New Apple Tree. 03.08.2021

 Last year I accidentally bought two Redlove™ Odysso™ apple trees, because I am a space cadet.   One has found a new home, so there is a space there for a different tree.  Even though I have something else for that spot, I've been thinking about adding a Honeycrisp to train as Espalier.  Today we made a trip to Tsugawa Nursery (wearing masks, although it was outside), and I sorted through all of their Honeycrisp trees.  They had some on the highly dwarfing MM27 rootstock, but I think that is too dwarfing for Honeycrisp, having done it before (although M27, not MM27).  They also had some on a "semidwarf" rootstock, not labeled.  I opted for that.  I think that will work out OK, given that in my hands Honeycrisp is low vigor and I will be training the branches horizontally and summer pruning for Espalier.  I looked through the trees and found one that I think is a reasonable subject for Espalier.  

That's the big tree on the left.  Since no trip to Tsugawa can be made without getting more, there is a camellia, two Japanese maples for my helper, a hardy fuschia, and some pansies in the group.  Plus Tsugawa gives a Veteran's discount, so I want to support them.  My helper will plant the Honeycrisp in a day or two, when there is a chance to bare-root it, then I can do preliminary Espalier training.

More Potato Starts. 03.08.2021

 At Winco, there were some potato starts.  I just bought one box,  I have more coming from Fedco in Maine in a few weeks.  These are my most favorite of all potatoes, Kennebecs.  I sliced a couple in half to get more plants.  It's enough for a row.  I will let them dry and grow a little bigger in the sunroom for a week or two before planting.

Emerging Lettuce Seeds. 03.08.2021

 These started germinating quickly. Lettuce Black Seeded Simpson, planted a few days ago, no warming mat.  This is nice.  Of course, there are many more to follow.  It's interesting, they emerge so much larger than the seeds seem to suggest.

Planting Early Greens. 03.08.2021

 Yesterday I planted saved seeds for cilantro and Black Seeded Simpson lettuce in the raised bed.  I expect to harvest those before planting peppers outside in May or June.  Today I made a trip to Winco, fully haz-matted in double masks, gloves, and goggles, but no flame thrower.  I noted some seeds, so bought another variety of lettuce and some spinach seeds.  I planted those today.  These are probably not candidates for seed saving, which is OK.  I have too many of those anyway.

Uncovering Genetic Dwarf Peach Trees for Spring. 03.08.21

 These are more appropriately called "Peach Shrubs" than trees, they are so small.  Small shrubs at that.  I covered them for the winter, using upturned trash cans.  Today I thought, "I wonder what's going on under there".  It turned out, one is already blooming and the other is growing, both very very pale from no sunshine.

I covered these for the winter to avoid issues with Peach Leaf Curl Disease, which makes inroads into the peach buds through the rainy fall and winter.  I don't know if that will be an issue with uncovering now.  There is still some rainy season ahead.  With these so pale, it's possible the sun will damage them.  I decided to just go with the flow and see what happens.

 If I remember correctly, the blooming one is called "Garden Gold" and the nonblooming one is called "El Dorado".  That second one was far smaller when I planted it last year .  I pruned off the moldy looking branches.