Potato Starts. 2.21.16

Sprouted, Mixed Potatoes.  2.21.16

I found this bag of potatoes in the garage yesterday.  It's a few weeks early to plant potatoes, but these may be past their survivable stage anyway.  I can either throw them away, or plant them.  If they grow, that's good.  If they don't, nothing lost.

I planted fairly deep, with the long stems underground and on their sides underground, just the tip showing.

Last year this garden bed contained sweet corn.  This bed is situated South of the house.  May be a bit warmer compared to other locations.

I think these are Red Pontiac and White Gourmet varieties. 

I've read that mid to late March, to early April, are the recommended times to plant potatoes in SouthWest Washington.

Daylilies Growing. 2.21.16

Last summer I planted a number of daylily plants.  In past years a few did not make it through the winter.  My guess is underground herbivores, such as voles, were the reason they didn't survive.

Some are ahead of others, but so far this year, most look great.  This one is "Winsome Lady" and is close to the edge of the bed, for a photo. 

Slugs can be an issue, so they get a dose of Sluggo when I see damage.  With frequent rains, Sluggo tends to dissolve and may not do much good then, so I wait for a little damage before using it.

Planting Blackberry Starts. 2.21.16

Prime-Ark Blackberry Starts.  2.21.16

The irony is not lost on me.  I'm still in the process of clearing massive blackberry bramble thickets.  After several hours of clearing them yesterday, I'm so sore I can barely move.

Then I buy blackberry plants.

The difference is, these are a compact growing variety, developing into a bush about 5 feet tall  and similar or less width.  Prime-Ark Blackberry, is a new hybrid from Arkansas, which I have not tried before.  They are a thornless variety.  So, I don't need to climb into 12 to 20 foot tall thickets, and come back bloodied, for the delicious blackberries.

I don't know if deer will eat them, not being deterred by thorns.  But the leaves seem coarse and unappetizing, so maybe not.

These are small plants.  They are going into the garden beds South of the house, for full sun.

I also bought 3 Ebony King Blackberry starts at Lowes, for variety.  Almost thornless.  I am hoping the timing will be a little different, for a longer blackberry season.  I love these fruits, and they also make an easy and delicious jam. Ebony King is almost thornless - at leas from the stems of these starts, no where near as vicious as the wild Himalayan Blackberries that I am striving to clear.

I read Prime-Ark needs to be 3-4 feet apart, or 5 feet apart, depending on who I read.  Mine are at the close end of that.   Some may need transplanting later.

Fruit Tree Buds. 2.21.16

Flower Buds.  NOID Asian Plum.  2.21.16

Flower Buds.  Methley Plum.  2.21.16

 Many of the fruit trees have enlarging buds, but many are still looking closed tight.  I was anxious about how early they are developing - concern for frost kill on delicate new flowers and growth, but that is becoming less of a concern as Spring approaches and the flowers are not yet open.  We have low into high 30s tonight, not worrisome for fruit tree flower buds.

The furthest ahead so far -
 Charlotte Peach - pink is showing.
Sweet Treat Pluerry
NOID Asian Plum - might be pluot.
Toka Hybrid Plum.
Methley Asian Plum
Maxie Pear - not a fair comparison, because this was a container tree planted in December, which might have influenced this year's  bud development.

Next in line -
Hollywood Plum - almost as far along, can see some pink coloration, this tree has burgundy leaves which influences the color of the buds.
Nadia Cherry - Plum Hybrid - not a fair comparison, I planted this as a bare root tree last month. If the blooms taste, it would be interesting to get a fruit or two to taste on this first-year tree.
Prunus americana seed grown plum - flower color is starting to show.  This tree is 4 years from seeds.
Unnamed Asian Pear
Hosoi Asian Pear

Buds showing signs of life -
Illinois Everbearing Mulberry - leaf buds - flowers form from growing shoots.
Saijo Persimmon - barely.  This is leaf bud, flowers form on shoots that grow from buds, not the dormant buds themselves.
Nikita's Gift Persimmon - barely and as for Saigo
Unnamed Korean or Japanese Cherry, planted this winter.
Juliet hybrid bush cherry - planted from container this winter.

Most of the European cherries bad barely visible swelling on some buds, both sweet and sour cherries.  Most of the European pears and apples have no discernible bud swelling.

Flower Buds.  Toka Plum.  2.21.16

Flower Buds.  Charlotte Peach.   2.21.16

Flower Buds.  Maxie Hybrid Pear.   2.21.16

Planting Leyland Cyprus to Inhibit Blackberries and Stabilize Soil. 2.13.16

Leyland Cyprus Tree, Anticipating Planting.  2.13.16

This is part of the approx. 1/4 acre that I have been clearing of Himalayan blackberry.  The now - barren looking soil has been planted with grass and clover to retain soil and add nutrients.  The clover also for bee forage.  The grass and clover can be mowed repeatedly, to kill off residual bramble roots and crowns.  I have already added a pine tree and an aspen that are not visible in this photo.

At the back of the photo are massive piles of the blackberry prunings.  Behind them, and behind the trees - mostly Douglas hawthorn and some wild filberts - is the property line, then more of what is mostly Douglas hawthorn, a few maples, and some scattered blackberry brambles.  In that location, there is more shade, and the blackberries do not grow as well.  Just beyond those trees, the land slopes fairly steeply into a ravine and creek.

As discussed by Tao Orion (Beyond the War on Invasive Species) - highly recommended book - I have not used Roundup / glyphosate or other herbicides to remove the blackberries.  Which is good.  Roundup would also kill the existing trees.  They should be kept in place as long as possible for habitat and soil preservation, at least until other plants serve those roles.

Unfortunately, most of the hawthorns have reached their age span and many are falling over.  I wanted a fast growing evergreen tree to out-compete existing and new Himalayan blackberry.  Leyland cypress is controversial.  They are fast growing, 3 to 4 feet per year. At a property boundary, their highly vigorous growth can result in landowner disputes.  That will not be an issue here, because the bordering land is semi-wild, cannot be built upon or significantly altered, and my side of the boundary needs soil-holding trees.  Leyland cypress is considered a sterile hybrid of Monterey cypress and Nootka cypress, so despite great vigor, is not capable of being invasive.

The Leyland cypress will effectively shade out the Himalayan blackberry, to the north of these trees.  I'm anticipating many of the rest of the hawthorns to die and fall over, which is clearly evident with about half of the trees in this thicket.  This area does not seem to support growth of seedling hawthorns, either due to shade by larger trees and blackberries, or possible deer eating them.