An Almond tree in full bloom. Notice that some flowers have pink centers, and others are white...
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Almond popcorn...
An Almond tree in full bloom. Notice that some flowers have pink centers, and others are white...
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Popcorn is coming...
We like to sing the popcorn popping song at our house. It is nearly that season of the year and we caught an early blossom on the Apricot tree today:
Aside from eating apricots fresh off the tree, we also make them into jam, fruit leather, and even dry them cut into halves. At first I thought we'd never like eating them dried, but we missed them when they were gone.
Here's a run-down of fruiting trees in our yard:
Apricot - Blenheim Royal
Apricot - Gold Kist
Grapefruit - Rio Red
Almond - Nonpariel
Almond - All-in-one
Lemon - Lisbon
Pomegranate - Wonderful
Tangelo - ??
Pecan - Western Schley
Tangerine - Algerian
There's a lot to be aware of when selecting a fruit tree in our climate. We've killed more apple trees and raspberries than I care to recall. The grapefruit tree, on the other hand, has required nothing but water and an occasional dose of fertilizer and we just picked our second wheelbarrow full of grapefruit. Be aware of chill hour and pollination requirements for the variety you select. Just because it's for sale at the nursery doesn't mean it will do well here. Know what you want before visiting the nursery and you'll make much better choices. Maricopa County gets about 450 chill hours so anything needing more than that might not fruit in a warm year. Be aware of cross-pollination requirements, meaning you need two different but compatible varieties of the tree in order to get a good crop. (This information is available in cooperative extension publication AZ 1269 Fruit and Nut varieties for the Low Desert)
Aside from eating apricots fresh off the tree, we also make them into jam, fruit leather, and even dry them cut into halves. At first I thought we'd never like eating them dried, but we missed them when they were gone.
Here's a run-down of fruiting trees in our yard:
Apricot - Blenheim Royal
Apricot - Gold Kist
Grapefruit - Rio Red
Almond - Nonpariel
Almond - All-in-one
Lemon - Lisbon
Pomegranate - Wonderful
Tangelo - ??
Pecan - Western Schley
Tangerine - Algerian
There's a lot to be aware of when selecting a fruit tree in our climate. We've killed more apple trees and raspberries than I care to recall. The grapefruit tree, on the other hand, has required nothing but water and an occasional dose of fertilizer and we just picked our second wheelbarrow full of grapefruit. Be aware of chill hour and pollination requirements for the variety you select. Just because it's for sale at the nursery doesn't mean it will do well here. Know what you want before visiting the nursery and you'll make much better choices. Maricopa County gets about 450 chill hours so anything needing more than that might not fruit in a warm year. Be aware of cross-pollination requirements, meaning you need two different but compatible varieties of the tree in order to get a good crop. (This information is available in cooperative extension publication AZ 1269 Fruit and Nut varieties for the Low Desert)
Perfume
I've had a request to somehow save the smell of Almond blossoms and make it into perfume. The Almond trees are completely covered with blossoms, and have a wonderful scent when you walk by.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Blooming
A photo collage of current garden events. First almond blossoms catching the late afternoon sun, snap peas are now four feet tall and still growing, broccoli is ready to eat, and the Kiwi have awakened from winter sleep.
The apricot tree is also just starting to bloom, and we found one large spear of asparagus. Sunday dinner will include peas, broccoli, asparagus, beet greens, and carrots - all fresh from the garden.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Roses
If you have roses, they should have been pruned by now. With our warm winters, they never really go completely dormant. We typically prune in late December and currently have about two inches of new growth on the canes. They will bloom heavily by Easter.
A quick rose pruning lesson: Trim out all growth smaller than a pencil. Trim out all crossing growth - you want a vase shape that allows light to reach the middle of the plant. Depending on the strength of the plant, you can leave from 3 to 6 canes. Prune each of these to no more than two feet in height. If you have a choice between a newer cane and an old one, cut off the old one. Final cuts on the remaining canes should be just above an outward facing bud so that new growth is encouraged in the vase shape.
Early Harvest
The snap peas are over three feet tall, and just starting to mature. A few of the carrots are big enough to harvest. Very nice additions to Sunday dinner.
We planted more onion sets last week. These are cheap to purchase - a bundle of about 100 for $3-4. We've found you can set them nearly anywhere there is regular water; near bushes, trees, or flower beds (yes - we have grown onions and garlic right along with our flowers by the front door). Leave them till the tops dry up and cover them with mulch or grass clippings to keep them cool. You can pull them as-needed and they will stay fresh for months right there in the dirt.
Set out the last of our peppers yesterday - California Wonder and Anaheim. I've been told these rarely cross-pollinate but if I were saving seeds for next year I'd separate them to be on the safe side.
Birds have decided to break off some of the tomatoes that were six inches tall, which reminds me of a gardening rule: Always plant more than you think you will need. There are always plants that die, get disease, or get pulled up by curious birds. Extra produce is an open invitation to share with a neighbor. The alternative - going without because you don't have enough - is much worse than sharing so if you have room plant extra.
Earlier is nearly always better in our climate, so that plants have time to grow and set fruit before the summer heat arrives.
We planted more onion sets last week. These are cheap to purchase - a bundle of about 100 for $3-4. We've found you can set them nearly anywhere there is regular water; near bushes, trees, or flower beds (yes - we have grown onions and garlic right along with our flowers by the front door). Leave them till the tops dry up and cover them with mulch or grass clippings to keep them cool. You can pull them as-needed and they will stay fresh for months right there in the dirt.
Set out the last of our peppers yesterday - California Wonder and Anaheim. I've been told these rarely cross-pollinate but if I were saving seeds for next year I'd separate them to be on the safe side.
Birds have decided to break off some of the tomatoes that were six inches tall, which reminds me of a gardening rule: Always plant more than you think you will need. There are always plants that die, get disease, or get pulled up by curious birds. Extra produce is an open invitation to share with a neighbor. The alternative - going without because you don't have enough - is much worse than sharing so if you have room plant extra.
Earlier is nearly always better in our climate, so that plants have time to grow and set fruit before the summer heat arrives.
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