- Author: Rosie D
Welcome to March! This is the time when your roses are starting to break out from dormancy. It is a good time for garden maintenance before the big flower display in April.
If you didn't do this last month, take some time and check your irrigation system to make sure it is working correctly. Make repairs if it is not. My garden is strictly on drip. Yes, I did go through every emitter to make sure it was an adequate size and working, and cleaned out the valves to make sure they were free from sediment. It is worth the time.
If your watering system isn't drip, run your sprinklers in the morning (only on days that we can water) before the day warms up. This will avoid moisture evaporating or collecting on leaves which can (during the warmer months) result in sunburn or (during the cooler months) make it favorable for fungal diseases to develop on your roses. If you have sprinklers, avoid watering in the evening or at night. This will prevent excessive ground moisture at night. Soil that is too wet can lead to unhappy roots and/or fungal diseases. Avoid watering when it is windy, so the water doesn't evaporate into the air instead of watering your roses.
If you are thinking you might want to use fungicide to prevent fungal diseases from happening, I would encourage you to wait and see if they develop. Only spray if you see fungal diseases or pests that can't be managed by any other means.
If you believe you must spray, no matter what, here are some dos and don'ts. Don't spray on a windy day. Don't spray during the late morning, afternoon or evening hours. Don't spray when bees are out (even organic sprays). Don't spray when it is over 80 degrees F as it can burn your plants. Don't spray on a rainy day or if it is going to rain the next day. Don't spray if your pets (or your neighbor's pets) are in the yard. Don't spray if your children/grandchildren/neighbors are in the yard. I cannot stress enough that spraying is serious. You must take precautions.
If you choose to spray, you can use a lime sulfur spray or a horticultural oil mixed with a dormant spray for fungal diseases. You need to wear an appropriate face mask (N95), gloves, closed-toe shoes (no sandals or slippers), and disposable coveralls or a safety suit. Yes, anytime you spray your roses for insects or diseases, it is serious business. You can hurt yourself or others if you don't. That includes organic sprays as well, such as neem oil, BT, etc. Just because something is labeled organic, doesn't mean it can't hurt you, your neighbors, pets, birds, bees, etc. Shower, including washing your hair, after spraying. Those chemicals (yes, even organic ones) need to be stored appropriately. Don't mix chemicals because you think that it will be better for the plants. Follow directions on the label. Leftover sprays and their containers need to be disposed of, appropriately. If all of this sounds like a lot of work, it is. There are alternatives!
I remove leaves that have powdery mildew, rust, etc., if I get it. New ones will grow in. Mostly, I don't get fungal diseases. That is because I try to choose disease-resistant varieties for my yard (and we generally have low humidity). I also practice shovel pruning. If the rose is a disease-ridden mess, out it goes. I grow roses for my own enjoyment and their beauty. I don't have time to baby them. Some roses do better than others in our climate. I want the ones that do well in my yard.
I clean up debris from my roses and place it in the green bin. It does not go in my compost pile. I also keep a good 3 to 4 inches of organic mulch around my roses to stop weeds in their tracks and keep my roses roots cool in summer and warm in winter. It also helps to keep my soil moist so I can water less. The mulch will eventually break down and help improve the soil in my yard. The soil in my yard left something to be desired when I first moved here. After several years, it has greatly improved due to using compost and mulch (not rubber mulch!) that eventually breaks down and improve the soil.
I attract the “good bugs” such as lady bird beetles, lacewings, etc., by planting pollinator plants in my garden. Flowering native plants such as yarrow (Achillea), California buckwheats (Eriogonum), seaside daisy (Erigeron), sticky monkey-flowers (Mimulus), tidy tips (Layia platyglossa), etc., attract the “good bugs” that will eat the “bad bugs.” Native plants are great choices. They are beautiful and they are drought tolerant. These plants also attract birds to my yard. They too will eat the “bad bugs” and they are quite amusing to watch.
If you have the space for new roses, there is still time to purchase them and get them into the ground or a large pot. I like ordering roses online from several different sources. I find a greater variety online and end up with terrific plants. Also, the people who work at these nurseries tend to know the plants they sell and can make useful recommendations about what will or won't work in my garden.
When the new growth on your roses is about 2 to 3 inches long, you can start fertilizing. I recommend a good organic rose fertilizer. It will contain micro elements that will help to improve your soil and your plant. Synthetic fertilizers do not. In reality, as I have written before, your plant doesn't care what you buy, organic or inorganic. However, organic fertilizers won't burn your plants or add salts to your soil (synthetic fertilizers are made of various salts — not the kind of salt you eat). Organic fertilizer will help to build your soil over time. As your soil improves, you will be able to use less fertilizer but have the same result.
When you apply fertilizer, make sure the soil is moist. Water before and after your application. You can also spray your roses with seaweed (kelp) fertilizer. Roses love it. It may smell for a day or two but I have smelled much worse when it comes to fertilizers.
Again, test your soil before you fertilize. Don't fertilize just to fertilize. You are wasting your hard-earned money (which you could be spending on plants!). More is not better! I have had great results with just compost and a good layer of organic mulch (not rubber mulch).
Next month…we should be seeing some beautiful spring blooms! If you can, take some time to enjoy all of the new and beautiful spring growth in your yard.
Until next time . . . "Friends are the roses of life. . . pick them carefully and avoid the thorns!" - Unknown
- Author: Ben Faber
Avocado fruit set is lousy up and down the coast this year. The trees were flowering in many places from January to June. They kept trying to set fruit, but nada. According to Daniel Swain at UCLA Weather West, this was the coldest winter on record without freeze and a long drizzly spring with little sun - cool days and night time temperatures. Cold day time temps mean poor pollinator activity. Honeybees just weren't working much. Then if pollen is transferred to the female stage flower, it takes 48 hours of above 50 deg F for fertilization - the deposition of pollen on the stigma and growth of the pollen tube down the style to the ovule. If the temp at night drops below 50, the process stops and the ovule never gets fertilized. So it doesn't matter if day time is warm and the pollinators are working, if it gets cold at night, the fertilization process stops.
So that's exactly what happened. Cool days for poor pollination and then cold nights for fertilization. It didn't matter how hard the tree flowered, it just wasn't the right weather. It didn't matter if you sprayed gibberellic acid. The weather was just not right for fruit set this tear.
And this should set off alternate bearing for next year if we have the right weather conditions. So you might think seriously about pruning because there could be a branch breaking crop set next spring – if the weather is right.
Interestingly,just as an observation it looks like GEM and Lamb Hass right next to Hass did set fruit just at the end of the flowering period. So there is some difference in varieties to weather conditions.
Image from American Museum of Natural History
The cool/moist weather has also created conditions for anthracnose and alternaria in fruit which causes problems for the consumer, but also caused early fruit drop and color change in the fruit on the tree. The trees just can't hold on to the fruit as one normally expects. It's a tough year for avocado growers. In the Central Valley all the stone fruit is late by almost a month. Apricots and cherries are just coming in season when they should have been available in late May.
Weird and Maybe we are going to have to get used to it.
Read more about the Basics of flowering
pollination - movement of male pollen to female stigma
fertilization - growth of pollen tube down to stimulate ovule
- Author: Ed Perry
Do you keep notes on how your garden performs each year to help you remember what is working well and what is not? Maybe this is your year to start. Barb Fick, Home Horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service, explains that there are many good reasons to keep a garden journal. A blank bound book or a ring binder filled with loose-leaf paper can make a great place to record what you do in your garden.
Having a year-to-year record of where things are planted will also help with crop rotation, which is the system of changing the types of vegetables and flowers planted each year in each garden location. Rotation discourages depletion of soil nutrients, pest outbreaks and soil borne disease. Without a good record of where each crop is planted however, it's easy to forget where a particular species may have been growing last year.
By recording each year's seasonal “landmarks” such as rainfall patterns and amounts, unusual weather such as rapid temperature changes, the date of the first daffodil bloom, the first frost and the arrival of the first hummingbird, you will be able to compare different years to one another and relate them to plant performance.
Fick writes that it's a good idea to record pest outbreaks in relation to what plants they are found on. It's also very important to include any control measures used, and the success or failure of those measures. This information will help you prepare for the same problem next year, or may help you decide not to grow that particular species next year. Also, record the appearance and activities of beneficial insects and their host plants. For instance, you may record that aphids on your rose bushes were brought under control by ladybird beetles and other natural enemies by mid-April. This information might help you make a decision on whether to use an insecticide to control the aphids the following year, or to let nature take its course.
To keep track of the amount of money spent on seed, fertilizer and garden tools, a journal can come in handy. It can also be a good way of keeping track of yields and a safe place to record the identities of the things you plant. You can keep a good record of species and varieties simply by taping the plant identification tags onto your journal pages, along with the planting dates and garden locations.
Fick says that along with being very practical, a garden journal can give you a feeling of accomplishment. When you add up the many hours spent, the numbers of species planted and the various garden methods used, most gardeners will feel proud of what they've done.
- Author: Michelle Leinfelder-Miles
Lately, I have been corresponding with growers and consultants about slow spring growth in their alfalfa fields. There are several reasons why growth may resume slowly this spring. I describe them below and discuss some way we may be able to manage for them.
Roland Meyer, UC Soils Specialist Emeritus, provided this information regarding water-run inoculum: it does not work well because the inoculum is not water soluble and floats to the surface. Rather, better success with re-inoculating fields comes with applying additional alfalfa seed coated with inoculant. The field needs to be irrigated soon after broadcasting the seed to get the inoculant into the soil.
Dormancy. I think we have a tendency to look over the figurative fence at neighboring fields and make comparisons. Keep in mind that the dormancy rating of a variety will have an influence on whether the field “wakes up” early in the season or tends to start growing a little bit later.
Nutrients. Nutrient management involves complex decision making and an understanding of agronomy, soils, and economics! When commodity prices are low, it can be hard to justify input expenses, but keep in mind that alfalfa is a perennial crop with perennial nutrient needs for maintaining yield and quality. Fall is the best season for addressing alfalfa fertilizer needs, particularly phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). There are soils in this region, especially in the Delta, that are low in K. We suggest soil sampling in the fall to gain an understanding for nutrient availability and then, as needed, applying fertilizer between October and February because it could take 60-90 days for the crop to fully respond to fertilizer application.
A couple other considerations for K nutrient management:
1) In new stands where the taproots may not yet be deep, soil sample in the top 12 inches to determine K availability. I have heard that some folks may be sampling down to 24 inches in alfalfa fields because they know alfalfa grows long taproots. While a mature stand will have developed taproots and may be able to scavenge for nutrients that deep, a younger stand probably cannot, and sampling too deep may give a false impression for nutrient availability.
2) Even when the soil test indicates adequate K, some K fertilizer may be needed in high-yielding crops. Alfalfa has a long growing season, and therefore, a long season of nutrient demand. Each cutting removes large amounts of nutrients with the plant tissue.
Use these rates to guide your K fertilizer applications – remembering that soil type, climate, and yield will influence fertilizer needs – and keep good records of all laboratory results, fertilizer applications, and crop observations. These records will be helpful in developing a long-term, economical fertilization program that maintains alfalfa yield and quality year after year.
Sending everyone best wishes for the season, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions or comments.
Help for the Home Gardener From the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Client's Request: We've recently moved into a new home with several fruit trees in the back garden. I would like some advice on what fertilizer is recommended for them. Additionally, one of the trees is a pomegranate, could I use some citrus fertilizer I brought when we moved here. Thanks!
MGCC Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Help Desk with your questions about fertilizing fruit trees.
The link below takes you to a free UC publication that will give you specific information on fertilizing fruit trees. It includes information on organic choices, manures, and chemical fertilizers. It also provides information on the specific amounts and timing of fertilizer application.. http://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/The_Big_Picture/Fertilization/.
I have also included a link following to information on general care of fruit trees that you may find helpful:. Fruit trees, nuts, berries, & grapevines.
Your second question was whether you can use citrus fertilizer on your pomegranate tree. Pomegranates prefer a neutral to slightly acidic soil- a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Citrus prefer a more acidic soil, at a pH of 4.5 to 5.5. Packaged citrus fertilizer mixes will tend to increase the acidity of the soil (i.e. lower the pH). Without knowing the pH of your soil, it is impossible to say whether the citrus fertilizer would be harmful to your pomegranate by changing the soil pH to level that is too acidic. Home soil testing is relatively inexpensive and easy to do. There are a variety of home test kits available at garden centers and plant nurseries. Attached is a document containing information on home soil test kits. If you choose not to test your soil, and you pomegranate tree is healthy and thriving, my suggestion would be to not use the citrus fertilizer. You can use it on your citrus; and citrus usually require routine fertilization during the year. Following is another link- this one gives information on pomegranates. https://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/pomegranate.html .
I hope you find this information helpful. Please feel free to contact us again if you have further questions or concerns.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SMH)
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Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, although we will be moving this spring. We will notify you if/when that occurs. We can also be reached via telephone: (925)646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/ MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/)
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Soil Test Kits UC Davis Garden Web