Urban Renewal II: Replanting the Barrel Cactus

Our barrel cactus fell down earlier this year. We stood it back up and propped it on three sides with some 1-by-2-inch furring strips, but it fell down again when the landscapers trimmed the palm trees. It laid there several days covered with palm fronds and blocked by all the trucks and scrap metal in the front yard. By the time we could stand it back up, it looked dead.

This one is about four feet tall and weighs about 100 pounds. About a week ago, the yellow flowers on top of it bloomed, so I decided to replant it and see if we could save it. Below are photos of the successful effort:

Barrel cactus  Ferocactus wislizenii by Jack V Sage, July 4, 2012

Barrel cactus  photo 2 Ferocactus wislizenii by Jack V Sage, July 4, 2012

I dug the hole about 15 inches deep and 18 inches in diameter. I had to pour some water in the hole to soften the soil. Even with the water, it was tough getting down that deep.

Barrel cactus  photo 3 Ferocactus wislizenii by Jack V Sage, July 4, 2012 

This is a good view of the root ball. The roots still had plenty of flexibility, so the cactus should do just fine.

Barrel cactus  photo 4 Ferocactus wislizenii by Jack V Sage, July 4, 2012 

I wore Jersey work gloves inside a pair of welder's gauntlets so that I could lift the cactus. Even with two pair of gloves, I still got pricked. The thorns on this cactus are three inches long. The debris clinging to it is St. Augustine grass and chips of palm. I leaned the cactus against the east side of the hole, where the ground was firmest, then back-filled around the root ball with the wettest dirt. I pulled extra dirt and a bunch of the bird droppings and palm fruits into the hole for fertilizer and heaped extra soil around the base of the cactus for support.

Barrel cactus  photo 4 Ferocactus wislizenii by Jack V Sage, July 4, 2012 

Desert USA has more information about the barrel cactus here.

Urban Renewal, Cactus Wrens and Romas

The cactus wren condo in the palm trees that have been shading my plucky Roma tomatoes has been razed for fire control. The dried brown fronds that provided shade and shelter to six clutches of white-winged doves, cactus wrens and grackles bit the dust yesterday, when our landlord decided it was time to do a summer fire-control cleanup.

"Urban Renewal: Cactus Wren Condo" by Jack V. Sage June 13, 2012

When I rode up to the house after work and saw the palm fronds on the ground, I was relieved that we no longer had the fire hazard, but I thought my Roma tomatoes could not possibly have survived being buried under fifty or so pounds of palm fronds. Kudos to the landscapers for making sure my tomatoes stayed alive. They are a little wilted from getting too much sun, now that the palms no longer provide enough shade, but they can recover.

Roma tomato plants by Jack V. Sage, June 13, 2012

Roma plant A; Photo by Jack V. Sage June 13, 2012

Roma plant B; Photo by Jack V. Sage June 13, 2012

Roma plant C; Photo by Jack V. Sage June 13, 2012

The cactus wrens, grackles and white-winged doves have abandoned their condo for now, which means the infinite supply of bird droppings and palm fruits will no longer fertilize the soil. It won't matter this year, since the soil is fresh, but next year I will not plant anything here.

Here lie the remains of the Cactus Wren Condominium:

Photo by Jack V. Sage, June 13, 2012

Note the feathers and grass they used to line the cavities between the palm fronds. Below is another photo of the yard. I love the way the landscapers shaped the northernmost palm to look more like a pineapple.

Photo by Jack V. Sage, June 13, 2012

Tomatoes in Arizona: The Early Girls Get Their Turn

Since the Roma tomatoes I planted earlier this spring continue to thrive, I decided to try the same tactics with some Early Girl tomatoes. I saved seeds from the nicest-looking Early Girl tomato I could find at Food City, and sprouted them in water to make sure they were good. Once all the seeds sprouted, I planted them in cut-down 2-liter bottles filled partway with crumpled, torn-up grocery advertisements and dollar-store potting soil.

Early Girl tomato seedlings, May 27, 2012 by Jack V. Sage

As you can see from the photo, I had a lot more seedlings than I need for one season. The fifth bottle has crushed palm leaves instead of crushed newspaper. I want to see which one makes a better wick. Since the weather is so hot and dry, I figure a good number of the seedlings will wilt and die. The ones that don't wilt should grow well, because they will have adapted to local conditions.

I had a bunch of fallen palm fronds in the yard that I usually toss in the trash alley. I thought they would make good tomato stakes, so I broke off the curved ends and stacked them in a corner of the garden area. I plan to tie them together at the top and spread them over the tomatoes in the cut-off 2-liter bottles. They will provide support and help shade the plants from the worst of the sun once the tomatoes grow enough. The palm tree's shadow will also protect the plants from the harshest rays of the noon sun.

Dried Palm Fronds May 27, 2012 by Jack V. Sage

Palm frond tomato stakes, May 27, 2012 by Jack V. Sage

I chose where to plant my seedlings by flooding the yard and watching where the water pooled. That way, any rain will stay near the plants, and my watering will be more effective. I put 5 seedlings in each 2-liter bottle and used the extras in two arcs at each side. I planted close to 60 seedlings but I expect quite a few to wither.

Water pooling test May 27, 2012 by Jack V. Sage

Water pooling test photo 2, May 27, 2012 by Jack V. Sage

I also took photos of the view from my chair in the southwest corner of the garden, behind the palm. The way that part of the yard lies, people walking by don't even look, so it's more private than it seems. I plan to add some sunflowers in the northeast corner, just past the big palm tree in the background of this photo, and I want some terra cotta window-box-style planters to put on top of the slabs you can see along the top of the brick wall between our house and the neighbors' house.

Facing East, Garden photos by Jack V. Sage

I waited for about 30 minutes to see how fast the water evaporated. Thanks to the pitch of the yard and the way I trenched the plants, everything was still wet. I went back an hour later and the ground was still damp, so I think the plants will do okay.

Early Girl seedlings May 27, 2012, photo 1 by Jack V. Sage

Early Girl seedlings May 27, 2012, photo 2 by Jack V. Sage

Early Girl seedlings May 27, 2012, photo 3 by Jack V. Sage

Garden Update: Lizards, Birds and Romas

The birds and lizards use the shrubbery and the Cereus peruvianus cactus in front of our picture window as their nursery, providing us with daily entertainment. The tiny finches and cactus wrens use the thicket to shield their nestlings from the neighborhood cats, giving them a mini gym where they can flap their barely-fledged wings and exercise their shoulder muscles. The cats administer swift, brutal blows and run like hell from mama and papa when they manage to pounce on a nestling before it can hop into the Cereus peruvianus cactus. The lizards use the shade as a shield from the blistering noon-day sun, gazing at the birds while patiently awaiting an unsuspecting palo verde beetle or microcricket. Our newest fledgling should be able to fly away in a day or two.

 

Lizard by Jack V. Sage, May 20, 2012

Fledgling by Jack V. Sage, May 20, 2012

Fledgling 2 by Jack V. Sage, May 20, 2012

The seeds I saved from the last batch of Early Girl tomatoes I bought last month at Food City have sprouted. I soaked them for the past three weeks to make sure I used the ones that were most likely to survive. I'll plant those in cut-off 2-liter bottles later this week, just like I planted the Romas. I'll plant them on the north side of the house, on the west side of the big palm tree, so they have shade from the harshest rays of the sun.

Since the pit-and-bottle method seems to be working so well for the Romas, I'll use it for the Early Girls as well. The Romas had about a 60-40 chance of boiling in the bottles, so I'm really happy that they seem to be taking off.  I didn't have a measuring stick handy, so I used a can of Arizona green tea for height and girth comparison in the photos below.

Roma 1 by Jack V. Sage May 20, 2012

Roma 2, View A by Jack V. Sage, May 20, 2012

Roma 2, View B by Jack V. Sage, May 20, 2012

Roma 2, View C by Jack V. Sage, May 20, 2012

Roma 3 by Jack V. Sage, May 20, 2012

Pants to Pillows

Nearly everyone in the 70s found uses for old jeans, from pot holders to purses. If you have a pile of old jeans with holes in the knees, and some old pool noodles or a foam futon that has seen better days, give them an old twist: turn them into no-sew pillows. You can make several of these pillows in minutes.

Photo by Jack V. Sage, May 13, 2012

1. Cut the legs off a pair of old jeans, as close to the crotch as possible.

2. Cut the hemmed portion of the jeans as close to the seam as possible and open it to make a tie.

3. Cut the foam or pool noodles into 2-foot lengths. Cut the jeans legs one foot longer than the foam.

4. Slide the foam into the jeans leg, leaving 4 to 6 inches of fabric at each end for gathering.

5. Pinch the fabric at one end of the jeans leg together. Tie the pinched fabric as close to the foam as possible, and pull tight. Repeat for the other end of the pillow.

6. Pull the fabric out to resemble a rose at each end of the pillow.

Photo by Jack V. Sage, May 13, 2012

Cereus peruvianus in Bloom: Night Views

I took these photos of our Cereus peruvianus in bloom around 11PM Arizona time. I think these photos came out better than the daytime ones. I am especially happy with the last photo on this page. The delicate pink edges of the petals and the egg-yolk tint in the center are hard to photograph. The petals reflect a lot of light, which I assume makes it harder for the flowers to wither before the carpenter bees and hummingbirds can gather pollen and nectar from them. Arizona sun is so intense that it washes out color and makes the flowers and unopened buds hard to see. Let em know what you think, and post photos of your own favorite plants, especially if you garden in Tempe or Phoenix.

Cereus peruvianus buds, May 6, 2012. Photo 1 by Jack V. Sage

Cereus peruvianus buds, May 6, 2012. Photo 2 by Jack V. Sage

Cereus peruvianus buds, May 6, 2012. Photo 3 by Jack V. Sage

Cereus peruvianus buds and flower, May 6, 2012. Photo by Jack V. Sage

Cereus peruvianus flower opening, May 6, 2012. Photo  by Jack V. Sage

Cereus peruvianus flower, fully open, May 6, 2012. Photo by Jack V. Sage

The Supermoon, Tomatoes and Blooming Cereus

Because so many of my friends posted pictures of the rising Supermoon, I decided to take a few of it setting. I took the first three photos around 4 AM Arizona time and the rest at about 5:30 AM. I also photographed the Roma tomato plants, one of which seems to be adapting itself to Arizona moisture levels. One plant survived being crushed under the car parts the Wasteland Scavengers tossed around while working on the Beast, and the other two are alive and well but not growing very fast.

I also photographed the three Cereus peruvianus pods I planted earlier this year. Not only are they thriving on nothing but whatever moisture exists in the Arizona air, all three have flower buds. The parent plant that bloomed last year began blooming again today, and I managed to get a few good shots of the first flowers to open. The carpenter bees have been all over them this morning. So enjoy these photos:

Supermoon May 6, 2012 by Jack V. Sage

Supermoon Photo 2 May 6, 2012 by Jack V. Sage

Supermoon Photo 3 May 6, 2012 Photo by Jack V. Sage

Supermoon setting around 5:30 AM Photo 1 by Jack V. Sage

Supermoon setting around 5:30 AM Photo 2 by Jack V. Sage

Supermoon setting around 5:30 AM Photo 3 by Jack V. Sage

Supermoon setting around 5:30 AM Photo 4 by Jack V. Sage

Despite forgetting to water them, the Roma seedlings continue living. The reservoirs I made from soda bottles seem to be working. I assume the trenching around each plant helps as well. I pulled a few tiny weeds to prevent them from sucking up all the water.

Roma seedlings Pot One May 6, 2012 at sunrise. Photo by Jack V. Sage

The plant in pot 2 appears to be thriving. I believe the shade of the three palm trees and the wall protect all the Roma seedlings from the worst of the noon sun.

Roma seedlings Pot Two May 6, 2012 at sunrise. Photo by Jack V. Sage

Roma seedlings Pot Three May 6, 2012 at sunrise. Photo by Jack V. Sage

 I will photograph all three Cereus peruvianus pods again when and if they bloom.

Potted Cereus peruvianus in bud May 6, 2012 at sunrise. Photo by Jack V. Sage

Cereus peruvianus growing on deadfall Cereus branch. May 6, 2012 Photo 1 by Jack V. Sage

Cereus peruvianus growing on deadfall Cereus branch. May 6, 2012 Photo 2 by Jack V. Sage

Cereus peruvianus growing on deadfall Cereus branch, back view. May 6, 2012 by Jack V. Sage

Cereus peruvianus bud planted directly in the ground, in bud. May  6, 2012 Photo by Jack V. Sage

Parent Cereus peruvianus plant in bloom, May 6, 2012. Photo 1 by Jack V. Sage

Parent Cereus peruvianus plant in bloom, May 6, 2012. Photo 2 by Jack V. Sage

Parent Cereus peruvianus plant in bloom, May 6, 2012. Photo 3 by Jack V. Sage

Side yard, future site of our experimental garden on May 6, 2012. Photo by Jack V. Sage