Fall Begins. 9.6.15

 It's like someone flipped a switch.  It was too-hot summer.  Now it's rainy fall.

Most fruits are done.   We are starting to get some apples.

Bagging fruit was not the perfect solution.  Fruits have much less disease.  But they also have internal mushiness due to the bags, maybe holding in too much moisture.   Some of them are inedible due to the internal mushiness, even if there was no external disease.  That's true for Asian pears and apples.  I'm irritated.  All of the web info was highly positive.  That was not my experience.

I tasted the first Rubinette and Queen Cox apples.  They say the first year they don't have full flavor.  I could tell they were not just regular grocery store apples.

Hosui Asian pear really does have a butterscotch flavor.  Smaller than the others, but good. Asian pears are much easier to pick ripe, compared to Euro pears.

Bearded Iris started again with the damn fungal spot.  I cut off affected leaves and sprayed with neem oil.  I don't know if that will help. 

I put in the second cinderblock raised bed for Chinese chives.  We grow a lot.  Ning uses them as a Chinese vegetable.  They are also excellent bee forage, and beautiful.  These beds are 18 inches high, compared to the 12 inch high wooden beds.  They are noticably easier to scratch out the weeds with a mini-hoe.

The mini-hoe is actually a kitchen tool, sort of a big fork.

All of the garlic is planted.

I moved one of the tree-ring mini raised beds to put in the cinder-block bed.  Then replanted the scallions.  So it's not really a tree ring.  A better name would be onion ring.  Also a convenient height.  Lasts longer than wooden barrels or plastic containers, all of which are deteriorating.  The oak barrels in about 10 years, the plastic containers in about 4 years.

Greens. 9.3.15

Greens at 1 month.  9.3.15

Greens at 1 month.  9.3.15

Greens really took off with the last couple of days, a little cooler and rainy.  Swiss Chard about ready to eat.  Ditto with nasturtiums.  Spinach further behind but growing.  EW Onions are nearing edible stage.  Cilantro is hidden b the Swiss Chard, but I expect it to take off once the larger vegetable is eaten.

Various Observations. 9.3.15

Daylily proliferations at 3 weeks.  9.3.15

 The daylily proliferation was cut and placed in water, and when a root started forming was moved into potting soil.  There was a smaller proliferation on the same stem.  I separated that, and planted both into potting soil.  They are in a sheltered location outside.

This was planted into potting soil 8.11.15.  The original cut was made about 8.3.15, so this is about one month.

It's nice to look under the container and see some roots growing out of the holes.  That way I know for sure the roots are growing.  This is a cool way to start new daylily plants without disturbing the parent plant.  But I do expect them to take as long as a seedling to grow to blooming size, maybe 2 to 3 years.

Roots forming from daylily proliferations.  9.3.15

Celeste fig cutting at 2.5 months.  9.3.15

The Celeste fig cutting was started mid june.  This came from dormant, hardwood cuttings that I received in Jan.  I was not enthusiastic about starting more then.  Made a half-way effort to start a few at that time and left the rest in the fridge.  I didn't give the cuttings the TLC that I usually do, and they did not make it.  In June I found the chilled cuttings in the refridgerator - they were in plastic zipper bag - and made an effort to start them.  They were treated with a cambium incision, a little dip-and-grow, and placed in potting soil outside.  I watered regularly.  Several started, but some stalled at the 1-inch-leaf stage and died.  I nurtured the remaining two with fertigation and kept them in sheltered locations.  I think they have grown well enough to survive their first dormancy and make it through their first winter.  Then I can give some TLC and they will have a head start next year.

Large Sedum Cutting at 3 weeks.  9.3.15

Large Sedum Cutting at 3 weeks.  9.3.15

The sedums were cut into pieces on 8.18.15 - pictured on that date.  No rooting hormone or special treatment, just stuck in fresh potting soil, sheltered location, and watered daily.  I don't know if they have roots yet, but they are growing new top growth at leaf axils.  Probably Autumn Joy - type sedum, and Munstead Red.  The leaf cuttings don't look so good.  A couple have not wilted.  If this works, it's very cool.  Several new sedum plants from 2 pieces that broke off in the wind and laid around a while before I cut and planted them.

 In the end, all it took to regenerate the Egyptian Walking Onion colony was to clean up the dried out splits from the prior bed, trim them, plant, and water.  Growing well.  We have scallions to eat now, and plenty to overwinter.

E.W. Onions at 3 weeks.  9.3.15

Bee Forage. 9.1.15

My Bee Border.  9.1.15

Honeybee Foraging Buckwheat Flowers.  9.1.15

 This is a difficult time for honeybees to find forage.   There isn't a lot blooming in the fields out there.  Some dandelions, wild carrot, and tansy ragwort.  Tansy ragwort has toxicity issues.  The honeybees don't seem to care for the wild carrot and have been ignoring the local dandelions.

While, in bee terms, my gardening efforts are small, they do forage heavily on some plants that I selected for that purpose.

Buckwheat - the foraging is variable.  Sometimes when I look, there are few bees present.   Then I look again an hour later, and the buckwheat flowers are full of bees.  Overall, this plant seems to be very good for honeybee forage.

The Chinese chives flowers are always full of bees.  As a perennial, this plant has good potential for bee forage in a flower border.  I don't know how much it takes to make a difference, but the bees are crazy about it.

There are always some bees on the French marigold flowers.  More on orange flowers than on yellow or brick red.  I am saving seeds from these plants for next year.  I like the yellow and brick red better, but I am saving some from each so the honeybees get some they like too.

Borage continues to bloom and honeybees continue to forage it.  This is the 3rd wave, from volunteer plants.

Pink Sedum is in full bloom.  Each flower head is busy with multiple honeybees.

All of these plants make an attractive front flower border.  The annuals and perennials make a nice mixture.  The perennials can be divided for more plants next year. and in the case of the Chinese chives, both divided and seeds saved.  I have cut dried flower heads from those, saving in a paper bag to dry more thoroughly.  I am saving seeds from the annual French marigolds.  I might from the borage as well. So next year, this bee border will be zero cost, and little effort.  I don't  have buckwheat in the border.  The garden rol of buckwheat is to build soil and potentially provide some grain.  However, a few buckwheat plants would also be attractive in a flower border.

Honeybees Foraging Chinese Chives Flowers.  9.1.15

Honeybees Foraging Chinese Chives Flowers.  9.1.15

Native Bee Foraging Marigold Flower.  9.1.15

Native Bee

Honeybee Foraging Chinese Chives Flowers.  9.1.15

Honeybees Foraging Sedum Flowers.  9.1.15

Buckwheat Stand.   About one month after sowing.  9.1.15

Honeybee on Marigold Flower.  9.1.15

Kitchen Garden. 9.1.15

Part of Kitchen Garden.  9.1.15

Kitchen Garden, ready for fall more or less.

I finished the first of two new raised beds for Chinese chives.  Those are reused cinder blocks.  Very easy.  I can add one or two or three...  blocks and call it a day.  Then the next day, or next week, add some more.  Soon enough, they are all in place.  The soil mix is mainly decomposed sod, molehills, and well aged chicken house compost, all from this yard.

I planted the first of the chive beds.   These are mainly from the prior one.  They needed refreshed soil, and needed dividing to regenerate the clumps.  Some were from a container that we sprouted last year in the sunroom, then had in the yard waiting to be replanted.  Some are volunteer from other raised beds.

I feel better, with all of beds either in use for producing something, or with cover crop for regenerating the soil and feeding the honeybees.

New Chinese Chive Raised Bed.  9.1.15

Kitchen Garden.  9.1.15

Its not Martha Stewart, but good enough.