- Author: Jim Borland
During this marvelous spring season you have watched excitedly as your fruit trees have flowered spectacularly and you've seen many fruit begin to form. Then, one day you are horrified to see that a large number of good sized fruit have fallen to the ground. Don't panic, this is normal for fruit trees. In fact, it even has a name: June Drop, chosen because this usually occurs in early June.
A fruit tree is only capable of supporting a certain amount of fruit. If every one of those flowers were to produce a fruit, the tree would literally collapse under the weight. Too large of a crop will strain the tree's resources and result in smaller fruit of lesser quality. June drop is a natural phenomenon, a self-regulated thinning process that keeps trees from bearing too large of a crop.
Actually, there was an earlier wave of fruit drop that you probably didn't notice. Some fruit begin to drop soon after flowering, primarily small fruit that were poorly pollinated. June drop is more obvious than this earlier drop because the fruit are larger and more noticeable.
Fruit trees set fruit in order to produce seed for reproduction. This reproductive growth phase begins with the creation of flowers, and as insurance to offset losses from weather or other cultural factors, fruit trees always generate more flowers than they need for a full crop of seeds.
In spite of this natural phenomenon, many fruit trees don't thin themselves enough and will still need some hand thinning assistance from us. If you can't bring yourself to remove the excess fruit, your harvested fruit will be smaller and of poorer quality.
By the way, it's called June drop, but it may occur in May, June or July. For more information about fruit trees, visit The California Backyard Orchard: http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/
- Author: Lee Oliphant
It’s June in the Garden – What Now?
By Lee Oliphant Master Gardener
Q. My garden is in full bloom and I’ve kept up on weeding. What now? Jeanne S., Cambria
A. Time to breathe in the cool moist air of June. Spring planting is finished, flowers are in bloom, and some edibles are ready for harvest. Automatic watering systems have been adjusted for longer days and weeds are under control.
Vines may need trimming and tying. Bearded irises may have “lost their bloom” and need deadheading and feeding. In coastal zones you can divide bearded irises after flowering is finished. Wait until fall to divide Pacific Coast Irises. Feed Cymbidium orchids regularly.
Deadhead roses to keep them blooming. Avoid water splashing on leaves to prevent rust, downy mildew and blackspot. Prune out infected leaves to improve air circulation. A sharp spray of water is a good way to reduce aphids, but it should be done early in the day so foliage dries by nighttime. Fungicides such as neem oil or horticultural oil can help reduce powdery mildew and blackspot. Sulfur or potassium bicarbonate may be used as a preventative for rust. Remember to always read the label. To save your time and money, we recommend planting disease-resistant varieties.
Put out annuals before the intense summer sun arrives. Dianthus, lobelia, marigold, petunia, and verbena will provide color through summer and fall.
Plant lettuce seeds every few weeks in cooler zones to “keep it coming”! It’s not too late to plant beans, cucumbers, snow peas, and green beans. For a continuous supply of herbs, set out basil, oregano and parsley. Remember to pinch back herbs, especially basil, to keep them full and prevent them from going to seed. Thin fruit on trees after “June drop”.
Check your automatic watering system. Soil should remain moist a few inches below the surface. Establish a regular feeding schedule for actively growing plants. While they don’t need “three meals a day”, they need food available when they’re hungry. Do not feed mature Mediterranean and native plants at rest. Refresh mulch if needed to conserve water and suppress weeds. Keep mulch away from trunks of shrubs and trees.
Enjoy your garden in its prime and savor the fresh taste of early summer and the colors of late spring.
- Author: Andrea Peck
Birds, Blooms and Butterflies
This month’s Advice to Grow By workshop will star birds, blooms and butterflies. The workshop, put on by the University of California Master Gardeners, will be held on Saturday at 10 a.m. in the Garden of the Seven Sisters, located at 2156 Sierra Way, San Luis Obispo. Bring a notepad and be prepared to discover the connection between wildlife and success in the garden.
As population soars and growth sneaks into unfettered areas, wildlife habitat continues to decline. Come and uncover the history, problems and causes related to loss of wildlife habitat. Wildlife adds animation to the garden, but also confers many benefits, such as insect control and ecological balance. Learn how your skills as a gardener can help create a beautiful, sustainable garden that encourages a diverse and healthy ecosystem.
With spring in full bloom, birds are nesting and eating up a storm – make sure they’re eating your insects by inviting them into your garden. Penstemon, fuchsia and verbena are irresistible to tiny hummingbird pollinators, while mockingbirds, phoebe and bushtits are ready to eat caterpillars and other livewires who make it their business to eat your prized plants.
Just like the flora that surrounds us, the fauna has basic needs. Food, water, shelter and space are as important as air to living creatures, so if you’re intent on hiring insect eaters, pollinators or simply a pretty face, your best bet is to create a suitable environment. Elements such as food for all seasons, supplemental feeders, water features, plant selection, layout and nesting locations are on the list of topics. Bees, bats, butterflies, birds, amphibians and reptiles will not escape discussion.
Connecting the elements of landscaping in order to appropriately encourage wildlife will round out Saturday’s talk.
Get the most out of the workshop. Wear comfortable clothing and sunscreen and please park in the lot adjacent to the demonstration garden. Most of all, enjoy!
Have a Gardening Question?
Contact the University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners: at 781-5939 from 1 to 5 p.m. on Monday and Thursday; at 473-7190 from 10 to 12 p.m. on Wednesday in Arroyo Grande; and at 434-4105 from 9 to 12 p.m. on Wednesday in Templeton. Visit the UCCE Master Gardeners Web site at http://ucanr.org/sites/mgslo/ or e-mail mgsanluisobispo@ucdavis.edu
- Author: Jim Borland
Everybody knows that plants can die of thirst, but don't forget you can also send them to an early grave by overwatering. When we overwater, the soil becomes saturated and forces out vital oxygen, and we literally drown our plants. So then how do we know when to water our plants? Here are some simple and useful methods that should help.
First thing to do is make a close observation of your landscape plants. A plant's stress symptoms which indicate it is too dry include wilting or folded leaves, dull or gray-green foliage, leaf drop, and new leaves smaller than normal. These symptoms often first appear during the hottest time of the day, but before you automatically add water, check the soil moisture first!
The soil can be checked by the "feel" test where you dig down 6 to 8 inches in your garden, grab a handful of soil from that depth and squeeze it in your hand. Moist soil will feel very cool to the touch. Both the tactile sensation and your analysis will vary for different soil types, but we can summarize by considering two broad categories: sandy loam and clay soil. Sandy loam has poor moisture retention characteristics, so if you squeeze that soil and have some moisture on your hand, and if the dirt forms a weak ball, there is a good amount of moisture available for your plants. Clay soil, on the other hand, is excellent at retaining moisture so it will form a tight ball and feel slick when there is an adequate amount of moisture present.
You can also purchase small, portable soil moisture meters for
determining when to water, which cost pennies and are available at local garden centers. There's new technology in irrigation controllers, referred to as "Smart" controllers which use current weather conditions being delivered from nearby weather stations and adjust automatically. They also have the capability of having underground probes buried at root depth, to signal the controller to begin an irrigation cycle. This is not only helpful in giving your plants the optimum water, but helps to conserve water during the rainy season.
Determining whether a plant needs water is always a judgment call. With practice and good observation skills you can have a healthy, properly watered garden.
- Author: Tami Reece
I have caterpillars eating the leaves on my oak trees, what should I do?
Ann M. Arroyo Grande
The California oakworm is probably your pest. On a typical year, there may only be two generations of oakworms, but this year was unusually warm and dry in mid-winter, which has created a perfect environment in order to have a third generation. The life cycle of an oak moth starts with eggs, then maturing to a larva (caterpillar), eventually transforming into a chrysalis (pupa) then finally to the adult oak moth. The oakworm is a small light green caterpillar with a dark brown head and dark stripes on their sides. The oak moth may be spotted during the summer afternoons.
The California oakworm’s favorite food of choice is the coast live oak. Populations are unpredictable year to year, with outbreaks appearing occasionally followed by years of almost no damage to oak trees at all. Don't panic, healthy oaks will tolerate extensive loss of leaves without serious harm, so treatment to control oakworms usually is not recommended. In the past month, the Master Gardener helplines have received numerous reports that there is an abundance of oakworms in San Luis Obispo County. Pesticide sprays applied to control oakworms usually are not warranted to protect the health or survival of oak trees. If you believe your oak trees need protection because they are stressed, regularly check foliage for oakworms and spray least toxic pesticides only when caterpillars reach levels needing treatments. Control oakworm and protect oaks with an integrated pest management (IPM) program that relies primarily on the conservation of natural enemies and good cultural practices. Yellowjackets and garden spiders are good predators of oakworms. Providing a birdbath may help increase the amount of birds in your yard, which will help decrease numbers as well. A good resource for identifying and controlling the oakworms through the use of natural enemies is http:www.ipm.ucdavis.edu.
If you feel that your oak tree was weak or dying before the oakworm outbreak, you may want to consider the cultural care of your tree. Oaks do not need irrigation, unless supplementing during a time of winter drought. Is your tree affected by nearby lawns, compacted soil, damaged roots from construction or nearby pavement? UC ANR offers a free download of their publication "Living Among The Oaks" a guide to keeping your oak trees healthy so they can benefit generations to come.
