Buds are opening. 4.11.14

Brunswick Fig Bud with Brebas

My Dad's Gingko tree at Battleground

"Sunflower" Pawpaw buds

Nice to see more buds opening


Of the figs atr Battleground, the established Brunswick and Sal's fig trees are alive.  I don't know yet about any of the others I planted last year.

If I remember correctly about last year, the Brunswick fig tree too a long time to develop green buds.  That was the first Spring after I moved it here.  Maybe the same will be true for the others.

The Gingko biloba tree I moved here summer 2012 is budding out nicely.  This tree is about 15 years from seed that my dad collected in Quincy IL.  This was the smallest of the 3 trees, the only one small enough for me to move when I did.

Two of the pawpaws are making flower buds.  Sunflower is ahead of NC-1.  If the timing works out, I will pollinate by hand.  Pawpaw flowers are self-infertile.  The stigma (female part) is receptive before the anthers (male part) produce viable pollen.  When the pollen is produces, the stigma is no longer receptive.  In addition, even when flowers open at different times on the same tree, most varieties are self-infertile.  I hope I can pollinate one with the other, if flower timing works out.  These are small trees.  Ideally, I should not try to make them produce fruit this year.  But life is short and I would like a taste.  If possible.

Grafts. 4.9.14

Asian Pear Graft.  Starting to grow.

The Asian Pear grafts are starting to grow.

If I was smarter, I would not have used potentially blooming scion.  The flower buds sap more energy via the developing joined vascular system, and the leaf buds lag behind.  The scions that do not have flower buds are leafing out.

Potatoes. 4.9.14

Red Potatoes

White Potatoes

Red and White Mixed.  Planted ?2 weeks later

Potatoes are looking good.  I hope there's no frost this time.  Growing fast.

The red potatoes are Pontiac.  The white potatoes are White Superior except the middle one with pale green leaves.  That one is Gourmet White, saved starts.

Inside poly tunnel. 4.9.14

Peppers and Chives inside poly tunnel.

Based on the pepper plants looking great so far, I think the poly tunnel makes it possible to plant peppers a month earlier than planting out in the garden.  They look great.

Puttering. 4.8.14

Mostly today I rested and did take-home work.

As for puttering -

I planted 6 pepper plants in the poly-tunnel,  raised bed that I set up for them during the winter.  Temp in that bed, before I opened the polyethylene top, was 80 F.  That opens up room in the fluorescent light stand for other plants.  Given the warmth and shelter, I think they will be fine, even though this is too early to plant in-ground without protection.  These are experimental.  I don't intend to grow as many types next year.

I planted a row of Phacelia tanacetifolia (Bee Friend) at the end of one of the raised beds.  Purpose is to feed bees some organic bee forage, and keep them attracted to my garden and yard.  I've never seen this plant in person.

I planted okra seeds that I had soaked overnight.  The varieties were Baby Bubba Hybrid, Burgundy, North + South Hybrid, Dwarf Green Long Pod, and Jambalaya.  All were chosen based on reported early bearing and smaller stature, compared to other selections.  Of the plants I tried indoors, Babby Bubba hybrid is the most compact and robust, followed by Burgundy.  Dwarf Green Long Pod was weaker and more leggy.  These were all new seeds, except North + South hybrid, which were 5 years old.

One lesson I learned last year.  Many garden resources say you can't start okra indoors and the plant outside.  The reason given is the roots are too delicate.  The ones that I started indoors last year did much better than the ones I direct seeded in the same ground.  The only ones to bear, although minimally, were the transplanted ones.  Some resources say you can transplant okra.  I'm glad I did the experiment.  It gets me ahead this year.

I cut a handful of small flower bunches from pears at home, took to Battleground, and played the bee using a paintbrush to pollinate the Asian pear there.  I noted, the smaller Asian pear I have been trying to salvage, is in bloom too, so I cross pollinated that one with the larger one.

I pollinated cherries with each other.  Sweet cherries and Almaden Duke cherry.

I noted, all potatoes are up now.  All plums are dropping flowers.  No apples are blooming yet.