Soil is brown, right? Usually. But perhaps you have also seen gray soil, whitish soil, red soil, black soil or even kind of a bluish soil.  What does it all mean?

Delving into my Master Gardener references, I found some answers in the University of California Division ofAgriculture and Natural Resources Leaflet 2280.

Although color does not influence how productive a soil might be, it is an indicator, and we can learn a lot about the quality of the soil from that one observation. Color is one of the most useful characteristics in the classification and identification of soils.

We can usually determine what color soil is just by looking, and generally this observation is sufficient. But if a color description is required for analysis or communication, the exact shade can be matched to the Munsell Soil Color Chart, which provides a standard method for describing soil color.   

In Napa Valley and throughout most of California, brown and gray soils comprise the largest swaths of landscape. Although these soils are moderately low in organic matter and often high in clay, they include some of our most productive alluvial soils.  

Alluvial soils are created on valley floors by the movement of water. One property owner's erosion is another lucky person's alluvial soil. Nearly all the soils in the central and coastal valleys, including the Napa Valley, are alluvial and extremely useful for growing intensive crops.

Soils in the Central Valley tend to be gray. On the west side of the valley,soil texture is coarse to medium from granitic alluvium. The east side of the valley features medium- to fine-textured soil due to layering with sedimentary alluvium.

Still, color is only one indicator. These two areas show wide variation in productivity and other important characteristics.

Black soils are usually high in organic matter, but high is relative. Some black soils test relatively low in organic matter and relatively high in mineral content. Others occupy the other end of the spectrum—squishy black muck that can contain up to 50 percent organic matter. Peat bogs fit this description.

Black soils often have a strong granular structure. In coastal valleys, they can form on top of native grasslands. In other areas, black soils form under poorly drained conditions and range from peaty to mostly clay in texture. With proper identification and good management, these soils can be highly productive for vegetables and field crops.

Red soils can be beautiful but are often deficient in nutrients needed for healthy plant life. Usually lacking in nitrogen, essential for strong leaf development, red soils are also frequently deficient in zinc, sulfur and phosphorus. These nutrients are all necessary for the proper development of plant leaves, roots and fruits, so anyone attempting to garden in red soil will probably need to amend generously.

Why are red soils so problematic for gardening? Generally they are older soils that have gone through intensive weathering. Some of that rich alluvial gold in the valley soil probably came from old red bluffs that were robbed of their riches. This explains why bluffs with exposed edges and timberlines that have been exposed to hot summers and drenching rains are often red hued. The soil has been washed away by wind and rain down to clay pans or hard pan.

White, light gray or gray soils usually have a preponderance of sand or lime. If you rub these soils through your fingers, they feel gritty and sandy. While these soils often drain freely, they can have difficulty holding water and nutrients long enough for your plants to absorb them. In some chalky or sandy soils, iron deficiency can be a problem. This deficiency is a common problem for orchard crops but can also be problematic for other food and ornamental crops.

And then there is the blue or blue-gray mucky soil that smells bad and can have a sewer- like odor.  Often this condition is the result of poorly aerated subsoil. Organic matter doesn't have enough oxygen to completely breakdown the materials.

These incompletely digested soils are not healthy for plants. Dissolved materials and gases in these soils are toxic to plant roots. To rehabilitate blue, smelly soil, extensive aeration is needed to complete biodegradation and provide a healthy environment for plant growth.

Most of the soils in Napa County are predictably brown. But the occasional pockets of different colors now speak to me in a different way. And now I understand what they are saying.

Workshops: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Home Vineyard: Part 1” on Saturday, February 27, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the University of California Oakville Experimental Station, 1380 Oakville Grade Road, Oakville. What to do, what to look for, and what to plan for in the vineyard between February and August.  Workshop will be presented in two parts. The morning (9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.) will be classroom discussion. The afternoon (12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. will be a field trip to a local vineyard. On-line registration (credit card only); Mail-in/Walk-in registration (cash or check only). 

U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Irrigation Hands On” on Saturday,February 27, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the University of California Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. Learn how to modify your current irrigation system to make it more efficient and effective. There will be demonstrations and hands-on learning about irrigation controllers, sprinklers, drip systems, rain water capture and grey water systems. For the hands-on segment, bring garden gloves to protect your fingers and a pair of scissors or garden shears .On-line registration (credit card only); Mail-in/Walk-in registration (cash or check only). 

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://ucanr.org/ucmgnapa/) 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.

 

Peppers are the most dependable and productive plants in my garden. I use peppers fresh, dried, ground, pickled, stuffed, fermented and fried. I have jars of pepper jelly, bottles of pepper vinegar and tins of ground chili.  

So this year I am growing even more peppers. And after several years of successful pepper growing, I have some favorites.

Jalapeño plants seldom have pest problems and produce peppers early and often. Pickled jalapeños were one of my household's favorite preserves until we discovered how easy it is to make fermented hot sauce. Vibrant red or green jalapeños, salt, garlic, a little time in the kitchen and a couple of weeks fermenting in the jar produced incredibly complex, delicious hot sauces that became instant favorites with family and friends.  

I'm planning for at least 20 jalapeño plants this year. With such abundance, we can pick some unripe peppers for green sauce and still have plenty to ripen to red for the garlicky hot sauce we had to dole out too sparingly this year. And we are adding Tabasco peppers to the mix.

My favorite sweet pepper last year was ‘Yellow Marconi.'They are delicious picked green, but ripe yellow ones are worth the wait. These slim tapered peppers reach eight to ten inches in length. They are sweet and crisp when raw, but you can also roast and peel them, dressing them simply with good olive oil and salt. Serve them as an antipasto, or cut in strips and sauté with onions and sausage for a classic Italian main course. Marconis are beautiful in the garden and on the plate, and I have allocated a lot of space for them this year.  

‘Quadratod' Asti Rosso' (red) and ‘Quadratod' Asti Giallo' (yellow) are classic sweet bell peppers ideal for salads and cooking. Both stand up to stuffing and baking. At the end of the season, I roast, peel and freeze these peppers for our Thanksgiving antipasto.Marinate them in olive oil with a little fresh garlic, salt and a splash of vinegar.  

This year we are trying ‘Jimmy Nardello,' an heirloom from Seed Savers Exchange. The company got the seeds from Nardello himself, who claims that his mother brought them with her when she emigrated from Italy's Basilicata region in 1887.  

I have also reserved smaller spaces for Thai peppers, habanero, arbol and other super-hot types. One or two plants of each will satisfy us.

Our ‘Padrón' plants did not have full sun last year and had to stretch for light. The plants topped four feet and were a little rangy but consistently loaded with peppers. This year we will grow ‘Shishito' peppers, too. They are easy to grow and should be picked small and green for eating whole. Quickly roast, fry or grill them with a smattering of salt and olive oil.If you see them on a menu, you can order something else as you will have more in your garden the next day.

With so many pepper options, how to choose? If you're not a cook, you might still enjoy growing multi-colored ornamentals for craft projects or holiday decorations. Or perhaps you need an heirloom pepper for an heirloom family recipe. What you can't eat fresh, you can dry, ferment or freeze for future use. And a favorite pepper plant can be dug up and potted at the end of season to grow indoors through the winter.

Peppers are easy to grow from seed. One of the most extensive offerings comes from Redwood City Seed Company. Craig and Sue Dremann have been collecting pepper seeds since the 1970s and their website offers 24 pages of tips to insure your success.

February is not too early to plant pepper seeds. Plant them as soon as you can. Usefresh seed- starting mix for best results.  Moisten the mix and fill trays, flats or shallow pots. Space seeds 1 inch apart and cover with ¼ inch of soil. Keep moist but not wet. Provide bottom heat from a seedling mat or keep them in a warm spot in the kitchen with plenty of light.

When seedlings have four true leaves, transplant to small pots with rich potting soil. Keep them warm and provide plenty of light. You may have to repot seedlings one more time before hardening them off outdoors. Wait untilnights and soil are warm before planting. Peppers do not like cold.

Seed sources for peppers:

www.ecoseeds.com

www.growitalian.com

www.seedsavers.org

www.reneesgarden.com

www.rareseeds.com

www.johnnyseeds.com

Workshops: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Home Vineyard: Part 1” on Saturday, February 27, from 9:30 a.m.to 2:30 p.m. at the University of California Oakville Experimental Station, 1380 Oakville Grade Road, Oakville. What to do, what to look for, and what to plan for in the vineyard between February and August.  Workshop will be presented in two parts. The morning (9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)will be classroom discussion. The afternoon (12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. will be a field trip to a local vineyard.On-line registration (credit card only) 
Mail-in/Walk-in registration (cash or check only) 

U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Irrigation Hands On” on Saturday,February 27, from 9:30 a.m.to 11:30 a.m., at the University of California Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. Learn how to modify your current irrigation system to make it more efficient and effective.There will be demonstrations and hands-on learning about irrigation controllers, sprinklers, drip systems, rain water capture and grey water systems. For the hands-on segment, bring garden gloves to protect your fingers and a pair of scissors or garden shears.On-line registration (credit card only); Mail-in/Walk-in registration (cash or check only) 

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://ucanr.org/ucmgnapa/) 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.

 

 

If it's January, then there are likely to be one or more seed catalogs showing up in the mail, either as old-fashioned paper magazines or as digital catalogs via email. Just like seeds, the catalogs are full of possibilities for your vegetable or flower garden. Unlike the seeds, though, these catalogs are often full of hype. One catalog that came to my house lists nearly 100 tomato varieties, and here is a sampling of the descriptions: “tops the chart in sweetness,” “intriguingly complex flavor,” “gorgeous and succulent,” “unparalleled quality.”It takes a bit of discipline to look beyond the hype to assess whether a particular variety is likely to succeed in your garden. Let's look instead at some of the words used by seedsmen that are more fact than fancy.

Seeds offered for home gardeners come as two types: open-pollinated or hybrid. Open-pollinated seeds are produced by natural processes such as insects, wind, or self-pollination. Hybrid seeds are produced by breeders cross-pollinating two open-pollinated strains of a plant to produce a hybrid plant with specific characteristics such as disease resistance, higher yields or early maturation. In catalogs hybrid seeds are often indicated as “F1.” Many open-pollinated seeds are also “heirloom” seeds, developed over many years by natural selection rather than the efforts of breeders. Unless you intend to save seed from the plants you grow, it doesn't matter whether your seeds are hybrid or open-pollinated. Sometimes hybrid seeds are a little more expensive but may be worth the extra cost for their desirable traits.

Many catalogs list some or all of their seeds as “organic.” If listed as organic, then the seed has been certified to have been grown under organic standards. The catalog should tell you which organization has provided the certification. Otherwise, you can assume that the seed was grown in conventional ways.

You will want to understand the growth habit of the plants you grow from seed. If you are looking for plants to grow in small spaces, you may want plants that are compact, suitable for growing in containers, bush-type or, in the case of tomatoes, “determinate.”Seed described with these terms will develop plants with more restrained growth habits than other varieties. These plants also are more likely to have a shorter life span than their larger cousins. For example, bush beans grow compact plants that usually need no support and produce beans over a shorter period of time than pole beans. This could be advantageous if you have limited space, are too busy to set up a trellis, or want all your beans to be ready to harvest in a short period of time.

On the other hand, vining plants have advantages too. Pole beans will probably produce beans over a longer harvest period, be easier to harvest,and over the season produce more beans per plant than a bush plant. Vining plants such as cucumbers can be grown on trellises to save space in a cramped garden. ‘Indeterminate' tomatoes are the ones that keep on growing all season long and may set several flushes of fruit.

If you are growing vegetables from seed, you will be anxious to get your first harvest. Seed catalogs will give you an estimated “days to maturity.”For varieties that are normally directly seeded in the ground, such as lettuce or beans, days to maturity is counted from the date of seeding. However, for plants such as peppers or broccoli that are transplanted, days to maturity starts from the transplant date. You should also be aware that “days to maturity” refers to plants grown under ideal conditions. Since every growing season is variable, your harvest may not start on the seed catalog's time schedule.

Varieties may be described as early, mid or late season. These terms refer to the time a variety produces relative to other varieties. If you want to have tomatoes early in the summer as well as late into fall, you might choose different varieties that mature early, mid-season and late. You set out all the plants at the same time in the spring. The early varieties start producing first, and by the time they slow down, the later varieties come into production.

Not every vegetable or flower thrives in summer weather. It is helpful to know if a variety prefers cool or warm weather. Seed catalogs do not necessarily identify plants as “cool season” or “warm season” plants, but you can get an idea from the descriptions. Plants described as“tolerate heat” are often plants that prefer to be grown when it is cool. Some varieties of lettuce are often described this way and will produce edible leaves in warm weather, but the quality is not as good as lettuce grown in early spring or early fall and winter. Cool season plants are also often described as tolerating frost. If the catalog mentions planting in warm soil or after danger of frost, you know you're dealing with a warm season plant. These plants may also be described as “heat-loving” or “stands up to hot weather.”

Reading the seed catalogs is a lot of fun, but beware of fanciful descriptions of taste and beauty. Focus instead on the measurable attributes of the plants, and decide for yourself if your harvest is fabulous, fantastic, and wonderful. It likely will be if you grow it yourself.

Workshop: UC Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Garden Planning” on Sunday, January 24, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington Street, Yountville. At a loss about what and where to plant in your own garden? Aren't sure of the factors that lead to a thriving yard? Home gardeners will examine their own garden's microclimates and receive tips and direction for choosing sites and plants suited to their particular locations and microclimates. To register, call the Parks and Recreation Department at 707-944-8712 or visit its website.

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://ucanr.org/ucmgnapa/) 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.

 

 

The plight of bees and their declining numbers has been in the news in recent months. European honey bees, native bees and other pollinators are affected by habit loss, parasites, pathogens, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure.

As avid gardeners,we often choose landscape plants that attract bees and insects, but what if the very plants we purchase contribute to the decline of these garden visitors?

If seeds, plants or flowers have recently been treated with neonicotinoid pesticide, these plants may do more harm than good. First developed in the 1980s, neonicotinoids (neonics) are the first new class of broad-spectrum pesticides in over 50 years.Then eonicotinoid group includes imidacloprid, one of the most popular garden insecticides sold in stores.

Neonics are widely used in horticulture and agriculture for a variety of pests. Like most powerful insecticides, they affect  the insect nervous system; however, neonics themselves are comparatively safe for birds and mammals.

A systemic pesticide, neonics are absorbed by the plant and transferred through its vascular system. Consequently, the plant and, to some degree, its nectar and pollen become toxic to insects. The toxin remains active in the plant for weeks and detectable in the soil for years.

Untreated plants can absorb these chemicals from treated plants nearby. As pollinators feed on these plants, they may be exposed to the pesticide. This exposure can have a variety of effects, depending on dose and sensitivity.

Effects on an insect can include disorientation, a weakening of the immune system and death. Even slight exposure to neonicotinoids can affect some bees' ability to navigate or detect odors, impairing their ability to forage for food. While this may seem like it's better than dying, a bee that can't forage effectively may be as good as dead.

In 2013, European Union member states voted to prohibit the use of three neonicotinoids—imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam on flowering plants and some crops. A mass die-off of bumblebees in Oregon that same year was attributed to a misapplication of neonicotinoids on linden trees. This outcome led Oregon authorities to adopt permanent restrictions on dinotefuran and imidacloprid, both neonics.

While neonics have little effect on honeybees, they can have profound effects on native solitary bees and bumblebees. These species don't get the headlines that honeybees do, but they are important pollinators.

Many home and garden retailers have already agreed to eliminate neonic-treated plants from their nurseries. When purchasing a plant that is or soon will be in bloom, look for a tag that states that it is neonic-free.

When applying pesticides, read labels carefully. Look for warnings that the pesticide may have adverse effects on pollinators. Follow application instructions, both for your own safety and to avoid killing non-target insects such as pollinators. Consider the consequences of using systemic insecticides containing imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, acetamiprid and dinotefuran, especially on blooming plants attractive to bees.

Avoid combined fertilizer-insecticide products as many of these contain broad-spectrum insecticides. Use safer products such as horticultural oils or soaps. More importantly,practice Integrated Pest Management techniques to control garden pests.Visit http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/ for more information on these methods.

Broad-spectrum insecticides are not selective. They can kill beneficial insects like ladybugs as well as other predators and parasites that control pests. That said, neonics don't kill all insects that land on a plant, only insects that eat the plant or its parts. Unfortunately, this can include bees and other beneficial insects if the plant is, or soon will be, in flower and attractive to bees. On plants that are wind pollinated, such as oaks and grasses, this is less of a concern.

Bees and other pollinators pollinate 70 percent of the world's flowering plants, and more than 30 percent of the plants that produce food. As informed gardeners, we have choices. We can purchase safe garden plants and flowers and limit our use of neonics. Creating pollinator-friendly gardens as a food source for beneficial insects is one step to protecting all bees and pollinators.

Workshop: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Fruit Tree Pruning and Care” on Saturday, January 16, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The workshop includes a lecture session from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the University of California Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. A hands-on session at a local orchard follows, rain or shine, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Please dress for outside weather. On-line registration (credit card only); Mail-in/Walk-in registration (cash or check only).

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://ucanr.org/ucmgnapa/) 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.