Thursday, October 05, 2017

Airlie Red Flesh Apple. First Harvest. 10.5.17


 Last year I picked up some scion of "Arlie Red Flesh" apple at the Home Orchard Society scion exchange.  It took, grew rapidly, and there are a few apples on that branch.  This was my first one, ever.  Cool to look at, slightly tart, sweet, pretty good tasting apple.   Others have re-named and trademarked this apple as "Hidden Rose", but it is not patented.


Sunday, October 01, 2017

Transplanting Columnar Apple Tree. 10.1.17

Columnar Apple Tree Grafted to Rootstock Sucker.  Transplanted 9.30.17
Rainy season has started, so I think it's a good time to transplant some trees.

A few years ago, root-stock suckers grew from an apple tree that I had cut down the year before.  I believe it was a semi-dwarf size.  Just playing, I grafted a columnar variety onto the root-stock.  This weekend, I wanted to transplant it to a more suitable, permanent location.

When I dug it up, the root was rather oddly shaped, I imagine due to the origin from a prior tree.   I don't know if it will survive, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Dawn Redwood, One Year Later. 10.1.17

Dawn Redwood Tree at One Year.  10.1.17

Dawn Redwood Leaves.  10.1.17
 Last year we planted a Dawn Redwood (Metasequois glyptostroboides) tree.  I followed the recommendation of Washington State Horticulturist Linda Chalker-Scott, and washed the soil from the roots, pruned crossed or damaged roots, before planting.  It had so little remaining root, I wondered if it would live.

It did nicely, leafed out nicely, and grew about a foot taller.   I didn't expect much. The adage is First year sleep, Second year creep, Third year leap.  I think the second year grown is at least "creep"  so maybe next year it will leap.  These trees have the potential to grow 5 feet per year.

Dawn Redwood when planted 11.17.16

Monday, September 25, 2017

Leyland Cypress Trees at 18 Months. 9.23.17

Leyland Cypress Trees at 18 Months.  9.,23,17
Leyland Cypress is a naturally occurring hybrid between Monterey Cypress and Nootka Cypress.  They are sterile, so cannot become invasive.  For some situations, they are excessively vigorous.  We wanted fast growing, densely bushy trees to line our yard, as privacy barrier and to shade out the encroaching blackberry vines on the far side.  The current scrubby trees have been dying and falling over, and we wanted something more durable.

These trees were about waist height, when I planted them approx. 18 months ago.  I watered them in 2016, but only twice during this hot dry summer in 2017.  They have no deer damage at all, very important in my yard which is a Smörgåsbord on a deer super - highway.  These are among the fastest and most vigorous trees that I have planted.  At this rate, next year they should start filling in, between the trees, and develop into a nice, woodsy, privacy barrier.

Jonared Apples. First Harvest. And Apple Pie.

These are Jonared apples. I grew them for nostalgic reasons. My parents had a Jonathan apple tree in their yard, more than 50 years ago. I couldn't find a Jonathan at the time that I planted this tree, but Jonared is just a red sport, so the apples should be the same. This is the first year that it bore. I planted it about 4 years ago.  The fruit set was very good this year - several dozen - but deer managed to get into the tree cage, and damaged about half.  This was a hot dry summer, and I watered this tree, but not a lot.

The Jonared apples are crisp and tart, not very sweet.  I read that Jonathan apples need a Midwestern climate to  reach peak flavor.  That's OK, my wish was to make a pie.


 In our household, during my parents' later years, it was my dad who made the pies.  He always used tapioca starch as a juice thickener, but I usually use flour. In his honor, I used tapioca starch this time, sold locally as tapioca flour, in the specialty flours section at the grocery store. It worked much better than my usual flour, wasn't soupy at all, even with a hot pie. I usually add a half teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, plus 1 teaspoon vanilla that I mix with the sugar before mixing with the apples. Very happy, reminded me of my dad's pies.

Playing with Gourds. 9.25.17

 These are birdhouse gourds that I grew last year.  I let them dry in the sunroom, where they developed discoloration, I assume from molds, as they dried.  When they dried completely, that growth stopped, leaving interesting colors and patterns.

This week I played a little, and sanded 2 of them with #220 sandpaper, then gave them a coat of oil - based, satin finish, polyurethane. 

I think they came out interesting.

There are several more to play with.  I think I'll try growing them again next year.  Our season is a little short and summer a bit cool, for optimum growth and production, but I liked what we did get.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Fall Fruits - First Harvest 9.23.17

The smaller red apples are Jonared. 

The small peaches are Charlotte, didn't do great this year but still, it's some fall peaches. 

The golden apples are Porter.  The large red/green apple is Sutton Beauty. 

Dark blue, Stanley Plums.

Various Asian pears.

At the center, an Asia/American pear hybrid, "Maxie".  Actually, not very good.  Maybe I didn't let it ripen enough.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Prime Ark Freedom Blackberries 9.16.18

 These are some of my first Prime-Ark Freedom blackberries.  I'm very impressed with the size, juiciness, sweetness, and flavor.  I have never seen such large blackberries.

Unfortunately, the deer like eating the plants.  I'm building a better enclosure for them.  I definitely want to see how they do next year.

Sunday, September 03, 2017

Sweet Treat Pluerry and Hollywood Plums. 9.3.17Plum

Plums as of 9.3.17
Hollywood is almost overripe, and Sweet Treat are just coming into their prime.  Together, and along with some grapes, they make a great sweet fruit salad desert.

I didn't know what would happen with Sweet Treat.  There isn't much info out there on pollinators.  All I had blooming when Sweet Treat was in bloom, were Hollywood and Crimson Spire plums.  Apparently that was enough.  This is about year #4 for this tree, first substantial crop, a couple dozen plums.

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Updates. 8.26.17

Blueberry Pie.  Mid Aug, 2017.
 I haven't been keeping up on the garden blog.  With historic high temperatures, no rain - expected this time of year - and deer issues, I haven't had the time. 

I'll come back and add some text later, but here are photos from the past couple of weeks. 

The blueberry harvest was great.  The difference between this year and previous years, was bird netting.  Made all the difference in the world.

I wondered if there would be sweet corn, due to the slow and irregular germination.  Plus rabbits eating a lot of the plants.  Now, there is a good harvest of sweet corn.
Sweet corn, beans, chilis.  Mid Aug, 2017.
 The beans that I recovered from 15 year old seeds, last year, are doing quite well.

Peppers are doing great in their cement block raised beds.  They do have deer protection fencing.

Two of the chestnut trees that I planted late winter, put on 3 to 4 feet of new growth.  The other one put on about 3 inches.  I'll sort out the varieties later.  They are well protected by deer fencing.

I wondered if I planted the onions too early.  They did amazingly well.  Huge onions.  The biggest were Ailsa Craig.  Growing from seeds, and planting early, definitely worked.

Sweet Corn, various planting times.  Mid Aug, 2017.

Russet Potato Harvest.  Mid Aug, 2017.

Chilis in cement block raised bed.  Mid Aug, 2017.

Chestnut tree, first year, mid Aug 2017.

Chestnut tree, first year, mid Aug 2017.

Ailsa Craig onions.  mid Aug, 2017.