Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
 

Client's Request:  This ginkgo tree (right) was planted Jan 2018, but it's probably a little older. I'm not happy about the long thin growth. Would it encourage lateral growth if I topped it at about the height of the pole at the right of the tree? If so should I wait until winter when all leaves are shed ?   Suggestions?   

MGCC Help Desk Response:  Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk with a question about pruning your ginkho tree. Ginkgos (sometimes known as Maidenhair Tree) are an ancient tree from China related to conifers. They are long lived and generally do not need a lot of pruning. There are different varieties of ginkgos with different growth characteristics. For instance 'Autumn Gold' is an upright grower to 45', eventually spreading to 35' wide. 'Golden Colonnade' is narrow, at 45' tall and 25' wide. 'Presidential Gold' is broadly oval, reaching 50' tall and 40' wide. 'Saratoga' resembles 'Autumn Gold' with a distinct central leader. (This information is from the Sunset Western Garden Book.) If you know what variety you planted, that might help you understand your tree's growth pattern. 

"Topping" is almost never a recommended tree pruning option, is rarely appropriate, and can be disastrous for the tree. Ginkgos are no exception and should have only one leading trunk from the bottom to the top. This means you should not shorten the tall growth, but rather leave it and wait for branches to grow from it. The best time to prune ginkgos is in late fall or winter during the dormant season. This link from SF Gate describes how to prune a ginkgo tree: https://homeguides.sfgate.com/prune-ginkgo-tree-20450.html. 

Ginkgo are not usually bothered by insects or diseases, and are very tolerant of heat and alkaline soil. For more information about ginkgos:  http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/maidenhair.html. 

I notice from your photo that your tree is still tied to its original stake. If the tree doesn't flop over when you carefully remove the, it would be best to remove the ties and that stake so the trunk can move a bit. That's how it will get stronger and be able to support the rest of the tree's growth.  https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/staking.pdf

Please don't hesitate to contact us again if you have more questions.

Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SEH)

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Note:  UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available almost year-round to answer your gardening questions.  Except for a few holidays (e.g., last 2 weeks December), we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 2380 Bisso Lane, Concord, CA 94520. We can also be reached via telephone:  (925) 608-6683, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/. MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog  (//ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/)

Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County

Client's Request:  I've just set up a small garden greenhouse. It has a heater, warming mats, fans, etc. I'm thinking about growing tomatoes during the winter. Would you please provide some advice on such a venture?

Help Desk Response:  Thank you for your email to the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk about growing tomatoes in the winter in a (warm) greenhouse. 
 

This is a great project… something I've considered at times with my greenhouse, but have yet to try. Tomatoes are really a (tender) tropical perennial that can survive and produce for several years given the appropriate growing conditions, primarily eliminating cold conditions along with proper lighting. Other members of the Solanaceae family besides tomatoes (e.g., egg plants, peppers) can also be “overwintered” with proper protection and appropriate growing conditions. On the garden radio programs I listen to, overwintering peppers in pots in greenhouses to get a fast start on their second year of growth is apparently a current favorite.

It appears that University of California does not have significant information on growing tomatoes in a greenhouse for the home gardener. However, I've listed below a few links to reputable articles from other sources that may be helpful in setting up and growing tomatoes in a greenhouse at home.

• This website from the University of Oregon, Department of Horticulture, has information on fertilization, soil, temperature and light, which may be helpful. Though the information is for commercial growing operations, some of it is applicable to home greenhouses. http://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/content/tomato-greenhouse
  
  
• This link to SF Gate discusses good tomato varieties for greenhouse growing conditions and also, mentions ways to support the growing plants. https://homeguides.sfgate.com/types-tomatoes-greenhouse-production-30810.html
  
  
•  This Wikihow website has some helpful information on various aspects of growing tomato plants in greenhouses.  https://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Tomatoes-in-a-Greenhouse

There are also many other web sites and YouTube videos available on the subject, but I would use them cautiously, and cross-check other references if they seem “too good to be true”.

Please contact us again if you have further questions. Good luck with your winter tomatoes.

Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SMT)

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Note:  UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available almost year-round to answer your gardening questions.  Except for a few holidays (e.g., last 2 weeks December), we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 2380 Bisso Lane, Concord, CA 94520. We can also be reached via telephone:  (925) 608-6683, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/. MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog  (//ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/)

Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County

Client's Request: … Visiting the Master Gardener Help Desk at our new relocated offices @ 2380 Bisso Lane in Concord… I found these spiders in my home … Although I know that they aren't normally found in California (e.g., see spiders.ucr.edu/myth.html), I think that they are Brown Recluse Spiders!

Help Desk Response:  Thank you for bringing your spiders in to the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk. These are not Brown Recluse Spiders, although I would agree they look somewhat similar. We have identified them as Yellow Sac Spiders,  (Cheiracanthium species). Here is a photo of this spider. The eye pattern is one of the main keys to identification: your specimens have eight eyes whereas the brown recluse only has six.

The link following provides some UC information on spiders, and if you scroll down in the link you will see your spider mentioned.http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7442.html 

Yellow sac spiders do sometimes bite if picked up or trapped by clothing, although most people do not experience a bad reaction. You can also find information in the Pest Note on how to manage them. Because spiders are beneficial in the environment, you might consider catching the ones you see and releasing them outside; vacuuming up the spiders and any webs is also quite effective. The bites you have experienced may or may not be caused by the spiders, and I hope that you will not have further problems with this.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us again.

Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SMW)

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Note:  UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available almost year-round to answer your gardening questions.  Except for a few holidays (e.g., last 2 weeks December), we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 2380 Bisso Lane, Concord, CA 94520. We can also be reached via telephone:  (925) 608-6683, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/. MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog  (//ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/)

Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County……

Client's Request: How do I know when to pick the ripe apples off my backyard tree?

Help Desk Response:  Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Help Desk. Your question about when to pick your apples is an excellent one. Deciding when to pick fruit at the perfect time can be a challenge. Apples can be particularly difficult because they do not soften like a peach or plum when ripe, as well as the fact that not all varieties show an appreciable color change when it's time to pick them.

Using a combination of methods should help you to decide when it's best to pick:

• Monitor the color as it changes. The fruit is ready to pick when it reaches full color, which varies quite a bit by apple variety. Background color on varieties that aren't solid red at maturity will change from greenish to yellowish. Yellow apples will also change from a greenish yellow to a more golden yellow.
• Some varieties will show a whitish, waxy outer coating. This is another sign the apples are ready for picking.
• Watch for apples that begin dropping to the ground. While unhealthy fruit, or fruit that has been damaged by birds, insects or rodents may fall from the tree at anytime, healthy apples typically only begin falling when the fruit is ripe and ready to pick.
• Testing an apple from the tree is the easiest and most obvious way to test for ripeness. Unfortunately, if you have a small tree or a small amount of fruit, picking and testing fruit will cause you to end up with even less to eat or use for cooking. It is important to not pull the fruit from the tree. Lifting the fruit gently up should cause the ripe apples to easily detach from the tree with the stem attached.
• Ripe apples will also have brown seeds instead of the white seeds that appear in immature fruit.
• Flesh will be white instead of tinted green. (for white fleshed apples)

Here is a link to the UC Davis information about harvesting and storing apples.…http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/CULTURAL/harvesting.html

I hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to contact us again if you have more questions or concerns.

Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SMH)

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Note:  UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available almost year-round to answer your gardening questions.  Except for a few holidays (e.g., last 2 weeks December), we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 2380 Bisso Lane, Concord, CA 94520. We can also be reached via telephone:  (925) 608-6683, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/. MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog  (//ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/)