The Digging Fork Sept Oct 2008

The Digging Fork A Davis Garden Newsletter September - October 2008 September Planting

October

Perennials: everything except frost tender plantstrees, shrubs, primroses, Iceland poppies, pansies, snapdragons, stock, etc. Cool season edibles: Good idea to shade transplants

see plant notes

Seeding directly into the garden

artichokes, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, elephant garlic, lettuce, bulbing onions strawberries, alpine strawberries Cool season annuals Ammi majus, larkspur, breadseed poppies, sweet peas, forget-me-nots, cornflower, annual clary sage, red flowering flax Cool season edibles:

see plant notes

Fertilize

Good idea to shade seedlings

arugula, beets, broccoli, carrots, Florence fennel, kale, leeks, lettuce, dill, green onions, parsnip, peas, radish, Swiss chard, turnips Lawns and roses as needed Fertilizing in early September will help plants grow through the winter.

Cool season bulbs Perennials: everything except frost tender plants(see September) Cool season edibles: artichokes, broccoli, bulbing onions, cabbage, garlic, shallots, leeks, elephant garlic, lettuce, strawberries, alpine strawberries, cilantro, Swiss chard Cool season annuals see September, also CA wildflowers. Cool season edibles: arugula, broccoli, beets, carrots, cauliflower, fava beans, leeks, lettuce, miner’s lettuce, green onions, parsnip, peas, radish, spinach, dill Swiss chard, turnips, cilantro Cool season lawns as needed If you haven’t already, now is a good time to add soil sulfur to citrus and other acid loving plants and those showing iron deficiencies. (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 Tasks

Tomato hornworms – pick off Snails, slugs and earwigs damage –use baits or traps Aphids and whiteflies -can spray off with water

Garden clean-up and mulching begins -- find space for new plants

Continue garden clean-up and mulching, finding space for new plants

Weed control continues Divide hardy perennials

Weed control continues

Order perennial plants for fall planting. Order hardy annual seeds for direct seeding.

Water

See September.

Plant, plant, plant!!! Continue watering as needed. Make sure new plantings have the water they need.

broadleaf statice or sea lavender

Divide hardy perennials Planting continues! Renovate lawn

Same as September

black-eyed Susan ‘Goldsturm’

Ceanothus shrub and California poppies

How to save water in our gardens. (Drought Tolerant and Low Water Plants) Conserving water is on everyone’s mind nowadays. How can we reduce our garden water needs? Many gardeners are watering more than is necessary! A typical Davis garden needs to be watered no more than once a week, and most plants can easily go 2 weeks without water. The incredible Storer Garden on the UCD campus is only watered every two weeks. Patricia and Marlene water deeply, on average, about every 10 days during the summer months and about every 3 weeks in the cooler spring and fall. Many factors contribute to water needs including soil type, whether the garden is on a slope or raised bed and if it is in the sun or shade. Vegetable gardens are somewhat of an exception. Plants like tomatoes have 3-4 ft. deep roots but other crops like lettuce and cucumbers have shallow roots. So unless the vegetable garden is divided into different watering zones it typically needs to be watered every 4-7 days. Lawns do need water to look good. The amount of water needed is very dependent on the type of grass you have and how well the roots are encouraged to grow deeply. Fescues are the most drought tolerant of the cool season grasses, some needing a deep watering no more than once a week during the summer. If runoff is a problem due to compaction or a slope, water in two or three short cycles, allowing the water to soak down to the roots between cycles.

The key to using less water: Use of mulch to conserve moisture. At least 2-3 inches is best, taking care to keep the mulch from touching woody stems. Compost, woodchips, shavings from horse barns and straw are all good mulches. Deep and infrequent watering encourages the roots to grow deeper. When watering, about an inch of water (or more?) is needed to insure the water is penetrating 6-8inches down to the roots. As the top of the soil dries out, the roots go deeper looking for water. It is best to start this watering schedule after the winter rains, not during the middle of summer. New plants, until established, will need extra water!

Grouping plants based on their water needs. Drought tolerant, low water and thirsty garden plants should not be grouped together. Although this makes a lot of sense, it isn’t always that easy to do.

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

Cool season annuals:

See The Digging Fork September-October 2007 for ideas.

Plants that adapt to a Mediterranean climate Davis is part of an area in California that has a Mediterranean climate. Only about 2% of the land mass of the world enjoys this climate with long dry, hot summers and mild, wet winters with little frost. Other Mediterranean climates include the Mediterranean basin, central Chile, South Africa and southwestern Australia. Here is a great map of these areas.

Best to plant seeds in the fall, but you will get another chance in the early spring.

Drought Tolerant and Low Water Plants: Agastache

Moderate water, perennial, good drainage, sun. Mostly from SW United States and Mexico. Attract hummingbirds. basket-of-gold Aurinia saxitilis Moderate water, full to part sun, from Europe, Turkey. Needs good drainage. Perennial, 1 ft. tall. black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ Moderate to regular water, from eastern United States, sun. Perennial, 2-3 ft. tall.

broadleaf statice, sea lavender

http://www.grabovrat.com/mapsViews/mapsViews80.html Many plants from Mediterranean Climates are drought tolerant or low water plants. A drought tolerant plant should be able to live only on the rainfall it receives during a typical winter. In order to survive with no summer water, the plant must go dormant in the summer, be a cool season annual, or have some way to conserve or find water. Long taproots help find water and also store moisture and nutrients. Gray leaves are better at reflecting heat and fuzzy leaves insulate and reflect light. It is easy to kill some drought tolerant plants with too much summer water. If we grow Mediterranean plants, (including the California natives) in our gardens, many don’t look very nice during the summer months when we want to enjoy our gardens. But once we get a good rain, they all start to perk up. It is really important to remember that not all California native plants are drought tolerant!!!!! Many grow in riparian areas, in wet soggy meadows, or along streams and need a pretty constant supply of water.

Limonium platyphyllum

Moderate water, sun, from Europe. Cut flower. Perennial, 2-3 ft. tall. California lilac Ceanothus Drought tolerant, CA native shrub. Some need summer dry and some tolerate summer water. Need good drainage. coral bells Heuchera Moderate to regular water, perennial, 1-2 ft. tall, some are CA natives, part sun – morning sun best. Coreopsis Drought tolerant to moderate water, sun, perennial. Some self-sow. globe thistle Echinops Moderate water, sun. Good cut flower. 2-4 ft tall and tend to flop. Island bush snapdragon Galvezia speciosa Drought tolerant native to islands off the coast of southern CA. 3-4 ft. tall, needs good drainage, sun to pm shade. Jerusalem sage Phlomis fruticosa Drought tolerant to moderate water, sun, from the Mediterranean basin, 4 ft. tall perennial. bluebeard Caryopteris Moderate water, sun, from Asia. Cut nearly to ground in winter. Woody, deciduous small shrub. thrift Armeria maritima Drought tolerant to moderate water. Perennial, 1 ft. tall. rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis Drought tolerant to moderate water, sun from the Mediterranean basin. Needs good drainage. Many cultivars available. sea holly Eryngium amethystinum Moderate water, sun, from Italy and the Balkans. Good cut flower.

Cool season bulbs:

Agastache ‘Tutti Frutti’

basket-of-gold

See The Digging Fork July-Aug. 2007 newsletter for information about cool season bulbs to try. Don’t worry if you didn’t order them, they are starting to appear in nurseries. Ranunculus and anemone bulbs need to be planted now but no later than the middle of October. They need time for roots to form before the cold weather sets in. Don’t forget to water. Soak the tuberous roots of ranunculus for a few hours and plant the points down. Anemone tubers should be soaked overnight before planting. Most other bulbs are fine to plant in October and November when you find some room to plant them.

Island bush snapdragon

There are many, many low water plants that are happy with a deep watering about every 2 weeks. Sometimes low water plants are labeled as those needing moderate water. Most full sun plants sold at local nurseries can be and will be low water plants if mulched and deep watered. Besides Mediterranean plants, low water plants from other parts of the world like Asia, Europe, Mexico and New Zealand also do well in Davis. Sunset Western Garden Book is a great resource for ideas of drought tolerant and low water plants. They specify plants needing “little water” as the more drought tolerant plants and “moderate water” for plants needing water every 2-3 weeks. Another book that may be useful is Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates of the San Francisco Bay Region. Remember that Davis is Sunset Zone 14 which is useful information for both the above books.

Cool season vegetables and fruits: It is time to start a cool season vegetable garden!! Although the weather is still hot, gardeners should be thinking about the peas, cabbages, lettuce and root crops that need to be planted soon. Transplants and newly sprouted seeds benefit from shading from the hot afternoon sun. Many transplants are starting to appear in nurseries. Root crops, however, are better direct seeded into the garden as transplanting damages the root.

harvest of warm season vegetables

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cool season crop –broccoli

Local classes and workshops California Native Plant Propagation Workshop Sunday, September 14, come anytime between 10 am and 2 pm, $ 30 donation (to benefit Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Sacramento Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society)

Taught by Jennifer Hogan and held in Patricia Carpenter’s native plant garden. For information or to RSVP [email protected] or (530) 661-3410

Gardening Skills Class – Davis Adult School

Jerusalem sage

Mondays, September 22 to November 3, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Plus two Garden Visits to reinforce classroom learning: Sunday, September 28, 3-5 pm and Sunday, October 19, 12-4 pm (rain date is Oct. 26) Taught by Patricia Carpenter and Marlene Simon $65 Information www.djusd.k12.ca.us/AdultSchool

Plant sales and events Sunday, September 28 9 am to 2 pm Patricia Carpenter’s garden --36951 Russell Blvd., Davis Frances Andrews and Patricia have been propagating plants for fall planting. Plant list will be sent to subscribers mid Sept.

757-5380

UCD Arboretum

Fall Vegetable Planting Saturday, September 6, 9 – 10 am Selecting Plants for Year-Round Interest: Preparing for the fall planting season Saturday Sept. 6, 10:30 – 11:30 am Making More Plants – Divisions and Cuttings Saturday, October 11, 9 – 10 am Growing Wildflowers from Seed – Collecting and Preserving Your Own Seeds Saturday October 11, 10:30 – 11:30 am Preparing for Winter in the Garden Saturday November 1, 9 – 10 am Tool Care and Sharpening Saturday, November 1, 10:30 – 11:30 am

34th Annual Plant Faire October 4 8 - 10 am member sale, 10 am - 3 pm public sale At the new Arboretum Teaching Nursery Arboretum on the Air Sunday, September 28 11:05 a.m., KSTE Radio 650 AM UC Davis Arboretum Superintendent Warren Roberts will be chatting with host Fred Hoffman on the radio gardening show “Get Growing with Farmer Fred” Also, lots of great talks and tours coming up!! For information www.arboretum.ucdavis.edu

530-752-4880

Three Palms Nursery Fall Plant Sale October 4-5 and 11-12 9am to 5pm 20% off Russell Blvd and Rd. 95A, 2.8 mi. west of Rd. 98 Information www.3palmsnursery.com

Free. Information http://www.centralparkgardens.org

756-8355

California Native Plant Society Plant Sale

City of Davis Worm and Garden Composting

Saturday, September 20 9 am to 3 pm in Sacramento

Free compost bin by taking Davis Compost Correspondence Class www.davisrecycling.org

thrift

Plant Sale and Garden Walk

Central Park Gardens -Master Gardener Workshops

Information

globe thistle

For information www.SacValleyCNPS.org

Fall Plant Sales at The Gifted Gardener

(530) 757-5686

September 15, October 6 and October 21 10 am to 3 pm

Backyard and Worm Composting Workshop Saturday, September 20, 9 – 11 am Saturday, November 8, 10 am – 12 pm

18th and J Streets, Sacramento. Sale benefits local charities For information [email protected]

Davis Central Park Gardens Open House Wednesday, October 1,

Free workshops presented by Master Gardeners and held at Woodland Community College

4:30 to 7:00 pm

Unveiling of a new sculpture, garden tours and demonstrations, free seeds, tastings of vegetables fresh from the garden, and children's garden activities.

Information 530-666-8736 http://ceyolo.ucdavis.edu/Gardening_and_Master_Gardening/

For more information

UCD Arboretum Workshop

http://www.centralparkgardens.org

Friends of the Davis Library Book Sale

Great Plants for Central Valley Gardens Saturday, September 27 9:30 am –12:30 pm $45 general/ $35 UCD Arboretum members

October 3 (noon-7 pm), 4 (10 am-5 pm), 5 (10 am-3 pm) Often good finds on gardening books! Info. 758-4754

Davis Garden Club

Advanced registration required. 530-752-4880 or [email protected].

September 22 7 to 9 pm Michael Covey speaking on State of the Earth - Soil Improvement October 27, 7-9 pm Annie Joseph speaking on Balance in the Garden With Beneficial Insects. Eleanor Roosevelt Circle Community Center

Master Gardener’s Fall Gardening Festival Saturday, October 18 9 am - 12 pm Cost: $5.00 Held at Woodland Community College Information 530-666-8736 http://ceyolo.ucdavis.edu/Gardening_and_Master_Gardening/

For information 222-3052

Ceanothus California Field Botanists Association

www.davisgardenclub.org

~ Garden Intern Needed ~

Next Davis meeting September 27th (9:00am-12:00pm) Learn to key plants. Group meets about once a month at UC Davis Center for Plant Diversity

For a few years now, Patricia has tried to have a paid intern or two. The intern learns about plants, garden maintenance, composting, irrigation, propagation, etc. and Patricia gets a bit of help in the garden. Days and hours are flexible. If this sounds interesting to you, send an email to Patricia.

Information www.ceanothusfieldbotanist.blogspot.com

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When gardening, keep the environment in mind by using practices to minimize damage. The idea of organic gardening is to have an environment that is in harmony with itself.

Organic Gardening The word “organic” is commonplace today, but what exactly is organic gardening, how is it achieved and why is it so important? The definition of organic according to the California Master Gardener Handbook is the use of “only naturally derived materials and no synthetic substances.” However, this idea in not new. Organic gardening began with Sir Albert Howard in India in the early 1900’s. Noticing diseases on neighboring farms which used artificial fertilizers, Howard gardened completely with recycled materials from his farm and composted intensively to prevent such diseases. J. I. Rodale helped start the organic movement in the U.S. many years later. When transitioning to organic practices, you may want to try products that are listed with “OMRI”, which stands for the Organic Material Review Institute. http://www.omri.org/ OMRI listed® products are acceptable for organic production and processing and can be use on USDA organic certified farms. Other products may be organically derived but not listed. There are also numerous products out there that market with the key word “organic” but may indeed not be. Further confusing to some gardeners are the off shoots of organic gardening such as bio-dynamic, permaculture and sustainable gardening. Essentially, these share the same organic methods and principals, but vary somewhat depending on their founder. Composting is key when creating a sustainable organic garden. Use your own or purchased humus compost to build a healthy soil which produces healthy plants and will also limit use of fertilizer. Organic farmers feed the soil not the plants. If fertilizer is used, there are plenty of organic fertilizers to choose from. A major component of organic gardening is diversity. Create a garden with a variety of healthy plants that attract different beneficial insects and limit the hosts for pests and diseases. When and if an infestation occurs, instead of reaching for broad spectrum insecticides which kill every insect in sight try using a more narrow targeted organic solution. Don’t be surprised if the insects disappear on their own or your plants thrive despite the infestation. Natural predators will find their way into your garden and do the work for you or the insects will dissipate after their initial onslaught. If a broad spectrum insecticide is used, natural predators such as ladybeetles, parasitic wasps and praying mantis will be killed. Beneficial insects eat a large number of their prey, but they reproduce at much slower rates than their prey. Therefore, killing off beneficial insects while trying to rid your garden of harmful insects, will actually result in higher number of harmful insects. Unfortunately there has yet to be a great alternative organic spray equivalent to the herbicide Glyphosate. But mulching is a great way of keeping weeds low. Apply mulch 2-3 inches or more and most weeds will have a difficult time emerging through this barrier. The oscillating (stirrup) hoe is an excellent tool for small weeds.

More gardening tips! Do you have a plant but don’t know the name? You can take it to the UCD Herbarium and they will help identify it. http://herbarium.ucdavis.edu/services.html 530-752-1091 The Herbarium is also a fun place to visit on a rainy day! Green lacewing eggs are very distinctive on silken stalks. The yellow aphids on this milkweed will be devoured by the larvae and the adult lacewings will feed on honeydew. Photo Ian de Borja

Snapdragons will bloom through the winter months and into spring if they have started to flower before and night temperatures drop below 50 degrees F. Whiteflies are sucking insects which multiple quickly in warm weather. Not much can be done do reduce the numbers of whiteflies. Sprays are not affective and yellow sticky traps are mostly used to monitor and will reduce numbers only slightly. Ants protect whiteflies from predators so reducing ant populations can help. Once cooler weather arrives they will dissipate. Alpine or Woodland Strawberries Fragaria vesca are a real treat spring through fall. Production does decrease some during the really hot weather. The fruit is small but very tasty and much easier to grow than production strawberries. Dot a few plants throughout the garden near paths. Tomatoes. Hopefully you are enjoying 6 ft. tomato plants loaded with fruit. Did you remember to stake the tomato cages? It is sad when they fall over. Fall issue of The Yolo Gardener, quarterly publication of the Yolo County Master gardeners. https://ucanr.org/mg/users/documents/6215The%5FYolo%5FGarde ner14943.pdf

Newsletter created by: Marlene Simon -- UCD graduate in Horticulture Patricia Carpenter -- Gardening Coach (Design and Education), with 35 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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