If mushrooms or toadstools have suddenly appeared up in your yard, you are probably wondering why, and what you can do about them.
Following a substantial rain after a long dry spell, or rapid warming in the spring, fungus spores will begin to grow. Germinating spores send out microscopically fine, root-like filaments, which can eventually clump together underground to form masses called mycelia. Sometimes, if you dig into the ground, these mycelia will be visible as white or dark thread-like masses. They are considered beneficial, because they break down and decompose wood, fallen leaves, grass clippings and other organic material to add useable nutrients to the soil. Worldwide, underground fungi are one of the most important natural soil-building organisms.
It is an ancient, often beautiful process, but problems arise when the mushrooms collapse and begin to decompose, leaving a slimy, sometimes stinking residue in lawns. Furthermore, many such wild toadstools are poisonous if eaten, especially to small children or house pets.
Because toadstools are only the fruit of the fungi, removing them will not get rid of the underground mycelia from which they grow. But picking them will prevent them from ripening and spreading even more spores throughout the yard. Picking them, and disposing of them, will remove the poison danger to kids and pets. Regular mowing usually accomplishes this with little or no extra effort.
Trying to excavate the underground mycelia from the lawn would be useless; even if the soil were dug out and replaced, the next gentle breeze would carry replacement spores from a neighbor's yard, from a farm on the other side of town, or from the next county, and the process would begin again. There is no point in trying to poison the mycelia with massive doses of fungicide, because the doses required could well be more toxic than the mushrooms themselves and they are generally ineffective.
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) 538-7201. 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.
The word is out -- container gardening is for both novice and experienced gardeners alike. It's the perfect way to experiment with plants, delve into edibles, and exercise creativity. No longer limited to houseplants and herbs on a sunny windowsill indoors, and porches and patios outside, container plantings are now gracing apartment balconies, larger landscape designs, and urban sidewalks. The sky is literally the limit with container gardens; there are hundreds of innovative possibilities.
What to plant: Most plants grown in the ground can also be grown in a container. Both annuals and perennials do well as container displays. If putting several plants together in one pot, consider light, space, water, and fertilization requirements. A design technique that creates an attractively-planted container is the “thriller, filler, spiller” technique. Thrillers are plants that add height and a vertical element to the planter, fillers are lower, mounded plants which make the container look full, and spillers are trailing plants that hang over the edge of the planter. For example, an edible container planting employing this technique could consist of tomato (thriller), basil, chives and marigold (fillers), and trailing nasturtium (spiller) growing together in an appropriately-sized container. As companion plants, they also have a mutually beneficial relationship with one another. For an ornamental container using this method, Green Acres Nursery in Folsom suggests a Striped Rush (thriller), Japanese Spurge (filler), Coral Bells (filler), Potato Vine “Black Heart” (spiller), and Lysimachia (spiller) for shady areas. Other suggestions can be found online by googling “container garden recipes.”
All containers need drainage. Self-watering containers may be complicated and should be used with care to avoid over- or under-watering. They can be purchased or made at home. There are many YouTube videos that provide instruction on DIY self-watering containers. A recent newcomer is the grow bag; these range in size and are easy to fold up and store when not in use. Made from breathable fabric, grow bags help retain soil moisture. The fabric bag helps to prune a plant's roots, which creates a more vigorous root system and helps to grow a stronger, healthier plant.
Consider the height and style of the container. Tall, narrow pots are less stable than short, squat ones. Avoid planting in a pot that narrows at its neck when planting perennials because it is difficult to pull a plant out once its roots have spread, and plants often become root-bound and need re-potting. Narrow-necked containers are best used with annuals.
Container Preparation: If you are drilling holes in a container for drainage, a five-eighths-inch drainage hole is a good size. Larger pots will require more than one drainage hole. Consider placing screening over the holes to help keep the potting mix from washing out of the container. When re-using a container, avoid spreading soil-borne disease by disinfecting with a 9-1 water-to-bleach solution prior to planting. Saucers should be used under pots to prevent staining on decks, patios, or driveways. Make sure the container does not sit in water, which can cause plant roots to rot.
Soil and fertilizer: When planting in containers, it is important to use the correct medium for optimum results. The terms “potting soil” and “potting mix” are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference between the two. Potting soil may include dirt, while potting mix does not. Because potting mix is soilless, it does not include any pathogens (fungus and other soil-borne diseases) which makes it safer to use for plants grown in containers.
A high-quality potting mix will be lighter, with the ability to keep the soil from becoming compacted. Soil compaction limits a plant's access to water and nutrients, and poor aeration can suffocate its roots. Mineral components (perlite, pumice, vermiculite) added to soil mixtures affect aeration, structure, and water retention. One or more of these components may be added to a potting mix. The remaining ingredients will be either organic or animal-based materials or inorganic-natural materials, depending on the brand and type of mix. Organic/animal-based materials include sphagnum moss, aged composted bark, manure, worm castings, bat guano, or coconut coir (a material made from coconuts which is sustainable and is used to replace sphagnum moss, which is not). Some mixes include either synthetic or organic fertilizers, providing nutrients. Look for nutrient-rich blends containing alfalfa, bone, or kelp meal.
It is important to buy quality potting mixes. Generic or less expensive brands may include garden soil, which affects the soil's texture and quality. Look for potting mixes that list their ingredients on the back of the package. If the mixture's ingredients are not listed, don't buy it.
Container Care and maintenance: Container-grown plants need more frequent watering than those growing in the soil. Lower soil volume and less insulation cause the soil in a pot to heat up and evaporate water more quickly. A soil meter can help determine if your plants are thirsty, but a finger poked into the pot is an efficient and cheap way to determine moisture level. Plants, especially edibles, prefer a moist soil. Water needs to reach the entire root system. If your water contains salts that deposit on your fixtures, it is important to water thoroughly enough for water to come out the bottom of the container. This leaches salts and prevents harmful levels from accumulating in the container. Try to avoid wetting the plant's leaves, as it can lead to leaf burn. Consistency when watering will lead to happy container plants. You may consider installing a drip system for outside containers.
Deadheading ornamentals will ensure repeat blooms and helps keep the container looking tidy. Keep an eye out for pests such as aphids. Slugs, snails, and earthworms can also cause damage to your container garden. Inspect plants frequently, and take action if necessary.
Benefits: Flowers, fruits, vegetables … pretty much anything that can be planted in the ground can grow in a container. For gardeners (and would-be gardeners) who are short on time or space, or lack adequate soil, or must contend with critters (like deer, gophers, or moles), growing fresh flowers and food are within the realm of possibility. The healthy attributes of gardening, including lower stress levels and increased serotonin, are available to anyone caring for plants. Container gardening provides an opportunity to attract birds and pollinators into the neighborhood, as well as a quick “do over” in landscape design. Containers make it possible for anyone to enjoy the beneficial aspects of gardening.
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) 538-7201. 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.
Spring is around the corner, which means it is time to plant. Starting from seed can be a gratifying and economical way to grow many edibles and ornamentals, but choosing seeds can be confusing. Do you want a black tomato or a striped tomato? Organic? Heirloom? Hybrid? What is the difference?
Heirloom varieties must be open pollinated, meaning that pollination occurs naturally by insect, bird, wind, or animal. Seed produced by the heirloom variety will grow true to type (it will resemble the parent plant) as long as the flowers were pollinated by the same variety. Open pollination creates a more genetically diverse gene pool which allows plants to slowly adapt to local growing conditions.
Hybrids should not be confused with Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMO's. GMOs are created by inserting genes from one species into an unrelated species. Some of these combinations might seem like creations of science fiction! Although never commercialized, tomato was experimentally modified with genetic material from fish to improve frost tolerance. On the other hand, papaya genetically modified with a viral protein saved the Hawaiian papaya industry from papaya ringspot, a devastating virus disease.
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) 538-7201. 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.
The Covid pandemic accelerated a movement to backyard edible gardening that had been underway in this country since the mid-20th century. But the idea of the cultivated edible landscape goes back much farther, to the first colonists in the 1600s. These settlers brought seeds and cuttings of familiar plants with them on their voyages from Europe, introducing non-native fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, and bulbs to the colonies. Practicality and need dictated that home gardens were planted primarily with edible plants; often the most useful ones were grown right outside a door to the house.
The first Earth Day, in April of 1970, galvanized attention on the environment through teach-ins, rallies and marches across the U.S. Concern for the ecological relationship between humans and their physical surroundings began to become more mainstream. The use of chemical additives, pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides began to be questioned as the focus gradually started to shift towards more sustainable practices. And edible plants began to be introduced more often in garden landscaping.
If creating a garden that is visually interesting while providing food for you and your family and friends is one of your goals – where should you start?
Thoughtful Planning
While pulling out ornamental landscaping all at once isn't practical or economical for anyone, neither is moving forward without a plan. Going to the nursery or box store, purchasing trays of edibles, and introducing them into existing landscaping may create a haphazard-looking result that is not conducive to the needs of the individual plants. A thoughtful plan to reintroduce edibles into the garden is an important aspect of edible landscaping. Taking time to determine the requirements of particular garden plants and evaluating the characteristics of your own specific garden space will produce great dividends. Edibles don't need to replace ornamentals; both can live happily side-by-side, and some can do double duty – for instance, flowering fruit trees like pomegranate, peach, apricot and cherry produce beautiful spring blooms AND delicious fruit to eat.
Looking online or viewing various types of gardens in your local area is a first step in determining your personal likes and dislikes in both garden style and plant species. Keeping a notebook of your preferences is helpful: add photos you've taken of garden features or plants you admire; collect images from the internet or magazines. And you might visit the Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden at Patrick Ranch (10381 Midway in Durham, just south of Chico) to get some ideas from the Edible Landscape garden established there.
While looking at possibilities, keep in mind the physical traits of your property, like soil, climate, availability of water, and areas of sun and shade. Are there permanent features, such as paths, decks, patios, or fencing that will be incorporated into the new landscape design? What about trees? How will existing trees feature into the new plan? Once you have considered all these characteristics and parameters it is time to plan.
The Foundation
Amending the soil will likely be part of your preparations for an edible landscape. It is important to recognize the difference between soil amendments and fertilizers. Soil amendments do just what their name implies; they improve the soil and help build or improve its microbial community (bacteria, Actinomycetes, fungi, protozoa, nematodes). Fertilizers add nutrients. A distinction should be made between organic and chemical fertilizers. Organic fertilizers add complexity to the other soil amendments. Both organic and chemical fertilizers provide the important nutrients that plants need for good growth.
Creating an Edible Landscape
Of course, there is the fun of deciding what to plant: tomatoes, corn, peppers, green beans, herbs – ideally you can grow the kinds of vegetables and fruits you most like to eat.
If this is a DIY project, make sure you understand how to install irrigation or new planters and hardscape. Make sure underground utilities are marked before digging (you can arrange to have your utilities marked, at no charge, by calling 811). A mistake can be quite costly. When in doubt, hire a landscape contractor.
Plan for pollinators and other wildlife by including a small pond, or supply a birdbath as a focal point. Place a chair or chaise in a comfortable spot and enjoy the fruits of your labor…quite literally. There is always maintenance in a garden – feeding, mulching, pruning – but making the most out of your outdoor space and creating a sustainable edible oasis will provide years of enjoyment, healthy living, and fresh food that's easy to pick, right outside your door.
Local Nursery Crawl: Master Gardeners will be available to answer your gardening questions on Friday, February 24, 2023 from 9 am to 4 pm at Magnolia Gift and Garden at 1367 East Avenue, Chico during the Local Nursery Crawl. For more information on the Crawl and participating nurseries, see Local Nursery Crawl - Discover local nurseries and watch your garden grow!
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) 538-7201. 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.
When a plant produces seeds, gardeners celebrate the soon-to-be future plants. Seeds are a result of plant sexual reproduction. Plants can also reproduce by non-sexually “cloning” themselves. For example, some plants make a mass or crown of shoots from their roots or stems. This allows the plant to reproduce in a larger area in less time than seed production takes. Plants such as hydrangea and African violet can start copies of themselves from sections of leaves. Other plants, such as those in the salvia family, have a natural tendency to develop roots off their stems when the stems come in extended contact with soil and moisture.
Plants that form a mass (such as day lilies) can be divided, usually in the early spring, by using a sharp shovel to dig into the mass and separate it into parts to form new plants.
Plants that can be propagated via leaf cuttings (like African violets) can be started at any time by taking a leaf, setting it into soilless plant medium (such as perlite) and keeping it moist, but not wet.
Hydrangeas can be propagated in the spring by pruning off nonflowering shoots that have two to three leaves. Remove the leaves directly above a node (a leaf-growing bump on the stem). To use a stem, clip the center leaves and the leaf tips of the two remaining leaves. Fill five-inch pots with rooting medium; and press the cuttings into the medium, keeping the leaves above the soil surface. Water and place under plastic or glass to make a humid environment. Old cracked aquariums can serve as “greenhouses” for cuttings. Place the Hydrangea cuttings in bright filtered light. Once roots develop, a new hydrangea is ready.
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) 538-7201. 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.