- Author: Andrea Peck
- Editor: Noni Todd
Why Are Your Plants in Jail?
By Andrea Peck
Square foot gardening may seem a bit, well, square. I thought so. In fact, I've been holding off on this topic for a while. It's been sitting there brewing in my head for a long, long time.
I'll be honest, it just seemed boring.
I should have known not to judge a book by its cover.
Square foot gardening usually involves a raised bed and always includes a grid-type pattern that has sections that are approximately one foot square. In the beginning, the whole visual effect of tied-off squares and gridded trellising seemed prison-like to me. Maybe I've watched too many late night movies, but I got a little woozy looking at those butterhead lettuces all roped in with nowhere to go. But then I read about the method and it began to seem less penal and more orderly.
There is a mathematical beauty to it.
Square foot gardening was designed in the 1980's by a retired engineer (no surprise there) who quickly realized that ordinary row-type gardening was for the birds. Row gardening originated with the farm and leaves wide swaths between rows of crops for machinery to roll through during weeding and harvesting. In the home garden, the machine is replaced by man and Mel Bartholomew was one man who grew sweaty, sore and grumpy with what he saw as a waste of time, seed and space.
Why spend your time hoeing when you can plant in an organized manner? Mel probably wondered from his recliner. From there a new system was born. The system involved intensive planting which created less weeding, less wasted seed and less time.
Most square foot gardens are made from raised beds that are 4' x 4.' Beds are filled with a very specific soil mix of 1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss (or coir and potting soil) and 1/3 compost. The mix makes for a nutrient-rich and well-draining soil.
The bed is then sectioned off in a grid that creates 16 one-foot squares. Each square is devoted to a crop or companion flower. Planting each crop is organized also. Honestly, this is where I was sold. It really is brilliant. Look to your seed packet for spacing requirements. Plants that require 12” of space will live alone in a square. Four plants requiring 6” spacing fit in one square. Nine plants requiring 4” will fit in one square and 16 plants requiring 2” of spacing fit in a square. I made this chart to demonstrate:
Plant Spacing |
Number of Plants Per Square |
Some Examples |
12” |
1 |
Tomato, broccoli, basil |
6” |
4 |
Lettuce, strawberry |
4” |
9 |
Spinach |
2” |
16 |
Radish, chives, carrots |
Vining plants, such as cucumbers and peas, have a place in the arrangement. Plant those on the north end of your box to maximize sun exposure and build a trellis to accommodate them. Growing vertically is part of the simple practicality of this method.
But, the benefits do not stop there.
Planting in this way allows larger plants to form a canopy over smaller plants which helps retain water and again saves space. Smaller plants act as a living mulch which conserves moisture and fends off weeds. Each square can be tended on an individual basis which makes life less daunting and soil is never compacted because the bed does not get stepped on. Also, the variety of plants creates a dynamic environment – one that does not pass along disease or pests quite so easily, yet attracts a variety of beneficial insects.
I guess it's good to recline once in a while and question our methods. It certainly paid off for Old Mel.
- Author: Steve McDermott
- Editor: Noni Todd
Going Native During a Drought
By Steve McDermott UCCE Master Gardener
Many of my plants have died or look dreary after the hot summer and drought. What suggestions do you have to make my garden look better? Harper, Cambria
Our county received a triple whammy this year. The temperatures were record breaking. It was 103 in Los Osos this May! We're in the third year of a statewide drought. Water has been rationed. Folks in Cambria are not able to water their gardens. It's no wonder that plants are weakened and some plants have even died.
History shows that California goes through cycles of drought from time to time. Despite some expectations that we may have rain this winter, it's a good time to rethink your garden. Start by replacing your ailing or dead plants with plants that can survive our water shortages, including cyclical droughts.
Which plants will remain healthy after years of California droughts? California natives. Native plants have evolved with, survived and thrived through our unique California weather; relatively small amounts of winter rain followed by six months or more of dry heat. Non-native plants often require lots of water to ease their struggle during droughts, while California natives have adaptive features that enable them to remain viable. Features such as leaf color, leaf orientation to the sun and leaf trichomes (or hairs) prevent excess moisture loss during long dry California summers. Native plants are also well adapted to regional soils and therefore, do not typically rebel in response to a soil's shortcomings. In short, natives require less water and fertilizer than plants native to other regions. Additionally, our local birds and pollinators have evolved with these plants. By planting certain natives, you're planting natural attractants!
Fall is a good time to plant. Why? Cooler temperatures and the impending rains help the plants get established before the long dry summer ahead. Once planted, all plants do require regular watering for the first year to allow the root system to become established. Once established in the right place, they should get by with little to no water during subsequent years, even during times of drought.
Do you love to garden and would like to share gardening knowledge with the public, you might just be a Master Gardener in the making. The Master Gardener Program is currently accepting applications through Friday November 14th. Applications are available online at http://ucanr.edu/sites/mgslo/Master_Gardener_Training_Program/.
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- Author: Andrea Peck
- Editor: Noni Todd
The Fiesty Widow
By Andrea Peck
The western black widow spider—a native species—is widespread and is the spider posing the greatest threat to humans in the Western United States.
– Master Gardener website
Last week we discussed the shady character known as the brown recluse. But, this week we happen on an eight-legger of another color. This spider's cloak is of a blackness that appears more synthetic than biological. That dark sheen is broken only by a shocking red hourglass that suggests that your time may indeed be up.
You have met her. She is the black widow (Latrodectus hesperus). More specifically, she or he is called the western black widow.
The female is enough to make the most stalwart of men balk.
As the most dangerous North American spider, her venom is reported to be 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake's. The widow's venom is a neurotoxin. Essentially, it creates a scenario where your muscles are in a continual state of contraction until the toxin wears off.
From the Master Gardener website:
Bite victims might suffer from some but not all of the following symptoms: rigid stomach muscles, which some medical professionals have misdiagnosed as appendicitis; sweating, sometimes of just the bitten body part, such as a bite to the hand that results in only the arm sweating profusely; pain that can be local, radiating, or regional; urine retention; and—less commonly—numbness, agitation, fever, and patchy paralysis. Another symptom is bite victims will move or rock back and forth incessantly to try to lessen the pain from the venom injection process. However, these symptoms are the most severe manifestation; many black widow bite symptoms merely resemble the flu. Black widow bites don't cause conspicuous swelling, necrosis, or deterioration of tissue around the bite.
Despite this long, heinous list, most of her targets recover unscathed.
Unless you are an insect. Or her husband.
The black widow's notorious name is no joke. The mating ritual of the spider is equal parts death and disturbing. She will, without hesitation, rid herself of her beloved once mating ceases. Forget the honeymoon for this gal, she is a lone wolf.
Insects should be equally frightened of her. Poor little Buggie may be loping along oblivious to The Lady when her fangs spring into action. She will puncture Lunch with digestive enzymes that make for a nice slushy later.
I have to admit, just reading about her is creepy.
I'll steel myself and stick to the facts. Believe it or not, the black widow can live from 1 to 3 years. The spider is noticeable with a large bulbous abdomen and of course, the distinctive coloring. She is about ½” in size, not including her long legs. That infamous inky color may appear brown if the female has become stretched because she is very well fed. The red hourglass may sometimes look more like two triangles separated by a space or even an abbreviated portion of red. Socially retiring, this spider prefers to spin her silky, chaotic-style web away from people. Webs can be found in garages and outbuildings, under rocks, in leaf litter and in almost any out-of-the-way locale. Coming into contact with the web may make you shrivel – it has a strong and distinctive ripping or crunching sound.
Statistics show that the human mortality rate is less than 1 percent, but a bite should be taken seriously. An antivenom serum is available through a physician, but it must be administered as soon as possible after the bite occurs. The antivenom is made from a horse serum that can (in rare cases) cause anaphylactic shock, so if symptoms are minor, your doctor may encourage you to muddle through without assistance. An ice pack at the bite location is helpful.
Protecting yourself involves reducing clutter. It seems we always end on this note! Consistent vacuuming inside the home discourages the black widow. She really wants to be left alone. Don't forget those fun spots, the little nooks and crannies behind bookcases, couches and under beds. Outside, it proves wise to seal up “stuff.” If you use your garage to harbor seasonal clothing, accessories or gardening supplies, you may want to pack materials in impenetrable bins and plastic bags.
Finally, I will leave you with a story. I used to ride horses and I kept all of my equipment in a metal shed which I did not visit daily. Every time I visited (a couple of times a week) I would open the door and have a lovely visitor of red and black. I was never able to capture and kill her so, after the third time, I decided to give the shed to her and use a completely sealable plastic trash bin for my equipment.
We parted on good terms and I have not seen her since.
For more about the widow family and the lifecycle of the black widow:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74149.html
- Author: Andrea Peck
- Editor: Noni Todd
It's a Recluse?
By Andrea Peck
Spiders are sneakish creatures. They while away the time, creating great lacey homes. Their constructions are visually delicate, yet determinedly strong. They are unflappable, unmovable. Are they arrogant as they unapologetically flaunt the fact that they are not insects? As they drape their curtain home across your most-used pathway? Despite those leggy legs they resist running off in a tizzy when they see you. They have 8 eyes. You have been noticed. But, it is not becoming to rush off. My dear.
Myth and mystery surround them. Misconceptions.
The brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa) is the master of deception. It holds the gold medal for least understood arachnid, particularly here in California. We all have a friend of a friend who has been bitten by one. We all know that the brown recluse is the worst, the most treacherous, of the spiky-limbed spider family.
Correct?
Not exactly.
The brown recluse does not live in California. It does not live here. At all. It has visited on occasion, mostly through media such as boxes which have been shipped here from another state where the shady lynx is actually commonplace. The reality is that there have been hardly a handful of incidents involving this notorious character in the last 40 years.
While most spiders have 8 eyes, set in 2 groups of 4, the brown recluse differs in this regard. It has 3 sets of eyes, two in each set (called a dyad), for a total of 6 eyes. The spider is brown with a visible violin shape on its cephalothorax, or the portion of the body where the legs attach. It's much bigger than I had ever heard described. It is as big as a quarter. Huge. Somehow I was under the impression that the vicious beast was almost microscopic.
Ninety percent of brown recluse bites are inconsequential and may even go unnoticed by the victim. Basic first aid which includes Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation (RICE therapy) often does the trick where the bite is significant. There are the cases where the bite does parlay into a major issue, involving necrotic tissue and/or secondary infection. These cases are those that give the little bugger its fearsome reputation and a visit to the emergency room becomes mandatory. Death, though rare, does indeed occur when the bite proves more than the victim can sustain. For the vast majority of us Californians, it is important to remember that the likelihood of being bitten on our own home turf is practically zero. If you find you have been diagnosed as having a brown recluse bite, you might consider that this is commonly misdiagnosed and that another disorder, such as Lyme disease or Staphylococcus or Streptococcus may be the real culprit. This is important to consider because experts (as in the very funny and highly informative attached link) assert that misdiagnosis is rampant.
Well, that is one spider you can cross off your list, unless, of course, you decide to visit a state where the brown recluse is so prevalent that the average homeowner runs across more spiders per hour than California does in 40 years. That is your choice, though and I'm not going to try to tell you not to visit Aunt Mabel.
I don't feel satisfied leaving spidey yet. Next week I will tackle a more potent threat that actually is alive and well in our state and county. Your job is to guess who she is.
http://spiders.ucr.edu/myth.html
Brown recluse spiders are established in 15 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.
- Author: Tami Reece
- Editor: Noni Todd
Cool Season Vegetables
By Tami Reece UCCE Master Gardener
Fall is the perfect time to refresh your garden and keep it growing into the winter. You want to choose the right crops and the best location; choose cold weather protection best suited to your needs and know your frost dates.
Cool season crops thrive in cooler temperatures and several have shorter seasons than warm season crops. Cool season vegetables grow best between 45 and 55⁰F and 55 to 75⁰F and most mature cool season vegetables are frost tolerant. Winter crops can be planted from seed if there is sufficient time for the plant to become established before the first frost. Otherwise, it's best to consider using transplants. It's important to know the local frost dates and plan and plant accordingly. The approximate frost dates for San Luis Obispo County are:
Interior area First Frost: October 7 Last Frost: April 20
North County First Frost: November 7 Last Frost: April 17
Coast/SLO First Frost: December 31 Last Frost: February 15
Pick a location that will get full sun, but will be shielded from the wind or frost such as near a south facing wall or fence. If the best location for your winter garden is the same location as your spring and summer garden, it's important to regenerate the soil that provided your spring and summer crops. Work in several inches of compost throughout the planting area to replenish and rebuild the soil.
Choose the right form of weather protection based on your needs and available resources. Cloches make for a simple cold weather protectant. A cloche is something you put over an individual plant to protect it from frost or freeze. They can be plastic milk jugs, glass or plastic cloches, or even cardboard boxes. Row covers are permeable fabrics placed over plants or frames. Heavier fabrics can protect to 24 degrees. Cold frames are bottomless frames placed on the ground, with a hinged top that act like a mini greenhouse. Lastly, a good straw mulch of 6 to 10 inches loosely scattered can provide additional protect from frost.
With a little preparation, you can have fresh vegetables throughout the fall and winter seasons.
Are you interested in becoming a UCCE Master Gardener? Join us at our Informational Meeting, Monday, October 20 at 1:00 p.m. in our auditorium at 2156 Sierra Way, San Luis Obispo. For more information please visit: http://ucanr.edu/sites/mgslo/Master_Gardener_Training_Program/
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