Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Client's Request: Hello, I am a Master Gardener from San Juan County in WA and have recently come to reside off Alhambra Valley Road in Martinez and would like to start planning the reestablishment of a fantastic residential garden space, both Vegetables and flowers. If you have a planting guide for this area I would like to get it via email if possible. Thank you.
UCMGCC Help Desk Response: Welcome to California. As a fellow Master Gardener, we are pleased that you thought to contact our UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk with your questions about gardening in our area. While our climate here in Contra Costa County is no doubt drier than you're used to (particularly in summer months), once you get used to it, you'll find you can raise some wonderful vegetables and flowers.
You're a bit on the late side for starting many summer veggies, but just in time to start planning a winter garden. In Central Contra Costa County where you reside, late August and early September is an ideal time to start many winter crops such as broccoli, romanesco, cauliflower and other brassicas as well as carrots, beets and other root vegetables. As you requested, I have attached a PDF copy of our vegetable planting guide for interior regions of the County. (The interior and Bayside veggie planting guides can both be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/EdibleGardening/VegetablesforContraCosta/.
Unfortunately, we do not have a similar Master Gardeners planting guide for flowering plants. I can tell you, however, that particularly for low water use plants, the fall months are a good time to start new flowering plants. Typically our winter rainy starts about mid October. In "normal" rainfall years, the rains can provide the generous water amounts that even drought tolerant plants need to get established. Planting in the fall months will allow you to get started with plants that will begin to flower next spring and summer.
There are many resources that can help you select flowering plants that are suitable for growing in our climate. One that we particularly like is a plant selection tool from the UC Davis Arboretum which allows you to search their “UC Davis All-Stars”. The UC Davis All-Stars are 100 plants selected by the UC Davis horticultural staff for their toughness, reliability, ease of growth, low water requirements, and few problems with pests or diseases. The following URL allows you to search the All-Stars for plants that may be of interest to you: http://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/plant_search.aspx. You can search by plant name or plant characteristic including, at a minimum, type of plant (in your case, you would select Perennial), size (small, medium, large), exposure (full sun, part sun, shade), and whether you want California natives only. Clicking on “show/hide more criteria” allows you to narrow your search further according to water needs, flower season, flower color, and wildlife value.
If you would like to see more options, there are other websites with larger plant databases. Two such sites are: The Contra Costa Water District's: http://www.contracosta.watersavingplants.com/search.php. The Contra Costa Water District website provides access to an extensive database of native and non-native plants for their area. The link provided above allows you to go on a guided tour through the database. Like the UC Davis site, it allows you to select plants based on type (trees, perennials, annuals, ground covers, etc.) and within type by various characteristics including size, sun requirements, soil-type (sandy, loam, clay), color, blooming season. Note that you will need to check the Culture for water usage. This database includes some medium water users as well as many low and very low water users.
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Calscape: http://calscape.cnps.org/ Calscape, which is a collaboration between the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) and the UC Berkeley Jepsom Herbarium, contains California native plants only. Calscape emphasizes the selection of natives local to your area. To begin your search, enter your location: Martinez, CA. From there you can search by plant type (tree, shrub, perennial, etc.), exposure (sun, part shade, shade), or by special category (bird and buttrfly). You can also search by plant name. Note that you need to check the water needs in the description; not all California natives for Contra Costa County are drought-tolerant.
Finally, I suggest that you consider attending our "Fall for Plants Gardening Workshop” which will be held on Sept. 8, 2018, at our Demonstration Garden in Walnut Creek. We'll be selling both winter vegetable starts and some drought tolerant plants at the event. You can watch for more information about the event on our website: http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/.
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You are most welcome to contact us again if you have further questions.
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Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (TKL)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, although we will be moving late July. We will notify you when that occurs. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, 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 Biog (http://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: Hi. We have a beautiful, delicious, amazing plum tree in our backyard. Every year, we've had so many plums that we've been able to share them with friends and neighbors.
This year, our tree produced very few plums. Many were malformed. I also noticed some fungus-looking growth on the tree. Can you help me identify the fungus and/or suggest how I might fix my tree? Thank you! (pics below).
Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk about your plum tree. Your email indicates that your plum tree produced fewer plums than usual this year and that some of them are “deformed”. You also have noticed some “fungus looking” growth on the trunk of the tree.
I have what I believe will be welcome news to you (and to your neighbors who no doubt love sharing the fruit from the tree). Based on the information provided in your email and what we can see in the photos you provided, we do believe that the tree has not developed any serious long term problems.
Let me start with the “fungus looking” growth on the tree. What you are seeing are lichens. Lichens are living organisms composed of both a fungus and an algae. The fungus and algae live in a symbiotic relationship. The fungus receives some food from the algae and the algae some food and protection from the fungus. They are not parasitic on the host tree (i.e., they do not receive nourishment from the host) and are generally harmless to the tree. Lichens grow in a wide variety of shapes and colors, ranging from the gray green and yellowish colors shown in your photos to bright red for some types. Lichens are more noticeable on older trees such as your plum than they are on younger trees because the rapidly growing trunks of young trees tends to disburse the lichens. As indicated in this University of California website, it is possible to remove lichens using herbicidal soaps developed specifically to control mosses, lichens, and algae. http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/lichens.html Since the lichens are not harmful to the tree, using such soaps is unnecessary and we would not recommend it for your tree.
Now let's turn to the question of why your plum tree produced fewer fruits this year than you have had in the past. There are a couple of possible explanations. One possible factor is the weather conditions that we experienced in the spring months when the plum tree was in bloom. This year, we had a warm and generally dry February and early March. Fruit trees tended to bloom early. Then we started having some regular rain storms and cooler weather. The rain storms may have washed off some of the blooms on your plum tree. Cool, rainy weather also tends to keep honey bees and other pollinators away. Those conditions may have held down the fruit set.
Another possibility is “biennial blooming” which often occurs with fruit trees. With biennial blooming, the tree produces a heavy crop one year, a very light crop the following year, followed by a heavy year, then a light year, etc. Hormones produced in fruit seeds are to blame for biennial bearing. The hormones present in the tree with a heavy crop suppress flower-bud formation the following year. In a year with few fruits, hormone levels stay low, so there are more blooms and more fruit the following year. To interrupt this phenomenon, you can reduce the number of fruits that are allowed to develop in a heavy year by thinning the crop.
Possibly for your fruit tree, there might have been a combination effect—the rain removed some of the blooms and held down pollinators and perhaps the tree was already in a lighter fruit production cycle since you had a good crop last summer.
Finally, let me address the “malformation” of some of the fruit. We don't see much evidence of malformed fruit in the photos you sent. We do see one fruit that looks like it has cracked. Such cracking often is a result of erratic watering while the fruit is developing. If the tree received significant water when the ground was dry, it could have taken up the water rapidly and caused the fruit to split.
Possibly the “malformed” fruit has already fallen from the tree so you cannot provide photos. In that case, we would suspect that the pollination was inadequate. Similar to the small crop this year, the rainy conditions and lack of pollinators during bloom could have been factors for the malformed fruit.
We hope that this information is helpful. If you have further questions, you are welcome to contact us again. Enjoy the plums that you do have; hopefully you'll have a better crop next year. tkl
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (TKL)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, although we will be moving late July. We will notify you when that occurs. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, 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 Biog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/)
Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Response from the Help Desk: Thank you for your inquiry to the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk regarding transplanting a bamboo plant that you suspect may be root bound.
Answering your question gave me the opportunity to do some research on growing bamboos. I have always loved the look of bamboos and personally have been hesitant to grow them for fear of the runners taking over. There are many varieties of bamboo and some are well suited to growing in containers. You do not say whether your potted bamboo is indoors or outside. Generally speaking, bamboos grown in pots do not grow as large as those grown in the ground outdoors. Bamboo grown in containers can become root bound and may suffer from a lack of nutrition. Container bamboos do need to be transplanted about every 3-5 years. Below is some information that I discovered about container bamboo plants:
- An outside growing potted bamboo that is root bound can be divided, but this should be done in the winter during cooler weather so as to avoid damaging or killing the root ball.
- If the plant is root bound and not being divided, it can be transplanted into a larger pot without disturbing the root ball. You will want to plant it in a container that is twice the size of the root ball. This could be a pot about 28 inches wide (based on the dimensions of your current pot size--14" wide by 15" tall). The new pot does not need to be twice as tall (bamboo are shallow rooted) but could be about 18 inches tall. Shorter and squat pots that are weighted in the bottom with rocks are a good idea to prevent the plant from blowing over in a wind. Pots that are not suitable are thin plastic pots (provide poor insulation from cold) or black pots that can absorb a lot of heat in hot sunny areas.
- Container bamboo plants are often grown more successfully outdoors rather than indoors. If grown indoors, they like a sunny southern window exposure and consideration for indoor humidity.
- Varieties of bamboo have various preferences for temperature, cold and sunlight tolerance. If yours is outdoors, you have probably discovered a place that is suitable, as you have not mentioned any problems with your plant.
- Bamboo grows best in soil that is aerated, light in structure and rich in organic nutrients. The soil should allow good drainage and retain moisture but never allow the plant to be waterlogged. During hot and windy summer days, the plant should be watered at least every other day. During the winter, you can wrap the pot with burlap or some other insulating material to protect the roots from freezing or move it indoors or to a protected area. Mulch can be added to retain moisture and also for insulation from the cold.
- Pruning can enhance the growth and appearance of the plant but should be done after the growing season in the fall/winter. Cuts are made above the culm nodes and above branch nodes. Use sharp and clean tools.
- The best fertilizer to use is organic materials that can be applied as a top dressing. They require watering into the soil after application. Fertilizing is done during the shoot growing period beginning in the spring. Bamboo is part of the grass family and it likes nitrogen. However, excessive nitrogen will result in a lot of growth.
- Bamboo can become infected with a bamboo mite. You might suspect this problem if you see light patches on the leaves. Keeping your plant healthy, watered properly and misting the leaves can help to prevent them.
- Here is a link to additional information that I found very helpful: http://www.bamboobotanicals.ca/index.html
I hope you find this information helpful and good luck transplanting your bamboo. Let us know if we can answer any other questions.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (EKP)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, although we will be moving tlat July. We will notify you when that occurs. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, 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 Biog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/)
Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Client' Request: Hi! What bug (or other cause) is responsible for my “Bright Lights” Swiss chard leaves to look dry and brown? (See pictures below) What can I do to fix this?
MGCC Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program's Help Desk with your problem with Swiss chard leaves turning brown.
It's likely that the issue is caused by leafminers. On vegetables, the most common leafminers are the larvae of small flies in the genus Liriomyza. Adult leafminers are small, active black flies. Their eggs are inserted into the leaves and the larvae feed between the leaf surfaces.
Leafminers can attack many different vegetables, including chard, tomatoes, peas, beans, spinach and lettuce. In warm weather, leafminers may be more active and there are as many as ten generations per year. The most obvious evidence of leafminers is the twisting trails (or mines) the larvae leave as they feed beneath the leaf surface. Mining usually has little impact on plant growth and rarely kills the plants. Damage will not be serious on most plants older than seedlings, though it makes chard or spinach leaves unsightly. The unaffected leaf areas are still edible.
Leafminers rarely require treatment in gardens. Be sure to provide proper care to the plants, especially irrigation, to keep plants vigorous. Clip off and remove older infested leaves. Small seedlings can be protected by a protective (i.e., frost) cloth. Leafminers are often kept under good control by natural parasites. Because the larvae are encased and thus protected in the leaves, insecticides are not very effective for leafminer control.
More information can be found at the UC ANR's integrated pest management website at http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/PESTS/vegleafminers.html.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (LRF)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, although we will be moving this summer. We will notify you if/when that occurs. We can also be reached via telephone: (925)646-6586, 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 Biog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/)
Advice for Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Master Gardener Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County about the strange fungus looking things growing on your mulch. Your photos were very helpful.
What you have is called a slime mold--not really a fungus, but similar to one. The most common one in our area is aptly called the 'dog vomit fungus' or 'scrambled egg slime' since it sort of looks like that when it's fresh. It is common to see this on recently-applied wood chips in landscaped areas, especially in spring. I have seen quite a few of these in my yard recently on chips that were spread last fall. The common ones start out a shocking yellow color, but as they dry, they turn brown and gray, and become quite dusty when disturbed.
Slime molds are not harmful to landscapes or people or animals, although if it appears on a lawn, it could cause a little damage underneath from shading and suffocation. Undisturbed, slime molds usually disappear within a week, but you can easily remove them by raking, or spraying them with a stream of water from a hose although that could spread the mold.
Slime molds are pretty interesting. They start out as individual cells and then coalesce into a single entity. They then start to move, although not very far (maybe a few inches) before they die. You can sometimes see their tracks in the morning.
You mentioned that you have begun using non-potable water in your garden. I don't believe that the non-potable water is cause of the slime molds your seeing. However, if you see any changes in the health of your plants which are being watered with non-potable water, feel free to contact us.
Please let us know if you have more questions.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (MPL)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, although we will be moving this spring. We will notify you if/when that occurs. We can also be reached via telephone: (925)646-6586, 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 (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/)
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