Winter solstice and the return of the sun

I couldn’t let today’s specialness pass without a quick entry. Tonight will be the longest night here and tomorrow brings the return of the sun. Can’t tell you how excited I am to see more growth from my seeds. The days will still get colder for a while yet but with sun brings energy and hope. 

 

Todays post is just to show you why I’m so into seedlings. Genetic diversity is what keeps us evolving, what makes us resilient. The pot in the front contains seedlings from one fruit (a williams pear). Check out its diversity. 

Things are hotting up here at seedtoseed.

Some seeds need the cold to germinate, some need the warmth. Luckily I have both. I have a fridge AND a heatwave.

Summer in Australia can be pretty brutal and our native vegetation is well equipped for our climate. However, babies are very fragile and need nurturing, babies of the plant world inclusive. Even more so babies of European fruit and nut trees. This weeks losses are a great example of that. I lost a few apple seedlings due a run of above 35 deg C days.

Still I am making great progress with apples

Pears

And a few unknowns (thanks to the dog attack) possibly blueberries.

My avocado seed on the windowsill method isn’t going so well

Possibly due to the large eves I have blocking out the sun. My next lot of avocado seeds will go in pots outside.

I had 3 walnuts in a cup with a little water on my windowsill which seemed to be germinating. I potted them this week so I expect to see some leaves from them soon.

I have counted 32 seedlings so I am meeting my target so far. I don’t expect all my seedlings to survive but I have many seeds that will probably sprout in spring to help with my numbers.

I think I might start naming my seedlings as a method to catalogue them. Any suggestions are appreciated.

My pool area is slowly becoming littered with black plastic pots, haven’t had any drug squad choppers flying low. Yet.

Day 7 – 14

Planted so far:

Cherry
Pink lady apple
Hass avocado
Kensington mango
Calypso mango
Date
Pomegranate
Green kiwi
Pine nut
Hazel nut
Walnut
Almond
Granny Smith apple
Packham pear
Royal gala apple
Red delicious apple
Black passion fruit (small)
Banana passion fruit
R2e2 mango

Then…

Disaster!!! THE DOGS ATE MY HOMEWORK

Made the mistake of sleeping in one morning and puppy took a liking to what I guess she thought were my neatly placed sand pits with food treats enclosed. Total devastation, not only did I lose seeds, sand and labels but what remains is mixed and I won’t know what is what when it grows – other than the genus by observation of the leaves. But then again I won’t really know what is pollenated with what anyhow so there really is no problem right?

I put the pieces back together as best I could, added some more of the seeds that I thought might have gone missing (pine nuts, kiwi) and put the pots in the pool area.

A very good friend quoted to me once, “never let a disaster become a wasted opportunity”. Turns out this is the best place for them as I have a natural pool which contain fish. The water in this pool naturally is high in nitrates, which plants love and it’s so easy to scoop the water out using a watering can. Making constant watering less of a chore.

I pray I don’t get aerial attack or slug/snails…

FIRST GERMINATION!!! Granny Smith Apple -Australia’s Very Own

…and my wattle seeds arrived. Like a pig in muck today.

The family have never eaten so much and so varied fruit. Something about it being cut and available on the table that encourages them. Another lesson learned.

Some more to add to the list

White nectarine
Yellow nectarine
Yellow peach
White peach
NZ and WA blueberries
Lychee (OMG-family favourite)
Brazil nut
Papaya
Apricot
Yellow plum

Dad’s Birthday Party and an excuse to visit a Big Fruit Shop

Squeak squeak, kids going mental now, their interest has been sparked. Madly hunting a couple of each of things we haven’t got yet.

Reed avocado
Golden queen peach
Another plum I can’t remember the name of -note to self record names
Honey gold mango
XL yellow peach
XL yellow nectarine
Ya pear
Fuji apple
Sundowner apple
Blood plum

Not really part of the rules but just for fun I bought some spices

Allspice pimento
Peppercorn mix
Juniper berries
Whole nutmeg
Star anise

Now if someone would just change my climate for me that would be just super.

Wattle – Pioneer plants & Nitrogen Fixers

Every tree needs at least one pioneer plant. Pioneer plants grow faster than most trees and are usually short lived, but they provide shelter for the growing plant and if you choose nitrogen fixing plants, they will also provide fertiliser. I’ve decided to go with wattle. I may add others later.

Did you know there are over 800 species of wattle?!!I’m in love with Acacias!

So I jumped on ebay and this is what I purchased. My decisions were based on price, ability to tolerate frost and wet conditions.

Acacia howitti (Sticky wattle)

Acacia pendula (Weeping wattle)

Acacia spectabilis (Mudgee wattle)

Acacia cowleana (Halls Creek Wattle) – Edible wattleseed!

Acacia pycnantha (Golden Wattle) – Our national emblem, I had to have that.

Acacia myrtifolia (Myrtle Wattle) – Unique with red stems and cream flowers

Acacia stenophylla (Shoestring wattle/river coobah) – Lives up to 50 years

Like I said originally, my poor husband.
– I need a greenhouse
– it would be silly to have all that wattle and no beehive, right?

A special post for Luis in Boston

Hi buddy, mum tells me you’d like to make some seeds grow into a plant that will end up giving you more fruit? Well I think that these would be the best where you live which is all covered in snow at the moment.

Apple
Pear
Cherry
Peach
Nectarine
Almond
Mulberry
Apricot

These all can get to be big trees but if you put them in a pot on your balcony they will probably stay small enough. But the best thing for you to plant if you like them I think is blueberries.

Tell mum they like acid soil so she should tip her tea leaves and coffee grounds on them. Tell her to buy you some punnets of blueberries, eat them but keep the seeds ( they’re quite small so be careful) put them in a pot filled with potting mix and keep them moist -not wet, not dry until you see leaves growing. This might take a long time so be patient because it will be worth it. When you grow your own blueberries mum can make you blueberry muffins and stuff.

Let me know what you decide on and how it all goes buddy, we can do this together.