Cleft Grafting and More

Despite the sad day Tuesday, we've really had a good week overall.

Phil took the tarp off the chicken house, and made walls out of sheet metal roofing, courtesy of our neighbor. It is so recycled, it's cute (and, really, better looking than a torn blue plastic tarp).

Since my rootstocks are putting out leaves, they are clearly hardy and ready to grow.

I have grafted 197 apple trees (three of the rootstocks were dead, so I didn't graft the full 200). The whip and tongue graft proved too much for my hands, and even Phil had trouble cutting the thick rootstock. Happily, we learned cleft grafting on Saturday: shave off parallel chips on both sides of the scion, until there is a thin shim left. With the knife, gently cut down the center of the rootstock, then use the knife to pry open your cut and wedge the shim in. Line up one side, bark to bark, and tape all exposed areas with waterproof tape (freezer tape, which looks like masking tape but is impermeable to water is great: it doesn't need to be cut later, either; when I ran out of that, I used electrical tape, though I will need to slice it through once the graft takes, though I won't peel it off, which would damage the bark). Seal the top of the scion somehow (I use Doc Farwell's Graft Sealant).

Though some grafts took only two minutes, I would say they take me, all things considered, about three or four minutes each. Sometimes I needed to research more about the scions I was using: what is good about this apple or that? Do the apples bear annually, or every other year? How large a fruit? How sweet or flavorful? How does it do in warm climates? It made me excited all over again for the trees we have in our orchard.

Right now, the roots are covered with damp rags, and they will stay inside, in the shade, while they rest and recover. At some point, I will plant them out.

Preferably, after a rain. We were talking to a friend, and he said that his pastures are setting seed (meaning, they're mature enough and more to make hay), but they're only six inches tall, rather than the more preferred two or three feet. When cars drive by, they raise an incredible amount of dust. My lips are even chapped!

Overall, much of our land is still green. We have several beautiful clumps of crimson clover that bring joy to my heart.

And some are clearly heat-stressed, wishing for water.

Although I would always wish to be making faster progress around the farm, the very dry spring we've had makes me thankful we haven't had time or funds to plant more. How much hand watering we'd be doing otherwise!

As it is, I water little. My peach rootstock, growing untouched until the summer, I water once a week.

Then I turn around and water my garlic a little bit. The tops are browning over: the harvest time is coming.

And I water in the greenhouse every day. My pineapple guava, after weeks of two tiny leaves, today had four tiny leaves. Perennials take so much more patience, I can hardly believe it.

And, at last, I had five little kiwi sprouts. Those seeds are so small, and despite daily watering, the soil blocks sometimes form hard crusts, so I am pleased I had any sprouts. (Today I took all the neem, olive, and raisin tree seeds I could find and put them in separate bags with damp towels, to see if that will help them keep warm and moist for sprouting.)

Out of the 100 or so jujube sees I planted, I have about 40 yet living. Probably about 25 were cut off at the first leaves by my unknown assailant in the greenhouse. I got so frustrated, I finally moved the seeds down to the ground, and put the growing plants up on the grow mats. The plants have since been safe, but the remaining seeds....

I came out to find my nasturtiums, in the same tray, untouched. But the jujubes had been thoroughly scratched through. I figured the lizard (or whatever) had found any sprouts, so I went sifting to find seeds, and bring them to a more protected growing environment.

There were none left. Jujube seeds hold the same appeal as jujube sprouts, apparently. Who would have thought?

And, in the orchard, we have tiny peaches.

We have one tiny apricot (blemished on the other side).

And, as Isaiah said, "The yellow and red is really pretty." I think he's right.