Grafting Progress Report. Kiwi. 4.28.16

Never having grafted kiwi before, I wasn't sure how to proceed. I waited until the understock vines started growing. I used whip-and-tongue method. The scion is fragile, leaks a slimy sap, and splits while being worked, but it looks like they took.

Usually there is not enough reserve nutrition in a small scion to put out this much growth, unless they take.

Adding to uncertainty, I could not tell which end was up for the hardy kiwi scion. It's possible it will take, then abort, or grow poorly, if I grafted it upside down.

All things considered, the growth is promising. In both cases, the scions are male, grafting onto female vines so I don't need to buy additional plants for pollination.

Fuzzy kiwi vines are really beautiful by themselves. This one has a reddish coloration and fuzzy leaves and stems, very nice.

Hardy Kiwi Graft at 2 weeks.  4.28.16

Fuzzy Kiwi Graft at 3 Weeks.  4.28.16

Persimmon Progress Report. 4.28.16

Scion of Asian Persimmon "Chocolate" on "Saijo" branch.  Two Weeks.  4.28.16

Early Flower Bud of Persimmon "Saijo".  4.28.16

 At only 2 weeks, I don't expect much.  Temperatures have been lower - lows in high 30s, highs in 60s and 70s.   I uncovered the "Chocolate" Persimmon grafts so that if the buds do break, they won't be too pale and sun sensitive.  The buds look a little plump, and maybe larger than when I grafted.  That could be wishful thinking.

Meanwhile there are quite a few buds on Saijo, and lots and lots of buds on Nikita's gift.  Those are both in their 4th year, from bare root planting.  Both are considered parthenocarpic - bearing fruit without pollinization - so I may get something here.

The American persimmons, Yates (one year) and Prairie Star (two years) are growing nicely.  Yates had some deer munching, but it looks like it was not delicious.  Only one twig eaten, so far.

Early Flower Buds of Persimmon Variety "Nikita's Gift".  4.28.16

As with the pawpaws, if I actually get some fruit on these persimmons, that will be "the bomb".

Pawpaw Progress Report. 4.28.16

Pawpaw flower.  4.28.16

Maybe this will be the year of the pawpaw.  The oldest three trees were planted in summer 2012.   Of those, two - "Sunflower" and "NC-1" have / had lots of flowers this year.  A one year old -  tree about 18 inchest tall, "Mango" also had all of 2 flowers, tiny tree size.  even though "Sunflower" was definitely ahead of "NC-1", there has been overlap of both pollen shedding and stamen receptivity for both.  Some of the "Sunflower" flowers were the first, so there was no "NC-1" pollen to pollinate them.  Even so, it looks like those set.  "Sunflower" is considered unusual in that it may be self fertile.

I continue to collect pollen when the anthers are shedding, and transfer to what I perceive to be receptive stigmas on the other tree.  I also transferred some to "Mango" although that one is way to small to think it will bear.

Pawpaw flower.  4.28.16

It looks like some of thepollination took, especially on these first flowers on "Sunflower".

I need to keep my excitement in check.  There are lots of things that can happen between now and Sept or Oct, when I expect these to ripen.  Still, if all of the flowers set fruit, they will need some thinning and good watering for the summer.

I have never tasted my own pawpaw, and have only tasted tiny bites at the Home Orchard Society fruit fair - probably not optimal.  Looking forward to tasting my own pawpaw fruits.

Early fruit formation, Pawpaw "Sunflower".  4.26.16

Early fruit formation, Pawpaw "Sunflower".  4.28.16

Ning and the dogs. 4.28.16

I couldn't decide which photo to post so I posted all of them. Charlie (black) is 15, and Baigou (white) is 14. I won't say how old Ning is.

IBC Tote rain water storage.  4.23.16

Rainwater diverter close-up.  4.23.16

Two weeks ago I finally completed installation of the second rain water tank.  This tank is 275 gallon, used, food grade plastic.  The section of roof is only about 1/4 of the house roof, so there is potential for more.  After seeing that 2 rainfalls only filled the tank about 2/5 full, Ning diverted  another section of the roof gutter towards this downspout for more roof area rain supply.  It's raining now, so we can check in the am to see if the tank is full.

This climate here is sort of Mediterranean, with most of the rain in the late Fall, Winter, and early Spring, with mostly dry during the rest of the year.  I need to water most of the garden for most of the summer.  The house is at the top of a hill, the home orchard and some of the vegetable garden are downhill from the house.   This, in addition to the 75 gallon tank I installed this spring, gives 350 gallons, minus some at the bottom of the 75 gallon drum that can't be accessed via the drain.

This tank system should supply most of the garden, south of the house, with much of this Summer's water needs.  I have not calculated how much I used before, so it's only a guess.  I can also run a hose from the tank down the hill


Roof water is not potable - who knows what lands on the roof via birds and wind? - but is usable for watering the garden.  

The diverter has a simple feedback system.  When the tank water level is the height of the diverter, any additional water goes down the downspout same as if the diverter wasn't there.  There is a debris screen, so that any debris goes into the drain same as it would without the diverter present.