By Marian Stevens, Butte County Master Gardener, July 11, 2014
Rattlesnakes can best be identified by their distinctive triangular head shape. Their rattles are less reliable features for identification because they are often broken off on older snakes. Young rattlesnakes are born with a small rattle or “button.” A new segment is formed each time the snake sheds its skin; since this may occur several times a year, the size of a snake's rattle is an unreliable indicator of age.
Most rattlesnakes forage near brushy or tall grass areas, rock outcrops, rodent burrows, around or under surface objects and sometimes in the open. Adults eat live prey, primarily rodents; young rattlers mostly consume lizards and young rodents. Rattlesnakes wait until their prey is nearby, then strike with two large fangs that inject venom. This subdues the prey, which is then swallowed whole.
Rattlesnakes are called pit vipers because they have small pits on either side of the head between the eye and the nostril. Sensitive to temperature, these pits assist the snake in finding prey. The snake's tongue and nostrils also detect the odors of prey. The venom is produced in glands behind the eyes, and then flows through ducts to the hollow fangs. Normally, the fangs fold back against the roof of the mouth, but when the snake strikes, the fangs are pivoted forward to inject the venom. A dead snake can still inject venom by reflex action for an hour or more after its death.
Rattlesnakes will usually avoid humans, but if a snake is disturbed or senses a threat, it will strike. While seldom fatal, bites are extremely painful and can lead to severe medical trauma. If you are bitten by a rattler, go to the nearest emergency facility for treatment. A veterinarian should immediately attend to dogs or domestic animals that have been bitten by a rattlesnake.
Be alert during the time of year when rattlesnakes are active: that is from April to October in our region. Rattlers hibernate and hide in rock accumulations and areas where they are protected. Unlike other reptiles, rattlesnakes give birth to live young. To protect their young, rattlesnakes will often give birth in abandoned rodent burrows.
Even though they are dangerous, rattlesnakes are important members of our ecosystem. They add to the diversity of California's wildlife. Remember to be careful when working in your garden or when moving brush or debris in your yard. Always hike with a friend in areas where rattlesnakes may be present. And never, ever, tease a snake.
For more information see: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74119.html
By David Walther, Butte County Master Gardener, June 27, 2014
The on-going drought is leading many gardeners in our area to include drought-tolerant plants in their gardens, or even design wholly drought-tolerant landscapes. Here are some tips for selecting, planting and caring for plants that prefer dry conditions.
Most drought-tolerant and dry-loving plants do not like water on their stems or crowns. Wet conditions can trigger crown rot, so make sure you are correctly watering the plants you already have.
If you have a drip system installed, you can offset the emitters to keep the crown dry or deliver water directly to the roots of the plant by locating a piece of plastic watering pipe (any dimension you have around) from ground level to the bottom of the root ball. Slide an emitter inside that pipe, and voila! You will be safely watering your plant and avoiding crown rot. If you already have a dry garden set up with emitters, make sure those drippers are not getting the stems of your plants wet.
If you are planning to put in a dry garden, summer is not the best time to do it. The optimum time to plant a dry garden is between November, when the first rains begin to fall, and February. Planting during that period gives plants a chance to establish roots before the summer heat arrives, and before the soil begins to dry out.
You can start work on a dry garden now, though, by collecting plants from local nurseries and keeping them in a holding area in your yard until planting time. It is especially helpful to purchase plants right at the time they are at their best in terms of foliage or flowering so you know what you are getting. Meanwhile, you can prepare the site so by late fall you will be ready to put them in their new home. There is generally no need to amend garden soil with compost for drought-tolerant plants.
When putting in new plants, one method to ensure that the stem and crown remain dry is to “plant” a plastic nursery pot (like the one the plant came in) next to the plant – about ten inches away from the stem – leaving one to two inches of the pot above the soil line, so the bottom of the pot is in line with the lower part of the plant's root ball. Keep this pot empty, and when you water, water inside the pot instead of at the base of the plant. Water will seep through the holes in the pot and water the roots of the plant. After the first winter, the roots will have developed and the plant will be able to survive with less (or no) water, at which point you can pull up the pot and fill in the hole.
Once in place, water plants weekly for the first year; after that they can grow with just an occasional watering. Some will thrive with no water at all, except that which Mother Nature provides.
Consider some of the following plants for your dry garden, and keep in mind that many California native plants are drought-tolerant.
You can intermix your sun-loving dry shrubs with flowers that will grow with zero water, for example: scabiosa, calendula, nigella, California poppies, Mexican hat (Ratibida columnifera), iris and stock.
Shrubs well-suited to shady locations include daphne (Daphne odora) which resents a wet crown, and Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium).
Flowering plants for shade include lily of the valley; lambs' ears (Stachys byzantine); rose campion (Lychnis coronaria); native bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa); and spreading cyclamen (C. hederipholium).
For ground cover in dry shade try Epimedium spp., which has tough leaves and star-shaped flowers and will grow in shade; mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum); and lamium (L. galeobdolon).
The availability of drought-tolerant plants may vary, so check with your local favorite nursery to see what they currently have and/or plan to stock.
My M.A. Foley, Butte County Master Gardener, June 6, 2014
Dogs in our gardens can present many challenges. Dogs want to please their owner....usually, but the very nature of the beast does not always coincide with the humans gardening expectations. Dog can wear paths through yards in unexpected and unplanned places. They might dig unsightly holes, which can disturb plant roots or even dig up entire plants. Dog urine deposited on lawns can kill the grass, resulting in brown spots, while plants and shrubs sprayed with dog urine may look scorched or burned. If any of these scenarios sound familiar, it is time to consider how best to achieve that delicate balance between plants, gardener and dogs.
Worn Doggie Trails and Sleeping Spots
The heavily trodden paths that appear in the garden may be a good indication that the gardener should just go with the flow by adding a pebble path, mulch or pavers to the dog's well-traveled path to enhance its appearance. Dogs that pace or charge to the fence to protect their territory create paths that are in the natural flow of their lives.
With creativity, barriers may encourage the dog to alter its route. Planting large shrubs in the path and staking them firmly is one possibility. Large rocks or boulders may help change a course of travel. Large wire tomato cones can be anchored upside down to protect plants from being trod upon (sharp wire ends should be bent over to protect large enthusiastic dogs from potential injury).
Dogs may stretch out to rest on top of plants, flattening a garden bed in seconds. Keep a look out for places your dog likes to lie. If you want to plant something in those spots, the strategic placement of large rocks can deter your dog from napping there. The rocks create an uncomfortable deterrent while adding natural and pleasing hard surfaces to a planter bed. No rock can ever be too big; the bigger the better.
Why Do Dogs Dig?
The ASPCA reminds us that our pet dogs share the desire with their wild ancestors to sleep in and under things that resemble a den. They often dig at the ground and circle before lying down, as though they're trying to make a softer resting place. Dogs also dig when trying to get warm, stay cool, entertain themselves, bury valued items, or when hunting ground-dwelling animals. Some dogs dig an escape route to end loneliness, boredom and confinement.
Some dogs dig holes to consume soil, roots, and other organic material. They tend to be selective about the soil they consume, so this kind of digging is usually restricted to very specific areas. For example, dogs may mine for bone meal amendment, so you might well expect your dog to dig up and eat the bone meal you used to fertilize your bulbs, pulling out the bulbs in the process.
If your dog digs a hole underneath a shrub and lies in the hole to keep cool, you could try providing an alternative cool spot for Rover's naps. Elevated dog beds on thin platforms allow for air flow under a dog's body. Such a bed could create a cooling effect in the shade close to the ground. A child's pool of very shallow water for cooling may prevent your dog from undertaking major excavations under low shrubs.
By Cindy Weiner, Butte County Master Gardener, May 30, 2014
It can be difficult to find plants that bloom in shade. Incorporating native plants in your garden can greatly increase the choices available to you.
Coral bells and alum roots in the genus Heuchera are herbaceous perennials native to North America. Their large lobed leaves on long stems are evergreen, making the foliage attractive all year. They have tiny bell-shaped flowers held above the leaves in airy sprays on long stems. These plants look especially nice growing in drifts under trees. They grow well in filtered or part shade and require only occasional to moderate water. Their woody rootstocks should be divided or cut back to short stubs every 3-4 years.
Island alum root (Heuchera maxima) is native to the Channel Islands. It grows one to three feet tall and has creamy white to pinkish flowers. Crevice alumroot (Heuchera micrantha) grows on rocky mountain outcrops from central California north to Oregon. It is smaller than island alum root and its flowers are white or pink. Many cultivars of crevice alum root are available in general nurseries. These cultivars have been selected for foliage with silvery, bronze or purple tones. Three of the cultivars are “painted lady,” “Blessingham bronze,” and “purple palace.”
By Lynnde Sharpton, Butte County Master Gardener, May 16, 2014
Fire blight is caused by a bacterium and is a common and frequently destructive disease that shows up in April and May. Fire blight can also affect pyracantha, ornamental pear trees, and some other landscape plants.
The first sign of fire blight is often blackening of flowers, shoots or leaves followed by a watery, light tan ooze from affected shoots. Open flowers are the most common infection site and remain susceptible until petal fall.
Initially, fire blight infections might be localized, affecting only a flower cluster, but then the infection grows downward, extending into twigs and branches. These twig cankers kill more and more tissue as they advance. Dead, blackened leaves and fruit cling to dead branches throughout the season, giving the tree a scorched appearance -- hence the name “fire blight.” The pathogen can kill highly susceptible trees, while others may suffer significant branch dieback. Once infected, the plant will harbor the pathogen indefinitely unless the cankers are pruned out well below the infection.
Fire blight development is favored by warm, humid weather in spring, and is spread by splashing rain and insects. Our recent weather, including intermittent rain and hail, has produced ideal conditions for the spread of fire blight.
Monitoring trees regularly, a couple of times a week, will allow you to identify and deal with new fire blight strikes before they become a branch infection. It is important to remove and destroy any new fire blight infections before they spread and affect more tissue. Dip pruning shears in a 10-percent bleach solution after each cut.
If fire blight strikes have been ignored, the infection will spread and infect the branch. Once the wood is infected, the branch must be pruned out well below the infection. In this case, you will need to remove the diseased wood in summer or winter when the bacteria are no longer spreading through the tree. Again, dip pruning shears in a 10-percent bleach solution after each cut.
It is critical to make your cuts in the right place. Find the lower edge of the visible infection in the branch, trace that back to the branch's point of attachment and cut at the next branch juncture down without harming the branch collar (this is the distinct enlarged portion of woody tissue formed at the base of a branch where it attaches to the trunk). This will remove the infected branch and the branch to which it is attached.
If fire blight occurs on a trunk or major limb the wood may be saved by scraping away the bark down to the cambium layer in affected areas (removing both outer and inner bark). When scraping look for long, narrow infections that can extend further down the branch or trunk. If any are seen, remove all discolored tissue plus 6-8 inches more beyond the infection. This procedure is best done in winter when trees are dormant and bacteria aren't active. Don't apply any dressing to the wound. If the limb has been girdled, scraping won't work and the entire limb must be removed.
When selecting new fruit trees, choose those that are less susceptible to fire blight, if possible. The most susceptible varieties are Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Gravenstein, Jonathan, Mutsu, Pink Lady and Yellow Newton. Unfortunately, most pear varieties are susceptible to fire blight.
For more detailed information on identifying and controlling fire blight, see http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7414.html
