@jrowjimgow ! I’m glad to hear that someone else talks to their plants!
Those pears are impressive! I am going to plant a couple of pear trees this coming spring. They are not my favorite fruit . . . but are supposed to do well in this area. Unless I order from a catalog, it seems that my only choices are Bartlett or Bosc.
Any suggestions, from the Forum, as to which varieties are more bomb-proof - and worth growing ‘flavor-wise’?
Also . . . is there a huge difference between the ‘home-grown’ and grocery Asian Pears? Because, I have not had any of those, from the grocery, that have much flavor.
I think yours are down here! I’ve never seen so many of the #@%& things, both striped and spotted. They got established during a rainy spell earlier in the season and proceeded to wreck cucumbers and melons with wilt; have had a hard time trying to get them under control.
Photos above show my grapes and last photo you can see starting to turn dark colors. It will take a month to be ripe. I will have more this year than ever before.
Some tomatoes soon to ripen.
Also I planted the persimmon tree this spring and so far 1 is trying to fruit. I am thrilled to expect one fruit to try this fall.
I have two others but they have not formed catkins yet. They are under a lot more shade, I wonder if that’s why, because they were planted at the same time.
Kat is loved by the whole community. She is 9, has no front teeth, loves the outdoors, and goes up to strangers of all ages to get pets. Sometimes after she successfully gets a pet by the mailman or such she will turn, get my eye contact, and come quickly to me purring as if to say “did you see? I got petted!” She is too slow to catch a bird or butterfly but she tries a bit. But when a cat or dog comes near me she will chase them a block to say she owns me and the entire apartment too. Her favorite things to do are rub her back on sidewalk cement, get multiple people to pet her, and wake me by leaping on my chest and cuddling by my face.
She is single too, but not seeking a husband at this time.
Picked up lots of passion fruit today! They were literally dropping off the vine as I was picking others up off the ground. Last night I processed a few dozen fruit, freezing half of it for later and will be making passion fruit strawberry banana smoothies tonight! The kids and my wife love them.
Figs are getting close to being ripe as well. I’ll have a bunch of VdB and Deanna this year.
I was thrilled to find Damson plums at our local grocery store. They were being sold in bulk for jams and jelly. I have heard of the Damson but we cannot grow it in my zone.
I made a small batch of jam and it is all it is said to be, a wonderful mix of tart and sweet.
Don’t eat the raw fruit though, I tried and it is a puckerer for sure.
We are lucky with the weather and reduced pest pressure, but we’re poorer in land and water (and air quality, crowding, etc etc). I’d love to have 2 acres to play with, but I’d be out in the desert before I could afford it.
They are under a lot more shade, I wonder if that’s why, because they were planted at the same time.
