by Susanne von Rosenberg, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
Starting plants from seed can save you money, allow you to try more interesting varieties and be a lot of fun. Although it can seem intimidating, starting plants from seed isn't hard. To grow plants from seed successfully, you need to plan the timing (so the plants are ready to set out into the garden at the correct time) and follow a few basic rules.
To know when to sow your seeds, consult the seed packet for information on when the plants should be planted in the garden. Both vegetables and flowers are commonly divided into cool-season and warm- season plants. You can start seeds for cool-season plants now. For warm-season plants, you need to know how long they typically take to grow to transplant size.
For example, pepper and eggplant seedlings grow slowly and should be started in early February for transplanting in mid-April. Tomato seedlings grow much faster and should be started in mid-March for transplanting in mid-April.
Seeds can be started indoors and transplanted outdoors when ready or they can be started directly in the ground. It's too early to start seeds outdoors right now; the soil is too wet and cold.
When you start seeds indoors, you control the temperature and the amount of water they receive. You can provide a sterile environment and protect them from hungry critters. You can nurture the seedlings indoors until they are large enough to fend off damage by insects, birds and other predators.
To grow successfully, seeds need the right temperature, consistent moisture, adequate air circulation and, in some cases, light. Start seeds in a soil mix designed especially for that purpose. Seed-starting mixes are finer and lighter than regular potting soil. Using a soil mix will also ensure that the seeds have adequate air circulation. Seeds are likely to rot if the soil is too heavy or wet.
Germination begins when the seed takes up water from its surroundings. Once a seed begins germinating, a dry period can be deadly. All seeds have an optimal temperature range in which they germinate most reliably. Generally, 65°F to 75°F is best for most seeds. A seedling heat mat that gently warms the containers from the bottom will make your seeds germinate much faster and more consistently.
Buy seeds from a reputable source to make sure you get good germination and, more importantly, the correct seed. Fresh seed will yield the best results; older seeds may still sprout but the plants are typically less vigorous. After years of starting plants from seed, I've learned to recycle (feed to the birds or use for micro greens) seeds more than two years old.
Seeds can be started in almost any container that has drainage holes in the bottom. A used container should be sterilized (1 part bleach to 9 parts water), rinsed carefully and allowed to dry. Moisten your seed-starting mix until it is as damp as a wrung-out sponge, then fill your containers to within one-half inch from the top.
Decide how many plants of each variety you want. It's a good practice to plant two seeds for each plant you want, just to be safe. I also recommend preparing your labels before you start planting.
Plant seeds at a depth of about twice their diameter. The seed packet will specify how deep to plant them and whether they have any special needs. Some seeds, such as lettuce, need light to germinate so they should only be covered with a dusting of soil mix. Keep seeds moist until they germinate. The easiest way is to loosely cover the containers with a clear plastic bag until the seeds sprout.
Once seedlings have emerged, move the containers off the heat meat and into bright light, either underneath full-spectrum fluorescent lights (grow lights) or outside in a protected area. If using grow lights, keep the lights approximately six inches above the seedlings.
If you put your little seedlings outside during the day, bring them back in at night so they don't get too cold. Also, put them in a partly shaded area first and then gradually move them into direct sunlight.
You may want to cover seedlings with floating row cover to protect them from birds. All seedlings should be watered regularly; do not allow them to wilt. Fertilize with half-strength fertilizer every other time you water them. Prior to planting indoor-only seedlings in the garden, expose them to the outdoors a little bit more each day, a process known as hardening off.
If you have questions about seed starting, contact the Master Gardeners. You can e-mail, call or come into the office during our office hours.
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County (http:/napamg.ucanr.edu) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
By T. Eric Nightingale, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
I have recently become interested in the plant family Aizoaceae. It is a positively huge family, consisting of many sub-families. The plants under the Aizoaceae umbrella are mostly of the low-lying, groundcover type. For this reason, they are sometimes known as carpet weeds, although I have more commonly heard them called ice plants.
Some members of this family are small, almost rock-like, in appearance. These plants are informally known as mesembs, a nickname derived from Mesembryanthemoideae, one of the Aizoaceae sub-families. The plants we casually call mesembs are not all members of this sub-family, however.
Mesembs are truly unique and curious plants. They are relatively small, with a variety of odd shapes, colors and textures.
One type of mesemb you may recognize are the so-called stone plants, or Lithops. Lithops do in fact resemble the rocks among which they live, providing them with useful camouflage. They are native to arid southern Africa, where they survive on little water.
Lithops have evolved to hide from thirsty animals, as well as to better store their water. They do this by growing mostly underground, the tops of their leaves almost flush with the surface of the earth. This way, they are easily overlooked by predators and also shield themselves from much of the day's sun and heat.
The tops of their leaves are flattened and semi-translucent, allowing light to enter the inside of the plant, where it is used for photosynthesis. What a truly amazing adaptation.
Mesembs of the genus Aloinopsis are some of my personal favorites. The stubby leaves on these plants have odd, bumpy dots on them. The result is either a jeweled look or something resembling the texture of a dog's nose. To me they have always looked somewhat alien, as if they initially evolved among the rocks of Martian hillsides.
When planted among other succulents in a garden, Aloinopsis may easily be overlooked. This modesty changes in winter, however, when they flower. The yellow, orange or pink blooms shine vibrantly in the sun and are truly eye-catching. While they are generally similar to daisies in shape, the stamens of these flower form a cone at their center—another way that Aloinopsis is an attractive oddity.
Another of my favorite mesembs is Oscularia deltoides. It is a sprawling groundcover, almost vine-like. I like to plant it at the edge of a pot, letting it spill over. The leaves are an attractive blend of gray, blue and green and contrast nicely with the slightly reddish stems.
When I first saw O. deltoides I did a double-take, asking myself what I had just seen. The triangular, toothed shape of the leaves made it look more like a crystalline growth of some sort rather than a plant. I have also heard it compared to coral, a resemblance easy to see when it becomes large.
This mesemb is possibly one of the easiest to grow. In my experience it needs little water and seems to revel in hot sun. During the spring, when the plant is practically covered in pink blooms, it quickly becomes the focal point of the garden.
By now everyone in California has heard of the benefits of drought-tolerant gardening. Succulents do double-duty, however, in that they are also ideal for fire-wise landscaping.
As they are especially squat and water-retentive, mesembs are an ideal addition to any California garden. While some gardeners consider them more challenging to care for than other succulents, that's only because they have different needs.
Most mesembs have a short dormant period, either in winter or summer, when they need almost no water. If you water them then as you do the rest of the year, they may rot. They generally like a lot of sunlight but some are prone to burning if exposed to late-afternoon sun. And of course, as with other succulents, mesembs need loose soil with good drainage.
Once you get to know your plant, care is easy and maintenance is fairly low. All you have to do is relax and appreciate what these unique succulents bring to your garden.
Free Talk: UC Master Gardeners will discuss “Growing Summer Vegetables” at the Napa Public Library on Thursday, March 7, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Learn what you can grow in the summer, what to plant and when, and how to have a harvest all summer long. No registration required.
Workshop: The U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will present a workshop on “Growing Spring and Summer Vegetables” on Saturday, March 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. Do you want nutritious, easy-to grow and utterly fresh food from your garden this spring and summer? Learn what the garden needs to successfully produce spring and summer vegetables from seeds and plant starts. In addition to growing basics and hands-on activities, this program includes watering, fertilizing and harvesting tips, with a dash of Integrated Pest Management for pest and disease control. The delight of growing your own groceries is matched only by savoring them at harvest. Online registration (credit card only); Mail-in/Walk-in registration (check only or drop off cash payment).
Workshop: The U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will present a workshop on “Summer Vegetables” on Sunday, March 10, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington Street, Yountville. Get tips for growing your own summer vegetables. Learn some basics, get keys to success, and do hands-on activities to learn about new varieties and review old favorites. Enjoy healthy vegetables taken straight from your garden to your table. The delight of growing your own vegetables is matched by savoring them at harvest. Online registration or telephone the Parks & Recreation Department at 707-944-8712.
By Susanne von Rosenberg, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
Fruit trees provide us with a bounty of fresh food and need only a little care. Four things are needed to keep your fruit trees healthy and productive: proper irrigation, fertilization, pest control and pruning.
Fruit tree pruning has two seasons: winter (dormant season) and summer. Dormant-season pruning guides young trees into the desired shape and invigorates trees. The hormonal effects of dormant-season pruning promote growth. Summer pruning controls growth.
Master Gardeners recommend keeping your fruit trees to a height that you can easily manage without a ladder. Keeping trees short makes them easier to care for and, of course, easier to harvest. Smaller trees also need less water, and you can fit more of them into the available space.
Pruning is a scary concept for many gardeners, but it's actually pretty hard to kill a fruit tree through pruning. It is important to prune at the right time, however. Early February is the right time for apples, pears and quince; for most stone-fruit trees (nectarines, peaches, plums); and for most other deciduous fruit trees such as figs, persimmons and pomegranates.
Prune citrus in the late spring and prune almonds, cherries and apricots in the driest part of summer. Wait to prune until the forecast predicts at least two days of dry weather so pruning cuts can dry a bit before it rains.
If you keep three principles in mind, pruning will be a lot less daunting. Look at the whole tree, start big and know your cuts.
Start by taking a good look at your tree from all sides. Are there any obviously unbalanced or overcrowded areas? That's where you'll want to focus. But first cut out any dead, diseased or crossing branches. Cut them all the way back to the next major branch or well below any signs of disease.
If you're not sure if a branch is dead, bend it to see how flexible it is. Live branches have some flexibility. Alternatively, scrape the bark gently with your fingernail. A live branch will have a little bit of green right under the bark.
Sterilize your pruners after every cut, especially if you have any diseased branches.
Next, remove any watersprouts, the vigorous, upright branches with few buds. Watersprouts will hardly ever yield fruit and should be cut back to the branch they grew from.
Now it's time for what most gardeners consider the most challenging part of pruning. It's time to cut out excess growth to maintain the overall shape of your tree, ensure that all branches get light, provide adequate air circulation and reduce last year's growth.
Start with the big cuts. Is there a large branch that needs to come out? If the tree grew a lot, there may be several tall branches that need to be shortened. Once you take the bold step of making the big cuts, you will be amazed how much better your tree looks. Starting with the big cuts will save you a lot of time.
Now look at the tree again. Is there too much growth on one side? This often happens if a tree gets a lot more sun on one side than the other. Are some branches getting too long or too tall? Are some branches completely shaded? They will eventually die if they don't get any light. You can safely remove up to a third of the total volume of the tree.
Finally, knowing your cuts will help you decide how much and where to cut a branch. There are two kinds of pruning cuts: heading and thinning. When you cut a branch back completely to the next bigger branch, that's a thinning cut. A heading cut takes off only part of a branch. The result is that the buds immediately below the cut will sprout.
Always make a heading cut close to a bud or buds so you don't leave stubs. When you make a heading cut, think about which direction you want the new branch to grow. Look where the closest bud is pointing, and that's likely the direction the new branch will grow. After every couple of cuts, walk around your tree again to see how it looks.
While there are many things to think about when pruning, the main thing is just to start. Pruning is something you learn by doing, and trees are forgiving. Keep the three principles in mind, grab your pruners and go. The Master Gardeners are cheering you on.
Free Talk: UC Master Gardeners will discuss “Growing Summer Vegetables” at the Napa Public Library on Thursday, March 7, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Learn what you can grow in the summer, what to plant and when, and how to have a harvest all summer long. No registration required.
Workshop: The U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will present a workshop on “Growing Spring and Summer Vegetables” on Saturday, March 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. Do you want nutritious, easy-to grow and utterly fresh food from your garden this spring and summer? Learn what the garden needs to successfully produce spring and summer vegetables from seeds and plant starts. In addition to growing basics and hands-on activities, this program includes watering, fertilizing and harvesting tips, with a dash of Integrated Pest Management for pest and disease control. The delight of growing your own groceries is matched only by savoring them at harvest. Online registration (credit card only); Mail-in/Walk-in registration (check only or drop off cash payment).
Workshop: The U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will present a workshop on “Summer Vegetables” on Sunday, March 10, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington Street, Yountville. Get tips for growing your own summer vegetables. Learn some basics, get keys to success, and do hands-on activities to learn about new varieties and review old favorites. Enjoy healthy vegetables taken straight from your garden to your table. The delight of growing your own vegetables is matched by savoring them at harvest. Online registration or telephone the Parks & Recreation Department at 707-944-8712.
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County (http:/napamg.ucanr.edu) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
by Penny Pawl, U. C. Master Gardener of Napa County
Why do sunflowers follow the sun? This mystery has been researched and hopefully solved. Recently discoveries at U.C. Davis have explained what this movement is and what causes it. The tracking was reported in the magazine Science, and it's known that the movement follows circadian rhythms.
We humans have these internal clocks as do sunflowers and other plants. The sunflower rotates as different parts of the stem change shape during the day. Once the flower is mature, it no longer moves. This movement is called heliotropism.
Sunflowers are natives to North America. There is evidence that the Native Americans of Arizona and New Mexico knew them and used them in food and food preparation 3,000 years ago.
When the Spanish arrived around 1500 AD, they sent seeds back to Europe where they were planted in gardens. By the 18th century, sunflower oil had become popular and Russian farmers were planting thousands of acres for oil.
North American farmers initially grew sunflowers as poultry feed. In 1930, Canada spearheaded the first official government-sponsored sunflower-breeding program.
Today sunflowers are grown in many countries, with Russia and Ukraine leading the way. Sunflowers are also a major crop in the U.S. When you drive to Sacramento in summer, you will see vast fields of sunflowers along Interstate 80.
Sunflowers have been developed to thrive in home gardens. If the heads are huge, as many are, they hang down. When I grow them, the birds love perching on the edge of the flower and eating the seeds. The heads are actually composed of many small flowers that produce seeds when ripe.
It's easy to grow sunflowers at home. Often birds will plant the seeds for you. There are both annual and perennial sunflowers and both types attract bees and birds.
The plant has a long tap root so if you want the “tallest in town” variety, plant directly into the soil. Sunflowers need full sun and nutrient-rich soil. They also require deep watering, especially when first planted. Be aware that they will shade plants near them so site them where that won't create a problem.
I love the many sizes and colors of modern sunflowers. U.S. breeders have done most of the hybridizing. Some varieties reach 10 feet in height, while others are small enough to use for table décor. Breeders also have come up with sunflowers that don't produce pollen.
Sunflowers with black seed are the ones harvested for oil. The seeds are edible, either by the birds or by the grower and friends.
How you plant sunflower seed is important. Choose a site that gets several hours of sun each day. Also take into account the plant's mature size. Plant giant sunflowers in the back of the bed and smaller ones near the front.
For the best results, sow seed directly in the garden soil. Transplants don't do as well. Plant seed about ½-inch deep and, depending on the size of the mature plant, about a foot apart. Tap the soil down and water well after the seed is in place and about once a week thereafter. Irregular watering will reduce the size of the flower head.
Some gardeners fertilize sunflowers regularly. I usually put them in fertile soil well-amended with compost and don't worry for the rest of the summer.
The biggest obstacle you will face is keeping critters off the seed heads. You can tie large paper bags or burlap over the flower and keep the covering in lace until the seeds are ripe.
If you want to roast the seeds, take them off the head, soak in salt water for 24 hours, dry them and then roast for 30 to 45 minutes at 300°F. Add oil or butter to your taste.
Workshop: The U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will present a workshop on “Growing Spring and Summer Vegetables” on Saturday, March 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. Do you want nutritious, easy-to grow and utterly fresh food from your garden this spring and summer? Learn what the garden needs to successfully produce spring and summer vegetables from seeds and plant starts. In addition to growing basics and hands-on activities, this program includes watering, fertilizing and harvesting tips, with a dash of Integrated Pest Management for pest and disease control. The delight of growing your own groceries is matched only by savoring them at harvest. Online registration (credit card only); Mail-in/Walk-in registration (check only or drop off cash payment).
Workshop: The U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will present a workshop on “Summer Vegetables” on Sunday, March 10, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington Street, Yountville. Get tips for growing your own summer vegetables. Learn some basics, get keys to success, and do hands-on activities to learn about new varieties and review old favorites. Enjoy healthy vegetables taken straight from your garden to your table. The delight of growing your own vegetables is matched by savoring them at harvest. Online registration or telephone the Parks & Recreation Department at 707-944-8712.
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County (http:/napamg.ucanr.edu) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
By Helen Dake, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
Many of you know that Master Gardeners share university-based research with Napa County home gardeners through our help desk, public workshops and website. But I bet you didn't know that we also do our own field-testing research. We try out vegetables in our gardens with the goal of understanding which varieties do well in Napa Valley.
Last January nine Master Gardeners planted two varieties of onion seedlings in their gardens. Both varieties, Red Bull and Walla Walla, did well, and most of us harvested beautiful, big, fat onions with good flavor in July and August.
Almost all of us truly enjoyed growing onions this way and definitely would do it again. The onions required little space in the garden, took care of themselves once planted, and were generally easy to grow and pest free.
One big reason for our success was planting the right onion variety for Napa Valley at the right time. The onion's bulbing process, when it transforms from skinny onion to fat globe, is triggered by day length (the number of daylight hours in a day) and not the size or age of the plants. Short-day onion varieties develop a bulb when there are 11 to 13 hours of daylight; intermediate-day varieties require 12 to 14 daylight hours to bulb; and long-day types need 14 to 16 daylight hours.
Since summer daylight hours depend on latitude, Southerners tend to grow short-day onions, Northerners do better with long-day varieties, and intermediate-day varieties perform best in Napa Valley.
The onion variety you choose and the planting date will determine whether you get a good bulb onion crop. Our success with planting onions last January confirms that Napa Valley gardeners can still plant now for a fruitful harvest in July.
To ensure success, you should plant onion starts, also called “plants” or “transplants,” rather than seeds or onion sets (very small onions). Transplants are young onion plants started from seeds six to eight weeks before. They look like very skinny green onions. Occasionally you can find them in your local nursery in bundles, or they may be in six-packs. You can also order onion transplants online and receive them in time to put them in the ground this month.
If you are ordering online, look for varieties labeled intermediate-day. Some intermediate varieties include Candy; Red Candy Apple; Super Star (also known as Sierra Bianca); Scout; Stockton Red, White or Yellow; and Early Red Burger. Online retailers that still have some of these varieties in stock include Dixondale Farms, Henry Field's and Brown's Omaha Plant Farms.
Since Napa Valley is close to the southernmost border of the northern zone, we can also grow some long-day types such as Walla Walla and Red Bull, the varieties that we planted in our field trials.
Your local nursery should stock varieties that will work in Napa Valley. I have had huge success planting Candy, Candy Apple and Super Star in mid-January and harvesting lots of giant onions in July and August.
Plant your starts in a location that gets plenty of direct sun. Dig in compost to improve aeration and drainage and add a balanced fertilizer (follow package directions) because onions are heavy feeders. Remove all weeds before you plant.
Onions are slow-growing, shallow-rooted crops that can suffer severe yield loss from weed competition. Plant the onions four inches apart and one inch deep (no deeper as this will inhibit their ability to bulb).
Onions grow best in raised beds or raised rows at least 4 inches high and 20 inches wide. The soil should be loose and crumbly to ensure maximum bulbing. Keep the soil moist if rains are not regular. You don't want to limit the steady growth of your onions in any way.
Onions are among the few crops we can plant successfully in the cold, short days of January. They are essential in the kitchen, and there is a deep pleasure in cooking with onions from your own garden. I encourage you to plant onion transplants this month for a successful harvest of fat, flavorful bulbs this summer.
Workshop: The U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will present a workshop on “Growing Spring and Summer Vegetables” on Saturday, March 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa.Do you want nutritious, easy-to grow and utterly fresh food from your garden this spring and summer? Learn what the garden needs to successfully produce spring and summer vegetables from seeds and plant starts. In addition to growing basics and hands-on activities, this program includes watering, fertilizing and harvesting tips, with a dash of Integrated Pest Management for pest and disease control. The delight of growing your own groceries is matched only by savoring them at harvest. Online registration (credit card only); Mail-in/Walk-in registration (check only or drop off cash payment).
Workshop: The U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will present a workshop on “Summer Vegetables” on Sunday, March 10, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington Street, Yountville. Get tips for growing your own summer vegetables. Learn some basics, get keys to success, and do hands-on activities to learn about new varieties and review old favorites. Enjoy healthy vegetables taken straight from your garden to your table. The delight of growing your own vegetables is matched by savoring them at harvest. Online registration or telephone the Parks & Recreation Department at 707-944-8712.
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County (http:/napamg.ucanr.edu) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
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