Presprouting Okra Seeds. 1.24.16

Presprouted Okra Seeds.   1.24.16

Presprouted Okra Seeds.  1.24.16

I let these go a day longer than I should have.  These are okra seeds, soaked 24 hours in water, then placed in the moist paper towel on seed warmer.

Okra has an aggressive root.  Grows through the paper towel layers.  Can be difficult to dissect out without damage to the root.

I transferred the seedlings to seedling 6-packs.  If they grow, good.  If not, I can start again.  The second time, I think starting them in 6-packs would be better.

Pepper Seedlings. 1.16.16

Sweet Banana Pepper Seedlings.  1.16.16

 I germination tested these pepper seeds on Jan 5th.   These Sweet Banana Pepper seedlings looked good, so I transferred them today into cells of seed starting medium.

Most of the Red Portugal seeds have germinated, more slowly.

No Tabascos yet.

Sweet Banana pepper Seedlings.  1.16.16

Transplanting a ginkgo tree. 1.14.16

Digging Ginkgo Tree.  1.14.16

I'll add another pic of this tree on the truck, when I get to the other computer with the photos.

This is one of my 18 year old ginkgo trees that I grew from seeds my Dad picked up in Illinois about 19 years ago.  They are a living reminder of him.

The largest is twice this size.  Magestic.  It stays where it is.  Good location, and the dogs have fertilized well over the years.

This is the 2nd largest.  It was in the front yard on a hard clay subsoil, didn't get much TLC.    This week, I dug it out, and moved it to the Battleground place.  My thought is many people don't like ginkgos, and cut them down.  So if it doesn't survive this move, at least I gave it a chance.  I think it will not only survive, but thrive.

I did the usual trench around the tree, then cut under the tree with shovel.  I made the root ball diameter about 4 foot, based on 2 inch diameter trunk.  This was a little less than the canopy diameter.  In the end, the hole was about 2 feet deep, but once I removed the tree, I discovered the roots were only about 18 inches deep, and knocked off some of the heavy but rootless soil.

A few roots needed pruning, but not much.  I am very happy at the size of the root mass that resulted. 

It took several days for me to dig, a little at a time.  Mostly it's been chilly and raining, no freeze and no sun.  Good dormant tree moving weather.  Between digs, I protected the roots with big sheets of heavy plastic bags.

Once under-cut, I worked a tarp under the tree and tied it up to hold in the soil and reduce root injury.  Ning and I slid the tree onto the pickup, up a 2x12 board ramp left over from a house remodel.  I tied the tree every direction, we drove slowly, then at the new location, untied the tree, slid it back down the ramp into the hole for its new home.  Filled around it and watered with 10 gallons of water to settle it in, despite rain.

Transplanted Ginkgo Tree.  1.14.16

As for top damage, there was one tiny broken twig, less than 3 inches long.  That's all.

Now I get to enjoy another of my Dad's ginkgo trees for a little more of my life, even after we sell the Vancouver house.  I will nurture it, mulch, feed, water, and hover around it.

The 3rd ginkgo tree is already at the Battleground place, having moved it the first summer - now, more than 3 years ago.  It was the slowest, and least nurtured of the 3 until moving it.  For the past 2 years, I gave it good boosts or organic nitrogen, thick mulch, and water during seasons.  With that treatment, growth has been tremendous.

I've planted some big containerized nursery trees.  This is the biggest tree that I have transplanted by digging it up myself.

Lilacs are moved. 1.13.15

Freshly transplanted lilac bush, me, and a helper.   1.14.15

The last of the big lilacs is moved.  This was a 2 month project.  If I was young and healthy, it would be a 1 week project, but I'll take what I can get.

In the photo, the lilac doesn't look that big.  Each was a heavy load.  Fortunately I have help.

Divisions broke off from each of the last two, one with quite a bit of root mass and the other with one main root and only part of that.  So now, if they survive and grow, I have 4 bushes where I started with two.

Accidental Lilac Division with minimal root.  1.4.15

I hope they survive.  I took a large root mass with each.  All but the last two, have a thick layer of mulch.  They will get mulch over the next week.

Moving very large lilac bushes. 1.11.15

 Moving the last of the big lilac bushes.  I think we planted these in about 2004.  They are much bigger than me.  I can't reach the tops of the branches.

It's a luxury to move established shrubs from the old house to the Battleground place.  I would not, but I suspect new owners would cut most of them down.

This is the usual method, dig a trench in a large circle around the bush.  Use pruners for larger roots that extend beyond that, for a cleaner cut.   Undercut the bush, using a shovel.  Gradually sever the bush from the underlying soil, using the shovel.

We had a hedge of 8 mature Lilac bushes against the curb.  For the most part, this area will be lawn again.  The house shows up better for potential buyers, and they won't be intimidated by potential maintenance.

 We have also been moving 15 year old rose bushes, same idea.  They are less difficult, not as big, deep rooted, or heavy.

I'm leaving one lilac in a corner.  We already moved 5 of them last month.  That leaves these two.  These were the largest.

I did prune a few large stems to make up for lost roots.  According to horticulturist Linda Chalker-Scott, "It’s important to realize that roots respond to pruning in much the same way as the crown: pruning induces new growth. Roots that are pruned at transplant time, especially those that are excessively long or misshapen, will respond by generating new, flexible roots that help them establish in the landscape."  Since some of the lilac roots were wide ranging and needed to be cut, I did so using a sharp pruners.    Chalker-Scott also states, "There is no need to top-prune landscape plants if post-transplant irrigation is available...The only time transplanted materials should be pruned is to remove broken, dead, or diseased branches, or to make structural corrections to young trees."  It's hard to break that habit.  In the case of these lilacs, some branches will killed last year in the drought.  They also needed some shaping.  Old habits are hard to break.  I have plans to move a 10 foot tall ginkgo tree.  I will not prune the top of that tree.

It is interesting to observe the root ball.  The roots did not extend deeper than about 18 inches.  They did extend horizontally, but it seemed that the thickest mass of roots as within 2 feet of the bush.  Good thing.  The soil is heavy.

I hope we have not killed these nice shrubs.  If we did, at least we tried to move them, and they would likely have been cut down in their original locations.  If they survive, they will be a nice, mature hedge the first year, and may bloom the first or second years.