In the Last Year

I was looking back at the posts from last year around this time to see what was up then.
This year I'm way too booked to attempt to go to the plant swap again. I haven't even checked to see when or if it is happening, just too much going on.
Some of the plants that I had posted have various updates. The lemon tree is still growing though unfortunately it hasn't produced any lemons yet.
The key lime trees are all dead. This is most definitely due to the fact that none of them ever got transplanted or watered regularly. The only exception to this may be the one I gave my brother. He waters much more consistantly at times than I do.
The kaffir lime on the other hand started in a bigger pot and is doing fine. I have used it several times in cooking and it just grows more leaves for me.
The agave plant shown with the spider in it has nearly doubled in size since last year and I really need to remove the smaller one and put it somewhere it can grow better.

Kaffir Lime Tree

So far as I can tell it's still growing well. There are several new leaves even since this picture. The rain has come though so that's what I have. I'm not getting my camera wet.

I really should put it in a bigger pot soon so it will have room to grow. I think it's about at the size that the pot will allow.

The same goes for my key lime tree, the only one still alive. It's in a much smaller pot and the size clearly reflects it. Maybe I'll get to it next week or so.

Still Growing

Even though we had some really cold weather, a large portion of my plants didn't seem bothered by it. The cactus had some damage but all in all has survived the frost and the herbs and veggies I still had out all live and are perking back up with the warmer weather.
I've been helping out the wife with some crafting she's been doing (see her blogs) and have come up with some neat items. So far it's mostly practice but we plan to build some boxes from scratch and decorate them with various things.
For some reason the turmeric isn't producing any new leaves and the older leaves are shriveling. Looks like it's dying but I don't know why. I'll try putting in more dirt since it looks like it's lost some.
Lemon tree is doing well as is the kaffir lime tree. Neither has grown any inside but they haven't lost any leaves either. The last of the key lime trees isn't doing very well. They all froze and only one still has any green to the stem. That's probably why it's called a "key" lime. A little cold here. Oh well, maybe next time.

Citrus Family Health

Ok, I know I've been needing pictures so here they are.

As you can see the lemon tree has gotten a lot bigger since spring. It might even intimidate the cats. I've had a time with the caterpillars though.

Next is the kaffir lime tree in all of it's glory. I had to pick off quite a few rolly pollies beore taking this picture though. I didn't know they would like it.

The key lime sprouts, and yes they're still sprouts, are mostly doing ok. They are still in order with 1 at the bottom left and 12 at the top right. 6 is, as you can see, dead. I will keep it in the pot just in case it comes back from the root but I'm not holding my breath or anything.

First frost is still some time away and they won't come in until then and hopefully most of the key lime sprouts will have new homes by then.

Fort Worth Autumn Plant Swap 2009 Starters

I have planted some seeds for starter plants for the plant swap.


Included are the candy lilies that I got seeds for recently, basil that I have had for some time now which is actually sprouting, jujube but only four of them since I haven't gotten back to the tree to get more seeds, grape from my mom's grapevines of which I still have most of the seeds from, and let's not forget the key lime trees which it seems that all but one is still alive.

The only definite plants so far are the basil and key lime trees since they are the only ones that have actually sprouted so far. I hope the grapes will sprout soon since the seeds are smaller and usually denotes a shorter germination.

For those of you who don't know a little basil goes a long way. From the two plants we had last year we made some pesto. We froze most of it into cubes and put it in the deepfreeze. One cube makes an entire meal for pasta and thaws quickly which makes me think, pesto chicken linguini for dinner tomorrow?

Just in case you are interested in attending we will probably also have the much talked about lemon thyme cookies again this swap.


Hopefully coming soon will be my want list. I still have to discuss it with the misses. Included will most definitely be bushes of some sort for the front.

It's Alive! (Well, most of it)

Well at least most of it is alive, my gardens that is.
Things that have died:
1. Large Squash plants
2. A few Key Lime Sprouts
3. Sunflowers
4. Purple Cabbage
5. Elephant Ears
6. Lettuce
7. A small portion of the strawberry plants

As far as I can tell everything else is still alive and kicking.
Most of the strawberry plants are doing great as well as a number of runners. I believe cats have damaged and killed the plants that are gone using the box for their own relieving purposes.

The pepper plants in the back are perking up and fruiting. The ginger in the back, not inside, is shooting off more shoots.

The canteloupe in the back near the big crepe myrtle is still spreading out, probably because it was protected from the sun.

The cucumber plant isn't thriving but it is still trying to flower and make fruit.

Those are the highlights. Hopefully the rains will keep everything well watered for a while still. I have been slacking a little too much.

Citrus Progress

The plants are doing wonderfully. As you can see, one of the key limes drooped a little, the first one. It' just behind the largest ridge at the top. It's still getting bigger but since I measure to the highest point on the plant that means if a leaf forms and then moves to the side like most leaves then it might seem to shrink.
I actually got around to putting numbers on the pots instead of just remembering which ones they were. Now I can move them anywhere they need to go and not loose track.
Interesting thing I noticed, but not when messing with the plants, that a sharpie doesn't allow water to pass by it. I was doing an ink composition test on bathroom tissue with various inks, don't ask why, and I figured I'd test a sharpie. As the water drew up the tissue, it just went around the sharpie mark. I then drew a closed shape and the water still went around the entire shape leaving a dry space in the middle. I'm not sure what I can use this for but I figured I'd throw it out there.


The lemon tree, again not on the chart and for good reason, grew three inches in a week. These are not waterspouts. For those of you who don't know what a waterspout is, it's a new branch usually from the main trunk that grows up instead of out and saps the energy from the rest of the plant. It doesn't kill it but severely limits it's growth and strength. This new growth is off of the branches and is growing at good angles to the plant. There are at least four of them I remember.

Citrus Progress (with chart)

Yes, you heard it right. I now have a nifty chart to show that I'm not crazy. My citrus sprouts are growing, at least a little.

I didn't figure I'd bother with making it any prettier so the S1-S3 are the three measurements I've taken so far. The measurement is from the top of the soil to the top leaf or stem, whichever sticks up the most.

The lemon tree is not in this chart since it really put the rest of the plants to shame and made it look more like a flat line with a spike at the end.

Also note that the order they are in is more or less a size order but the pots are actually numbered so I don't forget in case one really takes off and gets taller.

So without any more hesitation...

Water Types

No this isn't about a collectable trading card game or video game where you need lightning to destroy them, although I do know a little about that too. This is about they type of water used for different plants.



You might remember a few of the blog entires I did about wateing with ice. This takes care of some of the chemicals in the water like chlorine but mainly it was for the temperature of the water so that some of the plants like broccoli wouldn't bolt so soon. If you keep the roots cool then it thinks that it still hasn't warmed up yet. Plants often depend on the temperature of the roots vs the temperature on the branches/leaves to know when the right time to do things is.

This is one reason a good cold spell on citrus produces a better crop. the roots get a chance to be cold and therefore can reset the cycle of growth better.

You know... that seems like a really good experiment for my key limes. I think I'll freeze one in the deepfreeze for a few hours and then keep the soil cool with ice to see what happens. Must be careful though not to entirely freeze it solid, I can't imagine that working well. They are still tender.

Key Lime Update

The key limes are still growing in their new pots.
On average they have grown about 1/4 inch and seem to be acclimated just fine in their new pots.
The kaffir lime is also doing well with about the same rate of growth (it is about the same height as the average key lime sprout).
My project for next week is to have a chart ready to be posted each week to track the progress of each pot (some have one some have two plants). The lemon tree is a little harder to figure out the height since it's bigger and sways with the breeze. I'll do my best though to find a way to track it.

Just a note about some tomato sprouts, they have been mercilessly pulled out of the ground and thrown away by the maintenance crew at work. It's not like they looked bad...

Citrus Progress - Key Lime Sprouts Divided

Ok, I have finally divided the key lime sprouts. It was a little dificult with the ants crawling in the dirt but I managed. They're divided into twelve little pots now and will be numbered and recorded. I'm thinking that Tuesdays should be good for the records. Currently they're still sitting on the back porch but one day... You know the rest. They will be ready for the plant swap in the fall however and well acclimated to their new pots. They really were crowded in there. Even divided into the twelve pots there are still two plants in four of the new pots, sixteen plants in all.

The lemon tree and kaffir lime sprout will also be tracked.

Speaking of the kaffir lime sprout, it's finally looking like it will have a characteristic leaf forming! The patience seems to be paying off. It will still be a while for the flavor to enter the leaves and give that wonderful aroma to thai dishes.

Citrus growth

If it was a race then the lemon tree would be taking a nap, the kaffir lime tree would be strolling along looking at butterflies and the key lime trees would be space men with rocket packs.
It probably has to do a lot with the placement of the plants. The more they grew the more sun they have. The poor lemon tree is sitting under the pecan tree which gives it maybe 2 hours of sun a day.
Even though I still need to split up the key lime trees (all being in one pot and all) they still shoot up being in full sun all day and having plenty of water (from the hose).
I think I'll swap them up and see if they change growth. Probably sounds like a no brainer, but who knows. It might also be that the smaller plants are growing faster which is also true.

Austin Trip Botanical Gardens

I went to see my brother in Austin while my wife attended a writing conference there, which seemed to go well.

They took me around to see the usual suspects for a plant type, the Botanical Gardens and a really neat nursery. I picked up a plumeria there, which I never realized that it was the same as a frangipani, a yellow one. I brought him a couple key lime trees which he already had one but it went through a tough winter and shrank a little. While I was there I picked some really nasty leaf eaters off of his key lime tree and took pictures of his lemon tree.

While at the gardens I saw some great hibiscus and bamboo, both of which I adore, but my wife says that invading the city with bamboo is somehting that probably wouldn't be appreciated.

I know this is a gardneing blog but upon leaving Panera Bread I saw a most lovely flower named thing that can only be appreciated by seeing it, too bad I coudn't drive it.

Kaffir Lime Tree (Sprout)

I really want to call it a tree. It wants to be a tree. Maybe I should put it in a pot big enough that it can become a tree.

So far as it can it's still growing very well. It will be outside until the first frost of the year, or possibly the first frost of next year since it sometimes doesn't freeze until January. Then it will be my perfect little houseplant unless the beast of the caves, one of my cats, gets hold of it.

For those of you who might be wondering, I still haven't divided the key lime sprouts yet, but I'm getting to it, eventually. They will be ready for the Fort Worth Plant Swap this fall each in it's own little pot. Hopefully I can find people who will give me updated on how the plants are doing and where they have been placed. My guess is that most of them will die if left outside but I'm also guessing that most people will bring them in for the winter or put them in a greenhouse.

As far as the kaffir lime tree goes, it still doesn't look like one entirely but I still have a little hope that it will turn out beautifully.

Key Lime Sprouts

I feel it's way past due for the key lime update.

They will indeed be ready for the fall plant swap as well as a gift or possibly a trade with one of our friends. I have still counted over a dozen plants, all of which are doing fine.

My kaffir (kiefer) lime sprout is also doing well but still not producing the sought after leaves. I hope my plot to produce the plant from seed isn't being foiled by the growers.

As for the lemon tree, it's growing by leaves and bounds... no gagging please, it might hit your keyboard.

Garden Update

It's been a while since I last posted an update of my garden.
I'll start in the front.
The bed along the driveway is growing well all except for the tomato plants. We started with small plants and they haven't taken well where we put them probably becuase the other plants are a little close and hogging the space. For instance the broccoli is really bushy and making seeds so I can have more plants next season.
The plants near the walkway are doing pretty good. My pepper plant from last year already has peppers on it and the new plants are growing fine but no flowers as of yet. Yhe cabbage plant that we harvested and replanted has a lot of new leaves on it again and we could probably make a nice dish of cole slaw in about a week.
The lemon thyme and oregano are both taking off again this spring and will need to be cut back and thinned under the thyme at least to get the old dead stuff out.
As my wife was pointing out earlier today, all of our lavender survived last winter and continues to grow and flower. We have cotton lavender and it was first to flower this year.
Around the side of the house we have the bean plant which has reached over seven feet high and growing, the key limes which I still need to separate into their own pots, the sunflowers which are all flowering, some of which are making flowers along the stem, and various other plants in pots, the least of which is not the beets which are good for the prostate.
In back you come first to the assorted herbs in small pots, not doing so well, which I will probably put in a planter or raised bed next time in the same location. Then the kaffir, or kiefer, lime tree, yes it's still growing and now has six leaves but still not very tall/
After these comes the main back yard beginning with the 4x4 boxes. Our strawberries are producing several berries every couple of days and so far we have beaten the birds to them. the onion and garlic patch behind it is doing well as far as I can tell but it's the first time I've tried it. Just behind both of these is some lettuce and carrots and other things I didn't bother labeling so all I know is that I can eat it.
The shade garden in the back looks very healthy. The elephant ear plants are getting big as well as the St John's wart and monk's cap. There's also some thyme back there and some other shade ground cover.
The melon/squash patch is finding it's way into the yard several feet and will soon block off any need to mow that area, no dear I didn't plan it that way, not entirely.
The fig tree has a boat load of figs on it even if the early figs all fell off again. The grapevine planted by the shed isn't growing a lot but it's holding in there.
And of course my lemon tree is doing great! I don't know if it will get any taller in the pot it's in and am really leaning toward planting it in the ground this month.

Key Lime Sprouts

I finally realized afte talking to a friend that I didn't have a single picture of my little key lime sprouts (I count eleven of them in the picture). Some of them need transplanting, well all of them really in the next week or so. They really are doing quite well for what I expected to come up.

Bamboo

Just in case you were wondering, I do have bamboo in the backyard.
It is not however runnign rampant.
It is not digging under the house.
It is not invading the neighbor's yard.
It is not planted in the ground but in a pot. Otheriwse all of the above might not be true. Granted I have never seen bamboo try to come up inside a house but it might cut across a corner to reach the other side.
I have had it in a pot for two years now and it finally has decided to send up some new shoots. I was wondering if it ever would or if it would just stay green forever and get bushy.
I guess I should clarify that and say it is sending up a new shoot since there is only one so far and it's only about five inches tall.
If it keeps making new shoots I might just transplant it into a new pot one that is longer and wider so i can have parts to repair the fence. You never know when the neighbor's dog might want to chew a bit off of it.

While I'm on the topic of new shoots, my lemon tree seems to have acclimated to the bakc yard and has decided to continue growing for a spell. I just hope the rest of the citrus plants take it's lead and keep growing. So far the Kaffir lime has come to a halt and the key limes are barely crawling up out of the dirt.

Texas Oranges

I went to a nursery recently and was told outright that citrus plants don't do well in our north texas climate, yet my wife was able to buy oranges grown not too far away.
Here in the center of the DFW metroplex the temperatures don't get quite as cold due to the abundance of heat produced by the millions of cars that drive around on the ever expanding heat absorbing and radiating roads, highways and interstates. As long as you can find a good place to conceal it from the onslaught of the winds that can get in excess of 30 mph on very windy days even in the sprawling neighborhood areas where I live during the cold weeks of winter and posibly cover it for temperatures below freezing.
I say weeks because as we all know here that there are only three seasons, almost summer, summer, and it will warm up again tomorrow. Very seldom do we have the problem of snow or ice and when we do it usually doesn't last past lunch.
Anyhow, one of the seeds planted from said texas orange has sprouted in the pot in the break room at work. It is much larger than the lemon sprout but doesn't yet have any signs of making any true leaves yet. Not that I'm suprised since it only sprouted last week.
My key lime sprouts are doing wonderful. There are about a dozen of them now and counting ( I planted around 40).

Stay tuned for more excitement from the citrus world.

On a different note, the melon and squash patch have taken off like I wouldn't have believed. I may have to thin them out before long so there is enough room for all of the fruit to mature. I'll definitely have to fertilize.

Fort Worth Garden Swap

The garden swap went well. There were only about 10 tables there with a few plants that were of interest to me and my wife. Among these were tomatoes and tea roses. Hopefully by fall when it comes around again my key lime trees will be ready for trade. I don't know when it will be in the fall but i will definitely post it when I know.