Perennial peanut flats

Today will try setting up some special peanut transplants.

We have a bunch of peanut growing across concrete near the shed. A lot of it appears to be sending out rootlets, seeking soil.

So we're going to try getting these tendrils to root into flats filled with soil a couple different ways. One is to simply insert the flats under the existing plants and hope that the rootlets take root. The other is to cut the tendrils and transplant them into flats.

We'll check again in a couple months to see which was the most successful.

Daily diary

Stored tractor and whacker, including clean, lube, fuel (2h). Shut off field water at top valve.
Pulled weeds near shed (30m). Repotted turmeric and peanut flats (45m). Repotted small cacao from back 40, and potted two Spanish limes in larger pots (1h).
Rained long last night but hot and dry today. Mulch from mowing makes field look brown.

Cross mowing

After mowing tall grass in pasture with contours last week, yesterday I quickly mowed the whole pasture perpendicular to the first mow. Kept the tractor in high gear most of the time. Took about 5 hours.

Kahaluu avocado info

This is the avocado that our friend gave us in June 2011 as a housewarming present. It comes from Plant It Hawaii and is labeled "Kahaluu".

It struggled a bit after we planted it. We didn't follow the instructions and apparently pigs & mowers ran into it while we were on the mainland. When we returned in December 2011 it had been reduced to a twig with a single leaf. Now it's recovering.

Added new photo of current status. Looks like it got a little burned by fertilizer.

List of current ulu varieties

In order starting from house side:

Apuapua Ulu (Plant It Hawaii)
Ma'afala ulu (Garden Exchange/Plant It Hawaii)
Tahitian ulu (Home Depot/Plant It Hawaii)
Marang (Plant It Hawaii)
Ma'afala (from Pahoa charter school)

More fertilizing

Fertilized rollinia, fig, old lime, pink eureka, fig, green gold avocado. About 1/2 lb triple-16 each. (45m). Also placed some black weed block down around.

Still need to do key lime, Bearss lime, honey tangerine.

Fertilized lawn trees and ulu row

Used about 1/2-1 lb of triple-16 mixed with water. Fertilized all the ulu, the marang, and the lawn area citrus and avocado. Need to do driveway trees and rollinia next.

Peninsula status

The old lilikoi vine continues to drop a few fruits though it's foliage is sparse and far overhead.

Strawberry guava and other guava continues to spread, requiring a machete to gain access.

Found one cacao planted in a shady spot. It looks healthy but has grown very slowly. Perhaps insufficient light.

Found one potted coconut palm that looks very healthy. Would consider moving additional potted coco palms down there.

Took a clipping of a tree I didn't recognize, growing in a few places on peninsula. See photo.

Back 40 status

There are currently multiple potted trees in the back 40. The avocados continue to thrive, though they may be a bit root bound by now. The tallest is about 5 foot.

The kamani is still growing slowly: tallest about 18".

The cacao is growing slowly: much more slowly than the cacao that was potted under the large avo tree. Maybe a bit slower than studio gulch-slope cacao. Possibly it's getting too much shade from grasses.

Peanut planted in the pots with cacao etc has sent out long tendrils but not really filled in near the pots. This may be due to weaving among taller grasses.

Cacao status

Nine cacao keiki, roughly one foot talk or less growing on the slope behind studio. Was partly covered by climbing yellow-flowered vines. Lots of African tulip saplings sprouting up in the vicinity.

Removed vines to clear daylight for cacao. Cleared access path a bit (1h)

Honey tangerine status

A bit more leafy but not a huge increase in volume.

Mexican lime/ key lime status

This one I just uncovered this morning. It's quite small and still shows signs of leaf curl / aphid damage.

Need to finish excavating.

Vanilla status

Both vines about 2-3 times as tall since June.

Bearss lime status

Kinda limping along. Might need nitrogen?

Green gold avocado status

Not a lot taller but twice as broad easily. Was very overgrown with grass and other tall weeds.

Pink eureka lemon status

Maybe twice as tall now, was very overgrown with weeds.

Brown turkey fig status

Maybe twice as tall as June, sparse leaves.

Spanish lime Melicoccus bijugatus

Planted about six seeds in small pots in June. Two have survived so far. Shown here with perennial peanut.

Potted cacao

This one was planted in May?
Left under large avo tree canopy for shade, surrounded by other seedlings such as avo.

Tahitian pomplemousse nutrition

The pomplemousse is looking a bit yellow. Probably needs nitrogen.

Rollinia

This tree is planted in one of the wettest parts of the pasture. It seems to be doing very well, adding maybe 50% volume in the past 3 months.

Pasture mowing

It has taken about four days to get the main 5 acre pasture mowed. This includes about two days of repairs & maintenance. In the future I hope this will go faster.

Calmondin lime

This tree is doing OK, already showing some small fruit, but the leaves are a pale yellow... Probably a nutrient deficiency.