Garden Log, Dec. 25 2009

Now we are past the solstice, so the days will start to lengthen. Even so, the coldest days are ahead of us. Today is bright and sunny, frost on the ground, so a new banner is added showing the frost on the candytuft.


View of my home office, from outside. It's great having a green place, with flowers blooming, and where I can look out to the birds in the feeder.

The Rhode Island Reds ('Rhodies') are laying an egg each day. So are the Australorps, which are too shy to photograph, and the Leghorn. We've been giving away a lot of eggs. They are one of the few things from the garden now, so it's great to have a reminder that the yard can still be productive in the Winter.

The Leghorn, having a "private moment" laying her daily egg.

A "Street chicken" during the trip to China in October. I don't know why, I just thought it was fun to take a photo.




The frosted Candytuft. Low, low maintenance- haven't done a thing with it in 6 years.

Helleborus starting to push up flower buds. It's the small things that tell me life continues, and give hope for Spring.

I didn't know if the Lycoris radiata would even survive. Here are the small, striped strap-like leaves. The hard freeze didn't seem to hurt them at all. This is the first time growing this bulb, so I still don't know what to expect. They look rugged, there, still green and standing up in the frozen leaf mulch.

The pond pump is broken, so the top froze over. You can see the koi and comets swimming around under the ice.

Neck Pain / Daydreaming about garden chores

Last week I developed a neck pain, typical for disk protrusion. This is like a sensation of toothache, extending down to the right hand, and numbness in 2 fingers. It should gradually improve, I know that. Meanwhile, it is severe enough to occupy my thoughts at all moments.

Trying to daydream a bit to get my mind off from this development. Jan 1st is usually pruning day for grapes. I hope it's better by then.

Also still need to to some yard cleanup, neglected like a lot of things this year.

Basically, 2009 was not so great. The backyard orchard did fairly well, but many other aspects of the yard were neglected, and other parts of life left to languish. I hope that 2010 will be better. We can always hope. I can resolve not to keep putting off the good things in life, to take care of today's "crises" and demands, but I already know how that will go.

I got the winter onions planted 3 weeks ago. Garlic still not planted. Last week temp dropped to 12 F in the backyard - I think that's the coldest day in my yard in 10 years.

Typing is painful too, so will stop now. Need to keep thinking about new projects - ordered trees, Illinois Mulberry, Karmijn de Sonnaville apple (highly flavored Dutch variety), Belmac apple (disease resistant Mac-type apple) and maybe, if lucky, a taste of fruit from the 1-year old trees that I planted last winter.

Karmijn de Sonnaville Apple(from Raintree): This intensely flavored red russetted apple from Holland measures the highest in both sugars and acids. A triploid cross of Cox's Orange Pippin and Jonathan, it is the favorite of many, however, it is so highly flavored and aromatic that it overwhelms some tastes when just off the tree. Put this excellent winter keeper in a box when it ripens in mid October and wait about a month for the complex mellow flavors to start shining through. A vigorous grower and somewhat scab resistant...

Belmac Apple(from Raintree): This wonderful new productive all purpose Canadian cultivar combines flavor and keeping ability with cold and disease resistance. The sweet, medium to large deep red apples ripen in late September/early October and keep three months or more. Like its parent Spartan, it has a delicious sweet/tart McIntosh flavor. It resists scab, mildew, and cedar apple rust. It thrives in eastern Canada and has also proven a winner in Western Washington.. Bred by Dr. Shahrokh Khanizadeh in Quebec and introduced in 1996.

Illinois Everbearing Mulberry (from Raintree): (Morus alba x rubra) This grafted tree is hardy to -30 deg.F. It sometimes starts producing the first year after planting and bears an abundance of sweet, highly flavored fruit, 1-1/2 inches long x 1/2 inch wide that look like elongated blackberries. The fruit has a delicious distinctive flavor. The berries ripen continuously throughout July, August, and September, hence its name. The fruit is red and turns black when ripe. Illinois Everbearing will grow to 35 feet tall but it is easily pruned and kept much smaller. Each is self-fertile.

As with the rest of the yard, These will be trained and pruned according to the "Backyard Orchard Culture" method. The apples are on super-dwarfing M27 rootstock. I haven't seen the "Backyard Orchard Culture" method applied to mulberries - in fact, I've so rarely seen mulberries, I don't quite know what to expect. But so far, the method is working out well for the other trees, so I think it should work for these as well. Plus, keeping the mulberry pruned to small size should allow for netting to prevent excessive bird-thievery.

Serious about climate change."Each snowflake in an avalanche pleads not guilty."

I can't figure out why so many people are so resistant to the idea that our climate is changing, or that it's because of human activity. Here is a quote regarding the recent summit:

"The solution to the problem is greatly retarded by the lack of scientific and technological awareness in certain societies, notably the U.S, where superstitions and political passions often trump sound reasoning," Emanuel said. "For example, we could make great strides toward energy independence and reduction of greenhouse emissions by undertaking a serious program of nuclear energy, which can easily supply our energy needs for 100 years. This, coupled with innovation in electric vehicles, would solve much of the problem."

But even if we were to stop emitting greenhouse gases all together, many of their effects would still emerge, say many scientists. And for that, adapting to such an environment is necessary. " Link here.

In a world with over 6 billion people, what can one person do? Well, in the US, were one individual contributes far more to climate change that an individual in a poorer country, what one person does is more significant. In addition, we contribute to climate change in other countries by buying goods that are imported here - our purchase of a Chinese good contributes to the Chinese CO2 emission.

I haven't been able to bike commute for quite some time, due to work demands. I continue to think about it, but I have to be realistic. I do drive a reasonably fuel efficent car, and quit driving the pickup to work. Being vegetarian significantly reduces the carbon load. We also grow significant amounts of food in the yard, reducing cost of transportation and commercial agriculture. We keep the thermostat at 55 night and 60 daytime, in the winter. That's too cold for me when doing homework, but now having a home office, I use a portable heater that just warms that room, when I'm in the room.

I'll have to work on other ways to reduce carbon footprint. I think we produce less than most equivalent-size households, but there remains a lot of room for improvement. To be honest, with individual and cultural ignorance, political opportunism, religious demagoguery, narcissim, "me first", "It's my right to have as many babies as I want" at play, I have doubt that we'll make a difference.

Then there is the other aspect - how to adapt to a warmer world? I think that means learning to experiment with what grows, and how to grow things differently. Naturally, that will mean much bigger issues with commercial agriculture than with the individual gardener and homeowner. As long as we remain flexible, know to mulch for better water retention in summer & cooler soil, keep organic matter high in the soil for the same reasons, experiment with varieties, we'll be doing the best that we can.

Current Conditions.

Tonight it's going to be in the mid 20s. BRrrr.

Not much going on in the yard. Last weekend I planted winter onions - very belated. I don't know if they will survive or grow. Still have some in storage, too. Now they'll probably wait for spring, although if there is a warm snap I might plant them. Chickens still laying one egg each, daily. I changed their fluorescent bulb to an incandescant, for more heat. We're still eating apples, none have spoiled. I like the Jonagold better than Liberty, and the unnamed heirloom graft better than either.

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More schlumbergera

Another Schlumbergera in full bloom. They all did great this year, some are starting to fade but have a second set of buds. I like the 2nd bloom better than the first, because it's less prolific and the individual flowers show better.

Another Orchid

This one is a paphiopedilum (Lady Slipper) hybrid. It's not labeled, but looking at internet photos appears to be Paphiopedilum 'Copper Glow' as pictured here. Here's another one that looks similar, called "the Queen". No way to know for certain. The word to keep in mind is "Paphiopedilum Maudiae hybrids"

According to this site, this mottled-leaf Paphiopedilum should have a night temperature not below 60 degrees F. (preferably 65 degrees F.), and a day temperature of 75-85 degrees F; constantly moist or damp, but not soggy; bright window but protect from mid-day sun.

I think I can manage those conditions, although our house is a bit cooler day and night in the winter.

It's all a gamble. Still, I could be spending money on... gambling? Booze? Furthering my education? I'll gamble a bit on gardening for a while instead.

Schlumbergera

Several are in full bloom now. Schlumbergera = "Holiday cactus" = "Thanksgiving cactus" = "Zygocactus" = sometimes, incorrectly, Xmas cactus

Salmon, cutting-grown 4 years old. Summered outdoors, North side of house.

3 years old pink. Summered same as the others.

Lost in Translation: Chinese signs

Some signs from my October trip to China. I think anyone would find these signs funny. To be fair, how many signs in the US are translated into Chinese? We get protests if signs are bilingual, with Spanish. So these signs acknowledge and welcome the foreign tourists. But they're still funny.

Protect the ecological environment. Advocate the new civilization.

Be careful off the grass.

The food signs were especially interesting. These were in a Buddhist all-vegetarian restaurant. In any other restaurant, "vegeterain" includes real pork, chicken, sausage, ham. In this restaurant, simulated 'meats' are all-vegetarian.

My favorite. The actual translation is "mouth watering duck."

"Fresh greens"

I don't know what this is supposed to translate to.

The Peach in Winter: Leaf Curl Prevention

This year's experiment with leaf curl prevention was so wildly successful, I didn't want to miss the opportunity to repeat it. So last weekend I did. Even if I don't get into the garden again for a month, I've done the most productive task.

I did the following:

1. Strip off remaining leaves. That's easy and fairly quick on these genetic dwarf peach varieties. They are compact, and the leaves come off easily. I strip off the leaves so that all of the spray goes on the stems, and so that they don't interfere with bundling the branches.

2. Rake up all debris, leaves, and weeds, under the trees.

3. Spray with copper spray. Copper is considered "organic" because it's a mineral. The concern is to over-do it, and have too much copper in the soil. So I was careful not to over-do it.

4. Bundle the branches into compact packages that would be easy to cover with white plastic garbage bags. I chose white plastic because it is somewhat reflective, to keep the branches from overheating.

5. Cover the bundled branches with the plastic bags.

6. Tie the bags into place.

7. Prune off any little branches that did not fit into this scheme.

My worries last year were that this process would damage the trees. It did not - this year I had the best peach crop ever, with only about 10 leaves impacted by leaf curl disease. Click on the labels to see the devastating effects of that infection. It's the reason people keep telling me "you can't grow peaches here"


I also sprayed the Moorman apricot and the potted dwarf apricot, that I will move into better shelter soon. I don't know if that will help - apricots tend to die quickly here, and I have not figured out why, yet.

Orchid experiment

With so many orchids available, I've been tempted into buying some. Over the past few months, I've added several. The flowers last weeks, even months, so if they don't re-bloom, it's not a total loss. Still, I hope they do, and they were one of the reasons for adding the West window to my home office. I have a lot of learning to do about growing orchids. Most do not like wet medium, grow best in bark-based substrates, like cool nights and warm, not hot, days. The light requirements also vary by genus and species. Apparently, modern hybrids are more flexible than species, but who knows what will happen to these particular varieties?

These are all unnamed hybrids. With thousands of varieties avaiable, over 20,000 species, I'll probably never know the variety names. I've been reading about the evolutionary adaptations of orchids. About 1/3 of the species have deceptive anatomy, color, or scent, to fool insects into pollenating them. Unlike the relationship between fruit trees and bees, or many other flowers and pollenating insects, the orchid provides no nectar or nutrition. Just a 'thrill' to the male insects that are convinced that the orchid flower is a female. Many of the adaptations are specific to one insect species. For some, it's wasps, for some, hornets, for some, bees, for some, moths, for some, beetles. Amazing.


Oncidium hybrid

Phaelenopsis hybrid

Oncidium hybrid

West window garden. The upper shelves are great for the Shlumbergera.

South window garden. I think that the white flower is a Dendrobium intergeneric hybrid, but I'm not certain. Pacific northwest winters are so gloomy, I don't think there is much risk of leaf sunburn.