How to Plant California Natives

California natives are wonderful plants to have in the garden. They don't need a lot of maintenance once they are established. What they do need, is the appropriate installation to get them going and make them happy. Natives do not like to be fertilized. They do not like to be overwatered. They take 1-3 years to become established.

CA natives really prefer to be planted in the fall. Planting in the spring is your second-best choice. Find out what type of soil you have by doing a hand soil test. Then check your drainage. Dig a 1' square hole, fill it with water and time how long it takes to drain. If it takes 15 minutes, it is fast-draining, somewhere between 15 minutes to an hour, its medium draining, over an hour to drain, it's slow draining.

Know how much sunlight your area will receive. Many of the native plants do not like the all-day hot Vacaville sun. If the plant label reads sun – part sun. Does the zone have 6 or more hours of sun? Then that area is receiving full sun. Install your plants in the part sun. Full sun natives do best near the coast and the elevated regions.

Know your plant. Does it have low, moderate or high-water requirements? Read the plant label, or ask someone at the plant nursery.  

How much wind do you get? The plant will need additional watering if you live in a high wind area.

Space accordingly. Place the pants so there is enough space for when they become mature. Don't overcrowd, they need air movement or they will get diseases and insects. 

Let's get your new plants in the ground.

Water the area 2-3 days ahead of time, if the ground is dry. 

Soil - they like undisturbed soil. Do not till the soil. If you have to create better drainage. Plant them on a slope or add 1/3 amount of crushed red lava rock to the native soil or buy native plants that do better in clay soil.    

The plant hole should be 2-3 times wider than the width of the container. The crown of the plant should be installed 1” above the level of the existing soil. This will allow the plant to settle.

Backfill the area and gently tamp the soil to remove any air pockets. Air pockets will kill the roots.

Mulch should be 2-3” above the soil. Use leaf matter or walk-on bark. Stay away from shredded redwood bark. It acts like a sponge and doesn't let the water infiltrate through into the soil, it's also highly flammable. Do not use bark nuggets or colored bark. Keep mulch 5-6” away from the crown (stem) of the plant.

Immediately after you plant it, water it thoroughly, 4-5 gallons per plant.

Check on your newly planted babies. Test the soil 2-3” down in the ground using a trowel or your hands, to see if the soil is dry or moist.  Do this 2x a week.  Do NOT water if the soil is moist.

New plantings will require additional irrigation during the first 1-3 years. Water deeply and regularly. Minimum of 5 gallons per plant.

This guide is for how much to water once the plant has been established.

Low: Every 14-21 days or less   Moderate: Every 10-14 days   High: Every 3-7 days or more.

Crabgrass season is off to an early start this year.  If the seeds are present in the soil, the only requirement in our area is three days in a row of temperatures 50 -55 degrees for those seeds to germinate.  While we are enjoying a little warmth and the bloom of daffodils, forsythia and nut trees, this weed, really an annual, is invading our lawns, vegetable patches, and garden landscapes. 

Two types exist: smooth and large.  Smooth is a summer annual, spread by seeds and culm nodes on top of bare soil.  You can mow it down to ¼ inch and it will still set seed waiting to surprise you given the right conditions. This is the type most commonly found in lawns. 

Large crabgrass also spreads by seed and by nodes lying on top of bare soil that root.  It's called “large” because it can grow to 2 feet if not mowed.  According to UC IPM, one large crabgrass plant can produce upwards of 150,000 seeds, and the seeds from both large and small crabgrass can live at least 3 years in the soil.  In other words, take care of the problem weed now, or you will be taking care of it all summer.

The best strategy is to have good strong turfgrass to prevent crabgrass from taking root in the first place.  Fertilize your lawn when it is growing.  Over-seed your lawn as needed. Don't over-water your lawn.  Deep, infrequent irrigation is better than short, daily watering.  Mulch garden beds.  Soil solarization can be used as a long-term strategy.  Many gardeners use pre-emergents, but they have to be applied before the seeds germinate (which they likely already have) and the pre-emergents can prevent the fresh lawn seed from germinating.  It takes about 4-5 months for the pre-emergents to break down. 

One option that has been touted is corn gluten meal, CGM for short.  It is a by-product of corn milling and it has about 9-10% nitrogen, so it's a fertilizer, too.  But research studies from California, Washington State University and Iowa State have shown that CGM is not effective outside of greenhouse conditions for crabgrass control and extermination.  Weather conditions have to be perfect to allow the CGM to dry up the emerging weeds, and CGM is expensive.  The recommended amount is 20-40 pounds per 1000 square feet and then it needs to be applied twice a year. And if you are trying to grow organically, you would need to research if the CGM is milled from genetically modified corn. 

Finally, post-emergent products are available, but the crabgrass has to be small (1-3 leaf stage), otherwise, the product can damage the good turf around it.  More information about specific pre-emergents and post-emergents for homeowners and professional landscapers can be found on the UC Pest Notes #7456 and “The Myth of Weed-Killing Gluten: ‘Cornmeal gluten is an effective organic herbicide'”, by Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott.

     My husband and I just returned from celebrating our 25^th anniversary in Maui.  We had honeymooned there and celebrated my parents' 50^th anniversary there, so Maui has always been special to us.  In addition to the whale, sea turtle and surfer watching, and snorkeling I have always loved spending time with the tropical plants here.  The grounds of the resort/condo complex we stayed at were just lovely. I was impressed with the combination of plants and bromeliads. The burgundy and green color combination was striking without a single flower in sight.

     Venturing out to the parking area I saw a lovely tree. I don't know what kind of tree this is but it had pinnately compound leaves. What impressed me most about this tree was the root system that was visible above the ground.  It was really quite massive and took up every bit of space it had been given.  I would love to know what the below-ground root system looked like.   This tree was making the most of what it had and was thriving.

     Close to the first tree, I saw another smaller tree.  Its gnarled trunk and branches had been adorned with air plants and orchids.  I've got to admit that I felt more than a twinge of envy at this point.  I certainly wouldn't be able to do that in Fairfield.

     Another day we went up to the town of Makawao which is considered upcountry as it is situated on the slopes of the dormant volcano Haleakala. This area has ranching and farming. The first thing I noticed was hibiscus in the parking lot that was the size of a small tree.  The town was charming with many boutiques and restaurants. Outside one of the stores was a bucket filled with bouquets of Protea for the grand price of $10.00.  Guess this is one of the benefits of living close to a Protea farm.

     Next time I would like to find out if there are tours offered at this farm.  I know there are tours at a nearby lavender farm and at the Surfing Goat Dairy.  That's the thing about Maui, no matter how many times you go, you find more that you want to see next time.