- Author: Kim McCue
- Editor: Noni Todd
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.
- Author: Jutta Thoerner
- Editor: Noni Todd
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!
- Author: Noni Todd
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!
TE 2013 Flyer
- Author: Lee Oliphant
- Editor: Noni Todd
Flying Flowers In Your Garden
by Lee Oliphant Master Gardener
Q. I’d love to create a “habitat” garden that encourages butterflies to visit. Can you make some suggestions for plantings? Kathi, Cambria.
All that flying about in your garden is serious business for a butterfly or insect of the Lepidoptera order. The butterfly is looking for a “host plant” on which to lay its eggs, or flowers that provide nectar to replenish its energy. To maximize opportunity for these beautiful “flying flowers” to get what they need in your garden, cultivate host plants that provide food for the butterfly’s caterpillar stage, and flowers that provide the adult butterfly with a much needed “energy drink”.
Depending on the species, some butterfly larvae, like those of the Monarch, eat leaves from a specific plant. Monarchs dine on Asclepias Asciepias sp. or milkweed. Less “picky” species choose to dine on several plants. Good “bed and breakfast” plants for butterflies in the larval stage are native plants such as: Arabis (rock cress), Astragalus (milk vetch, loco weed), Ceanothus spp., wild fennel, and sticky monkey flower. Viola support many local butterflies species.
Many California native plants provide nectar that will attract butterflies to your garden. Natives such as red columbine, yerba santa, wallflower, California mock-orange, coyote mint, California buckeye, wild buckwheat, and sunflowers are butterfly favorites. Common non-natives that attract butterflies are lantana, heliotrope, verbena, butterfly bush, valerian, yarrow, and mint.
In addition to nectar, butterflies need water. They tend to gather around puddles to sip. Fill a shallow container with moist sand and a few rocks to provide a perch for thirsty visitors.
FOR WONDERFUL IMAGES AND USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT BUTTERFLIES, AMONG OTHER INSECTS , YOU MAY WANT TO VISIT THE BUG SQUAD BLOG AT http://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/. Making your garden attractive to butterflies will provide you with an ever-changing colorful display and allow you to “spend some time with a butterfly”.
/span>- Author: Steve McDermott
- Editor: Noni Todd
September Gardening: A Time of Transition
by Steve McDermott Master Gardener
Q: My garden is doing fine and I’m not doing much except eating giant zucchinis. Should I be doing anything else? M.P., Nipomo
The September calendar marks the transition to fall this month which means subtle changes in your garden. Day length is shorter, plants are getting ready for storing carbohydrates in their roots over winter, and most of the summer crop is ready for final harvesting. So it’s time to wrap up summer and move on to prepare for your future garden.
Because of weather and daylight changes, your plants need a bit less water than they did at their high point of need in July. However, since some days are very hot in September, do continue to monitor their water needs.
This is a good time to prepare for a healthy spring garden while your plants move into winter dormancy. Remove diseased plant material, fallen fruit, and decaying vegetables and carefully dispose them. It’s best to bag this material and remove it from your garden. Continue to pinch back flowering plants such as begonias, geraniums, and marigolds. If needed, fertilize perennial plants, trees, and warm season lawn grasses such as St. Augustine (be sure to water deeply). Aerate your lawn before adding fertilizer or other amendments to improve absorption. Add mulch around plants. Clip evergreen hedges for the last time this year. Divide spring blooming perennials.
For fall color, add salvia, plumbago, chrysanthemum, and daylily. For winter, plant perennial herbs such as rosemary and thyme. Place lettuce, parsley, and cilantro in areas that are protected from frost. Try alyssum and forget-me-nots for ground cover and primroses and ornamental cabbage for accents.
Fall is generally an excellent time to plant trees and shrubs. As always, only choose reputable establishments to purchase your plants and always carefully inspect nursery stock for any signs of pests or disease before purchasing. Make sure the plants fit the type of soil and environmental conditions of your garden. Also, consider the space and water they will require as they mature.
Finally, get ready for spring color by planting or purchasing bulbs now. Plant native bulbs such as Mariposa lily or wild hyacinth, crocosmia, and sparaxis. Buy freesia, daffodil, ranucula, crocus and paperwhite narcissus bulbs and “force” cold conditions so they will bloom in spring. Most of these require 6 to 8 weeks of refrigeration before placing them in your gardens.