Potatoes Update. Final Planting, and Filling In Trenches. 4.23.19

Potato Bed.  4.23.19

Yesterday I planted the last of the chitted potatoes.  One package of Kennebec, one of Idaho Russet, and a few remaining overwintered Russets, probably, from the garage.

It is interesting, these did not grow long stems.  They were in the sunroom.  About 1/4 inch growth.  I wonder if they are alive.

Of the potatoes that I planted on 3.1.19, all are alive and very lush.  As are the ones that I planted later.
That is despite some frosts and the soil being chilly.  There are also potatoes growing in some of the garden beds that  missed when  digging potatoes last year and some that have overwintered for 2 or 3 consecutive winters.

For those rows where the potato plants are taller than their trenches, I filled in soil so there are several inches of stem below soil level now.  I mixed in some organic MoreCrop vegetable fertilizer.  This is the first year I have done that.  I had also mixed in some at planting time, which might be why they are so lush.

There are more than planned.  I go overboard, plus there were those that I saved from overwintering in the garage.  Those had long sprouts, 1 or 2 feet long, that I broke off, then allowed new sprouts to form before planting.  Those are doing just as well as the new ones.

Grafting Update. 4.17.19

First Growth, Northpole Apple on Bud-9 Rootstock.  4.17.19

First Growth, Northpole Apple on Bud-9 Rootstock.  4.17.19

This is the update for tree grafts that I did this late winter.  Almost all have pushed out buds.  As is usual for me, all of my grafts this year were whip and tongue grafts.  I like how straight-forward the method is, once I knew how.  I think any method with good cambium contact, and with good strength, will work.  By using whip and tongue method, if there is a good match in size of scion and rootstock or understock, the cambium heals all around and new bark forms, so there is no bare wound remaining.  The method would not work so well if there is a big mis-match of size between scion and stock, in which case cleft grafting or bark grafting would be better.  But for me, it's almost always whip and tongue.

This year, all of the plum grafts are looking good.  It's only 2 varieties, 3 grafts - two for Black Ice and one for Beauty.  I'm glad to get to try Black Ice, but have some doubts.  Black Ice is an American x Asian plum hybrid, and most of the ones I've grown, so far, bloom but don't set fruit.  I read they need American Plum as a pollinator.  I don't know why Asian plum, which I have a lot of, won't work.  But so far, only Toka has produced.  And that one is almost gone from a canker infestation.  These are grafted onto a tree of Ember, another Asian x American plum hybrid that has never fruited.  The tree also hosts a seedling variety that bloomed this year but doesn't appear to have set fruit.  This tree was created as a graft I did about 6 years ago, grafting Ember onto a cutting of Hollywood plum. 

It's interesting to see one of the Bud-9 (Budagovsky 9, a cross of M.8 x ‘Red Standard’ AKA Krasnij Standard) rootstock pushing some leaf buds on the columnar apple tree grafts that I made.  Apparently Red Standard is also called Red-leafed Paradise or Bud 9, pruduced by Michurinsk College of Ag, Michurin, Russia, in 1946.  I'm guessing there is some Antonovka in there somewhere.

Regardless, it's interesting to see the growth.

Kiwis are more difficult.  The stems are hollow, with a delicate pith center and thin layer of wood with delicate cambium.  I struggled to get these to match, and wrapped firmly.    The other challenge is knowing which way is up.  I don't think they will grow if grafted upside down.  I did some one way, and some the other.  Looks like a couple of those took.

Fuzzy Kiwi Male Whip and Tongue Graft.  4.17.19

Beauty Plum Whip and Tongue Graft.  4.17.19

 I think this growth is more than the small amount of sugar stored in the little kiwi stick can support.  Therefore, I think this graft took.

It will be interesting to see if any of that growth on the quince multigraft, is a precurser to flowers.  Of course, I won't let the grafts produce any fruits.  But one of the branches was left ungrafted, so I can allow that to make a fruit if it blooms.

I'm very happy with this method of wrapping the grafts.  As described earlier, I used strips made from freezer plastic bags, and over-wrapped the scion ends with parafilm.  They are all looking good.

Black Ice Plum Whip and Tongue Graft.  4.17.19

Quince Whip and Tongue Graft.  4.17.19

Quince Multiple Trunk Tree, Multiple Whip and Tongue Grafts.  4.17.19

Early Growth on New Apple Trees. 4.17.19

Early Growth on New "Urban Apple, Golden Treat".  4.17.19

 The new apple trees that I planted this winter are pushing out nice healthy looking leaf buds.   Interesting to see that the leaf buds on RedLove Era have a red coloration.

Early Growth on New "Redlove Era" Apple Tree.  4.17.19

Early Growth on New "Urban Apple, Tasty Red".  4.17.19

Fig Tree Brebas (early fig buds). 4.17.19

Brunswick Fig Brebas.  4.17.19

 Here are the brebas on most of my fig tree collection.  For some varieties, they will likely all fall off, forming new main crop figs to ripen later.

Of those that have brebas which almost always fall off - probably 95% to 100% fall off  - are Brunswick and Hardy Chicago.  On the other hand, King is an entirely breba variety, so almost all should ripen.  Lattarula does both. 
I usually get a few brebas on Carini and Petite negri but it depends on the year.  Celeste is too young, I have not had ripe figs at all from that 3 foot tall tree yet.

I'm not sure about LSU Tiger or Sicilian.  I need to pay more attention this year.

Petite Negri Fig Brebas.  4.17.19

Celeste Fig Brebas.  4.17.19

Hardy Chicago Fig Brebas.  4.17.19

Latarrula Fig Brebas.  4.17.19

Baby Fig Tree, Lampiera Preta.  4.17.19

Carnini Fig Brebas.  4.17.19

LSU Tiger Fig Brebas.  4.17.19

Petite Negri Fig Tree that I moved about December 2017.  4.17.19

Sicilian White Fig Brebas.  4.17.19

Bearded Irises. Update. 4.17.19

Early Bearded Iris Flower Buds.  4.17.19

Bearded Irises Almost Budding.  4.17.19

 Some of the bearded irises that I have been obsessing over are showing signs of flower buds.  A few clumps, in the woodlot border, have actual flower buds.   I counted 5 stems on one plant.  That might be a historic variety.  I also saw a couple of flower stems beginning to form on Alcazar, and some of the others.  One is a very large leaf variety, so I'm guessing it's more modern.  However, Helen Collingwood is also very large and vigorous.

I'm excited they will bloom and I can identify most of them once I see the flower.

Meanwhile, I dug out a few bearded iris plants from the fence row, where the gnarly rhizomes were thrown two years ago and some took root and grew.  There was also one in an area that has been converted back into lawn, and somehow survived, and one in deep shade under a spruce tree.  All are not in the "recovery bed" where they may need a year to come into bloom.   Tough plants, when they are neglected.

Bearded Iris Rescue Garden.  4.17.19