What's Blooming? 4.23.16

Lilac "Bloomerang" 4.23.16

Iris "Florentina".  4.23.16

Iris, either Mme Chereau or Swertii.  Bought as Mme Chereau.  Amazing fragrance.

Mountain Ash.  4.23.16

Viburnum "sterile".  4.23.16

Fava Beans. Progress Report. 4.22.16

Fava Bean "Windsor" 4.22.16

Favas are blooming at about one foot tall.  I was concerned about the extra warm weather, into the 80s but now it's down into the 60s and tonight into the high 30s.  So the cool friendly favas should be OK.

The photo blurring is due to taking the photo through chicken-wire cage.  Necessary to keep herbivores at bay.

Tomato Plant Grafting, Update. And Tomato Cuttings. 4.22.16

Better Boy Tomato Graft, on SuperNatural Root Stock.  4.22.16

Now the grafted tomatoes are out of the humidity chamber.  Only two of the six, survived.  The reason was not the technique, but my anxiety.  I took them out of the chamber too soon.  The leaves wilted, in some cases not recoverable.

The two that survived are Better Boy and SuperSweet 100.  The Better Boy looks especially good.

Meanwhile, I had kept a few of the tops of the rootstocks, by placing them in a cup of water, and kept on window sill.  Those cuttings grew nice roots in the water.  I also had a Better Boy that I accidentally decapitated, and am rooting that as well.

This can be a way to increase the number of tomato plants in a vegetable garden.  If there are lower branches, cut those off and root in water for planting back in the tomato patch.  Doing so means free plants.

I still have some plants for scion, mainly Roma.  Those will be next.  Romas are great cooking tomatoes, but in my garden the plants tend to be smaller compared to other types.  Maybe grafted plants will be more vigorous. 

First Attempt at Grafting Tomatoes.  One Week.  4.22.16

Tomato Cuttings in Water at One Week.  4.22.16

Tomato Cutting Rooted in Water.  4.22.16

I trimmed the wilting leaves from the grafted SuperSweet 100.  Maybe that will give it a better chance to take off and grow.

Actually I'm pretty happy that even one, and maybe two, took off and are growing.  Now they should grow quite fast.  Even ungrafted tomatoes grow fast at this stage.

Raised Beds, Peppers, Onions, and Tomatoes. 4.21.16

Maturing Egyptian Walking Onions.  4.21.16

Peppers in Protected Raised Bed.  4.21.16

First Tomato Plants Planted Out.  4.21.16

With early warming, I don't know what will happen with early planting, but am planting things out as soon as they seem ready.

The overwintered Eqyptian Walking Onions are producing topsets.  These are in a container / small bed constructed from tree edging rings.  So this is my onion ring planter.  I recovered these last year from a nearly-dead plot, weed competition and herbivores.  Now they are vigorous and excellent.

I used large-cell chicken wire fencing to protect the raised pepper beds.  This is my favorite type of raised bed now, easy to work accessible, and easy to keep clean.  It's early to have peppers outside.  I don't know if deer will reach over and much on the plants.  I hope not.  They should be secure from rabbits.

I planted out the first of the tomatoes.  These were non-grafted, own-root seedlings I started earlier.  Better Boy, Jersey Boy, Sunny Boy - I guess this is a "Boys Club", also Supersweet-100 and Sungold.

Pawpaw in bloom. 4.21.16

NC-1 Pawpaw in bloom.  4.21.16

I've been using an artist's paint brush to transfer pollen between flowers of pawpaw varieties "NC-1" and "Sunflower".  Supposedly, "Sunflower" may be self fertile.  This tree bloomed first, and maybe some flowers did take.  The stigmas are receptive before the flower produces pollen, and once the anthers ripen and release pollen, the stigmas are not receptive.  So the timing for both the donor and recipient flowers is important.

The tiny "Mango" pawpaw tree- about 18 inches tall - has 2 flowers.  I pollinated one today.  I doubt that will produce fruit, but you never know.