- Author: Gerry L Hernandez
I thought this month would be a good start to introducing the communities to the new Colusa Street Tree List that goes to the council in November for approval. One of the most exciting is a really drought tolerant tree that is a cross between the old catalpa and the desert willow – we have ended up with a lovely 20-25 foot tree with magnificent blossoms, greenish tinged bark, broken shade and once established as drought tolerant as anything you might want to have around. It's really exciting to see a new tree break into the spotlight and take care of the old nuisance parts of the catalpa – no beans!! Its name is x Chitalpa tashkentensis.
Among the best features of 'Pink Dawn are abundant clusters of showy pale pink flowers with each cluster containing from 15 to 40 flowers. The 1 inch long flowers have a funnel-shaped throat with conspicuous purple nectar guides that line the inside and emerge to give orchid striping to the flared pink petal lobes. Flowering begins in May-June in California and continues well into late fall.
Unlike either of its parents, Chitalpa is a hybrid and is sterile and produces no messy seed pods. Additionally the flowers dry on the plant rather than fall fresh and so do not become a slick safety hazard on a walkway or patio.
So if you are looking for a new introduction to you yard and not wanting to spend a lot of our precious water – try this new hybrid cross.
Submitted by Cynthia White
- Author: Gerry L Hernandez
Trees are so important and worth saving. I picked up a flyer from the International Society of Aboriculture. I divided the flyer into 5 easy to read segments. Here is part 1.
- Author: Gerry L Hernandez
Minimize the Lawn
- The use of native groundcovers, grasses, shrubs and trees make an eye catching garden
- Reduce the size of the lawn and plant Tall fescue. It is a cool season grass that does well in summer. Most cool season grasses need a lot of water to look good.
- Avoid slopes
Benefit: Conserve water, energy and labor
- Author: Gerry L Hernandez
Tree watering
What is the best way to water a mature tree? How do I water the tree? How deep do I water my tree?
Roots naturally want to stay in the top 2-3 feet of the soil. It's in their nature to be “shallow”. Why don't the roots grow to infinity and beyond? More nutrients are available to the tree in the top 2-3 feet of soil. Also anaerobic conditions exist in deeper soil and the roots cannot survive there.
So how do we water the tree so that the roots are deep enough for optimal growth and not stick out of the ground?
The University of California has developed a system to easily irrigate trees, it's called Tree Ring Irrigation Contraption (TRIC). Basically you circle the tree at 1 foot intervals with a drip line.
Here is a link to the TRIC information http://ccuh.ucdavis.edu/public/drought/tree-ring-irrigation-contraption-tric-1/tree-ring-irrigation-contraption-tric
Tree photo from Symphony of the Soil.