People new to gardening often ask what tools are needed to maintain their gardens. It's easy to become overwhelmed by the scope and variety of garden tools available in stores, online, and in garden catalogues. Even seasoned gardeners may wonder which tools are really necessary to help make their garden tasks easier and their gardens more productive. Since there are as many types of gardens as there are gardeners, there is no magic list of essential garden tools.  But all gardeners need quality tools that will perform well for many years.

When maintaining the landscape around your home, there are several tools that will make the job easier and more enjoyable. If there is an area of lawn, a mower is needed to keep the grass trimmed. The type of mower will depend on preference and the size of the lawn area. Gas mowers can accommodate any size of lawn or a need for weed mowing and allow more freedom.  Older electric mowers were tethered to an electric socket.  The new lithium battery-powered electric mowers run for over an hour and work well on medium-size lawns typical on a quarter-acre urban lot.  An electric mower is easy to use, starts every time, and does not require running to a gas station to fill the gas can (or the storage of gas between uses). A push mower is a wonderful tool for exercise, and a great choice for a small lawn. With a push mower the person doing the mowing is getting a cardio workout while maintaining the lawn.

Deciduous trees and shrubs dictate the need for a leaf rake. The flexible metal or plastic bristles of a leaf rake allow the removal of debris like leaves and twigs without overly disturbing the soil. Leaf rakes have a large, fan-like head of tines and come in a variety of head sizes with long or short handles. Adjustable leaf rakes with telescopic handles that can be lengthened and shortened are a useful option for those with little storage space.

A digging shovel is a staple for garden maintenance. The curved blade shovel is used for many heavy-duty jobs such as digging holes for planting trees and shrubs, turning over compacted soil in beds, and moving soil and organic compost from one area to another. They can be used to dig trenches, cut sod, and create sharp edges to outline a planting area. A curved blade digging shovel is truly the garden workhorse.

Hand pruners and loppers are needed for tree and shrub maintenance. There are two main types of pruners:  those with bypass blades and those with anvil blades.  These perform different garden jobs. A bypass pruner cuts like a pair of scissors: a larger sharper blade slips by a smaller blade to make a clean cut in living branches. Anvil pruners work like a knife on a chopping board:  they have a single sharpened cutting blade that strikes down on the flat anvil blade below. Because anvils crush soft plant tissue, they are a better choice for pruning out dead wood, while bypass pruners work well on live tissue. Bypass pruners generally have much broader utility than anvil pruners.  Loppers are tools with longer handles that offer more leverage and larger blades than hand pruners; use loppers to make cuts in any branch larger around than your finger. Loppers come in both bypass and anvil styles and work the same way as hand pruners.

A good-quality leaf rake, digging shovel, hand pruner, or lopper would be a thoughtful housewarming gift for someone new to gardening.

Besides the basic tools used to maintain the landscape around your home, there are other tools that are especially useful for particular garden jobs. Whether you are growing flowers or vegetables, working in raised or flat beds, planting in containers, or growing houseplants indoors, adding to your basic tool inventory can save time and help to prevent sore muscles. The following are some tool suggestions for specific garden types.

• Large vegetable garden. Long-handled tools, particularly a spade (longer and narrower than a digging shovel) and a hoe, are kind to the back and help get chores done in a shorter amount of time. Spades are not only good for digging and turning over the soil but aerate it as well. There are many types of hoes, and gardeners often have several favorites, alternating between them depending upon garden chores. Hoes are a foe to weeds and a much better garden defense than chemicals. Wheelbarrows and garden carts are also useful in a large vegetable garden.
• Raised Bed Garden. With beds usually no wider than four feet, this type of garden is becoming popular because of its ease of maintenance and the ability to grow more in a smaller space. A garden fork will turn the soil, aerate, and mix nutrients into the soil. A trowel will handle planting needs. A garden knife (also called a hori-hori knife) has one multipurpose steel blade useful for weeding and digging and can also be used for other garden tasks like measuring planting depths and cutting open bags. A hand plow and cultivator hoe are also helpful in raised bed gardening.
• Flower garden. A rabbiting spade and edger can make life easier in the flower garden. A rabbiting spade is narrow-headed and ideal for placing plants in containers and moving  plants and shrubs without damaging the plants nearby. An edger will define flower beds. Don't forget a good quality garden hose and nozzle.
• Container gardens and house plants. Whether in the garden or in the house, plants in containers will benefit from a soil scoop. Transferring soil from the bag to the container with a scoop avoids a potentially messy cleanup. A garden knife is also a good addition, as it can be used in weeding and also for performing other tasks. Misters and watering cans keep plants hydrated and happy.

Whatever tools you choose to purchase for your gardening needs, stick to the tried-and-true designs of old-school garden tools manufactured by well-known companies. While you may be able to save a few dollars purchasing a cheaper tool, it will soon add to the landfill, because you'll have to replace it after a couple of years. With proper selection, care, and maintenance, your garden tools should serve you well for many, many years.

Rob Fanno from Fanno Saw Works will discuss garden tool selection, care, and maintenance at a Master Gardener Workshop on October 3, 2023.  For descriptions of this and all the other workshops in the Master Gardeners' Fall Workshop Series, visit our website.  All workshops are free, but registration is required.

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system.  To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website.  If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.

 

It is time to order spring-blooming bulbs from the many catalogs that may be turning up in our mailboxes.  Daffodils are perhaps the easiest bulbs to depend upon for a colorful display that can last for several months, if you choose varieties carefully.

The genus ‘Narcissus' (amaryllis family) includes daffodils, jonquils, and paperwhites. All forms of narcissus make lovely additions to the garden, and daffodils in particular are hardy and easy-to-care-for perennials.  Depending on the daffodil type, their leafless stems will bear between one and twenty showy flowers in yellow or white, accented in some varieties with orange or even green trumpet or cup-shaped central coronas. Daffodils will cheer up an area between shrubs or in a border, and are especially effective planted in drifts beneath deciduous trees. They make excellent cut flowers, and attract pollinators such as butterflies and hawkmoths.  By carefully selecting varieties and considering their bloom times, you can enjoy a pageant of daffodils flowering in your garden from late January through April. Many varieties are also good for planting in pots and “forcing” to bloom indoors ahead of their regular flowering times.

For outdoor display, daffodils should be planted in the fall, between September and December (November is perhaps the best time). Select high-quality bulbs that have not dried out. Generally, the larger the bulb, the better. Plant in full sun or part shade.  Daffodils tolerate a range of soils but grow best in moderately fertile, well-drained soil that is moist during the growing season.  They prefer neutral to acidic soils.

Daffodils are most effective if planted in groups of ten or more of a single type. Pay attention to bloom times and plant heights if you are planting different varieties in the same area. Bury bulbs with their pointy ends up, two to three times as deep as the bulb is tall, spacing them three to six inches apart. To prevent bulb rot, avoid watering in warm fall weather, but do water them for two to three weeks after they have bloomed if the weather is dry.

Over time, daffodils that have naturalized will become crowded and will bloom less.  Apply a low-nitrogen, high-potassium fertilizer after flowering if bulbs are not performing as well as expected (or as well as in previous years). Lift and divide the clumps when they become over-crowded and/or flowering becomes sparse. Plants can actually be divided and transplanted when they are flowering, which can help you place them for best effect over the years.

After bloom, allow the plants to grow until the leaves die back (in May or June) so the bulbs can store energy for next year. Let dead leaves decompose in place or remove them by twisting and pulling lightly, to avoid pulling up the bulbs.

Daffodils are both deer-resistant and rodent-proof but are poisonous to pets. Common pest problems include large narcissus bulb fly, bulb scale mite, narcissus nematode, slugs, narcissus basal rot, and a number of viruses.

Here is a suggested list of four varieties for continuous daffodil flowering from late January to April. Each is a naturalizing variety, so they will increase and continue to bloom in succeeding years if left in the ground.

• “King Alfred,” a large, trumpet type that blooms early to mid-spring, with one flower per stem, 13 to 18 inches tall. Others of this type are “Dutch Master,” “Golden Harvest,” and “Marieke.”
• “Jetfire,” a cyclamineus type with a bright orange cup that blooms early to mid-spring, with one flower per stem, 13 to 18 inches tall. Performs wonderfully in pots; terrific for forcing; more tolerant of partial shade and moisture than other groups.
• “Quail,” a jonquilla type, blooms mid- to late spring, has two to three highly fragrant flowers per stem, grows 12 to 18 inches tall. Good choice for containers, rock gardens and dainty spring bouquets.
• “Geranium,” a tazetta type, blooms mid- to late spring, has up to six flowers per stem, grows 13 to 18 inches tall.

The sight of daffodils blooming on a spring day can pay dividends long after their bloom has past – William Wordsworth certainly found this to be true, as demonstrated by one of his best-loved poems:

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

By William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

The Master Gardeners' Fall Workshop Series begins on Monday, August 28^th with the first of a two-parter on home canning and preserving.  All workshops are free, but they do require advance registration.  For descriptions of all sixteen workshops and to register, visit our website.

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system.  To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website.  If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.

Cool season plants like a warm start, so it's not too early to begin adding some of them to the vegetable garden now.  In this way you can extend the harvest of both warm season crops and cool season veggies.

In mid to late August, many warm season vegetable seeds will still have sufficient growing days to reach maturity. To figure out which vegetables can be planted now, look at the “days to maturity” on the back of the seed packet and count back from your region's first frost date. Chico has a 10 percent risk of frost by October 29, and a 50 percent risk of frost by November 14. This gives the gardener at least 60 to 75 days before frost, which is enough time to grow a new batch of cucumbers, a second round of summer squash, and some varieties of lettuce and Asian greens.

Many fall crops survive a bit of chill. The date to plant out frost-tolerant transplants like kale, chard, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower is somewhat flexible. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower are best started indoors or purchased as transplants.

But what to do about all the plants already growing in the beds? This is where the magic begins. Previously it was believed by many that plants compete with one another for nutrients and water. The planting bed had to be denuded of the early crop and maybe even left fallow for a time before replanting in that space. Newer research shows that plants grow better when a variety of other plants grow nearby. Dr. Christina Jones, a soil ecologist from Australia who speaks at regenerative agriculture forums throughout the world says, “Every plant exudes its own unique blend of sugars, enzymes, phenols, amino acids, nucleic acids, auxins, gibberellins and other biological compounds….The greater the diversity of plants, the greater the diversity of microbes and the more robust the soil ecosystem.” These various soil microbes bring nutrients to the plant in exchange for sugars discharged by the roots. The wider array of available nutrients from a diverse group of plants increases an individual plant's ability to fight off diseases and pests, and increases the nutrient density of the plant. Basically, the plant grows better and is ultimately more nutritious when consumed. This diversity can be achieved by employing a combination of succession planting and “No Till” gardening techniques.

There are several approaches to succession planting.

• A crop can be seeded in the place where another plant was harvested.
• The next crop can be planted among the existing crop (intercropping). This has advantages in August since the foliage from older plants can offer sun protection to tender seedlings.
• Several compatible plants can be planted together (companion planting).
• The same crop can be seeded at different time intervals for continuous, smaller harvests (successive plantings).

So there are a variety of ways in which new plantings can be mixed into existing beds, but what is the best way to do this? The old image of a row of chard separated from a row of broccoli by a clean path of dirt is giving way to a more heterogeneous look. Farmer pioneers and soil scientists like David Montgomery, Anne Bikle, Dr. Christine Jones, Dr. David Johnson, and Gabe Brown urge farmers and gardeners to get rid of the shovel or plow, mulch like crazy, plant multiple species, leave roots in the soil, and get some cows. The cows may not be feasible in your yard, but incorporating the other principles can enhance the health of your garden and bring more nutrients to your food.

Rather than pull out existing veggies when they are dying off, cut them down at ground level. Immediately add some compost. Poke a hole the depth recommended for the seed you are planting. Drop seed into the hole. Pull the soil back over the seed and keep watered. Cover lightly with straw, grass clippings, or other mulch. Wait until the new plants are developing before adding a thicker coating of mulch.

To understand the advantages of No Till planting, imagine the roots of your existing plants creating a series of subterranean paths. These are channels which allow water to penetrate more deeply into the soil. They are the highways through which fungi, bacteria, and a world of other microbes travel. The casing of a root is covered with this life. In a vital, populated microbiome, it will take less time for roots of a new seedling to tap into this abundance than it would if it were being planted into a stripped environment. Digging and turning the soil also disrupts this preexisting helpful network.

Succession planting and starting cool season vegetables early will extend the harvest, but remember that it is hot and new plants dry out quickly. Water more frequently until your fall garden is established.        

Approximate Frost Dates in California

Vegetable Planting Guides for our area:

Chico Valley Area Planting Guide

Foothill Planting Guide

You can find some of Dr. Christine Jones's talks on soil health here.  

Well worth reading is Gabe Brown, Dirt to Soil: One Family's Journey into Regenerative Agriculture, Chelsea Green Publishing, 2018.

The Master Gardeners' Fall Workshop Series begins on August 28^th with the first of a two-parter on home canning and preserving.  All workshops are free, but they do require advance registration.  For descriptions of all sixteen workshops and to register, visit our website.

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system.  To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website.  If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.

A new season of Master Gardener Workshops is about to start! The series begins with a two-parter designed to help us make the most of our summer produce: “Canning Fruits & Pickles: The Basics of Boiling Water Bath Canning” on August 28, followed by “Pressure Canning Vegetables and Dehydrating Fruits & Vegetables” on September 11. The series concludes on November 20 with “Wildcrafting” – an introduction to collecting plants in the wild and using them in medicinal remedies and health products.  In all, this Fall Series totals 16 workshops, including nine all-new topics.  There is something here for every type of gardener and every size of home garden, whether you maintain a balcony of plants in containers or produce fruit and vegetables on a large plot for your family, friends and neighbors.

In the months to come, the foundational skills of creating soil-enriching compost; growing edibles, ornamentals, shrubs and small trees outdoors in containers; propagating and dividing plants; caring for garden tools; and preparing the garden for winter will be covered.  For those who are interested in learning about Biochar, which has potential to improve soil and increase pest and disease resistance for plants, we've got a brand-new workshop for that, too. 

Selecting, planting, caring for, and harvesting fruits and berries are covered in a trifecta of workshops: “Growing Citrus Trees,” “Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, and Strawberries,” and “Espalier,” which focuses on training fruit trees along a horizontal surface.

If you are thinking you'd like to start beekeeping, or are just interested in learning how to attract and support honeybees and other pollinators, our workshop on Honey Bees is for you. 

Of course, supporting pollinators and other native wildlife is important to us all.  Our new workshop on native oaks (“Plant an Acorn; Harvest a Community”) describes the multiple ways creatures and humans benefit from creating an oak ecosystem in our own yards and gardens.  Oaks can contribute greatly to a wildlife corridor – why not make your own yard count in the effort to conserve water resources and rebuild local wildlife corridors?  Learn how in “Neighborhood Habitat Certification,” our workshop led by the coordinator of Altacal Audubon's Certified Neighborhood Habitat Program.

Finally, no gardener gets younger as time marches on. Our “Gardening for a Lifetime” workshop offers plenty of practical advice to help transform increasingly difficult chores into sustainable activities, so we can continue to be active in the garden as we age.      

Most of the workshops will be held in the outdoor classroom located in the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden or inside Pat's Barn; both are located at the Patrick Ranch (10381 Midway, between Chico and Durham).  The first three workshops will take place indoors, in the Chico Branch Library Meeting Room on Sherman Avenue in Chico; two will be held in Paradise, at the Terry Ash Center on Skyway; and the workshop on berries will be held at the private residence of our berry expert. While most of the workshops are held during morning or early afternoon hours, the workshop on container gardening is offered in the early evening (6 to 7:30 pm).

The following is a list of workshop topics and dates.  All workshops are free, but they do require advance registration.  For full descriptions of all the workshops and to register, visit our website.

AUGUST

Canning Fruits & Pickles: The Basics of Boiling Water Bath Canning (Monday 8/28). Start canning and preserving your garden bounty, using the Boiling Water Bath and Atmospheric Steam Canning methods.

SEPTEMBER

Pressure Canning Vegetables and Dehydrating Fruits & Vegetables (Monday 9/11). Learn to successfully and safely process food with a pressure canner, and how to dry fruits and vegetables in a dehydrator or simply outside in the sun.

Container Gardening (Tuesday 9/12).  Grow edibles, ornamentals, shrubs, and small trees outdoors in containers.  Container types, plant choices, and best practices for soil, watering, and fertilizing will all be covered.

Honey Bees (Saturday 9/23). If you are considering beekeeping as a hobby, or just interested in learning more about attracting honeybees and other pollinators to your garden, this workshop is for you.

It's a Wrap! Autumn Garden Clean Up, Winter Prep and Preservation (Saturday 9/30). This workshop/discussion delves into some essential steps to ensure that next year's garden is even more successful.

OCTOBER

Tool Care (Tuesday 10/3). Rob Fanno from Fanno Saw Works will tell us how to select and care for garden tools.

Biochar: Is It Worth It? (Wednesday 10/4). Learn what biochar is, what it can do for your soil, why it works, and when it doesn't.

Propagation (Monday 10/9). Learn when and how to propagate woody perennials and divide plants.

Growing Citrus Trees (Thursday 10/12). All about citrus: the best varieties for our region; planting, training, and caring for citrus; protecting citrus trees from frost; common pests and diseases to watch out for and control.

Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, and Strawberries (Friday 10/20). Best methods for planting, growing and harvesting delicious berries.

Composting (Friday 10/27). This workshop covers a variety of approaches to creating compost, from simple to complex.

NOVEMBER

Neighborhood Habitat Certification (Saturday 11/4). Learn how your yard can contribute to the development of needed wildlife corridors in our community.

Plant an Acorn; Harvest a Community (Tuesday 11/7). Planting native oaks to support local creatures that depend on them for food and/or shelter not only helps out wildlife, but enriches our own lives as we contribute to an important ecosystem.

Espalier (Wednesday 11/8). Dive into the ancient horticultural practice of growing trees and bushes along a horizontal surface using supports. Focusing on fruit trees, this workshop provides all the information you need to get started.

Gardening for a Lifetime (Thursday 11/13). Practical advice about plants, labor-saving techniques, tools, and exercises to help us continue to garden successfully as we (inevitably) age.

Wildcrafting (Monday 11/20). Learn from experienced herbalist Jules Pecson of Fiona's Forest in Paradise as she discusses the practice of harvesting plants in their natural habitats and their uses in medicinal remedies, tinctures, and salves.

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system.  To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website.  If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.