Monday, April 8, 2013

Still Contemplating Where to Plant the New Trees

I am especially concerned with the pepper plant, which is a vine rather than a tree.  It needs partial shade, which basically describes every where, most of the time in Gloomville.  However, there are some days which are sunny, and I'd sure hate to lose my new acquisition.  Also, it's a vine, so it needs to climb. 

I tried to grow some pipinola on the ʻohia trees near my house, but the vine didn't make it, so that makes me hesitant to go out and plant there again.  I am actually thinking about repotting it into a larger container and putting it under my greenhouse tables - it will stay warm and partially shaded and it can climb all around under there, as far as I am concerned.  That will make it easy to harvest, too. 

The clove and the mulberry need it fairly sunny, or at least well draining.  These aren't easy to come by in our area, so we'll have to really dig out a wide area around where we'd like to plant and add cinder to the compost and dirt mix.  I actually guess the mulberry will be fine - there are some down the road at the local public school that are doing fine.   The clove I have no experience of, but the nursery people said it was a very easy plant. 

The one I am most emotionally invested in is the fig.  I really want that one to make it!  Apparently, once they're established, it's very easy to propagate by staking down a branch until it roots, and then cutting it off to start a new plant. 

I know the lemon will be fine - my lemon tree is my only consistent citrus producer. 

I forgot to mention that the nursery threw in a sickly blueberry plant with our first order.  It isn't doing well at their elevation and they were handing them to customers who lived at higher elevations.  I know blueberries are susceptible to rust in the wet conditions we have, so I am just going to repot that one and keep in the greenhouse for a long while. 

I once met an elderly couple who lived down in Nanawale - it's very low in elevation and very tropical down there - they told us to be careful what you plant because when they first got here, they planted all over their yard and the upkeep off all those trees was a lot for them as they got older.  We have a considerably bigger lot than they do, and it is much colder and things (except grass) don't grow extremely quickly as they do in the more tropical zones, but I am taking their point.  I really want to think about where things go - and how we might expand pastures or areas to plant feed crops.  Some of these new plants, like the sapote, have seeds which are poisonous. 

It all still feels a little like a puzzle. 

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