Thursday, August 16, 2012

Garlic Flower

Not open yet, but looks promising. This was the first garlic scape that I split. I've had to remove bulbils 3 times. It looks like it really will bloom. The other 3 plants, which I split the scapes 1 and 3 weeks later, and started removing bulbils 1 and weeks later, do not look like they will bloom. So timing matters. This is an interesting experiment for me. Even if seeds don't set, it's a start that I can build on if the garlic spirit moves me next year.

Iris Progress Report

I went temporarily non-organic for the iris "intensive care unit". I wanted them to get a head start before fall, so rather than leaving them dormant, I've been fertigating them with 1/4 tsp miracle grow for tomatoes, per 2 gallons water. Once they are settled I'll go back to organic. Since Miracle Grow is mineral based, at least I'm not using petrochemicals. I don't know if this is good or not - they may be too green going into fall, so I am stopping the fertigation now. It's helped a lot getting new growth on what looked like very sad rhizomes. Most were "rescued" from what had become a weed patch. This bed is entirely new additions, so they are not rescues. These are American Classic (the largest plant) - amazingly vigorous new growth; NoID miniatures, either blue or yellow, that I rescued from near-dead rhizomes under a cherry tree, also growing fast, and Kissed By The Sun, which does not look so vigorous, but is finally putting on some growth. Edith Wolford, which I thought I might have killed - also very vigorous rejuvenation. There is also a rescued miniature, growing very well. Immortality. I thought these had the best chance, but are putting out average growth. More than some of the ICU irises, and less than some others. The goal with these was to fatten the rhizomes, establish root systems, and get some increase in number of growths - looks like that is accomplished, more or less. I'm violating some iris growing rules here, so we'll see if this is successful, or if I've killed them. I hope I have SOME bloom next May - I will be disappointed if not.

Chilis and Tomatoes

The chili's are doing well considering the little I've done for them. Mainly just watering. One half-barrel is enough to supply 2 people with a few peppers a week, without feeling like we MUST eat them to avoid waste. Ditto for the tomatoes. These are Better Boy, Supersweet 100, and Sungold. I stand by the plant eating them off the vine, they are so good.

Progress Report: The New 2 Acres

With 100 degree F days, and no rain for a few weeks, it's not a great time for planting and digging. Still, there were a few things to do. I've hauled 3 truckloads of compost. I dug some into the borders and used some as a mulch on the borders and the fruit trees. Two columnar apples are planted. They were on sale, in containers. Red Sentinel and Golden Sentinel. I have Northstar at home and like it. If they don't survive, that's OK, but I've mixed compost into the soil for water retention, mulched with compost, and have given water each day. So far no wilting. Also planted 2 small fig starts and 2 larger containerized fig trees, again with addition of compost, mulching, and watering. No wilting so far, but one had some leaf sunburn. It's sunnier than the yard at home. Ning contracted a fence builder. The fence will provide a structure for layout and planning. In addition, while it can't keep all of the varmints out, it at least makes them go to more effort. Noting significant deer damage on the few anemic fruit trees currently there - 2 near-dead small apple trees, one may be apricot, and one European plum. I've sprayed deer repellent, placed special contributions from the dogs as supposedly fearsome "predator spoor", and of course there's that new fence. I've also given then a bit of water. The ?apricot? seems to be putting out some new growth, and so far, no new denuding of branches by Bambi. I've also rejuvenated a front border, removing weeds, digging in compost, and plated iris rhizomes from there, and from home, and a few new ones. Iris are reported as deer-resistant, and will be a good water conserving choice when established. Ditto for the lavender, rosemary, oregano, and thyme that I planted. Rosemary smells so good. Once established these will need little or no water. Rounding it out, I've also planted some Monarda/Bee balm, which is deer resistant and attracts bees and hummingbirds, and Yarrow, ditto. Off to a start. If the heat wave goes on for more than a month, it will be hard to keep going with the new starts, but most of the chosen plants are quite tough. The figs and apples were in containers, so needed watering whether I planted them or not. The perennials and herbs were also very cheap, 60% off, being on closeout because of the late season and who in their right mind is gardening now?

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Orchid Blogging

During the summer there is so much going on, I tend to neglect the orchids. They give me so much pleasure during the winter, but sometimes they surprise me in Summer too. This one is probaby "Apollon" but was not labeled.  No special care - just tried to avoid completely drying out.  While cropping the pics I noted a visitor.
These are both Dendrobium nobile hybrids.
A closer view without kitty cat.
Cats are strange.

Tigridia

Next year I'll have to be on the lookout for more tigridia. These are fun. No effort at all, stuck them in with other plants. The leaves here are not the tigridia - their leaves look like gladiolas. Unplanned color math - cool.
each flower lasts about one day. I've read that saving the corms for the next year can be a challenge. Might be better to treat them as annuals. Won't hurt to try and save them for next year, when fall arrives.
I had stuck the corms in the deck planters with no plan in mind. Just curious about what would happen. Now every once in a while see another one is blooming. Like daylilies, the flowers only last one day, but there are several consecutive flowers per stalk.

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Shiro Plums. Great harvest!

This Spring I wondered if there would be any plums. That was due to frost, and I read that Shiro needs a pollinator other than the Hollywood plum that is nearby. I was wrong. This is plenty for me to eat all I can, and share lots at work. Shiro ripens all plums in about 2 or 3 weeks, so no reason to have more than this.
These are the juiciest, sweetest plums I have ever eaten. Not huge size, but that's OK. They are a clingstone plum, so a little messy to eat. But so good.

Fig Time!

The figs are ripening like gangbusters. Even thought the first tree to provide a ripe fig was Lattarula, most of those are still green and firm. These are Desert King (also called King) and Petite Negri. The King figs are juicier and sweeter, but the PN figs have a "richer" flavor. The others are well behind. The advantage of keeping the small, so I can have more varieties, is a much longer period of ripening, as well as some do well some years, and others do well other years. And each has its own flavor. Cell phone is there to show size.
King. This tree is only 4 or 5 years old. Some of the new branches grew 12 feet, as thick as my thumb. Amazing year.

Iris Arrival and Planting

These are the irises from C and T Iris Patch. They arrived nicely packaged, nice fresh rhizomes and leaves. They appear to have been just recently dug and processed, nice. Well packed in excelsior. Two were labeled differently from the order - I emailed the seller and they responded almost immediately, this was a labeling error, that the irises as listed on the invoice were correct. Great service!

I really appreiate how carefully these were packed. The rhizomes tended to be a bit smaller than those from Scheiner's, but I can't complain since the price was much lower. (How does Schreiner's get the so big? Buch bigger than my established iris rhizomes). Also, they were much better than what I've bought in previous years locally, from big box stores, and they are much more fresh, there is more time for them to establish, and I get to support what appears to be a family business.  They may well bloom next Spring - that would be nice.
Since I've been so big on container planting, I opted to plant a few in this container - a wooden half-barrel-style container that I harvested garlic from last month. I plan to use fresh soil for next year's garlic, and only grow one container - more in raised beds at the country plane - so I had this one to spare. I planted them so they would grow from center to outward edge. They will need replanting in one to two years. These are the yellows - Los Coyotes, Love the Sun, Sun Catcher, and a rhizome from my patch of Sunny Delight, which I want to renovate or remove and plant the irises elsewhere since it's overgrown with grass.
These went into a planter box. They will need transfer to ground or elsewhere in one to two years.  This is a chance to get a head start.   I didn't have a good place prepared in the ground yet. I can move them onto the deck when blooming, then back to the yard when done. I pointed them as I did, with growth patterns in mind. The cut portion of the rhizome is near one edge, giving lots of room for the other end to grow. These Diety, Whole Cloth (heritage variety), Romeo (heritage variety), and Pink Millennium.

Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Some more new Iris varieties

These are via C&T Iris Patch, and are not yet shipped.  Couldn't resist.  The prices are very good, but I have not seen what the shipped rhizomes look like yet.  I'm hoping that, by growing them in Colorado, these will be durable varieties.  Also, I will make a bed for them at the Battleground place.  I'm thinking of the space between trees in the mini-Orchard.  It will be quite a few years before the fruit trees are big enough that too much shade will be an issue. Despite wanting to increase heritage varieties, most are fairly recent. Some are antiques. The photos are from the catalog - I hope that's OK since I linked to it.



Romeo. French firm Millet et Fils, from 1912
Diety. Monty Byers, 1988
Leprechaun's Delight. Developed by Weiler, 1986. Miniature Iris.
Los Coyotes. Developed by Burseen, 1992
Northwest Progress, Schreiner's 1997.
Fire on Ice, Weiler, 1990.
Pink Millenium, Schick, 1999.
Suncatcher. Ensminger, 1992.
Sweet Reflection. Maryott's, 1991
Whole Cloth. Cook, 1958 While at Portland Nursery, I saw this potted iris on the 50% off table, so bought it as well.
Iris is "Cherry Garden", photo is via "hort.net Cherry Garden was developed by Jones in 1966, and is a miniature."