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Gardening Information by UC Master Gardeners of Napa County

My Fall Cleanup Guidelines

Published on: November 28, 2022

by Melody Kendall

Gaillardia

I love my garden. It never fails to make me smile. Even in the fall my plants continue to provide blissful, calming vistas when viewed over my morning mocha. My dahlias, though succumbing to the inevitable yearly fall powdery mildew attack, still produce colorful blossoms. The smoke tree changes color from the trunk outwards turning yellow then dull orange as the leaves get ready to drop for the winter. I planted some chrysanthemums this year and they are still providing color, though next year I'm going to stake them up as they tend to be top heavy and fall over. I have a random volunteer zinnia that is a vibrant red that still soldiers on even as the temperatures fall. I didn't plant it and it really isn't irrigated so, though I don't know how it got there or how it survives, I'm very appreciative of the effort. The gaillardia is slowing down, but still have lots of blossoms for the pollinators. I lost most of the lantana during the last frost in spring of this year. Now that I look back on it, I bet if I'd just been patient and waited they would have come back, but being the ever impatient person that I am, I pulled most of them out and replaced them. Now, both the ones I saved and the ones I purchased are exploding with color. We'll see how they hold up with cooler temperatures this winter. I'll try to rein in my need for instant gratification and give them a chance to return in the coming spring.

Mexican sunflower

As I look at everything, I mentally make a list of all the items that will need to be addressed before my garden gets tucked in for the winter. For example, those pesky morning glories have taken over the entire garden and will need to be removed with prejudice. I'm going to leave the Mexican sunflowers (Tithonia) until the bitter end because the pollinators just love them, but I will remove all the spent annuals and assess the perennials and shrubs and decide what to do with them. I can cut back some of them now and others I will need to wait until early spring to cut back. I have to do my research. I'm really excited that my spring bulb delivery has arrived and I want to get those in the ground soon so I can have wonderful vistas this spring. With the warmer fall that we have been experiencing all my trees have been holding on to their leaves. Once they drop, I'll rake and mulch them into the garden beds to take advantage of nature's wonderful fertilizer. Then, as the tree branches are revealed, I can decide if they need any shaping and get some pruning done. I've purchased a product that is compost and manure and I'll gently work that into each cleaned out garden bed so that the coming rains will encourage it all to percolate through and rejuvenate the nutrients in the soil. The weeds and morning glories fall into that category, are ever present and always seeking to take over the garden. There is an ongoing removal process to keep up with their persistent germination.

Morning Glory

Fall gardens do require some work to prepare for the coming winter months and make the spring push easier and less labor intensive. Here are some guidelines for your garden fall cleanup efforts:

• Begin by examining your garden to see what worked, didn't work, what could be done differently or better.

In my garden: staking my chrysanthemums and giving my lantana a chance to recover

• Consider plant revisions (species and location changes, size considerations, color, texture, pollinator activity, and adding accessories like rocks and logs).

In my garden: get rid of the morning glories and wait to see what recovers from spring frosts

• Select plants for fall installation while the soil is warm and to take advantage of winter rains. Plant spring blooming bulbs. Warm soil allows microorganisms to thrive so your new fall plants will establish their roots before the cold sets in.

In my garden: get my spring bulbs settled into the garden beds

• Leave the leaves! They are free mulch and provide winter shelter for creatures and insects. Plus, the leaves protect the soil from erosion and run off. Exceptions to this would be in fire prone areas where leaf and debris removal is a must.

In my garden: I'm going to leave the leaves

• Eliminate as many weeds as possible.

In my garden: An ongoing effort in any garden at any time.

• Aerate the soil with a garden fork, but don't till — it damages root systems. Aeration will allow water and air penetration, essentials for healthy soil and plants. Avoid soil compaction by limiting where you walk.

In my garden: Gently poke holes in the soil with a wide tined garden fork while watching out for the irrigation lines

• Nutrients in the soil are depleted in the spring through summer months. Help the soil replenish nutrients by adding compost and slow-release organic amendments.

In my garden: Application of compost and manure mixture

• Remove diseased plants by cutting them off at soil level. Remove any diseased leaves under the plants, such as those with black spot, fungus, and more that will infect new and existing plants in spring.

In my garden: Cut the stalks of the dahlias to the ground and assess the needs of the perennials and shrubs

• Leave deadheads on plants that have seeds for birds to eat.

In my garden: Leaving the Mexican sunflowers (Tithonia) until late winter

• Cut off broken or dead tree branches for safety, tree health, and appearance.

In my garden: Shape the trees

• Remember, to maintain a vibrant habitat space, avoid the use of pesticides and herbicides.

In my garden I don't use any pesticides or herbicides. I feel like I'm contributing to the environment by avoiding their use and besides having a dog. That is not to say that pesticides and herbicides don't have their place, just not in my garden

Put in the effort now and your spring garden planning will be more satisfying. It sounds like a lot of sweat and energy, but plug into your latest audio book while you enjoy the fresh air and accomplish these preparations in anticipation for the next growing season.

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: Mel Kendall

Information links: UC IPM

Weeds http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/weeds_intro.html

Powdery mildew http://ipm.ucanr.edu/QT/powderymildewcard.html

Chrysanthemum http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FLOWERS/chrysanthemum.html

Zinnia http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FLOWERS/zinnia.html

Lantana http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/lantana.html

UCMG Sonoma County

Smoke Tree https://sonomamg.ucanr.edu/Plant_of_the_Month/Cotinus/

UCMG Tulare/King Counties-Gaillardia https://ucanr.edu/datastoreFiles/268-497.pdf

Focus Area Tags: Yard & Garden

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UCANR: Promoting healthy people and communities

Wrists and Hands

Published on: November 21, 2022

by Bob Niklewicz PT MG.

Figure 2

Figure 1

Did you know fingernails grow faster on the hand a person writes with? They also grow faster than toenails, and faster on longer fingers. Our hands are wonderfully engineered structures that are under-appreciated by most people. They have been a major factor in the evolution of the human species.

Figure 1 shows the 27 bones of the hand and wrist. Figure 2 shows the relationship of the blood vessels, nerves and muscles in the hand. Except for a few of the muscles that are in the palm of the hand, the finger muscles start in the forearm. Figure 3 indicates where a person will feel pain or numbness when they suffer from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS).

Figure 3

Especially note the position of the wrist in Figure 4, 5 & 6 where it is bent downwards. Holding a tool in that position as well as bent downwards is a common posture causing trauma to the wrist.

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6 shows, in spite of his smile, a man holding his right hand in a severely bent angle. His left hand is not on the handle correctly, pressing into the softest and most vulnerable place on the palm.

To get a “handle” on why these awkward hand postures are a problem is found in Figures 7 & 8. If you look at the numbers of Figure 7, the top it says “Neutral” and just below 0° and below that 100% of grip strength, the best and strongest position of your hand.

Figure 6

The right side of Figure 7 “Ulnar Deviation” means bending to the little finger side. When it moves 40° only 75% of your grip strength is available. The same thing happens in Figure 8 where downward (flexion) to 65° gives only 45% of maximum strength. Awkward positions force you to work harder at gripping a tool. More importantly, there is a greater chance to hurt the joints, nerves and tendons of your hand. Wearing gloves would protect your hands if they fit properly. Avoid the problem by positioning your hands correctly.

If you have an existing hand and/or wrist issue, or suspect one is starting, consider ergonomically engineered tools. Below are examples of tools that can reduce the risk of wrist injuries. They are available online or in larger box stores.

Figures 9 through 12

Figure 9 shows a cultivator with the handle set at 90° that allows the wrist to be in a neutral position. Figure 10 is the same cultivator, but with a forearm stabilizer for those with painful or weak wrists. Figure 11 shows a cultivator & stabilizer, a hoe with an additional hand grip attached to the handle of the hoe, and a trowel with a curved handle that places the wrist closer to a neutral position. Figure 12 is a pistol grip sprayer that allows the wrist to be in a neutral rather than a downward (ulnar deviated) posture that a straight nozzle would require.

Remember, your hands are so much a part of your life you may not give them the protection and respect they deserve. You do not have to hurt to have fun in the garden.

Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.

Photo credits: Figure 1: Vectorstock.com; figures 2-8 Dreamstime; figures 9-12 Bob Niklewicz

Information links:

UHSBerkeley.edu-ergonomics tips for gardening at home

https://uhs.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/ergonomics_tips_for_gardening_at_home.pdf

Public Value: UCANR: Promoting healthy people and communities

Focus Area Tags: Yard & Garden

Comments: 0

Pineapple Guavas

Author: Jane Callier

Published on: November 14, 2022

by Jane Callier

Pineapple guavas have beautiful blooms

A couple of years ago, I was very pleased to receive a pineapple guava plant from another master gardener. I had admired the plant for quite a while with its beautiful blossoms in the spring and handsome foliage with a green color above and gray beneath. Being a flower lover, the idea that the plant produces fruit had not crossed my mind.

One of the first things we learn in Master Gardener training (in Napa County) is our mediterranean climate. This plant is a “ringer” for plants typical of this summer-dry climate although the plant is said to be from a more central area of South America. Water-saving strategies include leathery oval foliage, its leaves are on the small side, even the oval shape are all aimed at saving water. Today, New Zealand is by far the major producer of commercial Feijoas. Since the early 20th century New Zealand has been developing new and improved varieties of Feijoas. Other countries with a mediterranean climate that grow Feijoas commercially are Chile, Turkey and Australia.

These plants were previously termed as Feijoa sellowiana, but botanical research has determined that it fits more accurately in a different genus. The scientific name has been updated to Acca sellowiana, but the fruits are still called Feijoas.

Pineapple guava showing different aspects of its oval leaves

Pineapple guava is low-maintenance tree. It can grow up to 15' tall, but pruning will keep it smaller. Plan on pruning in early spring and later in summer to maintain small proportions. Birds and bees are attracted to nectar from its flowers. Deer have never touched my plant and it seems to be blissfully free of insect pests. As with any plant, regular watering is necessary until for the pineapple guava until it is established, and then it is drought tolerant. It will benefit from periodic watering to increase fruit production, and if winter temperatures drop as low as 10-15 degrees, it should be okay for short periods.

How many guavas are in this photo?

It was only last year that my plant started to produce its little guavas. FYI, pineapple guava is neither a true guava nor a pineapple, but fruits do somewhat resemble a true guava or pineapple in taste. At first, I noticed a few of them on the ground and I gathered them up and took them in the house. A couple of days later I found several more, gathered them up and took them in the house. The next time I went out the fruits were everywhere, under nearby plants and under plants that were not so nearby. I thought it was curious that I hadn't noticed much fruit on the plant, but the ground was covered as if an over-eager Easter bunny had deployed his entire allotment of eggs/aka guavas under my plant. Some plants need another plant to be fruitful. Clearly, mine does not.

Guavas

I find the fruit to taste okay, not delicious, but definitely worthy of keeping. To eat, cut them in half and scoop out the inside. Some sources say the skin is edible on the young fruit; I think it's too bitter.

Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.

Photo credits: Jane Callier

References:

www.feijoaaddiction.com/feijoafacts

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/acca-sellowiana/

https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/feijoa-sellowiana

Focus Area Tags: Yard & Garden

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Golden Bamboo

Published on: November 7, 2022

by Rainer Hoenicke

Cut bamboo

When something is designated ‘invasive' they mean INVASIVE! Twenty six years ago we moved to our new home in north Napa. We were especially excited to get an entire U-Haul truck of beloved potted plants situated in the over 1/3 acre of planting beds at our new location. Three of those five-gallon pots contained golden bamboo Phyllostachys aurea that a friend had given us, and we had decided to use them as a privacy hedge along the southern fence-line.

Aware of the invasive nature of this species of running bamboo, I installed a 30 foot long corrugated PVC barrier to keep the three bamboo plants from spreading under the fence to our neighbor's yard and into our former veggie garden area. Little did I know then that the bamboo rhizomes would be worse than Audrey II in the cult movie “Little Shop of Horrors.” Within about three years, those three plants had formed a wonderful privacy screen 20-25 feet high. Unfortunately the lower branches of this dense hedge-like barrier was hiding the fact that the yellow bamboo rhizomes had found a way to take root in the new soil formed by decomposing leaf litter and to creep over the root barrier. The invasion of my former veggie-growing area had begun.

The hedge is finally gone, although the rhizomes still need to be solarized.

In the last few years the bamboo became diseased and consisted mostly of dead and dying columns that even the house sparrows declined to build nests in. It was therefore no surprise that one of my 2022 New Years' resolutions was to try to get rid of 20 linear feet of dying Phyllostachys aurea and eventually replace it with much tamer and manageable Pittosporum tenuifolium (var. Kohuhu).

Wow, what a job that was. When a plant is designated "invasive" beware!

Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.

Photo credits: Rainer Hoenicke

Information Links:

USDA Forest Service-Weed of the week-invasive Golden Bamboo https://www.invasive.org/weedcd/pdfs/wow/golden-bamboo.pdf

University of Arizona Cooperative Extension-Growing Bamboo https://cals.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/archive/bamboo2019.html

UC ANR-Bamboo http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/bamboo.html

Missouri Botanical Garden-Controlling Bamboo

https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/weeds/bamboo

UC IPM- pittosporum http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/pittosporum.html

Focus Area Tags: Yard & Garden

Comments: 1

Rethinking your Landscape

Published on: October 31, 2022

by Cathy Baskin

Just like we periodically redo the interior design of our homes, we may also need to redo the landscaping around our homes. A wide range of reasons may prompt a redesign. Perhaps you've inherited a yard from previous owners whose landscaping is just not your style. Maybe you've added an extension onto your house that requires making changes to your landscaping. Maybe you want to eliminate your lawn. Or maybe your landscaping was done decades ago, and it's simply old and tired.

For whatever reason, there's a way to simplify the process of landscape design, which can seem overwhelming to those who've never attempted it before. Basically, landscape design aims to combine practicality with aesthetics. A more formal definition of the purpose of landscape design: “the creation of exterior living spaces, [integrating] a variety of elements to achieve functional, beautiful spaces for outdoor living.”

Landscape design relies on some basic principles:

• Unity – consistency, elements fit together to create a whole

• Repetition – placement of the same type of element – for example, boulders-- in various places throughout the landscape; repetition helps create a sense of unity

• Proportion – choosing sizes of elements that are neither too large nor too small relative to the size of your house and other permanent features of the landscape

• Focal points – one of more central points of interest

• Contrast – choosing plants that contrast in color and texture

• Simplicity

The design process really begins with thinking about and deciding on your goals for the new landscape. What functions do you want it to serve? Do you want low maintenance? To attract pollinators? To reduce your water bill? What style do you want — cottage-garden, minimalist and contemporary, woodsy? Clarifying your goals is key.

Once you've established your goals, the following steps will guide you through the process:

• Do a site analysis – Where are the hot spots? The wet spots? Shade? Wind direction?

• Measure the site – Measure house, hardscape, and permanent trees or shrubs

• Sketch a site plan – The site plan should include all the elements you measured. Permanent plants should be drawn at their maximum width. This requires only simple tools, like graph paper, rulers, triangles, and circle templates, available in art and office supply stores. Make copies of this base plan.

• Do a conceptual plan – Using your base plan, sketch out different ideas or concepts for placing hardscapes and groups of plants.

Choosing specific plants suited for our climate is the last step in the process. Note that a landscape consisting primarily of rocks and gravel with just a few plants is not optimal for Napa County, even during drought. Napa is not a desert. We live in a Mediterranean climate, characterized by wet winters and dry summers, and the choice of plants should reflect that. In our climate, drought-tolerant Mediterranean and California native plants are the most appropriate.

Planting should take place only after you've prepared the soil by adding generous amounts of compost. Avoid using chemicals and synthetics that harm the soil's fertility. Till the soil as little as possible. Install drip irrigation for water efficiency. Mulch after planting. Finally, include a wide variety of plants rather than just one or two species to promote biodiversity and maintain a healthy ecosystem. As the photos show, it's very possible to design a landscape that's lush, beautiful and water-wise.

Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.

Photo credits: Cathy Baskin

Resources:

Healthy Garden Tips

Choosing the Right Plant, Right Place https://ucanr.edu/sites/ucmgnapa/files/153367.pdf

Drought Strategies for Home Landscapes https://ucanr.edu/sites/ucmgnapa/files/354845.pdf

Step-by-Step Garden Design https://napamg.ucanr.edu/GardenDesign/

City of Napa

Water-Wise Gardening in the Napa Valley https://napa.watersavingplants.com/

Focus Area Tags: Yard & Garden

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