The Daily Bucket is a place where we post and exchange our observations about what is happening in the natural world in our neighborhood. Bugs, buds, birds - each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us.
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Castro Valley, California
Buds?
On Tuesday, January 22, I went into the yard to do some deferred maintenance. The first task was to finish pruning my grape vine - removing most of last year's new growth. As I was doing so, I noted that it appeared that the canes were starting to get some buds.
I drug the cut canes out to the corner of the house to process them for disposal. This was next to our ribes, and, couriosity aroused, I looked it over. It most definitely had new buds.
Our Apple
Our apple is a Granny Smith. Last year a moderate amount of fruit never ripened and a lot of leaves never fell. Throughout the winter we have had both leaves and fruit falling. The fruit fell sometimes under the force of gravity, being finally ripe, and sometimes with an assist from the local bushy tailed rats.
Processing the apple then consisted of stripping the remaining fruit and then pruning. We more or less pollard the tree, cutting each year's new growth back to certain "hubs". This growth definitely had new buds, as did some of the older wood.
So, there we have it, on January 22, in Castro Valley we have:
Grapes, Ribes and Apple Tree starting to bud.
Your Turn
OK, the floor, or lawn, or whatever, is now yours. Please tell us what you are noticing from old Ma Nature. Please also remember to tell us roughly where you are. Thanks.