The Digging Fork -- Jul-aug 2007

The Digging Fork A Davis Garden Newsletter July - August 2007 July Planting

Warm season annuals

Perennials

Perennials

Can still plant, but need to keep plants well watered until established

Seeding see plant notes

August

Warm season annuals

Warm season vegetables: These crops are best direct seeded in garden in early Julysnap beans, cucumbers, summer squash, and corn Warm season annuals: sunflowers, cosmos, celosia, alyssum, marigold, zinnia Cool season vegetables: Must shade seedlings!! Brussels Sprouts, rutabaga

Cool season edibles: strawberries (if you can find them), potatoes (early Aug.) Can still plant, but need to keep plants well watered until established. Cool season vegetables: Must shade seedlings!! broccoli, cabbage, leeks, carrots, cauliflower and romanesco, Florence fennel, kale, lettuce, green onions, parsnips, turnips Perennials and cool season annuals can be started in trays. Plants to be set out in the fall.

Citrus.

Fertilize

Look for nutrient deficiencies – especially iron and nitrogen. Apply soil sulfur around citrus and other acid loving plants (Will lower the pH of soil making iron more available to plants. Mix soil sulfur with top 6” of soil and water well)

Pest & Disease Control

Tomato hornworms - pick off

Tasks

Summer pruning will reduce vigor for deciduous trees and shrubs and help control size.

see plant notes

Snails, slugs and earwigs damage –use baits or traps Aphids -can spray off with water and watch for ladybugs

Weed control continues Stake dahlias and other tall plants that need support Cut back berries and tie new canes to supports

Water

Same as for July.

Summer pruning – see July Apricot trees should only be summer pruned, in Aug., to help control Eutypa disease. Divide and replant bearded iris.

Tall, fall bloomers like mums, asters, perennial sunflowers, etc. can be cut to about 12” in early July to encourage branching and reduce plant height. This may delay the bloom time.

Weed control continues

Water deeply and infrequently to encourage deep roots!!

Same as July.

Deep water trees and shrubs Calendar layout thanks to Lyle Wilen

Order cool season bulbs and perennial plants for fall planting (see article)

Voodoo lily’s 2 foot long flower that stinks like rotten garbage

Golden calla blooming in early June

Planting in the Heat of Summer It’s Possible! Spring and fall are the best times to plant but summer planting can be done with special care. Temperatures are high and plants are using more water so the key is to have the roots spread out into the surrounding soil. A smaller root system will establish quicker but also dries out quicker and needs more monitoring. Plants in 4” containers generally establish quicker than 1 gallon plants. It’s critical to water well after planting! Use a gentle stream from a hose and water around and around the plant, encouraging the soil to settle around the roots. A gallon of water for a 4” plant is not too muchtwo gallons would be better. The first watering of new plants always takes a lot longer than you think it will. After planting make sure a 2-3” layer of mulch is placed around the plant. The mulch will keep the roots cool and retain moisture in the soil. Do not rely on your irrigation schedule used for established plants. A new planting will not have the root system to survive being watered every 5-7 days or longer. New plants should be monitored almost everyday for a few weeks and watered as needed. This ensures they are not being over-watered or in most cases that the root ball isn’t drying out. Some plants will wilt or look like they are dying, but before reaching for the hose, check the moisture level in the soil. The plants are stressed because they cannot take up water fast enough but usually look fine the next morning. Sometimes plants are so stressed the foliage will die. Ignore the dead leaves for now and look for new growth. Some plants will be happy in about a week but others will take many weeks to send roots into the surrounding soil. To make sure new plants are not being overlooked, mark them with colorful irrigation flags or just leave the empty pot close by. Flags are available at most hardware stores individually or in bundles (Hibbert Lumber sells them individually for 11 cents each).

Marlene & Patricia’s Garden Workshops

It’s Time to Think About Fall Planted Bulbs

Workshops are held in Patricia’s one acre country garden in Davis. There is time to explore and ask lots of questions. Cost of workshop $25. If you bring a friend or spouse the cost is $20 per person. Class size is limited.

Gardeners must think ahead! It seems we have just cleaned up all the foliage from the spring blooming bulbs (true bulbs, corms, rhizomes, tubers and tuberous roots) and it is time to start thinking about ordering more for fall planting. A little thought and planning now will pay off when fall comes and planting begins. Yes, it is perfectly acceptable to run down to one of the local nurseries in October and grab some bulbs and start planting – we all do it. The price will most likely be higher than if ordered by mail and the selection is never as great. Some mail order companies offer discounts if your order is placed in summer. Ordering with a few friends allows ordering in greater quantities and lowering the price per bulb. Not all bulbs do well in Davis. Tulips, for instance, need winter chill which we seldom get. This is why many people pre-chill their bulbs in the refrigerator 6 weeks before planting. Some companies will also prechill bulbs before shipping. Most tulips will bloom the first year, but you may not get a repeat bloom the following year. Darwin hybrids, sometimes called perennial tulips, are the most successful in Davis and usually bloom for many years. They seem to need less chill and don’t rot as easily in the summer. Daffodils and narcissus do really well in Davis and many varieties multiply and naturalize. By planting more than one variety, the bloom can be extended from about the first of February to the end of March. Catalogs usually specify the bloom time as very early, early, mid season, late and very late. A couple very late varieties include ‘Camelot’ and ‘Geranium’. Anemones are usually one of the first bulbs to bloom, often in January. Plant them where you can see them from the house. Anemones do not reliably return each year but are worth planting. Ranuculus take the most effort of all the bulbs because they are dug up and replanted each year. Ranuculus (and Anemones) should be planted late September to early October which requires coaxing mail order companies to send your bulbs as early as possible. Dutch iris, freesias and hyacinch all do well in Davis. But try something new this year, planting some of the lesser known bulbs. The Madonna lily, giant squill, Spanish bluebells, amaryllis, Peruvian daffodil, summer snowflake, Allium cowanii and Anometheca laxa are all easy to grow and will multiply each year. Many California native Brodiaea and Allium require summer dry conditions. However there are varieties that do well in the garden and tolerate summer watering.

Vegetables for Cool Season Fall -- date TBA

Fall Garden Cleanup and Planting Fall -- date TBA For more information or to register for workshops: Call Patricia (530) 753-0607 or email [email protected]

Amaryllis

Giant squill

More local classes and workshops Master Gardener Workshops: Workshops are held at Woodland Community College Compost and Worm Composting Demonstration July 14, 8-10 am The Backyard Orchard – Summer Pruning July 14, 10-11 am Information for fair and workshop (530) 666-8143

Davis Central Park Gardens See the web site for plans, workshops and events. http://www.centralparkgardens.org

Freesia ‘Opala’

Allium cowanii

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A couple of bulb sources: McClure & Zimmerman 1-800-883-6998

Plant notes! Here is more information about some plants mentioned in this newsletter.

www.mzbulb.com

John Scheepers, Inc. 860-567-0838 www.johnscheepers.com Look online for many more bulb sources.

Daffodil ‘Camelot’

Cool season bulbs: Allium unifolium

A true bulb. Pink flowering California native onion that will tolerate summer water. 1-2’ tall. Sun. Allium cowanii or A. neapolitanum ‘Cowanii’ True bulb. White flowers, 18-24” tall, blooms in late winter. The flowers don’t smell like onions, and cut well. Plant in sun or part shade. Multiplies. amaryllis Hippeastrum hybrids True bulb. These bulbs are often sold to force into bloom indoors in Dec. or Jan. After blooming they can be planted in the garden (in sun to part shade) to bloom over a year later in about May. anemone Anemone coronaria Tubers. 10-18” tall, single and double varieties. Soak bulb overnight before planting. Usually bloom late January to February are good for cut flowers. These tubers, native to the Mediterranean, don’t return reliably each year. Sun, part shade. Anomatheca laxa South African corm. Coral or white flowers, 6-12” tall. Corms multiply and plant reseeds. Sun to part shade. Brodiaea or Triteleia Corms. California native that doesn’t like summer water. ‘Queen Fabiola’ has blue-violet flowers that are good for cutting and will tolerate a garden setting with summer water. Bulbs multiply and plant reseed. Sun. daffodils and narcissus Narcissi True bulbs. ‘Camelot’ is golden yellow and late blooming. N. tazetta ‘Geranium’ also blooms late and has 3-5 white and light orange flowers per stem. Both are about 18”tall. Sun. Great cut flowers. Dutch iris Iris True bulb found in many colors, 2’ tall. Will multiply. Sun, cut flowers. freesia Freesia Corms. From South Africa with flowers that are very fragrant, 12-18” tall. Sun to part shade, will multiply. hyacinths Hyacinthus orientalis Very fragrant flowers in many colors are 8-12 “ tall. Sun. May not reliably return the following year. Use gloves when handling bulbs as some people have a reaction.

Narcissi tazetta ‘Geranium’

Plant sales and events Yolo County Fair August 15-19 Woodland. Many plant related exhibits.

UCD Arboretum Plant Sales October 6 --the biggest sale of the year For information www.arboretum.ucdavis.edu

giant squill, Caribbean Lily or Cuban Lily Scilla peruviana True bulbs, lavender or white flowers. A Mediterranean native that blooms for a long time. 12” tall. Plant in sun. golden calla Zantedeschia elliottiana Rhizomes. Leaves spotted, plant grows 2-3’ tall. Plant in sun to light shade. Madonna lily Lilium candidum True bulbs. Foliage emerges in the fall and blooms about May. White flowers, 4-5’ tall.

California Native Plant Society Plant Sale Sept 22 in Sacramento For information www.SacValleyCNPS.org

Peruvian daffodil Hymenocallis narcissiflora or Ismene calathina True bulb from Peruvian Andes. Flowers are white or

Davis Library Book Sale August 3 to 5 For information 757-5593

light yellow (‘Sulphur Queen’) blooming in July. Sun to part sun. Rananculus asiaticus These tuberous roots are soaked a few hours and planted with prongs down in late Sept.- early Oct. After blooming in spring, the tuberous roots are dug and stored -- to be soaked, divided and replanted each fall. Many colors available. Sun, 18” tall, great cut flowers. summer snowflake Leucojum aestivum True bulbs. White flowers tipped in green that blooms early spring, 24” tall. Sun to part shade, bulbs multiply.

ranunculus

Build up your garden library with used books for $1-$3 On Sunday, a large brown shopping bag full of books is $3.

Spanish bluebell Scilla campanulata or Hyacinthoides hispanica True bulbs. Native to Spain, Portugal and North Africa. About 12-20” tall with bell shaped flowers in blue-violet, pink or white are great for cutting. Sun or part shade. Multiplies. spring starflower Ipheion uniflorum True bulb from Argentina. Blue or white flowers about 8” tall. Sun to part shade, bulbs multiply. tulips Tulipa True bulbs. The most successful in Davis are Darwin Hybrids, often called perennial tulips. 20-24” tall. Sun to part shade. Great cut flowers but cut stems continue to grow in the vase. voodoo lily or dragon arum Dracunculus vulgaris Dark burgundy flower is 18-24” long on a 3’ tall plant. It stinks for a couple days to attract flies. The stem and foliage are unusual. Sun.

Anemone--De Caen strain

Cool season vegetables: Seeds can be sown directly in the garden in the summer for a fall crop. Shade seedlings and keep them well watered until established. Plants can also be started in trays to be transplanted in Sept. and Oct.

Summer snowflake

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More gardening tips!

How to tell if a plant is over-watered or underwatered. In both cases the plant may wilt. A plant that needs water will start to look dull and sometimes bluish-gray before wilting. If a plant is over-watered, the roots can’t get air because the soil is waterlogged. In this anaerobic state, the plant cannot perform basic functions. The roots start to die, and the foliage yellows and begins to drop.

Photos data bases. Sometimes it’s nice to look up photos of plants you have heard about or seen in someone’s garden. Below are a couple sources for photo data bases. http://plants.usda.gov/gallery.html This data base has about 30,000 + images. looking up Anomatheca laxa.

Try

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/flora/ This data base has many plants native to California and some that aren’t. Try looking up Allium unifolium.

The Yolo Gardener is a new quarterly publication put out by the Yolo County Master Gardeners. To view the summer edition : https://ucce.ucdavis.edu/mg/users/documents/6215The_Y olo_Gardener11791.pdf Peruvian daffodils bloom in July

Master Gardeners can answer your questions Hotline 530-666-8737 E-mail [email protected] Drop-in Tuesdays and Fridays 9-11 am 70 Cottonwood St. Woodland Davis Farmers Market Saturday mornings

Summer Pruning To reduce vigor, deciduous trees and shrubs can be pruned mid summer after they have produced most of their season’s growth. This will reduce the leaf area which will reduce photosynthesis and the amount of food the plant receives, slowing growth. Suckers and water sprouts can be pruned now, too. Fruit trees are often summer pruned to keep them smaller in a home garden setting. Care should be taken to avoid exposing the fruit, and limbs to sunburn damage. Don’t prune flowering deciduous trees and shrubs that bloom in the spring on last year’s wood because they are now setting buds for next spring’s bloom. These were best pruned after the bloom.

Nitrogen and iron deficiencies. Many plants are showing signs of nutrient deficiencies this time of year. If a plant needs nitrogen, the new leaves are usually green and the older, lower leaves are yellowing. The plant will move any available nitrogen to the new growth. Lack of iron is shown more in the new leaves with yellowing between the green veins. This is called iron chlorosis. Our soil has plenty of iron but because of the soil pH, it isn’t available to the plants. To lower the pH of the soil, making the iron available, soil sulfur can be worked into the top 6” of soil and watered well. The change in the pH can take many months depending on the soil’s microorganisms, moisture and temperature. For acid loving plants susceptible to iron deficiencies add soil sulfur regularly.

Iron deficiency on strawberry plant

Spanish bluebells with Darwin hybrid tulip ‘Elizabeth Arden’

Spurge weed

Madonna lily in Patricia’s garden getting ready to open.

Mulch. When adding mulch around woody plants it is

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important to keep the mulch away from the trunk to avoid crown rot and other problems. Care should also be taken with herbaceous plants that have a crown, as all the new leaves emerge from this area. Covering the crown with mulch will probably kill the plant. The ground hugging, weedy spurge tends to germinate in bare ground without mulch. Mulching will help control this weed.

Marlene Simon -- UCD graduate in Horticulture Patricia Carpenter -- Garden Design and Education, with 30 years of Davis gardening experience. The bi-monthly newsletter is free if received by email. If mailed, the cost is $15 per year. To be added to the subscription list or to unsubscribe, contact us at: [email protected]

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