- Author: Regina Brennan, Master Gardener
At the time of this article, we are still engaged in struggling through a pandemic that makes venturing outside a risky undertaking. It would appear that the only safe place is in our garden, spending quality time planning and working for bountiful harvests of fruit and vegetables that we can share with family, friends, and organizations whose purpose is to feed the hungry.
With these goals of sharing the bounty of our garden in mind, care must be taken about what is put into the garden to ensure that what comes from our garden meets our expectations. Many factors come into play when planting and maintaining our crops before we can see the results of our hard work at harvest time. There are three key points to keep in mind: choosing the potting soil that best meets your needs, using fertilizer according to manufacturer's directions, and finally at the end of the season, recycling the remaining soil. Fortunately, there is a lot of help available on the San Joaquin County Master Gardener's website. Everything you need to know to proceed is available.
Whether we are looking at a big box nursery section or a small independent nursery, there are many choices of packaged soil mixes. It can be an unpleasant surprise if you need to fill five wine barrels that take two large bags each, and the bags are almost $20 each. Even if your budget can handle it, it is still mind boggling to realize that raising your own produce may be fun and fulfilling, but certainly not cost effective considering the number of great Farmer's Markets we have available locally.
There are a few points to consider when making a purchase of potting soil. For most, price is a consideration and another is whether you will be using containers or in-ground planting. The highest yields are crops grown in ground with carefully selected soil amendments mixed into the native soil. Container-grown plants require closer monitoring because they are apt to dry out quicker than in-ground and they use up the nutrients in the soil rapidly, so supplemental feeding is critical throughout the season.
Being human, we are tempted to buy the seasonal large bags of potting soil with added compost and fertilizers from our favorite big box store because of the price compared to our usual favorite. As we know, different brands have different formulations and despite reading label statements of promised bounty, we can wind up being disappointed with poor crops. Specialty mixes are available to maximize growing of groups of plants such as African violets, cactus and succulents, citrus, roses, etc.
During the growing season and at the end of harvest, it is important to have established connections with organizations that distribute food to the hungry. If we have been blessed with bountiful crops, our friends and family will probably hide from us when they see another bag of zucchini on their doorstep, but many organizations will gladly accept the fresh veggies.
What do we do with the now-spent potting soil that cost us a lot of money at the beginning of the season? Some sources say remove the top portion of the used soil and replace it with new soil according to the expected depth of the new plants' roots (winter vegetables). Other recommendations are to replace the soil in your container once a year because of salts that accumulate from the water. At any rate, we have used soil to recycle somewhere. One of the best uses for old potting soil is as an amendment for in-ground native soil. Spread it around and slightly work it in so it can continue to serve a purpose in the garden.
Now, do we remember which of the new potting soils we tried worked like magic and which one worked like toxic waste in a bag? Garden Journals are both friend and foe at the same time. Having the information we need for next year is critical if we are to learn from experience what works and what does not. If we don't make entering important information a habit, we are going to be stuck repeating our same mistakes. Let's do ourselves a favor and try writing down the brand, type and price of our purchases. Who says you can't teach an old gardener a new trick?
- Author: Constance Starner, Master Gardener
We've been hearing some alarming statistics about wildlife recently. Research published in the journal Science pointed to a drop of nearly three billion birds in North America since 1970. A recent article in National Geographic, “You'll Miss them When They're Gone,” details the increased rate at which insects are disappearing and the devastating effects that will have on our planet. It's easy to feel discouraged, even hopeless, in the face of such news.
Author Douglas Tallamy, chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, suggests a solution many of us can participate in. His book, Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants (2007) makes a convincing case for using native plants in backyard gardens to increase habitat for insects, birds, and other fauna. Collectively, our gardens can not only be an enjoyable way to spend time outdoors, appreciate the beauty and diversity of plants, and enjoy exercise and fresh air, but they can also contribute to a rich and healthy ecosystem that enhances our sense of place.
Non-native plants can crowd out natives, and often local insects cannot use them for food because they have not evolved together. Although a garden without insects sounds appealing in some ways, Tallamy reminds us that insects provide an essential link: they convert plant tissue to insect tissue, which in turn provides food for a large percentage of bird and animal species.
Recognizing that most gardeners aren't particularly fond of most insects, Tallamy focuses on butterflies as a group that gardeners typically do appreciate. He points out that butterflies and moths need two types of plants: those that provide nectar and those that provide food for their larva. A butterfly bush, for instance, provides nectar but is not a host for butterfly larva, so it is not sufficient to sustain a butterfly species.
Although Tallamy does provide lists of native plants by region in an appendix, he states that his goal was not to write a “how to” book. This is a book to read for inspiration and to gain a new appreciation for the beauty and complexity of ecological systems that evolved together over millennia.
Written in an accessible, conversational style, the book includes sections on designing, planting, and maintaining native plant gardens, as well as helpful descriptions of the characteristics and uses for a variety of native plant families. When planning a garden, Ellas emphasizes that the purpose of the garden is a primary consideration, followed by the design elements of repetition and simplicity; she recommends using a few species that are repeated throughout the garden. Interest is another important design element which can be created by varying foliage type and plant form, not only by flowers. While there should be something interesting to look at in the garden each season, an individual plant does not have to be interesting all year long.
Ellas provides a wealth of information on planting and maintaining natives with advice on irrigation, pruning, and controlling weeds. In the section “Specific Plants & Special Uses,” she describes riparian-community plants—reminding us that it is a myth that all California natives require little water—and other families of plants such as ceanothus, manzanitas, wildflowers, and native grasses, giving examples of suitable plants for specific garden needs.
For more information, there are several online resources for learning about California native plants. Here are a few:
California Native Plant Society. Dedicated to being “the primary and enduring voice for California's native flora and places,” its activities include conservation, education, and gardening. It is also the source for the Inventory of Rare Plants, the Manuel of California Vegetation, and the Calscape databases. Calscape is particularly useful for gardeners who wish to learn which plants are locally native; they can be searched by street address and plant type. It even includes links to nurseries that sell the plants.
Calflora, a nonprofit website and database, has lists of California native plants with detailed information about their characteristics, maps showing where specific plants grow in the wild, photos, and a database of locally native plants searchable by county. Users can also get help in identifying plants by uploading a photo to the Plant ID Help Group.
Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants provides resources on California natives that are searchable by plant type, flower color, and water needs, as well as plants suitable for special situations such as container gardening, pollinator gardens, and heavy soil. Seeds, books, and clothing can be purchased online, including a California poppies face mask!
Websites related to the books reviewed:
Bringing Nature Home is Douglas Tallamay's website with information on his books and lectures. It includes the Native Plant Finder, which lists plants ranked by the number of butterfly and moth species that use them as host plants for their caterpillars, searchable by zip code.
Quercus Landscape Design includes information on the company's services and periodic blog posts written by Peyton Ellas.
- Author: Melissa Berg, Master Gardener
Our Master Gardener Demonstration Garden is located at the San Joaquin County Agricultural Center located at 2102 E. 
An excellent companion plant to consider for a Hop vertical wall is the Island Pink Yarrow (Arboretum All-Star Achillea millefolium rosea Island Pink). It is a western native drought tolerant perennial spread by rhizome which will grow in a host of soils though inland plants should be afforded some shade. It has bright pink flower sprays atop 12-18” stems.
- Author: Lee Miller, Master Gardener
When should I prune shrubs in the landscape?
Knowing when to prune and how to prune are important aspects of gardening to know; especially to be a relaxed, at-ease gardener. The first rule is to understand that not all shrubs and plants need to be pruned. One principle of gardening is right plant-right place. Don't plant where there is insufficient room for the plant so that annual trimming is necessary to keep the plant in bounds.
I think Rule 1b is to consult a pruning guide and look up the plant to see if pruning is recommended and if so when and how should it be done. Remember that not all plants need to be pruned and if those that don't need pruning are pruned, it may cause more harm than good if their natural form is good to start with. There are also safety reasons to remove plant material that is hazardous to people on walkways, driveways, or paths where people traverse.
The second rule; Plants that bloom early, roughly before May 1, are pruned after they bloom. This group includes Spirea, mock orange, Weigela, Camellias, and Lady Banks Rose as examples. The flower buds for these early bloomers are often set in the summer before the spring bloom (old wood bloom set), so pruning before bloom will eliminate many of the flower buds.
Third Rule: Summer flowering plants that bloom roughly after May 1 and have blooms that occur on new growth are usually pruned in the winter or early spring before bud break (new wood bloom set); e.g., butterfly bush, Caryopteris, crape myrtle, roses, and some hydrangea. This also includes fruit trees such as plums, peaches, pears and apples. It is good to avoid winter or spring pruning of cherries and apricots because they are susceptible to Eutypa, a fungus disease that will gain entrance through pruning wounds and cause die back in the infected limb. These two trees are best pruned after the crop in harvested in the summer.
Fourth Rule: Hydrangeas. Hydrangeas account for lots of pruning questions. That is because some bloom on "old wood" (Rule 2) while others bloom on "new wood"(Rule 3). Hence you need to identify what kind of hydrangea you have and follow the appropriate rule. Hydrangea macrophylla, the ones with big blue or pink flowers, and Hydrangea quercifolia, oakleaf hydrangeas, both bloom on old wood and hence follow Rule 2. The little pruning they need should be done immediately after flowering. Hydrangea paniculata, which have white, conical flowers, and Hydrangea arborescens, such as ‘Annabelle', bloom on new wood. They will produce better flowers if cut back in late winter.
Fifth Rule: Don't be afraid to prune at any time for diseased, dead, broken or crossing branches, or stray branches whose removal could improve the appearance of your shrub. For more information on pruning, go to: https://dyckarboretum.org/pruning-guide/. It is also possible to keep fruit trees at a lower height by summer pruning which decreases vigor. For more information on summer pruning and training of fruit trees see: http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/8057pdf
- Author: Melissa Berg, Master Gardener
There are many reasons to cultivate a vertical garden: small spaces, implementing aesthetic visuals, creating noise barriers or living fences, and even blocking a nosey neighbor. The decision to install plants that want to climb is relatively simple. The bigger question is what plant will fulfill the needs of the garden and, in so doing, please the gardener.
If rapid vertical growth is needed and planting is happening well into June, consider obtaining Humulus lupulus (aka Hop plant). There are five varieties of hop grown around the world, three of which are native to North America. Western hop, H. l. var. neomexicanus, enjoys full sun all day and requires moderate waterfall. Both male and female plants are wind pollinated and separately produce flowers, though bees and butterflies enjoy the strobili or cone of the female plant exclusively. It is this strobili or flower which is commonly referred to as “hops.”
Interestingly, hop plants are considered by many to be a vine due to their stiff, downward facing hairs which provide stability and, in turn, allows them to easily climb to heights of 15 to 20 feet in a relatively short period of time. While they will die back to a cold-hardy rhizome during late Autumn, hop is a perennial herbaceous plant that has been known to live upwards of 20 years.
The yellow leafed cultivar Aureus or “golden” hop has been recognized by the Royal Horticultural Society and is widely cultivated for garden use. It is capable of providing a lush cascade of bright golden leaves either as a focal point or simply intertwined with standard green varieties. As the hop will reduce as winter approaches, allowing a climbing vine such as the clematis to share its trellis or lattice will allow the flowering vine to take center stage during colder months.
Keep in mind that the hop is an aggressive growing plant and has the tendency to smother other plants absent consistent pruning; thus, any companion plants should be installed about a foot away. Companion plants should be selected to play a specific role according to their individual characteristics. For example, chives and coriander both seem to keep aphids away from cones and new shoots, while marigolds attract beneficial insects, such as bees, and repel cucumber beetles. Anise has a pungent scent that deters many different pests and, simultaneously, acts as a host for predatory wasps which eat sap sucking aphids. Finally, yarrow increases the vigor of nearby plants, is an excellent fertilizer when composted, and attracts lady beetles and beneficial wasps.
Cultivating hop plants requires some planning. The rhizome does best installed about four inches into aerated, well-drained, rich soil. It must be planted horizontally with any visible buds pointing upward. If planting multiples be careful to space them according to your growing plan, i.e., twining requires closer spacing versus as separately individual plants at two feet apart. After installation, cover with lightly packed soil or high nitrogen mulch. Again, be certain you are planting in full sun.
There is no single form of vertical support that is beloved by the hop. Choices include wooden lattice, a garden arch, vertical wood posts with interior wire framework, available pergola column space, or even an old clothesline. The options available are infinite if one considers the requirement of a well-anchored vertical support and that the vines require something to latch onto.
Finally, to train hop plants, trim them once they attain around a foot of growth. At this point, begin training according to the end goal. If done by hand, gently weave the vines around the chosen support system in a clockwise formation to avoid having the hops just fall off. After two months of growth, trim off all the lower leaves to avoid anything damaging being picked up from the soil. Hop may be trained to grow up and cascade over a pergola or gate, though diligence and attention are required. They are a beautiful, if unexpected, addition to any climbing garden.
