- Author: 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 at https://vms.ucanr.edu/mg/files/documents/6272Garden%5FNotes%5F2010%5FCommunity%5FNewsletter27622.pdf
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.” Sticky Foot can also reduce damage caused by insects that ants help protect such as mealy bugs, certain aphids, and some scale. When applying Sticky Foot to a tree trunk, it is best applied to gauze wrapped lightly around the trunk so that it is easily removed once it is no longer needed. 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
ONE – Prune a couple of things this month. Winter-flowering shrubs (e.g., camellias) need to be pruned prior to the formation of next year's flower buds. Pruning pine terminals to direct growth in young plants and retard growth in more mature plants should only be done during candling (new shoot growth) during late spring to early summer, so May is usually an opportune time.
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 fool 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
ONE – Bees are essential pollinators. A variety of flower shapes and colors will attract bees to a garden. Look for flowers and plants that are native to this area for growing ease, adaptation to the local climate, and to serve as an attractant to honeybees. Planted near or among a vegetable garden, flowers attract bees for pollination and a bountiful harvest.
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.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: Cheryl Carmichael
FRASS: noun. A term meaning debris or excrement left by the larval stage of insects especially caterpillars and wood boring insects. It can be visible to the naked eye depending on the size of the insect leaving its' debris.
Entomologists initially used this term to name the debris left by wood boring insects. It was identified by the combination of excrement and wood shavings that were not digested by the boring insect. It could be found on the exterior of the wood, on the ground or packed densely in the hole to block other prey insects. The definition broadened to include the wood dust not ingested by the insect but pushed out of the bored hole to give the insect room to move through the wood.
The meaning of the term broadened further to include the excrement of all munching insects. Seeing the dots of solid waste on the leaves of susceptible plants is the best clue that you have caterpillars devouring your herbaceous plant. Stop and look closely at the top and bottom of every leaf of the plant to find the offending caterpillar. They are often camouflaged and hard to find. Some of the villains in the garden who leave their frass calling card include tomato hornworms, cucumber beetle larva, and tobacco budworms (petunia and geranium destroyers).
Researchers have found the presence of frass is a useful sign to identify early damage/disease in plants from small to large. Certain insects damage plants in ways that increase their vulnerability to mortal diseases. The presence of frass allows growers and home gardeners to recognize early infestations of the offending insect and intervene in the most environmentally responsible manner possible. Entrepreneurs have even figured out how to harvest frass for fertilizer: big bucks, even, low nutrient profile (2-2-2). You would need a lot to make much difference in the garden.
Resources:
Wikipedia.
Kulhanek, Ashley. Insect Word of the Week: Frass. The Ohio State University, February 14, 2022.
**For fun access the Word of the Week article referenced above. There is a link to a video of caterpillars catapulting their frass a distance in order to fool predators about their location.
- Author: Julie Hyske, Master Gardener
Eating Local
The tree has been dismantled, the ornaments packed away, and the Christmas sweater you have worn too often lately is now hiding in the closet. It has been a season of too many cookies, candies, and holiday parties. Welcome to the new year, a time to ring out the old and a chance for a fresh start with resolutions that are all shiny and new. If your list of resolutions is looking a little tired, vague and uninspired, perhaps a family goal of either growing and harvesting your own vegetables or buying locally will be an investment in a healthy lifestyle change.
Talk of local food is everywhere. For food purists, “local” is the new “organic.” Local foods are produced as close to home as possible. “Locavore” is a term that was coined in 2005 to describe people who value local as their primary food criterion. The local food movement can start in your own backyard, school, community farm, or simply by purchasing from farmers' markets. Slow Food USA is a grass roots movement with a vision of eating food that is good for you, the planet, and those who grow it. It is everything that fast food is not. Local chapters offer educational activities in their communities to promote sustainability and biodiversity. A developing local chapter of Slow Food Lodi has a goal of educating residents of San Joaquin County to the virtues and pleasures of locally produced food and drink.
Where does one begin? One easy way to start buying local is to choose one product to focus on. Vegetables are often a good place to start. Produce offers a good lesson towards eating food grown seasonally and that translates to local. Eating seasonal foods allows us to eat them at their peak of taste and ripeness. Locally grown has the benefit of freshness, nutritional value, and often costs less. Local and home-grown produce does not have transit time and has not been cold stored. Eating local generates income for our local economy, thereby supporting family farms, utilizing community services, and employing local workers. Small, local farms are run by farmers who live on their land, working hard at becoming good stewards while reducing environmental impacts created by industrial farming practices. Another bonus of purchasing local is that it allows local farmers to try new crops for niche markets that would never make it to big supermarkets.
The concept of sustainability includes buying food grown locally but buying local food does not always guarantee sustainable food practices. Pesticides, chemical fertilizers, hormone, and antibiotic use can all be involved in the local production of foods. When you purchase local, ask what you are buying. A consideration may be that you purchase from farmers using sustainable methods. As master gardeners, we endorse the use of integrated pest management-- IPM practices-- which utilize pest identification, use of beneficials, biological and cultural controls, and finally, only utilize synthetic chemicals as a last resort. Consider these practices of fruit and vegetable gardening in your own home sustainable production. Unlike organic standards which are defined by legal standards, “local” can mean different things to different people. Local does not necessarily mean organic. While local is certainly a flexible term, it does support a more sustainable food system because true sustainability goes far beyond the methods used in food production to include every step that brings food from the farm to your plate. The question arises: if you send an organic food halfway around the world before it is eaten (think transportation, processing, and packaging) is it a sustainable practice or good for the planet?
So now that you have made an informed resolution to eat local, buy local and be local, where do you start? To learn even more and make thoughtful choices, you can visit websites such as: Food Print and Slow Food USA. Commit to growing your own very local backyard produce utilizing our local master gardener website for questions/answers and a calendar of events for educational classes. Create your own family and friends “eat local challenge.” There is strength in numbers! Purchase produce from local farms and wineries. Visit local food establishments that endorse the local food movement by both promoting local purchasing and growing of their own fresh seasonal ingredients. These last few months I sought out in my own small community Wine and Roses, Pietros, the Fruit Bowl, and Michael David Café and can attest to the pleasures and culinary delights of eating fresh locally. Finally, make local eating into a family adventure. What does your neighborhood have to offer in support of buying, growing, and eating local foods? It is the knowing part of the story about your food that makes it such a powerful part of the enjoyment of a meal.
Choosing to eat local can definitely make you feel more rooted (no pun intended). So somewhere into this new year when you may begin to waver, perhaps forgetting your purpose, and go the fast route of drive-thru or the trip to the local mega-supermarket, remember the old adage: you are what you eat!
- Author: Deanna Wade, Master Gardener
Now that we are harvesting and bedding down our gardens for the winter, our thoughts may naturally turn to sharing or “gifting” some of our bounty. Distinctive and personalized gifts can come straight from our garden, but if you are like me, you may be at a loss in creating those gifts. In preparation for this article, I stumbled upon a used book titled, glorious gifts from the garden, inspirational projects from the potting shed, written by a British author, Stephanie Donaldson. The first two projects are taken from her book, specifically her herb garden chapter.
I am planning this first gift for my friend who is reluctant to try herb gardening or cooking with fresh herbs. I'm hoping this will inspire her to try both. Following are instructions for a “bouquet garni” planted in a small moss-lined crate. Herbs for bouquet garni are typically parsley, thyme, and bay leaves tied into a posy with string to flavor stews, soups, and sauces. Rosemary is sometimes added as well.
Bouquet Garni
Materials and Equipment:
Drill
Wooden crate, approximately 10x8x6 in.
16 in. sisal rope
Permanent marker pen
Liquid seaweed plant food
Paint brush
Moss
Small bay tree
Thyme
2 parsley plants
Compost
Coarse sand
1. To make the handles, drill 2 holes in each end of the wooden crate. Thread an 8 in. pieces of sisal rope through the holes and knot on the inside to secure.
2. Use the permanent marker to write on the front and back of the crate – “Bouquet Garni.”
3. To give the crate a weathered appearance, mix 1 part seaweed plant food with 1 part water and paint the exterior.
4. Line the crate with moss, the bottom as well as sides.
5. Plant the herbs with 3 parts compost and 1-part coarse sand. Press the plants in firmly and cover with more moss. Water thoroughly.
Bouquet Garni Posy
Materials and Equipment:
Selection of freshly picked herbs
Bucket
String
Scissors
Ribbon
Trug or basket (optional)
1. Gather some parsley, thyme, and bay leaves, leaving 4 in. or more of the stems.
2. Condition the herbs, standing them in deep water for 3 hours or more.
3. Spread the herbs out, in groups, on a work surface.
4. Assemble the posy, holding it loosely in one hand, while adding and adjusting the herbs with the other hand.
5. When satisfied with the arrangement, tie the posy firmly with string.
6. Trim the ends of the stems and tie the ribbon over the string.
This posy may be given in a basket, trug, or simply tied with a ribbon for a hostess gift. If you would like to dry the posy, wrap it in craft paper rolled into a cone-shape. Tie the cone with string towards the bottom and hang upside down to dry.
This last gift idea may not be directly from your garden, but it would be appreciated by any of your Master Gardener friends!
Sore Muscle Soak
Ingredients:
½ cup baking soda
¼ cup Epsom salts
¼ cup coarse sea salt
10 drops eucalyptus essential oil
Combine the baking soda, Epsom salt, and sea salt in a plastic bag and seal tightly. Shake the bag vigorously, add the essential oil, and shake again. Package in cellophane gift bags, muslin bags or decorative jars with a lid.
Yield = about 1 cup.
Add 1/3 cup of these soothing bath salts to a tub of hot water.
References
1. glorious gifts from the garden, inspirational projects from the potting shed. Stephanie Donaldson. Lorenz Books, New York, NY. 2002
2. The Bountiful Kitchen. Barry Bluestein and Kevin Morrisey. Penguin Putnam Inc., New York, NY. 1997
Tree rings reveal age, Earth's atmosphere reflects the state of its own health, and waterways move to the tune of a changing ability to support life. The ground upon which humanity stands also discloses itself in a myriad of ways: the quiet seasonal joy of flowers blooming and food growing, the terror and beauty of a volcanic eruption, the fragility of life on the battlefields of Gettysburg and the heartbreaking remnants left behind, discovered in the soil. The ground tells us much about human history, feeds and delights us in the present and informs the viability of our future.
So, what is the result when we pave vast areas of soil, destroying its life, only to cover the remaining with development for a burgeoning population? Or, we continue to add harmful inputs to the soil until it becomes a medium used only to support an immense and unhealthy monoculture?
And what are the consequences to wildlife as habitat declines, migration paths disappear, extinction looms, and humans draw ever further away from the joy of the natural?
Scientists have spent decades in the study and amelioration of air and water quality. Education of the public and enforcement of laws continue. But what of the nearly forgotten resource of Earth's ground? Is the discussion beginning too late to achieve protection and restoration of this crucial resource?
Author Paul Bogard in The Ground Beneath Us (Little, Brown and Company, 2017) has drawn upon resources in various areas of the world to assist in his quest to wonder, investigate, question and observe the ground or, as he puts it, “what we see when we look down, the planet as we experience it in our day-to-day lives.” (p.4)
I like to believe that the author has designed this book as a symphony, offering up five pieces all related to the wonders and the despair of ground. The titles of three of these pieces are each three words long, linked by the conjunction ‘and'. The linked words describe types of ground that appear to be opposite; but Bogard wants to impress that the boundaries between the two types are often blurred.
The ‘movements' in each piece are the actual places the author visits to find answers. There are very harsh realities found in many of these destinations. Let us begin:
The Ground Beneath Us
From the Oldest Cities to the Last Wilderness, What Dirt Tells Us About Who We Are
The reader accompanies the author to Manhattan, to the top of One World Trade Center where portions of the physical layout of the island are visible. Bogard's plan is to return to street level, then walk through neighborhoods to find what remains of uncovered ground. Read on in his prose to learn that the sheer physical weight of all which covers Manhattan's ground can be calculated in tonnage. There is a world in covered ground that is no longer available to sustain life.
II. Paved and Hallowed in five movements
Manhattan, Mexico City, London, Northern VA, Gettysburg
By some estimations, mid-21st century will bring an additional three billion humans to feed, with decreasing availability of uncovered land. Read on for an examination of humans' relationship to nature and the consequences of residing too far from the microbiota in living ground. Learn about the term fragmentation when used in an ecological sense. And note the mention of Stockton, CA in the section (p.75) describing the perils of worldwide car-centered growth.
III. Farmed and Wild again, in five movements
Bishopstone, Soil, Ames, Grass, The Sandhills
Soil sustains humanity physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Maintaining the health of the living ground left in the face of population growth is paramount. Read on to learn that ground has become a Wall Street investment, creating a plantation farming redux. A longer-term approach will be key: crop diversification and rotation, fewer harmful inputs to soil, a return to regenerative farming practices, protection and restoration of grasslands, wetlands, and the ground along bird migration paths. Learn more about the sandhill crane and predictions for its longevity. Diversity is what makes the world---if it is lost, the world fragments.
IV. Hell and Sacred finale
Appalachia, Treblinka, Alaska, The Sierra Nevada, Home
Here is the point in the book where a different understanding of hell is put forth. Not as a place but, more usefully, a situation of degradation and despair: changes to earth's geology caused by fracking, thawing of permafrost which will eventually expose more carbon than has been released since industrial revolution times, estrangement from the ground, from others, from our own selves. Author Bogard gently lays out to the reader that if we want a world where we know the connections that keep us alive, those connections between ourselves and others and between ourselves and nature, then there are choices to be made now, with wisdom and courage.
Resources, gratitude, additional reading, recognition, quotations, statistics, stories, and results of fascinating studies abound in the pages between pgs.265 and 297
Reviewer's note: I found this to be a fascinating, emotionally difficult book to read but as the author quoted, and I am paraphrasing, “if you don't know what is happening, you cannot fix it.”