A plant's ultimate goal is to self-perpetuate in some way by making more of itself. Their life cycle, be it short or long, consists of building up vegetative growth, which in turn supports seed development and other methods of

self-propagation (runners, bulblets, etc).

Plant life cycles fall into three broad categories: annual, biennial, and perennial. Words that often accompany these terms are “herbaceous” or “woody”, a reference to stem characteristics. Woody stems have hard, fibrous growth whereas herbaceous stems do not.

Annuals
Annuals complete their life cycle in one growing season. Most are small and best used in borders or to fill in spaces around permanent plants. Although annual wildflowers can re-seed, if you want your nursery six-pack of annuals to self-sow, make sure it isn't a sterile hybrid. Some annuals will not always come true from seed and need to be purchased as plants if you want a certain variety.

Biennials
Biennials complete their life cycle in two growing seasons, often going dormant in the winter, then sending up new vegetative growth and flowers the second year before dying. The most famous examples are cole crops such as broccoli and cabbage, which we often treat as annuals in the garden.

Perennials
This category of plants lives for many years, varying greatly in how long it takes to produce their first flowers/seeds and reach senescence (old age). Below are some of the major types of perennials:

Evergreens support foliage year-round, although they will shed leaves sporadically. Examples of evergreens include conifers, photinia, boxwood, and California natives such as Coffeeberry, Toyon, and Buckwheats. These should form the backbone of your garden, as they provide the basic structure around which your shorter-lived annuals and perennials are planted.

Deciduousperennials shed all their leaves when they go into winter dormancy. Examples include Crape myrtle, stone and pome fruit trees, and Valley oak. Plants that retain a branching, woody structure in dormancy add an architectural element to the winter garden.

Herbaceous perennials are a sub-set of deciduous perennials whose stems lack hard, fibrous growth. They die to the ground during dormancy, surviving underground as roots or bulbs. This can happen in winter (Peony, Coneflower, and California fuchsia) or in summer (Amaryllis and Blue-eyed grass). These plants are cut to the ground once the foliage has died back to keep the garden tidy. These tend to be the most showy plants (after annuals), but they are “blank” in dormancy so it's good to be sparing with them in the garden.

Semi-deciduous plants lose some of their leaves in either winter or summer. In California, many plants have adapted to the long dry season by dropping foliage to conserve water.

It's important to point out that plants can behave differently, depending on what climate they are being grown in. For instance, tomatoes are annuals in the Central Valley but are perennials in their native land (Mexico). When reading plant descriptions, make sure to note the zone being used. If there are not specific descriptions for various zones, try doing more research using a different source. Sunset is a great source, as are other books written specifically for California gardens.

If you have a gardening related question you can contact the UC Master Gardeners at 209-953-6112. More information can be found on our website.

By: Master Gardener Lee Miller

My lettuce that I didn't get to harvest is now bursting with blossoms and seeds.  I love lettuce and the salads made from it. Hence, I like to grow lots of different kinds and colors too: butter heads, leaf types, and cos (Romaine). 

Lettuce seed is usually cheap to buy as seeds go. You will discover why when you first harvest your seeds, which in a lot of cases, is right about now.  Lettuce is a short lived annual so plant it in Feb-April and harvest seed in July or plant in August-September for a fall harvest. No need to wait two years like you do for seeds from biennials like fennel, carrots, onions and lots of others. The seeds are very abundant and the good news is that lettuce is self-pollinating.

That said, there is a chance of cross pollination by insects so if you want to keep your variety pure you can separate varieties by 10-20 feet. Even if there is cross pollination, you will still get lettuce and maybe something new and interesting.

Harvesting lettuce seed is easy to do. When the blooms turn brown and the flower fuzz turns white it is time. Cut the stem, invert in a clean 5 gallon bucket and shake and bash the plant against it sides. The seeds will drop to the bottom and now you need to separate the chaff from the seed. You can do this with a colander or screen and let the seed fall through or you can blow the chaff away by a little wind power, but not too much as the seed is fairly light in weight.  However, there is so much seed that a little loss is tolerable.  Lettuce seed should be labeled and stored in a dry, cool, dark environment-like in a jar or plastic bag in a refrigerator. It should remain viable for 3 years. For more info on growing lettuce, click here.

If you have a peach or nectarine tree you may have a tree with leaves that look like mine. I was hoping this year would be a “good” year and I wouldn't see this on my trees, especially since I didn't apply any dormant sprays this year, but no such luck.

Peach leaf curl, also known as leaf curl, is a disease caused by the fungus Taphrina deformans. Peach leaf curl affects the blossoms, fruit, leaves, and shoots of peaches, ornamental flowering peaches, and nectarines, and is one of the most common disease problems for backyard gardeners growing these trees. Unfortunately there is nothing that you can do now to treat or correct this problem.

Peach leaf curl first appears in spring as reddish areas on developing leaves. These areas become thickened and puckered, causing leaves to curl and severely distort. The thickened areas turn yellowish and then grayish white, as velvety spores are produced on the surface by the leaf curl fungus. Later affected leaves turn yellow or brown and can remain on the tree or may fall off; they are replaced by a second set of leaves that develop more normally unless wet weather continues. The loss of leaves and the production of a second set result in decreased tree growth and fruit production. Defoliation in spring may expose branches to sunburn injury. Periods of cool, wet weather, when leaves are first opening on the tree, favor the disease.

To prevent peach leaf curl, use resistant peach and nectarine varieties where possible. (See the Resistant Varieties section by clicking on the link below.) For nonresistant varieties, treat trees with a fungicide every year after leaves have fallen. In cooler northern locations leaf fall usually is in late November. Generally a single early treatment when the tree is dormant is effective, although in areas of high rainfall or during a particularly wet winter, it might be advisable to apply a second spray late in the dormant season, preferably as flower buds begin to swell but before green leaf tips are first visible.

For more information on Peach Leaf Curl, click here.

If you have a gardening related question you can contact the UC Master Gardeners at 209-953-6112. More information can be found on our website.