The Digging Fork Mar Apr 2008

The Digging Fork A Davis Garden Newsletter March - April 2008 March Planting

see Plant Notes

Seeding directly into the garden

Cool season vegetables: seed potatoes Half-hardy annuals Perennials almost everything (mid March for citrus trees and frost tender plants) Warm season bulbs Cool season vegetables: beets, carrots, leeks, Swiss chard, parsnips, green onions, radishes Warm season vegetables: Beans (dry, snap)

see Plant Notes

Half-hardy annuals

April Warm season vegetables: best to wait until mid April to early May to plant:

basil, eggplant, peppers, tomatillo, tomato Perennials: most Warm season bulbs Warm season annuals Warm season vegetables best to wait until mid April to plant most seeds:

beans (dry, snap, lima), corn (and popcorn), cucumber, gourds, okra, melons, peanuts, summer and winter squash, soybeans, watermelon Warm season annuals

Fertilize

Citrus with citrus fertilizer. (if not fertilized in Feb.) Roses, flowers and lawns when growth starts Mature deciduous fruit trees fertilize with 1st irrigation

Pest & Disease Control

Snail, slugs and earwig damage –use baits or traps. Aphids. Can spray off with water and watch for lady beetle & parasitic wasps Scale. Control by keeping ants under control and rubbing off scale insect

Snail, slugs and earwig damage –use baits or traps. Aphids. Can spray off with water and watch for lady beetles & parasitic wasps

Tasks

Prepare beds for planting – don’t dig soils that are too wet. A handful of soil should crumble Divide & replant perennials Prune evergreen shrubs when new growth appears Some tender perennials will be ready to prune – watch for new growth Weed control continues Soil sulfur – dig in around iron deficient plants

Prepare beds for planting. (see note in March)

Order warm season bulbs for spring planting

Water

Paint trunk of young trees with whitewash to protect from sunburn. May need to start watering. Did you check sprinklers and drip systems?

Indigo leaves

Weed control continues Prune deciduous shrubs and vines after they flower. Clean up the vegetable and flower beds to make room for warm season plants. More tender perennials will be ready to prune – watch for new growth Thin fruit of fruit trees, except cherries

Water as needed.

Feverfew

Tall hollyhock

Growing Herbs An herb, by definition, is a plant that has a use to man, and the uses are many. Most of us are probably most familiar with culinary herbs and maybe some medicinal herbs. About 80% of the world’s population relies on plants for their medicine and many of these plants are still collected from the wild, unfortunately causing some to become scarce. Some herbs have changed the world! The Madagascar periwinkle that we plant in the summer and know as vinca, is often called a wonder drug. It is now used in the treatment of cancers that were previously incurable. Herbs are used for dyes, fibers, household uses like disinfectants and soaps and also cosmetics, perfumes or fresheners. Herbs can be trees like the cinnamon whose bark is used for flavoring or bulbs like garlic and onions. The leaves, stems and roots of many herb plants are useful. The green leaves of indigo are used to make the blue dye used in some blue jeans. The roots of rhubarb have been used by the Chinese as a laxative drug for thousands of years. The culinary seeds of the herbs dill (used for digestive disorders and colic) and sesame (mild laxative and lowers blood sugar) are familiar to most of us. Flax seeds or the ground meal are eaten by many nowadays for omega-3. This plant is the same whose stems produce the fiber woven into linen. Many of the plants we now cultivate for vegetables and flowers are, or were, important herbs. Some of the medicinal herbs and their many uses include California poppies (insomnia), hollyhocks (flowers used for coughs, sore throats, culinary and dyes), feverfew (migraines and insect bites), corn (jaundice, hepatitis…) sweet and chile peppers (fruit used for poor circulation and digestive problems), and pumpkins (used to treat motion sickness and burns). Many plant parts are poisonous and it is important to consult an expert before using herbs medicinally. In the household, Tansy leaves help repel ants and the leaves and flowers are used for dye. Spring is a good time to plant perennial herbs and plants will be easy to find in nurseries. Culinary herbs like chives, rosemary (antiseptic), lemon grass, thyme, sage, tarragon, and oregano can be tucked in the flower beds in a sunny spot as most herbs prefer 6-8 hours of

sun. Fragrant lavender (also an antiseptic) is easy to grow if you plant it on a slope or raised area to increase drainage and don’t water or fertilize too much. Each year after flowering, the plant is sheared back by half. Lemon verbena is frost sensitive and best planted in the spring. There are many wonderful mints but most are extremely invasive and best grown in a pot on the patio. Annual herbs must be planted in the correct season! Basil, borage and sesame are warm season annuals that are seeded or transplanted when the weather warms in mid April. They are killed by frost each fall. Borage, with blue flowers, can be used in many ways but the most common now is as edible flowers (without the green calyx) for garnishes and in salads. Dill and cilantro are cool season annuals that are best planted in the fall. They will flower and die once the weather starts to warm. Cilantro is unfortunately never growing during tomato season when wanted for salsa. Parsley is a biennial that is best planted in spring. When planted in the fall, the plant usually bolts (flowers) the following spring, then dies.

Plant sales and events

Two nice references: The Herb Society of America New Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses by Deni Bown and The Complete Book of Herbs by Lesley Bremness. Morningsun Herb Farm (www.morningsunherbfarm.com 707-451-9406) has a wonderful collection of herbs and these can also be found in Ace and Redwood Barn nurseries.

Davis Garden Club

Spring Plant Sale and Garden Walk Sunday April 6, 10 am – 4 pm (If heavy rain and/or wind, then postponed to Sunday, April 13) Call 530 753-0607 for information

Sale held in Patricia’s garden, 36951 Russell Blvd. Davis Patricia Carpenter and Frances Andrews, propagators

UCD Arboretum Plant Sale and Social March 15 9 am-12 pm (members only, join at door), 12-4 pm (public) Public Plant Sale April 12, 9 am – 3 pm Lots of great guided tours and workshops coming up!! For information

Information http://www.solanolandtrust.org (707) 432-0150

Winters Library Bare-root Fruit Tree Sale Saturday, March 8, 9 am Information

April 12 and 13 Information

For information 222-3052

The Art of Ikebana March 5, 7 pm Pandora’s Box - 3 arrangers use materials drawn by lot April 2, 7 pm 3101 Fifth St, Walnut Terrace Community Room. 756-6722

Plant Sales at The Gifted Gardener Sunday March 9th, Saturday March 22, Saturday April 5th, Sunday April 20th. 9:30 am to 3 pm

March 14 to 15 March 21 to 22 April 4 to 5 April 11 to 12

18th and J Streets, Sacramento. Sales benefits local charities Information [email protected] (916) 923-3745

Friends of the Davis Library Book Sale April 4 (noon-7 pm), 5 (10 am-5 pm), 6 (10 am-3 pm) Often good finds on gardening books! Info. 757-5593

Davis Green Home and Garden Show

Composting March 22, 10-12 am & April 12, 9-11 am Spring Gardening Festival March 29, 9 am-12 noon

March 15-16 at ARC Pavilion at UCD. Talks and booths. For information www.davishomeshow.com

Building and Maintaining Healthy Soil 9 & 10:45 am Fruit Bush Culture 9 & 10:45 am Planting a Spring Vegetable Garden 9:30 & 11:15 am Drought Tolerant Gardening and Design 9:30 am Cover Crops 10 & 11:45 am Rose Disease Detection and Treatment 10 & 11:45 am How to Select a Qualified Tree Care Professional 11:15

San Francisco Flower and Garden Show March 12-16 http://www.gardenshow.com/sf/index/index.asp

Woodland Library Rose Club Rose Tour Sunday, April 27 All About Roses Saturday, May 10 Information 666-5096

Summer Pruning Fruit Trees – Fruit Bush Culture May 10, 9-11 am

[email protected].

Pence Garden Tour Sunday May 4

Workshops are free and held at Woodland Community College http://ceyolo.ucdavis.edu/Gardening_and_Master_Gardening/

12 noon to 5 pm

For information http://www.pencegallery.org/

Davis Central Park Gardens Workshops

Snails and Slugs A picker-upper is useful for removing snails as small as ¼”. Iron phosphate, a bait often sold as Sluggo, also works well. It is important to know that the snails eat the bait and then stop eating, crawl away and die. Watch for eaten bait and less plant damage. Dahlias, coneflower, basil, Brugmansia, and seedlings of flowers and vegetables need baiting!

Vegetable Planting April 5 9:30-11:30am Designing & Installing Drip Irrigation April 5, 9:30-11:30 am http://www.centralparkgardens.org

City of Davis Worm and Garden Composting Free compost bin by taking Davis Compost Correspondence Class www.davisrecycling.org

www.davisgardenclub.org

Davis Flower Arrangers

Master Gardener Workshops

Information

Plant sale and activities.

www.sacvalleyCNPS.org

Flower Arranging March 24 Plant swap and Q and A with speaker (TBA) April 28

These courses are held Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. For information 661-5720 www.yccd.edu

Free, more information

Railroad Ave.

530 795-0615 http://www.trees.wfol.org

Wildflower Weekend – California Native Plant Society

Woodland College Mini-courses: Design the Yard Controlling Yard Pests Irrigation The Organic Way

www.arboretum.ucdavis.edu

Saturdays & Sundays, March 8 to May 11, 10 am

Local classes and workshops Gardening: Gardening: Gardening: Gardening:

752-4880

Jepson Prairie Preserve – Vernal Pool Tours

(530) 757-5686

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

Herbs: basil Ocimum basilicum Warm season annual. borage Borago officinalis Warm season annual best direct seeded in garden.

California poppies Eschscholzia californica Cool season annual. cinnamon Cinnamomum zeyanicum Evergreen tropical tree. chives Allium schoenoprasum Clumping perennial. cilantro Coriandrum sativum Cool season annual. corn Zea mays Warm season annual dill Anethum graveolens Cool season annual or biennial feverfew Tanacetum parthenium Perennial that reseeds easily. flax, linseed Linum usitatissimum Cool season annual. hollyhock Alcea rosea Biennial or short-lived perennial. indigo Indigofera tinctoria Semi tropical perennial grown as a warm

Abutilon ‘Mobile Pink‘

Roseleaf salvia

Free Plants From Cuttings Plant propagation is defined as generating new plants by sexual or asexual means. This is done by seeds (sexual), dividing plants (asexual division) and by cuttings (asexual). For most gardeners there could be nothing better than getting virtually free plants from existing ones. Creating new plants from cuttings is an easy and inexpensive propagation method if done correctly. Some simple to propagate plants from cuttings are pelargoniums, rosemary, buddleja, lavender, some salvias (Mexican, pineapple, roseleaf), oregano, abutilon and catmints. There are several different types of plant cuttings: leaf, root, hardwood, softwood and semi-hardwood. The easiest for the home gardener is softwood or semihardwood cuttings. Softwood cuttings are taken early in the growing season and are the youngest growth on a plant. They root and grow quickly but they will generally wilt once cut and this can be disheartening to a gardener. These cuttings usually do better when a mist system is available to prevent them from wilting and drying out. Semi-hardwood cuttings are taken later in the season generally late spring or fall, after the growth has matured slightly. These are the best for home gardeners to try as they will not wilt yet they are still young enough to root quickly. Most herbaceous and woody plants can be done with either semi-hardwood, softwood or both types of cuttings depending on the species.

season annual.

lavender Lavandula Woody perennial. lemon grass Cymbopogon citrates Tender perennial. lemon verbena Aloysia triphylla Tender perennial. Fragrant leaves! Madagascar periwinkle, vinca Catharanthus roseus Perennial grown as warm season annual in Davis

mint Mentha Perennial. Can be invasive, plant in pots. oregano Origanum Perennial. Many species and cultivars, both culinary and ornamental.

parsley Petroselinum crispum Biennial best planted in spring. peppers (sweet and chile) Capsicum annuum Warm season annual pumpkin Cucurbita maxima Warm season annual rhubarb Rheum officinale Good soil drainage. The crown shouldn’t get wet during the summer, drip irrigation is ideal. The leaves are poisonous. rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis Perennial. sage Salvia officinalis Some culinary cultivars are very ornamental like ‘Purpurea’, ‘Tricolor’, ‘Icterina’ and ‘Berggarten’ sesame Sesamum indicum Native to So. Africa and warm season annual in Davis. “Open sesame” comes from the mature seed pods bursting open suddenly. Plant seeds purchased at grocery stores.

tansy Chrysanthemum vulgare (syn. Tanacetum vulgare) Perennial.

tarragon Artemisia dracunculus Perennial, dies to ground in winter. thyme Thymus Perennial, many species and cultivars

Plants easy to start from cuttings: flowering maple Abutilon Perennial shrub. Scale can be a problem. butterfly bush Buddleja Shrub. When new growth starts, about February, prune plant back to about half the size.

catmint Nepeta Perennial Mexican sage Salvia leucantha Shrubby perennial. Cut back to ground before spring growth begins.

Pelargoniums Many have wonderful scents. Frost tender perennial pineapple sage Salvia elegans Shrubby perennial, frost tender. roseleaf sage Salvia involucrata Shrubby perennial.

Materials Needed: Planting Mix. Cuttings do not have roots at first and therefore are not planted in soil but a lighter mixture that will retain a small amount of moisture and allow for plenty of air flow. Some materials used used for cuttings include a mixture of 50% vermiculite and 50% perlite or 50% perlite and 50% peat moss or pure perlite. This mixture should be wetted completely before cuttings are put in and no other water should be added during growth of the cuttings. Rooting hormone is not necessary for all cuttings but the woodier the cutting the greater the need for hormone. For most softwood and semi-hardwood cuttings the hormone sold at most nurseries will work. The main ingredient in the

Half-hardy annuals (grown in the warm season): amaranth Amaranthus Grown for cut flowers or grain. bells of Ireland Moluccella laevis Best to direct seed in garden. cosmos Cosmos bipinnatus Easy to grow direct seeding or transplants.

flower-of-an-hour Hibiscus trionum Best to direct seed in the garden. Soak seeds overnight in hot water to speed up germination.

marigolds Tagetes Mexican tulip poppy Hunnemannia fumariifolia Perennial treated an annual. Can direct seed in garden or transplant. Needs good soil drainage. Self-sows. Nierembergia Best to buy transplants. Petunia Best to buy transplants. Petunia seeds are tiny! sunflower Helianthus annuus Wonderful cut flowers. Pollenless hybrids now very available. Zinnia Overhead watering sometimes causes mildew problems.

Warm season bulbs: see The Digging Fork Jan. – Feb. issue

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moisture is noticeable on the plastic bag, re-mist and close back up. When ready? Roots should develop anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks depending on the plant and the environment. Sometimes the cutting stays green and gets bigger and fuller. Other times the foliage dies and it looks as if the cutting is not going to make it. Do not be upset, this happens sometimes. It does not necessarily mean the cutting is dead or dying, new leaves should emerge soon. When starting cuttings it is a good idea to do several of one species as 100% success rate is generally not the rule. To check for roots, either tug on the cutting or dig a plant out. If roots have not formed yet, the cutting will slip easily out of the pot. It is time to transplant when the cuttings have formed a healthy fibrous root system. To remove the cutting from a plug tray, skewers work well to dig the young plants out of the plug. If planted in a pot, gently tip the pot over and separate the cuttings from each other. The young plants can now be planted up into 4” pots.

hormone is an auxin that prevents growth on the main root but generates adventitious roots off the buried node (leaf joint). Most plants can produce enough auxin on their own but rooting hormone allows the process to happen quicker. Plug trays are trays with individual cells. Make sure the plugs are deep enough to hold the cutting without the stem touching the bottom. The advantage to using plug trays is the easy removal of the cuttings once they become young plants. Any clean pot with drainage hole will work as well. A 4” pot can hold about 5 cuttings whereas a 6” diameter pot can hold up to 8-15 cuttings depending on the leaf size of the cutting. Greenhouse or plastic. If a greenhouse is not available, a clear plastic bag will work. Use sticks placed in the planting medium to hold up the plastic. The plastic holds in the moisture that the leaves rely on for growth. Since the cuttings have no roots all moisture the plant needs for growth comes from this moisture.

More gardening tips!

Collected plant specimen

Cutting with 3 nodes

Thin seedlings!!! When seeds are directly sown in the garden or have self-sown, the seedlings are often too crowded and must be thinned. A good rule is to thin to at least 6” apart for small plants and 12” apart for large plants. Weeds are growing rapidly now with the warmer weather. It is best to get to them when they are small and easy to weed with an oscillating hoe or to pull by hand. A year spent diligently weeding will greatly lower the weed population and there will be way less weeds in future years. Half-hardy annuals won’t take a hard frost but are fine planted when the ground is still cold and there is a chance of a light frost. Plants and seeds of half-hardy annuals can be put in the ground early March.

Potted with bag

Cutting Process Take cuttings early in the morning before the heat of the day. If cuttings can not be planted right away place in moist paper towel in a plastic bag and place in refrigerator. When collecting cutting material, cut a 6-10” length of stem to ensure getting enough nodes. This clipping may make one cutting or may be cut into many cuttings depending on the distance between nodes. To prepare the cutting remove most of the foliage except for a few leaves or sections of leaves at the tip of the stem. Only a small portion of leaf is needed to be able collect enough moisture and air to generate roots. Some plants have large leaves and cutting them in half or shortening them makes for easier handling. Make sure flowers and flower buds are also removed as they will rob the plant of energy that is needed to create roots. Trim the stem so that there are at least two nodes. Make cuts so at least one node will be submerged in planting medium and at least one node is above. Cut should be made directly under node as this is where the roots emerge. Planting. Use a clean plug tray or a pot with drainage holes and fill with potting medium. Wet medium so it is moist. Dip the tip of the cutting stem in the rooting hormone. Only a small dusting is necessary. Instead of jamming the cutting into the medium, make a hole first with a pencil size object, then place the cutting in. This will prevent the cutting from being damaged and from the rooting hormone from being rubbed off. Make sure to not plant the cutting upside down. Mist the cuttings and then cover with a plastic bag. Place the cuttings in a warm bright light environment. Maintenance. Open the plastic bag once a day for ventilation. If too moist (water runs down the side of the plastic) allow the bag to remain open for awhile. If no

Bells of Ireland

Amaranth

Flower-of-an-hour

Roots on citrus. Citrus roots are shallow and generally only extend 6” to 24” into the soil, but they spread twice as wide as the leaf canopy. This is important for watering and fertilizer applications. Nitrogen fertilizer is especially important for mature citrus trees during flowering and fruit set in late winter to early spring. Newsletter created by: Marlene Simon -- UCD graduate in Horticulture Patricia Carpenter -- Garden Design and Education, with over 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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