- Author: Ed Perry
When thinking about light levels for indoor plants, consider light intensity, duration and quality. Light intensity influences the manufacture of plant food, stem length, leaf color and flowering. For example, a plant that needs bright light that is grown in low light tends to be spindly with light green leaves. A similar plant grown in bright light would generally be shorter, better branched and have longer, darker green leaves.
The distance the plant is from the light source and the direction the windows in a home face determine the light intensity a houseplant receives. Southern exposures have the most intense light. Western and eastern exposures receive about 60 percent of the intensity of southern exposures, while northern exposures get only 20 percent of the light of southern exposures. Light intensity is also affected by the presence and type of curtains, the weather, shade from buildings or trees, the cleanliness of the windows and the reflectiveness of the surroundings.
When a plant gets too much direct light, the leaves become pale, sometimes sunburn, turn brown and die. During the summer, houseplants need to be protected from too much direct sunlight.
Flowering plants require higher light levels for the development of good flowers. These plants grow best where they receive direct sunlight for at least half a day. Placing them near windows with an eastern exposure usually suits them best.
Here are some suggestions of houseplants for various light situations taken from the UC Master Gardener Handbook.
Low Light Plants
| Common Name | Botanical Name |
| Corn Plant | Dracaena fragrans |
| Parlor Palm | Chamaedora elegans |
| Pothos* | Epipremnum aureum |
| Snake Plant | Sansevieria trifasciata |
Medium Light Plants
Spider plant. (pxfuel.com)
| Common Name | Botanical Name |
| Peperomia (species) | Peperomia or Pellionia |
| Rubber Plant | Ficus elastica |
| Schefflera | Schefflera actinophylla |
| Swedish Ivy/Creeping Charlie | Plectranthus australis |
Bright Light
| Common Name | Botanical Name |
| Christmas Cactus | Schlumbergia bridgesii |
| Spider Plant | Chlorophytum comosum |
| String of Hearts | Ceropegia woodii |
| Zebra Plant | Aphelandra squarrosa |
*These plants are poisonous, keep away from kids and pets.
Ed Perry is the emeritus Environmental Horticultural Advisor for University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) in Stanislaus County where he worked for over 30 years.
- Author: Anne E Schellman
In August we featured an article by former Environmental Horticulture Advisor, Ed Perry, called "Save the Right Seeds."
This article discussed how to successfully choose which vegetable seeds to save to plant in your garden next year.
Now, we wanted to follow up with tips for how to save your chosen seeds. Master Gardeners Royce Rhoads and Heidi Aufdermaur taught this class last year, and plan to teach it again in 2021.
Here is a list of items to gather. Most likely you already have most of them:
-Tomato
-Marker and masking tape
-Knife and spoon
-Jars and rings; or just use paper cups
-Paper towels or cheesecloth
-Fine mesh or strainer
-Paper plates for drying
-Letter envelopes
Most people save tomato seeds, so let's go over the steps to save them. Tomato seeds have a gooey covering over them that needs to be removed first.
Allowing the seeds to sit in water lets “good” bacteria break down that covering. The empty seeds will float and you can skim them off. The seeds you want are at the bottom of the jar.
Step 1: Label the outside of your jar with masking tape and a permanent marker.
Step 2: Cut tomato, scoop out seeds & put into jar.
Step 3: Fill your jar, with the seeds in it, 1/2 full of water. Cover with paper towel/cheesecloth.
Step 4: Two days later, skim off floating seeds and remove.
Step 5: Wait a few more days until a film forms on the surface (fermentation* process).
Step 6: Strain the pulp through a screen until seeds separate. Spread onto labeled plate until dry for a few days.
Step 7: Label a paper mailing envelope and add seeds. Make sure to include the date.
Your seeds can last up to 4 years if stored in a cool, dry, dark place. Did you save any seeds using this post? If so, please tell us how you did in the comments below!
Vegetables such as peppers, eggplants, and melons are much easier to save than tomato seeds. Just remove and spread them out to dry. Squash seeds are also easy, but may need a little bit of cleaning by straining and rinsing with water.
- Author: Ed Perry
Although many coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirons) appear to grow well in some parts of the San Joaquin Valley, the UCCE Master Gardeners are often contacted for help diagnosing redwoods with dead branches that seem to be dying.
It's important to remember that coast redwoods are native to the coasts of Central and Northern California. In this environment, the trees are shaded by each other and experience significant cooling from fog. They also receive moisture from fog drip and high rainfall. In their native forests, redwoods grow with large amounts of forest litter over their roots.
While coast redwood trees are susceptible to some serious diseases, they are most often injured or killed by abiotic (non living) problems. High soil salinity caused by excess sodium (alkaline soil), and toxicity caused by high concentrations of specific ions such as boron and chlorides will stunt their growth and cause their leaves to turn yellow and “burn.” They grow poorly in heavy soils that are too wet, or in dry, compacted soils with poor drainage. Coast redwoods are also susceptible to iron deficiency, especially in high pH soils. They may be injured by freezing temperatures, especially in dry soil. Because they are adapted to a cool, moist environment, they will develop brown and scorched leaves during our hot and dry summers, especially if they're not adequately watered. Drought stressed trees may then be attacked by bark beetles.
In dry or compacted soils the trees grow slowly and their trunks develop a distinct taper. Under ideal soil and moisture conditions, such as along portions of the California Coast, the trunks will be nearly the same diameter from the base of the tree to several feet high. Some brown foliage in the interior of the tree is normal. In fact, it is normal for the oldest leaves to turn yellow, then brown, and finally drop from the tree in late summer and early fall. It is also normal for short twigs to turn brown and fall. New growth at the ends of branches indicates that the branches are alive and healthy, despite some dieback of twigs and leaves.
As mentioned, coast redwoods are susceptible to some diseases. In Stanislaus County, redwoods infected by Botryosphaeria canker (Botryosphaeria dothidea), crown rot (Phytophthora sp.) and Armellaria root rot (Armillaria mellea) have been identified. However, these diseases are relatively uncommon on redwoods here. If you're trying to diagnose a redwood problem, be sure to consider soil and water-related problems first.
Redwoods are forest trees. We have cultivated them for use in non-forest landscapes as street and park trees, and as specimen trees. These conditions are not always favorable to their growth or long term establishment. They grow best with shade, cool root systems, abundant mulch, and continual moisture that is relatively salt free. If you can create some of these conditions in the landscape, redwood culture and disease management will be much less problematic.
Ed Perry is the emeritus Environmental Horticultural Advisor for University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) in Stanislaus County where he worked for over 30 years.
- Author: Ed Perry
When planning your spring garden, one of the first decisions you must make is whether to use those seeds you saved from last year. Are they still as viable as they were when you purchased them, or will you be better off simply buying a new supply?
The answer depends upon the conditions under which the seeds were stored, as well as the length of storage. The two most important environmental conditions in seed storage are temperature and humidity. You should store all seeds under cool and dry conditions. An airtight, sealed jar placed in your refrigerator is a good way to do this. Stored in this way, many vegetable seeds will retain almost “first year” germination and vigor for several seasons. If you can't refrigerate your seed, at least keep it as dry and cool as possible.
The length of time seed is stored is not as critical as the conditions under which it is stored, but all seed deteriorates with time. Older seeds tend to require a longer time to germinate, and the seedlings do not grow as rapidly. Delayed germination and slow growth can cause young plants to be more susceptible to insect damage and seedling diseases. A delay in germination and growth can also delay maturity of the crop.
It's a good idea to test old seed before you plant. Place a few between moist paper towels and leave them at room temperature. Some seed normally takes longer to sprout than others, but if fewer than half of the seeds sprout or if they take an exceptionally long time, it's best not to use them.
Saving seed doesn't always save you money. In fact, it's more likely that losses due to poor germination and reduced vigor will more than offset any money you save by not buying fresh seed. However, buying new seed won't make up for poor planning. Even new seed will fail to sprout if it is planted at the wrong time of the year. If the seeds of warm season vegetable crops are planted before the soil warms up enough, they will often rot. For instance, the minimum soil temperature for seed germination of cucumber, cantaloupe, okra, pumpkin, squash and watermelon is 60ºF. However, at this temperature, the seed will not grow vigorously. A better soil temperature for those crops would be between 65ºF and 75ºF. Many summer vegetables require even higher soil temperatures for best germination and growth. For example, the optimum soil temperature for beans, eggplant, pepper, tomato and corn is 85ºF. As you can see, it doesn't pay to rush your planting.
Seeds need the proper amount of moisture and air in the soil to sprout. If the seeds dry out, even for a few hours, they will die. After you water, air enters the spaces between the soil particles as the excess water drains out of the soil. Since clay soils have less air space, seeds can suffocate if the soil is kept too wet. Mixing organic matter into the soil where you plant improves the soil's drainage and increases the amount of air in the soil. This will also help to prevent soil crusting, another reason seedlings often fail to appear.
Excess salts in the soil can burn tender plant roots. Soils with poor drainage may accumulate excess salts. Too heavy an application of fertilizer can also damage seedlings, so carefully follow the directions on commercial fertilizer products. If you use manures, mix them into the soil at least 4 weeks before planting and water heavily to wash out the excess salts they may contain.
Ed Perry is the emeritus Environmental Horticultural Advisor for University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) in Stanislaus County.
