Fig Cuttings. Seedlings. Progress Report. 1.21.14

Carini fig start

 This is the plant start progress report for figs, peppers, and okra.

The little Carini start is growing nicely.  This was a low branch with a piece of root pictured previously.  I was concerned about whether that tree survived the hard freeze.  This start is alive.  So I think that means the tree is alive too.  At least the base.  So  I have a backup in case the tree died.  Also optimism that the tree didn't die.  Even if the top is frost killed, it might grow back more quickly from roots, than I could get from a new cutting.

Dominick Fig start

Plant starts under the light Jan 21 2014

 The Dominick cuttings are growing nicely.  This is the largest and fastest.  As in others, cuttings with no terminal bud grew faster than cuttings with a terminal bud.

MacOol fig cutting

Red Portugal pepper seedlings

 The collection under lights.  Now on a 14-hour timer.

Baby Bubba Okra seedling

MacOol cutting.  From a generous fig forum member.  This was a small cutting.  Possibly the variety is less vigorous, as well.  Roots growing nicely.  The top is not growing yet.  I potted it today, with the top under the lights.  Maybe that will stimulate top growth.









Red Portugal pepper seedlings.  They look nice.  The Tabasco peppers had lower germination, only 2 and of those only one looks vigorous.  not as much as these.

















Okra seedlings.  They don't look happy about their situation.  This method might not work for them.  Will continue to care for them.  This is "Baby Bubba".

Gardening via internet. 1.21.14

Anxiously awaiting the ForestFarms order - 3 new varieties of sterile Buddleia, a Philadelphus lewisii, and 2 varieties of hebes.  All for the pollinating insects.  Some, I hope, for honeybees.

Vancouver, WA, United States	01/21/2014	6:58 A.M.	Out For Delivery
	01/21/2014	6:53 A.M.	Arrival Scan
Portland, OR, United States	01/21/2014	6:32 A.M.	Departure Scan
	01/21/2014	4:54 A.M.	Arrival Scan
Roseburg, OR, United States	01/21/2014	1:27 A.M.	Departure Scan
Roseburg, OR, United States	01/20/2014	10:44 P.M.	Arrival Scan
Grants Pass, OR, United States	01/20/2014	9:28 P.M.	Departure Scan
	01/20/2014	7:20 P.M.	Origin Scan
United States	01/20/2014	7:24 P.M.	Order Processed: Ready for UPS

These days a lot of my garden comes via internet. Probably, most.  That is despite my philosophy that local provenance is so important. And my hope that people can pass good, locally adapted, varieties on to friends and neighbors.

It's frustrating to go to a local nursery, and see that everything appears shipped in, some items inappropriate for the area.  Like tropicals here in the NW, or invasives, and even some illegal invasives.  Or to be given inappropriate or just plain wrong information.  At one local nursery, I was told pawpaws don't need a pollinator - wrong - and there are no paw paw cultivars - wrong, and there are no persimmon cultivars - wrong.

Image source vintageprintable.com

So using the internet, I can research, ponder, explore, sort through reliable info and more just-plain wrong, and obtain what I think will do best.  Ultimately, it will still be up to me to see what does well and what does not grow, or isn't worth the effort.

Some negatives of internet gardening -
You don't get to sort through the plants and pick the best looking one for purchase.
You don't know how big it will be.  I've received some tiny starts at high prices.
Shipping can damage some plants - although I've been lucky, almost everything has arrived in good shape.
Gratification is not instant.  Although, sometimes it's pretty fast.
There is risk it will sit in the sun wilting, or in the cold freezing, if the order comes when I am at work.
Generally, you can't buy it, or see it, in bloom, in person, before buying.
A lot of plant pictures are highly selective, such as just the flower, so you don't know what the plant will look like.
Some bad players on the internet spam mercilessly, once they get your email address

Image source:  vintageprintable.com

Some positives of internet gardening -
It's like christmas coming home to a package of plants or plant starts.
I can mull over a plant or tree or seeds, over and over, for a long time, before actually buying it.
Research likely sorts out some duds that might actually be bought on impulse.
You are not limited to one source.
You can find many varieties that are not available locally, even if they would be well suited.
You can support companies whose philosophy you like, such as seed savers and venders of heritage varieties.
You can really shop around on price.

Image source:  vintageprintable.com

Some learnings about internet gardening.
Go to Daves Garden for info on the vender.  Some are just plain crooked, others have bad products or bad customer service, ship way slowly, send dead, dying, or not thriving material.
Once there is someone I like, and have good experience, I like to use them again.
Once I have a bad experience, think twice, three times, 4 times, before using them again.
Really read to know the size of the plant.  I don't mind it being small, but too small at high price is disappointing.

On that Forest Farms order - last year I liked the Linden I bought from them.  I could not find a similar one locally.  It was nicelyn packaged, and shipped on time.  The tree was in good shape.  This order, the plants will be smaller, but in the case of the Buddleias, are legal, noninvasive, very fast growing, and I couldn't find those varieties locally.

Update.  Here they are.

Forest Farm Shipment

 Very nicely packaged.  No damage at all.  Not a single broken twig.  The shrubs are dormant, but they look healthy and ready to plant.

They are larger than I expected.  This is an A+ shipment.

Opened

Unwrapped

The "tube" plants are interesting.  They are planted in paperboard tubes.  The tubes look like they degrade easily.  Better than plastic - more environmentally friendly.

Apple change of plan. Disease resistant, multigraft order. 1.19.14

Image source:  Wikimedia commons.

I emailed Raintree and requested a change of my order.  Initially I ordered a crab apple, Prairie Fire.  Later I found the same variety and bought it.  I thought I would let the order remain, for a second one of the same variety.  Then, eating some more apple pie, decided to change the order.

I emailed them and they were happy to oblige.

The replacement order is for a multigraft, disease resistant varieties on M106 rootstock.  M106 should result in a moderately vigorous tree roughly 10 feet tall.  Fine for my little orchard, especially with pruning.    Raintree says a bit bigger, 12 to 15 feet.  Either size is OK.  Probably no concern for planting pollinators, given it is multigraft.  Choices are 3 of...  Queen Cox, Belmac, Rubinette and / or Pristine.  One will be missing - their 3 in 1 are 4 in 1 that had one graft fail.   I did that with an Asian pear and am happy with that.

By going with disease resistant varieties, there should be less frustration in the future, and no need to spray.  At least, that's the plan.

Later, I could graft on other varieties.  This looks like a good start.

Anxious for the order to arrive.  Probably in a month.

Got the little Honeycrisp / M27 back into the ground.  This time it will have support - required for trees on M27 rootstock.  That was my mistake before.  The next question is what to graft onto the second stem.   This tree will probably only grow 5 or 6 feet tall.  This site lists Liberty as an option.  Easy, since we have a Liberty tree to supply scion.  Minnesota lists Jonagold among others.   I thought Jonagold was pollen sterile.  In fact, Spokane site states Jonagold is a nonpollinator.  Maybe graft on a Liberty scion, plus add another small M27 tree, such as Jonared.  Jonathan was my favorite, growing up in Illinois.


Next change - I ordered a dwarf Jonared from Starks.  I have not ordered from them before.  Jonared is a sport of Jonathan, redder skin.  Origin, Penashtin Washinton, 1934.   Jonathan originates 1864.  So this is a true heritage variety.  Not great in the disease-resistance department.  Parentage, seedling of Esopus Spitzenburg, which coincidentally is one of my grafts from last year.  Also the pollen parent of Karmijn de Sonnaville (1949), which I also have in the Vancouver yard.  Karmijn is also a self-sterile triploid, that can't pollinate others.

From Raintree on pollinizers - editing out the trees I don't have or haven't ordered this year.  Most should overlap.  I don't have data for Prairie Fire Crabapple, which should pollenize any of the listed varieties, if there is bloom time overlap.  From OrangePippenTrees.com - "The prolific blossom also makes most crab apples excellent pollinators for all other apple and cider-apple varieties - they typically produce five to ten times more pollen than a typical apple tree. The blossom is also usually more long-lasting than that of normal apples, and spans several of the mainstream apple flowering groups. Crab apples are naturally precocious and will often start producing blossom and fruit in their 2nd or 3rd years."

Early-Mid Season =  Pristine, Scarlet Sentinel, Liberty
Mid Season = Jonagold,  Golden Sentinel, Belmac,  Spitzenberg,, Karmijn
Mid-Late Season = Honeycrisp

Italic = self sterile, requires pollenizer and is not a pollenizer for others.

January Gardening. Move this here to there. 1.18.14

No photos today.

To get my mind off what is not mentioned here.....

We planted too much in the Vancouver yard.  It's been a jungle.  In 2012 I moved many trees and shrubs and perennials to the new Battleground place.

Today I moved a few more...

One Nandina.

Two small lilac bushes.  Several years ago, we planted a lilac hedge.  They were tiny.  Some are bigger, but some are too shaded and have too much competition, and are still small.  Today I moved those to Battleground.  More room, more sun, less competition.

I bought a Mock Orange, Philadelphus "Natchez" at Portland nursery.  They don't have much yet.  This was left over from last year.  So bigger than what will replace it there in a month or two, but more root bound.  I cut the roots as I usually do, before planting.  Philadelphus has a reputation as a bee forage plant.

I also dug up mini-dwarf Honeycrisp apple.  That tree (bush) broke off 2 years ago when I did not thin apples and they weighed down the tiny tree and broke it off.  I pruned off below the break.  Two new trunks developed, above the graft so stil Honeycrisp.  They grew nicely.  I plan to graft one trunk, maybe Jonagold.  The other will remain Honeycrisp.  Maybe I will graft something else and let it grow below the graft, for a 3-variety tree.   Undecided.

I also dug up volunteer lavenders, and dug out a half-barrel of Chinese chives.  They need regenerating.  I want to plant them tomorrow in a raised bed.

Almost forgot - took some cuttings from Hardy Chicago fig.  Started as usual with scrubbing, incision, dip-and-grow, moist paper towel in plastic bag, and a label.  Assuming they grow - experience says they will  - there will be one for Battleground, and several to give away.

Thinking about a Sun Room. 1.11.14

Front Of House

Front Of House

This is the West-facing side of the house.  To the right is South, to the left is North.  The squarish window with 4 panes opens from the dining room.  I think that would be a good place for a sun room.  Replace that window with a patio door or french door.  The sunroom could be about 100 to 150 square feet.  Big enough for plants all around, for starting tomatoes and peppers, okra, figs....  flowers...  and overwintering cacti and orchids.    Maybe even overwinter a large chili pepper plant.  There might be room for the Meyer Lemon - currently bearing - and kumquat.  Wow - I just filled up the sunroom, and it's not even designed yet.

I was thinking greenhouse, but sunroom might contribute to solar heating in winter.  Or might not be efficient, but would be more protected than a greenhouse, and I could sit in the sunroom and ponder, putter, and stew.

There's a home remodeling show in portland in 2 weeks.  It would take my mind off the impending scan....

Plant Propagation Day. Lilacs, Nandina, Plums, Quince, Forsythia. 1.11.14

Lilac Sucker

Shovel Placement for Lilac Sucker

 More plant propagation.  I found suckers on 2 more lilac bushes.  So I removed those for propagation.

The method with the shovel, is to stand it vertically close to the parent shrub, between the parent and the sucker.  Make a rapid, firm slice into the soil.  Sometimes it takes more than one try.  That severs the connection, but leaves most of the sucker's roots intact.

I make the same type of slices around the sucker / baby bush, then slice under it.

Much of the root mass is probably from the old bush, and not connected to the baby bush.  That root matrix hold the soil together.  Removing it could damage the roots of the new bush, so I left the soil / root matrix in place.  It would be nice to see how many roots the baby bush has, but not required.  I'm sure there are some.

I also took prunings from Hollywood Plum, Shiro Plum, Pussy Willow - un known variety, Flowering Quince.  After removing side branches, I have a bundle of each to experiment with as hardwood cuttings.

Hardwood Cuttings and Lilac Starts

 It's a cloudy drizzly rainy day, so not much risk of drying out.

Then I wandered around the yard, looking for other starts.  I found two Nandina suckers - Heavenly Bamboo.  Pretty bush, bright red berries.  So I removed those.  Same method as lilac.  The suckers did not have much by way of roots, so I pruned the tops to avoid dehydrating the plants until the roots take.  Haven't done this with Nandina before.

Then planted the sucker / baby shrubs in vegetable raised bed.  They will have a few months to grow more roots, before top grown begins.

I treated the hardwood cuttings in a similar manner to the fig cutting prep - make an incision in the lower end, to expose cambium.  Dip in Dip-and-grow 1:5 dilution for 10 seconds.  Then used trowel to make slice into soil.

Lilac Starts and Nandina Starts

Quince Starts

Inserted the cuttings, firmed soil into place.

I don't know if there is even a remote chance for those plums and the quince to take root.  Nothing lost if they don't.

I also took a few forsythia prunings.  Those were inserted in soil without wounding or dip-and-grow.  Mainly because I didn't have any dip-and-grow remaining.  Should be OK.  Forsythia grows easily.

The pussy willows can just be stuck into the grown about 1 foot deep.  Ning did that last year when I was sick, and about 90% took root and grew.  Deer then ate some.  Others should take off and grow this year.  We'll have a hedge of pussy willow.

Carini Fig Cuttings. 1.11.14

Carini Fig Start

Carini Fig Cuttings, showing supplies

 The top photo is the start I removed from the Carini fig tree after the big freeze.  This was a small underground branch.  I haven't decided if it will grow or not.  Worth trying.  So far it has made no increase in size, appearing to be in suspended inanimation.

I think fresh cuttings are much more likely to succeed.  This time I won't make the same mistake twice.  One will go into garage for the winter.

Method-

1.  Wash the cuttings.
2.  Make incision about 2 cm long, shallow, with sharp knife, near base of cutting.  The incision exposes cambium, which is the "stem cell" layer that callouses and forms baby roots.  Not required, but looking at the effectiveness of root growth at incision, it helps a lot.
3.  Dip in Dip-and-grow at 1:5 dilution for 5 seconds.
4.  Wrap in paper towel, moistened with house-plant-food at 7 drops per gallon - the directions for house plants state 7 drops per quart.  That is for growing plants in soil.  I want just a trace.
5.  Place in plastic bag.  I like to blow in a little air.  Twist and clip.
6.  Now it goes onto seed starting mat, with a plastic container between the cutting bag and the mat.
7. Every 2 or 3 days, I open the bags, inspect, rinse the cuttings in plain water..  If there is a start of mold or mildew, I send the paper towel to compost and replace with a new moist paper towel.

Carini Fig Cuttings, ready to incubate.

8  When roots are about 1/2 to 1 inch long, I pot them up in seed starting medium.

Figs can be grown form cuttings stuck into the garden soil and ignored for a year.  This method gets me results much faster.  I can see the baby roots form, very rewarding.  I can trouble shoot problems, like mold.  There are no insects or gnats.  The head start gives me a year or more of growth, ahead of starting in the garden.

I really like this Carini.  If the outside tree is freeze-killed, one of these will replace it.  If not, one goes into container, and the others to give to people who would  like a really nice  fig start.

Dominick Fig Cuttings. 1.11.14

Opening the Package - Will there be roots?

It's fun starting fig cuttings this time of year.   These are "Dominick's Fig", an Italian family - heritage fig via a generous member of the fig forum.

I could see there were leaves.  It's more important to grow roots at this stage.  If there are leaves and no roots, it's more challenging to keep them alive while awaiting roots.

Dominic Fig Cuttings

Dominick's Roots

Awesome!  Two have lots of roots.  The other two are a little further behind but still looking good.

I cleaned up some of last year's plant-starter juice cans.  Nice size, plant slides out easily for replanting, and theyn are free - recycled - reused.  The height / volume are good for transitioning fig cuttings from the paper towel to seed starting medium.

Gently remove paper towel.  If roots are stuck to paper towel, I just cut the paper towel and leave it on the root to disintegrate in the growth medium.  Doesn't hurt anything.

Then watered in, and return to the plant starting set-up among seedling and other fig cuttings in bags.

Today I also started Carini fig cuttings from another generous fig forum member, and Sicilian White, from another generous fig forum member.

Plant Nursery.

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Ning's Chickens. 1.7.14

Taking a start from a Lilac bush. Propagating a lilac bush by removing a sucker. 1.7.14

 This sprout was about one foot away from a purple flowered lilac bush.  It was an offshoot from that bush.  I sliced through the main stem with the shovel.  Then I dug it out.

Doesn't look too promising but I've seen less promising plants grow.  So maybe.

I pruned the cut, to make it smooth instead of ragged.  Pruned the top back a little.  It is dormant, so there are no leaves to transpire and wilt.  It will make new leaves at a size it can support with the roots.

Maybe the roots will extend a  little during the winter, using reserve stored carbohydrates from the stem.  That's why I didn't prune it back more.

I am determined not to add odds and ends into the vegetable bed.  So now I've planted the lilac start in the vegetable bed.  It is not in the way.  The vegetables get TLC, so the lilac will also get some TLC for the next year.

If it survives and grows, I can move it to a permanent location next year.

This is the general concept.  Traditional and super simple.

Find lilac bush with suckers.

Clear away weeds or stems that might be in the way.

Use shovel to slice through underground stem connecting sucker to parent bush.  I try to do this close to the parent bush.  That way I get more roots on the sucker.

Lilac Bush with suckers

Newly planted lilac suckers

 Dig around sucker and carefully dig it up.  It may not have a lot of roots.

Re-plant the sucker - now a new start of the lilac bush - in a sheltered location so it doesn't dry out this year.

This will work for other bushes that develop suckers - figs, forsythia, quince, etc.

I think the main thing is there are already a few roots.  A hardwood cutting would be almost the same but without roots.  It's more difficult to get roots growing from the stem, than to promote increase of root growth that has already begun.

The drawings are mine.  I am not an artist.