Jenny Wright

Thom Bri wrote:

Mark Wyborny wrote:The corn cross pollinates very easy that close. The trick is to plant different varieties a couple weeks apart and pay close attention to the time each variety will naturally mature. That way when the variety is tasselling wind borne pollen none of the other varieties are receptive yet. They can be grown right next to eachother if you time your planting  that way.

Agree. I can easily find cross pollinated seeds 60 feet apart. I walked 11 rows into the neighbor's field and found a few colored seeds from my corn.
I planted commercial seeds of specific varieties and found evidence that the grower did not sufficiently isolate his plots.

I guess that just confirms that I get close to zero wind over the summer. I plant purple popcorn, a yellow sweet corn, and a rainbow field corn with blue, orange and red. So the colors, texture, flavor, and size are all very different. I can plant them close, with ten feet beds between them planted with other plants and I might find five wonky kernels out of hundreds of cobs. I save my own seed and replant and it comes true. They tassel at slightly different times with a little overlap so I'm sure that helps too.

Another update:
My newest tree to fruit, its apples need to be picked at the end of August. They are still very sweet and tart but the texture is mealy, which I don't enjoy. Meanwhile a random graft I stuck on that tree surprised me with one single apple that I didn't notice. It is crispy but overly sweet with no tartness. It kinda had a flavor that reminded me of banana candy. I have long forgot what grafts I put on that tree since they were odds and ends of my first attempt at grafting at a workshop. Anyone have any idea of a red-ish apple that tastes like banana candy?

Our long producing seedling tree that we call cherry apples has not disappointed and is loaded with tiny delicious fruit. It has me looking up cider presses this afternoon because it would make amazing apple juice.

Derek Thille wrote:

I wonder if those might be better pressed, which would leave the peel behind.  That would also make them potentially more useful based on size.

I've been looking at some small presses. It would be a very fun experiment.

Christopher Weeks wrote:I have grown-from-seed 6-7 year old trees that are 12-15' tall and haven't produced any blooms yet. When do full-sized trees start making fruit?

Mine fruited as early as 3-4 years old but those ones were definitely crossed with crabapple, at least my guess from the size of the fruit. My newest one to fruit is about ten years old and looks like it's a standard apple without any crabapple traits. So maybe the crabapple genes make them fruit earlier? They are all about the same height, ~12-14' tall. My sample size is pretty small though. I started about 12 seedlings over a few years. I have four that fruited and the rest died gradually over the years (I don't water them or any other care). If yours have made it this far, I bet fruit is just around the corner for you! 🤞 🤞

Jenny Wright wrote:Here's an update to my seedling apple experiments.

#3 My latest development: I have a few trees that have never produced anything. A couple of years I grafted a few chunks of leftover scion wood onto random branches to the most vigorous and healthy seedling. It was already 12' tall so I grafted to lower branches and left the top natural. I figured I'd the grafts did ok, I could gradually cut back the top. I'm glad I didn't cut back the top because this year the grafts AND the natural branches both flowered!!! The natural fruit is already large compared to all my other apples. It's a bit bigger than my Transparent that ripens early August. I tasted one as I was thinning them and they are sweet with a good flavor (though still as hard as a rock). Obviously they are not close to being ripe. It's only mid-June! I'm so excited to see what they develop into.

Here is #3 updated for the end of summer. It's a medium sized apple and it is very firm and OH SO SWEET! It has a tart sweet taste, a little like citrus with floral maybe? They are not pretty apples. And I only picked one as I'm going to keep tasting them throughout the rest of the year.

Also we had another seeding surprise us! It's as old as it oldest seedlings and I didn't even notice it flower this spring but it has bright red tiny apples, singly, through the tree that I can see from across my yard. Unfortunately the peel is very, very bitter. Completely unpalatable. Like I'm spitting and gagging it's so bitter! The inside is sweet but it's so tiny, there isn't anything really to salvage. I'll keep trying them too but it isn't a pleasant experiment.

This is coming up soon and I'm trying to get the word out...

https://pioneerfarmmuseum.org/event/modern-homesteading-conference/

Here's the info from the flyer:

PIONEERING ON PURPOSE
Modern Homesteading Conference
at Pioneer Farm Museum and Ohop Indian Village
AUGUST 8, 2026
9AM – 5:00PM
Whether you are an experienced homesteader or just trying to learn some new practical
skills, this conference is for you. Learn to be self-sufficient at our rustic Pioneer Farm setting.
This hands-on event is appropriate for anyone age 6 and up, so bring the whole family.
Register Now at https://pioneerfarmmuseum.org/event/modern-homesteading-conference/
* $49/Adult
** $39/Kid (Age 6-17)
Workshops Include:
✓ Plants As Medicine: An Introduction to Herbalism and Everyday Plant Remedies
✓ Chicken Processing
✓ Goats: Meat, Dairy, Brush or Pack
✓ Guided Walk: Discovering Local Plant Medicine
✓ Simple Soap Bars
✓ Dill & Spicy Pickle Canning
✓ Keeping a Family Dairy Cow
✓ Splitting Cedar for Fencing and Roofing
✓ Natural Cordage – Making Twine in your Backyard
✓ Nature Trail Walk
✓ Pioneer Farm Tour
✓ Native American Seasons tour
BROWSE VENDOR AND ACTIVITY BOOTHS
LUNCH ITEMS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
* Some workshops have additional fees to allow you to take home your work.
** Be mindful at registration that workshops include suggested age minimums.

May Lotito wrote:Last year when I tried to spin the yucca fibers, I turned my basic sewing machine into a charkha-like device. To spin the singles, I wet, overlap and roll thin strands of fibers to join them into longer ones then spin a 3-4 ft section due to my arm length. I wind that onto the spindle, park the end and repeat. The singles are strong and even, making subsequent plying by hand very easy.

This has peaked my interest! I can't quite wrap my head around how you are using your sewing machine and I'm going down a rabbit hole of what a charkha is.

I'm going to teach a class about making cordage from natural fibers at a local pioneer farm museum. They had a section of nettle they wanted to completely clear where they needed a path for visitors so I harvested it all. It happened to be in the animals' pasture so eventually the goats came to see what we were doing. The goats took a taste and shook their heads at us, then wandered off. Eventually the cow decided we needed to be investigated. She tasted the nettle that my husband was pulling up and said yuck. But then she wandered over to where I had a nice clean pile of stalks that I had rubbed the leaves and stinging hairs off of and grabbed a mouthful. These were yummy and she decided that pile must be for her. We were able to rescue most of the harvest from her.

Now I'm trying to decide what to do with my harvest. I only harvest small amounts every year from my yard to make cordage so I just process it slowly by hand as I watch my kids play. This pile makes me feel like I should ramp up my efforts and try a method a little more efficient.

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:

What are your recommendations for getting them started?

Most wildflowers like being sown in fall or winter. I originally started mine inside during the winter and then transplanted them outside in the spring. From there they just took off and spread on their own. I can't remember if I cold stratified the seeds but my default is to store seeds in the fridge so I probably unintentionally did.