Lazarus the Mulberry

     A very brief update about some plantings. A while ago I tore up (literally yanked them out of the ground) two mulberry saplings less than a foot tall and transplanted them to a more preferable growing location. Very quickly their leaves turned brown and dried up. I thought I had killed them. Despite that I continued to water them everyday since then and when I went to water them today I noticed that both had small leaf buds sprouting up and down the length of their stems.

    To say I'm thrilled is an understatement and because of that I've decided to name one of them Lazarus (I'll have to kill or relocate the other since they are growing six inches from each other).

Photo(s) of the Week: The Ipatiev House in color

    Like many of the photos saved on my computer I don't remember where I found these. The four color photos depict the Ipatiev House or House of Special Purpose where the Tsar and his family were killed in 1918. The photos were likely taken sometime in the 1970's, shortly before the house was torn down.

    In gardening news a squirrel gifted me the seed of a Juglans nigra or eastern American black walnut this past Saturday. It even helpfully removed the husk so I didn't have to stain my hands brown. I planted this in the front yard, almost in a straight line from the front door. As for my cedars, the backyard tree is still green as far as I can tell, one front yard and one north side windbreak have started turning brown/yellow, the other front yard and second north side windbreak are still green but haven't grown much at all, and the third north side windbreak is not only deep green but seems to actually be growing.

    Also in the front yard are three small plants that have sprouted up. I assume they are mulberry trees but at this stage they are far too young for me to accurately identify.

    To wrap things up my potted maple is doing well although it has dropped some of its lower leaves while every last one of my cottonwoods has shriveled and died. I'm also planning on sowing my apple and cherry seeds starting this week.

Tree-mania

    I've recently become obsessed with planting and growing trees. I want them for fruit, for shade, and for windbreaks. I'm trying to cultivate a diverse 'forest' but locating seeds or seedlings from anything other than mulberries and cedars is difficult. I pulled what I think is a maple that was growing in a crack in the pavement near the shipping dock at my place of employment and put it in a pot.

    It's been about a week and it seems to be surviving. I hope to transplant it outside next spring. I also pulled up three small plants again growing in the pavement at work. I think they're cottonwoods or aspens but I'm less sure than the maple.

    Unfortunately when I got them home I immediately put them in direct sunlight outdoors and they have since shriveled up and died.

    Today I tried my hand at cuttings. I took two mulberries, one small and one big, and a mystery plant whose leaves and stem resemble a branch from the crabapple in my backyard. I put the small mulberry in a cup of water and placed it on my dining room table. The large mulberry and mystery plant are in a jug of water sitting on a patio table outside. Time will tell if they survive and root.

    Later this year I plan to walk around my town collecting seeds from various trees, primarily oak acorns and sycamore seeds. I know of two locations in my town where there are sycamores and there should be plenty of oaks in the town parks.

Eastern red cedar seedlings

    As promised in my last post here are some pictures of my chosen Juniperus virginiana. Absent are two more that have started turning yellow, one the got uprooted during a strong storm Friday night, and one that appears to have been snipped by a rabbit.

Backyard tree

Front yard #1

Front yard #2

North side windbreak #1

North side windbreak #2

North side windbreak #3

Plenty of backup seedlings

Growing cedar, cherry, and apple trees

    Recently I have taken up an interest in growing trees. My house currently has only one crabapple tree, located in the backyard. I have tried in years before to grow trees but this year is my first major undertaking. To this end I have transplanted ten cedar saplings that were growing round one of my downspouts. I planted six in the front yard, three on the north side of the driveway (with the explicit intent of preventing snowdrifts during winter), and one in the backyard garden. My transplant method was little more than scooping them out with a garden trowel and depositing them in the selected location where I simply slammed the trowel into the ground and opened a small hole.

    The last time I was able to check them (thank you 12-hour work shifts) only one was turning yellow, perhaps not a coincidence that it was also the smallest of the bunch. I also possess seven apple seeds and eighteen cherry pits. I plan on planting the apples in the backyard and the cherries in the front yard, with three cherries to be planted in the verge (the area between the sidewalk and the street).

    I'll take pictures of them this weekend and post them here, assuming more haven't begun to die since I was last able to water them on Tuesday.

    I've also considered letting one or more of the mulberries that the birds "leave" everywhere grow although I'm not sure what my neighbors will think.