- Author: Barbra Braaten
October is here, and with it comes a mix of warm days and cool nights. As the seasons change, prepare your garden for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Here are some friendly and supportive tips to help your garden thrive this October, no matter where you are in the Golden State!
1. Care for Your Lawn
October is a great time to give your lawn some extra attention. Use an organic, high-nitrogen fertilizer to promote healthy growth. Remove any weeds and reseed any bald spots. Water well until the winter rains arrive. The Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program has a helpful lawn fertilizing guide.
2. Sow Wildflower Seeds
Why not create a beautiful wildflower garden this month? Wait until temperatures are consistently cool late in the month, then choose a sunny spot and prepare the soil by removing weeds and grasses. To complete site prep, mix organic compost into the soil to help retain moisture. Scatter your wildflower seeds evenly, lightly rake them in, and add a thin layer of compost on top. Water well and watch your garden bloom next spring!
3. Plant Cool-Season Crops
Cooler temperatures are ideal for many vegetable crops. Consider planting transplants of broccoli, cauliflower, and kohlrabi, which will be ready by February. Leafy greens like Swiss chard, spinach, and kale grow quickly and can be harvested by December. You can also direct-seed peas, turnips, carrots, radishes, and beets now for an early winter harvest.
4. Plant Garlic
Garlic lovers, rejoice! October is the perfect time to plant your garlic bulbs. Choose a sunny spot with rich, well-drained soil, and protect them from gophers if needed. Garlic takes about 6 to 8 months from planting to harvest, so plan accordingly.
5. Maintain Winter Soil Health
Even areas of your garden that aren't actively planted can benefit from some attention this month. Consider using cover crops, like fava beans, which enrich the soil with nitrogen. Adding organic mulches such as grass clippings, leaves, wood chips, or straw will help retain moisture, moderate soil temperature, and prevent weeds from sprouting.
6. Enjoy Persimmon Season
October brings delicious Fuyu and Hachiya persimmons! Fuyu persimmons can be eaten raw when firm, while Hachiya ones are best enjoyed when soft and jelly-like. Protect your trees from birds by using bird netting. Use pruners when harvesting fruit, and always avoid ripping or pulling persimmon from branches.
7. Keep Watering
Despite cooler temperatures, warm days may still occur. Continue to water your garden until the rains begin. Check your soil moisture by digging down a bit—if it holds shape when squeezed, it's just right!
8. Inspect Your Watering System
If you have an automatic watering system, now is a great time to check for leaks and blockages. Ensure your timer is working correctly and reprogram it for the cooler weather. If you don't have a system, consider installing one—it can save you time and water!
9. Harvest Pomegranates Wisely
When it comes to harvesting pomegranates, timing is crucial. Look for a deepening color and a metallic sound when tapped. Clip the stem close to the fruit instead of pulling to avoid damage. Remember, pomegranates don't ripen further after harvest, so pick them at the right time!
10. Plant Shrubs for the Future
Fall is a great time to plant shrubs. California natives are especially low-maintenance and can establish strong root systems before summer stress hits. Consider the conditions of your site and the purpose of the plant when selecting new additions to your garden.
October is a busy and exciting time in the garden! By following these tips, you'll not only keep your garden thriving through the cooler months but also set yourself up for a successful spring. Embrace the changes of the season and enjoy all the beauty and bounty your garden has to offer! Happy gardening!
Ask your local UC Master Gardener Program.
Have a gardening question? UC Master Gardener volunteers are available to help. Click here to Find a Program and connect with your local UC Master Gardener Program. You will be redirected to your local county website and contact information. UC Master Gardener volunteers are available to help answer questions for FREE. Happy gardening!
- Author: Saoimanu Sope
National 4-H Week is Oct. 7-12, 2024. To celebrate, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will be recognizing the significant benefits to local youth provided by the UC Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Program in San Diego County with a proclamation on Tuesday, Oct. 8. This recognition will take place at 9 a.m. during the board's meeting at the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92101.
In California, 4-H is administered through county-based UC Cooperative Extension advisors and educators who provide practical knowledge to people, businesses and communities via science-based research and educational programs. The proclamation not only celebrates 4-H's impact in San Diego County, but also acknowledges the successful partnership between UCCE and the County of San Diego.
As a leading youth-serving organization nationwide, 4-H offers research-based programs that equip young people with life skills, leadership training and community engagement opportunities. It also provides professional development and resources for other youth-serving organizations throughout participating counties, including San Diego.
Liliana Vega, UCCE 4-H youth development advisor for San Diego and Orange counties, envisions her expertise in justice, equity, diversity and inclusion enhancing positive youth development for all, especially Black, indigenous and people of color. Eager to create culturally relevant experiences that resonate with young people, Vega believes that doing so starts with empowering youth-serving professionals with growth opportunities, equipping staff to engage with the community meaningfully and prioritizing diversity.
“By partnering with local organizations, schools and diverse community groups in San Diego, we can elevate the quality and reach of youth programs throughout the county. Together, we can enhance opportunities in STEM, environmental justice, the arts and workforce development for the next generation,” said Vega, while describing the program's collaboration with the YMCA and Girls Inc. in San Diego as excellent examples.
At sunset on Oct. 8, attendees and passersby will witness the County Administration Center lit in the program's iconic green color, symbolizing the organization's century-long commitment to youth development in San Diego County. The proclamation and lighting ceremony are open to the public, and individuals whose lives have been enhanced by 4-H are encouraged to attend.
For more information about UCCE's 4-H program in San Diego County and details on how to get involved, please visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/4HSanDiegoCounty/. You can also contact Rebeca Manzo at remanzo@ucanr.edu or Liliana Vega at live@ucanr.edu.
- Author: Mark P Bolda
- Plants per acreage: potentially up to 2,500 plants per ¼ acre
- Yield per plant: an estimated 250 flowers per plant every 3 months
- Approximately 600 fresh flowers = 1 pound
- Harvest method: Hand-picked individual flower tops (on approximately half-inch stem), or because of the growth pattern in which the flowers are on a stem above the foliage, mechanical harvesting might be possible
- Handling and shipping: Because we crush and macerate the flowers in high-proof alcohol to extract flavor, they do not require delicate handling such as with flowers used decoratively. Shipping can be done by vacuum bagging, boxing, and sending overnight via FedEx or UPS to Colorado.
Bob Tews
Tews Pro Services LLC
C 303 808-4072
- Author: Ria DeBiase
La pérdida del estatus comercial preferente de China podría perjudicar a las exportaciones agrícolas, de lácteos y ganado
El anuncio reciente de la administración Biden sobre un incremento a las tasas arancelarias para algunos productos chinos, preocupa a economistas y expertos en agricultura de California quienes advierten que una nueva guerra comercial entre China y Estados Unidos resultaría en una potencial pérdida económica para la agricultura estatal.
El incremento a las tasas de importación de China anunciadas por la administración Biden incluye automóviles eléctricos, celdas solares, semiconductores y productos de aluminio y acero. Esto incrementa la posibilidad de otra guerra comercial con China que impactaría a la agricultura.
Economistas de UC Davis y de la Universidad Estatal de Dakota del Norte evaluaron las implicaciones potenciales de que los Estados Unidos revoque el estatus Normal Permanente de las Relaciones Comerciales con China (PNTR, por sus siglas en inglés). Concluyeron que, si China toma represalias por el cambio de estatus del PNTR, esto podría llevar a un incremento del 9.5 por ciento en las tarifas arancelarias agrícolas de China, resultando en una potencial pérdida comercial para la agricultura de California de alrededor de mil millones de dólares anuales.
La agricultura californiana fue duramente afectada por la guerra comercial de 2018-2019 con China y muchas industrias aún no se han recuperado de estos efectos. A pesar de ello, hay un apoyo creciente en el Congreso para incrementar las restricciones comerciales con China, con propuestas que aseguran que este país no está cumpliendo con las regulaciones de la Organización Mundial de Comercio.
La investigación del autor sugiere que algunos grupos de productos, como los hortícolas, lácteos, ganado y carnes – muy probablemente experimentarían incrementos más agudos de lo normal en tarifas de importación.
“El impacto en las tarifas arancelarias de importación para sectores no agrícolas sería aún mayor, con un incremento promedio de un 3.9 a un 32.5 por ciento en la tarifa de importación”, indicó Colin A. Carter, co autor del estudio y distinguido profesor del Departamento de Agricultura y Economía de Recursos de UC Davis.
Para todas las exportaciones agrícolas de California estimaron una disminución promedio con un valor de exportación de entre 28.4 a 34.8 por ciento cuando se compara con un escenario en donde el estatus PNTR de China es revocado, con uno donde no lo es. Esto se traduce a una pérdida comercial estimada de entre 800 y mil millones de dólares, basándose en las exportaciones agrícolas de California del 2023. Algunas cosechas que dependen fuertemente en China para su exportación, como las nueces, serían más severamente impactadas por estos efectos, particularmente considerando que algunas de ellas son sujetas a tarifas residuales desde la guerra comercial del 2018-19.
La última guerra comercial entre Estados Unidos y China condujo a disminuciones significativas en los precios de cosechas y a pérdidas de oportunidades de exportación. Como hace notar el coautor Sandro Steinbach, profesor asociado del Departamento de Agronegocios y Economía Aplicada y director del Centro para Políticas Agrícolas y Estudios Comerciales de la Universidad Estatal de Dakota del Norte, “una vez que el acceso a un mercado se pierde, es difícil recuperarlo, como lo ha mostrado la guerra comercial de 2018-19”.
Para conocer más sobre las implicaciones potenciales de la revocación del estatus preferencial a China por parte de Estados Unidos, puede leer el artículo completo de Carter y Steinbach: “Revocar el estatus Comercial Preferencial de China sería costoso para la agricultura de California” en ARE Update 27(4) en : 1-4. UC Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics, en Línea en https://giannini.ucop.edu/filer/file/1715033514/20982/.
ARE Update es una revista bimensual publicada por la Fundación para la Economía Agrícola con el fin de educar a los legisladores y agro empresas profesionales acerca de nuevas investigaciones o análisis de temas agrícolas importantes y recursos económicos. Los artículos son escritos por miembros de la Fundación Giannini, incluyendo la facultad de la Universidad de California y especialistas en agricultura y recursos económicos de Extensión Cooperativa y estudiantes de posgrado universitario. Conozca más sobre la Fundación Giannini y sus publicaciones en https://giannini.ucop.edu/.
Adaptado al español por Leticia Irigoyen del artículo en inglés. Editado para su publicación por Diana Cervantes.
- Author: John Durham, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
I've been eager to satisfy my appetite for English gardens since visiting the Cotswolds region earlier this year. Fortunately, one doesn't need to travel to the U.K. to experience such a place. We have a great example in Northern California.
It has been more years than I can remember since my first visit to Filoli, the former Bourn-Roth estate in Woodside. So in some ways it felt like being there for the first time.
William Bourn was the prosperous owner of a gold mine who, with his wife Agnes, built Filoli as a self-sufficient country estate. Designed by Willis Polk, the famous San Francisco architect, the mansion took three years to build and was completed in 1917. Twenty years later, after both of the Bourns were deceased, William and Lurline Matson Roth purchased the property. Lurline Roth was the heir to the Mattson shipping fortune and the one who donated the entire 650-acre estate, in 1975, to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Today it is open for public tours and nature hikes and draws 400,000 visitors a year.
Entering through the original carved oak door that the former owners brought from their home in San Francisco, I encountered the beautiful garden “rooms” area. Indeed, there are many gatesand paths interspersed in the 16 acres of formal gardens. They add to the whimsy and appeal of Filoli.
Visiting in early September, I found roses, dahlias and begonias in abundance and full bloom. Unfortunately, the hydrangeas were past their prime, but they were gigantic. According to Flowers magazine, Filoli is home to one million daffodils, which must put on quite a show in spring. Being a rose fan, I was thrilled to see so many still in bloom, among them ‘Lady of Megginch,' ‘Lady of Shalott' and ‘Secret.'
Adjacent to the Rose Garden and after the Knot Garden is a marvelous collection of dahlias (my second favorite flower). They were so beautifully colored and striking. Among the standouts: ‘Heather Marie,' ‘Clyde's Choice,' ‘Pearson's Colleen,' ‘Show ‘N' Tell' (perhaps my favorite) and ‘Crichton Honey.'
Further down, in the so-called Panel Garden, there were large beds of a knee-high plant with lovely coral-colored blooms. A label identified the plant as ‘Gaza' but I'm still unsure what it was.
Just beyond this garden, I took the pathway steps leading up to the High Place. From this vantage point, you can look back to the yew allée and enjoy the view. Walking back down the yew allée, I was surprised by the expansive pool pavilion area. Adding to the charm of the walk were small pots of Echeveria ‘Purple Pearl' and small ceramic and stone ornamental sculptures.
Of course, at the end of the self-tour, we had to go into the garden gift shop. Needless to say, I spent some money and time there and walked out with some souvenirs.
After lunch on the dining room terrace, we visited the historic house. While the “bones” of the rooms have not been altered, the furniture and decorations changed with ownership. Admittedly, I must have either not paid enough attention on my first visit or just focused on certain rooms more than others. I did not recall much from that visit, although I distinctly remember the layout of the Gentlemen's Lounge, particularly the pool table.
This time, the Library made an impression, with all the shelves of books that belonged to the Bourns. The Drawing Room was notable as well. It included the only known photo of Agnes Bourn entertaining and pouring tea. After dinner, the women would withdraw to this room, while the men remained in the dining room. Times have changed, of course. Perhaps that's why we don't see drawing rooms in homes nowadays.
Of course, to serve all these folks, they had an expansive butler's pantry and kitchen. These rooms had serving ware on display and all the original appliances, including the original stoves.
Unfortunately, the Ballroom was being restored and no entry was allowed. The rooms upstairs were also not open to the public. Still, I would recommend spending part of your day visiting this historic house.
There is so much more to see and do at this huge estate. I would highly recommend spending a full two days there if you want to take in the expansive California Trail or Spring Creek Trail.
Fall Faire: Join the UC Master Gardeners of Napa County for an entertaining and educational event on Saturday, September 28, from 1 pm to 4 pm, outdoors at University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. Enjoy exhibits on composting, monarch butterflies, succulents, water conservation, bees and more. The program includes activities for kids, a scarecrow contest, giveaways and music. Admission is free.
Library Talk: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County and Napa Public Library for a free talk on “Thirsty Lawn to Low-Water Succulents and Perennials: A Step-by-Step Guide” on Thursday, October 3, from 7 pm to 8 pm, via Zoom. Don't let analysis paralysis stop you from achieving your new climate-appropriate garden. Join the UC Master Gardeners of Napa County on a step-by-step journey from weedy, labor-intensive lawn to a garden of succulents and perennials with year-round color. Register here.
Workshop: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County for a workshop on “Soils, Compost and Mulch” on Wednesday, October 9, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, at the Pelusi Building, 2296 Streblow Drive in Napa. Pat Costello, the City's water resources analyst, will summarize the eight principles of water-wise landscaping. Master Gardeners will examine local soil types and demonstrate how to improve your soil with aeration, amendments and mulch.
Help Desk: The Master Gardener Help Desk is available to answer your garden questions on Mondays and Fridays from 10 am until 1 pm at the University of California Cooperative Extension Office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa. Or send your questions to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. Include your name, address, phone number and a brief description.