More Fruit Trees. Backyard Orchard Culture.

Some additional

Indian Free Peach from Raintree. I was able to cut it off very short due to placement of buds, so it will make a nicely formed Backyard Orchard Culture peach tree. This variety is reported as blooming later than others, and reported to be resistant to Peach Leaf Curl. It is not a genetic dwarf. I am giving up on those. Amazing number of flowers, and it is several weeks later than the genetic dwarf varieties. So far so good.  The flowers are near the ground.  I expect that next year they will be higher.

This is Almaden Duke Cherry from Raintree. It is on Gisela 5 dwarfing rootstock. It was planted last Spring. I pruned it to 2 feet tall, per Backyard Orchard Culture guidelines. I would have shortened further but there were no lower branches. Amazing it is blooming already. I wanted a later-blooming cherry. It is blooming at the same time as the sweet cherries. Raintree states Almaden Duke is self-fruitful, and is thought to be a seedling of a Mazzard cherry, both sweet and tart.  There are so many flowers, it may have enough for a pie.  I will let it fruit at a small age, because that will stunt it a little.  Small size is what I want.

This is that Illinois Mulberry. I may need to shorten the branches. Mulberries leaf out later than many other fruit trees. The buds are swelling. Once I start to see mulberry flowers, I will see if I can cut it back a foot or 18 inches to force lower branching and open structure.

These are the new peaches, from One Green World, an Oregon nursery. One is Charlotte, the other is Oregon Curl Free. Both are on Lovell peach rootstock. Both are considered resistant to Peach Leaf Curl. I could not find info about whether there are late blooming, which would also be good. I planted them in containers due to being unsure if the existing peach trees would bear. If the existing peach trees do not have peaches, out with the old, in with the new. If the DO, I'm not sure where I'll plant these.  The tubs were $6.00 which is cheap for a large planter.  I drilled lots of holes in the bottom before planting.  The rope handles will be useful for moving the trees.  Possibly even move them out of the rain in the winter?  Most of the low branches were pruned off.  I'm not sure where I prune them - the lowest buds seem too low, and the next higher set seems too high.

This is the Stanley plum. I left higher branches in place than I wanted, because I was unsure if there were lower viable buds. This tree is branching at about 3 feet. It came from a local big box store last year. Stanley is a well known, old European plum variety, reported to be self-fruitful. This is currently my only Euro plum. The others are Asian plums.

It's interesting to me that I have a Stanley plum, a Stella cherry, and a Blanche fig.  Such a passionate and literate orchard.

Almost all of the fruit trees I planted last year have at least a few flowers. The one that does not is the Methley plum.  Generally we don't want them to fruit when too small, but it's OK to hope for a taste.  Since I am not going for big quantity or big size, it should be OK to leave a few fruits on each tree. The Almaden Duke Cherry is big enough, and vigorous enough, I can leave all of the cherries in place.

Orchid Blogging

This was albeled "Brown Oncidium". I had it in my window at work for the past 2 years. It was fed with "Shulz's Houseplant Food" weekly weekly. Strange how the color came out. It was originally a tiny plant from a big box store, and I kept it due to the unique color. Now it's quite lovely, but a completely different color.  Strange I can't get the yellow oncidium to bloom, but these bloom very nicely.

This is the Miltoniopsis that I rescued from myself last summer.  It's been getting a Miracle-Gro Tomato food at 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of rainwater.  Strange, even with the initial abuse, it's come back with beautiful flowers.

The orchids are given mineral foods due to being in entirely artifical environment, inside, getting rainwater.  It's not the same as plants in the soil outside.

Fruit trees in bloom.

Asian Pear in bloom. This is 3-in-one Asian pear. In keeping with Backyard Orchard Culture methods, I'm keeping it pruned short and summer pruning of new growth back to about 6 inches of new growth. All 3 varieties are blooming this spring, covered with flowers. I played honey bee with them and transferred pollen among the varieties to pollinate. Not many bees outside this spring.

Left to right, Illinois Mulberry, not yet leafed out. The buds are swelling. Then 5-in-one European pear, beautiful flowers. You can't see the little Morello tart cherry, it has a couple of flowers, is in its 2nd spring, so not expecting much. Then Lapin? Cherry, covered in flowers, and the 3-in-one sweet cherry. I played the honey bee among the cherry trees, too.

This is the front side yard orchard. Each summer as I prune back I think "I've done too much! It won't bloom". Not true - covered with flowers. Last summer mid summer I pruned 3 or 4 feet of new growth off, back to about 6 inches of new growth. The trees are covered with flower buds. One is in full bloom, the other are just starting.

Hollywood Plum. The petals have fallen off. In bloom it was very beautiful. Unsure if it will fruit - pollinator may be wrong type, and too far away. Supposed to be self fruitful. Last year had 2 plums. They were SO GOOD! IF THE late frost didn't kill the flowers, I hope there will be a bowl of fruit this year.

The genetic dwarf peaches are nearly done blooming. More to follow. Shiro plum is finished blooming.

Orchid Blogging for January

I can't take much credit for this Phalaenopsis - it was in bud when I bought it. This keeps blooming and blooming and blooming. The last Harlequin that i had bloomed for a year, but then when I was nurturing it back to the next bloom, I think I overwatered it, and it died. That doesn't happen much to my orchids, but it proves I am not the "orchid whisperer" yet.

This Cymbidium hybrid is the only one from last year that is blooming this year. I don't know why - if it is that it is more suited for my circumstances, or just a random difference. They are nice and fragrant, and I like these flowers more than the ones it had last year.

Oncidium "twinkle".  This must be the easiest Oncidium hybrid to rebloom.  This is the second rebloom this year.  I have been growing this with dilute Miracle Grow Tomato food - 1/4 teaspoon per gallon.  Not organic for the orchids, their situation is too artificial as it is, and miracle grow is mineral based, not a petrochemical.

I've had this Oncidium hybrid for 2 years. It was a tiny plant, beige / brown flower. I bought it as a "disposable" but then kept it anyway. Glad I did - now it's starting a spike. I'm starting to think I can grow Oncidiums - although I still can't get the yellow ones to bloom. I have another one in spike too, but one pic of a small early spike is enough.

Miltoniopsis hybrid.  Or possibly, Miltonia.  This is another plant I thought I would just keep while in bloom, left it on the deck for a month or two without any care at all, then another Miltoniopsis bloomed so I reconsidered and repotted it.  That was last summer.  And now...  the beginning of a flower spike.  Actually, 2 flower spikes.  Amazing!

January Gardening

No photos today. Pruned grapes. I usually do that on New Year's day. This is a little later, but not bad. There were more dead canes than I expected, and some fungal infections on a few dead sticks. I feel a bit concerned, but for the most part the canes had green fresh wood when cut. I trimmed new canes back to about nodes in most cases.

Last year was a bad grape year. There was a lot of mold - maybe they are in trouble. We'll see. With the thorough pruning, and with a few sprays of neem oil, maybe this year will be better.

These vines are about 10 years old. Technically, they should live decades. The damp NW climate may change that.

I also did some minor pruning of a couple of fig trees. Mostly to keep the centers open for sun and breeze. I cut back Lattarula's highest branches, but left the shorter ones in hopes of brebas.