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/)
Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Client's Request: I am aware that asparagus is a 2/3/4th year veggie. I am a patient person. However, I am not so talented, or patient enough to start from scratch. Can you recommend a place where I can get starting stock?
In Contra Costa County, the best time to start with asparagus crowns is from mid-January through March. At that time of year, you should be able to find asparagus crowns in the local nurseries. If not, you can also order them online and have them shipped to your home. If you need to find an online source, just do an Internet search for “where to purchase asparagus crowns” and you'll find plenty of sources. Seeds are easy to find in local nurseries.
Perhaps it may be useful for me to make a few suggestions based on my personal experience with growing asparagus. I started my current asparagus bed in Pleasant Hill three years ago. I planted asparagus crowns in February. Most of the crowns grew well, but I had a few areas in my bed where the crowns didn't start producing sprouts. I decided to fill in those areas by planting seeds in mid-May. Those seeds did germinate and produced small plants.
The plants started from seeds are still well behind the ones which had sprouted from the crowns. Starting this year, I did my first harvesting from the crown generated plants. The areas where I used the seeds produced spears, but they were much more spindly (only about a ¼ in diameter) as compared to the ones that came from the crowns which were very robust and between ½ inch and ¾ inch in diameter.
I will probably need to wait at least another year and perhaps two years before the seed started plants are ready for harvest. Nonetheless, I am not sorry that I used the seeds. Had I waited to buy more crowns the following January, those plants would also still be behind the ones I started three years ago. And it would have been tricky to plant additional crowns in the bare spots since crowns need to be planted deeply and lowering the soil depth to put in additional crowns would have disturbed those that were already growing.
I did learn a few lessons from planting my current asparagus bed. Maybe I can save you from making the same mistakes by recounting those lessons learned. First off, take the time to select a good location for your asparagus bed and then prepare it well. Before I moved to Pleasant Hill, I lived in Oakand and had been harvesting asparagus for nearly ten years. I had no problems getting the bed started in Oakland and thought I would find it equally easy in Pleasant Hill. In Oakland, I had planted the asparagus in a raised bed. In Pleasant Hill, I first tried growing it directly in my native soils. I didn't do much to improve those soils and the plants never did well. I even tried two different locations in my garden (after deciding that the first location was too shaded). After those two failures (and wasting three years of time), I finally decided to dedicate one of my raised beds and make it an asparagus bed.
I spent more time preparing the raised bed than I had spent in soil preparation for the first two planting areas I tried. The soil mixture that I used in my raised beds is a fairly sandy mixture. It drains much better than the native soil garden area. That is a good thing for the asparagus which grows best in well drained soils. Because my raised bed had been filled with the soil mixture, I also had to remove excess soil before planting the crowns. The crowns need to be planted about eight to ten inches deep initially. Additional soil is added to the bed as the plants grow, eventually filling the bed to its normal soil depth.
I also installed an automated drip system in the raised bed. Particularly in its first year, asparagus needs to be regularly watered and the automatic system made it easier for me to insure that it got the water it needed. The third try at a bed appears to have done the trick and I expect to be able to harvest my asparagus for many years to come. It was definitely worth the time I spent to finally get a producing bed.
You can find some additional information about growing asparagus in this University of California publication: http://vric.ucdavis.edu/pdf/asparagus_growingasparagus.pdf
Good luck with your asparagus bed.
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 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/)
Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Client's Request: I have a Crape Myrtle bush/tree that is about 15 years old. The last 4 to 5 years it starts out with new growth in the spring with nice green leaves. Then in about this time of year, the older leaves turn a yellow/orange color and start to drop off and continue to fall off till winter. I continue to get new sucker growth at the base of the tree, which I cut off. I do not see any indication of mold, fungus, or insects on or under the leaves. I do not spray the tree with any insecticide. I have several Petunias planted around the base of the tree, which get watered every other day for about 10 minutes during the warm summer months. I live on the Delta so the water table here is 2 to 3 ft below the surface. I don't know if I'm watering too much or not enough. I do not fertilize the tree, but I do plant the Petunias in potting soil which has slow release fertilizer in it. I also prune the tree every year in January. I have attached 4 pictures for you to look at.
My questions?
1. What is causing the leaves to turn yellow/orange and then fall off?…
2. Is the tree getting too much water or not enough?
3. Should I be fertilizing, if so, what should I use?
4. Are their insects or something else I'm not seeing that is causing the problem?
Will appreciate any advice you can give me.
UC MGCC Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk. Your pictures were very helpful. I also appreciate that our phone call in addition to your email as it allowed me to ask questions for additional information.
Your primary issue is… "What is causing your crape myrtle leaves to change color and fall prematurely/"
The questions posed in your email are as follows:
- What is causing the leaves to turn yellow/orange and then fall off?
- Is the tree getting too much water or not enough?
- Should I be fertilizing, if so, what should I use?
- Are their insects or something else I'm not seeing that is causing the problem?
First, we do note that the Town of Discovery Bay (a Delta community) lists Crape Myrtle on its Suggested Plant List for Discovery Bay Residents. We cannot confirm how that recommendation was made but perhaps contacting Town officials would provide their latest guidance and experience.
Following is a link to the University of California Integrated Pest Management website where it presents information of common problems associated with crape myrtle. http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/crapemyrtle.html……
One of those common problems is water management – either too much or too little. Recognize that too little water or too much water can cause nearly identical above ground symptoms to a plant. Following is a link to that discussion. http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/poorwater.html
I believe your situation is due to too little water. I base this on our discussion of your current watering protocols which essentially is shallow watering that takes place for the petunias near the trunk of the tree.
The following link will take you to a web site of the Vacaville Tree Foundation which will reinforce our discussion on tree watering. It will provide an illustration as well as information on how to water a tree – where in relation to the canopy, how deep and how often. As we discussed, as a tree grows its roots extend beyond the canopy and water applications need to also extend outward. This information is from Vacaville but I believe the environmental conditions are similar to your residence, Discovery Bay. Crape myrtle is a low water use plant and per this site should be watered monthly during the hot season to a depth of 18-24 inches per irrigation. http://www.phytosphere.com/vtf/treewater.htm
You mentioned that in your area you have a high water table. My concern with the above watering recommendations is I do not know exactly how high the water table is in your area – and I was unable to find that information. If it is so high that water is consistently available within the 18-24 inches then too little water is not your problem and conversely too much water may be your issue. You probably should check into exactly what your situation is. You can dig a hole out at the edge of the tree canopy and what you find should tell you the answer.
With regards to fertilizing – It does not appear that your situation is due to a nutrient deficiency. From your picture the leaves do not appear to be affected by a shortage of nitrogen or iron – the two most common shortages. UC does not recommend the regular fertilization of landscape trees. If you choose to fertilize I suggest that you wait until the watering situation – too much or too little - is resolved. If it turns out to be too little water then right after you irrigate, you can fertilize. Make your fertilizer application according to label instructions and if it is a soil application make it to the same area that is being irrigated – in and around the canopy. The Following is a UC IPM link to cultural tips, including fertilizing for trees and woody plants. http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/culturalmenu.html
You also have questioned whether this situation may be the result of insects. Nothing that I see on your tree or heard from you would suggest insects as your problem – good news!
It was wonderful talking to you. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us again.
Editor's Note: Pictures were intended to be attached, but software wouldn't let them be displayed appropriately before editor went nuts. Check back in a few days and maybe software will let me "fix" them.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (EDC)
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/)
