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Greetings!
Well the continued warm weather has coaxed plants in the garden so far into spring growth, I now hope that winter doesn't make a big comeback and cause damage. Low temperature records seem to all occur in December (low 20's in 1990), but we've had damaging frost as late as early March. I also still have visible damage on many plants from last April's incredible hailstorm.
If we have another week of above average temperatures, our bare root fruit trees will start their spring growth and bare root season will end early. Don't delay planting your orchard.
On the flip side, an early spring causes our next crop of citrus trees to be ready sooner.
We may have just "snuck" in a winter of average chill, about 300 hours. Flowers have suddenly appeared on 2 of my apricot trees and most of my plum and pluot trees. We'll have to see the extent of the bloom before declaring a decent crop. Last year the trees only produced flowers and fruit on their bottom half, meaning we were right at the "edge" of a good crop (the night air is colder closer to the ground).
New This Week
Alexandria Alpine Strawberry 1-gallon $7 Alpine strawberry are also know as Woodland strawberry and Fraise Du Bois. These small plants produce numerous tiny red berries over a long season. Although tiny, these are quite fragrant and delicious. This variety does not produce runners and is often used to edge a flower or herb bed. Also does quite well in pots.
Pineapple Crush Alpine Strawberry quart $9 This is an unusual variety of alpine strawberry with slightly larger, pale yellow fruit with a detectable pineapple flavor. This has been difficult to propagate and we will only be bringing a few to each market. Limit is one per customer. (Next crop in late spring.)
Phormium Guardsman Flax 5-gallon $40 (includes tax) This cultivar of New Zealand flax has upright growth to 6-8' tall with brilliant foliage, maroon edged in red. Many consider it to be their favorite. Situate in sun or shade. Provide good drainage. Needs little water near the coast, but will accept average moisture.
Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea' 1-gallon $9 This beautiful perennial grows about 30" tall and wide. The leaves are deep green in spring changing to ruby-purple in fall and winter. Spikes of lime green flowers provide a striking contrast in spring. Situate in full sun to part shade with average to low water. |
AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
Laguna Hills Nursery Acid Mix Potting Soil $10
We hope to supply all your needs this weekend with only about 40 sacks. Our supplier is temporarily out until next week.
Large Plastic Pots We are also carrying 15-gallon ($12), 20-gallon ($20) and 25-gallon ($25) black plastic tubs if you want inexpensive containers to grow your blueberry or other productive plants in.
Bare Root Fruit We are more than half way through the season and still haven't received our Goldkist apricot or Hachiya persimmon. We did get a alternate cultivar of apricot. Apple Anna $24 (last week for this item) Apple Dorsett Golden $24 (1 left) Apple Fuji $24
Apple Gala $24
Apple Granny Smith $24
Apple Jonagold $24
Apricot Katy $25 (Dave Wilson Nursery currently lists its MCR at 200-300 hours) Apricot Sour Single Pink Ume $24
Cherry Minnie Royal & Royal Lee (need both for production) $70 for pair Grape Blueberry $7
Grape Canadice $7
Grape Himrod $7
Grape Lakemont $7
Jujube Li $34 (2 left) Jujube Ga866 $34 (2 left) Mulberry Black Beauty Persian $24 (2 left) Mulberry Pakistan $34
Mulberry Tea's Weeping $48
Nectaplum Spice Zee $24
Nectarine Arctic Star $26
Nectarine Double Delight $26
Nectarine Panamint $26
Peach Long Beach $24
Peach Red Baron $24 (back in stock) Peach Tropic Snow $24
Pear Hood $24 (back in stock) Persimmon Fuyu Imoto $40
Persimmon Fuyu Izu $42
Plum Burgundy $24
Plum Catalina $26
Plum Satsuma $22
Plum Weeping Santa Rosa $22
Pluot Flavor King $29
Pluot Splash $26
Pomegranate Wonderful bush $22
Pomegranate Wonderful tree $34
Strawberry Seascape 40 cents
Asparagus UC 157 $1 (few left)
Nut-Almond All-In-One $24
Nut-Pecan Western Schley $45
Lilac Chiffon $24
Lilac Lavender Lady $14 (small)
Japanese Maple Bloodgood $46
Japanese Maple Tamukeyama $69
Redbud Forest Pansy $40
Pre-Potted Bare Root These are husky bare root plants potted up for your convenience. Boysenberry Thornless $7
Raspberry Rossana $7 (This excellent Italian cultivar fruits on new growth late in the year)
In Containers All items are in 1-gallon unless otherwise noted Blackberry Ollalie $10
Blackberry Triple Crown $10
Blueberry Jewel $18
Blueberry Misty $18
Blueberry Sharpblue $18
Blueberry Star $18
Blueberry Sunshine Blue $18
Fig Black Jack $20
Fig Black Mission $22
Fig Flanders $22
Fig Italian Everbearing $20
Fig Kadota $22
Fig Panache $22
Fig Violette de Bordeaux $22
Grape Vanessa red seedless $7
Grape Venus black seedless $7
Herb-Sweet Bay (Bay leaf) $10
Pineapple Guava $10, also 5-gallon $35
Pomegranate Desertnyi $20 (few left) Pomegranate Parfianka $20 (few left)Strawberry Alexandria Alpine $7 Strawberry Pineapple Crush Alpine $9 (only a few in quarts) Strawberry Temptation Alpine $3 (only a few in quarts)
Bedding Plants All edibles are $3 per package Herbs (excellent selection in quarts) Broccoli regular
Broccoli Purple Sprouting
Cauliflower graffiti
Swiss Chard
Ornamental Plants Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea' $9 1-gallon Loropetalum chinense 'Zhuzhou Fuchsia' $12 1-gallon Phormium 'Guardsman' $40 5-gallon |
WEEKLY SPOTLIGHT ON BAREROOT
Nectarines This highly popular fruit differs from peaches in the expression of just one recessive gene. This means that the offspring of 2 nectarines should always be a nectarine, but the offspring of 2 peaches can result in a nectarine instead of a peach.
Like peaches, most nectarine cultivars require more winter chill (have a higher minimum chill requirement MCR) than we receive. Again, as with peaches, we have to compromise when choosing a cultivar for our garden. Quality of the fruit reaches maximum potential when the weather is warm or hot just before harvest. Of course you can grow all of them.
Nectarines have more serious pests than any other fruit tree, thus requiring more spraying. Fortunately, the procedures are pretty straight forward and there are effective organic products are available. Peach Leaf Curl Disease is treated during winter dormancy with a dormant spray containing copper or lime sulfur. Flower Thrips are small flying insects that infest the open flowers and can severely damage the skin of the developing fruit (misshapen with oozing sap) leading to nearly 90% culls. Oriental Fruit Moth larvae can infest the ripe fruit near the pit and can be difficult to detect from outward appearances as they enter through the stem. Products containing spinosad can be applied once during bloom and repeated while the fruit is developing to control both pests. Without spinosad I wouldn't want to grow some of the nectarine cultivars.
Spinosad is an ingredient created by bacteria found in an abandoned rum distillery. It kills just about any chewing insect (also thrips) and is relatively safe to apply to edibles. Research in England has shown that it is toxic to bees until the application dries. After drying it has little effect on bees but will protect against the target pests up to 2 weeks after application. Therefore try to apply it early or late in the day when bee activity is low.
Arctic Star This white fleshed nectarine has deep red skin, low acid extremely sweet semi-freestone flesh. The MCR is 300+ hours, meaning most gardens will get a crop perhaps 3 out of 4 years. This cultivar doesn't seem to suffer excessively from either thrips damage or fruit worms. It ripens in mid June which can be a bit early for peak quality. Easily, the best nectarine for inland gardens. Near the coast, June gloom can cause a bland crop some years.
Double Delight This yellow fleshed nectarine has deep red skin and outstanding rich, sweet freestone flesh. The MCR is 300 hours, so expect a crop 4 out of 5 years. The fruit ripens in early July. The bloom is also very spectacular with double pink flowers. This is the best, yellow nectarine for local gardens. We had grown it and discarded it when it was introduced over a dozen years ago due to its problems with thrips. Now that we have an organic thrips treatment, we'll give it another try.
Panamint This yellow fleshed nectarine has deep red skin with sweet, freestone flesh. The small fruit are about the size of apricots. Fruit quality is average to good. Panamint has an MCR of 250 hours and has made large crops every year I've had it. Harvest in early August. Interestingly the insects mostly leave it alone.
Snow Queen This white fleshed nectarine has red blushed, yellow skin and excellent sweet flesh. The MCR is 250-300 hours and produces well about 4 out of 5 years. It ripens in late June and is one of the top rated white nectarines. This cultivar doesn't seem to suffer excessively from either insect. CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK
Spice Zee nectaplum We are including this new hybrid that genetically is part nectarine and part plum, but is essentially an outstanding spicy, sweet nectarine with a bit of plum flavor. The MCR is between 200-300 hours and should be a very reliable producer. In addition to the fruit, the flowers are a gorgeous mauve pink and the leaves emerge dark red, slowly changing to bronze green by mid summer. This cultivar requires treatment for both thrips and worms. It is worth the trouble. Our small specimens will not produce fruit until 2013. |
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Please visit us at our farmers market locations.
EVERY FRIDAY 9am-1pm
Mission Viejo Farmers Market
Mission Viejo Library
200 Civic Center Drive, Mission Viejo
Exit 5 at La Paz going east, right on Marguerite, right on Civic Center
EVERY SATURDAY 9am-1pm
Old Towne Orange Farmers & Artisans Market
Historic Villa Park Orchards Packinghouse at Chapman College
304 North Cypress Street, Orange
Exit 22 at Glassell going north, left on Palm, right on Cypress
EVERY SUNDAY 10am-2pm
The Great Park Farmers Market
The Great Park, Irvine
Exit 5 at Sand Canyon, turn south on Marine Way (parallels east side of the 5), follow the signs
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26285 Verona Place
Mission Viejo, California 92692
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