Montmorency and NorthStar Pie Cherries Almost Ready. 6.18.2021

It looks like NorthStar might be a little earlier and redder. Both make delicious cherry pies. Montmorency:

NorhStar Cherry:

The scare tale seemd to work very well last year - minimal stealing by the birds. I hope that means the same this year.

Tipping Fig Shoots for Better Production, 6.18.2021

When fig shoots have 4 to 6 leaves, tipping the shoot can stimulate earlier fig producton. It's simple, just be t the tip until it snaps. Removing the growth point stops apical dominance, and baby figs soon appear after the tip is snappeed off. Before:

After:

Today I tipped Brunswick, Adriatic, and Champagne fig trees. I did Celeste a few days ago. Some others are not far enough along yet.

Canning Fruit From the Garden. 6.18.2021

 I did some practice canning to see if I could do it.  First I made grape jelly, using purchased grape juice.  That worked nicely and it tastes very good. 

I eat some jelly every day, so these should be use up during the next few months.

We had some pears from Costco, which I was concerned would spoil before we ate them all. I used those to make some canned pears. They came out delicious.

The n we harvested many pounds of sweet cherries. I mace jam and canned cherries too. Im concerned about the aira e in some so will eat those first. Very delicious. They sealed well, so I think they are ok for a while.

We had some fresh local strawberries and rhubarb from the garden. I made jam.

That came out very good too. Im using lower sugar pectin when possible. SomI think I'll be ready when plums and peaches are ripe. The main question is reliably getting a good seal. Some jars did seal, so I froze them (strawberry jam).

Forsythia Cutting Update. 6.12.2021

 I potted up the second cutting that was grown in a jar of water.  Those roots were about an inch long, and there were several.  It will need TLC for a couple of weeks.  The first still needs shade.  It wilts slightly if left outside for more than a half day.  I set it on the deck in the morning, which does not get direct sunlight then.  One more forsythia cutting in water is sending out roots. 

I don't know about the ones in potting soil.  One made a root that came through the bottom of the pot.  I sat it outside for a few hours and it wilted, badly.  So back to the plastic bag mini greenhouse.  It might survive. 

So far it seems the water jar method is better than the potting soil method.  Also, the thinner stem cuttings are rooting but the thicker ones are not, at least yet.

Left to right, forsythia cuttings still in water, freshly potted cutting in humidity tent, prior potted cutting - see last post, I think about two weeks.

Forsythia cuttings started in potting soil, still in their humidity tent.

"True Potato Seed" "Clancy" Potato Update. 6.12.2021

 The Clancy potato plants are smaller compared to the conventional, seed-potato potato plants that were planted later (Algonquin, Russet, Kennebec, Envol) but are mostly sturdy, healthy looking plants and most are blooming.  The flower colors vary from purple, to lavender, to pink, to almost white.  At the end of one row of Clancy are two Algonquin plants, larger with white flowers and yellow stamens.

I think I'll let them bloom and see if any seeds develop.  I don't think I'll go to much effort, such as hand pollinating.  Just to see what happens.

Flowers on a "Clancy" potato plant.

The two rows of "Clancy" and two plants of "Algonquin" at the right, front.

"Blooming Algonquin" Potato Plant