Whip and Tongue Grafts, Unwrapped. 6.5.15

Apple Whip / Tongue at 3 months.  6.5.15

Apple Whip / Tongue Graft at 3 months.  6.5.15

 Today I unwrapped the 3-month old whip & tongue grafts on apple and plum.  They turned out the best of any I have ever done.  Very pleased.

The incisions are very closely approximated.  The graft unions healed without excessive callous.  On the plums, some are so close, it's difficult to see the unions.

I'll need to take better photos tomorrow, and update this post.  My better camera had a bad battery.

What worked:

These were standard whip and tongue grafts.

I wrapped with polyethylene tape, then over-wrapped with Parafilm.  It must be that, and not my carpentry, that improved the results.

I waited until now to unwrap them.  This is 3 months.  The new growth ranges from about 6 inches to about 2 foot.  

Hybrid Plum Whip / Tongue @ 3 months.  6.5.15

Hybrid Plum Whip / Tongue @ 3 months.  6.5.15

Progress Report. Hardy Palms in Battleground, WA. 5.30.15

Trachycarpus fortunei palm, in ground one year.  5.30.15

Chamaerops humilis palm, in ground one year.  5.30.15

The two palms that I planted last summer, survived the hard freeze and the rest of the winter.

I'm not surprised that Trachycarpus fortunei survived.  I have one of the same species in Vancouver, that is about 25 foot tall in 14 years.    I bit more than one foot per year, with no plant food, no watering, no treatment other than cutting off drooping leaves.

Chamaerops humulis was looking worn, but survived the winter.  Despite the small size, the largest stem has a flower bud.  Good to watch for bee activity.  I don't know when the flowers will open.

Both have new leaves.  Both got the pee-cycling treatment, a thick layer of grass clipping mulch, and extra water today.

Neither needs deer protection.  They are too spiky.  Trachycarpus leaves rattle and quiver in the wind, sounding like rattlesnakes and looking like wild dancers.  Chamaerops carries inconspicuous sharp spines, that readily draw blood and curses when I attempt to weed it.

Here they are when planted, one year ago.  It takes looking at last year's photo to appreciate that there has been growth.  Especially the Chamaerops, the difference is subtle.

The same Trachycarpus, 5.25.14

The same Chamaerops.  5.25.14

Fig, Persimmon,Progress Report. 5.30.15

Container Figs.  5.130.15

 Container figs all have thick mulch of chopped fir tree.  Some are doing better than others.  I've snapped off the growing tips, for branches of 4 or more leaves, to stimulate fig development.  For in-ground fig row south of house, I've done the same for side branches but allowed the central leaders to continue.

Persimmons.  The 2 trees in 3rd leaf, and the American Persimmon in 1st leaf, are all growing vigorously.  Nikita's Gift and Yates' flower buds persist. Chances are they will fall off, but I watch anyway.   All have protection from deer and rodents, and all have thick grass clipping mulch.  All have been given pee-cycling fertilizer, and all have been given extra water.

American Persimmon "Yates".  5.30.15

Hybrid Persimmon "Nikita's Gift"  5.30.15

 Pawpaws.   The three in 3rd leaf are growing well. "Sunflower" 3 fruit embryo / one flower, persists.  All have had doses of pee-cycling fertilizer, diluted 1:10, and all have been given extra water.  All have thick layers of grass clipping mulch, and nearby grass/weeds are removed.

Pawpaw "Mango", in first leaf, looks great.  That too, has been given the spa treatment, with  diluted pee, grass clipping mulch, protective fencing, and weed/grass clearance.

Kaki Persimmon "Saijo".  5.30.15

Pawpaw trees @ 3rd Leaf.  5.30 15

Squash and Corn Bed. 5.30.15

Fig, corn, and squash bed.  5.30.15

The original plan for this bed was to plant bee forage.  I have plenty of those.  I needed a place for squash and corn.  This is the warmest, sunniest part of the  yard, south of the house.

I also planted two rows of Asclepias syriaca, Common milkweed / Butterfly flower.  Those are for honeybees and local bees.  As perennials, they may not bloom until next year.

The fig trees on the left look healthy.  They do not need the space yet.  The small fig trees will not shade the annual crops, which are on the south side of the fig trees.

Gardening this area saves some mowing.  This has always been a difficult spot.  A fence, to the neighbor's field, is directly adjacent.

Chamomile for tea (tisane). 5.30.15

German Chamomile in garden bed.  5.30.15

Harvested chamomile flowers.  5.30.15

In 2012 I bough 2 plants of German chamomile and planted in a vegetable bed.   They grew too large, so I moved them to another location.  New plants self-seeded last year and this year.  I left them in place, thinking I could eventually dry the flowers for chamomile tea.  Since chamomile tea does not contain tea leaves, it is technically a tisane.  I drink chamomile / ginger almost every evening, with some honey, to settle my stomach.  Since I already use it, I might as well dry my own, fresh, local, free, organic chamomile flowers for that purpose.

I cut the flowers.   They will go into the food drier for a day or two.  I think that should do it.