Cloning a peach tree.

I bought a cloning kit years ago and then promptly hid it from myself. I unearthed it a few weeks ago, so I put it out in a visible location (read: I will trip over it daily) so I would remember to try this technique this spring. What is so neat about cloning is that it is a fast-forward time machine. If you start a tree from seed, it will probably take a minimum of three years before it sets fruit. If you clone an item, you automatically have a plant the same age as its parent in just a few short weeks.

This technique is a variation of asexual propagation called “layering.” Layering allows roots to form on the stem first and then the stem is cut off. The result is a new mini tree that is ready to plant. How exciting is that?! The process should take 6-8 weeks. It is Day One and I already want to go out and see if roots have formed. Waiting is not my strong suit.

In the picture here, I am cloning a dwarf peach tree, Red Haven, I believe. The peach tree is of fruiting age, so I should have fruit this year from this cloned tree specimen.

1. Cut a ring through the bark and remove bark. Should be about 1/2” in height. 2. The end result: cup in place and branch is tied to hold cup as upright as possible, which keeps water in cup. 3. Layering cup. The bottom inch is a water reservoir. 4. Tools needed - sharp knife, rooting hormone, soilless rooting mix, and layering cup with lid. The directions say to moisten the mix after you put it in the cup. I wet it down first so it would be good and moist.          5. Applying rooting hormone. 6. Mistakes happen. The branch on the right side was too close for the cup to close. You need to have about an inch and a half of clearance under the cup. 7. Prune your mistake. Don’t you wish life were that simple? 8. Filling cup with soilless mix. 9. Lid is applied and secured through slots in the cup. Tada! After assembling all the items it took about 5 minutes to do this. Now the wait… 

I checked and this kit is still available. I purchased it from Lee Valley Tools. I don't remember what I paid but 5 cups cost $15 now, about the cost of one fruit tree. I see there are new options since I originally purchased it - a watering syringe and the rooting hormone. It is called the Rooter Pot. Click here to see it.

The beauty of ornamental kale.

Kale after a frost.

Kale bolting.

Ornamental kale. It fascinates me. It is a relative of cabbage (both are brassicas) but it doesn't form a head. Yes, you can eat it, but it is more bitter than the "edible" kale. It is a great plant for the winter, providing beautiful color when little else is even alive (left photo), much less thriving. But kale will be there, in all its glory.  I took the photo on the right this morning. This is kale blooming (beginning stages). A biennial, it is going to seed and then will have completed its life cyle. If it is anything like turnip (another brassica), it will be great forage for my bees and they will go hog wild for the blossoms. The kale blossoms, in fact, look very similar to a turnip blossom.  I can't wait to see what the bees do with this. Every year I find something else to strew around our property. Turnips, clover, dandelions, buckwheat, sorghum. This fall, I feel quite certain I will be adding kale.

Today I felt like a beekeeper.

Learning beekeeping has been quite the process for me. I would have loved to have had a local mentor; I didn’t. Thank goodness for online mentors. They saved my honey on more than one occasion. I do have a few local folks I can ask questions of, plus I read a lot about beekeeping. None of that, however, takes the place of a stand-by-your-side mentor who will come to your apiary, or allow you to go to hers, and take you step-by-step through the process of everything involved in this awesome and wondrous craft. It is possible to learn beekeeping without a mentor (I did), but it is a much slower and more risky (to your bees) path. In the realm of beekeeping, that is most definitely not the best thing.

I’ve been keeping bees for four years now. Every year I have learned a little more and every year I become more comfortable with the tasks at hand. I am learning to take notes. I say “am learning”  because this does not come easily for me. It goes completely against my ADHD bent. But man, has it been invaluable. Duh. So I am learning to be methodical. Yes, me. Organized and methodical. (You would laugh sometimes at what that actually looks like, but this too progresses.) Sometimes it is several weeks between times I get into a hive. How the heck could I expect I would remember what I had done the last time I was in a hive? Can’t. Not gonna happen. I have five hives (soon to be seven!). Imagine if I had hundreds or even thousands of hives. Oy! Notes are imperative, truly. Get in the habit if you are not already.

It is said that an inspection will set the colony back for days. After all, I am disrupting the everyday workings of thousands of bees. With this in mind, I try not to go to my apiary without a plan. What specifically do I want to accomplish when I get into a hive? If I know this, I keep their disruption to a minimum and they can get back to collecting nectar and converting to honey, or repairing what I’ve just torn asunder. With notebook in hand, immediately after an inspection I write down the state of the hive, is there brood, did I see the queen, are there honey stores, is the hive testy? If I see something that needs addressed the next time, I write what I anticipate I will need to do during the next inspection. Before my next inspection, I pull out my handy dandy notebook, refresh my memory with the anticipated necessary tasks, and in one glance I can then set forth to gather any equipment needed for the inspection I am about to undertake.

My inspection back on March 10 noted two things in my notebook: a possible queenless nuc and another nuc that had tons of brood. With those notes, I could think about my options: I might be able to simply add a nuc box to the booming colony or I might prefer to take it from a nuc to a full hive. I gathered both kinds of equipment - standard hive bodies (several, just in case), all the necessary frames, and a few nuc boxes in case I went that route. (I use almost exclusively 8-frame medium equipment, so any frame can be used in any box - nuc or hive body or super, which is a medium hive body.) I keep a tool bag that houses my hive tools, brush, frame holder, etc., so that is always at the ready and always goes with me. For transporting all my equipment, hubby yet again tolerated all my wants and needs and bought me a really cool dump truck sort of cart. It’s not too big, not too hard to pull, and it can hold a lot of equipment, minimizing my back-and-forth trips to the house for something I need but forgot. If you are like me and have your hives near your house, it’s a worthy purchase for around $100.

March 30. I decided to address the booming nuc colony first since it would be the easiest. All my hives got checker boarded on February 18 and I was hoping that did the deed to prevent swarms. I had planned on getting into this hive a week ago, but as often happens, something came up. Delayed maintenance can often spell loss of lots of bees by way of a swarm. I was thrilled to see when I opened this nuc that there was not a single swarm cell! Was it the checker boarding? I just cant’s say for sure, but I’ma thinking it was. And brood - oh my! NOTED: Temperament was excellent and a potential hive for making new queens. Yeowza! This is what you want to see! I quickly took it to a three-high full-sized hive from a three-high nuc. Have you ever taken a plant and transplanted it to a new, bigger pot and then looked at it in its new, bigger pot and wondered how on earth it was ever making it in the size it was in before? That’s exactly how I felt with this colony. Man, it filled two boxes to the brim, full and fat. I added an extra box for honey, hoping with all my might my girls will do as well with nectar gathering as they are doing with expanding!

Now it was time to address what I suspected was a queenless nuc. At the entry, the bees appeared lackadaisical - a sure sign something was probably amiss. Watch the outside of your hives, it gives many clues to inner happenings. Inside, sure enough, no brood, no queen. But, thankfully, also no laying worker yet - woooo hooo! That made me happy. My task at hand now was to find a frame of brood in another hive and insert it into the nuc. Not just any frame of brood, however. This needed to contain eggs that were 3 days old or younger so they could make a queen. There is a hive adjacent to this nuc hive. What was its condition? Could it spare a frame of brood? NOTES! Oh thank goodness for notes. I checked my notes from the previous inspection; not stellar notes, but it did say this hive had a queen and eggs and brood were seen. That should not have changed and if not I could steal from it. Now here’s the tricky part. Stealing eggs is simple. But you must steal eggs and not transfer the queen with said eggs. You have to find the queen first and then put her elsewhere. Amazingly (to me!), I found the queen rather quickly. I looked on the frame she was on and there were freshly laid eggs - a perfect frame to steal. I must admit I could have handled removing her a bit better. I kinda “shooed” her off the frame to a frame below. I was afraid to touch her. Afraid I would damage her, hurt her, drop her, squish her - a million thoughts ran through my mind. So I shooed. “Shoo, Queenie, shoo!” Her Majesty deserves better. I will work on this. Did I mention - she is F A T ! Fat must mean happy, right? So my queen is Fat and Happy. I retrieved the frame of eggs, inserted them into the nuc, sealed it, put an empty frame in where the stolen frame was and put that hive back together. Done!

Having notes told me what to look for on this inspection. I went prepared to do just that. I expanded one hive, I found the queen so I could egg a queenless nuc, and I got Humptys put all back together again. When I was done, I was quite proud of myself and felt I had handled this inspection in quite the beekeeperly fashion - something I often feel is sorely lacking. I went with a mission and mission was accomplished. If I hadn’t taken notes, I surely would have been quite helter skelter. If you are not a note taker, I strongly encourage learning this habit. In the apiary, it will save you major effort and take your beekeeping to a more efficient level. Bee well!

Don't kiss your ashes goodbye!

The last hurrah of winter has almost come. You've burned wood. You have ashes. Now what? Don't Throw Them Away!

Wood ash, also known as potash, is an excellent, organic amendment for soil. It is full of micronutrients (calcium, zinc, and magnesium, to name a few) and is an effective and organic way to raise (make more alkaline) your soil's pH. And it's free! This makes wood ash an excellent resource, providing your need soil needs a bit of alkalinity.

Wood ash is a form of potassium. Reflecting on that lovely Table of Elements chart from Chemistry 101, you may recall that the chemical symbol for potassium is "K." This is the K in the NPK ratio on those fertilizer bags. Potassium is a much-needed nutrient for plants, enabling them to use water more efficiently, resist drought and disease, and simply strengthens them overall.

There are only a few caveats to using leftover wood ash in your garden. Wood ash as a soil amendment specifically means ashes from wood you have burned, not ashes from your charcoal grill. Think 'tree only,' and this means as it fell; no treated wood. Also, if your soil is already quite alkaline, forego the wood ash. (What?! Too alkaline? How do I know this?! Now might be the time to become friendly with that soil testing kit you've been threatening to purchase.) And while potatoes may appreciate a good dose of potassium, too much wood ash can cause scab. So use with caution around potatoes. 

Understanding pH

In the world of pH, 7.0 is neutral. Soil that registers lower than 7.0 is considered acidic. If the level is higher, it is considered alkaline, or sweet. Most plants appreciate a nearly neutral soil pH of about 6.5-7.0, but some thrive in an environment that is more acidic. It is critical to know the pH requirements of your plants and how your soil registers. If you apply wood ash willy nilly to your garden, it could mean impending doom for some plants. Raising the pH of your soil is great for tomatoes, for example, but it would be disastrous for acid-loving blueberries or azaleas.

How to apply
Avoid windy days when working with wood ash and be sure to use protective gear. Gloves, mask, and eye wear are all de rigueur. The easiest way to incorporate wood ash into your soil is to compost it. Be careful, however, not to mix in too much at one time or you will skew the pH and scare off those beneficial worms at work. Add a thin layer alternated between those leaves or kitchen scraps. You can also lightly sprinkle wood ash directly on the soil, which will also function as a slug deterrent. If you miss the soil and it finds its way to the leaves of your plants, wash off the leaves to prevent burning. If using for slugs, reapply after a rain.

It's the Bee's Knees

Beekeepers should especially take note – wood ash is excellent for that clover yard you have been coveting. Clover thrives in a pH of 6.5 to 7. If your soil leans toward acids (very common in these parts), it will thank you for broadcasting a light layer of wood ash and repay you with oodles of happy little clover plants. 

If your soil could benefit from a little pH adjustment, now might be a great time to address that issue. So be sure to save those ashes and do some down-to-earth recycling. And, ya can't beat the price!

Seed Starting

I got a late gardening start this year for starting seeds, so when I placed my order I splurged and bought what I've been wanting for years - a seedling heated mat (left).

Thyme, Basil, Beets - bottom to top

Heated mats are supposed to give a germination advantage by a few weeks (in addition to better germination), so I rationalized this would take me back to a mid-February start date. That is certainly worthy enough for purchase justification!

So far, I'm loving it. I started these puppies (shown on the right) on 3/2/2014. These sprouted in just 3 days! That's pretty impressive!

What have you started so far?

Chickens - Again!

Hubby and I have had chickens almost since we bought our 40-acre farm. But one by one we lost most of them. Now, 14 years later, we are down to two, third-generation roosters. We decided to wait a while to get a new batch of chicks so hubs could re-work the existing coop and try to make it more safe from predation. We are vulnerable to racoons, hawks, skunks, and even the occasional mink.

Not much progress has been made in the area of re-vamping the old coop. If I could show you my tapping foot, I would . . . because I am so anxious to get a new crew of chicks. But I do try to be patient with my husband's limited supply of energy and the oh-so-many tasks on his "to do" list.

As it happens, yesterday, my son, who works at Sam's Club here in our fine city, sent me this picture of what they had just received in stock. It's called a Chicken Chalet. Man-o-man did that get my "I want new chickens" juices flowing! As soon as he sent me the picture, I went online to my local store and ordered one for us to pick up. We have to wait two days before we can go get it. Again, I'm trying to be patient. More waiting. Oh boy. (Is this what they call a recurring theme?) In the meantime, while waiting patiently, I will refresh my memory on tending baby chicks and do an inventory of what existing items we  have, what might need mended or replaced, and I will make my list of things I need. Plus! - I get to study what breed of chicken I will order. I am beside myself with anticipation. While this coop will only hold 4-6 chickens, it still means I can get started again this spring with at least a few chickens. Who knows, maybe I'll order more chalets and sprinkle them about the property!

Karen's haiku.

Winter winds blowing -
Nightly the flash dance begins
    Covers kicked quickly.

Roast Leg of Lamb

I was experiencing "cooker's block" the other night while trying to think of what I might cook that would fill my need for "yummy." I worked backwards into this roast lamb, because baba ganoush and hummus kept coming to mind. The jump to a leg of lamb wasn't a far stretch. I luckily found one on sale at the local market - half price. How fun is that?!

I love to peruse recipes, so when I set my sights on what to cook, I will pull out several cookbooks and read recipes online, and what I end up with is usually an amalgam of several recipes that I've pulled pieces from. Since I'm usually tinkering with ingredients I know I like, I almost always enjoy the outcome. Here is a recent endeavor.

Herb Encrusted Roast Leg of Lamb with Oven Roasted Carrots

Reserve about a teaspoonful of the herbs to toss with the carrots.
Be sure to let the roast come to room temperature before cooking.

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
6-pound leg of lamb, bone in
6 large garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary or about
     1 Tbs dried
(2 tsp chopped thyme)
1 Tbs kosher or sea salt
1-2 tsp freshly cracked pepper
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1.5 pounds carrots
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

PREHEAT OVEN to 450

Mince the garlic and chop the rosemary and thyme, if using, and combine with the salt and pepper, reserving a teaspoon or two for the carrots. You can chop your ingredients on a cutting board, whir them together in a food processor for a few seconds, or use a mortar and pestle. It's all a matter of ease. I have even used a coffee grinder.

Add the mustard to the herbs and mix well. Using your hands, slather the mixture evenly over every nook and cranny you can possibly find. After you've covered the lamb evenly with the mustard mixture, cover in plastic wrap and let it marinate in the refrigerator over night. If time is of the essence, let it marinate for as long as you can spare.

Cook for 25 minutes at 450, then lower the heat to 350 and cook another hour or so for medium rare. Medium rare for lamb is right at 145 degrees, if your thermometer works correctly.  My thermometers have never worked right (or maybe it's the driver?), and I've tried several, so I've resorted to kicking them out of the oven and going only by time. Going by time does require a bit of guesswork, but I've cooked many a good roast that way.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
While the roast is cooking during the "first leg" so to speak, or while you are waiting for it to come to room temp, peel and slice carrots. Toss the carrots with the reserved herbs and the olive oil. When it's time to drop the temperature down to 350, sprinkle the carrots around the roast and cook the remaining hour, basting every 20 minutes.

Remove the lamb from the oven when done and set on a platter to rest for about 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the carrots.

​​

Bee Basics 101

I love beekeeping. What a fascinating hobby! If you have any interest at all in beekeeping, I urge you to contact your local beekeeping club (call your extension office if you are not sure how to find it) and see if they have a mentor program. Tell them you want to shadow someone for a while so you can see what you really think about beekeeping. Starting beekeeping can be quite intimidating if you have absolutely no idea of what is involved. Since I was "that person" (the one who just jumped in, no questions asked), I have learned by the school of hard knocks. I really don't want YOU to do that. You may attempt it, fail, and thus give up on something that, done differently, you would still enjoy years later.  So I started a mentoring program of sorts at our local library. Just a very casual Q & A, sit-and-chat meeting. I hope to address those burning questions that many beginners have. And since there are beginners world-wide, I recently started an online Facebook page for beginning beekeepers - BeeBasics101. It's a new Facebook page, so it's dying for your input. ;) Pop in and see what you think!

Maybe you can force an issue...

Anxiously awaiting forced crocus blooms.

My husband is always telling me,
"You can't force the issue."

I think I'll prove him wrong. I'm going to hybridize a new flower bulb and name it "The Issue."