Backyard Orchard

This time of year I feel very excited. We are almost to the statistical last frost date, probably far past it. Small fruits have formed on most of the trees. It's now time to prepare the fruit to optimize the crop.

Strawberries are not tree fruit, so may not count as "orchard". However, they are fruit, and have been very productive in past years. Currently neglected, but blooming like crazy, so I expect a good crop in a few weeks.

Ponderosa peach. This tiny tree is about 1 1/2 feet tall. It blood way to early - while the covering was still in place. It will have a few peaches, so I will get a taste.

I've learned my lesson. Don't be greedy. If a branch has 20 peaches, it won't support them, they'll be late, small, and not as sweet. I can't eat that many, anyway. I've been thinning them to about 4 inches apart. In general, the little branches are about 6 inches long, so I'm leaving one to 2 peaches per branch. That will still mean about 100 peaches per tree, if they all develop. I see in this photo that I missed some, so will need to go out and thin them. Initially I used scizzors to cut off the little peaches, but I found that it's easier to twist them off with my fingers.

You can see that peach leaf curl is present. The late rains, after I removed the covers, resulted in some leaf curl, but not too bad. I lost a few small branchlets on the peach trees, but overall they look great!

Sweet cherries don't need thinning. Each year, they set more fruit. Backyard Orchard Culture definitely works for sweet cherries.

Surefire tart cherry. This is its second year. The fruit set was much better than the sweet cherries, probably due to the later bloom, avoiding frost. There won't be enough for a pie, but we'll get several handfuls to taste.

Hollywood plum. Also in its 2nd season. It's a lot to ask, to get a crop at this point. The prolific flowers gave me a false sense of hope. But none set. Today I pruned, to open the center, and keep it small, the central tenant of backyard orchard culture.

Oh wait - a plum! One isn't much for most people to get excited about, but for me it will be a treat getting to taste it! Cool! The leaf:fruit ration is probably several hundred to one, so there is plenty of photosynthetic surplus to make it juicy and sweet. We'll see.

I wonder if the red leaves will fool the birds, keeping them away from the fruit? I'll cover it soon.

Grapes are getting ready to bloom. Still one of the most reliable and prolific fruits in my yard.

The new apple, Karmijn (see prior entries). Despite having few roots, here it is. I've noted that new fruit trees often have deformed leaves at first. It doesn't bother me, later leaves usually grow nicely. It's mulched with some lawn trimmings.

These small trees may take 3 or 4 years to bear. Gives me something to look forward to. I'm already thinking about what I'll add next Spring - there is room for a couple of columnar trees, such as Golden Sentinel or Scarlet Sentinel. There is still a long time to cogitate over it.

Honeycrisp apple. It had even fewer roots. It's growing. It will need water during the summer, sue to the small root mass. I'm happy to see it grow.

I've been thinning the apples to one per flower cluster. The clusters generally have 4 to 6 blossoms, most of which set fruit, so this means removing 4 or 5 fruitlets per cluster. I might be too early. It will take a while to thin apples on all of the trees. Again, I feel a little concerned I'm starting too early. I've bagged the apples with bags, bought from Raintree. These are like lady's nylons, maybe that's what they used to be! The idea is, the bags keep moths from laying eggs on the forming apples, so the apples won't have worms. It's another "we'll see" situation.

My Buddy Charlie

Before his latest haircut. He was starting to overheat, so time for a trim.

After. He's showing his age, now more slate grey instead of ebony black. Not as lively.

Baigou isn't by my side all of the time, like Charlie. He keeps to himself. WHen Im gone, the two of them sleep together. Half way through Baigou's haircut, the clippers quit working. Hence, the somewhat punk haircut.

Cattleyas and Dendrobium

Two new additions. I keep saying I don't have room for more. That is correct. Still, during a hard week, it gives me something to look forward to.

I'm very impressed with Hausermann Orchids. This is my 3rd order from them - or is it the 4th? Each time, the plants were in great shape, carefully wrapped, nice root systems. This time, one was in bud, so if it doesn's suffer too much from shipping, and my treatment, I'll see flowers. That's very, very cool! I'm just very impressed.

Here's the plant in bud, Iwanagara Appleblossom "Fantastic". This is also called Iwanagaara, and in some cases Apple Blossom is split into 2 words. Plus, with renaming, it may not even be Iwanagaara - I'll add more later. Regardless, it's said to be a versatile and fairly easy, compact, attractive, and fragrant.

I repotted, as I have been doing when adding any orchids. Doing so gives me a chance to inspect the roots, trim off dead roots, convert to the same medium as the others, and transfer them into the pots with side openings. I almost didnt repot the Iwanagaara, due to the buds - but then decided to do so. Then sprayed with neem oil, as a 'tonic'.

Iwanagaara Appleblossom "Fantastic". Picture from Hausermann orchids. I chose this variety because of the stated bloom time, and it was described as compact.

I decided to add a traditional Cattleya, so here it is. This is Cattleya Hawaiian Wedding "Virgin". Photo from Hausermann Orchids.

Here's the plant. As with the Iwanagaara, I repotted it. Also an impressive plant, with a stalk indicating prior bloom. That means, to me, a chance that it could bloom next cycle. I can't ask for more.

Can't forget, this Dendrobium nobile NOID is starting to bloom. Not the massive plant-hiding mass of flowers, but I think I like it better like this. It's the first Dendrobium that I've had bloom under my care, so that's cool.

tree peony

Fortunately, I had the branches tied to posts. Without support, branches broke with only one or 2 flowers. This year it would have killd itself from the weight of the flowers.

Tree peony is the national flower of China. Ning is quite happy with it.

Figs are looking good!

Brebas on Petite Negri. There are about a dozen, all looking plump. Most usually fall off, we'll see if they do this year. I pruned back most branches that don't have brebas, to keep the tree size small.

Similar to Petite Negri, this is Lattarula. Same breba and pruning comments.

I don't know what I'll do with it, but this is the Sals' fig that I gave up on and left the dead looking stick in the ground for a couple of years. Last year it took off and grew. I potted it up, and here is is now. I think I'll continue to grow it in container.

Petite negri in container. This was the specimen that I grafted last year. The scions did not take, and I cut off those sections.

Kitchen Garden Log. Tomatoes

I added 3 more "Wall-o-water" units, planting almost the last of the tomatoes. One Supersweet-100, one Lemon Boy, and one Black Truffle. There is still one Black Truffle remaining to plant later.

A view inside the WOW. This tomato plant has doubled in size since being planted - 2 weeks ago? See prior entry. inside running high 60s on most days, and when I check in the am.


Another WOW-sheltered tomato. Almost too big now for the enclosure.

Kitchen Garden Log. Container gardens

The containers are doing great. I've been eating salads from the greens, lots of radishes and scallions. Carrots didn't grow.

Radishes and mesclun. These were "hail white radish". Very punguent, exactly the right size and readiness now. When pulled up, the mesclun will fill in a little better.

I filled the potting soil up to the top. When they grow a bit further, I'll come up with some kind of extension and add more.

The second potato planter, planted later. See earlier entries. This is not as far along. That's good, it will space out the harvest.


This barrel still has some mesclun, mostly lettuce, and a few scallions. Planted one little eggplant from Fred Meyer.

This barrel now done with the first mesclun, lettuce, and radishes. I pulled out the daikon - long and skinny, didn't work out. Planted a fe radish seeds, cherry belle which seems to grow small leaves. Because of the peppers, I'm covering it at night.

Lettuce is done, radishes (white icecycle) are done. I didnt like the white icecycle as much as hailstone and cherry belle. Those two were my favorites, then French breakfast. Spinach is almost done - it turned out very well. The peppers are yellow banana pepper and a yellow bell pepper, from Fred Meyer. I think they will be OK, the barrels are warmer than the ground.

Orchid Vuylstekeara Aloha Sparks "Pacific Flame"

Vuylstekeara is a novogenus, consisting of contributions from 3 oncidium alliance genera, Cochlioda, Miltonia, and Odontoglossum. It was created by Belgian Charles Vuylsteke in 1912, although this is a newer hybrid. These are considered cooler growing, so should do well in my house. Instructions also state to grow in filtered light. Some Vuylstekeara are also called Cambria.

Charles Vuylsteke Google translation of article from Dutch here. The awkward automated translations are charming, here is part of the translation: "This cultivar had everything to succeed. Not only answered this orchid to the demand of the market but he also had a name that one could speak, or at least the second portion thereof. The word "Cambria", a name given to all brothers and sisters of "Plush", is so easy to pronounce the name Vuylstekeara quick omitted. Worse yet, eventually called the dealers all hybrids of Odontoglossum Cambria's. There is nothing scientific to this name, it gives the goosebumps orchidofielen but Cambria is so good in the mouth! "
As usual, I repotted and gave a neem treatment on getting this plant home. The original pot was too big, so I stepped it down to a smaller pot. I don't have "ventillated" pots in the small size, so used a clay pot.

The close-up shows why I liked this specimen. The blood-red is set of by bright yellow. The flower form is nicely shaped, no "spidery" petals, which I don't care for. In addition, I'm not crazy about the "pansy" Miltonias, which look too much like pansys (duh). Somehow, it all came together in this hybrid.

The 19th century lithographs, below, represent genera but may not be the correct species, that contributed to Vuylstekeara. If I can narrow it down more accurately, I'll change as appropriate. These are South American species, such as Columbia and Venezuela. These are from my usual source, recently, Wikimedia commons.

Cochlioda noezliana This might be a good guess as a grandparent: "Cochlioda noezliana ~ One of the last species of the genus to be discovered and cultivated, (in 1891), it has small bright red orange flowers, with a disc of golden yellow on the callus of the lip and a violet-purple column...It blooms in winter or spring." also " tend to grow at medium to high altitudes in the Andes mountains of northern Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. In these highland cloud forests humidity is typically high and nights are cool, perhaps around 45°-50°F...usually grow as epiphytes, but are often found with roots growing in moss, and occasionally, in gravelly soil..." "Cochlioda are probably most renowned for their contribution of bright red, orange, scarlet and pink hues to various Odontoglossum hybrids. (Cochlioda noezliana is especially important in this regard.) The genus Cochlioda was established by Lindley in 1853"

Miltonia spectabilis

Odontoglossum luteopurpureum

Kitchen Garden & To Do List

Checked the "Wall-o-water" temperature at 8am today. Inside the WOW at ground level, the temp was 58F. My outdoor thermometer was reading 45F at the same time. Seems to keep them quite a bit warmer. Yesterday inside the WOW the temp was 76, it was an overcast day. I didn't check the ambient temp at the time.

Today I should repot the little peppers and eggplants into larger containters. They are outgrowing their tiny pudding cups.

That's about all on "to do". I have too much work homework.


In keeping with the theme of 19th century Orchid lithographs, but nothing to do with today's post, here is Dendrobium bellatum.

Dendrobium budding

This hyprid, No-ID Dendrobium nobile is making nice buds. I wasn't sure if they would turn out to be keikis or flowers. Now it appears they will be flowers.

Pretty exciting, for me. This is my first re-blooming of a dendrobium. It's friend is also making buds, but not as many.

I sat them outside for a couple of hors today, to get more sun. It was overcast and 60s or 70s so perfect for an orchid outing.

Kitchen Garden: Tomatoes

As of today, 9 tomato plants are planted in the new back yard tomato beds. These were beans and garlic last year. Many of the garlic bulbs were missed and came up again. I don't know if they will give decent garlic cloves - but there they are.

The tomato plants were becoming leggy, although a week of indoor/outdoor life had them stickier than they were. It's still too early. With climate change, or random events, is Spring earlier this year?

Most of the The Wall-o-Water units were left over from previous years. I had 3 that were very leaky, so will discard. I bought 3 new ones today. I did not use them last year, but in previous years, they did protet the plants and gave a big boost of growth, early.

Today, temperature inside the Wall-o-Water at ground level was 60F. I forgot to check the soil temperature before planting, but I think it must be above 55F. By legend, if the soil is warm enough to sit on with your bare bottom, then it's OK to plant tomatoes. I don't have a soil thermometer, I just use a room thermometer with a plastic case.

Planted: Lemon Boy (2), Cherokee Purple (2), Better Boy (2), SuperSweet-100, 4th of July, and Northern Exposure. I have a few smaller plants remainig, will likely plant another SuperSweet-100, a Black Pearl, and a Black Truffle.

Kitchen Garden: in the Barrels.

The soil temp in the barrle has remained about 60 degrees for a week. I planted the last "Cayenne", from the January seed plantings. They are kept overnight. The radishes are soon to be done. The Daikon is too big, I've been thinning them and feeding to chickens, the roots stay too skinny to use. It will probably wind up with one or two of those. More peppers, probably, this weekend although the plants are quite small.

Potatoes. The screening wire is there for the cat's pleasure. Well, displeasure - she doesn't like this on her "litter box" so has given up.

The spinach grew nicely! The radish leaves are too big. These are icecycle radishes, still not big enough to eat, but the leaves are very big.

Scallions and mesclun. The carrots remain miniscule. The scallions are Egyptian Walking Onions, and much milder than I remembered. They are great in salads or on new potatoes! I will continue growing them by saving starts each year, they have worked out great! This barrel will likely have peppers and eggplants in another month.

Overall I'm very happy with the barrel planters.

More orchid lithographs

James Bateman was a landowner and horticulturalist, lived 1811-1897. He created the famous gardens at Biddulph with the aid of his friend and painter of seascapes Edward William Cooke. Bateman published the largest orchid book in his time. Most, but not all, lithographs on this page are from Bateman. All of these photos are from wikimedia commons.

Bateman's book is available here, at botanicus.org.

The lithographs are especially beautiful. Many show the entire plant, not just the decapitated flowers. The lithographs were as much about understanding the biology as they were about appreciating the beauty. Most orchids grow on tree branches, although there are nonepiphytic species, so drawings that include tree branches and exposed roots are more revealing and realistic than pictures of blossoms.

Bateman corresponded with Charles Darwin, who was fascinated by orchids (Darwin wrote a monograph on the ways that orchids interact with insects to ensure cross pollination). In January 1862 while researching insect pollination of orchids, Charles Darwin received a package of orchids from the distinguished horticulturist James Bateman, and in a follow up letter with a second package Bateman's son Robert confirmed the names of the specimens, including Angraecum sesquipedale from Madagascar.

The orchid explorers must have had a powerful sense of adventure. Those who grew them back in their own greenhouses, must have been happy to escape into their own world, as well. I think I understand, and would like that as well.

Oncidium chrysothyrsus

Oncidium insleayi or Rossioglossum insleayi


Galeandra Baueri

Dendrobium capillipes (this is from a different reference and is not a American species)

Cattleya schilleriana

A minicattleya

This is a small plant, about 12 inches from bark medium to top of flower. Picked it up at Treader Joes. Despite stating I would not buy more grocery store orchids, I continue to look at them and this is a result. What was different about this was, it's a minicattleya, and I like the flower colors, sort of peachy gold with a brick-red lip.

The leaves aren't the nicest looking, a bit mottled. I'm concluding that is often the case for orchids. The older leaves may well be 1 or 2 years old, possibly older. So they can't always be expected to be perfect.

On getting it home, I turned it out of the pot and cleaned off the roots. Compared to the Cattleya walkeriana, this plant had very healthy looking, plentiful, roots. I cut off a small number of dead-looking roots with a sterile scissors. I potted it back into the original container, but with fresh bark mix. Washed slightly warm water through the medium, then a watering of weak orchid supplement.

More:

I asked on gardenweb if anyone could identify this, orchid forum. They came back with Potinara Achung Yoyo "Little Goldfish". I'm certain that's the correct identification. Here's a google image search. It's identical. With the renaming of many potinaras, this may more correctly be a Rhyncattleanthe Ahchung Yoyo.