Walking around the garden last night, Tom and I noticed a lot happening in our fruit trees - mostly good things, but some not so good. For instance, the peach tree has peach leaf curl.
We've dealt with this before. PLC is a fungus and it can substantially affect fruit production. The cure for this is a copper spray, which we have done sporadically in years past (it is applied when the tree has lost it's leaves in fall). I haven't for at least three years, and we're paying for it now. However, so far, it hasn't affected our fruit set.
Something really good has happened in the cherry tree section. I planted two cherry trees last year, of two different varieties, because most cherry trees need a partner to pollinate them in order to set fruit. Our second cherry tree died over the summer, so we were left with only one. It blossomed normally, if lightly, and I thought that would be all we'd get out of that tree. But looky here -
Yep, cherries. I'm gobsmacked. And happy.
The olive trees that I have in front of the chicken coop, in containers, are blooming.
And there are already tiny apples on the apple tree.
The resurrected quince hasn't bloomed yet, the fig is getting very leafy but no fruit as of yet, the plum has a dozen small fruits on it, and the new Asian pear is putting out its new leaves.
As for fruit vines, the blueberries and huckleberries have bloomed and are setting berries, the strawberries are blooming and there are many green fruits too, and the raspberry and thornless blackberry bushes are growing new leaves. It's all very encouraging.
I'm on spring break this week, which means lots of time in the garden. I bought a few more herb starts for the new herb garden, as well as five new native plants for the woodland garden (what can I say, there were holes that needed filling). One of them is a Western Spicebush which I have always wanted, so I'm pretty happy.
I noticed that we have a significant aphid population in the California Honeysuckle, but then I noticed this guy nearby, and I started to feel better. Nature often provides.
The peas are the current star of the vegetable garden and we're having them with dinner several times a week. Sauteed very lightly in butter, there is really nothing tastier.
