Gonna Build a Little Pond

[Amarok]

I feel guilty taking cuttings from the honeyberries now that I see so many undamaged buds there are, but I'm going to take new cuttings and do it right since you mention 4-6 weeks... lets hope 4 weeks or less!
The official audiobooks are nice to have when i'm watering things or driving.

Cool. I hope it works out.

After almost a week, this one looks great. No drooping or discolouration and it's photo-sensitive. I'll update going forward. I want to take a few more cuts but most of my haskaps are still pretty small and like you, I feel guilty removing material.

The Honey Bees should be good guinea pigs as they are supposed to be the fastest growing and one of the largest varieties, at least from UofS.

 

[Jewels]

Soooo, could a guy graft a Landracey Siberain haskap branch onto a designer plant, and get a self pollinating plant ?

 

[Amarok]

Soooo, could a guy graft a Landracey Siberain haskap branch onto a designer plant, and get a self pollinating plant ?

Hmmmm. Notebook updated.
Selling breeding pairs in a single pot is a common practice now, but that could be a fun experiment.
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Should I send you some cuts once the donors are sufficiently established?

Currently growing:
Aurora
Borealis
Boreal Beauty
Boreal Beast

In transit:
Tundra
Honey Bee
Berry Blue

I think the breeder claims that the seeds aren't worth growing needs to be tested as well.

Happy I grabbed the Firecracker Goji when I did. I went back to read some more and they're now sold out for the year. It looks fun, and while different sites have other numbers, this supplier says they are good for Zone 3.

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Grabbed a load of sand this morning and have been building up the rock walls. It's 3D Tetris with irregular pieces.
Taking a break for breakfast and more tea and then back at it.

Edit: the rest of the plum trees bloomed today: beautiful flowers and happy bugs everywhere

 

[Amarok]

These later steps are taking longer than anticipated. I used up the rocks I had and fortunately my neighbor was free so we went and grabbed another thousand pounds or so of rocks. Brought them home and unloaded them and I'm taking a break from the 28C heat.

Managed to take a good chunk of meat out of my leg due to an encounter with a jagged rock edge, so now I'll have a souvenier of this project.

 

[Amarok]

Online plant shopping can be dangerous.

No, not more haskaps.
I want to replace the shitty hedge out front and I wanted something to grow on the south fence so I have caraganas and Viginia creepers en route.
Grabbed a couple swamp currants to try along the margins as well.

I was thinking about all these buys, but then realized I've spent less on plants than on my B-Zero, so pretty easy to justify.

 

[Bullfrog]

These later steps are taking longer than anticipated. I used up the rocks I had and fortunately my neighbor was free so we went and grabbed another thousand pounds or so of rocks. Brought them home and unloaded them and I'm taking a break from the 28C heat.

Managed to take a good chunk of meat out of my leg due to an encounter with a jagged rock edge, so now I'll have a souvenier of this project.

Spent years working around rocks and building walls. Have the scars to prove it too. Really smashed a finger bad once but it still works, just not as well as the others. Gotta give them rocks the respect they deserve.

 

[Amarok]

Gotta give them rocks the respect they deserve.

Like I said when it happened, I don't usually leave my property wearing shorts. I'm big-time about safety; worked heavy industrial construction and maintenance, and safety is second nature.

Long pants and footwear with ankle support is standard if leaving the sidewalk.
BUT, that sneaky bastard Complacency got me today.

I was talking to my neighbor and asked if we could get another load of rocks with his 3/4 ton when he had a moment. He said "we can go right now".
I never want to be more of a burden than necessary so rather than hold up production I jumped in the truck and away we went. No biggie, the scar can join the collection.

 

[Hugh Jass]

These later steps are taking longer than anticipated. I used up the rocks I had and fortunately my neighbor was free so we went and grabbed another thousand pounds or so of rocks. Brought them home and unloaded them and I'm taking a break from the 28C heat.

28C way up there in May? Only gonna be 31C down here today. Heat'll take the starch outta your shorts real fast.

Like I said when it happened, I don't usually leave my property wearing shorts.

Dude, we all know this is a court-ordered condition of your release into the Alberta wilds.

No biggie, the scar can join the collection.

Anyone who saw you wearing shorts is scarred too, though. What about them???

 

[Amarok]

28C way up there in May?

It gets hot here. Take a look at the Earth's axis in relation to the sun, it's tilted so we are getting the most direct intense light and heat . Plus our days are already 16 hours long (sun rose at 5:29, sets at 9:26 today vs 6:37 and 8:30 in Hotlanta).

Dude, we all know this is a court-ordered condition of your release into the Alberta wilds.

Actually, it's just to prevent Beatles-like riots when the ladies get a look.

 

[Hugh Jass]

It gets hot here. Take a look at the Earth's axis in relation to the sun, it's tilted so we are getting the most direct intense light and heat . Plus our days are already 16 hours long (sun rose at 5:29, sets at 9:26 today vs 6:37 and 8:30 in Hotlanta).


Actually, it's just to prevent Beatles-like riots when the ladies get a look.

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[Jewels]

breeder claims that the seeds aren't worth growing needs to be tested as well.

Patents aside,,
Is this a hybrid vs heirloom thing ?

Spent some time reading this.
Interesting stuff.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://ncert.nic.in/vocational/pdf/kegr103.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiDvYHswPX-AhWxNn0KHWvLA7EQFnoECAUQBQ&usg=AOvVaw35Xm6zVJqYNK53--jpLAED

 

[DopeDaniel]

Patents aside,,
Is this a hybrid vs heirloom thing ?

Spent some time reading this.
Interesting stuff.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://ncert.nic.in/vocational/pdf/kegr103.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiDvYHswPX-AhWxNn0KHWvLA7EQFnoECAUQBQ&usg=AOvVaw35Xm6zVJqYNK53--jpLAED

Glad I have that downloaded on my phone now.

I was looking for a way to propagate these

Crocuses. Looks like the easiest way is to dig them up and separate the offsets. There's probably ca couple I will do that with but I am also going to try collecting some seed. Apparently it can take a few years before they flower.


Looks like one of my potted columbine made it, can't really tell if any of the in ground ones made it as I planted them with the original seed parents. Hope it flowers this year.

I've found nursery plants bought based strictly on zone may or may not make it here, I'm something like 5a but seems like your season is further along than mine? Willows are just starting to bud out and last year I had measurable snow on June 1. This year??

Patents aside,,
Is this a hybrid vs heirloom thing ?

I was thinking more like wine grape vines?

Anyway, just passin time takin up space till we get that in process (Canadian pronunciation of course) photo montage.

 

[Amarok]

Started filling the pond yesterday, got as far as I want to go before finishing with the rock work(ran out again). I filled by putting the hose in the filter barrel and letting the outflow follow the channel along the berm and into the hole, so got a mini preview of the future outflow stream.

Picked up one more load of stone this morning, and received notification my haskaps and gojis have shipped.

Just trying to find motivation to get started. I think I need one more cup of tea first. Once the rocks are placed it will be time to reinforce the return-stream bed/mini waterfall and set up the pump.

There will be lots of work to do once the pond is full, but getting everything full and circulating will feel like a pretty big step.

 

[Amarok]

Pond is over 1/2 full and already affecting the environment .
I walked into the back yard this morning and there were birds everywhere. Not sure if they are just loving the new source of water or if the smoke has them nervous, but still nice to see them.

Got notice that my haskaps arrive this morning so most of them will hit the dirt today.

I was going to run into town for a couple things but not sure how far from home I want to get given the fire situation. Have to think about that one.

 

[Captain Sternn]

We want to do one also, planning on using a plastic jonboat we no longer have any use for. I think we could have it up and running in fairly short order. It's just going to sit on top of the ground. It will probably look pretty redneck for a while but over time I want to stack flat sedimentary rock that's common around here all around it, that should help the appearance. She knows someone that has too many koi in theirs so we can get some of those. Not real sure what other ideas she has for it.

 

[Amarok]

We want to do one also, planning on using a plastic jonboat we no longer have any use for. I think we could have it up and running in fairly short order. It's just going to sit on top of the ground. It will probably look pretty redneck for a while but over time I want to stack flat sedimentary rock that's common around here all around it, that should help the appearance. She knows someone that has too many koi in theirs so we can get some of those. Not real sure what other ideas she has for it.

I hope you do and I hope you love it.

I'm sure no expert, but what I've picked up researching my pond would suggest a jon boat wouldn't be large enough to support more than a couple small koi and even then you'd need a fairly robust filtration system. Koi produce a lot of waste.

If you are in the learning stage like me, I found this to be very helpful.

 

[Amarok]

Soooo, could a guy graft a Landracey Siberain haskap branch onto a designer plant, and get a self pollinating plant ?

Since the last response I have seen successful grafts of haskap cuts to native honeysuckle(unknown Canadian location) so there is the first proof-of-concept.

I'm thinking I want to just grow out the varieties I have and evaluate them before doing anything too creative.

I found a forum where growers were talking about honeyberries like we talk about cannabis. They were swapping cuts, making seeds, experimenting with propagation.... I got a kick out of it.

Edit:
post office updated and delivery won't be till tomorrow.

I covered some lower branches of the existing ones, hoping for a couple air-layered clones to play with down the road. I've seen cool little units made of small plastic bottles with medium, taped around branches. This way you can see when roots are formed and can just snip the branch below the bottle and replant. I just went old school though.

 

[Captain Sternn]

I hope you do and I hope you love it.

I'm sure no expert, but what I've picked up researching my pond would suggest a jon boat wouldn't be large enough to support more than a couple small koi and even then you'd need a fairly robust filtration system. Koi produce a lot of waste.

If you are in the learning stage like me, I found this to be very helpful.

Thank you that's exactly the kind of info we'll need. Years ago she was into aquariums that might help. I'm not totally sure what her hopes are for it.

 

[Amarok]

Pond is nearly full and it is circulating. Feeling pretty good right now.

I've got a good start on covering the sides of the return stream and no issues to this point.

Still need more rocks for the edges to finish the job, but the birds sure don't mind. There's dozens of little guys zipping around.

I'm busy right now but I'll go out and sit there long enough for them to relax, and then try to get some pics or a short movie later.

 

[Hugh Jass]

I'd definitely like to see pics of what you're working with ?