Advice from the UC Master Gardener of Contra Costa Help Desk
Client's Question:
CCMG Help Desk's Response:
You most likey have codling moths. By the time you see the damage, typically at harvest, it is too late to protect that year's crop ‐ your preventative tactics need to take place now, in the spring.
Traps:
Codling moth pheromone traps (sticky traps laced with pheromone) attract and capture the males. Fewer males make it more difficult for the females to mate. Hang traps starting in mid March (inland areas) to late March (coastal areas) when the emerging adults are expected to start flying. Use one or two per small tree and two to four per large tree and hang them high in the canopy. Codling moth pheromone traps are typically available at hardware stores, garden centers, or online.
Information on a home-made codling moth bait trap can also be found on UC MGCC Program's web site at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/files/48135.pdf.
Sanitation:
Sanitation should be an integral and early part of any codling moth control program. Beginning about six to eight weeks after bloom, start checking fruit for sawdust‐like filled holes (larvae entry holes in the fruit). Check every week or two and remove the infested fruit from the tree and the ground. Dispose of it in your yard waste, not your compost pile.
Sanitation and trapping may be all that is needed when you have an isolated tree and low codling moth populations. But, if populations have been allowed to build up over a number of years (or your neighbors haven't managed their trees) you may need a more aggressive approach to achieve satisfactory control (and maybe your neighbor's cooperation). For even more information on aggressive management of codling moths, including even more organic actions, go to the UC IPM Online‐-Statewide Integrated Pest Management website: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7412.html.
Good luck on "worm" free apples and pears this year..
Contra Costa Master Gardeners Help Desk
This Help Desk response was originally written by Emma Connery for publication in the Contra Costa Times in February 2010. It has been been updated for thie blog and any errors are the responsibility of the current HD blog editor.
Note: The Contra Costa Master Gardener 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. 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/
/div>/br>- Author: MaryJo Smith
As some of you might know, over the past 2+ years, I re-landscaped my entire yard – both front and back. It was a large project; tearing out sod and concrete, and putting in new irrigation, lighting, plantings, and hardscape. Last year, I filled in the basic landscape with edibles such as artichokes, lemons, strawberries and grapes. These additions are examples of horizontal layering — planting to give levels of color and interest. Now, I am planting out the area around my fountain to add vertical layers.
The Blue Fescue, Oat Grass, New Zealand Flax and Reed Grass were planted last year. This year, I've added larger rocks and small boulders to create some more texture, then added a few plants. Some of the plants will spread out and some of the plants will grow up. Although I want instant gratification, and everything pretty and full right now, that's not always the best way to plant (ugh, bummer). For this area, I restrained myself and put in just a few small-sized plants.
When planning/planting, it's important to think about the plant height and width at maturity, and how that will work within the space. No. 1. on the diagram to the left is the Feather Reed Grass planted last year. It has that nice shape like a fountain grass, but it's more compact and works well in narrow spaces. It will grow nice and high and full to fill in the space behind the fountain without overwhelming the area. The diagram shows the approximate height and width when the grass grows in for the season.
No. 2 on the diagram is a Day Lily. It's a nice filler for that area, provides a nice pop of color and it doesn't compete with the Reed Grass.
No. 3 on the diagram are ground covers and sedum. The ground cover is a simple summer snow. It works in full sun, is easily maintained and will produce a carpet of small white flowers. It will spread out but not up. The accompanying Sedum is a light variegated green with red rims, which will slowly spread out and provide a nice contrast against the white of the summer snow and the pale grey of the stones.
No. 4 on the diagram is a small evergreen shrub called Coleonema Pulchellum “Sunset Gold” that will grow up and out a little (2′ x 4′ at maturity). It has a nice yellow-green foliage that contrasts nicely against the silver hues in that area. It has small light pink-flowers that bloom in the spring and early summer. Also, tucked in the rocks are a couple of Gazania – just for kicks.
With the weather we experience in this area, these plants should grow/spread fairly quickly. Because none of these plants were particularly expensive, if I need to rearrange them, or take any out, there is very little financial pain.
Check back later in the summer to see how this area filled out.
In the meantime, do you have any layering you've done? Share it here. We'd love to see it.
Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)
I've become fascinated with this weed, at least so far. I've more-or-less got it under control in my garden. I really don't remember it from years ago, but it sure has been a pest the last 5 years or so. Not a native of California, it is now here for the foreseeable future… and beyond. I can't say it's the worst weed in the garden, but it sure requires attention to keep it under control. Especially these days when it will be competing for available water.
Because Hairy Bittercress thrives in moist conditions and disturbed soil, it is also a pest in nurseries, and can be brought home via plant purchases. If you think that's a problem for you, some cautious gardeners carefully remove the top inch or two of soil in the pots before planting. (If you do this, you should dispose of the scraped-off soil in your green can.)
If all else fails, Hairy Bittercress is a member of the mustard family and is edible, but you need to do your own research to find the right recipe to enjoy it (for an example, see http://www.eatingniagara.com/2013/04/weed-wednesday-make-that-hairy.html). To get ahead of its persistence in the garden, it's definitely worth patrolling your garden for this weed once or twice a week during the winter and spring. It's easy to hand pull when young. Once the seeds pop, you'll be fighting a much bigger crop next year and it's rare that herbicides would be considered appropriate for control in a home garden.
Another reason it's my “favorite” weed? I still remember a fellow student in our Master Gardener class relating how she had “convinced” her young son to help weed the spring garden and he was complaining about the weed seeds popping in his face. She answered him by telling him to go in the house and get his safety goggles on and keep on weeding… something you might be considering adding to your gardening tools if you let Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) go to flower and reseed.
Steve Morse
Contra Costa Master Gardener
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Help and Advice from the Contra Costa Master Gardeners' Help Desk
Cleaning and Lubricating Tools for Use in an Organic Garden
Client's Question(s)
I have a lot of tools to maintain this winter and would like to know if you have any information on how to sharpen tools: pruners, loppers, shovels, hoes, etc. Also, what kind of lubricating oil should I use -- these are tools used in an organic garden and I do not want to use motor oil as suggested by some other sites.
CCMG's Help Desk Response
Thank you for contacting the Master Gardener help desk with your questions about maintaining your gardening tools. You are to be commended for doing maintenance on your tools--too many people ignore this vital part of keeping equipment in good working order.
The first order of business is to clean the tools and remove any rust. I've found that scrubbing clippers with a bit of mild detergent and water will get most of the gunk off tools before sharpening. If you've kept them clean during the season, you're a step ahead. Shovels and hoes may require a little more muscle--a stiff bristle brush or wire brush can be used to remove dirt and rust.
For pruning shears and knives, it's possible to get good results with any of the diamond, ceramic, or high-carbon steel honing devices that are on the market. You can also use an oil stone. When sharpening a blade on a stone, simply slide the blade over the flat surface of the stone in one direction until you reach the desired sharpness. No matter which device you choose to sharpen your cutting blades, it should come with directions for use. A good guideline to use for all sharpening is to follow the bevel already on the tool's blade. Here is a link to a Fine Gardening magazine article about cleaning and sharpening tools (it includes diagrams illustrating sharpening angles for various types of tools): http://www.finegardening.com/clean-sharp-tools-work-better.
As far as a lubricating oil, vegetable oil spray can be used to protect tools such as shovels and hoes after cleaning. Non-petroleum lubricants such as Felco Lubricant Spray or food-grade silicone spray can be used on tools with moving parts such as pruners.
Happy gardening in the new year!
Contra Costa Master Gardeners' Help Desk
Note: The Contra Costa Master Gardener 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. 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/
Advice for the Home Gardener From the Contra Costa Master Gardeners' Help Desk
Client's Question and Request for Advice:
CCMG Help Desk's Advice:
Thank you for contacting Contra Costa Master Gardeners' Help Desk.
Before you decide how to handle the container, you'll need to decide what you will plant in it. Some plants may benefit by having a deep rooting area, in which case you wouldn't want to use fill material below the potting soil. (If you need some help in determining if your target plants fit that category, you could inquire at the nursery where you buy your plants or check back with us.)
If you're planning to use the containers for annual flowers or other plants that are shallow rooted or for seasonal display, the deeper planting zone is probably unnecessary. In this situation, for reasons I'll explain below, you shouldn't simply put a filler material in the bottom of the container and then put your potting soil directly on top of the filler.
Here's why you shouldn't put the soil mixture directly into the deep container on top of some type of fill material. Many years ago, it was customary to place pebbles or broken pieces of clay pots in the bottom of planting containers below the potting soil. The thought at the time was that those materials would help the containers drain better. But scientific studies have shown that instead of improving drainage, the pebbles or broken-up clay chars in the bottom of a container actually interfere with drainage and can cause the potting soil to stay over-saturated with water.
Also, I've seen suggestions to fill the bottom of deep containers with Styrofoam packing peanuts (or other pieces of broken up Styrofoam) and put your potting soil on top. The problem with placing potting soil directly over such fill material is that the roots of the plants may start growing down into the Styrofoam fill. Because the Styrofoam won't absorb water, the roots in that area will dry out quickly and not supply the plant with water. Also, the Styrofoam area will have no plant nutrients needed by the plant so you don't want to encourage roots to grow into such fill materials.
If you use the “pot inside the pot” method described above, you can fill the lower part of the deep ornamental container with any type of fill material that doesn't interfere with drainage from the container in which you plant your plants. Be sure that both the deep ornamental container and the container in which you plant your plants have drainage holes and that they are not being blocked by the fill material. (If the container holes are so large that fill material or potting soil will fall through the holes, you can cover the drainage holes with landscape fabric or light-weight screen. The fabric or screen will keep the fill materials or soil from falling through the holes but won't interfere with water drainage.
You could use Styrofoam peanuts or broken up pieces of Styrofoam in the bottom of the ornamental container below the inexpensive container in which you have the plants. The plant roots will be contained in the planning container and won't grow into the Styrofoam. If you choose to use that type of fill, first check to be sure that the Styrofoam materials don't start dissolving when you place them in water. Some of the newer types of Styrofoam-like material is constructed so that it starts breaking down in water. You don't want to use that type of material as fill since it will start shrinking as it disintegrates.
Also, be careful not to make the ornamental container top-heavy. If you need more weight to keep the ornamental container stable, you could use pebbles or rocks or other heavy items as the fill material so long as you're careful not to block the drainage holes. You could put some heavy materials in the bottom, then add a Styrofoam layer and then insert your planting container on top.
Hope you find this information to be helpful and that you create a lovely container display.
Contra Costa Master Gardeners Help Desk
Note: The Contra Costa Master Gardener 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. 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/