Help for Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Subject: Recommendations for Small Backyard Trees
Client's Request: Hello! We have a west facing small backyard in central County that gets scorched with sun. I'd really love a small tree to plant along the fence to help shade the backyard. Ideally, the tree is drought tolerant, evergreen, not messy, and not poisonous. Thank you!
You are looking for an evergreen tree that is drought tolerant, not messy, and not poisonous. Be aware that all trees and shrubs will make some litter. Evergreens drop their leaves throughout the year, often with heavier leaf drop during certain periods. Many have flowers or fruit that drop.
There are many plants you can choose from that fulfill at least most of your criteria. For example, Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree) is a good tree, but it has fruit and can be messy over nearby paved surfaces. Prunus illicifolia (hollyleaf cherry) can be grown as a small tree or shrub, but again, it has fruit. Sweet Bay (Laurus nobilis) can also be grown as a small tree or a shrub and it will provide Bay leaves for cooking. Responding to your request in the middle of summer, we can all appreciate the flowering Crepe myrtles (Lagerstroemia), but they are deciduous and often require appropriate pruning each winter. You may also want to consider some varieties of citrus as they are usually not deciduous, produce edible fruit, but they are not drought resistant.
There are several good resources for lists of trees. Sunset Western Garden Book has lists of plants that fulfill various purposes, such as plants for hedges, small trees, plants for waterwise gardens, etc. You can find this book at your local library (or some examples here). The Contra Costa Water District has a great resource website that can help with plant selection and guidance for watering: http://www.contracosta.watersavingplants.com/. Another resource for selecting trees based on various criteria is the website from Cal Poly: https://selectree.calpoly.edu/search-trees-by-characteristics/.
You will need to do a lot of cross referencing, making sure the plants grow in our climate zone (Sunset zone 14 or 15 or USDA Zone 9). But, you should be able to come up with plants that will do great for both shade and privacy.
Fall is the best time to plant in our area when air temperatures are cooler but the soil is still warm. The plants will have some time to get established and winter rains will help with soil moisture. In spring, the plants will have a better chance of growing well.
Please don't hesitate to contact us again if you have more questions.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SEH)
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 2380 Bisso Lane, Concord, CA 94520. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 608-6683, 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 (//ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/)
Help for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
IMPORTANT NOTICE: We are moving to Concord. Our Pleasant Hill location is now closed. We expect to reopen in Concord on Monday, 8/6. Our new address and phone number are:.
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
University of California Cooperative Extension
Contra Costa County
Effective 8/6/18, our new address:
2380 Bisso Lane
Concord, CA 94520
and
UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk
Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM - 12 Noon
Effective 8/6/18, our new phone number:
Tel: (925) 608-6683
Remaining the same:
Email address: ccmg@ucanr.edu
Website: http://ccmg.ucanr.edu
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CoCoMasterGardeners
Help Desk Client's Request: Three of my Ceanothus Geiseus Horizontalis ‘Diamond Heights' (aka Diamond Heights Carmel Creeper) are turning brown. Tons of brown leaves are falling off. As you can see from the first picture, the one on the left is fine for the most part, but the one on the right is not. The second picture is a closer look of one of the plants with a lot of brown leaves. I increased the watering time from 17 to 22 minutes 4x/week about 2 week ago. This plant gets full sun all day and I live in Concord, CA. Here we get daytime temperatures above 85oF most of the summer. At times we have temperatures above 90oF degrees for several days. I can't tell for sure, but it is possible the one doing well may have a 2-gallon/hour drip and the others may have a 1-gallon/hour drip. I made sure all of them are being watered. What do you recommend in terms of watering? Should I make sure all of them have a 2-gallon/hour drip? Should I trim the very dry branches? Thank you
MGCC Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk with your plant question. You are seeing your Ceanothus griseus horizontalis 'Diamond Heights' turning brown. Unfortunately, this specific ceanothus is not well adapted to the hot summers we experience in Concord (also Central and East County). The plant was originally found in the Diamond Heights neighborhood in San Francisco, and is best grown in conditions like you find in SF: cool and foggy. Along the coast it tolerates full sun, but further inland it requires shade. They also prefer well-draining soil and moderate water.
The brown leaves are an indication the plants have not been getting enough water. If the plant getting twice as much water is doing well, you should be applying that much water to all plants of the same variety. It is best to apply the water less often than four times a week. By applying more at one time, it will go deeper into the soil. Since you are currently watering 4 times a week, multiply the time you water by 4 to get the length of time you need to water once a week. A 2 foot wide Ceanothus 'Diamond Heights' needs at least a gallon of water per week during the hot summer. A 3 foot wide plant would need about a gallon and a half per week. Reduce that amount when the weather cools by watering less frequently, not by cutting the length of time you water.
Dead branches can be pruned out. Check the branch to make sure it's dead before you cut, though. Scrape off a little bark; you should see a greenish wood if it's actually alive. If you see brown or dark tan, the branch is dead.
I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if you have more questions.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SEH)
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, and after our relocation August 6th, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at ,2380 Bisso Lane, Concord, CA 94520. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 608-6683 , 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/)
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Master Gardeners are moving from Pleasant Hill to Concord. The Pleasant Hill location will be closed starting Thursday, 7/26. We hope to reopen in Concord on Monday, 8/6. Our new address and phone number are below:
Address as of 8/6/18:…
2380 Bisso Lane…Concord, CA 94520
UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk
Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM - 12 Noon
Tel: (925) 646-6586
Phone as of 8/6/18:
Tel: (925) 608-6683
Help for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Client's Request: I have recently received a potted Sago Palm as a gift. I find it very interesting with its rather odd and unique features. I'd like to know more about growing it and possibly propagating it. Can you give me some guidance? Thank you.
Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk with your questions about your Sago palms Cycas revolute
Your sago palm is actually not a true palm at all, but a coniferous plant called a cycad. The plant produces cones and bears attractive, palm-like feathery foliage making it very similar looking to palms and tree ferns. What you could be seeing on your plant are actually cones and the growing point for future leaf production is right under the cone. If you are extremely careful, you can remove the cone. However, it is probably better to wait until the cone matures and falls apart to avoid damaging the growing point.
The sago palm is slow-growing and long-lived and your plant may not bloom (or produce a cone) in the first 15 years of its life or even ever at all. Some reference material indicates that it can be 30 years to maturity. Cycads are dioecious. A dioecious plant is one where the male and female reproductive systems occur on separate plants. When the sago plants have sexually matured, the female sago begins to flower producing a basketball-sized structure. The male sago produces a long thick structure, or the male cone. In order for the female plant to produce viable seed, it must be pollinated by a male sago palm. If you are lucky enough to have both a mature male and a female plant, this will not present a problem for you. The pollination can be achieved by the wind or insects, but you can get in the act and ensure pollination by dusting pollen from the male to the female flower yourself. You can tell when the female flower is ready to be pollinated as it will slowly open up. This usually happens in this area in the late spring to early summer. Be patient. Sago palms grow slowly and their seeds develop slowly as well.
Propagating Sago Plants:
How to Plant Sago Palm Seeds: Sow ripe sago palm seeds in a shallow flat or pot with a soil mixture containing lots of sand. Keep temperatures in the high 70's. Months can pass before tiny shoots begin to show, and another 3-6 months or more before seedlings can be moved or repotted. Seed germination takes many months, growing them to full size can take many years.
Side Shoots and Sago Bulbs or Pups: Mature plants sometimes develop bulbs or side shoots on the stem. These bulbs can be cut off and rooted. Remove leaves from the side shoots as they pull lots of moisture. Stick the “bulbs” in soil keeping the mixture on the dry side until new roots form over a few months.
The links below lead to detailed information about Cycad care and seed germination from the Palm and Cycad Society of Australia:
http://www.pacsoa.org.au/wiki/Cycad_Seed_Germination…
http://www.pacsoa.org.au/wiki/Category:Cycad_Articles……
This link contacts information from UC about Sago Palms in the Landscape: https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8039.pdf……
I hope this information is helpful to you. Good luck with your interesting plants!
Editor's Note: Large sago palms, especially in pots, can be quite valuable. You should consider protecting them from theft, especially if they are in pots. Collectors often micro-chip their sago palm to facilitate recovery if stolen.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SLH)
IMPORTANT NOTICE: We are moving from Pleasant Hill to Concord. The Pleasant Hill location will be closed starting Thursday, 7/26. We hope to reopen in Concord on Monday, 8/6. Our new address and phone number follow:
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
University of California Cooperative Extension…
Contra Costa County
Address as of 8/6/18:
2380 Bisso Lane
Concord, CA 94520
UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk…Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM - 12 Noon…
Tel: (925) 646-6586…
Phone as of 8/6/18:
Tel: (925) 608-6683
Email address: ccmg@ucanr.edu
Website: http://ccmg.ucanr.edu
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CoCoMasterGardeners…
Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
MGCC Help Desk Reesponse: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk for help with your spider mite problem.
During hot weather, spider mites reproduce very quickly. The University of California reports that in hot weather conditions the entire life cycle (from newly laid egg to an egg-laying adult) can occur in just a week. Since each female mite can lay thousands of eggs which take only a day or two to hatch when the weather is hot, the population can quickly go from being almost unnoticeable to a full-blown infestation.
One of the first defenses against spider mites are several different beneficial insects. It is quite possible that these natural enemies were not able to reach the mites inside your green house, allowing the population to explode without check.
Your photo shows some plants that have been badly attacked by the spider mites and others that still look healthy. Keep in mind that spider mites feed on many types of vegetables and ornamental plants as well as on fruit trees, vines and berries. So there is a good chance that the spider mites will spread to some of your other plants in the greenhouse and are probably also present elsewhere in your garden.
Insecticides are not a good choice for controlling the spider mites. Not only will the insecticides kill any beneficial insects that might be present, the active ingredient in some types of insecticides have actually been found to accelerate the reproduction cycle of the spider mites.
Insecticidal soaps and oils can help control spider mites, but may not be a particularly good option for food crops like lettuces.
One approach that you might want to consider would be to purchase some beneficial predatory mites and release them in the greenhouse. The predatory mites feed on the spider mites. They don't feed on foliage and so they won't become pests for your plants. If the spider mite population is eliminated, the predatory mites could move to a new location, or might simply die off. If you do an internet search for “predatory mites”, you will find places to mail order the predatory mites.
Also, you should be aware that cultural practices can also affect spider mite populations. The populations seem to increase in dusty conditions and water stressed plants are particularly vulnerable to attack. Judging from your photo, dust and water stress are probably not factors for your spider mite problem inside the greenhouse, but it's good to keep these cultural considerations in mind should the spider mites move to your outdoor spaces.
You can find more information about the use of insecticidal soaps and predatory mites to control spider mites at this UC website: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7405.html
We hope that this information is helpful. You're welcome to contact us again if you have additional questions.
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/)
/span>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.
.
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/.
.
You are most welcome to contact us again if you have further questions.
.
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/)