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Saturday Gardening Thread: Graft [KT]

40 fruit.jpg

Tree of 40 fruit

Hello, gardeners and friends of gardeners. The tree above is one of a series of art pieces created by grafting several varieties of stone fruits onto one tree. We have some grafters among us. Any reports?

Meanwhile, Sherpa_K2 sends in the following:

eag67a.jpg

Just thought I would drop by an say hello and tell you how much in these troubled times your gardening thread is appreciated. A little Zen in morning thankx to KT. Pictures yesterday while I was eagle hunting for photos on a Nature Conservancy in Sequim Wa..

More eagle and habitat photos below, plus garden notes:

eag38.jpg

eag40.jpg

Planning to leave a snaggly tree in your yard for eaglets?

eag34.jpg

eag93a.jpg

eag80a.jpg

Composting has gone well here this winter, horse and cow manure. Center core has been a constant 140 degrees and I've been turning it every two weeks. I will dazzle you this spring and summer with photos from Port Townsend Wa..

For Sherpa_K2 and our other enthusiastic composters, some inspiration from the Telegraph: a piece on the Joys of the Winter Compost Heap.

compostt.jpeg

Gardens of The Horde

Naughty Pine sent in a winter garden photo with snow and everything!

Good afternoon, KT. I'm enjoying the pretty photos on the Gardening Thread and dreaming of crocuses and daffodils. In the meantime, I was wondering if you knew anything about Winter Gardens. I have been told that they were designed to look good even in the bleak winter.

My version is to leave standing Autumn Joy sedum that looks interesting when topped with a "blossom" of snowfall. But as you see, the snow is overdone at the moment.

sedumaj.jpg

Autumn Joy is such a useful plant, changing appearance through the seasons. Anybody have other tips on "winter interest" in the garden today? For Naughty Pine and others pining for spring, we received a First Crocus photo:

From the garden of Diogenes.
Well. It's more like a flowerbed.
Just south of Seattle.

IMG_7194.JPG

And a cactus from Bonecrusher:

There are all kinds of captions for this one. How about "good morning ladies" for openers.

20180214_173006.jpg

Last week, we saw photos of banana and eggplants from Hawaii, from CaliGirl. Anybody know what this is?

IMG_0107.jpg

If you would like to send information and/or photos for the Saturday Gardening Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden
at g mail dot com

Illiniwek has sent some old-time photos in. Do you have any photos of your yard or your parent's or grandparent's yard or farm? Should be fun to discuss!

Include your nic unless you want to be a lurker.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 12:59 PM




Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Ooh, oneth?

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at February 17, 2018 12:50 PM (F5+ro)

2 First? For once??

Posted by: Pat* at February 17, 2018 12:50 PM (FtfVi)

3 Not much to add on the garden front.

My property is icy/snowy/muddy right now. Nothing growing.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at February 17, 2018 12:51 PM (F5+ro)

4 2 First? For once??
Posted by: Pat* at February 17, 2018 12:50 PM (FtfVi)

Sorry. You can have the "one" next time.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at February 17, 2018 12:51 PM (F5+ro)

5 Wow! Early I am!
Great eagle photos!
Sequim is a good place to see them though I have plenty here in the wilds of Central WA.

Posted by: Winston at February 17, 2018 12:52 PM (wgCUV)

6 Snow here this morning turning to rain later. The local herd of quail came through for breakfast on the seed I'd thrown out.
Nothing trying to bloom here yet. Some buds on the forsythia in the yard but with killer frosts due next week I'm hoping they'll survive.

Posted by: Winston at February 17, 2018 12:54 PM (wgCUV)

7 What a pile of shit...i guano go now.

Posted by: saf at February 17, 2018 12:54 PM (cS/ge)

8 That one from Bonecrusher looks like the barbed cock of satan, kinda like what railed me last night.

Posted by: Shep Smith at February 17, 2018 12:54 PM (r+mGZ)

9 non compost mentes.

Posted by: saf at February 17, 2018 12:55 PM (cS/ge)

10 Winston at February 17, 2018 12:54 PM

A whole herd of quail?

Can you bring some of the Forsythia in now and try to force them into bloom in a vase?

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at February 17, 2018 12:58 PM (BVQ+1)

11 Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, is good eagle watching grounds. They come every winter to feed on salmon. There's an annual Eagle Watch Week between Christmas and New Year's.

Posted by: Hands at February 17, 2018 01:00 PM (EzdLW)

12 I've seen eagles roosting in trees lining West Chester Pike (rt. 3) in Newtown Square, PA. I was kind of stunned to see them there.

My brother put a suet cake out for the winter birds, but all it attracted was grackles. Grackles are like the hoodrats of the avian kingdom. I guess they have to eat too, but boy are they ugly and ill mannered.

Posted by: kallisto at February 17, 2018 01:00 PM (Iz8Py)

13
The birds visiting Schloss Hadrian are going through the seed we out like nobody's business.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at February 17, 2018 01:00 PM (hBGFG)

14 We will be hoping for a follow-up photo from Diogenes when some of the other croci come out.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at February 17, 2018 01:01 PM (BVQ+1)

15 My overwintering ferns are doing better this year since I have them upstairs rather than in the basement. They're more likely to be watered when I'm tripping over them, rather than when they're stuck downstairs and kind of forgotten.

Posted by: kallisto at February 17, 2018 01:02 PM (Iz8Py)

16 I see bald eagles often in my area, riding thermals following stream beds that flow through town.

Far more rare is to see a golden eagle, which are well named, because their dark brown feathers glow when they catch sunlight. Very beautiful, and enormous.

Posted by: Pug Mahon, Gentleman Drunkard at February 17, 2018 01:02 PM (IMacf)

17 I love the eagle pics.

Posted by: CaliGirl at February 17, 2018 01:03 PM (Ri/rl)

18 That cactus survived the 2 freezes we had in Houston with no covering. It is obviously happy to be there.

Posted by: Bonecrusher at February 17, 2018 01:06 PM (r+mGZ)

19 In east texas, occasionally you can spot a Bald Eagle near one of the many lakes - for a while there was a nesting pair on Lake Palestine that could be seen by boat. don't know if they're still they're. I've also spotted Osprey's in the winter down here, they sometimes fool you into thinking they're Bald Eagles because they've got some of the same black/white configuration. Those are fun to watch, I've seen one dive full speed into the lake and take back off with a big fish in its talons.

The only time I've even seen a Golden Eagle in the area was near a pig farm up near the Oklahoma border. Came around the bend and there was this HUGE brown bird standing in the road, picking at something. So I disturbed him and he took off, and then I could see he was carrying a decent sized little pig under him.

Impressive bird.

Posted by: Tom Servo at February 17, 2018 01:09 PM (k1TUh)

20 Snow, ice and rain this weekend. I'm a fair weather farmer.

Posted by: Weasel at February 17, 2018 01:10 PM (Sfs6o)

21 Whoa. That tree on top looks like one of those false-color infrared images. It doesn't even look real.

Posted by: hogmartin at February 17, 2018 01:11 PM (y87Qq)

22 I'm no gardener but it looks like I will have to replace a lot of plants that were killed in our extended hard freeze we had in Houston. Hopefully it did not kill my huge fig tree but it's not looking good.

At my tennis club, the owner recently put in about 30 large palm trees around the complex. I think she may have to replace them all. That's going to be a >100k job.

Posted by: Sebastian Melmoth at February 17, 2018 01:12 PM (2DOZq)

23 The only gardening I can do is trees. I have photos of tiny little 6 inch seedlings, that have grown up to six feet little trees that have grown up to twenty foot tall young trees.

I sprinkle a little fertilizer around them once a season and when we get a lot of rain, the trees grown another foot and a half..

When I first moved in here, the forest grew right up to the house, and on Google Earth, my home was a tiny little dot in the forest. I cleared out space just to the north, and on Google Earth, you could see the space I had cleared out.

I sorta wanna clear out the space to the south and put in sugar maples so the people who come to live here next will have a sugar bush in their side yard even if it is very expensive to boil the sap from a Sugar Maple down to make Maple Syrup.

I would like to put in Oak Trees in the back of the place, but deer and rabbits eat the seedlings which would have to be protected until they are larger.

It would be fun to have Oak in the back, with deer and squirrels feeding on the Acorns. I'll never see it, but I can imagine it.

If the White Pine grow tall enough, I might have a migrating eagle in the branches for a few weeks. At least I can imagine it.

Snow is forecast for the next couple of days.

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at February 17, 2018 01:13 PM (roQNm)

24 Good afternoon everyone. It is clouding up and looking wintery right now. We might get a frozen mix tonight if the temps drop fast enough. But the forecast is for mid-70s by Tuesday. This has been a strange winter so far: plenty of cold, mostly dry, and very little snow (so far). But the days are getting longer, the ground is not as hard frozen, and the nights are not quite as freezing on a regular basis. It's not spring but you can tell it is on its way.

Posted by: JTB at February 17, 2018 01:13 PM (V+03K)

25 Mr. Bar-the-Door has been rototilling. One of our dogs is a digger. He's not as big or determined as our last engineer dog, though.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at February 17, 2018 01:13 PM (BVQ+1)

26 Love my crocus!!!

Anyway, not far from here is a great golf course where just over the 13th green is an old snag and two eagles have been nesting there for years. The course owner uses a space right next to the green for outdoor weddings. A clever idea but you do have to wait to play thru.

Posted by: Diogenes at February 17, 2018 01:14 PM (0tfLf)

27 I see bald eagles around Salem, Oregon, and out by Basket Slough National Wildlife Refuge near Dallas (Oregon). The eagles hunt Canadian geese over the winter.

I have tried grafting gravenstein apple onto some rootstock that was a tree that was cut down before I moved into the house, and I have tried to graft some yellow plum onto a random plum that is either a rootstock for a brooks plum or a volunteer.

It has been two weeks, and though I hurried up and grafted when the weather turned really nice and I thought Spring had come, it has gone back to being cold and rainy.

The witch hazel is blooming, and some crocuses.

There is a house south of here where the owner planted crocuses in her laws, and they pop up very early. No idea what she does about mowing, and if that affects the crocuses at the rest of the year.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 17, 2018 01:14 PM (2K6fY)

28 That last plant is a fruit tree called guyabano or sour sop. I don't know the scientific name. It's a gnarly fruit with very white flesh and black seeds in the center. It's tart and sweet and relatively easy to grow. It can get pretty big, 30 ft or better and seems resistant to many pests, but not all. The leaves can be used to make a tea that local healers often claim to be a semi-cure for cancer. It's a nice tree - anyone in the tropics should have a couple, not planted within falling distance of the house, which is good advice for all trees everywhere.

Posted by: Guaman at February 17, 2018 01:15 PM (OMMdV)

29 Sebastian Melmoth at February 17, 2018 01:12 PM

Sorry about the freeze. Keep us updated on the fig tree. Don't be too quick to take it out even if parts of it die back.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at February 17, 2018 01:16 PM (BVQ+1)

30 Just think, if Benjamin Franklin had his way, the Wild Turkey would have been our national bird.

Posted by: Sebastian Melmoth at February 17, 2018 01:16 PM (2DOZq)

31 29 Sebastian Melmoth at February 17, 2018 01:12 PM

Sorry about the freeze. Keep us updated on the fig tree. Don't be too quick to take it out even if parts of it die back.
Posted by: KTbarthedoor at February 17, 2018 01:16 PM (BVQ+1)

I definitely won't be too quick. If necessary it will be a heck of a job I'd rather avoid.

Posted by: Sebastian Melmoth at February 17, 2018 01:18 PM (2DOZq)

32 We have some kind of maple tree in our backyard that has budded out.

Posted by: Weasel at February 17, 2018 01:18 PM (Sfs6o)

33 The wife was showing me photos of the eagle pair outside her office window, which faces the upper Mississippi in Minneapolis. She says they're hunting, and guesses they've already picked out a nesting place nearby, and may have eggs. It is not unusual now to see eagles hunting in the Twin Cities, as there are at least 30 nests in the metro area.

Posted by: Gordon at February 17, 2018 01:19 PM (h+e4o)

34
I'll be damned. The daffodil bulbs I planted last fall are just beginning to pop out of the ground. Seems a little early but a good sign in the south east corner of Pennsylvania.

Talk about deferred gratification. Do a couple hours of work only to have to wait six months for results.

Posted by: Acme Trucking Enterprises, White Truck Division at February 17, 2018 01:22 PM (2FqvZ)

35 30 Just think, if Benjamin Franklin had his way, the Wild Turkey would have been our national bird.
Posted by: Sebastian Melmoth at February 17, 2018 01:16 PM (2DOZq)

Then we would have to eat eagles for thanksgiving and possession of turkey feathers would be a federal crime.

Posted by: Surfperch at February 17, 2018 01:24 PM (rHGeg)

36 Guaman at February 17, 2018 01:15 PM

Thanks. Sour sop.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at February 17, 2018 01:26 PM (BVQ+1)

37 I'll probably start planting at the end of the week.

Posted by: Surfperch at February 17, 2018 01:26 PM (rHGeg)

38 Eagles regularly put on air-shows in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. I've seen one stoop like a Kingfisher and grab a surface Pike from 25 yards away. My brother got in a screetching match with one in a tree one time.

Posted by: DaveA at February 17, 2018 01:27 PM (FhXTo)

39
The first daffodils are blooming here in NWLA. Everything else seems a bit reluctant to believe spring is upon us. It was a bit colder this winter than most...

Posted by: Spun and Murky at February 17, 2018 01:27 PM (4DCSq)

40 Skandia Recluse at February 17, 2018 01:13 PM

Be careful about underground pipes, house foundations, etc. when planning where to plant trees that grow big. You have some fun plans.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at February 17, 2018 01:27 PM (BVQ+1)

41 The Tree of Forty Fruit looks like it must require tons of pruning.

Posted by: Surfperch at February 17, 2018 01:28 PM (rHGeg)

42 That spiky fruit could be soursop.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at February 17, 2018 01:28 PM (qJtVm)

43 Gordon at February 17, 2018 01:19 PM

I think there are more birds of prey in the cities than there used to be.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at February 17, 2018 01:30 PM (BVQ+1)

44 Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.

Posted by: Insomniac at February 17, 2018 01:31 PM (NWiLs)

45
Be careful about underground pipes, house foundations, etc. when planning where to plant trees that grow big.
Posted by: KTbarthedoor at February 17, 2018 01:27 PM


I have son-in-law that planted a couple of trees near his foundation. Sure they looked nice but I asked him, "You realize you'll have to move them in a few years?" He sure did. In less then five years. Less than 50% survival rate when they get that big.

Posted by: Acme Trucking Enterprises, White Truck Division at February 17, 2018 01:34 PM (2FqvZ)

46 Kittitas Valley, where I live, is home to a huge number of raptors. Golden and bald eagles, red tail hawks. prairie falcons, great blue herons and great horned owls. Osprey and merlins are summer birds so a very nice variety. As for wild turkeys a friend nearby has them infesting his yard. Forget shooting them, he could use a slingshot. Their puppeh loves to chase them. The quail discovered that I put seed out so come by every day to check. They've been displacing the doves to some extent. Sparrows and chickadees come through often. Blue Jays and magpies are all over the suet hanger. The magpies have figured out how to open the cage so they can eat it on the ground.

Posted by: Winston at February 17, 2018 01:35 PM (wgCUV)

47 The photos on the gardening thtread are always great but this week's are exceptionally good. That top tree is fantastic, as in fantasy. I'm sure most people would assume Photoshop was involved. The first crocus I see each year always a sign of hope and renewal and is always special. Love the bird photos. It is tough to get that level of detail unless the light is just right. That last photo looks like a strawberry crossed with one of Bonecrusher's cactus. No idea what it really is.

Yes, we're still laughing at Bonecrusher's photo and caption. Of course, this being the Horde, the caption would have occured to someone.

I love black and white photography and those 'snaggly' shots are wonderful. I've saved both to enlarge and print out. They would make great models to try some pencil or pen and ink sketches. Even just a detail of one of the trees would be fun. Thanks for submitting them. (Fortunately, no one needs to see my efforts. I have little talent for drawing but have lots of fun trying. One of the advantages of paper is that it burns easily.) :-)

Posted by: JTB at February 17, 2018 01:35 PM (V+03K)

48
Genesis 1:11

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the ████ yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

Posted by: James Comey, teetering closer to the edge of the abyss at February 17, 2018 01:35 PM (2FqvZ)

49 >>>We have some grafters among us. Any reports?


I love graft. And grift. Nothing to report so far, but I've got high hopes. Maybe you should have a rubber tree thread.

Posted by: Hillary Clinton at February 17, 2018 01:38 PM (/qEW2)

50 I did some avid gardening way back when we lived in western PA. We had a house with a brick wall facing south.

As the along-the-house feature, I built a sturdy post and wire arrangement for espaliered fruit trees. Ordered bare root pear tree whips, planted them well,
and pruned to one main shoot to begin.

It took three growing seasons for the trees to mature enough to fruit, and by they they were trained out with arms on the lower two wires.

I got plums! Not the pears I had wanted and ordered. But they were delicious.

Posted by: Les Kinetic at February 17, 2018 01:43 PM (5OEn4)

51 KTbarthedoor at February 17, 2018 01:27 PM


My problem is overhead power lines. The white pine in the front tend to lean toward the southern sunshine which is away from the power line. The original owners planted a white cedar almost directly beneath the power line, and I will have to cut it down soon because it has nearly reached the wire.

I cleared out the north side of the house because there were four large trees looming over the house, and the underbrush was a fire hazard.

I read about California wild fires and look out my windows and imagine a wildfire burning through here.

And I've learned a bit about the numerous diseases that affect woodlots that are left to grow wild. I'm certain that all of those diseases have infected the trees on my tiny three acres. Numerous dead trees are a delight for woodpeckers around here. Darwin's nature of tooth and claw everywhere you look.

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at February 17, 2018 01:49 PM (roQNm)

52 Posted this week we seem to have a Great Horned owl around, if I can get a picture I that would be proud of I would send it in. Supposed to get a few inches of wet snow here tonight.

Posted by: Skip at February 17, 2018 01:49 PM (aC6Sd)

53 "I would like to put in Oak Trees in the back of the place, but deer and rabbits eat the seedlings which would have to be protected until they are larger. "

yeah. I have hard maples in the yard that give nice fall colors (and syrup). They produce 100s of seedlings, which I plan to at some point collect in rows and grow big enough to move to the woods for fall color. But deer indeed are an issue so I'd still have to protect them for several years I guess.

Posted by: illiniwek at February 17, 2018 01:50 PM (bT8Z4)

54 Whoa. That tree on top looks like one of those false-color infrared images. It doesn't even look real. Posted by: hogmartin at February 17, 2018 01:11 PM (y87Qq) BW ~ ISO 100

Posted by: sherpa_K2 at February 17, 2018 01:50 PM (QAFyR)

55 That tree is incredible. The article about it is a *must* read. I've sent it to all the gardeners in my family as a challenge.

Posted by: Off the reservation at February 17, 2018 01:51 PM (vWMNq)

56 Heading out to watch live baseball today. Local college ball.

Looking at a green playing field counts as gardening, right?

Seriously, though, I'm in the process of getting things set up for planting flowers.

March 10 will be the day I get the flowers put in the ground.

I am looking forward to it.

Posted by: Blake at February 17, 2018 01:51 PM (WEBkv)

57 There are a few signs of approaching spring in our yard. The lilac has plenty of buds and a few leaves on the edge of opening. The Earth Boxes we use for herbs and such are showing some green from chives, oregano, and tarragon.

Also, the song birds in our oak tree are tweeting and making goo goo eyes at each other.

Posted by: JTB at February 17, 2018 01:52 PM (V+03K)

58 Maybe we are the shithoole country??
India has approved the construction of 12 new nuclear power reactors. 10 will be indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) with a capacity of 700 MW each and two will be Russian Light Water Reactors (LWRs).

Posted by: rhennigantx at February 17, 2018 01:55 PM (BtQd4)

59 Looking at the picture of the eagle reminds me of the time I walked around the corner of our house, saw a pile of feathers and realized we had a hawk in our back yard that had taken a dove.

I got to see the hawk take off carrying lunch.

It never ceases to amaze me when I catch urban wildlife doing its wildlife thing.

Posted by: Blake at February 17, 2018 01:55 PM (WEBkv)

60 For anyone with woodlots, look into the Firewise program.
Lots of good advice on protecting your property and homes from wildfires.
It's close to a religion out here because of the forests and dry scrub we have. The program is on line and each state has their own program with local advice. Most counties, at least in WA state have local programs as well and will be happy to help you get started.

Posted by: Winston at February 17, 2018 01:57 PM (wgCUV)

61 Posted by: Tom Servo at February 17, 2018 01:09 PM (k1TUh)

bald eagles are a bit of a nuisance bird up here in new england.

Theyre fun to watch, but theyre a PITA to have around your property when you have chickens and cats.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at February 17, 2018 01:59 PM (F5+ro)

62 Yes! remember the story of Pale Male in NYC?

Posted by: kallisto at February 17, 2018 01:59 PM (tLRcG)

63 52 Posted this week we seem to have a Great Horned owl around, if I can get a picture I that would be proud of I would send it in. Supposed to get a few inches of wet snow here tonight.
Posted by: Skip at February 17, 2018 01:49 PM (aC6Sd)

I have a great horned owl nest that my guys built last year. I have two cameras on the nest this year.
There are two eggs. I can't share the link because the cameras have sound and you can hear me in the backyard.

I cannot wait to watch the owlets.

Posted by: CaliGirl at February 17, 2018 02:01 PM (Ri/rl)

64 Two days ago, our dogs were laying in the grass, taking a break from chasing balls. It was a beautiful warm and quiet day. We watched a hawk glide over our heads and could even hear the powerful wooshes when he used his wings to get up over the trees.

I love being out of the city.

Posted by: OldDominionMom at February 17, 2018 02:01 PM (GzDYP)

65 62 was directed to 43

Posted by: kallisto at February 17, 2018 02:02 PM (tLRcG)

66 I have bulbs growing I think they're tulips.

Also the cherry trees are budding, I love when the trees have flowers.

Posted by: CaliGirl at February 17, 2018 02:05 PM (Ri/rl)

67 India has approved the construction of 12 new nuclear power reactors.


This was not recent. They were scheduled to come on-line last year but the schedule has slipped to 2022

https://tinyurl.com/gmvypea

Posted by: Off the reservation at February 17, 2018 02:08 PM (vWMNq)

68 63. A GHO took over the nest of a redtailed hawk in BF's back yard. We used to view it thru his telescope. One day we saw activity, it was 3 babies. They are white with dark circles around their eyes. Oversized beaks too that make them look kind of buzzardy. Not cutesy at all but we so wished there was an owl cam.

Posted by: kallisto at February 17, 2018 02:09 PM (tLRcG)

69 Plants seem to be pointing towards spring, end of this month I'm going to try to start seeds inside

Posted by: Skip at February 17, 2018 02:10 PM (aC6Sd)

70 the bald eagles around here usually hang out by the dams along the Mississippi, and most go north after winter. A few make it over my way (only ten miles or so) ... would love to have them stay and nest.
Lots of red tailed hawks and turkey vultures year round.

Posted by: illiniwek at February 17, 2018 02:14 PM (bT8Z4)

71 Yes, I am here. Just checking in.

Oh, wait, I thought you said "grifter". Never mind.

Posted by: Hillary C. at February 17, 2018 02:16 PM (+WEev)

72 My compost heap is made from a 10' stretch of woven fencing, what we called 'sheep wire' when I was a kid. It loops into a 3' tall circle about 3' in diameter. All my sources claim this is the smallest you want to make your compost heap, any smaller and it won't retain heat to work right.

In January or February when we get a stretch of nice weather I dig over the overwintering compost heap, trying to get the large chunks like the corn stalks that didn't rot down into the middle of the pile, and layer in leaves from the maple that I piled up in the Autumn with shovel fulls of the old compost pile, all the way to the top of the wire enclosure.
Once I get the enclosure full, I let it sit about a week to settle right and then peel off the wire and put it aside. This year I am using it for a second pile, but in the past I have used it for training snow peas.

Then I let the pile sit, settle and work. The worms work it over, and so do the black soldier fly maggots.
If I have the pile out so there is no trees above it, I seem to get mostly worms. If it is under overhanging branches I get a lot of the black soldier fly maggots. The maggots are faster and are more efficient so the compost pile is a lot less, but the worms are better at breaking down leaves.
I stopped worrying about which is better for me they both work.
The adults look like black wasps and drone around sounding like tiny little B-17s and act all aggressive.

I throw my dish water on it in the summer, and water it if it seems to get really dry. Usually I get a volunteer squash growing out of it so I have an excuse to water it from time to time.

Generally I start a second pile in the Spring when I am doing a lot of cutting and trimming and weeding. I am supposed to rake old leaves out of the iris beds too, but there are years where I ignore that.
I use the second heap for weeds and to dig in my kitchen scraps into instead of disturbing the volunteer squash. I try to pull up a lot of dirt with the weeds since that seems to hurry things along.
In the Fall when it is dry, I screen out the old pile and put the compost on the garden for the winter, and I combine the big lumps and uncomposted stuff left with the new pile, and put leaves on top of it.

I have 4 big leaf maples so I get a lot of leaves. I keep a corral of sorts just for the leaves and compost heaps, so I pile the unused leaves there.

In the following January or February I start again.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 17, 2018 02:16 PM (2K6fY)

73 Spent 10 long monsoon like days on a cruise on the backside of the cyclone that hit Somoa, Fiji and NZ. Yeah, I know, first world problems. However I was able to see all kinds of tropical fruit trees. Ate papaya and a lychee like fruit plus very, very good pineapple. Breadfruit trees galore which were out of season.
We have spring bulbs popping our all over in SW OH. Currently being covered by snow.

Posted by: never enough caffeine at February 17, 2018 02:17 PM (N3JsI)

74 It's the Great Backyard Bird Count this weekend. Observe and count the birds in your yard, park, etc and report the results here:

http://gbbc.birdcount.org/

Posted by: freaked at February 17, 2018 02:21 PM (UdKB7)

75 Kindltot at February 17, 2018 02:16 PM

Thanks for the details.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at February 17, 2018 02:23 PM (BVQ+1)

76 never enough caffeine at February 17, 2018 02:17 PM

Sounds wonderful. Which were your favorite tropical fruits?

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at February 17, 2018 02:25 PM (BVQ+1)

77 Last weekend was sooo nice out, got me all worked up to plan a (limited) garden and some container stuff..

I just HAD to have some greenery growing, so put a few old garlic cloves in saucer of water... they're growing! Can snip the greens for salad I guess, lol.

NOW forecast is for subfreezing temps, even colder than it's been yet this winter.

----

I want to try potatoes in bags this year. Been saving the (36 and 50 pound) dogfood sacks for this. They're made with a tarp-like material.
Planning to punch drainage holes in bottom and up the sides an inch or two, then roll the sides down for about a foot-tall start. Will put in a thin layer of mulch for drainage, then thick layer of soil /compost /manure mix, then spuds, and cover with a couple more inches of soilmix.


Guess I won't be doing it *this* weekend anyway, too cold out!

Also planning to grow some ginger in pots. I bought a nice big root last weekend and snapped it into pieces with 3 or 4 buds apiece. Guess I can pot those now-- the ends are dry and there's just enough room at the window.

Posted by: JQ at February 17, 2018 02:27 PM (yD/Pf)

78 72. do you put meat scraps in the compost? I got in a debate w. someone who does. I say plant material only - and eggshells.

Posted by: kallisto at February 17, 2018 02:27 PM (tLRcG)

79 Other are some interesting maps and other data at that site if your are interested in birds. Like this species map:

https://ebird.org/gbbc/map/

Posted by: freaked at February 17, 2018 02:28 PM (UdKB7)

80 Kindltot at February 17, 2018 02:16 PM

I envy your energy. Keep it up.

Posted by: Skandia Recluse at February 17, 2018 02:30 PM (roQNm)

81 zapote

Posted by: Richard at February 17, 2018 02:41 PM (MMhYr)

82 I don't put meat in the compost heaps. Worms don't eat it, but the soldier fly maggots supposedly will.
However the possums will go for it if they figure it is there.

I have put in chicken bones, but they don't break down very fast and they always look so pathetic.
I do put eggshells in, but I crush them because it helps them break down faster. The previous owner had dug ham bones into the garden, and I wound up beating them with a shovel to splinter them so I would stop digging them up.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 17, 2018 02:47 PM (2K6fY)

83 83. thanks

Posted by: kallisto at February 17, 2018 02:51 PM (tLRcG)

84 i mean 82.

Posted by: kallisto at February 17, 2018 02:52 PM (tLRcG)

85 CaliGirl--

We are planning to put up one or more owl boxes on our property. We'd like to have cams, too, but wondered how much trouble it is to get power to them. What did you do about power for yours?

Posted by: Art Rondolet of Malmsey at February 17, 2018 02:53 PM (S+f+m)

86 "I'll be damned. The daffodil bulbs I planted last fall are just beginning to pop out of the ground.
Posted by: Acme Trucking Enterprises

you inspired me to go look, pulled back the leaves and sure enough, daffodils are up an inch. Ground is still frozen, but we have had some warm spells.

Posted by: illiniwek at February 17, 2018 02:57 PM (bT8Z4)

87 ham bones in the garden...that's a new one on me. My gram used chicken poop water to fertilize tomatoes. I prefer whatever Agway sells, not loving the chickenshit soup idea.

Posted by: kallisto at February 17, 2018 02:58 PM (tLRcG)

88 KT. Papaya. Had never had it before. The mango was great as well since you get crap at the local grocery store. They're never ripe. Never in my life have I had such good pineapple. You could eat the core.

Another interesting item we learned. There has been a blight going through the coconut trees. The French government and the local government has been working on a hybridized tree that can withstand it. The one that is working out best is also shorter so the fruit is much easier to pick. Coca is a big, big crop in the islands of the South Pacific.

Posted by: never enough caffeine at February 17, 2018 03:04 PM (N3JsI)

89 I didn't look today but two weeks ago announced my daffodils were sprouting but as of last week were only up a inch.

Posted by: Skip at February 17, 2018 03:05 PM (aC6Sd)

90 They're up about 3 inches.

Posted by: Skip at February 17, 2018 03:09 PM (aC6Sd)

91 I think it was just a way to get rid of the bones.

I've done different things in the past. I dug a lot of woody trimmings into an area I wanted to turn into a garden. The idea was to break up the heavy clay and keep it from packing down again over the winter. I guess it worked.

When I was a kid we had a compost heap that was the back corner of the property that we just dumped leaves and weeds into and I got to dig up every couple of years and spread on the garden.

Mom used to dig the kitchen scraps into a trench in her garden to cut out having to dig the whole thing over a second time.

All of these work, and it is just what you want to do and have time to do.
You know, or have a 10 year old son who looks bored and can be pressed into service.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 17, 2018 03:10 PM (2K6fY)

92 Sequim was one of my family's favorite places to camp when I was little.

Posted by: LASue at February 17, 2018 03:13 PM (hZ+us)

93 85 CaliGirl--

We are planning to put up one or more owl boxes on our property. We'd like to have cams, too, but wondered how much trouble it is to get power to them. What did you do about power for yours?
Posted by: Art Rondolet of Malmsey at February 17, 2018 02:53 PM (S+f+m)

It was a pain. I just had automatic entry gates installed at my ranch. I had to have my guys trench for about 150 yards at each entrance and the electrician run the power in conduit to the gates. The security company guy put the owl cams up before nesting season and its hooked up to a dvr and WiFi. There is a cable running down the tree to the entry gate power source.
Then my guys used the trencher and put the power cable in conduit and buried it.

There are also battery sources that you can use, solar batteries may work depending on your location.

It's not cheap.

Posted by: CaliGirl at February 17, 2018 03:16 PM (Ri/rl)

94 Thanks for the valuable details, CaliGirl! That's what I was afraid of. I think we are going to get the boxes established and then see if we want to go to the trouble and expense of cams the second season.

Posted by: Art Rondolet of Malmsey at February 17, 2018 03:23 PM (S+f+m)

95 If the cam is somewhat temporary and not to be disturbed area run it over the ground or up on poles. The baby bird season can't be 2 or 3 months

Posted by: Skip at February 17, 2018 03:32 PM (aC6Sd)

96 Thanks, Skip. That's a good suggestion and might work fairly easily, depending on where we position the boxes. Most likely spot is a large Texas live oak near the house.

Posted by: Art Rondolet of Malmsey at February 17, 2018 03:36 PM (S+f+m)

97 JQ at February 17, 2018 02:27 PM

Best of luck with the taters and the ginger.

Posted by: KT at February 17, 2018 03:52 PM (BVQ+1)

98 never enough caffeine at February 17, 2018 03:04 P

Interesting. Yes, the stuff that gets exported does not compare. I hear they grow some pretty good mangoes in Mesa if you are local.

Every so often, one of these tropical fruits is devastated by some disease - bananas, papayas, and now coconuts? Something is rumbling around in my mind about cacao, too.

Posted by: KT at February 17, 2018 03:55 PM (BVQ+1)

99 Ah, well, it would be too much of a miracle if I was First. Second is pretty close, though, so I'm pleasantly surprised that I caught the Garden Thread that early.

Mother Nature still has some winter in mind for Idaho's Treasure Valley... we had a heavy snow flurry midday on Valentines Day. It didn't stick - just turned to drizzle for the rest of the day. Some rain predicted for later today and this week, but every time they've predicted it, we get less than we were hoping for - I'm still worrying about a dry year. This coming week, some days with highs remaining below freezing are predicted - I'm hoping that after that, we start heading for Spring for good!

I did finally finish cutting down the last leaves of Siberian Iris, and that was my last cleanup task. Now we're doing what we can to get a head start on planting. Husband is still digging corn rows, part of a row at a time (to spare his back), breaking up the clay and sand layers of the paddock, adding compost as he goes. (I don't put meat, or eggshells, in my compost, because I don't want critters digging in the compost cages. Your compost, your choice. - We have small sprayers on the compost, off the drip irrigation lines, to keep it moist.) He'll rent a tiller to run through the entire corn area, too, but that comes much later.

I still have bulb sprouts, but they're moving slowly because of the renewed cold. The rear hyacinths are furthest along, at several inches high, and half-ready to bloom. The daffodils and tulips are just poking out. The front tulips are just an inch high at most, and the front hyacinths have only a few bits poking up. (When they're done for the year, I plan to remove the clay soil on top of them and put in something decent so it's easier for them to sprout.) Our daylilies, 2 mini's and one regular size, have small sprouts as well.

The Red-Shafted Northern Flicker has shown up again this week. He really does look enormous, compared to the seed feeder, and to all the sparrows and finches that normally feed there. We haven't heard or seen our Great Horned Owl or our (?Sharp-Shinned) hawk this week. (The other bird of prey that's common around here is the osprey, but we don't see them here at our house.) I wish I knew where the hawk and owl are nesting!

I had a "quail block" out back, set up on a pair of logs to keep it off the wet ground. It's been pretty much eaten up now. I moved the logs, so that the quail could eat the seeds that had fallen between the logs.

I'd removed the grass mulch I had atop our strawberries and asparagus - hope I wasn't too early with doing that... given how warm it had gotten, to seemed like the right thing at the time. I did re-cover my few fall carrots and spinach.

(To 34 "Acme Trucking Enterprises" - planting bulbs and waiting for 6 months may indeed be a form of delayed gratification - but consider those of us who plant trees, knowing we may never see them at their full size. Husband and I planted some baby blue spruces, 6 inches high, and we will never see them full size, perhaps never see them taller than our waists. We haven't even planted our fruit trees yet, because those spruces are part of a windbreak for the fruit trees we *plan* to plant. We may never see the fruit of those trees - yet we will plant them anyway.)

(To 46 Winston, thank you for the warning about magpies being clever enough to open suet cages. We do have magpies that come to clean up under the seed feeder. I keep thinking about whether I want to try a suet cage, next time we have a cold winter. Sounds like I'd have to wire it shut!)

Posted by: Pat* at February 17, 2018 04:10 PM (FtfVi)

100 I do not put meat scaps in my compost, not a reason from experience but books when I started suggested not to as if a lot can get that decay smell. I actually do not mind the vegetable compost smell.

Posted by: Skip at February 17, 2018 04:10 PM (aC6Sd)

101 Oh, and when I said kitchen scraps, I meant vegetable peelings and cabbage leaves and spoiled potatoes and things like that. I don't put meat or fat into the compost.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 17, 2018 04:21 PM (2K6fY)

102 All my vegetable scraps go into the compost, egg shells especially, if you looked at my garden you can see years of egg shells. Tomato plants are supposed to benifit but they do take many years to fully break down.

Posted by: Skip at February 17, 2018 04:42 PM (aC6Sd)

103 cool setup CaliGirl ... I used to hear some owls and seem them at dusk, but not recently.
Last year I bought a nice camera with PoE (power over Ethernet). It supports a microphone as well. Mine is only about 50' from the house but just the one Ethernet wire works it, hooked up to the router. I think it is good for up to 300'.

I bought a Sunba PTZ with 20X optical zoom. A cool thing is the night vision, that as the camera zooms in, the infra red light focuses in to like 500'. The eyeballs light up in infrared so it is fun to spot the rabbits or deer I'd never normally see.

Maybe after the pet thread someone can do a wildlife thread. Someone mentioned the bird count thing ... fun to see what others are seeing, or feeding.

Posted by: illiniwek at February 17, 2018 04:43 PM (bT8Z4)

104 Nice to see some post from here. Out west.

Posted by: PhilDirt at February 17, 2018 04:46 PM (adOKB)

105 "The Red-Shafted Northern Flicker has shown up again this week. He really does look enormous, compared to the seed feeder"

the flicker is probably my favorite bird ... have had several around at times. I just call them Flickers but from Bing that looks like the same family. Actually the ones here are the yellow shafted, which I only know because I can search in seconds.

Red-headed woodpeckers are more frequent here, and they are pretty awesome as well, though the electric company guy told me to shoot all of them I want, when he was replacing a pole. heh ... I'd of course never shoot them, but they do seem to love the electric utility poles more than other woodpeckers.

Posted by: illiniwek at February 17, 2018 05:01 PM (bT8Z4)

106 Occasionally seeds from table vegetables do start growing in the compost, have had onions, celery start growing but even rescuing them back to the garden hasn't produced anything, but I keep trying.

Posted by: Skip at February 17, 2018 05:33 PM (aC6Sd)

107 UGHHG. more snow in n. Indiana. I will trim trees tomorrow as predictions say 2" of rain Monday and Tuesday. oh, snap!

Posted by: Cicero kaboom kid at February 17, 2018 05:35 PM (JHQiJ)

108 COMPOSTING: Thanks Kindltot (72). My grampa had a huge garden and he composted everything. His enclosure was like Kindletot's, and he simply tossed all yard waste, corn husks, etc into it, turning it periodically. That's all it took. It cracks me up when I read articles explaining composting to urban gentry readers who want to start backyard composting, giving them fancy recipes and telling them to layer all sorts of ingredients. My grandpa's recipe? Simple, if it's compostable, throw it on the compost heap.

Posted by: Cumberland Astro at February 17, 2018 08:33 PM (cEKqm)

109 KT aren't you near the Blossom Trail? Or is it too early? The almonds and plums are in full bloom in our neck of the Valley. Thousands of trees producing the most wonderful marzipan/cotton candy fragrance in the morning. Driving through miles of blossoms really does make the heart soar.

The early tulips are popping up, which of course means it will turn ugly next week with what is probably the last few nights of frost for the season. Oh well, back on go the frost covers over the lettuce, sprouts and broccoli beds. Luckily I was too still too weak-kneed to fork the thick thatch of wheat hay off the asparagus bed.

I finally managed to finish the rose & grape pruning today, very late this year due to having the flu for a month. It's very dry in the Valley, again, so the irrigation system was turned on today.

I laid out the spring & summer garden this morning over coffee...anyone else use Territorial Seed's online Garden Planner? The best feature is the follow-on planting guide, it indicates what to plant (or avoid) in last season beds to keep everything copacetic...and you can readily see what varieties you've planted each season and make notes. It also has a companion plant feature.

The plant selection isn't extensive, but it allows varietal customization so it is really useful and one can spend many hours with the doo-dads/trimmings making a pretty plot plan...or not. It's $29 a year with a free trial. Oh and it runs on flash so forget Chrome, use Firefox or another browser of your choice.

http://gardenplanner.territorialseed.com/

Posted by: Shanks for ther memory at February 17, 2018 10:19 PM (TdCQk)

110 @JQ...growing potatoes in bags is really easy and fun, you love watching them fill up the sacks and no more digging...although digging for new potatoes is kind of like a treasure hunt.

I grow ginger in containers too, although I forgot to move them into the greenhouse and set them back, but there's nothing like the flavor of fresh ginger. You want the root to harden off a bit. The best way to start them is to put them on an old plate or pie dish and set it on the top of your fridge...it's warm and the lower light will make the growth buds pop out...do not water! When the tiny green buds appear then you plant them in soil and move them to a warm window sill.

Posted by: Shanks for ther memory at February 17, 2018 10:36 PM (TdCQk)

111 I tried growing potatoes in barrels and other containers last year but the squirrels got most of them. Little rats had tunnels going down to the roots. This year it will be under wire cloth.

I use Territorial's Garden Planner. Works good.

As for compost, I always suggest folks buy David the Good's book Compost Everything. He does suggest throwing a handful of dry dog food or the like in now and then. But his main point is that anything, anything, including dead creatures, is compostable.

Posted by: Gordon at February 17, 2018 11:13 PM (h+e4o)

112 The sign reading "Restricted Surveillance by FA-18" (which is the Hornet) has the silhouette of an F-16 (which is the Falcon) and should have an F-15 (which is the Eagle and would have been funny in context).

Posted by: BobaFett at February 18, 2018 12:33 PM (aLEYq)

113 Skip at February 17, 2018 05:33 PM

Thanks for not disappointing us by failing to mention compost.

Good luck with those volunteers in the future.

Posted by: KT at February 18, 2018 05:42 PM (BVQ+1)

114 illiniwek at February 17, 2018 05:01 PM

I've only identified one woodpecker on a tree in my whole life. West vs. midwest?

Posted by: KT at February 18, 2018 05:43 PM (BVQ+1)

115 Pat* at February 17, 2018 04:10 PM

Interesting hearing about your birds. Especially the quail blocks.

Posted by: KT at February 18, 2018 05:50 PM (BVQ+1)

116 Shanks for ther memory at February 17, 2018 10:19 PM

I think bloom on some cultivars is delayed because of low chill hours this winter, but it is probably time to drive the loop through Reedley and southern Fresno County. My Arctic Star Nectarine (low chill) is blooming).

Thanks for the info on the Territorial planner.

Posted by: KT at February 18, 2018 05:56 PM (BVQ+1)

117 Gordon at February 17, 2018 11:13 PM

Interesting info. Thanks.

Posted by: KT at February 18, 2018 05:57 PM (BVQ+1)

118 BobaFett at February 18, 2018 12:33 PM

You know your jets. They should have consulted you, given the location . . . .

Posted by: KT at February 18, 2018 05:58 PM (BVQ+1)

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