Miscellaneous. 5.2.16

Saved Marigold Seeds.  5.3.16

Zucchini seedling.  5.3.16

 I planted rows marigold seeds around some of the vegetable beds.  If I had to buy the plants, or even the seeds, this many would have been expensive and a frivolous expense.  Since I saved seeds from last year, I have more than I can plant.  It will be nice for the honeybees if they grow.

Most of the squashes and pumpkin plants are in the ground.  So are the okra plants that I started.

The tiny blackberry plants that I started a few months ago are taking off now.  Leaves are nice and dark. 

Thornless Primocane Blackberry "Prime Ark Freedom"  5.3.16

Bearded Irises. Third Wave. 5.2.16

Now is the main season for my bearded irises.  More are blooming, in larger numbers, now than in any previous year.  Quite a beautiful flower.  I look at these pictures all year long.  I generally like the old historic irises much better than new modern varieties, but there are exceptions to that rule.  Sans souci, developed in 1854, was one of the main varieties that inspired me to look into older types.  This year, I may dispose of ones that I don't care for.  Some of the others are too vigorous and need more space, and some are just too susceptible to disease and never fail to disappoint.  Some may have just needed to adapt to my garden and climate.  Some, such as Loreley and Monsignor, took off and performed beautifully from the start.

Accent.  1952

 Caprice.  1898.  Fragrant.

Iris flavescens.  1813

Fall Fiesta.  1992.

Flutter-by  1924

Mrs. Horace Darwin.  1888.

Monsignor.   1907.

Monsignor.  1907.

No name.  Immortality X Fall Fiesta.  I crossed, 2012.

Front is Quaker Lady.  1909.

Sans Souci.  1854.

Rosy Wings.  1935

Loreley. 1909.

Grafting Progress Report. Apples, Pears, Figs, Ginkgos, Plums. 4.29.16

Nijiseiki Asian Pear on Hosui Asian Pear.  4.29.16

 All of the pear grafts took.  I've red that pears are among the easiest trees to graft, and from my experience that is true.  I thought the NoID Asian pear tree might me Nijiseiki, but from these grafts of that variety, I don't think so.  The grafts have red coloration in the leaves and stems, not present on the NoID Asian Pear.

Two apples look tenuous.  The first is from North Pole Columnar apple.  Not sure, the entire tree looks sickly.  Prior grafts from that variety took and grew quickly.  The second is Hawkeye, reportedly the original "Red Delicious" before the "Red Delicious" was mutated into the brilliant deep red skin, tasteless apples of today.

Milo Gibson Apple on Winecrisp Apple.  4.29.16

 The other apple grafts are growing nicely.  They include all of the Fedco scion, even though those scion were small diameter:  Milo Gibson, Sweet-16, Baldwin, Newtown Pippin, and Goldrush.  The others from the Home Orchard Society scion exchange also took and look excellent:  Arlie Red Flesh, and Dolgo Crab.  The Nijiseiki  was also from HOS.

The "Washington Red" Euro plum - I guess a NoID plum - scion from HOS is growing as well.  I had doubts about that one.

NOID Euro Pear lon NOID Asian Pear, 2 years.    4.29.16

Sweet-16 Apple on Winecrisp Apple.  4.29.16

Arlie Red Flesh Apple on Rubenette Apple.  4.29.16

Grafts from prior years all look great.  I've lost a few because the understock died.  Not all cherry grafts took. 

I think the ginkgo and cherry grafts that I did this year are not taking, they look small and might be dying.

Porter Historic Apple on Jonared at one year.  4.29.16

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".