Fig trees after the freeze.

Brunswick fig after the freeze

 After the freeze to 8°F or 9°F, depending on what site you believe, I wanted to to a welfare check on the fig trees.  It would not surprise me if all of the buds were frozen and twigs dessicated.

Hard to say, but so far, so good.  Many of the terminal buds are frozen and dessicated, but lateral buds seem less affected.

Brunswick, so far, looks good.  I don't see any chewing damage, either.  On this or the other trees.

Champagne is a hybrid of Celeste, which is considered cold tolerant, and an unknown variety.  Developed at Louisiana State University.  Again the terminal buds look dessicated.

Champagne fig

 Give the rapid growth, it would not surprise me if this tree was unprepared for winter.  First year trees are often the most affected.  But so far, it looks OK.

Similar situation for Atreano.  Atreano is more well established for Pacific NW.  But again, this tree grew rapidly and the growth was not hardened off before winter.

Carini is completely untested for Pacific NW, being a family heirloom variety from Pennsylvania / New Jersey.  Those states get some cold.  Growth for Carini was not as rank as Champagne and Atreano, so it may be better lignified.  Looking OK, there are still lateral buds.

Smith, a Louisiana bayou heritage variety, is also untested in the NW.  One site speculated Smith was brought to the US from Yugoslavian immigrants, centuries ago.  So it may have more cold hardiness than one would guess.  Also grew rapidly, maybe a little better lignified than the two in the former chicken yard (Champagne, Atgeano) .  The twigs are an interesting light brown. 

Atreano fig

 LSU Tiger, similar to Champagne in origin, and also untested here.   Also, with growth not as rank as the former chicken yard trees.  South of the house - as are Carini, Sal's, Smith, Petite negri - so maybe a degree warmer. 

Carini Sicilian fig

Smith Louisiana fig

 Sal's fig has come through winters here in adverse conditions - in cotainers, frozen solid.   It should be more established now.  I have it wrapped for rodent protection, and sprayed with hot pepper wax - as with all of the other trees.  It looks OK.  Next year I want to train Sal's into a more vertical, less bushy shape. Easier to manage.

Louisiana Tiger fig

Sal's Sicillian fig

 So in summary, with high probability of future freezes ahead, and a historic, 40 year freeze behind us, so far, so good.  Better than expected.

Ginkgo Trees in China, October 2013

Me, sitting in front of wrapped ginkgo tree at Xi'an

Row of gingko trees at Xi'an emperor complex

A classic form for ginkgo tree at Xi'an.

Outside Xi'an Muslim temple

Wall at Xi'an Muslim temple.

At Chengdu

At Chengdu Wuhou temple

Chengdu Wuhou temple

Chengdu Wuhou temple

Chengdu Wuhou temple

Chengdu  Wuhou temple

Ginkgo at Mt. Emei, Sichuan

Ginkgo tree at Mt. Emei, Sichuan

Ginkgo tree at Mt. Emei, Temple, Sichuan

Signs from China

I enjoyed reading signs in China.  These photos are from late Oct, 2013

In the US, of course, we don't have any signs in Chinese.

Pink Banana Squash and other seeds. A nostalgia vegetable.

Pink Banana Squash image from wikipedia

Searching the web, I found seeds for pink banana squash.  Cucuberbita maxima. 

My dad's aunt Emma grew these and saved the seeds, which meant I grew them when I was a kid. I remember my mom being overwhelmed with what to do with the yield, cut it up and froze to make pumpkin pies.

I found a few sources, and added one to my seed "burden" for Spring

From www.rareseeds.com
Order Number: 100353504

 

Item Name
Jumbo Pink Banana Item No: SQ138	For nostalgia.   If we can't eat it all, the chickens will like it.
Anise Hyssop Item No: HB122	For the bees.
Shungiku Edible Chrysanthemum Item No: HB129	Something different.
Red Round Turnip Item No: TN112	Ning likes turnips.
He Shi Ko Bunching Onion Item No: ON111	I like scallions.  These will be a change.
Chioggia (Bassano) Beet Item No: BT104	Ning likes beets
Tall Mixed - Marvel of Peru Item No: FL444	I'll compare to the other seeds.

Ancient Seeds

Judean date palm - wikipedia image.

Going through my old seeds always makes me think about various efforts at germinating ancient seeds.  I like to search on those efforts.

I don't recall reading this one before  -

4,000 year old lentil germinated in Turkey.  Turkish newspaper article.   "Bingöl said the lentil is pretty weak – unlike its modern day versions – yet they hope it will be able to flower and produce seeds."  then....  obscurity.  Did it grow?  Did the seed turn out not to be 4,000 years old?  Heirloom-organics article on the same seedling.  According to wikipedia, as of 2010 this was not confirmed and not reported in science literature.

There's the Judean Date Palm, which has now bloomed for the 3rd time.   The tree came from an archeological dig, carbon dated at 2,000 years old, and the cultivar is thought to have gone extinct in 500 AD.  The tree turned out to be male.  Genetic tests revealed the cultivar is similar to Iraqi and Eqyptian dates, so a hybrid could generate a new lineage, 50:50 first generation, 75:25 2nd generation, etc?  Not knowing palm genetics, I don't know.  It would be a slow process.  It will also be interesting to see if other seeds from the same or other caches could be revived and germinated.  The seed was germinated by Elaine Solowey, director of the experimental orchard - "First she soaked the seeds in hot water to make them once again able to absorb liquids. Then she soaked them in a solution of nutrients followed by an enzymatic fertilizer made from seaweed."

 I don't find much else about germinating ancient seeds, that I haven't already read.