Do the Fig Trees Need Fertilizer? 5 Apr 24.

 I looked at a variety of websites regarding fertilizing fig trees.  

From Univ of Georgia extension service,  "a satisfactory amount of shoot growth is about a foot per year."

Clemson Univ talks a lot about fertilizing, but also states that in soils of average fertility, fertilizing might not be needed.  They also state that too much fertilizer can cause loss of yield, as can too little water.

A website called "The Fruit Grove" discusses fertilizing, but notes that if the trees are already growing and producing well, then fertilization might not be needed and, again, too much - especially nitrogen - can reduce fig production and cause rank, non-hardy growth that is more susceptible to winter kill.

I can't find the reference right now, but another said don't fertilize if there is more than six inches of growth.

I checked how long new growth was from last year.

A lot of new stems are six to nine inches.  Some are longer, and Violette de Bordeaux (as noted earlier, probably falsely sold as Petite negri) always has less growth, being dwarf in habit ( I think brachytic dwarfism = short internodes). 

Considerations -

I almost always get more figs than I know what to do with anyway.

I normally don't fertilize my fig trees.  They usually do fine without.

American and worldwide fruits and vegetables have become significantly less nutritions, as well as less flavor, over the past 70 years.  Part of that is fertilizing depleted soils to boost yields and speed growth.

Sometimes I have spread wood ashes in the fig grove.  I don't know if that is fertilizing or just soil building.

The fig grove is also a "rest stop" for Rufus.  It actually gets quite a lot of fertilizing via doggie.  That the grasses there are the lushest and fastest growing in the yard, probably indicates that is enough.

My aim is quality, richness of flavor, and while I might not see or taste it, nutrition.  Raising yields, and growing even bigger figs, just isn't on my wish list.

So after all of that, I decided not to fertilize the fig grove.  After the next grass cutting, I'll cast a dusting of wood ashes.  The added calcium as well as other minerals should be beneficial without causing rank, weak, overgrowth.

Overwintered Four O'Clock (Mirabilis) Roots. 5 Apr 24.

 I was cleaning out one of last year's flowerpots, and found these.  They are Four O'Clock roots.

It's possible I pulled off the growth tops.  I thought there was a weed.  These look nice and firm.  Maybe they have adventitious buds that might grow.

I planted them in potting soil in starter pots. If they grow, I'll plant them in the border or in from of the house.

First Apple Blossoms Of The Season. 4 Apr 24.

 These are the first open apple blossoms of the season.

Redlove Calypso.

Zestar.

Gravenstein.

I need to keep this in mind if I eliminate a variety.  Gravenstein is triploid - I think - so wont pollinate the others, and needs them to develop its fruit.

Still, there will be a lot of overlap with the next ones.  These are just the beginning.

I'm curious about how Zestar will do.  Last year, there were apples but they were not all that good.  Whereas, the Gravensteins were fit for a King!

Starting Mini Dahlias After Dry Storage. 4 Apr 24.

 These were nice mini dahlias.  I had bought them last year in 4 inch pots, and planted in a large container.  They bloomed like champs.

I let the container dry out, and stored in the garage, dry, over the winter.  I didn't know if there would be tubers.  There were.  I really didn't do anything - just leave them dry, in their flowerpot.

This cluster sort of fell apart.  Each tuber has a small growing bud that looks viable.  I planted them un a circle in the container.

The other is in one cluster.  I think I see a growing point there too.

 I planted the first group back in that container.  The second can wait until tomorrow.

Here's what they looked like last summer. Kind of amazing.

Grafting GoldRush Apples Onto Redlove Calypso Espalier. 4 Apr 24.

 I discovered that I had saved some GoldRush apple scion in the refrigerator.  They were in a ziplock, fallen at the back of the dairy drawer.   There was one remaining tier, the 3rd up, to replace on the Redlove Calypso espalier, so I made some grafts.

Where I could find s stem to graft onto, I used cleft grafts.  This is a century - old illustration.  It hasn't changed.

The main thing with this carpentry, is at least one side requires the cambium layers of scion and stock are pressing against each other.  Even better if for both sides, but not required.

There were some locations I thought might be better, but no branches.  For those, I wanted to do a traditional side graft.  An illustration from the 1860s.

I've done this before, but with bud grafting.  That was cherries, in June.  This time it's apple in April.  I had difficulty getting the scion to fit in the slit, even though I was able to expose the cambium layer,  I tore some of the thin bark and cambium and did not wind up with success.  So I treated that area of the branch as a self-graft, placed the layers back together, and wrapped snugly.

Then I went with my earlier idea, and cut a thin tongue in the bark, again exposing the cambium layer.  Insert the scion into that slit,  Wrap snugly, as best I can.

Will they tKe?  Watch and wait.