Raintree Order. 11.8.14

I placed the following order.  Raintree usually delivers in Feb, around here.

4 variety semidwarf apple.  Replaces my graft that died.  Given the deer, I wanted something bigger than the minidwarfs.  Less trouble even though taller.  This one is Akane, Chehalis, Honeycrisp, Beni Shogun.  All with some disease resistance.  Big enough for me to graft more down the road.   

Pixi Cot miniature apricot.  For container since in ground ones always die in late freeze.

Arbiquina Olive.  For container.  We saw lots of containerized olives in the Mediterranian last month.  I can bring it inside for hard freeze weather.

Early to order. Gives me something to look forward to.

Fall Chores. Leaf Harvest. Mulch. Perennial Border. Tree Progress Report. 11.8.14

Tree Row.  11.8.14

Tree Row.  11.8.14

 Leaves are collected from the big maple.  It took some effort.  It's our tree, but near the neighbor yard.  If I don't get them, they collect and burn.   I don't want to argue.  So I collected when I could.  This was a lot of leaves, none the less. 

Instead of a large leaf pile for compost, I piled them around trees and shrubs for mulch.  Seedlings of weeds were beginning to grow in the grass clipping mulch I applied early summer, now wet.  The leaves will kill those weeds and add more nutrients to soil.  The worms will like them.  Once I mow, it will look neat.

Tree row - most look good, becoming established nicely.  Linden, laburnum, Crimson maple, Mountain Ash, all excellent growth.

Front Perennial Border, West  11.8.18

Front Perennial Border, East.  11.8.18

The only tree in this row that didn't make it was Kousa Dogwood.  My fault for not being aggressive about root pruning when I planted it.  Now replaced by Japanese maple, a volunteer from Vancouver yard, has a lot or promise and surprisingly large in its 3rd year.  Will need some formative pruning winter, no problem.  That one has nice green stems and reddish fall leaf color, weeping branches.  Nice.

Front border, the big western end is done.  Added cedar chips on top of the pine needles.  The pine needles were too sparse, would have allowed weed seedlings.  I hope this is low maintenance for a long time. 

The eastern end hasn't been started.  I have to pace myself.  Want to today but it's 1:00 and a ton of homework to do. 

I love the fog in the fall mornings.  Peaceful, soothing, mellow.

Fall in the Orchard. 11.8.14

North Side of Orchard.  11.8.14

Wild Plum Seedling.  2 years old.  11.7.14

Buddleia Windbreak West of Orchard.  11.8.14

Fig Row, South of House.  11.8.14

 Some views of mini orchard spread around the yard.  This is end of the 3rd summer here at Battleground, so many of the trees have had 2 full years to acclimate and grow.

Pawpaws were planted the first summer.  Never having grown them, and read about difficult to get started and slow to grow, I'm pleased they have done this well.  The smallest is Rebecca's Gold, about one foot tall.  NC-1 is the largest, about 4 foot tall.  Sunflower, about 3 foot tall.  I'm also pleased about the persimmons.  Nikita's Gift was so tiny I wondered if it would grow.  Now, sturdy and looking promising for future years, although  only about 4 foot tall.  Saijo is about 8 foot.  I did give  them - and the paw paws, organic nitrogen this Spring.

Peaches - Oregon Curl Free about 9 foot tall.  Charlotte about 8 foot tall.  Indian Free about 3 foot tall.  Q-1-8 in it's first year, grew rapidly, 5 foot tall.  The only one of the 3 older trees to have bad leaf curl was Charlotte.  That was also the only one to have peaches - only 2 - this is only the 2nd year old for these.

 Wild Plums, the largest seedling is about 8 foot tall.  This is 3rd year from seed, the first being in container.   There are 3, only one in a prime location for sun and with protection.  Deer eat up to about 4 feet, but the top looks very good.

Other plums, Stanley didn't bear but is very large now, mature looking tree.  Has spurs with promise for flowers.  Satsuma died.  Replaced with cutting-grown Hollywood, 1 foot tall 1st year from cutting.  Toka was best tasting, 3 plums. 7 foot tall.  Methley, no plums, growth now 5 foot tall.  NOIDs already on property, the smallest / deer mangled fully recovered and above the usual deer browsing height; the largest had only about 4 plums.  Now both with multiple bud grafts of other varieties. 

Cherries, lots of deer browsing.  Very discouraging.  The sweet cherries and tart cherries need better protection.  Sweet cherries did establish well, now about 5 foot tall.  Central leads are good, branches browsed to within the narrow cages I installed on these.   Montmorency did very well when I got the deer fence in, 8 foot tall and lush.   I can buy more fencing if I use the truck to commute this week.  North Star and Almaden Duke unprotected browsed nearly to death, we'll see what happens next year.  Both have some bud grafts that are looking tenuous, we'll see.

Apples, this is first year for most.  Wondering if minidwarfs are a good idea.  The dwarfs - JonaRed - shipped from Starks, excellent growth, and multi-graft disease resistant, Rubinette, Pristine, and Queen Cox, shipped from Raintree, almost as good.  The columnar apples, planted at about 18 inches tall their first year, now about 3 foot tall, Golden Sentinel had one apple - very good, Scarlet Sentinel had none.  They are in cages.

Illinois Everbearing Mulberry and NOID Forsythia. 11.8.14

Figs, South of house, recovered from frost kill.  Sal's was not frost killed, now 4 foot.  Tiger, Carini, Smith all grew multi-trunks to 2 or 3 foot.  Petite Aubique, 18 inches, but sturdy.  I'm in process of installing gnaw-screens as leaves fall.  When colder, plan to add inverted trash can protectors for the young ones, and chicken wire or bird net to deter deer and rabbits, for Sal's.  Plan next year- replace the NOID with Lattarula from container, in Spring.  Maybe add one more to row, Dominick.   If any die back again maybe replace with Dominic instead of adding one more.

Buddleia hedge grew to 8 foot tall, for those in 2nd year - Blueberry and Peach Cobbler varieties.  They weren't all that attractive, but the windbreak will be useful.  That side is source of wind.  Honeycomb, in 2st year, grew about the same as the others did last year.  Anticipate pruning all back, so they can grow bushier and not over-tall.

Illinois Everbearing Mulberry, not in the 5 X 5 grid but nearby.   Now 8 foot tall.  Had some nice mulberries this year.  No dear browsing.  Most branches probably too tall.  It may be hard to install bird netting next year due to height, but I should try. 

Plant labels. 11..4.14

 Something to do when ill or otherwise laid up, and still having to do with gardening.  These are among the few types of labels I've used that last a long time.  They have little wires to attach to trees or plant stems.  Once the label is in place, it helps me keep track.  My memory of garden plants is good, but labels help a lot.

GInkgo biloba Tree. Started from seed approx 1996. 11.4.14

This is my favorite time of leaf color change for ginkgo.  When there is green and yellow in each leaf.  The yellow coloration starts at the outer margin, and works its way proximally to the stem.

My dad gave me the seed for this tree in about 1996 or 1997.  I started it in a flower pot when I lived in Chicago, and brought it to Vancouver WA in 2000. 

This is my favorite of all trees.

Puttering, a little. Tree protection. Bearded Iris Seeds. 11/2/14

No photos today.  Mostly homework, and fatigue.  Today the fatigue is rather bad.

I did cut more 1/4" hardware cloth sleeves to protect trees.  As long as I do a few at a time, I can get most protected before the coldest weather sets in.  Many already have sleeves from previous years.  The largest Greenspire linden needed more room, I added a larger sleeve for that tree.  Most of the figs and fruit trees are protected.

I also moved some fencing loops to shrubs that the deer like.  No effort.  I used those to support plastic tunnels last winter.  Coincidence, they are good size and shape to protect some shrubs.

Image of German Water Vole.  via commons.wikimedia.org

I've come to regard protection from animals as an inseparable dimension in gardening, equal to mulch, fertilizer, water, pruning.  In town, sometimes not such an issue.  In the country, it is.

Rain is near continuous now.  I like that.  It ranges from mist, to drizzle, to pouring, with some breaks in between.  Even in rain and overcast, sunroom is suprisingly bright.

Finally planted some bearded iris seeds.  Only a few seeds, from Pallida dalmatica.  No way to know if it was self pollinated or cross pollinated.  I would bet self.  If they grow, we may find out in a few years.

The image is not one of our local voles.  I image they look similar.  This one is a German water vole.   Despite their compelling cuteness, voles are not wanted.  They can kill a 10 year old tree by girdling the bark, in one night. 

That's about all. 

Puttering. Leaves, bulbs, moving perennials. 11.1.14

No pics this time.

I raked leaves from big maple.  It's about half done dropping leaves.  I used them for mulch for a dozen trees and shrubs. Good timing.  The grass clipping mulch had many small seedlings sprouted.  Now those are buried under leaves.

I did a 3-way move in front bed.  Buddleia Blue Chip should only be about 3 feet tall, but I did not account for 3 foot spread.  I moved that to a different bed with more room.  Next to it was a small Stella D'Oro daylily.  There are several yellow daylilies in the front bed.  I moved it to the location where I had a brick red Chicago Apache daylily, moved Chicago Apache to the location where the Buddleia was, and planted Spring bulbs in the spot where the Stella D'Oro daylily was.  It's nice to plant things that I was growing elsewhere.  Kind of like a gift from friend or relative, but it was from me.  I like the Chicago Apache, the flowers are big and showy, but it was in a spot where it was difficult to see.  It will show up better in front of the sunroom.  The bright yellow of the Stella D'Oro will show up better there. 

Finally, I planted more bulbs.  Sale at Fred Meyer and Lowes. 

Daffodil / Narcissus King Alfred 8 bulbs planted as one cluster
Daffodil / Narcissus Jetfire 18 bulbs planted as 2 clusters
Daffodil / Narcissus Ice Follies 18 bulbs, planted as 2 clusters
Allium Purple Sensation 6 bulbs, planted as 1 cluster. 

Total = 50 bulbs, so fall 2014 total is 214.  It's not as difficult as it sounds.  Digging with a shovel for planting clusters, instead of individual bulb digger or trowel for each bulb, is much easier.  Plus this was extended over more than a month, and largely as breaks from homework.

In the Spring, if I am able, I want to move a couple dozen clumps of Hyacinthoides and maybe a dozen clumps of Narcissus, from Vancouver house to Battleground.   Both are not liked by deer, rabbits, or voles.   Moving the clumps when they are about 3 to 6 inches tall, digging deep and taking the clumps intact, they move nicely and bloom the same Spring like nothing changed.  Plus they look established like they were there a long time.

Potting a Peach Tree and Some Tree Volunteers. 10.29.14

El Dorado Peach Tree, Uprooted.  10.29.14

 I have been meaning to dig up the smallest of the genetic dwarf peach trees - this is El Dorado - and pot it up.  The main reason is peach leaf curl.  If I can keep it in shelter, out of the rain, in theory, PLC should not be a problem.  I have larger Honey Babe and Garden Sun, too big to dig up and treat this way.

I love peaches but it's been quite difficult growing them here.  The main problem is devastating peach lead curl disease.

This El Dorado Genetic Dwarf Peach tree is really too big to dig up.  It a robust, 6 foot tall tree, well branched.  I started digging yesterday, and finished today.  I dug a trench in a wide circle around the tree, then tried to slice under the tree with a shovel.  I was surprised there was a large thick tap-root.  I had to cut  through it to release the tree.  I pruned to even up the somewhat rough cut, trying to minimize removal of any more feeder roots.

Most of the other roots look ok.  Even though the root pruning was drastic, I've seen worse and the tree survived.  It does look  very drastic to me.  Being fall, there is a chance the tree will re-root itself with feeder roots despite removal of the anchor root.

Reasons it might not live -
*Too drastic removal of roots.
*Residual leaf curl disease on the stems.
*Root mass may freeze.  I plan to keep the tree outside because it needs chill time in order to bloom.

If the tree survives, it will make a nice ornamental.  Genetic dwarf peaches bloom beautifully.

Based on the tree planting info from Linda Chalker-Scott debunking horticultural myths, I did not top the tree or prune top to compensate for loss of root mass.  I did remove dead twigs.  There were a lot of those.

For this winter, I intend to keep the tree under house overhang, on the North side of the house.  That location may also keep it cooler, and delay bloom, which would be good.  But it it does bloom, and frost threatens, I can move it inside on chilly nights.  Next Spring and Summer I can keep it on the deck, for TLC. 

El Dorado Peach Tree, Potted.  10.29.14

 Doubtless, it will need a larger container by early summer.

There are also the peach seedlings at battleground.  They survived potting up and look nice and healthy.

I want at least 2 cherry seedlings in order to create Japanese cherry trees.  I think sweet cherry seedlings should be very robust and make a nice tree.  This was a volunteer sweet cherry from the yard.  At Battleground I also have a few sweet cherry seedlings.  By growing them in containers for a season, I can protect them and give TLC, as I do with figs, for maximal growth.    It would be nice to be able to bud graft at least one, next year.

While I was at it, I also potted up the volunteer fig tree from the front of the house.  It had nice roots.  Based on inspection, it was a stem or cutting, I just don't know from which variety or why it was there.

El Dorado Peach before moving.  10.28.14

Volunteer Fig Bare Root.  10.29.14

Sweet Cherry Seedling.  10.29.14

"Volunteer" Fig and Cherry Seedlings, Potted.  10.29.14

Volunteer Fig and Hazelnut. 10.26.14

Volunteer Fig Tree.  10.26.14

Volunteer Hazelnut and Columbine.  10.26.14

No way to know which type of fig this is.  None of my fig trees should have any seeds, because there are no caprifigs and no Blastophaga wasps.  That leaves, a wayward cutting, or a seed from a dried fig.

I don't know which it is.  These are adjacent to the deck.  I've been nurturing fig cuttings there.  If one looked dead, it's possible I threw it there.  Or, a pruning.

I want to keep it and see how it does.  Not that I need more fig trees.

The hazelnut could go to the Battleground place to replace one that someone cut off.  Not saying who.  It looks pretty vigorous.  Could serve as pollinator for the others, or could be a good hazelnut. 

Planting more bulbs. 10.25.14

Replete Daffodil and Gladiator Allium.

Amaryllis.  I placed it in the sunroom, as an experiment. 

I am pleased that Replete wasn't displayed as a pink daffodil, on the label.  It's more of an apricot color.  I need to plant the rest of the bulbs in a different location.  Now when I dig holes for bulbs, I discover other bulbs, planted earlier.

Final bulb count for new plantings this fall, Battleground:

Red Devon Daffodil / Narcissus = 18 X 2 = 36
Anemone blanda Mix = 20 X 2 packages = 40
Nectaroscordum siculum = 15
Allium gladiator = 2
Replete Daffodil / Narcissus = 12
Allium Ivory Queen = 4
Quamash Cammasia = 8
Tulip Estella Rijnveld = 15 X 2 = 30 in containers
Tulip Purple Pink Mix = 18 in container
Fritillaria rubra "Crown Imperial" = 1
Fritillaria persica = "Persian lily" = 2

If all of these flowers bloom, that will mean 164 flowers from bulbs next Spring.  Plus the bulbs that I moved from Vancouver late summer.  Those I did not do a good job and they sat outside, a few getting moldy, so who knows.  Last Spring, I also moved multiple clumps of Narcissus/Daffodils and Hyacinthoides from Vancouver, wild guess 10 bulbs per clump, 10 clumps  = very roughly another 100 flowers.  Other than the tulips, most are proven deer and rabbit resistant here, and most are varieties that should proliferate once established.

What to do with squashes? 10.24.14

Two squashes for roasting.  Butternut and Verte et Blanc

Butternut.  Sliced and seeds/soft contents removed.

Did the same with the Verte

Ready to roast.  On parchment paper.

Baked 375 for 75 min.  Butternut is easily pierced with fork, but not Verte.

Blurry pic.  Butternut contents scooped out.  Pureed in food processor.

Same with Verte.  This one I froze for future use.

I used the butternut puree in the same amount as I would use canned pumpkin, for a pumpkin pie.  Flavor was excellent, richer than my usual pumpkin pie.  I might do the same with the Verte, for a blond pumpkin pie.  Or find a different recipe.

Garlic Planting. 10.19.14

Garlic Planting.  10.19.14

Today I planted garlic.  I used last year's garlic bed, which is not the best garden practice but it's what I have.

I added an inch of well aged home-made compost and raked it in.  This compost was in a plastic garbage can for a few years.  So it's really well aged.

4 rows are the biggest cloves from last year's Inchelium Red.  Huge cloves.  Well adapted to local conditions - I've been growing this one for about 14 years.

3 rows are either Inchelium Red or German Porcelain.  I had a mix up.

2 rows are some new German Red that I bought locally.  To try something different.  Smaller cloves but my grow bigger in my bed, or not.

These are 8 cloves per 4 feet, and there are 9 rows per 8 feet.  I use bamboo sticks between the rows to mark the space.

Tree Autopsy. 10.19.14

Roots of dead dogwood.  10.19.14

Roots of dead dogwood.  10.19.14

 This year I had 3 dead trees.  Two, a Satsuma plum and a Kousa dogwood, were planted summer 2012, did well in 2013, and died mid summer 2014.  The first summer I watered frequently, the second summer I watered rarely.

The 3rd, a Madrone, died without any growth at all.  From what I read, madrones transplant so poorly and die so quickly after planting, I should not have bothered.

I did an autopsy on the plum and dogwood.  It looks like the roots did not grow beyond the original root ball. 

I don't remember if I planted these without cutting away the surrounding roots.  Now I do.  From the book, The Informed Gardener by Linda Chalker-Scott - paraphrased -

The gardener should disturb the root ball, aggressively.  Nursery-grown trees, especially those bought in containers, often have roots that wind around the pot, creating a "root pot" that new roots can't escape.  Roots cross each other and strangle each other.  The roots don't grow into surrounding soil. 

The result is a tree basically growing in a pot, even though there is no pot and it's in the ground. 

The author washes away all soil with a hose, bare-roots the tree, and prunes all winding roots, then replants entirely in native soil, carefully spreading the roots. 

It looks like these trees were victims of my own poor planting technique.   As far as I can see, the roots never extended beyond were the original root ball had been.

Roots of dead plum.  10.19.14


The trees are now replaced with home-started trees.  No issues with recovering from nursery abuse, although there's still the forces of nature, and my own learning process.

Gardening is not about what you have, it's about what you create, and grow, and do.

It's not about what you know, it's about what you learn.

I'm glad it's fall. 10.19.14

I'm glad it's fall.  I can clean up what's become messy, and not have it become messy before I can clean it up again.  I can plant trees and shrubs, or transplant them, and not have to water them every few days or every week.  The grass is green again.  It's cool enough to be outside without becoming winded.  I can harvest pine needles for mulch.  And leaves.  I love planting Spring bulbs in the fall, to have something to look forward to.  I love having a fire in the fireplace in the morning when I'm up, alone.

I've quoted this before....

"My creed is that:

Happiness is the only good.

The place to be happy is here.

The time to be happy is now.

The way to be happy is to make others so.

 

Robert Green Ingersoll

Sourwood tree at one year after planting.  10.19.14

This is the Sourwood after a year.  The madrone that I planted at the same time died quickly.  I read that would happen, so shouldn't be surprised.  I wondered if the sourwood would live.  It did.  There is still a "Dr. Suessian" look.  That may take a few years to fill in.  Leaves will be pretty in a week or two.  Having survived a historic freeze it's first winter, and the nursery abuse / removal of most roots, with a chance to recover for a year, it has a good start for the future.

Varmints already chewing. Tree protection 10.19.14

Chewing damage.  Asian Pear.  10.20.14

Hardware Cloth Tree Protection.  10.20.14

 This is the first time I've seen chewing damage at the base of pear trees.    I suspect voles.  Could be rabbit.  Deer don't chew so low.  Fortunately it doesn't surround the tree, and pears heal quickly. 

This protection is a central part of winterizing.

I've learned it's just best to have a roll of hardware cloth on hand, and some zip ties.

The  zip ties make it very easy to put on a sleeve without a helper.  When it's time to remove the sleeve, the zip tie is easily cut with a scissors.  The extra tail can be trimmed off if the appearance is an issue.

The pear now has a protective sleeve of hardware cloth.  Usually I have more overlap where it joins, just didn't here.  I don't think the varmint will squeeze through the seam, anyway.

I try to make the sleeve loose enough for several years of growth.  That way I don't have to put it on every fall.

There are hardware cloth sleeves on, probably, most of my young trees.

I don't think the mesh size is too important.  I've used 1/2 inch and 1/4 inch.

It's time to get them protected.  Tender fig bark is a critter favorite.  Apparently they like Asian Pear bark. 

Moving a Japanese maple. 10.18.14

Japanese Maple before moving.  10.18.14

This Japanese Maple started out as a volunteer seedling in the front border in Vancouver.  When I moved a big Camelia, this seedling came out with it.  I lost most of the roots.  I planted it in a container for a few months, then Ning planted it in his flower bed.

It grew too well there.  Now it's time to find a better place.  As it happens, a dogwood died, and the location needs a small to medium size tree.  If I am correct about the parentage of this maple, it should be in that range.  It seems to have a semi-weeping shape, which is nice.

I dug it out.  Nice root mass.  No winding or crossing roots.  That's a good aspect of growing it myself.  It is not subjected to tree nursery abuses.

I planted at the same depth as it was.  Since it's fall, this is a good time to plant.  It can grow some more roots before winter and again in early spring before the top starts growing again.

I read that it's not appropriate to top prune on transplanting, so I didn't.  I did remove a few wide ranging branches that were in the way.  Next Spring, it may need some corrective pruning due to closely crossing branches.  Mostly it's OK the way it is.

I like that this is a home - grown, own-root, seedling tree.  Not just because it's free, but because it feels more like it's my doing.

Japanese Maple Root Mass.  10.18.14

Transplanted Japanese Maple.  10.18.14

Transplanting ginkgo seedling. 10.18.14

Ginkgo seedling.  10.18.14

 This was one of the ginkgo seedlings growing in a raised bed for irises.  Because of the mesh bottom of the beds, I was unable to get some of the roots.  Maybe most of the roots.   This is almost at the stage of being a rooted cutting.  Fall is a good time to plant, because it will not be hot, it will stay moist, and have a chance to grow some roots during the fall and spring.

It may not survive.  That's OK.  I have other, smaller seedlings.

I tried to prune off the slightly ragged base, but I think I caused more harm than good.


Ginkgo seedling roots.  10.18.14

It's planted in the location where the dead madrone was.  The madrone never took off, I left it in the ground but it has been a dead stick all year.

Ginkgo seedling.  10.18.14

Transplanting Fruit Tree and Vine Starts. 10.18.14

Hollywood Plum after 1 season of growth. 10.18.14

 I replanted some of the fruit trees and a grape vine that I started in the raised beds. 

The Hollywood Plum was from cutting late winter this year, so one season of growth.  Pretty good.   Some of the others were eaten by deer.  I know they need protection but someone else left the gate open  :-).

This was one of the better cuttings.   It did not need any pruning.  I planted it in the location of the dead Satsuma plum.  That might not be wise, but my tree autopsy suggested the problem was, the tree was root bound in its original container, and I had failed to correct that. 

It's useless planting a little plum tree without protection, so I protected it.

The peach seedlings were volunteers.  I think they are from one of the genetic dwarf trees.  They have short internodes, so I think that is correct.  I dug them out, bare-rooted them - easy - and replanted in potting soil in containers.  Rationale - leaf curl disease is carried by rain during the winter.  If I keep them in the garage, I may be able to avoid that frustrating problem.    Depending on how they grow, I could either see what the peaches are like, or use them as a rootstock and graft scion from the other genetic dwarf peaches.  The plan - keep them out of the rain until dormant, then place them in a shed along with containerized fig trees, for the winter.  That may also have the advantage of delayed bloom.

Roots of Hollywood Plum, one season after starting cutting.  10.18.14

Transplanted Hollywood Plum.  10.18.14

Protected from rabbits, voles, deer.  10.18.14

 The grape was from cutting of Price grape, about 2 years old now.  The roots grew down through the screening underlying the raised bed, so I was unable to salvage most of the roots.  I think it will still be OK.  I pruned off the bottom node, which I had badly damaged in digging it out.   Now it's planted in the row with the other grapevines.  I like that I grew my own from a cutting, and Price is one of my favorites.

Peach seedlings and Price Grape Cutting.  10.18.14

Replanted peaches.  10.18.14

Pruned grape cutting.  10.18.14

Replanted grape.  10.18.14