- Author: Elinor Teague
It's so nice to have a lush garden again (however short the time until drought resumes) but the vigorous plant growth will cause problems this summer.
Plants and trees that have suddenly outgrown their spaces this spring will obviously need to be trimmed back, but the trimming and pruning should not be a one-time major cut back. Reducing the size of the leaf canopy by more than 25 to 30 percent during the growing season removes too much of the plants' and trees' sources of energy and can cause stunted growth. A light pruning using thinning cuts to reshape the outer canopy of only those branches that are obstructing access or that risk causing property damage would be best during the summer. Leave the removal of larger branches and branch scaffold restructuring until winter when deciduous trees are dormant.
The recent overgrowth on many plants will have shaded the soil underneath the larger canopy as well as the roots that extended to the edge of the enlarged canopy. Those roots may well die back in the hot soil. Expect to see some wilting and signs of heat stress after even moderate pruning.
The second caution on pruning overgrown plants this summer involves the risk of sunburn on newly exposed interior wood. We can expect that the Central Valley will experience several heat spikes, or long periods of high daytime temperatures (above 100 degrees) along with warm nighttime temperatures, in the next few months. Sunburn is a common problem on hedges that are pruned heavily during the summer in the Central Valley with the hedge tops showing most of the damage from the sun's rays. It's best to shear hedges lightly and frequently, every six to eight weeks, in the summer. To help reduce damage from sunburn, use a mixture of half water/half white latex paint on exposed wood, especially on citrus and other fruit and nut trees, to reflect some of the sun's harsh rays. The open center or vase-shaped pruning system on most fruit and nut trees should be maintained in the summer months.
The UC ANR publication 8057 on pruning deciduous trees has line drawings of several pruning methods and a glossary of pruning terms, which provide very basic pruning information. A long time favorite pruning guide, Orthos' ‘All About Pruning,' is once again out of print but worth searching for in used book stores for its excellent detailed descriptions, drawings and photos of the proper pruning techniques specific to many tree and bush species. DK Publishing (one of the best publishers of garden books) has “Grow Pruning and Training" ISBN 9780744026832, $12.99, which seems to be a good replacement for the Ortho guide.
- Author: Cindy Watter, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
There is a beautiful house for sale in my neighborhood, and it was recently featured in the New York Times. Among its abundant selling points is a magnolia tree. It is indeed a lovely tree, and it is in bloom right now. It has glossy blue-green leaves and on the hottest day is cool and refreshing to the eyes. I walk past it every day and admire it.
This tree is the southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora). It is an evergreen magnolia, with large white blooms. I have also seen many deciduous magnolias around town, called saucer Magnolias (Magnolia soulangeana). They are smaller than the southern magnolia, which can overhang a two-story house. Saucer magnolias come in a variety of colors, but the pink ones are the ones I see most often in Napa.
The Sunset Western Garden Book says early spring is the best time to plant trees with root balls that are wrapped in burlap. Container magnolias can be planted anytime. So, if you are interested in one of these trees, which add beauty and value to your landscape, put a reminder in your gardening notebook. Magnolias need sun to flower, but they won't do well in a scorched, windswept area. They are considered excellent landscaping trees, with one caveat—grass won't grow under them, so keep that in mind.
Magnolia roots are sensitive and can be injured. When you plant your tree, it is best to set in some markers to indicate root spread. (You can remove them when the tree is established.) Dig a hole about one and a half times the size of the root ball and slightly less deep. You want the root cavity to be even with the surrounding ground. Add some compost, and then apply mulch. Keep some space between the mulch and the trunk—don't let the mulch touch the trunk. Depending on your soil, you may need to fertilize occasionally. If your soil is too alkaline, the magnolia leaves will yellow from iron deficiency, so use some iron chelates. Use a controlled release fertilizer for nitrogen deficiency. Don't over fertilize.
The best way to water magnolias is with a drip system that follows the root line. You should water deeply, not with superficial splashing that uses up lots of water but doesn't hydrate properly. Once the tree is established it needs less water.
Magnolias don't need much pruning. I have a friend in Virginia who never prunes her southern magnolia, and it is twenty years old, sixty feet tall, and very healthy. (She also never waters it because Virginia rains in the summer.) The best time to prune deciduous magnolias is after they bloom. Prune for shape, removing any errant branches. Evergreen magnolias should be pruned in winter before the big spring growth burst. Wear gloves if you do prune your magnolia because the juice from the tree can irritate skin.
Magnolias, biologically speaking, are an ancient tree. According to the Smithsonian Institution, they existed in the Cretaceous period, when dinosaurs roamed the earth--but not bees. Beetles pollinated magnolias then. Because of that, their evolution is unusual. Magnolia flowers have very sturdy carpels, or female parts of the flower, which mimic the stamens, which are the male parts of the flower. The petals of a flower attract pollinators, and the sepal protects the reproductive organs of the plant. Because the petal and the stamen of the magnolia are similar in size and color, the sepal is called a tepal. When the beetle came to the flower, it would roll about in the pollen, covering itself with it. In the evening, the tepal would close over the beetle. In the morning, the tepal would open and release the beetle, which would go off to pollinate another flower. This is how the magnolia achieved cross-pollination, resulting in a stronger plant that has survived for millions of years.
The fruit of the magnolia is shaped rather like a pinecone and is covered with follicles. It contains reddish orange seeds. Birds love the seeds and disperse them widely.
The magnolia is named after a French botanist, Pierre Magnol, a 17th century botanist who worked on plant classification before the Linnean system we use today. According to the Smithsonian Institution, he had an “intuitive understanding” of plant relationships because of their similar characteristics.
I find magnolias fascinating. Maybe it's nostalgia—my childhood was spent in South Carolina. Once a week an old lady would drive through our neighborhood in a Model T, with the back loaded with coffee cans full of flowers that she grew. Her name was Miss Corrie, and my mother would send us out to buy magnolia buds when they were in season. Mama would put the buds in a dish of water, and we would watch them open. As each petal unfurled, it made a tiny snapping noise. The flower had an intense fragrance with a hint of citrus. When we put the opening buds on the patio table outside, the bumble bees would literally wallow in them. I was only six, but I knew just how they felt.
Library Talk: Join UC Master Gardeners and Napa County Library for “All About Lavender,” on Thursday, June 6, from 7 pm to 8 pm, via Zoom. Have you ever wondered what you can do with that gorgeous lavender growing in your backyard? Learn what lavender needs to thrive, and harvest ideas for how to incorporate it in your own homemade creations. Register to receive the Zoom link.
Workshop: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County for a workshop on “Planting for Monarchs and Other Pollinators” on Sunday, June 16, from 2 pm to 4 pm, at Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington Street, Yountville. Learn about host plants and nectar plants and how to include them in your garden. This workshop is offered in partnership with Yountville Parks and Recreation Department. Register on their website. Click Adult Activities, then UC Master Gardeners, then Planting for Monarchs and Other Pollinators.
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.
- Author: Penny Pawl, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
When my husband and I first started gardening at our new Napa home, we made many errors. One of the big mistakes was planting invasive plants.
We really wanted bamboo, but we did know it had a reputation for taking over gardens. So, my husband put golden bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea) in a half wine barrel set on concrete blocks. A year or so later, we noticed something coming out the bottom, creeping across the soil and headed to a garden bed. We never imagined that bamboo had a mind of its own. Bye-bye bamboo.
My neighbors planted giant bamboo (Dendrocalamus giganteus) next to their front porch. It put on a beautiful show when it bloomed. And then the roots started creeping under the house. After fighting the bamboo for a while, they removed it permanently.
A retired Master Gardener, who has since moved, had a wonderful old house on Coombsville Road. On one side of her house was a magnificent old wisteria. This vine sent roots and shoots under her cement basement, and they emerged on the other side of the house.
Wisteria planted in the wrong place can indeed be invasive. I transplanted wisteria from our first house in Napa to our next home in Calistoga, then back to Napa. I still have it in my current garden, but I planted it on a fence far from structures. And I check it often for sprouts moving in every direction. Heavy pruning also helps keep this plant in check.
My husband and I planted pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) when we first started landscaping. Those huge plants try to take over the world. It was slowly moving toward the road, so I had it removed.
Everyone loves redwood trees. They're practically a symbol of Northern California.
But they should never be planted near a home and, frankly, never in a home landscape.
I have been digging in a raised bed in preparation for planting my summer garden and guess what I found: tons of redwood feeder roots. In fact, I found one fat root that is no longer a feeder. I plan to have a helper dig up this bed. Then I will solarize the soil next summer to kill those feeder roots.
Solarization involves wetting the soil, then covering it with black plastic sheeting and letting it bake in the summer sun. The heat will also kill most weed seeds.
As I weed, I am finding baby redwoods everywhere. The winter rains encouraged the redwood seeds to sprout. And squirrels have fun throwing the seed pods everywhere.
My husband wanted trees that grew fast, so he planted a Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) near our house. They are known to grow more than six feet a year and to get just as big around as they are tall.
Within a few years this tree was indeed very big. One summer it split, and part of the tree was pointed toward the house. It was a delicate operation, but my husband and a neighbor used a pickup truck and rope to take it down. We never planted another Monterey pine.
I have also been grappling with nandina (Nandina domestica). Some varieties send out long roots that eventually decide to grow a new plant. Unless you want a nandina forest, be sure to buy the clumping type for your garden. Mine had to be dug out.
There are about 40 plants considered extremely invasive in California, and some nurseries still carry these plants. So do a little research before you buy. Most of these bad boys have beautiful flowers and do well in our soils and climates.
Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) is a good example. This plant spreads over large areas, pushing out native plants. We once traveled a back road at Point Reyes and for miles there was nothing but blooming Scotch broom. Native plants and wildlife evolve together, so a thuggish plant like Scotch broom can create a wildlife desert.
Some honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is also invasive. I have two that I propagated from cuttings. While they are in large pots and growing well, I am aware that they may have broken through the pots and rooted in the soil. They are huge and I have not tried to move them. They are growing on a screen that provides a visual barrier in my back garden, and the bumblebees love them. I am just happy that I did not plant them in the soil.
I have also, unwittingly, acquired a stand of Himalayan blackberries. I suspect that birds planted them. These vines are invasive, and I will have them taken out this summer. They are thorny and it will be a major project.
Before you bring any new plant home from a nursery, do yourself a favor and make sure it is not on California's invasive plant list. You can find this information easily online.
Library Talk: Join UC Master Gardeners and Napa County Library for “All About Lavender,” on Thursday, June 6, from 7 pm to 8 pm, via Zoom. Have you ever wondered what you can do with that gorgeous lavender growing in your backyard? Learn what lavender needs to thrive, and harvest ideas for how to incorporate it in your own homemade creations. Register to receive the Zoom link.
Workshop: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County for a workshop on “Planting for Monarchs and Other Pollinators” on Sunday, June 16, from 2 pm to 4 pm, at Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington Street, Yountville. Learn about host plants and nectar plants and how to include them in your garden. This workshop is offered in partnership with Yountville Parks and Recreation Department. Register on their website. Click Adult Activities, then UC Master Gardeners, then Planting for Monarchs and Other Pollinators.
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.
- Author: Steven Worker
Guidebook and workshop series helps 4-H project leaders learn about their roles, responsibilities, lesson planning, making learning engaging, and working with youth leaders.
California 4-H relies on and recognizes adult 4-H volunteer educators who bring knowledge, experience, and passion to work with youth. Adult 4-H volunteer educators who provide learning experiences (as project leaders) are one of the most important influences on youth development and educational outcomes. California 4-H committed to preparing our volunteers to facilitate high quality youth development and learning experiences to 4-H youth members.
An Update to the 4-H Project Leaders Guide
In August 2023, the UC 4-H Volunteer Educators' Guide: For Those Facilitating 4-H Educational Experiences, authored by a team of 4-H Advisors, was published as a 40-page peer reviewed publication. It was a needed revision to the 2007 4-H Project Leaders' Digest, in order to incorporate the new 4-H Thriving Model of Youth Development, and other emerging research on education.
The guide is useful for 4-H volunteers in community club projects, afterschool club programs, day camps, special interest (SPIN) clubs, teenagers-as-teachers programs, and other educational experiences. The guide provides an overview of the 4-H Youth Development Program, its mission and goals; key program content areas; best practices; volunteer expectations and support; and a look at the underlying science of youth development that support the 4-H approach.
Online Workshop Series for 4-H Project Leaders
In September/October 2023, the volunteer workgroup launched an online workshop series to help make the written guide “come alive” and support 4-H volunteers in meeting, sharing, and learning.
The entire series consists of 4, 2-hour sessions for a total of 8 hours. While the series is probably most beneficial to new 4-H volunteer educators, even those who have been project leaders for years have learned something new.
Thus far, 80 4-H volunteers from 30 counties have completed the 8-hour series! See the list of those who completed the 8-hour series (updated April 1, 2024).
We found statistically significant improvement in all learning objectives:
- Nurturing youth sparks, sense of belonging, and positive relationships with adults;
- Facilitating hands-on experiential education and planning your project;
- Working with all ages and abilities; and
- Creating effective youth-adult partnerships & working with youth leaders.
The sessions were valuable in helping 4-H volunteers strengthen their knowledge of important youth development and educational concepts needed to implement high quality 4-H learning experiences.
“What were the most important things you learned you plan to use in your 4-H projects?”
"I got some ideas on how to development better relationships with youth and ideas on how to help them find their sparks."
"I really appreciated all the very practical suggestions about how to actually strengthen the foundational components - there are several I will by trying out in or projects and meetings."
"I learned I can lean on the established material for youth development. Feeling supported in this new endeavor as I am new to this."
"Talking with other project leaders, and learning tips from more experienced leaders on how to engage youth."
"There is a project plan form after I planned my meetings completely. I will be printing the form and using it."
"Really great to learn more about the 4-H project plan. I've led projects for 5 years and this will be the first year I prepare one (a bit belatedly). Thank you!"
"I'm definitely sharing the project planning document with other project leaders in my club. This was a very helpful tool I was not aware of. Thank you!"
"The importance to have all ages being involved in the projects and allowing the older members teach the younger members."
"The characteristics and implication for activities for each age group presented nicely and I will consider this more in the project activities."
"How to tailor each project/project meeting to all the different age groups and learning abilities."
"Hart's Ladder (thinking how to move up to upper level would help me plan activities & project meetings). Leadership Competence Chart was wonderful."
"Give members more options to voice what they want to learn and how they can learn it. Give them more opportunities to lead and help in any way they can."
Fall 2024 Workshop Series for 4-H Project Leaders
The series is being offered again on Wednesdays in September 2024. Registration is now open! Register
/h2>/h2>/h2>/h2>/h3>- Author: Erica Pettey
Ten 4-H counties participated in the UC Davis College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Field Day on Saturday, March 2, 2024. The 4-H teams competed in contests on Vet Science and Light Horse Judging, as well as the State Qualifier for 4-H Livestock Judging.
Placer County 4-H - Livestock Judging Team
Placer County 4-H had 4-H youth competing in both the Senior and Junior age divisions. In the Junior Division, the Ophir 4-H club was represented by Gabby, Julia, and Cameron. In the Senior Division, the 2024 CA 4-H State Champion Livestock Judging team was led by Joey S., Gabriella, Moriah, and Ella from Ophir 4-H Club. Ella was Second Overall High Point Individual and Gabriella was Third Overall High Point Individual. Fellow Ophir 4-H member, Matt, also competed in the Senior Division as an individual. They are coached by project leader Liza Stefani and Lucus Delap from Chico State University. This hard-working and enthusiastic team qualified to represent California 4-H at a national 4-H livestock judging contest in the 2024-2025 program year. They are excited to travel to Denver, CO to compete in the National 4-H Livestock Judging Contest held during the Western National Roundup in January 2025.
Merced County 4-H - Livestock Judging Team
The Merced County 4-H Livestock Judging team was split between the Junior and Senior age divisions. The Junior Team was led by Kai, Maysie, Anya, and Aubree from McSwain 4-H Club with Keira from Ballico 4-H Club competing as an individual in the Senior Division. This talented young group is coached by Leah Sanches and took home High Point banners in both age divisions. Kai earned High Point banners for Junior Individual Overall, Beef, and Goats/Sheep. Maysie was Third Overall High Point Junior. In the Senior Division, Keira earned individual awards for High Point Overall, Beef, Goats/Sheep, Swine, and Reasons.
San Mateo County 4-H "Team of Two"
The San Mateo County 4-H Livestock Judging “team of two” was led by Lucy and Fynn from the San Carlos Eaton Hills 4-H Club. They had a great day and were ranked second overall to earn a Reserve Champion Team banner. This small team did not have the required third member needed to qualify to represent California 4-H at a national competition this year.
“We are both from San Carlos Eaton Hills 4-H club in San Mateo County. We are very interested in animal science and love raising livestock. However, there are not many opportunities to get involved in agriculture or animal science where we live. This year, we decided to try livestock judging for the first time. We didn't know what to expect, but we ended up doing well and we learned a lot. Next year, we hope to find more people in our county to join a livestock judging project. We look forward to continuing with livestock judging and getting better for next year.” - written by Fynn and Lucy
Other counties that participated
San Luis Obispo County 4-H
The San Luis Obispo County 4-H team included Brooklyn and Josie in the Senior Division and Karis and Krew in the Junior Division. Karis was Second Overall Junior and High Point Junior in Reasons and Swine.
Sonoma County 4-H
The Sonoma County 4-H team included Trenton W. in the Senior division plus Ryan V., John J., Ryan S., and Bella C. in the Junior Division. The Sonoma County 4-H Junior Team was second place overall with their combined individual scores.
El Dorado County 4-H
The El Dorado County 4-H team included Rebeca R. and Shelby S. in the Senior Division and Emilee R. in the Junior Division.
Alameda County 4-H
The Alamedia County 4-H team included Makaela in the Junior Division and Kylie in the Senior Division.
Marin County 4-H
The Marin County 4-H team included Clare M. in the Senior Division and Frank M. in the Junior Division.
Yolo County 4-H was represented by Abigail B., Maxine C., and Addyson in the Junior Division.
Amador County 4-H youth in the Vet Science and Light Horse Judging contests
“Our Vet Science team placed 4th out of a huge number of teams and we were by far the youngest (ages 11, 13, 13, 15) next to all high school groups. Our Light Horse Judging member won all of the 4-H individual divisions with 1st and 2nds. No team placing since we didn't have a full team and were only allowed to compete as individuals.” - written by coach Kelsi Williams
Light Horse: Lily and Ama
Vet Science: Lexi, Saveah, Cecilia, and Haydin
Coach: Dr. Kelsi Williams