Orchid Progress Report.

Here are some lessons I have learned from experience with orchids, so far:
1. If you buy one in bloom, at least you get the pleasure of having it bloom once. If it has a number of unbloomed spikes, that may be a few months of blooming, depending on the variety. See the Burrageara photo, a fine example.

2. Sometimes you just have to try a few varieties of a genus or species. I've had great success with Dendrobium nobile, mostly Yamamoto hybrids. I've had no success with Dendrobium phaelenopsis, multiple varieties. I think the nobiles like it cooler, and the phaelenopsis like it warmer, and just can't adapt to my environment. Similarly, I've rebloomed a couple of Oncidium intergenerics that are extravagant in their flower production, but can't seem to get a standard yellow Oncidium to bloom no matter what I do. The Cymbidiums I've collected all looked pretty much the same out of bloom, but some are growing rapidly, while the one next to them sits and sulks.

3.  I'm not sure how much the container type matters.  I have some in glazed orchid pots, with lattice sides that allow drying of medium quickly.  Others in clay pots.  The clay does seem to build up salts.  The references recommend occasional drenching with rain water to prevent salt buildup.  I've been bad about doing that.  Some are in plastic pots.  I think Cymbidiums do well in plastic.  I've been going to clay for the Oncidium intergenerics lately.  Still trying to decide what's best, or if it matters.

The Yamamoto Dendrobiums are on the south deck under the grape arbor. For much of the day, they are in full sun. The young starts are growing quickly. I am feeding them high nitrogen 30:10:10 except for Apollon Spring Dream, which has the start of buds, looking a bit floral - so it's gettin 10:20:20.

A Miltoniopsis hybrid that, according to my label I bought and repotted in late 2010. After reading they can be difficult, I didn't expect much but never got around to throwing it away. Now producing a flower spike. There you go. That's why I salvaged another Miltoniopsis that I almost threw away - time will tell if that "dormancy" actually killed it.

Burrageara Nellie Isler. As I recall, this is Stefan Isler with some additional Miltoniopsis, hence the larger skirt. Quite fragrant. There are 3 unbloomed spikes, so I expect it to bloom for a long time. I repotted it into a squat 6" clay pot to give it a chance for growth, as well as better wet/dry pattern than the miniscule plastic pot it was in originally. These are labeled as "azalea pots".    I haven't seen that repotting, even in full bloom, is a set back for most orchids.  Leaving them in their original pots can be a challenge, because they are often packed very tightly and in a medium that might have worked in a greenhouse but not necessarily in my hands.

Here are the Cymbidiums. These are North of the house, but get full sun for several hours daily, as can be seen here. They will have to move when the contractor comes next week to tear out the old kitchen - not sure where I'll put them. I just up-potted one that I thought dried out too fast, not a big deal just pulled it out and put into a larger pot with as little disturbance as possible. The medium was recent, from this winter, so it did not need an aggressive replacement. Also here is an oncidium, now unfortunately sunburned. Doesn't like the sun that the Cymbidiums and Dendrobiums love, but it also hasn't bloomed in about 5 years, so maybe this will help it bloom. The new growth are pale green which is said to be a good thing.

Grape progress report.

I wondered if I almost killed them during the pruning this year, because I removed so much growth. Then there was a hard freeze.  Not the case. Now as lush as ever. The grape clusters have barely started to form, but there may be over a hundred clusters.  The arbor shades the bedroom so well I think the temperature is 10 degrees cooler. I did not measure that effect however. One issue is that the branches grew so fast, some broke off at their origin. I've been pruning a few back. The chickens love eating grape leaves, denuding branches within minutes on throwing them into the chicken yard.

Some vines have grown more than 6 feet already, and they are not done yet.

Some more roses

"Fair Bianca" is a David Austin rose. Pure, pure white. So white it's difficult to photograph. The fragrance reminds me of Mme. Hardy. Spicy. This rose has been off to a slow start, partly due to raspberries that over run it. I need to be more diligent. It's a beautiful and beautifully-scented rose.

Tranquility, not an Austin but 'almost'. Also really beautiful, the palest pink possible without being white. Wide open, many petaled rose, spicy fragrance. In my garden it tends to grow tall, about 6 feet.

Sceptered Isle, an Austin rose. It gets up to 10 feet or more. Nice rose, pretty, can't go wrong but I think I need to find a more roomy place for it.

Evelyn, another David Austin rose. Not too prolific here, but tolerates the dry summer and the flowers are large, unique and fragrant.

Happy Child, also a David Austin rose. Nice color. To me it's a tea-rose fragrance, unlike a lot of Austins that have a spicy fragrance.  I moved it last winter, wondered if it would survive. It did.

Roses in bloom

A random rose in the garden. This started out as a little grocery store potted rose. No name. It just quietly does its thing, not demanding much attention.

I think this is old garden rose, Damask-type, "Ville de Bruxelles". I've moved it a couple of times. Now it's about to be overtaken by a rhubarb plant, but I think the rhubarb will be the plant to move this time. I gave it a lot of fish emulsion this spring - probably why it's so lush now. Blooming like crazy.

Peach Progress

Peaches are swelling quickly. I feel more optimistic now. This tree is recovering from its peach leaf curl infestation nicely. The thinned peaches will be enough for a pie and some fresh peaches. Maybe.

"First Fruits" strawberries, cherries, and raspberries.

The cherries are ripening. I always wonder if we will get any. They are the first tree fruit of the year.

This is the multigraft cherry tree. Even though multigraft trees are often scorned, this tree always bears well.

Fallgold Raspberry. I usually don't get many to bring into the house. The reason is I stand at the canes eating them immediately on picking, they are so good. The one downside is the canes are invasive. However, it's easy pulling up spreading canes.

Strawberries, my favorite! This is the first bowl full. There are many, many berries on the plants.  These are june-bearing.  The ever-bearing are close behind, even though I pulled off the first flowers.  I think this will be a good strawberry year.

Roses are in full bloom

The David Austin roses are amazing now. These are Tamara (aprocot colored), Tranquility (not an Austin, this is from Heritage roses, white/pink), Sceptere'd Isle (peach) and Fair Bianca (white). All of the roses responded well to the severe pruning that I gave them earlier this year. That means the pruning was OK.

Repotting a Miltoniopsis hybrid

I bought this Miltoniopsis hybrid a couple of months ago, intending to throw it away when it finished blooming. I sat it on the deck when it was done. It sat there dry and exposed for more than a month.  Yesterday I noted that my only other Miltoniopsis is producing what looks like a flower shoot. That development inspired me to try to rescue this one.

It's not in too bad shape considering what I did to it.

I soaked the roots in rain water for 20 minutes.

The pot is too deep. The manufacture of shards to fill space in the bottom is a precision method. It takes years of experience, a graduate degree, and a hammer.

All done. Planted in orchid bark-based potting mix. It's a little close to the top, but might settle. Then again I might take it back out and remove some medium before it gets too settled.  I watered it in nicely, and now it's in a East facing window.

I'm an odd person.  I like leaving on the old stems.  If the dead flowers stay on, I like that too.  It gives the orchid a "natural" or "botanical" look, like it would be on the tree branch if no humans were around.  Plus, it reminds me that this plant once bloomed, so might again.  I do remove dead leaves.  They can be a source of infection, and generally fall off anyway.

Progress Report: Figs.

There remain a few breba on Vancouver (Probably Magnolia / Dalmation / Brunswick). Most of the fig branch tips are already cut back at 3 or 4 nodes. Today I trimmed back most of the rest. I did not do that treatment for King, which is a Breba-only variety, so I don't see benefit for stimulating new fig embryos. Still not sure about that. Chicago and Petite Negri have many new fig embryos for the fall crop. We'll see if the pinch at 3 leaves results in earlier figs than the pinch at 5 or 5 leaves. Pinching just involves bending the branch tip. They snap off. I also did that with the mulberry today, which is a fig cousin.

The King fig cuttings are growing at the tips. I don't know about roots yet. Last week I pulled one out and there were no signs of root growth yet. No problem, they are no effort and take no room, in the tomato and pepper half-barrels. If they grow, cool.

Petite Negri. Many brebas fell off, not unusual. A significant number remain. All of the new shoots have been snipped off at 3 or 4 leaves. Some are starting to grow embryonic figs, for the fall crop.

King (Desert King): I don't think any have fallen off. This is the best crop ever. Fingers are crossed. I have not been pinching branch tips back, but intend to.

Lemon (White Marseilles, Lattarula): I don't think any have fallen from this one either. I have pinched back branch tips. I missed some earlier, so they are up to 6 nodes, but that's OK.

Progress Report: Citrus

Today I repotted the Meyer Lemon. It was fairly neglected through the winter, then developed some sunburn when I sat it out on the deck. Two weeks ago I pruned it for shape and to remove some dead branches, and started feeding it with a rhododendron plant food for the acidity. Now it's growing and has produced several flower buds. I've repotted it in a somewhat larger container. I hope to have lemons this summer.

Generic citrus trees, grown from seed about 13 years ago. I don't remember what it is - lemon, maybe, but could be orange or grapefruit. It has never bloomed. Probably wont. It also suffered from neglect, but got the same treatment as the Meyer lemon, and is sending out new leaves.