What’s going on in your garden (2026)?

Just back in from applying some very sticky glue-like substance to the trunks of my apricot, prune, plum and olive trees. The ants are a problem.

I have also made another raspberry harvest (about 500g) and another apricot harvest. They are turning apricot colour now, and we have a flock of sulphur-crested cockatoos that have found one of the apple trees and one of the pear trees. If I leave the apricots on the tree to fully ripen, I won't have any. so they have been picked. Shame because I love them freshly picked, but better to have some than none at all.

I did also find that the plum tree which is a prune species, is covered in fruit. This is the first time in the 7 summers we have been here.

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The end of every branch is like this - hence the sticky glue stuff to deter the ants. I have even had to apply it to my olive trees because the ants use an olive scale (beetle) to harvest the sap from the tree, killing the branch that it is on.

20260107_072457.jpg


20260107_072446.jpg

This is the first year I have had blueberries as well. It will ge nice to taste them fresh and ripe for a change.

And my barberry tree is ripening up as well.
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SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
Just back in from applying some very sticky glue-like substance to the trunks of my apricot, prune, plum and olive trees. The ants are a problem.

I have also made another raspberry harvest (about 500g) and another apricot harvest. They are turning apricot colour now, and we have a flock of sulphur-crested cockatoos that have found one of the apple trees and one of the pear trees. If I leave the apricots on the tree to fully ripen, I won't have any. so they have been picked. Shame because I love them freshly picked, but better to have some than none at all.

I did also find that the plum tree which is a prune species, is covered in fruit. This is the first time in the 7 summers we have been here.

View attachment 139940

View attachment 139941

The end of every branch is like this - hence the sticky glue stuff to deter the ants. I have even had to apply it to my olive trees because the ants use an olive scale (beetle) to harvest the sap from the tree, killing the branch that it is on.

View attachment 139942

View attachment 139943
This is the first year I have had blueberries as well. It will ge nice to taste them fresh and ripe for a change.

And my barberry tree is ripening up as well.
View attachment 139944View attachment 139945
Click to expand...
Such a bounty you have there! 👩‍🌾
 
I did it. I sowed 4 different varieties of tomatoes.
1)Black Krim, 69 days to 80 days
Black Krim Tomato – MIgardener
Black Krim Tomato
2) Ukraine Purple - 70 days, elongated tomato, heirloom
Ukrainian purple tomato – MIgardener
Ukrainian purple tomato
3) Black Sea Man - 75 days, another black heirloom
Black Sea Man Tomato – MIgardener
Black Sea Man Tomato
4)Coustralee- a red and large beefsteak, this one is 80 days
Coustralee I – Morgan County Seeds
https://www.morgancountyseeds.com/product/coustralee/
 
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SoCalZone10 said:
I did it. I sowed 4 different varieties of tomatoes.
1)Black Krim, 69 days to 80 days
Black Krim Tomato – MIgardener
Black Krim Tomato
2) Ukraine Purple - 70 days, elongated tomato, heirloom
Ukrainian purple tomato – MIgardener
Ukrainian purple tomato
3) Black Sea Man - 75 days, another black heirloom
Black Sea Man Tomato – MIgardener
Black Sea Man Tomato
4)Coustralee- a red and large beefsteak, this one is 80 days
Coustralee I – Morgan County Seeds
https://www.morgancountyseeds.com/product/coustralee/
Click to expand...
I'm so ready to garden again but the plot has to be properly prepared before plant day! 🙏
 
SoCalZone10 said:
Good luck preparing your garden. It’s going to be an exciting year, so glad to have s garden buddy online.
Click to expand...
I think our summer is going to be hot and dry. Fall is supposed to be rainy season and the creek going under my driveway is still dry and the rivers are way down too. Hopefully I'm wrong!
 
I've done 4 days gardening in a row, so I may have to take a break tomorrow. The usual reasons: fingers hurt, back aches, knees are wobbly, etc. Comes with the age!
I was amazed how the bloody weeds grow today, however. The two plots up the top of the garden have been almost abandoned over the past year or so, so the soil level has dropped , the earth has compacted and the weeds have taken hold. I removed half a sack of weeds, meticulously sifting through the earth for over an hour, and only covered half of the plots. Never mind - I'll get there, eventually.
We actually had water today, so I soaked the two plots when I'd finished (ie. given up) this afternoon. Hopefully, that will make the task easier on Thursday. The replanted bananas/plantains are doing wonderfully now that I've planted them on flat ground, rather than on the hill. The passion fruit vine is going nuts, so I'll have to get the gardener to build a structure over it, so it can climb. There are also loads of cape gooseberry plants which grow wild around here and I plan to sow a few along the wall.
 
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