Posted by kristi on 08 Oct 2019 in Photo Journals
This post complements last week’s post on a Photo Journal of a Young Jujube Tree Coming Out of Dormancy, by getting up closer on the buds themselves as they come into life. The photographs below show a cluster of terminal (tip, end) buds on a… more »
Posted by kristi on 01 Oct 2019 in Photo Journals
All tree orders for this winter 2019 had been received by Tuesday 20th August, six weeks ago today. While these were being sent out, I deliberately kept a few over in the exact same conditions as those that were being shipped, ie packed in wood shavings… more »
Posted by kristi on 24 Sep 2019 in Planting and Potting
Many hobbyist/backyard fruit enthusiasts prefer to plant their jujube trees in large pots either because of their soil type, the tree’s suckering habit, or both. Keeping a tree in a pot also helps control its growth and manageability. And pots of… more »
Posted by kristi on 27 Aug 2019 in Nutrients
The Jujube Tree Growth Cycle Jujube trees go through many stages over a yearly cycle. As they leave dormancy around August/September, the sap begins to flow, buds erupt, and leaves grow. Roots grow and branches appear. Flower buds begin appearing about… more »
Posted by kristi on 20 Aug 2019 in Infiltration and Movement
Water leaves soil in three ways: evaporation from a surface; drainage; and movement through a plant. Evaporation is due to heat, drainage is due to gravity, and movement through a plant begins with root uptake and ends with evaporation through the… more »
Posted by kristi on 13 Aug 2019 in Infiltration and Movement
Are you familiar with capillary tubes, the very thin rods with very narrow bores? When placed into water, the water is pulled into and up the tube, against gravity. This is capillary action. And the narrower the bore, the higher the column of water will… more »
Posted by kristi on 06 Aug 2019 in Infiltration and Movement
Water on contact with a soil’s surface may do one of three things. Depending on the geography and soil, water may continue downhill, or pool on the surface, or soak in. Water that soaks into a soil is said to infiltrate it, and it follows that it… more »
Posted by kristi on 23 Jul 2019 in Soil Structure
Last week focused on bulk density as a property of soil, and how lower values were associated with good soil structure and high organic matter content, while higher values were associated with soil compaction. We ended with the note that soils compact… more »
Posted by kristi on 16 Jul 2019 in Soil Structure
Last week covered pore space, or the holes in soil. This week we look at the opposite of holes — the solids in soil. Pore space is expressed as a percentage of soil volume, while solids are expressed as a mass per volume. This measurement is referred to… more »
Posted by kristi on 09 Jul 2019 in Soil Structure
We’ve spent quite a few weeks examining soil structure, from soil horizons right down to the level of cations and anions and the role they play. Having zoomed in closer and closer each week on smaller and smaller components, this week we’ll… more »