Started cutting down a dead Jamaican cherry tree, picked some strawberries. Then finished yanking out the last of the kale in my one annual bed because everything in the bed had been overrun by aphids. Also cut the tops off most of the radishes because they are all bolting. The Dino kale i have planted in a few random spots are doing much better than the type i planted in the bed. Growing faster, larger and no pests.
Too hot already for the temperate climate stuff I guess. Later this evening in going to try to go back out and clean up the last clump of bananas.
Iām in full blown grafting mode with about a dozen apple grafts made on rootstocks in containers and several mulberry and pear grafts made on established rootstocks in the yard.
Today I dug up a Jaboticaba and put it in a pot. Then dug up two peanut butter fruit plants and planted them in a different spot along with 3 other seedlings I had in pots. Also, up potted a bunch of lemon drop mangosteen seedlings and planted several in the ground as well.
Started planting some bare root trees in the part of the land that has warmed up, most is still frozen. Trying to take advantage of as much of this hill as I can as itās my only full sun growing area. Itās much steeper than it appears.
My youngest (4yr old daughter) and I planted a semi dwarf honeycrisp apple tree that was a replacement for a wrong tree from StarkBros back in 2021. We also planted 2 Apache, 1 Natchez, 7 Navajo, and 7 Ponca blackberries. The row still needs to be mulched. We also started a 3rd row that will have Prime Ark Freedom and Caddo blackberries.
planted my drippin honey asian pear, 25 strawbs, and pink lemonade and florida rose rabbiteye blueberry to add to the collection. oh and my glencoe and twilight rubus. All in all not a bad days work for just my lunch break and the last hour. now to finish clearing out the gravelā¦
Letās seeā¦ I think I scattered some breadseed poppies around, planted germinated marshmallow with 2 other sections connected with scozonera andā¦something else but not sure xD , cut out a whole other planting bed and planted somewhat large sections of anise hyssop which some of the previous plots are already beginning to sprout their purple n green leaves xD, lacy phacelia and american basket flowers, also was surprised to find that my silver dollar plant seeds were also germinating and rooting so I planted thoseā¦ somewhere Also made a dedicated section for chamomile. Will probably spread some more poppy seeds too. Still have all the fava beans, safflower, peas, soybeans. marigoldsā¦ Still thinking about planting pumpkins, beets and these other sunflowersā¦ but not sure if Iāll have enough room now with all the other bushes and trees that are coming, ALONG with all the indoor starts I haveā¦ UGHHHH! Happy easter everyone xD
All I really did today in the yard is prove that a middle-aged desk jockey whoās never worked physical labor is not cut out to be a farmer. I wear out quick this time of year.
In my defense, I did start right after lunch in the hottest part of the day while wearing long sleeves. And cloth gloves as I was trying to minimize wild blackberry on a slope. Those things have more thorns than they ever get fruits. Some of the canes are already over 10 feet long. And there is also some dog rose in there as well. That, thankfully hasnāt shot up yet.
Iām hoping the ārule of threeā holds true in that chopping it down at least three times kills it back. I know the rose takes more - or at least multiple years for the established stuff, but Iām slowly making progress on the rest. The area was full of assorted other softer viney stuff that I could just run over with a lawn tracker if I could get the canes out of the way. Most of my progress occurs if I get to it before the spring sun and rain literally raises cane.
Ultimately, Iām getting fat and lazy, no matter how much I want the opposite to be true.
Sowed a bunch of root crops, greens, and peas, put the rhubarb and horseradish into pots, checked on all the fruit bushes and brambles. Sunchokes are in, potatoes go in whenever they get here.
my first round of radish has sprouted, so iāll probably sow them today. i just grafted my apple and sweet cherry. pics to come
The cherry scion was SUPER thin and hard to work with so i wont be surprised if they failed. i had to do a bark graft on one cause it was so thin, and the other i had to do a modified cleft. i also did a t-bud justā¦ in case cause i had an extra bud. but im pretty sure i biffed that one up
IDK if thats standard quality i should expect for a scion, the few others ive gotten were a lot thicker, but maybe members of this forum are just generous lol, i actually bought these
I planted anemone corms outside, fed the chickens, and checked on carrots and radish (none are up yet but planted a week ago).
Checked on all the fruit bud progress- honeyberries are getting close to flowering. Should have some nice days this week, I bet theyāll be blooming soon.
Itās a chilly day here, at least compared the June weather weāve been having. But I was able to wander around the yard checking on what over-wintered. Most things are trying to recover from the severe drop we had a couple weeks ago, but Iām seeing some new leaves tentatively pushing out among the frosted ones and flowers on the things that are supposed to be flowering. Mostly I checked on my grafts. I lost a few labels to the wind, but most of that is backed up with a little digging. Most of the grafts themselves are fine. Wang Bo goumi and K2 autumn olive seem to have either failed or decided to take it slow.
Finally planted a couple of flowers I got on clearance last fall. Also ferilized and mulched most of my blueberries!
I feel like I have really been dragging my feet this year, so I was happy I got this little bit done.
I wish I could give a good answer. I misspoke as it is an Autumn Olive. Iāll correct my comment above. It was supposed to be a bit more cold hardy, as if it needed to be, and sweeter than average, but I havenāt seen its fruits and apparently am not going to for a while. I suspect my sample was a bit over-aged, although it looked sound enough when I put it on.
Wang Bo came from Englandās Orchard, but my notes do not identify him as the source for K2. But his catalogue is a good place to look for variety in the states if you are either grafting or close enough to have him graft something for you.
