Just for the Fun of It...

 "Jerry's Patio", both the blog & my physical reality, are 99% consumed with my passion with the art & science of growing "little trees in little pots", but the reality is that tree cultivation, even of miniature stature, requires months & often years to see the results of one's effort. 

And memories of biting into a fresh tomato that actually tastes like a tomato & the satisfaction of eating the product of one's labor begins to entice..so, I decided to add a little spice to the equation & sowed both tomato & peppers a few weeks ago.

My intention is to just have one tomato plant & likewise, one pepper, but I sowed & propagated 4 of each, which have now sprouted, been potted & moved onto the patio. And I thought other folks might enjoy sharing the fun of growing these plants, with me.

terra cotta on left - plastic on right

I chose a bush tomato, supposedly specifically developed for southern California called Snakebite Dwarf Tomato, by San Diego Seed Co. These were sown on 3/8/26 & transplanted this week & moved onto the patio.

Conflicted between using terra cotta or plastic pots, I decided to run a little experiment & planted 2 of each..it will be interesting to see if one outperforms another..the winner will be the one plant that I allow to grow-on.

These are Hatch Green Chili Peppers - Big Jim by Sandia Seed Co. 'Hatch' is the term used to describe several different varieties of green pod Chile grown in SW New Mexico. Medium heat level= 2000-4000 Scoville; pods are 7 - 9"; bush 30" tall.

These are potted in 3' plastic pots, but I will be transplanting them to 4" this weekend. I may extend the terra cotta vs plastic competition, as well (just for fun).

I will report on their progress as time goes on & hope you might be encouraged to do something similar.

New Feature Added (reprint)

 (Reprint from Nov 16, 2025)

 The inclement weather this weekend has prohibited any outdoor gardening, but it has given me an opportunity to work on the blog and add a couple of features that I want to tell you about.

Translator: On the upper right-hand side of the homepage you will see a new feature labeled "Translate", with a drop-down menu that allows you to view my blog in any of 110 different languages. Try it  yourself..just "click-on" Select Language , pick a language & enjoy.

The other feature is embedded in the Blogger code (Blogger is Google's blogging software). If you "click" on any photo on the blog, it will open in a full-size version & display all of the other photos on that page as thumbnails along the bottom of the screen. You can scroll through all those photos without having to read the narrative. So, if you're searching for a particular photo, you can review them en masse' as opposed to one at a time.

Nov 17, 2025 - UPDATE:

This morning I added another new feature to the blog that seems highly appropriate after the last few days..a Weather Widget . Placed in the upper-right corner, it will most likely be the first thing you see when you log in..enjoy.

New Tree on the Patio - Red Bird Azalea

The 'Red Bird' Azalea is an evergreen, prized for it's flowers that bloom in spring-mid summer, can be grown as either decorative shrub or flowering tree.

 While technically a Rhododendron, with roots in China & Japan, some sources say that the Azalea was developed specifically for cold regions, such as North America & some Azalea cultivars are deciduous.

April 2026

The Red Bird is hardy(USDA zones: 5-9), "greedy" when it comes to fertilization & picky about it's environment..they need rich, well-drained soil, preferably on the acid side (pH 4.5-6) and will not do well in direct sun..think "understory" tree, like a Japanese MapleAzaleas and rhododendrons are often confused because an azalea is always a rhododendron, but a rhododendron is not necessarily an azalea. All plants commonly known as "azaleas" or "rhododendrons" belong to the genus Rhododendron, which has eight subgenera comprising nearly 1,000 species and 20,000 hybrids. Azaleas are found in two of these subgenera.

Acquisition: April 2026; Home & Garden Center: Price: $6.00 (1/2 off sale)

Read more about this tree @Red Bird Azalea or use the Tree Inventory Menu

Update: Mexican Weeping Pine

 This is an exerpt from the Photo/History page for Mexican Weeping Pine

The Weeping Pine has been in a nursery pot since I received the bare-root seedling, last August & I wanted to take a look at his root development & re-pot, if possible.

I was initially surprised at the sparse root growth, until I remembered that these trees are shallow rooted in the wild. I removed enough soil so that I could see that this tree has healthy, white roots, extending around the perimeter of the original root ball & it was no problem slipping him into a training pot & gave him new, fresh potting mix & topped him off with aggregate. 

He is maintaining a height of 30 inches, which is the same length as when first received. This has been a priority & concern since taking-on growing a pine tree, which normally would top-out at 30 ft. (or more) Overall, just keeping this tree alive has been a challenge, while effectively "dwarf-ing" him.

Stay tuned!

Update: Leyland Cypress (Cupressus × leylandii)

Known as a "fast grower" these trees are often used to create windbreaks & "tree lines" & our mini-Leyland is showing signs of growth with very green foliage, as opposed to the blue-green foliage of mature trees. 

My previous experience with conifers..pine, juniper, Cypress..led me to expect slow-growth..barely perceptible..think years, not months, so I was pleasantly surprised when this leylandii showed significant regrowth in a little less than 3 months.

This tree would no longer be mistaken for a Xmas tree & I'm looking forward to what we might be able to do with this specimen. Additionally, I'm surprised at the ease of propagation via cuttings, of which I will document at some point, but for right now, I well-pleased with his progress & development.

 

Access the full Photo/History of this tree @ Leyland Cypress or use the Tree Inventory menu on the r-side of every page