Yes Peas!

 

Tall Telephone Peas were planted back in September and are now finally starting to fatten up.  That’s five months.  I thought I would have peas around Christmastime.  Sheesh! 

The seeds came from Terroir Seeds with this description:

68-78 Days.  Swiss heirloom dating to 1878.  Many vines and a profusion of easy-to-pick pods with 8-9 tasty peas each.  Long season.  Pisum stavum 

The packet instructions give these directions:

As soon as soil can be worked in spring, sow peas in full sun, 2” deep and 6” apart within the rows and space the rows 2’ apart.  Germination takes 7-10 days.  Sow successively every two weeks until temperatures remain above 78 °F, and again in mid to late summer for a fall crop.  Vining types need trellises or supports.

I suppose I should have planted them in August rather than September.  Planting a couple of more rows to try to get some spring peas is probably a good idea since I come out and eat these off the vine at lunchtime. Preserving any is doubtful.  At $2.95 for 100 seeds, it’s a pretty economical way to garden. These plants are over 6’ tall.  Make sure to provide tall enough support.

Enjoy some pea facts and pea recipes at peas.org.

Grafting Espalier Fruit Trees - Part II

  Santa Rosa Plum

Spring is about ready to bust around here; so it’s time for part II of my grafting adventure.  It seemed like a perfect day.  It rained earlier followed by cool temperatures. All trees are full with buds.   Perfect.  Let’s get started.

 Part I occurred last month when buds were clipped from the trees that will be grafted (nectarine, peach, and apple a bit later).  The “buds” (twigs actually) were placed in Ziploc bags with a bit of moisture and stored in the refrigerator out in the garage.  Nice and cold.  Today, I sterilized a straight razor blade and pruning shears.  Fresh cuts were made to the buds.  The trunk of each tree was then studied to determine the best location for the grafting to enhance the espalier.  The straight razor blade was used to carve a “T” in the bark.  The bark was peeled back and the bud was inserted.  The bark was then closed up over the bud. 

 

Courtesy:  Sonoma County Go Local

Green garden tape was used to secure the graft by wrapping and tying it around the surgery.  The example above shows string being used to close the wound.  I’ve heard of using tar, wax, and even aluminum foil. I just used the stuff I had.  I’m hoping for the best; but if the grafts don’t take I can always try again and alter the method.  My concerns are with almost everything…the cut, the bud, the tape.  Everything.  I’m completely nervous about this new thing I’m learning.

 Granny Smith Apple

Grafts were made on the Fantasia Nectarine (3), the O’Henry Peach (2), and the Granny Smith Apple (1).  The best results will be grafts that thrive.  The worst result will be that I’ve killed my trees.

It’s Good for the Roses

The spring weather has the weeds/wildflowers sprouting.  It’s warm enough to go out and enjoy a walk and meet new friends while enjoying their gardens.  The days are getting long enough that there is no rush to hurry before the sun sets.  It stays light until about 6pm now.  Plenty of time to take a walk, start dinner, and do a little gardening before it gets dark.

Horse manure is supposed to be great for the garden.  Steer manure can have salts and seeds – but I’m no expert.  My experience has me favoring bunny poop.  That stuff is potent.

A local rancher is looking to put his bounty of manure from grass fed cattle to work not only in his own garden but marketing the stuff for “tea”.  I hope he does and has much success.  Perhaps he would like me to test his product for a review.  I would be delighted. 

In the meantime, I need to bargain with that stead for its leavings.  It is good for the roses.  Please watch the Quiet Man to understand the reference to the roses.

 

Prize Winner

 Recently, I was looking through a case of old photos my mother has kept in a tiny case her father once used for his luggage when he would go away for a week.  Honestly, the case isn’t big enough for me to carry my toiletries for an over night stay.  In this treasure chest, one of his gardening awards was neatly placed amongst the photos.  What a find.  He took 2nd place at the 10th Annual Open Flower and Vegetable Show at Haymarket (west side of Edinburgh, Scotland) in 1953.  Score! 

It seems dirt under the fingernails goes back a few generations.  Perhaps I should consider an entry in the Kern County Fair this fall just to keep the awards rolling.

To help assure me of a win, I have requested Farmer MacGregor to dress in the same manner as my grandpa.  This technique may not have anything to do with successful gardening; but the gent certainly looks pretty dashing in his Spencer Tracy specs.

Note:  At the request of Farmer MacGregor, his image has been removed and replaced with this:

It’s Broccoli Blanching Time!

The weather has really started to get warm and the broccoli, along with other veggies in the garden, are starting to bolt.  Today, the broccoli had to go into the freezer to enjoy later.

• Harvest as much fresh broccoli as you can.
• Rinse the harvest.
• Clip into flowerets.
• Soak in cold water.
• Place in boiling salt water for 3 minutes.
• Remove with slotted spoon into ice bath to stop cooking process and retain texture and nutrients.
• Repeat in batches until complete.
• Drain.
• Pat dry.
• Place in freezer container in your freezer.

That should preserve a bit of delicious nutrition for the future.

 

Three varieties of broccoli were grown this winter.

• Calabrese
• Nutribud
• Waltham29

Since the summer crop is currently in seedling state and the last day of frost is only a few weeks away, this will give me time to clean out the beds and get ready for summer.

Great Scot(t) in the Garden

How do we get involved with gardening?  Necessity?  Not so much.  It typically starts our as a hobby that sometimes gets out of control.  Some of us have family that were successes in the garden and passed the green thumb along.  My father had a green thumb and so did my grandfather (on my mother’s side).  Those skills were necessities.  My grandpa was raised on a farm in the Scottish countryside but ended up in Edinburgh and a garden on Moat Drive.I wonder if he would enjoy gardening in Bakersfield, California where the hell like conditions are a far cry from those he conquered in the frigid north.  Would the arid environment just be another challenge like that he faced during World War I in Turkey?

Even if he did adjust, there’s something that I simply can’t imagine him doing.  Dressing like a schlump as most of us do now.  Just can’t imagine it.

60 °F

Not to dwell on the weather, but it’s currently 60 °F.  After lunch, me and Ajax headed out to the garden.  I had some seed catalogs to review and he had some very important business to tend to.

The Nap Fairy has hit us both hard with a big bag of sand; so we’re headed in for a nap.

I think my thermometer goes bonkers when the sun hits it and reports 31 °F higher than the actual temperature.  This may need to be replaced since it only goes up to 120 °F.  That won’t work in a month or two.

I Don’t Give A Fig

Spring is starting to show in the garden.  The fig tree is lighting the way with its buds being the fattest of all the trees.  Looks like a candle doesn’t it?  All the other fruit trees have buds swelling as we move through the calendar toward mid February when more blossoms should pop.  The days are becoming longer and the chance of frost is decreasing.  In fact, the last day of frost in Bakersfield, California is somewhere around March 3.  Victory Seeds has a nifty list of cities and average frost dates.  That gives Farmer MacGregor time to dormant spray at least one more time…two if it doesn’t heat up so fast.

Until then, I’m enjoying “sweater weather” as long as I can.

 

PS…The fig tree is a volunteer that I don’t have the heart to dispose of.  It probably came compliments of a bird visiting my neighbor’s tree.  I have no idea what variety it is and would like to see if I can get any fruit from it.  It’s in a pot with ivy.  I considered pruning it espalier but think I’ll just let it grow with light pruning.

Puffy White Clouds

This is for everyone miserable and fed up with winter and using their winter down time to contemplate the validity of global warming.  Today, I had lunch out in the garden with my feet propped up leaning back in an old metal chair.  The warm sun and the cool air (about 58°) made me want to take a nap outside.  Heck, it doesn’t take much for me to want to take a nap.  This is perfect weather for me.  I can start with a long sleeved t-shirt, then a sweater topped with a denim shirt over a pair of sweat pants.  As the day gets warmer, layers peel off to maintain comfort.

I’ve never had to live in the snowy north.  Heck.  When is snowed (6”) in Bakersfield in January 1999, the entire town came to a halt.  No kidding.  We don’t know how to drive in rain very well either; so a skiff of snow was like jabbing a stick into our brains and stirring with vigor.  We do not have the skills.  I cannot imagine what it is like to be surrounded by snow for the better part of the year.  Likewise, those snow bunnies may not be very sympathetic to my constant whining about swamp pants.

So I enjoyed my lunchtime thinking of the rest of the country that is currently getting hit with winter.  I thought of everyone again later in the afternoon as I harvested broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower.

Sorry but my swamp pants will be replacing my sweat pants soon enough.

Cabbage Patch

  The cabbage patch is moving right along.  The broccoli heads aren’t grocery store big.  Rather, they are smaller, more tender, and plentiful.  Most will be harvested soon and frozen to enjoy later when the grocery store prices zoom.

The purple cauliflower heads don’t grow tight like the white variety grown last year.  It’s still tender and tasty.  It will be harvested and frozen if all of it doesn’t get eaten.

The purple cabbage is the prettiest in the garden with its pink veins and silver water drops.  They really glitter after the rain.

Pests have increased along with the temperatures.  Aphids and loopers have made their appearance.  So far, they have been kept under control with a spray of water or simply picking off the culprits.  Hope they don’t overwhelm me.