Seaberry Seedlings to 4yr Old Plants

It has been a busy spring in the Seaberry / Seabuckthorn orchard experiment. Also a job change and some other things have kept me away from posting a often as I would have liked.  I will try to do better as things settle down.

This Seabuckthorn seedling was planted mid February and you can see the nice root system.  Its ready to be transplanted.

I prepared 50% leaf compost I made myself with 50% potting soil and amended the mixture with an organic fertilizer containing the bio-tone beneficial microbes:

Acidovorax facilis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 CFU’s per gram

Bacillus licheniformis . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 CFU’s per gram

Bacillus megaterium . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 CFU’s per gram

Bacillus pumilus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 CFU’s per gram

Bacillus subtilis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 CFU’s per gram

Cellulomonas flavigena . . . . . . . . . . . 21 CFU’s per gram

Paenibacillus polymyxa. . . . . . . . . . . 21 CFU’s per gram

These microbes digest soil components so they are available to the plant.  They also compete and hopefully win battles with harmful soil bacteria and fungi.

These are the first 20 pots ready for transplants.  The potting bags are plastic and are very similar in form to paper lunch bags.  I intend to sink them into the garden soil giving the plant a nice 1 gallon pot to develop.  When they are ready to be transplanted to the orchard, transplant shock should be minimal.

All transplanted and placed on a porch which receives about 1/2 day sun while they acclimate to the new soil and get over the seedling transplant shock.

This seaberry seedling looks happy for the moment.

When transplanting, the Seaberry plant was planted deeper than it was growing in the seedling tray.  I planted them at a depth even with the lowest leaves. (the first ones to appear after germinating)

This is a 2 year Seabuckthorn plant.  I planted this one from seed late last winter.  It looks very healthy.

This is a 3 yr seedling.

The following are close up photos of the purchased plants I put in 2 years ago.  I think these are blossoms and will try to be accurate with the sex of the blossom buds.  As they mature a bit more, I hope to be more certain.  Click on the photos to get a larger version.

unknown - no guess

Early female Seabuckthorn bud

Early female Seaberry bud

Possible Seaberry female bud

Early female bud on Seabuckthorn plant

Possible Male Seaberry plant bud

Another possible male Seabuckthorn flower bud

Another view of the Seaberry male flower bud

Not sure about this Seabuckthorn flower bud or is it a branch just starting out?

Spring 2012 Seabuckthorn Seedlings and Best Climate Thoughts

This spring's seedlings are doing great!  This a close up photo of a few which were started late February and they seem to be very happy.  I have 3 seed batches growing.  One is from the leftover 2011 seeds.  Another from this year's 2012 seeds, and the last from Radicalfarmergal who was sent some from her harvested seeds last year.

2012 seeds-----------2011 seeds-----------Radicalfarmergal 

The size and shape of the different seeds is interesting.  Interesting because they are different.  Seabuckthorn   can be classified into a few groups based on seed characters.  If you are interested in reading a study done in Turkey, it can be found here.  The study implies variants may be genetic or environmental.  Hmm, the nature vs. nurture question applies to Seabuckthorn as well.  It goes on to suggest genetic testing may be required to be certain of the classification of variants.  The next photo shows different seed morphological differences and their corresponding fruits.  

1. Ürgüp; semi-dry, moderate summer heat, 3nd best consistent precipitation  
2. Trabzon; semi-humid,  moderate summer heat ,  best consistent summer precipitation 
3. Sivas; humid, low summer heat,  4th best consistent precipitation
4. Ilgaz; semi-humid,  moderate summer heat , 2nd best consistent precipitation

So in this Turkish Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. 

rhamnoides study, conclusions are difficult but, to my amateur analysis, better water results in larger fruit and seeds.  Not such a surprising observation, but if you might be wondering if this drought tolerant plant likes arid conditions best, it appears not to be true.

, 

Hippophae Rhamnoides in Greece Today

A legend tells how the ancient greeks used sea buckthorn leaf 

in a diet for race horses, hence its botanical name “hippophae” 

– shiny horse. According to another legend, sea buckthorn 

leaves were the preferred food of Pegasus – the flying horse 

– and were allegedly helpful in getting him airborne!  

I have read this legend before and know the origin of the Latin name for Seabuckthorn.  An e-mail from Dimitris in raised the question of the climate in Greece and if it was appropriate for Seabuckthorn cultivation.  If the legends are true then it would follow the answer is yes.  Modern climate zone maps suggest there are areas in the southern portions of Greece which would not provide a sufficient amount of cold weather in the fall and winter to allow the plants to rest before new spring growth begins.  There are garden blog posts which describe garden success in Zone 8.  As with many aspects of this plant, the information is not complete and the readers here can add a huge amount of information by sharing their own experiences.  
I would like to point you to Dimitris' blog and suggest using Google's Chrome browser.  It will translate the content easily to english and many other languages.  

Dimitris has a wealth of information and experiences to share.  

You can visit his project here - http://www.ippofaesplus.com/

A Letter about Planting Seabuckthorn Seeds

Root Nodules on seedling plant started last February.

Just today I answered an email about planting some Seabuckthorn seeds someone had purchased.  Much of the information is contained in this blog, but I thought repeating the my emailed answer might be helpful. and a timely addition now.

Hello,

Glad the seeds arrived in good condition.  Soaking is not necessary.  There have been a number of studies documenting the effects of soaking and the results are germination speed is only a day or two quicker.  Not really worth the extra step, but it is an option.  If chosen, I recommend a 24 hour soak. 

Sow the seeds in a soil-less sterile mixture of vermiculite and peat moss. (ordinary bagged seed starting soil) at a depth of @ 1/2 cm.  They should emerge in about 10 days.  Normal care should be taken as you would any seedlings started indoors.

.  

Since the number of seeds ordered are many and I don't know what facilities are at your  disposal, I will expand a bit with more technical information for the professional.

These stratified Seabuckthorn seeds can be seeded indoors in pots in January or early February in vermiculite/peat moss mixture (40:60).  The containers are placed in a greenhouse with a 16 hour photo-period at a temperature range between 25-27C and a 70-90% relative humidity.  

Germination will occur in @10 days. 

Immediately following germination and prior to the formation of true leaves, an application of fungicide may be necessary to control seedling damping-off.

Maximum growth may be obtained by using bright full-spectrum fluorescent or hi-pressure sodium lighting.  A soluble starter fertilizer (10-52-10 N_P_K) should be applied with each irrigation for the first 3 weeks following planting.  

After this, a complete soluble fertilizer (20-20-20, N_P_K) is applied in the same manner.  

A moderate amount of air circulation is recommended.  Seedlings should be acclimated (hardened off)before transplanting in the spring.

One seedling per pot should be allowed to grow for 3 months before transplantation to the field in early May. In light sandy soil the root is buried 6-8 cm deep to encourage the development of another tier of roots and the new seedlings should be watered as required.  

High density planting in the field can be 1M x 1M.  More commonly the rows are planted with plants 1M apart and 4M between rows.

I know that's a lot of information.  For the person with a green thumb, there are some good suggestions.  Not to worry though if all the details are not followed exactly.  As with any young plant (or animal for that matter), infancy is a time in which care should be taken and neglect carefully avoided.

I look forward to hearing how they do.  Please let me know.

All the Best - Tom 

Seabuckthorn Seedlings in the Snow

Will direct seeded, fall planted seedlings survive the winter in Maine?  The experiment continues.  In October they looked very healthy even after experiencing some very cold weather.  A couple of months later in mid-December they look, well, hard to say really.  Definitely not dead and for a deciduous plant, actually fairly healthy.  

Seaberry Seedlings winter- Maine

More Seaberry  Seedlings winter - Maine

As a reminder of what these looked like in late fall, here is a picture taken in October.

Another question which should be interesting to see the answer is whether the un-sprouted fall Seabuckthorn seeds are still viable and waiting for favorable spring weather.

Some of the literature makes a distinction between stratified and non-stratified recommendations for outdoor planting.  Stratified seeds (seeds stored at 35-41 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 days) are recommended for outdoor planting in the Spring.  Non-stratified seeds are recommended for fall planting.  The seaberry seeds and seedlings here are planted from stratified seed and this is not the best practice from the literature.  I'm not fearful of these failing - lesson learned.  I also am confident they will do just fine.  To date the literature's best practices have been only a guide since not every iteration of experiment has been documented.

Seabuckthorn Amaretto Cheesecake

(In the spirit of the holiday here in the United States, I am posting a Seabuckthorn berry recipe.  Please visit the recipe page for other ideas and if you have any yourself, please let me know what they are and I'll include them there.)

This recipe is from Estonia and can be found on Nami-Nami's blog. She has lots of interesting ideas.
I just finished making 2 normal sized cheesecakes. I’ll bring one to work and send one along to the holiday feast I’ll miss due to working. The photo is of a small version I made to taste and it was wonderful. Even if you do not make it with Seabuckthorn berry, use your imagination and change up the berry choice.

Amounts are in US and European units. The conversions I calculated and they work well. Enjoy!

Sea-buckthorn and Amaretto cheesecake 
Serves 8

4.5 oz. or 125g digestive-biscuits (graham crackers in U.S.A.)
3.5 Tbs. or 50 g butter, melted
(you can use a store bought pre-formed graham cracker crust)

Cheesecake layer:
20 oz. (2.5 pkgs) or 600 g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
3 large eggs
1/2 cup or 85 g caster sugar (100 ml)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Amaretto-seabuckthorn jelly:
¾ cup or 200 g sea-buckthorn berries, fresh or frozen
3 Tbsp caster or soft brown sugar
3 to 4 Tbsp Amaretto
3 to 4 Tbsp hot water
1, ¼ oz. pkt or 4 gelatine leaves (and some cold water for soaking)

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
Grease a 24 cm/10 inch round springform/loose-bottomed cake tin with butter, line the base with parchment paper. Process biscuits into fine crumbs, add melted butter and combine. Press the cookie mixture over base and sides of the prepared tin. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

To make the cheesecake, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until combined.
Pour over the biscuit/cracker base and bake in the middle of a preheated 350F/180C oven for 30 minutes, until the filling is more or less set (it shouldn’t wobble too much, when you lightly shake the cake tin).
Remove from the oven and cool completely.

To make the jelly layer, soak the gelatin powder or leaves in a few tablespoons cold water for 5 minutes.
Place the (defrosted, if necessary) berries into a blender and process until smooth. Press through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Season to taste with sugar and Amaretto.
Squeeze the gelatine leaves to remove excess cold water, then stir into hot water (about 4 Tbsp) until dissolved. Stir into the sea-buckthorn purée. Pour the mixture carefully over cooled cheesecake. The jelly should not be to firm, whisk or heat slightly in microwave to make it a thick spreadable jelly.
Place into the fridge for at least 4 hours to set.

  

Sea Buckthorn Tea - Can I make it at Home?

Sea Buckthorn Tea Made Simple 

Yes teas can be made at home. To ensure the health of your plants and the quality of your tea some simple guidelines could be followed.

Harvest male leaves and dry early in the year after the plant has released its pollen.  Female leaves should be left alone until the fruits if fully mature.  You may then harvest those as well and dry them.  Possibly replacing the male leaves on your drying racks with the female leaves at that time.  (if you are using that method of drying.)  After all leaves are dried, you can blend the sexes together in different proportions to your liking.  I would wait until you wish to brew your tea to break up the dried leaf mixture a bit.  You can also process into a powder and mix brew and drink that.  

Sea Buckthorn tea can also be a more complicated process.  In some areas, young Sea Buckthorn leaves are processed by wilting, toasting, etc. to produce a commercial product which is popular. (Li, 2003)

What dis this process exactly?  It isn't as difficult as it may sound and will likely produce a superior tea for you to drink or mix with other teas (green tea?)  

Sea Buckthorn Tea Step Processing

This is the process as depicted for How Kui Tea

First, pan-fry the leaves immediately or as soon as possible after they are picked.  Place them in a large cast iron pan over a med-hot flame.  Stir and steam them until they are soft and pliable but not dried out.  This sudden heat stops the enzymes that would otherwise lead to oxidation.  Finally, place them on heated baking sheets and carefully dry them until they are just shy of brittle. Stir often and you may cool and reheat a few times to add a gourmet quality as  the Hou Kui Tea process illustrates.  The goal is intact leaves with two percent moisture.    Without fancy equipment I think you can reach this or nearly by being careful not to over dry.  Store finished product in an air-tight container in the freezer or refrigerator until ready for blending or use. 

Sea Buckthorn leaves contain many substances, both nutritive and bio-active.  These include flavonoids (Chen et al. 1991), and carotenoids (among other things that sound scientific and good for you)

Good Luck

Merci de visiter le blogue du projet argousier.