root them, gently, using a stream of water.
Not pictured is "mango" which I think was planted 2013 0r 2014.
Allegheny has not bloomed yet but looks pretty vigorous. I think I planted it in 2015 or so.
NC-1 is the most vigorous but Sunflower set by far the most fruit this year, which is the first year any of them have had developing fruit this far along. I hand pollinated between these trees. Both Sunflower and NC-1 have several trees a foot or two from the main trunk, which would be the rootstock. I might leave those in place, since they could be pollinators for the main tree. Sunflower looked a bit frail last year, but seems to be better this year.
When I planted these trees, I was so concerned about reported fragility of the roots, I did not untangle them. I don't know if I would take the same approach now. It might be better to bare root them, gently, using a stream of water.
Blackberries: Comparing Three Cultivars in the Pacific Northwest.
Prime Ark Freedom. Harvested 7.13.18 |
Prime Ark Freedom.
The largest berries of the three. Bush-like, highly vigorous canes. This is the floricane crop - the primocanes will be this fall. Some people complain about the seeds. I don't mind them. Some people think Columbia Star has better flavor. I like Prime Ark Freedom better. Producing for about 5 days now. Totally thornless.
Columbia Star. Harvested 7.13.18 |
Columbia Star. Producing for about 2 weeks now. These are a little smaller than the first ones. They are not as juicy as Prime Ark Freedom. They need to ripen until they are falling off the plant, to get best flavor and sweetness. Totally thornless.
Ebony King. This is a very old cultivar. The berries are smaller and rounder than the other two. Just started producing. I think not as productive as the other two. On some days, I think the flavor is better than the others. Today I think PAF won that contest. I think, fewer seeds. The thorns can be annoying.
I also have one-year-old "Arapaho" and "Triple Crown". The "Triple Crown" is the most vigorous of those two, although maybe not as vigorous as "Prime Ark Freedom.". They have a few berries from their first-year floricanes, not ripe yet. Arapaho looks pretty vigorous, very tall growing.
All of my blackberries are in fenced beds now. Thorns are there for a reason, and deer and rabbits are quick to discover the joys of thornlessness. I also have bird nets, although so far birds have not been a big problem.
Of the producing berries, here are my favorites.
Flavor: (1) Prime Ark Freedom. (2) Ebony King. (3) Columbia Star.
Convenience. (1) Prime Ark Freedom. (2) Columbia Star. (3). Ebony King (mainly due to thorns).
Productivity. (1) Prime Ark Freedom. (2) Columbia Star. (3). Ebony King.
Vigor. (1) Prime Ark Freedom. (2). Columbia Star. (3). Ebony King.
Seediness. I can't tell much difference. Maybe PAF is more seedy, but it doesn't bother me.
Hardiness. Too early to say. PAF may not tolerate the coldest winters, at least in its first year from tissue culture. Last winter the primocanes overwintered without problems.
Disease and inset infestation: No problem with any of these, so far, even in ground that was cleared of Himalayan Blackberries the year
Of the two newer plants, I am prepared to really love Triple Crown. I've read many rave reviews of that cultivar. It will have a few berries this year, but for a fair test, I should compare them to the others when the plants are more mature next year. Ditto for Arapaho, which I bought hoping for extended season. As of now, both Triple Crown and Arapaho will give me a taste on the florcanes that grew last year, but the primocanes that grew this year dwarf last year's growth. Even so, PAF is more vigorous, so far, than either of those.
It's very nice being able to pick blackberries and eat them by the handfulls, while out doing gardening and chores. Most do not make it back to the kitchen, regardless of the cultivar.
Ebony King. Harvested 7.13.18 |
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Paw paws so far this year. 7.12.18
This is the first year with real chance of ripe pawpaws. I planted these trees as containerized trees, in summer 2012. They have been blooming every year for the past 4 years. Each year, I hand pollinate dozens of flowers. This year, about a dozen flowers took on the cultivar "Sunflower" and one took on the cultivar "NC-1". Maybe ripe in September?
Cactus, Zinnias, Marigolds, Echinacea, Crocosmia flowers. 7.12.18
Crocosmia does great in this region. I see bunches in a lot of yards. Mine need dividing every few years, which gets me even more plants. Hummingbirds love them.
I don't know the species of cactus. Maybe, Opuntia humifusa? It's prostrate. Two years ago, I planted it in this pot of lilies. It's had no special treatment at all. During the winter, when the lily is dormant, I place the pot under a spruce tree where there might be less rain. These are the first flowers. This is the first time it's bloomed. Very pretty. Flowers last one day, like daylilies, but there are many buds.
I grew the Echinacea from seed, planted Aug, 2016. I transplanted the plants into the ground May, 2017. There were flowers last year, but much nicer now. These are basically no-care perennials. I read they might not do well in our wet winters, but so far, looking great!
The zinnias are starting to bloom. I grow them in rows, like vegetables. Same for marigolds. These zinnias have a little rust on the leaves, but not affecting much.
I don't know the species of cactus. Maybe, Opuntia humifusa? It's prostrate. Two years ago, I planted it in this pot of lilies. It's had no special treatment at all. During the winter, when the lily is dormant, I place the pot under a spruce tree where there might be less rain. These are the first flowers. This is the first time it's bloomed. Very pretty. Flowers last one day, like daylilies, but there are many buds.
I grew the Echinacea from seed, planted Aug, 2016. I transplanted the plants into the ground May, 2017. There were flowers last year, but much nicer now. These are basically no-care perennials. I read they might not do well in our wet winters, but so far, looking great!
The zinnias are starting to bloom. I grow them in rows, like vegetables. Same for marigolds. These zinnias have a little rust on the leaves, but not affecting much.
Friday, July 06, 2018
Continued, Fig Tree Progress Report. 7.5.18
Carnini Fig Tree. 6 years. 7.5.18 |
Carini and Sicilian White. 7.5.18 |
Carini, Lattarula, LSU Tiger. Lots of brebas, maybe in a month. Main crop starting to grow.
Hardy Chicago - main crop starting to grow.
King - lots of brebas.
Celeste - young, only 4 feet tall. Main crop starting to grow.
Sicilian White - young, about 5 feet tall. Several brebas, maybe next month.
Celeste Fig Tree. 3 Years. 7.5.18 |
King, Chicago Hardy, and LSU Tiger. 5 and 6 years. 7.5.18 |
Lattarula. 7.5.18 |
Lattarula, Petite negri, Carnin. 7.5.18 |
Sicilian White. 3 years. 7..5.18 |
Labels:
Aubique Petite,
Carini,
Celeste,
Desert King,
fig,
fig cuttings,
Hardy Chicago,
King,
LSU Tiger,
Petite negri
Thursday, July 05, 2018
Fig Tree Progress Report. 7.5.18
Fig tree "Smith", about 7 years old. 7.5.18 |
Fig trees "Champagne" and "Atreano", about 7 years old. 7.5.18 |
I left the Smith for dead last year, after historic cold spell winter of 2016-2017 left most of the shoots looking dead. It survived and grew anyway. I thought it would have brebas this year, but they fell off. The main crop seems to be developing nicely.
The Champagne is an O'Rourke (Louisiana) development. It has not had many figs. It is starting to develop main crop. No brebas.
Fig tree "Brunswick", about 17 years old. 7.5.18 |
The Atreano has its first two brebas this year, nicely developing. There is some competition from a fir tree to its east. Main crop is also developing.
I moved the Brunswick at around 10 or 11 years old, to its current location. Much of the original trunk died over the subsequent years, but there was vigorous growth of new sprouts from ground level. It looked like there would be a lot of brebas, but only a few have not fallen off. Main crop is often lost to fall rains. We'll see how it does this year.
These trees have full South and West exposure, and some have full East exposure as well.
I'll have to post separately on the row of fig trees, south of the house. Some of those are more established as thriving in the Pacific Northwest.
I grew all of these trees from dormant cuttings. When small, some had winter protection, but I've left them unprotected for the past several winters. I did have deer fences surrounding them, but as they grow taller and seem to have tougher leaves, I removed the deer fencing. There is rare browsing of some lower shoots.
Labels:
Atreano,
Brunswick Fig,
Champagne,
deer,
fig,
Smith,
Vancouver Brunswick Fig
Milkweed updates. 7.5.18
Asclepias incarnata. 7.5.15 |
Asclepias syriaca. 7.5.18 |
Labels:
asclepias incarnata,
asclepias syriaca,
milkweed
First New Potatoes. 7.5.18
A few of the potato plants have browned and withered, so I dug them up. These were potatoes that sprouted in the garage, so I planted them in late winter. The other plants are a few weeks from harvest.
The starts were so dried out, I didn't know what they would look like. I broke off the longest shoots, and left the shortest to grow.
Not a bad harvest. One bunch of russets and one bunch of red potatoes for potato salad.
This year I planted in trenches, filling in as the plants grew. The rationale was that they would need less water, in the heat of summer, and there might be fewer eaten by voles. So far, no vole browsing at all, and they have not been watered in at least a month.
The starts were so dried out, I didn't know what they would look like. I broke off the longest shoots, and left the shortest to grow.
Not a bad harvest. One bunch of russets and one bunch of red potatoes for potato salad.
This year I planted in trenches, filling in as the plants grew. The rationale was that they would need less water, in the heat of summer, and there might be fewer eaten by voles. So far, no vole browsing at all, and they have not been watered in at least a month.
Moving a 16 year old Petite Negri fig tree. 6 months later. 7.5.18
This is the approx 16 year old Petite Negri fig tree that I moved last November. I moved it because this is among my favorite fig tree varieties, excellent flavor, but I'm converting the old place to a more conventional yard for eventual sale, and this tree is so slow starting and growing, I didn't want to wait many years for a decent crop.
I spent several days digging. I took as large a root mass as I could, but it was necessary to cut several large roots. Based on WA State extension information, I did not cut back the top, other than what was needed for safe moving.
I've been watering the tree every week, using the 5-gallon bucket with holes in bottom method, 3 buckets full of water slowly draining, each time. There was no die-back at all. I have spread the growth from the bottom, for a wider, bowl-shaped crown. The height is about 8 feet tall. I left a few brebas - about 10 - but removed the rest, so that nutrients and photosynthetic energies could go into regenerating root biomass and some top growth. The top growth was minimal - about 6 inches - although this tree grows slowly anyway.
Compared to other fig trees in the same row, this one is not nearly as lush. I imagine that it needs at least a year to resume normal growth. I may cut back - minimally - top growth this fall, so that the top is a little lower and more bushy.
Overall I'm very pleased. The tree made it through the move, there was no die-back, and my back has fully recovered.; I'm happy to anticipate more delicious figs from this tree. As a bonus, this location is much sunnier, which may move the season forward a week or two. That would be nice, because I lose a lot of this variety of figs to the fall rains.
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Daylily. 6.27.18
I had ordered this daylily from a mail order house about 15 years ago. It was puny, didn't do well, and I transplanted it various times to spots where it didn't matter. For some reason, it finally started blooming. Now I like it. No idea what name it had.
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