Seed starting. 4.2.15

Seed Starting.  4.2.15

Much as I wanted to use recycled or recyclable containers, such as little paper cups, I didn't have the energy.  This setup with very thin walled plastic 6-packs, for 72 seedlings, was inexpensive.  I've planted tomato seeds from last winter's order, and peppers, some basil, and some marigolds.  More to follow.

I also placed okra seeds and four o'clock seeds in cups of water to soak for a day.  I can plant the seeds tomorrow night.

It's still too early for a lot of types of seeds. 

Puttering. 3.28.15

Main orchard.  3.28.15

Jonagold with multigrafts from Fedco.  3.28.15

 Most plants are out of dormancy or nearly so.

Plums are basically finished blooming.  Unable to see if and how much fruit set has happened.  All Asian plums are done.  Toka finished just after Asian plums.  Euro plums, Green gage is almost done, and Stanley is still blooming.  Stanley is the last to bloom.

Sweet cherries are in about full bloom.

Tart cherries barely beginning to bloom.  They really are later than sweet cherries, which is good for late frost avoidance.

Too early to say anything about the apple and plum grafts.  I look at them every day.

Pawpaw flower buds are swelling, Sunflower and NC-1.  I check those every day too.

Persimmons are growing, even Yates that I planted this January.  I often read that they may take until mid or late summer to grow, their first year.  Mine are budding out at the same time as mulberries.  Nikita's Gift and Saijo both have swelling buds, almost open.

The Mishirasu Asian pear graft, that I grafted last year and was eaten off twice by deer, is growing nicely.  The tree is fenced with a deer cage now.  Other grafts on that tree - 3 are have their first flower clusters.  It's been raining during bloom.  Too early to know if there is fruit set.  I should get the first Shinseiki on the Battleground tree this year - 2 year old cleft graft - and the first Hosui, the tree that I planted in 2012 and grafted others onto it since then.

Plum whip and tongue graft.  Ember.  3.28.15

NC-1 Pawpaw flower buds, swelling.  3.28.15

 Grapes are budding out and starting to grow.

Apples nearly blooming.

Prairie fire crab apple, almost blooming.  There are a couple of flowers, so this is among the first of apples to bloom.

Mishirasu growing despite deer browsing.  3.28.15

Yates Persimmon buds swelling.  3.28.15

Fig Progress Report. 3.28.15

Brunswick Fig Brebas.  3.28.15

Update on Battleground fig trees.

Brunswick - This was a ~11 year old tree grown from local cutting, moved to the Battleground place 3 1/2 years ago.  Last year there was about 6 inches of new growth.  I am not encouraging a lot of growth, because I want it to have strong, durable, fully lignified branches before start of winter.  This is the most breba it's had since moving it, and maybe before that.  This tree usually drops its brebas.  Wait and see.

Newer fig trees -

Atreano survived its second winter.  The first winter it was killed to ground, and regrew.  This tree is considered more cold hardy than some others.  Now I can consider it well established.

Petite aubique - looks dead.  I give up.  Replace with one of the container trees.  I'm thinking, Dominick.   Maybe the other Atreano.

Tiger.  Survived and growing.  This one was covered with trash can for the winter.

Carini.  Survived and growing.  Also covered.

Sal's.  Unsheltered.  Survived and growing.  Has grown slowly, but minimal die back each winter.

Planted in-ground late winter, after sheltering in shed:  King, Lattarula, Hardy Chicago, Dominick.  All growing.

Anxious for them to get bigger.  I did pee-cycle limited amount, twice, in the fig tree row.  Need to be careful not to overdo it, don't want growth that is rank and not able to survive next winter.

Container fig trees - all starting to grow.  Champagne has lots of brebas, Tiger has a few too.

The good thing - almost all survived winter, and growing.  The sole casualties, in-ground:  Champagne (unsheltered), Petite aubique (sheltered) and Smith (sheltered)

T-bud Grafting Update. 3.18.15

Apricot T-bud 1st leaf.  3.28.15

Hollywood T-bud 1st leaf.  3.28.15

Rainier Cherry T-bud 1st Leaf.  3.28.15

 These are some of the T-bud grafts that I did last summer.  All of the plums took.  Of the cherries, only 1 took.  I think that was Ranier, that is on Almaden Duke.  None of the tart cherries took.

It's an interesting process.  These are grafted in summer, June, July, August.  With a couple of exceptions, the buds remain dormant until the following Spring, which is now. 

I pruned off the stem distal / above the grafts, about an inch above.  Now they have no competition and should grow vigorously.

I did not label some of the well.  All of the red leaf are Hollywood, and most of the green leaf are Shiro. 

Since these have been on the trees for about 9 months, if they are growing, that must mean they are solidly grafted now.

I hope to do more T-budding this coming summer.  Maybe, for the ones that did not take, I did not do them tight enough, or took off the wrapping too soon.  I'm very excited that many did take, and it gives me a sense of wonder.

Shiro T-bud 1st Leaf.  3.28.15

Fruit Tree Blooming. 3.22.15

Unknown - Green Gage? - Plum in bloom.   3.22.15

In Vancouver fruit trees that have finished blooming. 
Shiro and Hollywood Plums.   Genetic Dwarf Peaches.
Fruit trees starting to bloom.  Sweet Cherries.

In Battleground, fruit trees that have finished blooming.
Older unknown Asian Plum.
Young unknown Asian Plum
 Crimson Pointe cerasifera plum.
All peaches almost done.  Indian Free is the last.
At its peak:   Toka plum
Starting to bloom.
Asian pears.
Sweet cherries.

Most apples have visible flower buds but not near opening yet.
Pawpaw buds starting to swell.
Shan Zha.  flower buds are visible.
Tart cherries.  flower buds are visible.

Growth buds are swelling on all 3 persimmons, but not near open leaves yet.

Pourin rain for next few days.  That could impact pollination.

Battery is dead.  Will need to finish in 2 days.

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Toka Plum in Bloom.  3.22.15

Hosui Asian Pear.  3.22.15

Unknown Asian Pear.  3.22.15