- Author: Bob Niklewicz MG
MARCH
Rose lovers who live in the Napa County area are used to fairly mild Winters. In December many of the roses in our yards, as well as those at the Fuller Park Rose Garden, still had leaves and even some buds that were managing to find the sun. Some people found themselves in a quandary, “the bushes still look pretty good and some even have flowers. What to do?!”
In January the decision was wisely made in the Fuller Park Rose Garden that we had to cut back (prune) branches to about 18-24” height and clean up all the leaves and debris on the ground around the bushes. Mulch was added. If there was a problem with black spots or fungus we could apply dormant spray to reduce an outbreak of the disease when the bushes start their new cycle of growth. The photo of the “Rose Garden Corral” above, captures the start of the new year for roses in the Fuller Park Rose Garden.
In February there were hints of new growth, so we did some “thumb pruning” which is accomplished by pinching off any new growth that is pointed into the center of the bushes or less than 12” from the ground using small shears or just our thumbs to remove the unwanted growth.
In March our winter care and diligence paid off with lush new foliage and hints of new buds starting to grow. We continued to remove any new growth below the 12” height and any new branches that crossed awkwardly and touching more vertical stems and branches. Checking to see the condition of the drip system was also done. We also identified any bushes that were struggling because of winter problems such as: drowning in low lying areas, damage from wind, rats, deer, or damaged irrigation lines.
The good news is that even in some very harsh environments, Roses are hard to kill so even if the bushes look battered, give them a chance to fight back.
Next month we will cover April along with pest and disease management. If you have questions about the Fuller Park Rose Garden and the Master Gardeners who maintain the garden, MGs are usually in the garden the first Sunday and third Thursday of each month between 10:00 am and noon, weather permitting.
Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143. Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.
Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.
Photo credits: Bob Niklewicz
- Author: Tonja Mehilis
I almost passed up an opportunity to visit Hudson Ranch and Vineyards with a group of my Master Gardener friends. Thankfully, good sense and curiosity prevailed and I made the trip.
What a glorious sight greeted a succulent lover like me–agaves and yucca on the left, a beautiful barrel colony on the right and a delightful assortment of aloes everywhere I looked. To the west at the top of the hill were flowering curly leaf Echeveria gibbiflora in bloom. Their inflorescence positively glowed in the late afternoon light.
We met our host, Lee Hudson, a charismatic fellow who warmly greeted each of us in turn. It didn't take long to feel his passion and excitement for Hudson Ranch and Vineyards as he shared his bubbly enthusiasm for his operation and belief that employees are every bit as valuable as the commodities he sells. He started the tour with a history lesson about the operation, but I was distracted by all the loveliness I could see out the windows. Closest to us was a Japanese style minimalist garden comprised of Dasylirion wheeleri and olive trees. Around the corner, we were treated to the sight of tree aloes whose gnarled trunk shapes echoed the 150-year-old olive trees.
The next round of oohs and aahs were the fault of an Agave ovatifolia or whale's tongue agave. She looked like a spiky dream right out of a watercolor painting with her soft blue-green variegated toothy leaves. Then I got to see that adorable barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii) colony up close. The spines have grooves on them like a deadly version of a zip-tie. We saw yucca, palms, Dracaena draco, aloes, and several more species of agave. Lee Hudson named each plant with ease and shared a story about where it came from or why it was chosen for the garden.
As we left Leo's garden, we rounded an impressive wall of opuntia cactus over 7 feet tall. We took a break for a group photo around Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival's third place pumpkin grown by Leo!
We continued our tour loop back up the hill towards the tasting room where we encountered a Hercules aloe over twelve feet tall. We next passed an agave that was starting to bloom. This is both a cause for excitement and sadness as agave are monocarpic, meaning they only bloom once and then die. Looking at the eight-foot-tall bloom spike, it was easy to see that the agave is in the Asparagaceae family. Across the path were several Agave vilmoriniana (octopus agave) that bloomed 7 months ago. The spent leaves of the plant were removed leaving the ten-foot bloom spike. After flowering, the spike is covered in bulbils, tiny clones of the mother plant. Lee let us pick one from the stalk to take home. The baby agaves are so tiny and soft at this stage it is hard to imagine it in its adult form.
We finished the tour just west of the parking area at the top of the hill with a breathtaking view of blue glow agave backlit by the setting sun, several palms, and more agave. I'm thankful that I seized this opportunity and grateful to Lee Hudson for sharing his magical property with us.
Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.
- Author: Jane Callier
If you need some more inspiration, there are many websites with suggested new year gardening resolutions. Most of these suggestions include building a compost bin, growing your own food, doing something beneficial for nature, and adopting a natural approach to gardening that more closely mimics nature.
A few examples are below.
Treehugger
https://www.treehugger.com/new-years-resolutions-for-gardeners-4860393
The Treehugger website has some good general advice, quoted below:
Treehugger is the only modern sustainability site that offers advice, clarity, and inspiration for both the eco-savvy and the green living novice. If you're among the almost 50% of Americans who statistics show make New Year's resolutions, be sure to remember gardening when setting your goals for a new year. In fact, consider putting gardening at the top of your list.
Gardening can help you achieve some of the other resolutions that are often at the top of resolution lists, such as slowing down, living a simpler life, and exercising.
Suggested resolutions
- Reduce Your Lawn Area
- Add Native Plants
- Add One New Sustainable Method to Your Gardening Routine
- There are many sustainable practices you can use to increase your gardening enjoyment. One example would be to resolve to eliminate chemical fertilizers.
- Another would be to install one or more rain barrels to capture rain runoff from the roof.
- You could also start using a drip or soaker hose that would put water directly on the plant root zone rather than broadcasting it to unintended places from an oscillating sprinkler.
Garden Design
https://www.gardendesign.com/holiday/new-years-resolutions.html
These are the topics they suggest as resolutions. Check out the website for details for each:
- Choose plants strategically
- Continue learning
- Care for pollinators and wildlife
- Make maintenance easier
- Deter pests naturally
- Nurture nature
Chicago Botanic Gardens https://www.chicagobotanic.org/ has an exhaustive list of resolutions. Some of these suggestions might better be described as projects, since they are “one and done” instead of the concept of a continued commitment. Their ideas are divided into seasons; a few are listed here.
- Hang a bird feeder.
- Build a compost bin.
- Invest in an excellent pruner.
- Prune a crabapple or pear tree into an espalier.
- Get to know orchids at the Orchid Show.
- Build a raised bed.
Spring resolutions
- Start a compost pile.
- Test your soil.
- Plant flowers in Pantone's color of the year: rose quartz and serenity blue.
- Switch to organic fertilizers.
- Weave native plants into your flower beds.
- Plant milkweed for monarch butterflies.
- Provide a water source for bees and butterflies.
Summer resolutions
- Install a rain barrel.
- Plant peppers in honor of the genus Capsicum, the 2016 Herb of the Year.
- Mix vegetables and flowers together in beds and borders.
- Transform a balcony or patio into a container garden.
Fall resolutions
- Grow three new varieties of lettuce.
- Rethink all that lawn.
- Plant a berry-bearing tree or shrub to feed the birds.
- Preserve your vegetable harvest by learning how to can.
- Rake and save fallen leaves for winter mulch for your garden beds.
- Grow your own garlic.
- Add allium bulbs in fall to deter deer.
- Save seeds from flowers and vegetables to plant next year.
Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143. Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.
Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.
- Author: Bob Niklewicz PT MG
Fall is upon us, but the work continues in the garden. In the spring and summer months, warming up is almost as easy as walking out the door and letting the sun shine on you. Warmup is as simple as walking through the garden and looking at what needs to be done. You are warmed up when you have the urge to unzip a jacket or windbreaker and put down your coffee.
However, nowadays when you go outside, the light might be there but the warmth is lacking, yet your body still needs to warm up. Let's look at the easy way of doing this in cooler weather.
BASIC WARMUP PROTOCOL BEFORE STARTING GARDENING TASKS
Stretching starts at the top by reaching up and forwards over your head as far as you can easily go. Then bring your elbows back behind you as far as you can, stretching the front of your shoulders and chest. Do the motions SLOWLY by breathing in on the way up, then blowing out slowly through pursed lips while moving elbows back. Take 5-10 seconds to go through the motions ending with arms behind you. Do 3 reps.
Left: Stretching your trunk is done by placing your thumbs and hands just above belt level and slowly leaning backwards over your hands (DO NOT bend your head backwards while you do the ex.). Hold for 5-10 seconds and return to upright posture. Repeat 3 times. Left Middle: Hold a stick or long tool, slowly twisted as far as you can to the right then to the left taking 10 seconds to complete the motions. Repeat 3 times. Middle Right: Do a partial squat by going down slowly ONLY as far as you can comfortably go. Hold for 3-5 seconds then return to standing. Repeat 3x's. Right: Stand with your feet apart, shift your weight sideways stretching slowly the inside of your thighs. Hold 5-10 sec. at the end of each motion. Repeat 3x's each leg.
Just like a car engine that goes from a cold start to full speed can be damage the motor and transmission, your body needs a little warmth to lubricate the body. Increasing the flow of blood to warm the muscles and tendons keeps the body moving easier. As a physical therapist would say, “use them or lose them.” Your muscles need to be warm for flexibility to last longer. It is not hard to do; just don't spill your coffee while doing them.
Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143. Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.
Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.
Photos by: Olga Morham
Demonstrations by: Dr. Bob Niklewicz PT DHSc
- Author: Jane Callier
Is there anything positive to share about this poor, huge tree? Ponderosa pines are handsome trees with their reddish-brown bark and invoke the western United States. They are drought resistant trees, fire-resistant (as long as there aren't thousands of dry needles on the ground), and provide habitat for wildlife. They also make great lumber. Master Gardeners are taught right plant, right place from the beginning of training class. Given the right place, that being a very large property or a forest, this plant is a beauty to behold.
Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143. Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.
Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.
Photos by Jane Callier