From the Garden
First Veggies Plantings of the Year
Posted on Mar 08, 2010 by DaMan
After all of the rain that we have been hammered with these past few months in Richmond, Virginia, gardening has been nothing short of a nightmare. Regardless, a the last few days have seen 60+ temperatures and some high wind in central Virginia. Although not completely dry, this weather has gone a long ways towards drying out the land enough to do a little planting.
The primary news from the weekend was that I was finally able to plow new Veggie Garden. It was a tad wet, but I am hoping it was not too bad. The main problem with plowing a piece of land when it is wet is that the soil will turn to brick when the exposed wet areas dry.
I was also able to start a couple of vegetables in my raised beds. Two packets from T&M were started, namely Green Hearting Mix Lettuce and Medania Spinach. The spinach had a respectable number of seeds, although the lettuce seemed to be a bit short of seeds. I also planted a few rows of onions. All of these went into the same raised bed with rows much closer together then what I normally do in the plowed garden. The thought is that the spinach will spread to cover the lower parts of the onions, creating a bit of a weed cover. We'll see how this works out.
As to transplanting, I moved more of the plants from 1699, including several Hydrangeas and another Sedum (red hybrid of Autumn Joy).
Tree Pruning and Tree Issues
Posted on Feb 27, 2010 by DaMan
This past weekend, I pruned nearly all of my fruit trees, continuing the strategy of opening up the center and encouraging strong side branches. As always, I used a bleach solution to sterilize the pruners between trees. I should have some blooms on some of the trees this year, although it is next year that I expect to get my first decent crop. February is one of the best times to prune fruit trees in the Richmond, Virginia area. Next month, I will start my oil spray schedule to deal with possible pests. But, I do not think that I will have much of a problem since I have not pulled any fruit off of these trees yet.
I also moved the last of the apple trees from 1699. I probably have close to a dozen apple trees now, so I will hopefully find some good cultivars that I like. This year will focus on moving items from 1699, so this is just the start of this kind of journal entry.
On a more discouraging note, both of my blue cypress (one being the Arizona Cypress on the Backline) have partially uprooted thanks to the wind of the past month or so. I have read that fast growing trees like this have weak root systems, but had not personally experienced it at either of my gardens in the Richmond, Virginia area. I sort of wonder if this is more a factor of the fact that these plants were purchased as potted plants and didn't get a good purchase like one that started its life in these spots. I hope to propagate these cypresses this year or next year. If successful, I will be able to get the trees in the ground at a younger age with a better chance to develop a strong root system. If these also become a problem, I will probably have to remove them altogether.
Finally, on a more positive note, the Japanese Cryptomeria remains strong and upright. This tree has proven to be quite a winner. It has grown fast and has great form (and a thick trunk.) Cryptomeria is definitely a tree that I will try again, if I find other cultivars.
2010 Landscaping Project : Current State and Goa
Posted on Feb 22, 2010 by DaMan
Although there are lots of little tasks going on this year, I have decided to revamp the backyard (or the small area between the back porch and the maples.) This area has several problems :
1. Grass is horrible. 90% wiregrass. Need to add a slate path and maybe a paver patio.
2. Shrubs (a type of holly that looks like a boxwood) are overgrown. Need to cut them back substantially to go for a thick set of growth beneath the level of the porch.
3. Rhododendrons are too crowded. Need to move the center one off to a new spot.
4. Garage Bed : It is not clean, like I would like, plus some plants are not doing well here.
5. Climbing Rose : The climbing rose is too close to the garage door, constantly snagging me when the growth gets big. Plus, it only blooms at the top, which can be resolved.
6. Hybrid Tea rose : this thing does not get enough water or sun. It needs to be moved to a new bed.
7. Boxwood/Holly near water spigot. These need to be completely moved and perhaps a small herb garden started.
This picture shows the miserable state of this spot as of January 20, 2010.