Bartlett Pears

I'm watching my pears trees,
 my mouth is watering but it is
 an act of patience.

Bartlett pears have to be taken off the tree and ripened in a cool place.  

The perfect time approaches.  Here in the Bothell/Woodinville area

it is sometime between the last week of Aug and the first week of Sept. 

People walk by my trees and ask why I'm not picking anything.

I have to tell them there is a time for each tree.  Apples in the fall and 

pears late summer.  They don't always believe me and will pick something

I hope they find it very sour indeed.  

So watch for loose stems when you lift up on a pear and if anything is falling

 now you might be too late 

so harvest that whole tree RIGHT NOW

 I'll be picking mine in a couple of days

Did you plant some seeds?

The last two weeks were warm!

We broke records for May.

After our classes did you remember how warmth 

cuts down on the time of a seed to sprout?

I planted my beans earlier than I usually do

It was warm and they won't be sitting in the cold wet ground

Beans won't sprout even at 50 degrees but give them

68 degrees and they will sprout in Eleven days

Give a bean seed 77 degrees and they sprout in eight days.

Can you see why I don't plant them in May usually?

Now is a choice time.  Plant like crazy.

Put a scoop of compost in the spot and plant a seed today!

It will rain this week-end and then warm up again.

Think I'll go put some cucumber seeds in!

Getting you started on a new fruit tree

Now is the time!

Buy a couple of fruit trees and grow them

along a fence, a building, a wall. 

  It's not hard to do but MUST 

be started in a young tree.

It's not a big project

prepare the supports and 

Just do the follow up trimming and tying 

and you will have fruit in not too many years.

 Click to enlarge and save

This is not a new way to grow fruit trees

In fact it is very old 

and these directions came out

of 

a very old sunset book. 

Apples trees usually are trimmed with only 5 main branches

so this is a logical use for apples.  

Consider plum, and pears also, though

any fruit tree can be trained this way.

You need to buy your tree in it's first or early second year in order

to start with a pliable tree.

Start with a sturdy support, all ready to go.  

You will not want to be building around the training plant.

Yes this takes 5 to 10 years to get smoothly trained but so 

do the big trees!

So with a couple of fruit trees, a couple of blue berry

plants and a few pots of veggies you have an

instant start to gardening.

Blue berries need another bush that blooms when it does,

Early with Early

Mid season with Mid season

Late with Late season.

There can be some cross over of seasons with success.

Pears need another pear tree to produce. 

Enjoy