- Author: Lori Plakos
Conducted by Master Gardener Volunteer, Lori Plakos.
I planted a 10'x10' test garden using different mulches to compare their effect on the production of bell peppers.
The test crop was bell peppers. Each plot was planted with three specimens each of red and yellow varieties which were purchased from a local nursery. These were planted on April 25, 2013. Unfortunately, the plants were subjected to a heat wave the following week, while I was out of town, and the housesitter had a difficult time keeping the plants moist, with the result that the control plot and the straw plot each lost a plant, and two died in the pine needle section, while those in the vermicompost all survived.
Variables to consider:
- Automatic sprinkler irrigation may have been inconsistent through the bed.
- Proximity to a fence may have influenced sun exposure. The straw and pine needle plants were furthest from the sun protection of the fence.
- Difficulty determining when to harvest. Waiting until peppers changed color appeared to be too late - they often rotted on the plant. I wasn't sure if I should consider all fruit, particularly toward end of season when fruit wasn't completely ripe. I included fruit of a particular size from all plants, even though I personally try to eat only colored peppers that are fully ripe. I know a lot of people eat green peppers.
Observations:
The non-mulched section (5 plants) grew weeds. The largest grasses were removed to prevent spread.
The straw mulch plants (5 plants) had problems with pests, mainly slugs. These were controlled using Sluggo 11. All of the plants had their share of pests, but the straw mulch was the worst. I've read that is a problem possibly due to the less dense nature of the straw harboring the pests. I have used a lot of straw mulch due to the fact it's readily available in my area and economical. I plan on running it through a shredder to make it more compactable and not using it where pests are a concern.
Those mulched with worm compost (6 plants) produced the strongest plants. The nutrients in the vermicompost helped the health of the plants. My preference would be to use that, but it is expensive to be able to use it over large areas. I do a lot of regular composting (mostly grass clippings and leaves), but I worry that working compost that isn't fully composted into the soil will compete with the plants. However, using it as a mulch will allow it to work in the soil over time when it is fully composted and giving the plants nutrients along the way.
The pine needle plants (4 plants) produced the largest crop per plant and overall in spite of the early plant losses and being furthest away from the fence's sun protection.
Results by Total Crop Weight rounding off to the nearest oz.
- Non-mulch: 52 oz.
- Straw mulch: 35 oz.
- Worm compost: 129 oz.
- Pine needles: 161 oz.
Conclusion:
The biggest thing I learned with this test is to MULCH. The most effective thing I learned about mulching during a drought is the resultant reduction in weeding and watering, which is very significant. The less attention you have to give to a particular plant, the more attention you can give to other parts of your garden.
The vermiculture mulch was the most expensive but those plants were the healthiest looking and best grown although they did not produce the heaviest crop. Those under pine needle mulch produced the best yield, far surpassing those grown either under straw or with no mulch at all.
/span>- Author: Dustin Blakey
There are a number of factors that can set landscapes up for potential disasters and one of these is chronic plant stress. Many trees and shrubs, when exposed to prolonged periods of stresses like drought, are more likely to be attacked by insects or invaded by disease organisms.
As it should be clear by now, we are in a prolonged drought. While many Owens Valley landscapes have been able to maintain consistent soil moisture throughout the drought, others have not been so lucky.
There are two predominant changes common in landscapes that are occurring right now.
- Some yards are being maintained much dryer than in the past
- Some yards are inundated with excess moisture
Drier Yards
In yards that have become more dry, expect issues such as borer infestations and canker diseases. Once either pest has become established, it is very difficult to cure. The best cure in these cases is prevention. Vigorous, growing plants are much less susceptible to pest attacks. By keeping your trees and shrubs in good condition you will avoid most attacks will be able to endure those that do occur.
There is no getting around it: your landscape will continue to need water. It is important if you have less access to water, water what you intend to keep alive deeply. Deep watering will encourage the best possible utilization by roots. Using mulches to moderate soil temperatures and moisture loss is also beneficial.
Local trees we would expect to be most affected by drought-associated pests and diseases will be
- Lelyand cypress
- Arizona cypress
- Poplars, aspens, and cottonwoods
- Pines
- Fruit trees
Wet Yards
Too much of a good thing can also be problematic. Many yards in West Bishop are finding that their soils are inundated with moisture. For plants not acclimated or adapted to those conditions, this can be deadly. Waterlogged soils lack oxygen and the root injury that goes with it can lead to root rots.
If yards continue to be saturated, usually an engineering solution to remove excess sub-surface water, such as French drains, is needed. If this is a temporary condition, perhaps there will be no consequence.
Suggestions
It's hard to make blanket recommendations but here are a few ideas if you find yourself managing a landscape whose moisture level has changed dramatically.
- Water dry plants deeply.
- Use mulch in dry areas near shrubs and trees (but keep an eye open for new pests). Keep mulch off trunks.
- Encourage bare soil on wet yards to increase evaporation. Cool-season grasses will also pull moisture out of the soil, so don't remove lawns in these situations
- Watch plants for signs of change. Catching problems early increases options.
- Start saving for a fund to remove trees. If a tree needs removal, it can be expensive. If you don't ever need it, you'll have a vacation fund instead!
Contact the Master Gardeners for more ideas for dealing with your yard. inyomonomg@ucdavis.edu.
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by UCCE Master Gardener Volunteer Viv Patterson
Around the end of March, I noticed that some of my garlic plants were completely dead while others were alive, well, and growing straight up. I checked the water, exposure, and soil. All seemed ok; I couldn't imagine what had happened. I decided to dig up the dead plants, turn the soil a bit, and plant something else. Lo and Behold....the Garlic wasn't dead; it was done growing! According to my plant label, I had planted a bit of Sonoran Garlic in this spot. I went back to the catalog and studied the description for Sonoran Garlic. The description joggled my memory as to why I purchased this variety in the first place. It read:
Hardneck variety named for the Sonoran desert that harvests extremely early. Sonoran is very early harvesting so you have garlic before anyone else. It grows well in the great American Southwest from Austin/San Antonio all the way to San Diego. Harvests VERY early - late spring to early Summer - stores until around November-December.
Sonoran Garlic is beautiful - Purple with medium-sized cloves. Tonight I plan to enjoy my first Aglio e Olio of the Season: Linguini with Garlic and Olive Oil tossed with Fresh Spring Herbs and topped with Parmigiano Reggiano. Recipe follows.
Sonoran Garlic
Image: Burpee Seeds.
Viv's Aglio e Olio
Serves 2-3
Ingredients:
- 6-8 ounces dried Linguini (I like DeCecco or Barilla)
- One Head Garlic Chopped (yes, the entire head)
- Lots of really good Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
- One-Half teaspoon Crushed Red Chile Pepper
- One-Half teaspoon Kosher Salt or a good finishing salt like Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
- One Cup Minced Fresh Herbs
- Use at least four or five types of herbs. Tonight I will use whatever looks the best from my herb garden: Probably Oregano, Tarragon, Thyme, Rosemary, Italian Parsley, and Cilantro. They all are at their tenderest moment.
- Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
Directions:
- Bring big pot of water to a rapid boil.
- Drop in Linguini and start timer for one minute less than the directions call for. Try Linguini when timer goes off. It should be al dente … not quite done.
- Meanwhile, put Garlic and Olive Oil in a large sauté pan. Sauté Garlic until it is just done. Don't let the Garlic get brown. Add one-half teaspoon of Kosher Salt and Crushed Red Chile Pepper at this time. Remove the pan from the burner.
- When the Linguini is al dente, drain the pasta in a colander.
- Put drained Linguini into pan with Garlic and Olive Oil. Put on a burner with medium heat and toss Linguini until done (but not overdone). Turn off heat.
- Add Herbs and tossed until pasta is coated.
- Add more salt to taste.
- Put on serving plates and topped with Parmigiano Reggiano. Drizzle with more EVOO, if desired.
Note: If you want this to look a little bit fancier, top the finished Aglio e Olio with Grilled Shrimp, Scallops, or Chicken. Make sure you coat the Shrimp, Scallops, or Chicken with Oil, some minced Garlic, Salt, and Pepper before grilling.
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- Author: Dustin Blakey
A friend of mine in Arkansas who is knowledgeable about these sorts of things once told me that if he were going to be stranded on a tropical island and could only bring one thing it would be a sweet potato. They are nutritious and easy to grow when it's warm. Myself, I'd rather skip the stranded part and just eat sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes are not hard to grow in the garden, but I rarely see them attempted. They're not only nutritious, but their vigorous growth habit works well to smother summer weeds in your garden.
To grow sweet potatoes you plant transplants (called slips) once the soil has warmed and nights are consistently above 50°F. Other than water, they require little care and thrive in poor soil. (Alkaline soil, such as in Chalfant, will need to be amended to lower the pH.) Sweet potatoes' growth rate is based on the heat accumulated in the plant over the season. In our climate, it will take about 100 to 120 days to raise a crop. You will probably be setting slips outside in June and harvesting after the kids have started school again.
Harvest sweet potatoes gently and allow them to cure for about 1 week to improve their storage life and flavor. To cure a sweet potato, ideally it should be stored at 85°F and 85% humidity. (We might have a hard time with the humidity here!) A greenhouse, sunroom or sunny bathroom works well for this, but keep them out of the sun. Once cured, they will store well at 55°F.
The only challenging part of growing sweet potatoes is obtaining slips. There are dozens of mail-order sources for slips; however, almost all source their slips from growers in the Southeast. California doesn't allow importation of sweet potatoes from this region to keep out pests and diseases. This leaves us three options to obtain slips:
- Order from a mail-order nursery that's not shipping from the Southeast. I am aware of only one: Sand Hill Preservation in Iowa.
- Obtain slips inside California. There are some growers around Merced that do this, but we have a hard time getting to Merced from here. Any garden centers you encounter that have slips for sale would be fine, too.
- Grow your own slips.
It is not hard to grow your own slips, but there are as many ways to grow them as there are sweet potato growers. With heat and moisture, sweet potatoes form shoots and grow roots easily.
Some gardeners use moist, heated sand beds. Sweet potatoes are placed in these beds and when the tops emerge, the slips are harvested. This is a good way to grow a lot of slips.
An easy way to just grow a few slips is to suspend a sweet potato above a mason jar partially filled with water using toothpicks just like you would start an avocado from seed. I've also seen people lay sweet potatoes down in a glass baking dish filled with about 1” of water. Either way, keep the bottom ½ wet and warm. Once the sprouts emerge, break them off the sweet potato root, and set them in a clean jar filled with about 1-1/2 inches of water to form roots. This whole process takes about 20-30 days depending on temperature.
In order to ensure this sprouting process works, you should buy Organic sweet potatoes so that they haven't been treated with any type of shoot inhibitor.
It's important to have warm soil to plant sweet potatoes outside. If the soil still needs to warm up but your slips are ready, you can plant them in containers filled with potting mix while you wait.
You shouldn't have too many problems with this plant, but even if you have a few, its rapid growth rate usually makes up for any damage. As an added bonus, they are a fantastic part of a crop rotation in the garden as they are unrelated to most other things we eat, including Irish potatoes.
No endorsement implied for businesses or products mentioned.
- Author: Lori Plakos
During one August vacation my husband and youngest son happened upon the Swan Island Dahlia farm in Canby, Oregon (dahlias.com). “WOW!!” I was hooked.
I have now been growing dahlias for many years. There have been more successes some years that others, and I share my experiences below. Dahlias can be temperamental, so be patient until you find what works for you.
Location: Dahlias like warm sun, not hot shade and they don't tolerate frost. They are best located in a situation that gets morning sun, but is protected some from the hot afternoon rays. Since they bloom late in the summer, the sooner you can get them started the better. They will wait for the soil to warm up before starting growth which can be hastened by planting in raised beds that warm quickly.
Preparation: Dahlias like acid soil so I add 1 cup of sulfur per 100 square feet when preparing the ground. My dahlias performed best on the southwest side of the house in raised beds with good drainage.
Planting: The tender tubers need to be planted well down in a 10-12 inch deep hole. Incorporate 2 tablespoons of bone meal into the bottom of the hole. Place the tuber on its side and drive in a sturdy stake next to it. By placing the stake now it serves as a marker, and also avoids the risk of damaging the roots or growing shoots which can happen once the hole is filled. I used 5ft 1inch redwood stake for my larger varieties. Cover the tuber initially with 4” of soil. Watch for sprouting and gradually fill in the hole as the plant grows.
Timing: Because you plant your tuber underground, and you build soil around the new growth as it comes up, you can start your dahlias early. Spring planting is always a gamble in the high Desert. We have recorded frosts as late as June 8th. Getting a head start in the spring gives you more rewards from your plants. Be prepared to protect your dahlias from a sudden frost - Walls of water, frost cloths, etc.
I started my tubers on April 5, 2014 and had my fist flower on June 1st. Choose an early blooming variety if possible. I have had late varieties that never bloomed before the first frost in the fall! If your plant does get hit with a frost, it won't kill it, but it will have to start over.
You can also start your tubers indoors. When I tried this last year, I had more success with the tubers started outdoors. Although I can see where this might be a good option during a big winter and cold spring (If we ever get one of those again.)
Water: Dahlias love water but usually the tubers don't need water until they sprout. In our climate (high desert) a light watering is often necessary until the plants emerge. When established you will want to give your plants a through deep watering about three times a week. I recommend a system that can deliver water to each individual plant so you don't waste the precious resource. Hand watering is not recommended because you won't get the necessary deep soaking needed. I have mine on a drip system which runs three times a week with a 1GPH emitter for 20 minutes. I supplemented that with a hose bubbler and flooded the beds every other week.
Fertilizer: Use a fertilizer with a lot of Phosphorus for the blooms (this is the middle number of an NPK fertilizer.) A good choice is the same one you would use for your tomato plants. Follow the package directions. Fertilize after the first 3 weeks and then once a month until September. Stop fertilizing in September to promote a healthier tuber for winterizing.
Pests: Slugs and snails love dahlias, especially little tender baby ones. Once you've filled in your planting hole, apply snail control around the top of your hole before the plant emerges to discourage them. Continue to apply throughout the season if the snails persist.
Later in the season as things warm up, watch for mites. If the lower leaves of your plant dry out and look like they need water, but you've been watering, you may have mites. Rinse the lower part of your plant to discourage mites. If you catch it early you may be able to wash them off, and remove the affected leaves. Mites won't kill the plant right away and you'll still get flowers on top. Normal fall frost is the first of October, so take all that into account before you resort to chemicals. Pesticides kill. Nature needs all of its checks and balances. For integrated pest management see http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FLOWERS/dahlia.html .
Pruning: This is the hardest part. As the stem emerges from the ground, the main stalk develops two branches on either side. After three of these branching pairs form on the stalk you have to pinch out the center. This encourages lower branching of the plant and will give you a stronger plant and more blooms on top!
Staking: Staking is a must. Dahlias have hollow stems which often have to support very large (totally awesome) flowers that fall over easily, especially in our windy conditions.
Using the stake you placed at planting, every once in a while check and wrap a piece of garden twine around the entire plant with the stake in the middle, it will hold the plant up (unless you guessed wrong and your plant got too big, just add a second taller stake on the other side.) You don't need to tie up each individual stalk.
Harvest: Sometimes this is a hard part - you might think that if you cut the flowers the plants will finish sooner, but the more you cut the more you get. One Fall I had several blooms on a couple of plants and thought we might get a frost so I cut them all off thinking that they were going to die anyway. Turns out we had a late frost that year and I was loaded with blooms after that! So now I feel guilty if I let a bloom expire on a plant without anyone enjoying it.
Cut your flowers in the cool of the morning, or evening before they are at the end of the bloom cycle. Not all dahlias are suitable for cutting, but I choose varieties that have long stems so I don't have to cut off the immature blooms in the same bunch. Have a pail of water handy to put them in as you harvest.
In the late summer, if your plants have a lot of buds, but don't seem to be blooming, they need more water.
Set the Bloom: Some growers feel setting the bloom extends the life of the cut flowers. One way to set the blooms is to get several small containers of plastic, or metal (not glass, it holds heat.) Put 2-4 inches of hot (160-180 degrees F) in the bottom of the container. I use an electric hot water pot. I've also used the microwave, but don't use the container you use in the microwave to put your blooms in; it will be too hot since it is usually glass. Put the blooms in the cool containers with the couple inches of hot water with plenty of room for the steam to escape without affecting your flowers. Let the water cool for an hour or so, then transfer them to your vase.
Floral preservative will further extend the life of your cut flowers, although I just give my arrangements fresh water every day. The internet has many homemade preservative recipes, or you can buy commercial preservative.
A simple homemade preservative:
- 1gallon water
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Vinegar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Bleach
This is a good recipe to have, although I just give my arrangements fresh water every day. I'd like to do an experiment testing preservative vs daily fresh water or a combination to see what works best. But keeping it simple works best for me.
A subsequent article will cover lifting and storing the tubers at the end of the season.