Perfect Gardener's Gift. 12.21.14

Muck Boots.  12.21.14

This was a gift from me, to me.  I saw them on another gardening website.  I did not write down which one.

I've been wearing neoprene winter boots.  They crack, I repair them, they crack, I repair them.  I've used bicycle inner tube repair kits, and duct tape, and Gorilla tape.  They just crack and leak again.  Water soaks in.  My feet and socks are muddy and soaked.  I also wear hiking boots.  The water soaks in and my feet are again, muddy and soaked.

First wearing, these Muck boots were awesome.  Sturdy, thick, nice lining, comfortable, warm.  I can't promise they won't crack, but they seem a lot better made.

I love the Pacific Northwest.  I hope the boots will help me love it more.

Moving Volunteers and Tree / Shrub Starts 12.19.14

No photos - raining and didn't want to damage camera.

This week I found more suckers in the lilac hedge.  Dug them out for starts at the battleground place.  About 18 inches to 2 foot tall.

There was a hazelnut by the house, same size range.  Moved that, too.

Near the Vancouver house is a stand of Staghorn Sumac.  I found 2 clumps in the 2 foot tall range and moved them.

Free plants are good.  These are locally proven, locally adapted.  The seedlings increase genetic diversity.  They are organic.  Not fuel spent going to store to buy them.

Reading about sumac, some sources state they are deer food, other state deer don't browse them.  I have one sumac tree, different variety, that was partially tasted by deer, then apparently left alone.

Thomas Jefferson on the ideal garden. 12.18.14

 
"I have often thought that if heaven had given me choice of my position and calling, it should have been on a rich spot of earth, well watered, and near a good market for the productions of the garden. No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden. Such a variety of subjects, some one always coming to perfection, the failure of one thing repaired by the success of another, and instead of one harvest a continued one through the year." 

--- Thomas Jefferson (August 20, 1811, to Charles W. Peale)


(Image of Monticello via commons.wikimedia.org)

Persimmon Daydreaming. 12.18.14

American Persimmon.  Image source commons.wikimedia,org

American persimmon.  Image source commons.wikimedia.org

I've been thinking about adding an American persimmon tree.  I have a location in mind.

There are a few varieties described as not needing a male to pollinate them.  Yates, Prok, Meader.   Time to bear is listed as 3 to 5 years.

The varieties at Starks are 1 to 2 feet tall, in air pots.  Those are containers with open bottom, so the roots are "air pruned" resulting in bushier root mass and considered more likely to survive.  That size is small to my mind.  I have grown other trees from smaller, however.

Burnt Ridge also carries persimmon trees.  I sent them an email asking size, time to bear.

I only want to try one tree.  Yates or Prok are options.  Yates has more of a flavor description, Prok has more claim about how much they bear, and larger fruit.  Those are not side to side comparisons.

Starks gives ideal planting time as early march.  Will think about it some more.

We bought Asian persimmons at the grocery store the past couple of weeks.  Hichaya was much better than Fuyu.  Fuyu are more common.  They are better if allowed to ripen until soft.  They are like a tropical fruit flavor, a jelly in a fruit skin.

Germination Testing. Beans and Okra. 12.18.14

Clemson Spineless Okra Seeds.  3 years old.  8/10 Germinated.  12.18.14

Roma II bean seeds.  3 years old.  7/9 germinated.  12.18.14

This is the end of the germination test.

Two to three year old seeds.

Okra Cajun Jewel remained at 9 of 10 seeds germinated.

Okra Lee remained at 1 of 10 seeds germinated.

Okra Clemson Spineless increased to 8 of 10 germinated.

Bean Roma II increased to 7 of 9 germinated.

Pretty good germination rates overall.  I only need a couple of each okra, to test them, and only a couple row of the beans.

This was a quick test.  The rate might be higher if giving a few more days.

It's way to early to grow these.  I added the sprouts to the compost bin.