June 2024 - Summer Miscellaneous Update
Red Gum Eucalyptus windbreak shown in the July 2023 update as seedlings. Seven feet tall, only 13 months from seed. Very vigorous and desert adapted, surrounding ten acres.
For 20 years, LBCAS has been trialing many hot pepper species and varieties in the search for true perennial types. Several have now been identified, such as this four year old specimen.
Second season of the new olive planting with adapted varieties. Growth rate has been rapid in the desert climate. Compare with the photos from the March 2023 update when only a single thin twig was present, barely noticeable.
April 2024 - First 2500 Opuntia "Sabrana" Tissue Cultures
The first 2500 tissue cultures of the Sabrana variety (Opuntia ficus-indica) are ready to be removed from propagation media and planted, after two years of development. See Fruiting Opuntia Cactus for more information on this excellent, well researched variety.
Starting from a small bit of tissue, an appropriate mix of nutrients and growth regulators are needed to create a new plant with differentiated stems and roots. These are the first Opuntia ficus-indica plants to be cultured in the U.S.
After careful planting into trays, they will grow until ready to be placed in individual pots.
January 2024 - 3 Year Drought Ends with Early Wildflowers
Early heavy rains have ended a three year drought which saw almost no wildflowers, and prevented water table recharge. Fortunately, the El Nino weather pattern has reversed the situation.
Wildflowers normally appear in spring, but due to very early and heavy rains, began appearing in November. Desert Sunflower shown in foreground with sweet smelling pink Desert Verbena in back.
A number of other wildflowers are also beginning to appear as a green cover seen in the background. Spring of 2024 will likely become one of the best desert super blooms in recent history.
October 2023 - First Season Orchard-Wide Olive Production
Hojiblanca heavy production at the green stage
The four varieties being tested, all preforming well. Hojiblanca is an oil variety also used for jumbo black olives when ripe. Picual is one of the main Spanish oil varieties. Mission was brought to California by the Spanish Padres in the 1600s and is still a good multipurpose variety. Arbequina is one of the main California oil varieties.
Hojiblanca ripe olives suitable for canning California grade jumbo and colossal size.
September 2023 - Opuntia/Olive InterPlanting, First Season
Olives were planted in April 2023 and at the time were the same height as the protective sleeves.
The low elevation desert is actually excessively hot for Opuntia ficus-indica, which originates in higher elevation areas of Mexico. The Olive trees will serve as protection with partial shade
Improved Opuntia cactus interplanted with desert adapted olive varieties.
August 2023 - Opuntia Micropropagation Progress
Growth regulators have been modified to produce rapid growth with vegetative plus root production
5000 cultures of the Sabrana variety will soon be ready for transplant into plug trays
July 2023 -- Windbreak Eucalyptus Propagation
Red Gum (E. camaldulensis) is a fast growing, desert adapted Eucalyptus specie which tolerates heat, wind, and alkaline conditions. Young trees shown are three months from spring seed, ready for planting in the fall.
Four year Red Gum tree at LBCAS showing a bushy growth habit and low branches, making it suitable for windbreak use.
April 2023 - Exceptional Olive Bloom
A successful bloom in the desert demonstrates the effect of adapted varieties and sufficient accumulated chill hours.
Olives are wind pollinated and do not require insects, although large amounts of pollen is produced which bees will collect.
Olive blossoms have a characteristic lemon scent that pervades the air around the grove. Flowering takes place some weeks earlier than locations further north.
March 2023 - New Olive Field Planting Completed
Young olive trees (in sleeves) interplanted with improved Opuntia varieties to provide partial shade from intense low desert heat.
Field planting with mulch
Planting within existing olive rows. Note the growth change in the Desert Verbena ground cover from December 2022 below, with only 1.5 inches of rain for the year.
February 2023 - Winter Break and Record Mountain Snow
This season saw record snowfall in the mountains surrounding the Coachella Valley of Southern California. Olive trial area in foreground.
The valley floor only experienced light frost this winter despite the nearby snow.
Olive Leaf and flower buds began forming in early February, one to two months earlier than areas further north.