- Author: Lanie Keystone
Here we are, each of us in our own little cocoon, creating a “new normal”—at least for a while.
The perfect antidote to our new existence is to be surrounded by the comfort and beauty of our own gardens. And, what a perfect time to do those spring garden tasks that will keep our gardens beautiful and fruitful for the next season.
Among the garden tasks to tend to in April are:
Fruit Trees: Thin to get larger, higher-quality fruit—apples & pears--to 1 fruit per cluster or 6” apart; Peaches, apricots, plums and other stone fruit—thin to about 6 “ apart when fruit are 3/4“ to 1 “ in size
Planting: Wait to plant until the soil is 60 degrees and nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees
Plant Rotation: Plant members of the same family, e.g. tomatoes, peppers, et., in a different location in the garden every year for 4 years…this helps prevent the build-up of diseases and pests.
Pests: Identify and control pests and diseases with the least toxic method and only when necessary. This is a good time to check it out on ipm.ucanr.edu
Mulch: spread 2”-4” of mulch throughout the garden to help save water, smother weeds and keep soil cooler. Remember to keep mulch 3-4 inches away from the root crowns of trees and plants to avoid crown rot.
As gardeners, we find sustenance and peace in our gardens.
With that thought in mind, get out there and create beauty and bounty in the world!
Then enjoy the fruits of your labor by sitting in your garden and read a good book!
“IF YOU HAVE A GARDEN & A LIBRARY, YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED.”
Cicero
- Author: Mike Gunther
Stress, Anxiety, Worry
Enjoy Nature's Sights, Sounds and Smells
Gardening is Safe and Fun
- Author: Karen Metz
With the warm temperatures we had in February, and with the lack of rain in the middle of our rainy season, our plants have to be confused. I am certainly confused. The plants are growing and budding earlier than normal. The farmers are praying they don't get an end of season hard freeze which would damage those delicate buds
On top of that baseline confusion, I noticed something else that was off in my side yard. I have to admit that I don't make it out there very often in the winter. In wet years the dry creek bed of stones, that serves as the only walkway is submerged, draining water off the property. This year water wasn't an issue, but I was having some balance difficulties which made walking out there a little challenging.
When I finally made it out there, I saw two sights that were a bit odd. The first most striking sight was my rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, bush. Half was in full bloom with beautiful sky-blue blossoms. The other half didn't have a single blossom but had lush green growth. I know this is all one bush because years ago I planted an after-season rosemary “Christmas” tree in a wine barrel. Over the years the wine barrel has decomposed leaving me with a shrub growing out of a mound of soil.
The other strange looking thing was my pineapple guava, Feijoa sellowiana. This looked to me like a turkey with large tail feathers. Then it dawned on me what was going on. It all goes back to a hurried afternoon in early December. With that clue, I'll bet the other Master Gardeners are all nodding their heads with the answer.
The Master Gardeners of Solano County put on a Wreath Workshop each year in early December. The main greenery used is Coast Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens, which is communally gathered. However, the Master Gardeners also bring in additional greenery from their homes.
Usually, this gathering is done under less than optimal circumstances. It's always cold, and it seems like we are always racing to get it done with the waning light. Some years it is raining or still wet from a rain a few days before. After cutting the branches it's all bagged up. The next day it is transported to a central location where it is cut in smaller pieces, soaked in water, drained then boxed up for the workshop.
I was in charge of cutting the rosemary. I avoided the left side of the shrub because it didn't have branches that were long enough for a wreath, possibly from being pruned last year. So, I cut extensively on the right side. That December pruning, never an optimal time, stimulated branch and leaf growth, but at the expense of early spring blossoms. Because the left side hadn't been touched, it had beautiful flowers. Because rosemary is so hardy, I expect the right side to bloom later in the season.
But what about that strange-looking pineapple guava? The explanation is that was as far as my husband could reach without bringing out the ladder. He was doing the cutting and I was dragging it out and bagging it. Decked out in our now dripping rain suits we were running out of time and daylight so we had called it a day leaving the back of the shrub near the fence unpruned.
I do plan to haul out the ladder in the next couple of weeks to even out the pineapple guava. A wonky side yard is a small price to pay for being a Master Gardener.
- Author: Erin Mahaney
I squinted at the Romanesco head again. Yep, still purple. But the neighboring plant was the correct shade of vibrant green. What was going on? Were my plants diseased? Or going through some strange second flowering?
It was none of the above. It turns out that the plants were reacting to an unusually warm and dry February. Romanesco broccoli (also known as Romanesco cauliflower) is a cool-weather vegetable in the Brassica family. I planted the Romanesco in late fall in the hopes of a crop before temperatures rose in the spring. For the first time after several unsuccessful attempts to grow Romanesco, everything was growing nicely . . . until I noticed certain Romanesco heads turning lavender and developing loose heads or “buttoning” (several small heads).
Sun, heat and Romanesco don't mix. And when they do mix, they create purple! The purple color is caused by anthocyanin, a harmless, water-soluble pigment that is exacerbated by sun exposure. When the developing heads are exposed to sun and heat, they can turn purple. Extreme conditions, such as heat, freezing temperatures, or drought also can cause loose heads. We had had the driest February in over 150 years, which was unfortunate for my crop. The heads tasted fine, but the texture was a bit grainier, probably due to the looser florets. The other Romanesco heads remained green because they were sheltered from the sun and heat by the plant's leaves.
There are several ways to prevent the plants from turning purple in the future.
- Schedule the period of head development for the cooler months. That doesn't always work, as I found out this past February, but that was a (hopefully) extraordinary event.
- If growing cauliflower, which can also turn purple, purchase a self-blanching variety.
- Blanch (cover) the head as it develops to protect it from the sun. When the head is about 2 inches across, tie the outer leaves over it using a clip or twine.
Or, learn to enjoy eating purple vegetables!
- Author: Paula Pashby
A while ago, my Dad's circumstances required him to change his living situation and location. So, my Dad, my siblings and I got together to decide what would be best for him. We all decided on Eugene, OR so he could be close to one of my sisters.
He was most interested in moving into one of 200 apartments in Eugene's only 18-story high rise building, Ya-Po-Ah Terrace Retirement Apartments. Prior to visiting, I saw a few pictures of Ya-Po-Ah and wasn't exactly thrilled about it – I thought that it looked like a high rise with no balconies, yard, etc. This didn't seem like his taste, considering the homes he had raised us in had plenty of outside space to observe nature, hike in the hills, build tree forts, and create lovely gardens.
We planned a trip to go visit my Dad and sister in Eugene, mostly to make sure Dad was settled into his new home at Ya-Po-Ah. When we got there, I was amazed at the beautiful landscaping surrounding this high rise; it wasn't just a stark tall building. We visited Dad in his apartment on the 13th floor and were delighted to see a beautiful view of a tall hill called Skinner Butte. Skinner Butte was known as "Ya-Po-Ah", (meaning very high place) in the language of the Kalapuya, who inhabited the Willamette Valley prior to the arrival of Euro-American settlers in the 19th century.
He then took us out to a small outside balcony on his 13th floor. Each floor has two balconies for the residents to step out to get some nice fresh air, and enjoy the views without needing to go down to the first floor and out the door, which is nice, considering the elevator ride is not the quickest.
One of our balcony visits offered an awesome view of numerous garden beds in a large section of the outdoor area. What an enjoyable sight! There were several garden beds assigned to any of the residents who desired them! It was so much fun to see how each garden bed was so unique - different heights and configurations, construction out of different materials, wheelchair friendly, etc. And then the plantings in the garden - I love them all. You can see all of the passion that these folks put into making their one garden bed their own, and when talking to them, so exciting to see how therapeutic these gardens are.