October Days In The Garden

by Terri Sonleitner Law  UC Master Gardener

Q: It’s been a tough summer for my yard.  What things should I be doing in my garden in October?   Elaine, Templeton

In October the temperature is cooler, the soil remains warm, and if we are lucky, much needed rains will soon follow. October brings beautiful fall colors, along with those milder temperatures, so these can be our best days to work in the garden.

 Your garden activities now will center on three areas: garden cleanup, fertilization and planting new plant material. This is the time to clean out beds and vegetable gardens, tidy up or divide and replant perennials, remove dead or diseased branches from trees and shrubs, pull cool season weeds, and then apply a thick layer of mulch. Leaves will begin to fall, so they can be raked up and added to the compost pile, along with any other non-diseased plant debris from your clean up efforts.

 Many plants will need a good feeding at this time, including fruit trees and turf grasses. Acid-loving camellias and azaleas are setting buds now and should be fed with an acid-based fertilizer. After the fall bloom on roses, cut them back and feed them again for blooms before Christmas, or let them form hips and take a natural approach to dormancy. While you are fertilizing, be sure to check and re-program your irrigation systems and timers.

This is the best time to plant California native plants and shrubs, and to sow wildflower seeds.  Native or well-adapted trees love being planted in the fall, as their roots grow over the winter and they will be well established by next summer. Garden centers have a good selection of bulbs that can be planted now for a riot of color next spring.  Be sure to pre-chill bulbs of tulips, crocus and hyacinth in the refrigerator before planting. If you want to have a winter vegetable garden, this is the time to plant greens, herbs and all cool season vegetables.

 Enjoy your time in the October garden!

Sustainable Gardening

by Kim McCue  Master Gardener

Q. “Sustainable Gardening” is a term I hear all the time, but what is it exactly?

Jean, Paso Robles

 “Sustainable” or “smart” gardening refers to an approach that embraces the principals of the sustainability movement -basically, meeting present needs without compromising the ability to meet the eventual needs of future generations.  As far as your garden is concerned, it’s the practice of utilizing your landscape in such a way that protects and enhances the natural resources there and globally.

There are many ways to incorporate sustainable gardening principles in the home garden.  By focusing on the issues that are prominent in our area, such as water use, waste disposal and pollution, you can implement strategies that are in keeping with sustainability. 

Reducing water use in the home garden can be tricky in our dry climate, but it is doable.  Reducing or replacing non-native lawn grasses, selecting native landscape plants, using drip irrigation and mulching are all ways in which the home gardener can help conserve water.

To lessen waste sent to the landfill, use a mulching lawn mower if you choose to have a lawn.  Try composting to minimize yard and kitchen waste.  Plant just what you need and can maintain. Keep food plants to a size and quantity that ensures most of the produce will be consumed or shared instead of discarded. Make an effort to use recycled materials for pots, boarders or other garden structures as well.

Make a plan to reduce your use of chemicals to manage pests and disease. Overuse of pesticides and fertilizers can accumulate in the soil and seep into the water supply, thereby coming into contact with various living organisms. Not sure how to start? Master Gardeners can help!

To learn more about sustainable gardening come to The Advice to Grow By workshop this Saturday, September 21. 10:00 a.m. until noon.  We will begin in the auditorium at 2156 Sierra Way, San Luis Obispo, with a presentation on Sustainable Landscaping given by Master Gardener Nancy Hartwick. Following the indoor presentation we’ll proceed to the Garden of the Seven Sisters demonstration garden where you’ll see firsthand how sustainable gardening practices are put to use.  Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor apparel for the outdoor portion of the workshop.  

Walnut Trees

by Jutta Thoerner  UCCE Master Gardener

I have a large Walnut tree in my yard, how should I take care of it?  Fred from Paso Robles.

The California climate is ideal for growing walnut trees. In 1867, Joseph Sexton planted the first known walnut orchard in California. Today’s acreage exceeds 222,400,000. Demand has outperformed production since the health benefit of the walnut has been discovered. Originally, walnut trees have been dry farmed in California; its long tap root is an ideal tool for summer survival. The walnut tree does not like “wet feet”. Over- irrigation often causes oak root fungus and a wet trunk promotes gall diseases. If you have a good loamy soil, no additional water is needed if you keep the root zone under its canopy weed free.

Here are some tips to Identify your tree: A black walnut is identified by its deep furrowed bark. Leaves have 15-23 leaflets. The English walnut tree has a smooth bark and has leaves with 5-7 leaflets. Combinations of a black walnut trunk and root stock with an English grafted on top are common in Paso Robles. If you have a Black walnut tree, you need to consider that it hinders the growth of other plants by root competition and by secreting a growth inhibiting substance.   

Regarding insect pests, the walnut husk fly is a small fly that deposits its eggs inside the nut by piercing the green husk. The emerging larvae feed on the nut and will ruin the nut meat. A good option for monitoring and catching the fly are yellow sticky traps, which, by the addition of an added pheromone, attract the female fly. Putting these traps out by June and monitoring them weekly will help avoid serious infestations. Other less common insect pests are scales, spider mites, aphids and codling moth. Ask your local Master Gardener office to help you identify these insects.  And unless you like to share your harvest with rodents, consider trapping ground squirrels and tree squirrels. Apparently they also know about the health benefits of the Walnut; a tree squirrel can squirrel away 104 lbs. of nuts a year!

Yes it is true!  The SLO County Master Gardeners are putting on their 7th Annual Tomato Extravaganza Saturday the 14th from 10 am-2 pm. 

This is your opportunity to shop for wonderful books, plants, and other items...

Meet the friendly and helpful Master Gardeners...

Attend informative lectures....

Stroll through our beautiful demonstration garden...

And don't forget the wonderful tomato and basil tasting...

So come out and join the Master Gardeners for a fun day of information, eating and shopping. What could be better! See you in the garden!!

Click the link below for our flyer!