Just for Fun - Wk 9

 NM Hatch Chilis

Up until now, the chilis have been growing in 4" pots, except for the single plant that was started a couple of weeks ahead of the set of 4, propagated at the same time. Concerned that perhaps their production was being retarded by the smaller pots, I transplanted one of the plants, as a test..so far, that plant has done nothing.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this pepper growing on one of the plants still in 4" containers.

Then I checked the older plants & saw this one..my conclusion? If I want to maximize production, the larger pots will allow for more fruit, but if I didn't want to transplant, but keep the chilis in the smaller pots, they will still produce. Now I've got 2 plants in larger pots, while 2 remain in 4"..I want to watch how they do for a couple of weeks before a final decision &/or before I give the younger plants away.

Dwarf Tomatoes

Nothing to report for this week..no significant change from last week. Hopefully the barren plant will have small fruit by next week..flowering now.

Fremont Cottonwood - UPDATE

'the Fremont' was a little slow coming into spring/summer, but has perked-up, after a short hot-weather preview we had a few days ago.

I think this little tree is going to "take-off" this summer & show some growth. It seems like he has started to figure out foliage, but I am more concerned with the trunk & branches..and I thought he would be developing the nebari (base of the tree) by this time.

While slow-growing, he appears healthy & relatively happy in his current surroundings, although he has been in this training tray since last fall. It may be time to repot with fresh  potting mix & take a look a root development.

This excerpt from the Fremont Cottonwood Photos/History page where you can access the full history  of this tree

 

 

Flowering Dogwood - UPDATE

It worked! A week of "hanging out" with 2 Japanese Maple seedlings & our Flowering Dogwood is perky, looking healthy & putting out new growth.

 Like the Acer's, he doesn't want too much exposure to direct sun, seems to get along better with partial sun..really likes "dappled shade" & shows it.

I expect to see some real growth now that we've figured out just how the Dogwood likes to be treated. The question now is how he will handle the heat, this summer             

Just for Fun - Wk 8

Dwarf Tomatoes

As you can see from this photo, we have "fruit on the vine".. This last week & in particular, the last few days, we had our first real taste of summer..sun all day..temps in the 90's..

8 weeks from germination to fruit, almost to the day..I am really pleased with these tomatoes..free-standing, not 'bushy', they aren't trying to take over the patio & require a minimum of attention..water them when they're thirsty and prune the lower branches as they wilt..they don't contribute to fruit production & by pruning them, you reduce the overall water demand of the plant. 

NM Hatch Chilis

It looks like the Chili's have been growing for a couple days, at least, before I discovered them..the plant is still flowering, so I expect by next week, we will have many more.

Here in California, people wait months for the 'Hatch harvest' & the first of the Chili's from New Mexico. Fans of this Chile swear there is none other like it. I purposefully ordered the seeds these plants are grown from, directly from a NM source.

They will not exactly duplicate Chili's grown in NM..we don't have the same growing conditions..but they are bona fide Hatch Chilis.

I'm anxious now to see what they look like next week.

Pruned & Potted: 'Schnapper Point'

 excerpt from Photo/History page for 'Schnapper Point'

The Banksia seems to have acclimated well & seems indifferent to the dry afternoon winds that we contend with, pretty much year-round. He was potted in a rich, heavy soil mix that seemed to drain well, but I wanted to see how he would fare in our potting mix with prox. 50% gravel/grit. 

I de-potted him & removed prox. 50 - 60% of the potting mix with a chopstick, combed-out the roots as best I could & with a minimum of root pruning , fit him into a training pot.

Then I pruned the lowest branch that doubled the windage of this little tree & threw the perspective "out of whack". (the cutting is already rooting in water)

In this photo, you can see the scar on the lower trunk, where the branch used to be. I am impressed with the health & hardiness that is apparent, telling me that he is most-likely to become a permanent specimen in our collection.