Sunday, October 06, 2013

Kitchen garden harvest

 Kitchen garden is winding down.

I appreciate each and every pepper, tomato, and fig.

I picked the watermelon.  It turned out to be underripe.   Very bland, not very sweet.  Chickens got most of it.
Blacktail mountain watermelon

Birds got a lot of the figs this year.  I didn't net the trees.  Next year, I should.  I have the net.  I did not have the energy.

Today I picked and ate, 2 more figs from the Sal's Fig tree.  Those continue to be very good.  It's nice to have fresh figs at the Battleground place.
Not ripe enough for full flavor and color

My Dad's Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo trunk
 This is the largest of ginkgo trees, grown from seeds my Dad collected about 15 years ago.  They spent their first couple of years in flower pots. 

My Dad collected the seeds from a large ginkgo tree, grown from seed by Herman Deege in a small Illinois town.   He taught me about the origins of gingko trees.  I imagine he's been dead since the 1970s.

This tree is many-fold larger than the other two from the same source.   Other than genetic diversity, different seeds from the same source, this was planted in the ground about one year before the other two.  It is in the yard area where the dogs leave their contributions to nature, over the past 12 years.  I think the dog fertilizer is the main difference.
Ginkgo tree
The smallest of the 3 is now in the Battleground yard.  It's about 7 feet tall.  The largest of my Dad's trees must ba about 35 feet tall now.

It should turn yellow soon.  Beautiful in green or yellow.

Tuesday, October 01, 2013

Ning's Chickens

This was a week ago.  I pulled out the marigolds and sweet alyssum.  They were too rank and taking over the bearded iris bed.  The hens ate them but not with enthusiasm.  They liked the sweet alyssum plants much more than the marigolds.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Grafting fruit trees. Progress Report.




Pear Graft #1
 All of the pear grafts and apple grafts took and grew this year.

I did not keep track of varieties.  The pear grafts were on the 2 Asian pear trees.  The intent is to have pollinating varieties, on the same tree.  And novelty.

The pollinating varieties were, two from a multigraft Asian pear in the Vancouver yard, plus 2 prunings from newly planted pear trees.  Those were European pears, Rescue and Orca.
Pear Graft #2

Pear Graft #3
 Some of the grafts grew very fast.  Others barely grew.

I grafted the apples on Feb 23rd at the Home Orchard Society grafting class.  Spitzenberg and Suttons Beauty.  Each has 2 strong growths.  Late winter, I want to graft each with an additional variety.  Or with 2 additional varieties, allowing a bud to form a branch below the graft for the originals.  These would be very low branching trees, which is what I want.  I want to get them planted in-ground this fall, so the roots have a chance to grow.  That means I will need deer protection, too, which is more of a chore.  Not too difficult.

The regenerated Honeycrisp broke off near the ground, but above the graft, last year.  I debated re-grafting it.  Instead, I pruned short, and allowed the tree to grow from below the cut.  It has 2 strong growths.  Again, I would like to graft an additional variety onto one or both of the growths.

In the Vancouver yard, I have the Honeycrisp start, Jonagold, Liberty, and Karmijn de Sonneville.  At Battleground, there are the columnar varieties Golden Sentinel and Red Sentinel.  GS had one apple this year.  It's only about 2 feet tall.  That's enough varieties for my test garden.

There is also Prairie Fire crabapple, now, which I hope serves as a pollinator.
Pear Graft #4

Regenerated Honeycrisp Apple


New Dwarf Apple Grafts
Broken Honeycrisp tree Sept 2012

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Fall planting bulbs for Spring flowers.

Daffodil hill.  via Commons.wikimedia.org
Today it's raining and raining and raining.  Pacific Northwet.  I love rainy season.  Fire in the heating stove.  Dogs napping in front of the fire.

I planted 100 generic daffodils in Ning's border, clusters of 4,5,6.  Plus big Allium gigantum which I grew last year in the onion bed.  Moved catnip and 2 small raspberry starts out of bearded iris bed#3, and into the bee garden.   Both grow too large to remain among the bearded irises.   Tidied up a little more of that raised bed, and planted grape hyacinth and smaller types of narcissus.  Planted some bunches of daffodils in the bee garden.

That's about all.  Too wet, and I'm tired.   It sounds like a lot, but was only about 2 hours, split into slow 1 hour sessions, one in am and one in pm.

Daffodils - and possibly all narcissus - are considered deer resistant and rabbit resistant.  Last year something ate a few, but left most alone.  Must taste bad.  Grape hyacinths / Muscari are also considered deer and rabbit resistant,  but most were eaten down to the ground. 

Alliums are also considered animal resistant.  Some varieties did well last year, some were sparse.  I planted a few more purple alliums.

A few more small bags and half of a big bag of bulbs, left to plant.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Buddleia progress report.

Buddleia globosa hybrid

Buddleia X Peach Cobbler
 The hybrid Buddleias grew rapidly this year, from small <1ft and="" bushes.="" clipping="" compost="" each="" grass="" mulch.="" mulched="" nbsp="" nursery="" of="" on="" p="" plan.="" starts="" straw="" summer.="" tall="" that="" the="" they="" through="" to="" top="" waist-high="" was="" watered="" were="" with="">
The B. globosa hybrid blooms in Spring.  It was purchased as a 6 inch start.  Lots of growth.  Not as much as the others, but it was smaller.  Expect flowers next Spring.

The Flutterby series Buddleias grew fastest.  The flowers were the largest, but also the messiest.  Bumblebees liked them  There were also a few butterflies.  Those were "Peach Cobbler" and "Blueberry cobbler".
Buddleia X "Blue Chip"

Buddleia X "Blue Chip"
Another Flutterby series hybrid, but dwarf, was "Blue Chip".  I had that in a weedy iris bed that went unwatered until fall.  It did remain small.  The flowers were very nice.  I sort of regret not taking better care of it, but it bloomed and should be fine next year.



Buddleia X "Miss Ruby".  The remaining Buddleia hybrids were "Miss Ruby" and "Miss Molly".  Those were neater.  Growth was not as rampant.  The flowers lasted longer and were more vivid, compared to the Flutterby series.  The flowers were smaller, which is beneficial.  The much larger flower panicles of "Peach Cobbler" and "Blueberry Cobbler" start turning brown at the base before the tips open.  So with those, I either have to tolerate brown dried out flowers, or deadhead before they are done.  Bumblebees and a rare honeybee foraged "Miss Molly" and "Miss Ruby".

From the State of Oregon Department of Agriculture site, the following Buddleia varieties have been tested for non-invasiveness and are allowed.  It costs the grower $10,000 to have a variety tested at OSU, and takes 18 months.  If the grower already has data proving their variety is noninvasive or proving it is an interspecific hybrid, the cost is $150.00 per hour for the state to evaluate the data.  So, it seems wrong for anyone to grow these by cuttings.

A few weeks ago I say one local nursery carried "Black Knight" - a pretty but invasive and illegal variety.  I did not buy it.

ODA Approved Sterile Buddleja Cultivars - this info direct from ODA -

The listed Buddleja cultivars produce 2% or less viable seeds and meet Oregon's standards for sterility. The transport, propagation, and sale of the listed cultivars is approved.
 
Buddleja 'Blue Chip'
Buddleja 'Asian Moon'
Buddleja 'Purple Haze'
Buddleja 'Ice Chip' (Formerly 'White Icing')
 
FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Blueberry Cobbler Nectar Bush
FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Peach Cobbler Nectar Bush
FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Sweet Marmalade Nectar Bush
FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Tangerine Dream Nectar Bush
FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Vanilla Nectar Bush
FLUTTERBY PETITE™ Snow White Nectar Bush
FLUTTERBY™ Pink Nectar Bush
 


Non-Regulated Interspecific Cultivars

These listed cultivars have been proven to be interspecific hybrids through testing and laboratory analysis. They are not regulated under Oregon's noxious weed quarantine and can be transported, propagated, and sold within Oregon. The fertility of these cultivars has not been assessed, though interspecific hybrids generally exhibit low fertility.
 
Buddleja 'Lilac Chip'
Buddleja 'Miss Molly'
Buddleja 'Miss Ruby


File:Buddleja matico recht.JPGThis is Buddleia globosa, pic via wikipedia.orgB globosa is not regulated, because it is not invasive.  B. globosa may be more attractive to bees, but blooms in spring or early summer.  The B. davidii and interspecific hybrids bloom later summer and fall.
 

Kitchen Garden. Garlic and Onions.

Multiplier Onions

Kitchen Garden
Over the past month, I put together 2 more raised beds.  That brings it to 10 of the 112 planned. For the final 2, I have all winter to complete them.

Last weekend, I planted the Multiplier onions.  The first 4 rows are Egyptian Walking Onions.  Then 7 rows of Yellow Potato Onions.  Enough for scallions and cooking or slicing onions.

During the past week, I finished filling the 10th bed.  Same mole-hill / compost mix, 50/50.  Today I planted the completed bed with garlic.  12 rows, 8 rose of Inchelium Red and 4 rows of random varieties.  The Inchelium Red is all I need.

The photo is from last weekend, before completing the filling of bed #10.

In the background, a cleaned-up bed for Ning's cabbages.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Varmint!

Where's that hawk when we need her?

More Figs

Sal's Fig (left) and LSU Tiger Fig

Eyes of LSU Tiger (top) and Sal's
 First fig of the year for Sal's fig.  Not much on the tree this year.  During the Spring, new growth was damaged by a late frost.  So it had a set back and late start.

The LSU Tiger fig was started from cutting in Jan or Feb.  Nice to get a fig the first year.  This is the second fig.  The first was eaten by an animal.

I haven't been posing photos of the fig "eyes".  These are small, open eyes.  Potential for ants to enter, or rain if they point upwards.  But these pointed downwards.

Sal's was smaller, darker, sweeter, and more flavorful, of the two.  Both were good. 

I read, it takes a year or two for trees to produce full flavored figs.  So next year they may be sweeter or more richly flavored.

I'm pleased to have figs the same calendar year that I started the cuttings.  Even if it's only for a taste.
Sal's (left) and LSU Tiger

Gardening for the Winter. Multiplier onions, Flower Bulbs, Tree Protection.

Multiplier Onions about to be planted.

More Daffodils for the yard.
 The Yellow Potato Onions are now planted for their winter "incubation".  The roots and tops grow during the remainder of fall, then settle in for winter.  Most were the very big size this year, leaving fewer small starts to plant.   I planted about 25 sets, with half being large - to make multiple small sets, and half being small - to make large onion bulbs.  They grew very well last year, with the September - planted ones growing better than later - planted.

One also made topsets.  I planted those as well.

The Egyptian Walking Onions are growing roots and tops.  Fast start.

This Daffodil mix brings the # of bulbs planted this fall to about a hundred.  There are about 150 more to plant.  It sounds like a lot, but they are quite easy to plant.

I made 5 tree - guards so far.  This year I am experimenting with hardware cloth.  These are /12 inch mesh.  I think I'll buy 1/4 inch mesh once I've used up this roll.  Based on the web sites I've read, 1/4 is superior for vole exclusion. 

The ginkgo may not need protection.  Ginkgo trees are considered deer and rabbit resistant.  But no harm in a little protection.

I also have tree wrap saved from last year.  Tree wrap may seal in moisture, which could encourage fungal infection.  So I am not as enthusiastic about that.  On the other hand, tree wrap is easier to apply, compared to hardware cloth.
Varmint Screening for Crabapple Tree


Varmint Screening for Ginkgo Tree
The websites often state the hardware cloth should be partly buried.  However, that would mean damage to shallow roots.  So far, animals have not under-mined trunk protection.  If they do, I'll have to consider more secure options.