- Author: Francha Barker, Master Gardener
The Power of Weeds
Francha Barker, Master Gardener
Let's get the definition of weeds out of the way first because to dwell on it sets the tone for undesired negativity. Commonly and simply, a weed is a plant growing where it is not wanted. Weeds have special qualities giving them such power. Understanding those qualities, we can harness their power.
Weeds start showing up when a site has been disturbed from, mostly, human activity like gardening, construction, or fire. Wind and rain erode the ground. The ground gets walked on and compacted. Gravity moves soil down inclines. After a disturbance, bare land starts bleeding topsoil and nutrients, setting off a decline in soil health. In exposed soil, moisture doesn't retain or maybe enter. With less water, microorganisms struggle to survive. And on and on, the affected species survivals of plants, insects, and animals.
Nature has called weeds to rescue the soil. They jumpstart soil healing. Quick to establish, weeds rescue soil from the stresses of temperature extremes, bareness, poor moisture retention, water loss, microorganism depletion, and inadequate aeration. Weeds metaphorically stop the soil bleeding and resuscitate breathing. Bleeding must be stopped, and weeds are nature's primary defense system.
Some weed species come to the rescue and hold the soil in place. For example, Taraxacum officinale (dandelion) is a perennial which grows from a large, thick taproot, deeply anchoring the plant and catching and holding water.
Some weed species come to the rescue and cover the ground, like a band aid to cover the bare soil and stop the bleeding of erosion. For example, Stellaria media L.(chickweed) is an annual which creates lush, green mats protecting the soil while it heals.
It follows that which weeds are seen to show up can tell us the condition of the soil. Now we can truly harness the power of the weeds as soil health indicator plants. The aforementioned examples are indicators of conditions which might be a problem for our desired plant but make the weeds right at home. With that knowledge, we can change the conditions or choose a plant that is more suited to the conditions. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Master Gardeners are here to help.
Here's some more food for thought about the power of weeds:
Do you mulch with weeds?
Do you eat weeds?
Do you intentionally grow weeds to attract beneficial insects?
/span>/h3>/h3>From the Garden
Cheryl Carmichael, Master Gardener
My favorite pastime at this time of year is watching the leaves of trees unfolding from the almost invisible bulges on the branches. For deciduous trees, the stark stems are accentuated against the blue skies and only through experience
Take the time to watch the wonder of nature in the emergence of life all around you.
Photos courtesy of Cheryl Carmichael 02/2022.
/h3>/h3>- Author: Sue Davis, Master Gardener
Spring Garden Chores
April, May and June
By Sue Davis, Master Gardener
Spring is here. That time of renewal and joy as we wander our gardens and take stock of what works and what needs a “tune-up.”
April Ideas
ONE – Check all of the sprinklers and drip lines to be sure they are working properly and not wasting water. There is a comprehensive spring tune-up guide for sprinklers in the 2010 April - June Master Gardener Newsletter which can be found here.
THREE – Now is the time to fertilize lawns and many garden plants. Cane berries, citrus, fruit trees, palms, and heavily flowering shrubs will flourish with slow-release fertilizer products. Maintaining good fertilization can keep your plants vigorous and help prevent pest problems. Lawns will thrive with an application of fertilizer now. Use a balanced slow release or organic fertilizer according to the directions on the package. Organic fertilizers react more slowly but will eventually provide a lush result. If crabgrass has been a problem in past years, consider a pre-emergent/fertilizer mix. Help preserve our waterways by avoiding getting granules on hardscape surfaces.
FOUR – April is the time to think about control of the “A” pests: Ants, Aphids, and Abiotic disorders. Manage ants in the landscape and around the foundation of buildings with insecticide baits and trunk barriers such as “sticky foot.” Aphids can be controlled with a strong water spray from your hose. Difficult infestations may need an insecticidal oil or soap to reduce the damage aphids can cause. The best solution would be to look for and avoid harm to aphids' natural enemies such as lacewings, lady beetles and syrphids. Prevent or manage the damage that occurs from aeration deficits, frost, hail, herbicides, wind, and too much or too little water which all weaken plants and contribute to abiotic disorders.
In May
TWO – Before planting, determine whether the soil is clay, sandy, or loamy. Clay soil is “heavy.” When damp clay soil is squeezed, it forms a solid ball. Clay soil is improved with the addition of compost. Sandy soil feels gritty, doesn't hold together well and is often referred to as “light” soil. It drains quickly and doesn't hold either moisture or nutrients well. Loamy soil is often referred to as “friable” soil because it breaks up easily, holds moisture, and encourages organic activity. Next, follow the gardener's mantra - “Right Plant, Right Place.” Know how much sun or shade covers the part of the landscape being developed and check with nurseries or on-line sources such as Monrovia, Burpee, local garden centers, etc., for plants that will do well. Consider the surrounding landscape when selecting new plants so water needs are similar. Map your garden before you plant for amazing results.
THREE – It's May – think mosquitos and mulch. Mosquitos are nobody's friend. To reduce the spread of this pest and the diseases it can bring, eliminate standing water in gutters, drainpipes, flowerpots, old tires, etc. Place Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis (BT, commonly referred to as “mosquito dunks”) in birdbaths and ponds to selectively kill mosquito larvae. Apply mulch to areas of the garden and under trees where existing mulch is thin or soil is bare.
THREE – Fill out vegetable gardens with transplants of tomatoes and peppers. Around the middle of May is a great time to plant seeds of pumpkins, beans, corn, squash, cucumbers, and melons. For interesting and unusual fall decorations, consider growing pumpkins or winter squash that are not the ordinary jack-o-lantern choice. Beef up a flower garden with a little height. Shorter bedding plants get the front row spot followed by tall, upright bedding plants and finished with some summer-blooming vines grown on a sturdy structure that is set in the garden at the same time planting occurs. It is difficult to add the structure once the plant needs it. As the vine grow, train the shoots to the support with self-gripping Velcro, plant tape, or twist ties. Start with flowers in six packs. Planted in May, these little gems will explode with summer color in a few weeks. If instant color is needed, think about 4-inch pots instead.
FOUR – Aerate lawns this month. Lawns that get a lot of heavy foot traffic develop compacted soil which makes it difficult for water, fertilizer, and oxygen to reach the roots. If a screwdriver can't be pushed up to its handle into the turf, it's time to aerate. Use an aerator that either produces a core or a water wash to dig holes. Spike aerators just add to compaction. If using a machine aerator, be sure to mark and avoid all sprinkler heads. Some machine aerators require a lawn to be moist, but not soggy. Irrigate a day or two before aeration if soil is dry.
June Notes
TWO – Basil and cilantro planted now will produce fresh herbs all summer. Both annuals do well in pots and love sun and ample water (easy to control if the herbs are in pots). Start basil from seedlings, but sow cilantro seeds directly in the pot – they germinate quickly. Begin harvesting when plants reach 6 inches tall. Other crops to plant from seed in June are cucumbers, green beans, melons, parsnips, pumpkins, and squash.
THREE – Clean up mummies and old fruit and nuts in and under trees to avoid harboring pests and deter borers by deep watering trees. Paint the trunk and scaffolds of young trees with white interior latex paint diluted with an equal amount of water to protect from sunburn.
FOUR – Still have a lawn and wonder just how much water it needs during the hot summer months in the valley? Lawns need about two inches of water per week during the summer heat. To determine lawn sprinklers' output, place several flat-bottomed containers (such as tuna fish cans) around the lawn, turn on the sprinklers for a half hour and then measure the water in the containers. Adjust the sprinkler coverage if needed and reset the amount of time they water according to the results of the timed test. Water lawns and the rest of the landscape early in the day to reduce water wasted due to evaporation and be cognizant of appropriate days to water if applicable. Better yet, start thinking about how to minimize or eliminate the lawn in your landscape to save water during these drought years.
Deep-water established plants often enough to prevent wilt and promote deep rooting as temperatures start to rise. Check the soil moisture around roots with a moisture meter probe or by digging down with a trowel. Soaker hoses apply water directly to the soil with minimal evaporation.
Subscribe to our Seasonal Landscape IPM Checklist for Northern San Joaquin Valley. It is delivered straight to your inbox monthly with timely reminders to help prevent or reduce landscape pests and plant problems.
Information for this article was gathered from:
www.ucanr.org
www.ipm.ucdavis.edu
www.sunset.com/garden
www.farmerfred.com
A Valley Gardener's Journal by San Joaquin Master Gardeners
CA Month by Month Gardening by Claire Splan
- Author: Flo Pucci, Master Gardener
Drought Tolerant Vs. Drought Resistant Gardens by Flo Pucci Master Gardener.
As a new homeowner in San Joaquin County and a recent graduate of the Master Gardener program, I am interested in ideas that can help me design a garden with low water requirements and low maintenance plants. However, I am constantly mystified about the large array of terms to define: "drought-tolerant," "drought resistance," "drought-adapted," "water-wise," "xeric," "native," "Mediterranean," "environmentally friendly," and “sustainable” gardens. I'm even more perplexed when professionals and retailers use terms conflictingly, even differing on what the terms mean, resulting in time and money wasted. So, I decided to unpack the meanings, techniques, and definitions behind these terms and plant materials that can aid in the pursuit of a drought-resistant garden.
Drought-tolerant. What does drought tolerance mean in connection to the land and the environment? The word "drought" means a period of prolonged exceeding aridity, mainly one that causes extensive crop damage or prevents their successful growth. Once this occurrence is understood, we know that drought causes plants, crops, and wildlife to become parched and eventually die through lack of rainfall and water. Consequently, drought-tolerant and drought-resistance terms are often used synonymously and inaccurately so. In a general sense, the word tolerant means the capacity to withstand pain or hardship and, more specifically, "the relative power of an organism to grow or thrive when subjected to a harsh environmental dynamic."
Drought-resistant. These plants can survive for long periods without water. In other words, they take drought-tolerant one step further. Plants with relatively low water requirements or plants well adapted to an arid climate are described as drought-resistant or drought-tolerant.
Water-wise. This refers to landscaping or gardening with plants that grow well in a garden that manages water efficiently. On the other hand, low water plants are those that are adapted to live through times of water scarcity without drastically changing their attractiveness. They are very resourceful at using water, avoiding heat, keeping cool, and some continue to bloom during the heat and drier time of the year. Examples of water-wise plants: Aloes, African daisies, Pink rockrose, Rosy buckwheat, Gazanias, Madrones, etc.
Xeriscape. This is another term for drought resistance or drought-tolerant landscapes or gardens. This label outlines a landscaping style that uses drought-tolerant plants to help conserve water.
According to UC Master Gardeners, the longstanding concept of xeriscaping as a garden packed with succulents and gravel has changed to low-water-lush. Lush means growing actively with rich foliage, productive, fertile, thriving, and possibly on low water cycles. A good illustration of this concept is the learning Landscape at the Robert J. Cabral Agricultural Center in Stockton.
Indeed, experts warn not to confuse California natives with naturalized plants brought here from other places by human migration and that have established themselves in their new environment like the California pepper tree, originally for South America. Some small sub-groups of these naturalized plants are considered invasive, like pampas grass, vinca, and Mexican feather grass, altering the ecosystem where there are planted. Native plants are often dormant, induced by heat and lack of moisture in the soil. Here, fire season is pervasive during the summer and fall due to the lack of rainfall which is a natural occurrence in the California landscape. Fires regenerate the vegetation growth and maintain the health and vitality of native plants communities. Coastal regions' landscapes are the exception due to coastal fog.
However, for California gardens, one needs to look for plants drought-adapted to our climate, which means plants evolve in sync with our climate's characteristic pattern of cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. In other words, they tolerate our six months of summer dry season once established. Examples of California native plants: California fuchsia, yarrow, poppy, matilija, manzanitas, toyon, Indian mallow, lupine, and artemisia, just to mention a few.
Established vs. Non-established. This distinction is often overlooked by new gardeners to a significant detriment. An established plant has grown its root system from its former bound root nursery pot life into our garden's soil. However, most plants need to acclimate and develop a new root system to survive without additional supplemental water. As a result, new gardeners going by the label drought-tolerant may think that after the plant is in the ground, it will grow without any additional care. However, plants need a slow transition to maturity once they are in the ground. Planting during the cooler months will help conserve water, and rainfall will keep the plant hydrated. Roots must stay moist and must not be allowed to dry out for two to three months.
Mediterranean. When referring to Mediterranean plants, this classification denotes regions globally that share similar climate characteristics of dry and hot summer and cold and rainy winters. These locations are California, Central Chile, the Mediterranean Basin, the Cape regions of South Africa, and Southwestern and South Australia.
Mediterranean plants primarily consist of arboreal and shrubby evergreen sclerophyllous plants, characterized by complex, leathery evergreens foliage, specifically adapted to prevent moisture loss and oils to evaporate with adaptation to high levels of aridity.
According to some experts, the phrase "summer-dry" is more inclusive because it names the five regions with similar climate characteristics instead of the Mediterranean. Therefore, plants from any sub-tropical region that share similar climate conditions can grow and thrive in California, particularly in the Central Valley. Examples include olive, pistachio, myrtle, juniper, citrus, hydrangeas, bougainvillea, clematis, aromatics, lavender, rosemary, and yarrow.
Drought is a fact of life in the western states. That is why water conservation should be a lifestyle priority in these regions. While local native plants are best suited to most sites, other good choices include drought-resistant plants from different parts of the world. Many of these plants share characteristics that help them survive intense heat and low rainfall periods. Furthermore, plants with low water requirements not only beautify the landscape once established, but also offer many other benefits. Woody perennial herbs such as rosemary, sage, and thyme, all from the Mediterranean region, can be used in cooking and combine well with blooming perennials such as blue-flowering catmint.
In brief, here are some basic guidelines for a practical and drought-resistant garden.
1) Improve your soil by incorporating organic matter.
2) Plant in the right place; group plants with similar water, sun, and shade exposure needs.
3) Reduce the lawn amount around the yard. It requires too much water to stay green.
4) Control weeds.
5) Upgrade irrigation systems by connecting smart controllers to a weather station or drip emitter.
6) Water deeply but infrequently to encourage roots to grow downwards.
7) Mulch to conserve soil moisture.
Water-wise gardens take a bit more to plan than a typical garden, but over time, they look beautiful and offer significant savings in labor cost and, above all, water.
For more information, please check the following sites.
https://sjmastergardeners.ucanr.edu/Water_Conservation_/Low_water_landscapes_/
https://sonomamg.ucanr.edu/projects/Water-wise_Gardening/
https://sjmastergardeners.ucanr.edu/Gardening_with_CA_Natives/
https://cagardenweb.ucanr.edu/Drought_/Drought_Gardening_Tips_/
https://mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu/garden-help/succulents-care/
https://ucanr.edu/sites/sacmg/files/183230.pdf
https://sjmastergardeners.ucanr.edu/Water_Conservation_/Irrigation_/
Growing Knowledge
Constance Starner, Master Gardener
California Plants: A Guide to Our Iconic Flora, by Matt Ritter (2018)
We are so fortunate to live in one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. California's major biomes include the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, the Great Basin sagebrush steppes, and the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, as well as the Mediterranean climate in the western part of the state. We have woodlands, shrublands, grasslands, and wetlands. And of our more than 7,000 native plants, over than one-third of them are found nowhere else.
It would take years of study to feel truly knowledgeable about our vast plant life here, but Matt Ritter has published some clear, helpful guides for those of us who want to learn to identify and understand plants without being overwhelmed by vast amounts of information. Why is it important to identify plants and learn their names to appreciate them? One reason is that when our knowledge and understanding of plants increases, our enjoyment of them increases. We are able to see them in more detail as individuals with known characteristics, rather than a diffuse sea of green, rather like being able to recognize the face of a friend of family member in an anonymous crowd.
Matt Ritter grew up in Mendocino County where he first became interested in trees and other plants. He is currently a botany professor in the Biological Sciences Department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and the author of these two books, along with other books and articles. He also has a webinar, “California Plants” available on YouTube. In all of his writings, Ritter's love of plants shines through, helping to instill a sense of wonder and awe in his readers.
A Californian's Guide to the Trees among Us explores 150 trees commonly seen in California, primarily in urban and suburban settings, including introduced as well as native trees.
Each tree species is discussed over several pages, with botanical information such as the place of origin, the way it reproduces, the growth characteristic, and even the basis for its scientific name. We learn, for example, that the deodar cedar originated in the Himalayas in the Pinaceae family, that it is monoecious, evergreen with needle-like alternate leaves, and that it grows to 80 feet or more in height. Breaking down the scientific name, Cedrus is Latin for cedar and deodara is Hindi, meaning “tree of the gods.” Each of the 150 species is discussed in a similar fashion. The book also includes a guide to the color and time of year of trees' flowers, and the appendices detail information about changing plant names, the locations of the trees photographed, a glossary, and references for further reading.
Ritter draws upon science, natural history, drawing, photography, and prose in his descriptions of trees. He evokes the connection between humans and trees, commenting, “In cities, trees are often poignantly contrasted with stark buildings, sidewalks, streets, and gutters, silently reminding us of lost connections with nature and our longing for a time prior to our taming and civilization.”
This is a fascinating as well as informative guide that will be invaluable to anyone who wants to appreciate and observe the trees in our urban forests more closely. I have enjoyed using the digital version on city walks to better understand the trees I'm seeing along the way.
Each of the selected plants is discussed on a single page that includes the plant family, common and scientific names with a pronunciation guide, photographs, and a range map showing where the species generally occurs. There is also information about its natural history and some interesting stories about the plants, such as the way they were used by Native Americans. The entry on black oak (Quercus kelloggii)--pronounced KWAIR-kuss kel-LOG-ee-eye--tells us basic botanical information about the tree and that “Black oak acorns are the most flavorful and were coveted and traded by Native American tribes. The species was named by Smithsonian botanist John Newberry in 1859 in honor of Albert Kellogg, a Northern California botanist, physician, and a founder of the California Academy of Sciences.”
This is a guide that allows the reader to either search for targeted information or to peruse for general interest, always coming away with a sense of valuing and knowing the plants more completely. As former California Governor Jerry Brown says in his foreword, “Matt Ritter teaches us how to identify and enjoy each species, and to better understand how our future is linked to that of all of all other living things: our soil, our microbiota, and our wonderful and indomitable native plants.”
Anyone interested in learning more about the iconic plants in California will find these two guides both useful and full of fascinating information.
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