A couple more orchids

This is the "state of the orchidarium" today. I repotted both Dendrobium plants, slightly larger pot, ceramic with holes in the sides for drainage, after removing all original medium. One has what appears to be the start of 3 keikis. Interesting development. I also repotted one Phaelaepnopsis. At the "core" of the medium was sphagnum, surrounded by bark medium. The majority of the roots were rotted. We'll see if it survives. Now it's in an open-sided pot containing fresh bark-based medium. The bad roots were carefully removed. No water for a couple of weeks now.

The Oncidium back-bulbs that I collected last fall, have all sprouted now. The most recent was 1 week ago, about 1 cm of growth. In the hands of a total amateur(me), the ziplock-bag-with-sphagnum method works. It takes a lot of patience, but that's all.

I was looking at Cypripedium orchids, but at the cost not sure I can justify something so iffy. With the variable culture requirements, the tropicals are also iffy, but the reward of blooms during winter, and the long lasting flowers, give a better risk/benefit or cost/benefit profile for me.

I have wanted to add some Cattleya-type orchids, which are what I picture when I think "Orchid", despite knowing better. But Cattleyas are too large, and need too much sun, for my setting. With warmer weather, I can take a risk of a mail-orchid orchid, sitting outside for a few hours, when shipped, should be OK. The front of my house is not in the sun, so I don't think they'll cook, either.

These are from Hauserman Orchids.

"Vaughnara Sir Walter Raleigh 'Yellow Squirt' (Bc. Daffodil x Epi tampense alba) - yellow, Compact-Under 15" Tall 2.5" pot size, Summer Bloomer". Here is another pic of the Vaughnara.

"Potinara Free Spirit 'Eric' (Twenty Four Carat x Sc. Beaufort) - mini yellow, Winter bloomer Miniature-Under 12" Tall, 4" Pot Size on Special!" According to the "Miracle-Gro Complete Guide to Orchids", Potinara is "sympodial, compact, likes medium to bright, indirect light; mild nights, warm days, moderate humidity; let dry between waterings." The book goes on to state, "The growth habit and growing needs... are similar to those of other cattleya hybrids, but their sophronitis background makes them slightly smaller. Cylindrical pseudobulbs are topped with one or two succulent leaves." The 2 varieties that are listed are described as having easy culture but "Free Spirit" isn't listed in the reference.

Both varieties are yellow. One of these days I'll locate a green miniCattleya, or white, and add that as well.

Here is the Vaughnera, pictured on the Orchid Board. Vaughnera is Brassavola X Cattleya X Epidendrum.

Potinara is Brassavola x laelia x cattleya x sophronitis

The vast majority of locally available orchids are Phalaenopsis, or Oncidium hybrids, with some Paphiopedilum, Dendrobium, and Cypripedium hybrids thrown in. So far I haven't seen many miniCattleya hybrids, and the small number I've seen didn't appeal to me (shades of pink and purple, or splotchy flowers). With mail order, the options are more variable, although there's more risk in other ways - will they be what I order, will they be healthy, will they bloom? I imagine these will be small, and I don't know if they will bloom this year. It's all a gamble. I'll be happy if a few of the others rebloom this year, and if most of them grow and thrive.

More seeds planted indoors

I planted more seeds in my indoor-starting unit yesterday. This included 2 varieties of eggplant, some additional chili peppers, and a couple of tomatoes. I need to take a photo and list them, this post is so that I have a 'bookmark' on the date

Under the white cherry tree

This is the annual "try to get the dogs to cooperate for a photo under the white cherry tree" photo. I love this tree, old and gnarled, producing a profusion of double white flowers for a week. The orchard mason bees buzz around the flowers during the afternoon.

Yesterday - I pulled weeds, several buckets-full. I changed my mind about the potato choice, removed the fingerlings and replaced with gourmet whites. May plant the fingerlings elsewhere. Noted a few peas have sprouted - only a few. May replant.

Pulled more rhubarb leaves. Last week made strawberry rhubarb jam - easy and quick, the strawberries were frozen last summer. It was very good. Yesterday I made rhubarb jam - haven't tried it yet. I don't want to admit, I may like the version with strawberries, better.

Asian 3-way pear blooming, played the honeybee using a paintbrush to transfer pollen.

Later noted orchard mason bees have started to awaken, several flying around back and forth to their houses. Added a store-bought version with paper tubes, no time to make my own.

Flowering Quince

It's in the most neglected spot in the yard, a tall fence on the North side, my neigbor's house on the West, and our house on the East. I'm guessing 45 years old. Blooms every year. Get's a little pruning, that's all. Every Spring, one of the most beautiful shrubs around.

The order from Raintree Nursery came on Tuesday. Fortunately, the past 2 days have been cool, and I stored them North of the house where it is cooler. Today is Thursday, I unpacked and planted them. As it happens, today is warm and sunny, a beautiful day.

These are the trees. I'm a big fan of Raintree, and most of trees they have sent me have been robust and beautiful, and they have all grown rapidly. This time I do feel some disappointment. The middle tree, a minidwarf Honeycrisp apple, has about 3 roots, about 6 inches long each. Not much more than a partly rooted cutting. If I saw it in the store, I would have either passed on it, or paid half price or less. The tree on the left, a minidwarf Karmijn de Sonneville, is better rooted, I would call it a good specimen. The tree on the right is an Illinois Everbearing Mulberry, and is a handsome specimen with lots of thick, strong looking roots. Even the scrawny Honeycrisp Apple should grow, I hope, and I'll give it a try.

I look at buying fruit trees as: obtaining the genetic potential, in a 'package' that is healthy enough for me to grow. I hope they are large enough to produce in a few years, assuming that they respond well to my growth conditions. Most are grafted, again combining the genetic potential of the rootstock, with that of the scion. I also hope they are disease-free and healthy, without injuries. These trees are uninjured, and they were well packed.


Raintree nurseries describes Honeycrisp as: "outstanding crisp texture...sweet and tart flavors...pick it in September, but it develops its full aromatic flavor if left on the tree until mid October...somewhat scab resistant and has not shown problems with fireblight." (Photo from Raintree)


Karmijn de Sonneville is described by Raintree as: intensely flavored red russetted apple from Holland...highest in both sugars and acids...triploid cross of Cox's Orange Pippin and Jonathan...so highly flavored and aromatic that it overwhelms some tastes when just off the tree. (Photo from Raintree)

Raintree describes Illinois Everbearing Mulberry as "sometimes starts producing the first year...bears an abundance of sweet, highly flavored fruit, 1-1/2 inches long x 1/2 inch wide...berries ripen continuously throughout July, August, and September, hence its name....self-fertile (photo from Raintree). CFRG discusses mulberries, stating "M. alba X M. rubra...1958. Black, nearly seedless fruit large...very long, averaging 12 per ounce. Flavor good to very good, very sweet, considered best by by many. Matures over a long season. Tree vigorous and somewhat dwarfed, extremely hardy and productive."
This is the same variety, picture from Starks Brothers Nursery.

Plant expert Arthur Jacobson states: "few fruit trees in fact are so easily neglected without crop loss...mulberries fall when ripe, and with a splat notify the world that if they be not eaten fresh, forget it. Marketing mulberries is therefore difficult... Many people... cannot bide the thought of stains --mulberry juice is dark and persistent to an infamous degree...plant your 'Illinois Everbearing' tree well away from paving, patios or walks. Then, beginning the very first year, you can enjoy its fruit all summer"

For some reason, water that is set out for cats, chickens, or being used to soak trees is much tastier than water that is poured from the same faucet for dogs. No problem. I soaked the trees several hours before planting.

Choosing the spot for the mulberry. This is the spot where cucumbers grew last year on their tower. This year cucumbers will be in the front yard. I like to stand back and walk around and view from different angles before planting.

Planted, watered in, and pruned back to about 2.5 feet. This tree will be grown by the Backyard Orchard Culture method, with intense summer pruning. Most of my trees were cut back at the same height, and it's working well.

I have not seen mulberries grown by this method, but I don't see any reason not to try. It will be easy to cover with netting to keep the birds off - and birds are a reason that some people quit growing this fruit.

I will try to grow the pruned portion as well, as a cutting. If it grows, it may make a nice gift. CFRG states: "No special pruning techniques are needed after the branches have been trained to a sturdy framework...can be kept to a tidy form by developing a set of main branches, and then pruning laterals to 6 leaves in July in order to develop spurs near the main branches..not advisable to prune the trees heavily since the plant is inclined to bleed at the cuts. Cuts of more than two inches in diameter generally do not heal and should be avoided at all cost. The bleeding will be less severe if the tree is pruned while it is dormant." Mulberries are related to figs, and I suspect that similar issues apply.

Karmijn, planted and watered in. The hole was dug and prepared a while back, so this was an easy task.

Same for Honeycrisp.

Growing potatoes in a container

This year I decided to try growing potatoes in a container. Potatoes seem like a cheap, readily available commodity, so it may seem like a waste to grow some in a container. I was prompted by several thoughts.

First, I read that they grow very well in containers, providing a high yield in a small space. 2nd, I can grow varieties that are not easily found in the store.

3rd, based on my prior experience, fresh, home grown new potatoes taste very good - another item that seems better than store bought.

These are a white potato, the seed potatoes are labeled simply "Gourmet White". I grew a few 2 years ago, they were very good, but growing in the ground we missed most of them until they resprouted again. I also bought some organic "Russian fingerling" and will try those.

The method is:

1. Start with a container with about 1 ft of potting mix on the bottom. Lay in the sets. I haven't learned whether it's better to cut the sets into individual eyes, or plant the entire set. Both have been advised. Cornell advises cutting larger ones, and planting smaller ones whole. I decided to plant the entire set, reasoning that ther emay be less risk of rot. With multiple eyes, they may be more crowded, but in a container that may not matter. In addition, Cornell advises: "If you want fast emergence, keep the bag of cut potatoes at room temperature until sprouts appear. Some varieties are slow to break dormancy and benefit from a 2- to 4-week “pre-warming” before planting. Others sprout in just a few days. Plant about 2 to 4 weeks before your last frost date. The soil temperature should be at least 40 F. Do not plant where you've grown potatoes, tomatoes, peppers or eggplant in the past 2 years." It's so warm outside, I'm taking the chance and planting out side.


2. You can presprout the potatoes or grow in the soil. I'm not sure which is better. The gourmet white were already sprouting in the store, so it's decided. The Russian Fingerling are not sprouted, but if truly organic would not be treated with chemicals to prevent sprouting. I planted them directly. I also have a few in a windowsill to see if they sprout.

3. The potato sets are laid in the potting soil and covered with a few inches of potting soil. When the plants reach about 6 inches tall, a few more inches of potting soil are added, covering the lower leaves of the plants. This process is repeated until the soil is near the the top of the container, and can be further mounded.

4. According to containergardening.com, you can dig around in the soil with your hands,and pull off potatoes that seem big enough to eat, and each plant should produce about 2 to 4 pounds of potatoes. That's not bad for a container.

Some gardeners use containers that grow as the potatoes grow, or juse plastic garbage pails. I opted for a container that grew a Brugmansia last year, but had left outside so froze and died.

I may plant some sets in the garden as well. I have some left over.

Vegetablegardening.com suggests growing them in a cardboard box or bushel basket. This container was about the size of a bushel basket, maybe a bit larger. Some growers even grow them in a bag of potting soil.

A grower with a nice accent growing potatoes in compost bags:

Tomato and pepper seedlings

Last weekend (Sunday) I planted most of the varieties of peppers and tomatoes. There will be a few more to plant this coming weekend. They are in little pudding cups with holes drilled in the bottoms. I did use the seed starting mat - many sprouted in 2 days. That's impressive! So far, just tomatoes. The peppers are cayenne peppers that were in the seed starting experiment. I changed them over to regular potting soil. With their slow rate of growth, the early start may be needed. To the right is another of the orchid backbulb experiments, growing a tiny sprout. For the time being, it's under the light as well.


I dug out the old fluorescent light fixture and set it up in the window for the seedlings. That way, they get actual (but meager) sunlight, and much more supplemental light. This worked well in the past.

Container gardens

The wine barrel container gardens are growing nicely. I do think they got a head start due to coveirng with plastic. Now I'm leaving them uncovered, except for some chicken wire to discourage birds.
Everything has sprouted, with the exception of the old chinese celery and the onion seeds. Maybe they just need a little more time. The seeds that have sprouted and are growing actively are spinach, chinese radish, radish, brassica mesclun, lettuces, and cilantro. I don't know if they will give edibles in the claimed 20 to 30 days, since it's chilly. Still, very encouraging.

What's blooming?

Daffodils
These have grown undisturbed for 8 years.

Quince

Forsythia. This is the forsythia that I grew from a discarded stick, picked up while walking the dogs. Turned out nice. The location is shaded, NOrth of the house, but it is coming into its own.

Closeup of Sunny Delight peach.

Sunny Delight peach

Chinese Mormon Apricot.

Hollywood plum. this is the second year of growth - I wonder if the blossoms will set?

Honeybabe Peach

Trilite peach.

None of the peach trees appear harmed at all by the plastic wrapping method. I haven't sprayed a second time. I have a 6 inch tall peach seedling, slearly offspring from one of the genetic dwarf peaches, that has been growing for 2 years. It has not been treated wtih leaf curl prevention, and it does have leaf curl. So far, the other peach trees appear free of the disease. It is too early to say for certain.

Other developments:
The wild cherry seeds that I planted last summer are grown into 2 inch tall plants. I removed 3 to flower pots. The long term goal is super-pruning them like the other trees, in the style of "Backyard Orchard Culture". Can it be done? I don't know. Everything is a gamble.

The pear buds have opened into clusters of flower buds, but the flowers themselves are not yet open.

Last sunday I also went around with a little paintbrush, taking pollen from flower to flower among the peaches, then between the twp apricot trees, then between the plum trees. The Shiro plum has just 4 flowers, so who knows if it will fruit. The Hollywood plum is said to be self fruitful, and has many more flowers. It would be cool to have a crop of plums, second year after planting the tree. The peaches are also said to be self fruitful, but playing the bee shouldn't hurt anything. A few apricot flowers fell off while I was pollinating. That may mean it't too late to make a difference. We'll see.

Here is the rest of the Apple Pie

I've been informed that I did not publish the rest of the apple pie, as I said I would 2 weeks ago:-) here it is.


Crust recipe here.

This was a 9 inch apple pie.

I used 4 large Braeburn apples. I sliced 5, but that was too much, so I ate the 5th.

Filling is:
3/4 cup sugar (I used 2/3 cup, not as sweet)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt
6 cups thinly sliced baking apples (Braeburn is good, or Jonathan, or MacIntosh.
2 tbsp olive oil (Recipe calls for butter. I don't miss it, olive oil is healthier).
1 tsp vanilla.

I added the vanilla to the sugar, mixed them together, then ran the mixture through a sieve to make it granular again. I like having vanilla in the apple pie.

I layered the apples into the crust, a layer of apples, then a layer of flour mix, then a layer of apples, then a layer of flour mix, then one more layer. Then dribble the olive oil on top of the mix. Some bakers mix the apples and flour mix, then pour it into the crust. I think either is OK.

Covered with top crust, a few holes punched with a fork. My mother had a special "pie ventilator" device that cut little designs into the top. I've never been able to find one. Even though a fork does the job just fine, using the device would be more nostalgic. I guess I'll have to settle for using her maple rolling pin.

Foil to keep the edges from burning. I find this works better than the aluminum guard that I bought. The foil gives better coverage. It can be reused multiple times, and I do.

I bake 425 X 15 min then turn the oven down to 375 for 40 minutes. The recipe calls for 425 the entire time, but in my oven that's too much.

The recipe came from my mother's cousin, Pearl's Betty Crocker cookbook, 1969, but I made enough changes that maybe it's my own. I decreased the sugar as noted, added the Vanilla, and decreased the nutmeg because the higher amount in the original recipe gave me heartburn. I might eliminate it altogether. I also changed the butter to olive oil, as noted, and used the olive oil crust.

Today I actually made a rhubarb pie - no photos today, but photos and recipe are here (page down, also not in correct order) except that I used the olive oil crust and forgot the oil (butter). We'll see if that makes a difference. With oil in the crust, it may not. I also left out the lemon juice - forgot to buy some. I also found an error in the recipe - didn't say how much rhubarb - so I corrected it. Wow! Home grown Rhubarb pie and it's not even March yet! It was redder than last time, probably due to the young stems.

Looking at the older photos, the sauce in the pie looks watery. That's because it was sliced when hot. It gels when cool. We like eating ours cool anyway, the flavors seem to blend together better.

Some bakers use tapioca starch in pies. I keep forgetting to buy some. Tapioca starch apparently makes a better gel in the pie filling.

Garden Log 2/18/2010

Amazingly warm February. Taking advantage of it, but always with the knowledge that this is way too early and we may yet get freezes and frosts, even severe ones.

The half barrels seem like a great idea. The radishes and mesclun have already sprouted. I tried to plant them thinly, so I would not have to thin them out too much. I did remove a few, so they are about 1 inch apart. Counting, this leaves about 100 plants per barrel, plenty for some early vegetables or greens.

I planted a 3rd barrel. Under the plastic, the temperature was 74 degrees F. In contrast, my remote thermometer gives 53 F in the shade.
I uncovered the radish seedlings, at least for the day, to give them air and reduce risk for fungal disease. I gave them some fish emulsion.

The new barrel was planted with spinach, an Asian Radish called "Rabano" icicle, some 5-year old seeds for Chinese Parsley, interplanted with seeds for Evergreen White Bunching onion in case the Chinese Parsley doesnt grow. Finally, a Lettuce Bon Vivant Blend, multiple colors and shapes of lettuce.

In the front yard bed that had last years' tomatoes, I planted a small patch of Sugar Snap Peas. Assuming they germinate in a couple of weeks, then I'll add a trellace for them.

Ning set up these raised beds for tomatoes and other summer plants. They'll need to be topped off with some bedding soil.

The rose bed, with a little fence to keep nosey dogs out. The fence is more of a suggestion than a barrier.

Barrel with plastic cover, in the sun.

Radishes and other brassicas are sprouting nicely.

Peaches are blooming already. I'm almost thinking 'bummer' because of the risk for frost damage. It is what it is. If a frost is predicted, I'll look for some blankets to cover the peaches and apricots.

And finally, I also bought a bundle of Asparagus roots at Fred Meyer. This was an impulse - given past failures, I thought I would give up this year. It's likely that about a half dozen plants will come up form last year and, if so, that's finally a start at an asparagus bed. This bundle contained 7 roots. I had more success last year by planting them in pots, then into the bed afgter they were a foot tall. I did the same today, planting 6 into pots, but the last and smalles one was planted directly in the bed. We'll see what happens. If I get just one edible spear this year, I'll feel a little like I've made progress.

Garden Log

No photos today.

Yesterday, I noted pinkness through the plastic on the peach trees, so I unbound and uncovered them. There are a few blossoms already open. Cool+stress. Cool because so early, stress because of chances for frost. Frost can kill a blooming tree. We'll see - not much to do about it but watch the predicitons and cover if frost is predicted.

Radish and brassica mesclun seeds in barrels are sprouting. Little rows are visible. OK if these get frosted, and anyway they'll be easy to cover.

Indoor seeds, the carrots sporuted, a few more Red Delicious. Counts to be posted later.

Garden Log

Today was a day off from work at the office. I tried doing homework - my take-home laptop had a new security system installed, now I can't get into it. So plan B, I was using my own laptop, but the cord developed a short and now needs replacing. So plan C, my old desk top. Slow - now a bit faster.

So, took the pile of prunings to the Recycling center. Here is the pile at about 1/4 its final size - I didn't take a photo today. It towered over the truck. I had tried grinding them in my brush chopper - it clogs up over and over, big hassle. I tried running them through the lawnmower - too much work. So, into the truck and off to H&H recycling.



Normally, I don't let the yard get so out of hand, but last year was intense. Things grew out of control. Much of this was lavender and rosemary, roses, ivy and blackberry vines. Also a big pile of lilac prunings that I never got around to chopping, from last summer. The ivy and blackberries are the curse of invasive exotics. The pile smelled really good due to the massive pile of herbs. Rosemary and lavender continue growing through the summer, even without watering, and over the past several years have become huge bushes. Plus, I had let volunteers grow, but they have degraded, drab flower quality even though the foliage is aromatic. So a lot of those got pulled up, and all were pruned back severely.

To make the trip worthwhile, I bought a truckload of yard-waste compost - which I was going to do anyway. That makes the trip about zero carbon balance-wize for the prunings.

I cleaned up the back yard rose & fruit raised bed. Raked out old top-layer which contained leaves, some bark mulch, and some weeds and prunings. Weeds to the chickens. The rest, to low spots in other beds, to be covered over later. Then a nice layer of steamy, black, earthy-smelling compost.

If the cat doesnt use this as the world's largest litter box, that should do it for the year. A big if - depends on what she takes a shine to. It would be OK, but she stirs up the material under the mulch, mixing it together, and the exposed weed seeds sprout and grow rampantly. If she does, then it may get another layer of something. Not sure what yet - chopped straw is a strong possibility, but only after rainy season is over.

I like the appearance of a garden bed, when it's all cleaned up, pruned, weeded, and has a fresh layer of compost mulch. It looks so "ready" for the year. Now it's pouring rain, mid 50s. That will settle the mulch nicely.

I trimmed some of the center growth from the fig trees. Not much, but enough to keep them open. Took the tallest branch from petite negri, to keep it low and open. Not sure yet how much freeze damage they have. Some tip buds look dead, but pruned branches have nice green cambium.

freezing temperature.

After making a big deal about the mild temperatures, it dropped to 32F last night. We'll see what effect that had.

Pepper seed sprouting experiment.

No need for photos. So far the following have sprouted:

(1) Cayenne pepper 2008 - 4 seeds.
(2) Red delicious pepper 2006 - 2 seeds.

I removed 3 of the Cayenne and the 2 Red Delicious to small containers containing moistened seed starting medium. I don't know if that will work, but there is plenty of time for failures. In fact, this may be way too early.

One Cayenne sprout was rotton-looking. Not promising, so it was discarded.

Germination & growing temperatures

Thanks to my super-early seed planting experiment, I looked up some info on germination temperatures.

For radishes, (Canadian Dept of Agriculture)
"Radish is a quick growing cool season root vegetable. The seed will germinate in 3 to 4 days with soil temperatures of 18º to 30ºC (64 to 86F) with good moisture. The minimum temperature for germination is 5ºC (41F), the optimum temperature for germination is 30ºC. The maximum temperature for germination is 35ºC (95F). Germination rates decline sharply when the soil temperature falls below 13ºC (55F). The best quality and root shape are obtained when the crop grows and matures at moderate temperatures (10 to 18ºC)(50F-64F) in intermediate to short day lengths. Radish remain in prime condition for only a few days. Roots of globe varieties tend to elongate and develop poor shape in hot weather when the tops also grow taller and larger than in cool weather. Long days induce flowering or seed stalks (bolting) and with warm weather the seed stalk may develop so rapidly that no edible root is formed. Radishes become more pungent in hot weather. Roots remain in marketable condition only a short time before becoming pithy. Growth must be continuous and rapid for good quality.

Lettuce, same source:
Head lettuce grows best at 15 to 18ºC (60F - 64F - I'll assume similar for leaf lettuce). Germination takes place at a minimum of 5ºC (41F), has an optimum range of 16 to 20ºC, and an optimum germination temperature of 20ºC (68F) (depending on the cultivar and type of lettuce). At soil temperatures over 27ºC germination is poor. Hardened seedlings are tolerant (-5ºC to -7ºC) to frost but mature plants are more sensitive to frost (-1ºC) depending on the cultivar...

Brassicas (I'm assuming the Chinese Mesclun), same source. I'm regarding these as a Cole crop, although that may not be accurate. The brassica family are well adapted to cool season production. These plants are quite cold resistant. Young hardened cabbage plants can withstand -10 for a short time, older plants are less hardy. The growth rate of cabbage stops at 0°C and is quickest at 15°C to 20°C. Above 25°C growth stops. ... The minimum temperature for seed germination is 5°C with an optimum germination temperature of 27°C, an optimum range of 7 to 27°C and a maximum germination temperature of 37°C. Cauliflower and broccoli will not stand temperatures as high or low as cabbage....

And finally, carrots, same source:
Optimum growing temperatures for these crops are 15° to 20°C with a minimum of 5°C and a maximum of 24°C. The minimum temperature for germination is 2°C (35.6F); with an optimum range of 10° to 25°C. The optimum germination temperature for... carrots is 25°C. The maximum temperature for germination is... 35°C... These crops therefore favor cool season conditions. Low and high temperatures reduce seed germination. Both carrot & parsnip foliage are hurt by frosts (1.5°C) but this does not usually affect the roots. When there are freezes for over 24 hours, the crowns can be injured and these carrots will not keep well. Adequate moisture is necessary for good yields and quality....When (parsnip) seedlings with roots 6 mm in diameter or larger are subjected to cold temperatures (below 10°C) for a period of time flower initiation takes place. For early seeded carrots of susceptible varieties, bolting may occur.

So, it looks like the current temps or a bit warmer will be OK. I found an old translucent shower curtain, cut it to fit, and covered each barrel. That should let in infrared light and warm the barrels a bitg during the day. I'll look for a thermometer.

What's growing? What's Blooming?

Blooming in February? You gotta be kidding! We may yet be hit by a killing frost, even a hard freeze. I hope not - I don't have much control over the apricot and plum buds that are starting to swell.




Pussy Willow (Salix) - These are from a young bush, just a stick 2 years ago. I cut off all of the flowering stems, it will help the bush become bushier. This summer's growth will be next year's flowers, so cutting flowers now is just a way to prune for increased flower production next year.

Helleborus is always good for a super-early show, even before snowdrops. They love moist, shady locations, North side of house. The only down side is the flowers tend to droop, so you need to get up close to see them.

Globe allium. Onion-family plants thrive here. This was one bulb a few years ago, now it's 5.

Garlic chives (Chinese chives) - our favorite for dumplings. This barrel on south side of house, soon will be harvestable size. Another barrel, on north side of house, shoots are barely visible. I also have them in the ground - much more difficult to manage, due to weeds and grass. Once grass invades, it's next to impossible to pull out from a grassy plant like chives or chinese chives.

Another helleborus. Cool!

Super-Early Seed Planting

It's been nice and warm, seems amazing for February. Here is a screenshot from weather.com:

"Tropicals" like tomatoes, chili peppers, eggplants, and basil, can't go into the ground until May, due to the risk for frost and the cool ground. I do need to measure the ground temperature. Cool-weather plants, some of which can even be winter-sown, are another matter, I think.

I've been wanting to do this project for a long time. Ning found a couple of "free-for-the-taking" wine barrels, and scarfed them up for use as planters. They've been sitting for a year or two. Today I got out the Skill-saw and cut them in halves, then drilled multiple 1-inch holes in the bottoms of each. Ning wanted to be able to move them around, so we added casters.

The main incentive was a warmer and more controlled environment for chili peppers and eggplants, which are challenging in the Maritime Pacific Northwest climate. It's still 3 months too early for those, but with unseasonably warm weather, I decided to try greens and radishes. Being above ground, South side of house, on a masonry patio, they should be much warmer. Today is 54F. The past week has been in a similar range. If it freezes, I can cover them as long as I have some warning. Freezing should not harm these plants. Weeds are growing actively, and brassicas are a lot like weeds in hardiness. The onions survived hard freeze down to 15 F in December, without damage.

Here's what we planted:

Some lettuce, Black Seeded Simpson - 40 days
Radish, Daikon Miyashige White - 60 days
Radish, French Breakfast - 28 days
Carrot, Scarlet Nantes - 65 days
Radish, Cherry Belle - 24 days
Cilantro, Slow Bolting - not listed
Mesclun, Asian Salad Greens blend, 21-45 days

Plus, I pulled a couple dozen struggling top-set onions from a garden bed, where they had been neglected, separated them, and planted individually for use as scallions.

It's always an experiment. I'll look for a sheet of plastic to cover them, keep them warmer. This is 2 of 4 half-barrels, so I can plant more in a couple of weeks.

They will probably take longer than listed. That's OK. If they are not fully developed by the time that we plant chilis and eggplants, we can harves them as 'baby vegetables' or feed them to the chickens. But given that we have about 85 days, I suspect that we'll have some garden-fresh greens before that time

I like the "controlled environment" aspect of using a prepared potting soil, raised above ground level. Less liklihood of disease problems, easier to plant, harvest, weed, thin. No getting feet muddy and tramping down the soil. Expense is an issue - it takes a lot of soil to fill the barrels. If they were not free, that is another issue. They should last a long time - I have 10-year old half-barrels that still look great and show no signs of falling apart. Yet.

Pie Intermission: Pepper seeds.

The Pepper Seeds continue to incubate. I think one seed sprouted so far - a cayenne.

This method makes it easy to observe the results without opening the bag. However, I did open it briefly to let some air into it.

The thermometer reads 86 F. This article describes experiments on pepper seed germination - looks like 30C (about 86F) is about the highest you can go before viability drops off. Not much difference between 20C and 30C (68F and 86F). They didn't test lower, and the next higher temp, 35C (95F), gave a much poorer result. It took 6 to 10 days for 1/2 of the seeds to germinate. Based on this experiment, I don't need to heat them so warm, but the mat doesnt' give much temperature control. On the other hand, in seed starting medium, they will probably be a little cooler, due to medium between the seeds and the mat.

This article recommends 70F to 90F. They also recommend a presoak in dilute vinegar or dilute tea. This article also states the same thing.

There seems to be a whole subculture built around growing chilis. I have this book pretty good discussion of chili types, history, and cultivation.

Ecoseeds.com suggests that peat-based media inhibit either germination or growth of pepper seeds. I don't know how scientific their experiment was, but it's worth keeping in mind. Given that there is signiciant criticism regarding the environmental impact of peat harvesting, there may be some bias - no way for the reader to know.

One little sprout.

Here are the rest of the seeds.