Raised Beds - Earlier, Warmer, Easier. Progress Report. 3.4.16

 I completed the newest raised beds.  There are now four.  They are build largely from recycled narrow cement blocks from the old place, used there for a variety of purposes.  I needed some to complete the last two beds.  The blocks are 99 cents each at Home Depot.  Each bed requires 21 blocks, plus one half-block and some bricks due to dimensions that don't match because of shape.

All of my raised beds are built on a chicken wire fencing base, to prevent moles from tunneling up into the beds.

Dimensions are roughly 4 feet by 4 feet by 18 inches high.

The capstones are all re-used from a patio.  They are cobblestone pavers.

Recycled Concrete Block Raised Beds.  3.4.16

I measured the soil temperatures this week.  The base soil was 60F.  In the lower, wooden raised beds, the soil was 62F.  In the concrete raised beds, the soil was 65F.  This time of year, the warmer soil is an advantage.  Mulch may be needed later, to reflect heat.

The pavers add a little height.  My theory is the concrete blocks absorb heat, even though color is not dark, and transmit that heat to the air spaces.  The air is warmed, and the pavers hold the warm air in place.  During the summer, pavers could be removed to allow excape of the warm air, if I think that is an issue.

For senior access and gardening comfort / accessibility, these concrete block raised beds seem ideal.  They are a good sitting height.  The blocks make it possible to sit on the edge of the bed and work soil with hand tools.  They are nearer to visual comfort height, which makes planting seeds and weeding easier.

I planted seeds from old packets, radishes, scorzina, spring greens.  One bed has some overflow scallions, perennial onions.  I want to grow flowers in one bed when / if the spring vegetables and greens are finished.

I also have smaller raised beds - these fall between raised bed and container.  They are made from re-used concrete tree rings, stacked to fit together. 

In this case, the container / bed contains hyacinths - planted deep - and daylilies, planted above the hyacinths.    I have grown other plants in this system - potatoes, perennial onions, annuals.  The height and size is very convenient.  There is no bottom, but I lay down a base of chicken wire fencing to prevent mole infestation and disruption.

What's Blooming. 3.4.16

Anemones.  3.4.16

 It's  been cooler and rainy, but now there are lots of flowers  blooming.  Anemones, many of the narcissus, especially Dutch Master and Jetfire, and some others.  An apricot, grown from seeds, is blooming.  Forsythias are coming into their own.  Flowers are fully open on Crimson Spire plum, starting to open on Hollywood plum, Methley plum, and Toka plum.  Charlotte peach flowers are open.

Daffodils.  3.6.16

Unknown, modern forsythia.  3.4.16

Daffodils, mainly Jetfire.  3.6.16

Prunus Sweet Treat.  3.4.16

Ning with front yard flower bed.  3.4.16

Forsythia, 3 years after transplant.  3/4/16

Propagation Projects, Progress Report. 3.3.16

Pink Ornamental Cherry, whip / tongue 3.3.16

Single Pink Ornamental Cherry, whip / tongue  3.3.16

Ginkgo whip / tongue.  3.3.16

Ginkgo whip / tongue  3.3.16

 These are some of my plant propagation projects.

On the past 2 days, I grafted scion from ornamental cherries onto wild cherry root stock.  The root stocks were volunteers in the yard, likely sweet cherry or descendents from sweet cherries.

It was difficult to identify scion that was not already too far along.  The main tree is an ancient - in suburban terms - double flowered, fringed, pink Japanese cherry.  Very beautiful.    From the rootstock of that tree, are growths that bloom much earlier, pink prolific single flowers.    That one is even more advanced, fully blooming.  There were some 1-year growths that have mildly swelling buds, so I used one of those.

If the flowering cherry scion don't take, I can alllow growth of the wild cherry root stocks from below the grafts, and try T-budding this summer.

I've already posted on the ginkgo tree grfts.  The buds might be swelling a little.  Hard to say.  The trees are no further along.  I tiny patch of green is visible in some  buds.  It takes imagination to see that.

Grape Cuttings.  3.3.16

Genetic Dwarf Peach Seedling.  4th year.  3.4.16

Sedum From Stem Cuttings, Overwintered Outdoors.  3.4.16

Buds are swelling on the grape cuttings.  Those are from February.

The seedling genetic dwarf peach has pink flower buds.  I don't know what will happen.  If the flowers take, then the peaches may be small, due to not being on a vigorous peach rootstock.  If dwarfing rootstocks make for normal size fruit, them maybe own-root peaches are no smaller than their grafted counterparts.  This is an experiment.

The large varietiy sedums from stem cuttings last fall are growing nicely.  I kept a few inside - they dried out and died.  The starts that I kept outside for the winter are growing.

Potatoes and review of book, The Complete Book of Potatoes. 3.1.16

It might seem strange to write an entire book about potatoes, but there are several out there, and websites such as "Potato History", "History of the potato", "How the potato changed world history", and many more.  In past  books, I read about the massive, transformative effect that transporting potatoes from the Andes where they originated, to Europe and China, had on human nutrition and populations.  This book is more about growing potatoes, which also deserves a book

The Complete Book of Potatoes.   by de Jong, Sieczka, de Jong.  2011.  Timber Press, Portland OR.

I got the book at my local library, Fort Vancouver Library in Vancouver, WA..

In other books - I forget which - I've read that per acre, potatoes give more calories and nutrition than any other plant, including rice, corn, and wheat.  That difference is what allowed population explosions among the peasantry in China and Europe.  And monoculture, of just one potato variety in Ireland, was what lead to total dependence on an agricultural house of cards, leading to  disease susceptibility and famine.

Reading the book "The Complete Book of Potatoes" resulted  learning in a  number of things about growing potatoes, I did not know, such as - in no particular order

Each cultivar has its own tuber dormancy period, which has a major effect on how long they can be stored.  Dormancy can be 4 weeks, to more than 3 months.  Growing types with long dormancy period would be good for keeping potatoes.  Growing types with shorter dormancy period would be better for fresh use where storage isn't important.

Yukon Gold and Burbank Russet have long dormancy and good storability.

Day length has a big effect on what variety grows and produces, where.

Potatoes remove a lot of nitrogen and potassium from the soil, so need fertile conditions.   However, too much nitrogen, or late nitrogen, can lead to poor quality potatoes.  Note that Pacific Northwest soils, west of the Cascade Mountains, are often verynhigh in potassium.

Emerging potato sprouts can tolerate chill, 28F ro 32F.  Soil at planting temperature should be at least 45F.

For early harvest, plant early green sprouted potatoes, and use plastic tunnels to keep them warm.

Soil pH under 5.5 pretty much prevents scab.  My soil is acidic, in the 5.03 to 5.5 range.

More nutrients are available at pH 6 to 7, but that promotes scab.

Scab should not be a problem at pH above 7.

French Fries were probably developed in Belgium, not France.  Potato Chips, however, are an American Invention.

Potato species originate in a wide area of South and Central America, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, and Paraguay, and south Brazil.  It is thought the wild tuber bearing species actually originated in Mexico - I thought it was Peru.  The most primitive variety is epiphytic - grows in trees.

I think this book was very useful and will have an effect on my gardening.  I am better prepared as to cultivar selection, growing, harvesting, and storing this useful and delicious garden crop.  The book also discusses many potato cultuvars, organic and conventional methods, hilling, mulch, and other aspects of growing potatoes.

Based on the information from this book, my planting of sprouted potatoes might not turn out.  It's OK, there was no other purpose for them, and maybe they will do better than expected.

Image Attribution:
(1)  By Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection.; Peter Henderson & Co. [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0) or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.  Date 1872
(2)  By Wiley, Harvey Washington, 1844-1930; United States. Division of Chemistry; United States. Department of Agriculture [No restrictions], via Wikimedia Commons Date:  1900
(3)  By W.W. Barnard & Co; Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection [No restrictions], via Wikimedia Commons  Date:  1914

Opuntias. 2.27.16

Texas Opuntia.  2.27.16

 Today I took most of the Opuntias outside from the sunroom.  The "Texas Opuntia" - most likely Opuntia Engelmannii - has roots in the drainage holes of the pot.  There also appear to be growth buds vs. flower buds.

The original cutting from October is pictured below.

It might be my imagination, but I think the pad is a little fatter than it was at the outset.

The "Baby Rita" hybrid Opuntia also has what appears to be growth buds.  I'm going to think they are all growth buds and not flower buds, due to the time of year.

I have the containers under the eaves, on the West side of the house.  They get full Western sun, and no rain.  I am avoiding rain due to potential for rot diseases in the cool weather.

"Baby Rita" hybrid Opuntia.  2.27.16

Texas Opuntia cutting.  October, 2015