Unseasonable warmth. 1.24.16

Peach buds swelling.  1.24.16

The temperatures have been 40s to 60s here in Southwest Washington State.  Combined effects, I imagine, of El Niño and climate change.

These are buds on the containerized "El Dorado" peach tree.  The in-ground, more standard peach trees also have swelling buds.  

Other trees with evidence of early awakening include the newly planted Maxie pear, and terminal tips of some apples.  The persimmon buds appear to be swelling, but not cracked open.  The pawpaw flower buds look larger but also still closed.  Same with fig buds.  Some lilac buds are open to the point where primordial flower buds can be seen.

Most of the fruit and other trees are in dormancy or have barely begun to break dormancy.  Now it's a waiting process.  If no hard freezes, we should be good.  If there are some hard freezes, nothing I can do about it.

Daylily Seedlings. Looking Sad. 1.24.16

Daylily Seedlings Late Winter.  1.24.16

Daylily Seedlings Mid Winter.  1.24.16

Most of the daylily seedlings look sad now.  The leaves have a loss of chlorophyll.  Some have brown leaves.

I wonder it they are just going dormant, or headed there.  It's either that, or some sort of ailment.

I don't know what drives daylily dormancy - daylength, intensity of sunlight, or temperature.  Some of these changes started while still under lights inside.  Not that cold, and daylength is 14 hours.

It's also possible that they reach a stage then stop, until the next season.

At least one of the brown-leaf plants has a crown of new growth.  Maybe it is dormancy.

It's so unseasonably warm outside, I moved them out doors for some rain and light and moving air.  Maybe they will do better, or die off. 

This is my first try with daylilies from seeds.  I don't know what to expect.

Using Extra Pumpkin and Winter Squash. 1.24.16

Prepared Pumpkin.  1.24.15

We didn't want to waste pumpkin.   Yesterday I prepared one for future use.

Very easy.  Cut pumpkin in half.  Scoop out seeds and their surrounding fibrous material.  The seeds will get roasted later.

Place cut side down on cookie sheet.  Bake in 350 degree oven for one hour.  Let cool onough to handle, then scoop out the soft mash.

For this pumpkin - Rouge vif D'Espampes - which I think is the same as "Cinderella pumpkin" - the pumpkin came out so tender, it did not need to be pureed.  I just stired it up.  When cooled, I measured out 1 cup or 2 cup portions, scooped into vacuum sealer bags, labeled, and sealed up.  These portions are the same size as 1 or 2 cans of canned pumpkin, but much better.  Ning used a batch to make pumpkin bread - excellent!  Winter squash is processed the same way, and for the same recipes - equally delicious.

The bags go into the freezer.  They thaw out fairly quickly if immersed in cold water, or overnight in fridge,

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