Soil pH. 16.6.21

I want to check the pH of garden soil before I do anything that might change it. As it is, the existing raised bed soils have been very successful and productive. Of course, I want the soil to stay healthy for the long term, and replace minerals that the plants might remove and that might leach out from watering. I also want to add biochar for long term soil carbon and drainage, and that might raise the pH. How much is an unknown quantity. I bought a paper strip based soil pH testing kit. Here is the prelim result for one sample from a raised bed whose top layer of soil grew garlic and beans in 2021 and the majority of that soil was from a source that screens yard soils that are brought in to their facility.

My guess is this is read as closest to pH 5.0. Then again, that might be the shadow, and maybe it's much higher. Maybe the bottom row is reading 7.0. This is confusing. Maybe I'll try a different test.

Quilt Notes. 12.5.2021

Here is that same quilt. Once I get going, it all starts coming together.

Next comes the border, then start putting it together with cotton batting and a backing. The only part that isn't men's shirt fabric is the white border. I made multiple miscalculations with that, and wound up with slightly too little to complete the quilt. I have more ordered. Crossing my fingers that it is the same. Otherwise I will figure out something else, I guess. It's a very good feeling when something starts coming together and I can see the beginning of how it will look. I think this one is my favorite so far.

Quilt Notes. 12.3.2021

Here is the progress on a quilt started this summer. So far I'm very happy with how it's coming together. Squares cut out, ready to start.

Sewn into traditional "Nine-Patches".

Now sewing on the borders, which are a white on white texture cotton fabric. So far, this is the most enjoyable I've done. Some aspects become more comfortable with time, and I'm still learning. The old Kenmore sewing machine is definitley more enjoyable than the modern digital Brother machine.

Planting Third & Last Apple Tree Hybrid, Calypso™ x Golden Sentinel™ 11.30.2021

This was the last of the three seedlings from the Calypso™ x Golden Sentinel™ cross that I grew out this spring. It is the least promising of the three - leaves are green, although petioles are red. The tree had more vigor and more widely separated internodes, so I strongly suspect not columnar. The branchlets are long and spiky, not short and stubby, so I suspect they are branches, not spurs, so I suspect not columnar. There is also no red color to the roots, another indication that the appkes will either not have red flesh, or not much of that. Still, it's hard to throw away a tree I grew from seed, without giving it a chance to prove itself. So I planted it in a sheltered (fenced) although not ideal spot. Here it can grow and not be in the way or too much work, and maybe we'll see what it can do in a couple of years. This was the most vigorous of the three. It also had the heaviest root mass. Not root bound but headed there. I bare rooted it using the garden hose as usual.

Planted, watered in, and the start of vole collar added. I need to get out there with tin snips and wire or zip ties to do the rest.

Stratifying Apple Seeds, Cross of Redlove™ Era™ X Urban Apple™ Blushing Delight.™ 11.29.2021

This Spring, I protected some flowers of Redlove™ Era™ and Urban Apple™ Blushing Delight™. I pollinated the Era™ with pollen from the Blushing Delight™. Actually, the Urban Apple™ was mislabled, the one I bought was Tasty Red™ but the apple is clearly Blushing Delight™. One ripe apple resulted from that cross. I kept it in the garage for 2 months and just got around to cutting it today. The long keeping didn't hurt it a bit. I think the flavor is better. Still pretty tart, almost lemony with berry flavor.

To make typing easier, I'll call the first "RLE" and the second one "BD". I think it could be a good choice, because RLE has such deep red internal and external color, and BD is considered disease resistant, is columnar, and has nice large, sweet apples. I placed them in moist paper towel, then into a zipper plastic bag and into the fridge. A four month stratification would mean I can plant them about April 1. It's interesting, one apple had so many seeds. I expected five. The goal, as before, is a columnar tree with red flesh apples. I will use leaf color to help with selection - I think red leaves on an apple indicate red flesh although some red flesh apples do have green leaves.