- Author: Launa Herrmann
When summer's final sputter of temperatures in the 80s and 90s finally yielded to cooler weather in late October, I celebrated. What a relief to swing open the patio door and realize I was no longer walking into an oven. As I continue to survey the plantings I lost during those long months of relentless heat, I am actually quite amazed at what is left.
A tuberous begonia, its pot placed sight unseen beneath a myrtle tree, seems to have popped up out of nowhere. I'm surprised by its large leaves and vibrant blooms on sturdy stalks.
The cannas in the front yard are finally stretching toward the sky — and flowering.
My favorite fence climber, a David Austin rose, is throwing out canes and sprouting buds — enough for a gorgeous fragrant bouquet of fragile multi-petaled blooms.
Seems to me that both gardeners and gardens feel better, look better and perform better in cooler weather. I know that I do. Heat stress is dehydrating regardless of how much water is applied to plants or how thick the mulch in flowerbeds. More often than not, buds wither or don't produce at all. Leaves are more vulnerable to insects. Pollen becomes non-viable. Personally, I've watched not only my vegetables bolt and go to seed in hot weather but have seen the roses pout as buds dry up and drop off and the delicate velvety petals singe.
So, don't blame your plants' performance this summer on the drought. Instead, blame the heat. But keep your eyes open before frost comes. You just might find a couple cooler weather companions in your own garden.
- Author: Melinda Nestlerode
A year ago, my friend Dave was proudly showing off his new (to him) 2013 5-Series BMW sedan. He took us for ride, pressed the pedal to the metal, and successfully impressed us with the power and handling that the car is famous for.
Today, Dave is crying, literally, over more than $10,000 worth of damage done to his vehicle caused by rats and mice chewing through the cables, lines and harnesses under the hood. Apparently, many car manufacturers are now making automotive wiring out of soy “bioplastics”, which are cheaper to manufacture, and very tasty to rats and mice. An Internet search reveals at least 27 class action lawsuits regarding this issue, as well as a plethora of complaints from product reviewers.
In addition to the soy bioplastics, automobile manufacturers have made an effort to replace metal, glass and plastic products with environmentally friendly substances such as rice husks, wood, sugars, peanut oil and straw. A delectable treat on wheels for our neighborhood rodents.
The area I live in experienced the worst rat and mouse infestation in years over the summer months. We live near open space, where the winter rains left abundant food and water resources for wildlife. As the summer grew hotter, with unprecedented numbers of days over 100 degrees, the food sources dried up, and the rodents migrated into our neighborhoods. We caught 28 rats, mice, and voles in our garage, and two made it into the pantry.
So, how do you prevent rats and mice from devouring your car, or contaminating and eating other household materials? According to the University of California Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) the solution is three fold: 1) Sanitation measures; 2) Building construction and rodent proofing; and, 3) Population control.
- Outdoors, store pipes, wood, crates, boxes, gardening equipment, household goods neatly, off the ground
- Collect garbage, trash, and garden debris frequently; store garbage in bins with tight lids
- Avoid leaving pet food in feeding dishes outside; store pet food in rodent-proof containers
- Remove or thin dense vegetation such as ivy or honeysuckle; remove overhanging tree limbs
- Seal cracks in the foundation, and any voids around pipes, wires, drains and vents
- Make sure doors, windows and screens fit tightly
- Use coarse steel wool, wire screen, and lightweight sheet metal for plugging gaps and holes
- Set simple, wooden snap traps in areas likely to be travelled by rats and mice; use the appropriate size for the animal you are attempting to trap
- Electrocution traps may be used, although they are much more expensive than snap traps
Never touch a rat or mouse with bare hands, and take care when using abatement methods to eliminate danger to pets and children. For further information, visit http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7483.html, or http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74106.html
- Author: Kathy Low
This holiday season forget shopping at the malls and big box stores and consider purchasing unique gifts that support local Master Gardener programs. Two special gift ideas support the Master Gardener program in Solano. The first gift idea is tickets to the premiere of the Master Gardeners' Garden Tour in Solano County scheduled for April 29, 2018. Ticket holders will be able to visit and learn about six captivating home gardens in the Fairfield area. Advance sale ticket prices are $30.
The second gift idea is a copy of the Solano Gardening Resource Guide, ideal for both novice and expert gardeners. The full color guide includes a monthly gardening calendar, details on soil types and climate zones in Solano county, information on local nurseries, gardening product suppliers, soil testing laboratories and so much more. The price is $20
Both the Garden Tour tickets and Resource Guide can be purchased in person at the UC Master Gardener Office by contacting Jennifer Baumbach, Master Gardener Program Coordinator for Solano and Yolo counties at jmbaumbach@ucanr.edu or (707) 389-0645. Garden tour tickets can also be purchased online at www.solanomg.ucanr.edu.
Another gift idea is the Gardener's Companion Journal by the Yolo Master Gardeners. The journal includes monthly planting guides and garden checklists, as well as information on drought tolerant plants. The cost is $18. To purchase a copy, contact Jennifer Baumbach at jmbaumbach@ucanr.edu or (707) 389-0645.
With 2018 just around the corner, who couldn't use a new calendar? A full color 2018 Gardening Calendar is available from the Sacramento Master Gardeners. Besides being a beautiful calendar with lots of space to pencil in important items, the calendar also provides you with monthly tips on what to do in the garden as well as a gardening guide with details on plant seeds, roots, stems, leaves and flowers. The calendar sells for $10. You can find a list of local Sacramento gardening stores selling the calendar, or order copies online at www.sacmg.ucanr.edu.
Purchase these items from your local Capitol Corridor Master Gardener program and help support the local county programs!
- Author: Karen Metz
My last blog focused on some of the trees and plants I had encountered in the Galapagos. This time I'd like to share the experience of visiting the Charles Darwin Research Station with you. The Station is very near the Galapagos National Park Service Headquarters, just outside the town of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. The Research Station is the working arm of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands. The Foundation is an international, independent nongovernmental organization that advises the Park Service. Their mission is to conduct research to guide conservation efforts, run educational programs to increase local support for conservation, train Ecuadorian biologists and educators and host visiting scientists from all over the globe.
Everyone's favorite part was the Giant Tortoise Captive Breeding Center where we got to see tortoises at all stages of their life cycle. They grouped the animals by size so that the larger animals wouldn't bully the younger ones. Some baby tortoises of threatened species are brought to the center and kept until they get to about the 5 pound size. At that point they are released back to their island of capture. Once they are that size they are felt to be fairly safe from predators. Scientists became involved trying to support tortoises when certain species became threatened and some extinct. It was thought to be especially appropriate since humans had been involved with large changes in the tortoise populations secondary to taking of the adults for fresh meat in the sailing ship days and introduction of alien animal species that were predators of baby tortoises, such as dogs and cats. They are doing an incredible job. Later in the day we went to the highlands and were able to see some giant tortoises in the wild.
Other parts of the Research Center were more familiar. They have a huge herbarium with over 40,000 botanical specimens. In the exhibit hall there were eye catching displays of seeds of plants endemic and native to their islands and another of seeds that had washed up on their beaches. Outdoor displays taught visitors about the fight against alien plants that are almost always invasive and detailed their struggles against the blackberry vine. Another panel described their fight against cottony cushion scale which was threatening 90 different species of plants that they are treating with the first intentionally introduced species to act as biological control, the Australian lady bug.
Later in the evening two researches lectured to us about their research involving marine debris. They are monitoring plastics that are washing up on beaches and counting organisms that have attached themselves to the plastic during its sojourn in the ocean. Aside from the litter and entanglement issues that plastic debris can cause, they feel it is an important component of invasive species spread. Their studies are not complete but to date 25% of the samples have biofouling organisms.
Being so far away from home, it was inspiring to see people grappling with many of the same issues that we do. Because of their island home with its incredible number of species found nowhere else in the world, their battle is even more time critical than our own.
- Author: Jenni Dodini
The current project that is ongoing in gazebo area is a seating area that is completely shaded no matter the time of day all summer long. Steve has undertaken all the hard work, and my task so far has been research. MANNNNN..... What a task!
I have looked online at my favorite sites: GardeningKnowHow, MissouriBotanicalGarden, and Sunset. I have also poured through The Sunset Western Garden Book trying to make an informed decision on what will go into this area that will provide a colorful and inviting atmosphere.
First, I made a list from looking at all the pretty pictures. Then I began looking up each plant. The list grew shorter and longer as some plants were added and others deleted. The easy part was in eliminating plants that will simply die if it gets too hot, are to thirsty, and ones that are not in our growing area. The hard part was containing myself when I saw another pretty plant on the page. (It was kind of like the dog in the movie "Up":-)
So far, I have looked up a couple plants more than once, so that must mean I need to really strongly consider incorporating them into the landscaping. Some I can just move over there from another shady place in the yard. I did come home with a couple plants from the plant exchange, but there now needs to be companion plants for them. And some flowering plants. And plants that the creatures won't enjoy tasting. And plants that will make you want to go over and touch. And plants that are a little unique. And then a bit of garden art. And then....
And now you have a clear definition of a "Gardening Conundrum".
