This time around , the QOTW did not resonate with me and I was collecting material for a general update instead.
I did not mean to post today at all, weather was good and I was out and about doing my bits and pieces, but eventually it started raining again, I am kinda stuck indoors and this is an improvised hybrid post.
our many pecans are making a comeback, playing Russian roulette with our late frosts.
and to put this in context, this morning, we had one of those late frosts to which I had to wrap-protect the pecans with a thermal membrane.
this is what it looks like right now. each tree with its own protection to keep their delicate new leaves from frost bites.
this photo was taken yesterday evening in a beautiful late afternoon sun light when the weather was still warm and cosy. this tree was one of the unfortunate ones who did not get protected as I only had so much of the membrane. planted higher than the other ones, I was hoping it will be fine, but this morning I could already see signs of damage on it.
our cherry tree basking in the sun totally worry free about frost issues.
Mulching
I do not normally waste my organic material from pruning burning it but rather let it decompose, hence leaving it mostly on the land. but this year, being a year of exceptions, I opted for the quick fix and burned two huge piles of Olive prunings and this is what was left.
at the bottom of the piles, a massive amount of leaves remained that I have and will be using for mulching.
this is pure gold as mulch plays so many roles. placing it around trees, it maintains humidity, suppresses weed growth, decomposes and feeds the root system and more.
this is one of our young Loquat trees with a blanket of mulch around it and over its root system.
and this is what it looks like when applied in the vegetable garden.
sadly, many of this young plants will have died after last nights frost.
most Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplants would likely not recover.
in this close-up of the already decomposing olive leaves, you can see the tiny mushrooms that take part in the process. even though fungus is more indicated for the growth of trees, the mulch can also be used for vegetable patches.
as a general rule, vegetables prefer a bacterial environment while trees prefer the fungi.
this is how small these mushrooms are.
possibly my favorite guild. a Hazel, an Apple, a Goji, thornless Blackberry and Sage, well mulched all across.
4 days ago after a long anticipation, I finally spotted the first shoot of our giant Phyllostachys Vivax, being the last bamboo to shoot. as of today there are 5 new shoots pushing upward.
it is not only our largest bamboo at the moment but also our fastest growing variety with registered growth of up to 11cm. in a 24 hours span. you can literally see it grow 🌱
the Hawthorns are currently in full flower and their beautiful specks of white are all around buzzing with bees as soon as the sun comes out.
the grass is growing in overwhelming speeds.
European Oak recovering its leaf cover in time to host the needs of many birds nesting in our area.
and the American Oaks follow closely behind.
my sons Elderberry always flowers first, inspiring the others.
and the beautiful wild Lavender in the late afternoon light.
thank you for stopping by 🙏
wishing us all a peaceful rest of the week.
published at 16:16
