Grow and Eat Greens Year-Around
By Master Gardener Lee Oliphant

Q. Is there an easy-to-grow edible green that I can plant now and grow year-around? Beverly Delauer, Cambria

A. We have just the thing for you, Beverly! The easy-to-grow Tendergreen Mustard, also referred to as “Mustard Spinach” and “Komatsuna”, is actually not a spinach but in the Brassica family. This tender mustard green grows to maturity in less than 40 days, requires little care, can take cold weather as well as heat (although it tends to bolt in hot weather), is drought tolerant, and can be sown and grown year-around in mild climates.

Tendergreen mustard is a Japanese green that can be eaten raw or cooked. It has thick, smooth, glossy green leaves, oblong in shape. Tendergreen mustard is widely used in Asian countries both in stir-fry and in salads. Its tender leaves, as well as its flowering stems, are used raw or cooked and have a flavor between mustard greens and cabbage. It can be harvested at any stage of growth.

Q.  Are Indian walking sticks considered pests in the garden? 
-Rhonda Kohler, San Luis Obispo

A. The ultimate expert in camouflage, the Indian walking stick exhibits crypsis, the ability to change color, shape and behavior to blend into their environment. Adult specimens reach up to 4 inches in length. Their long, wingless body is generally brown-colored. When confronted, this amazing creature retracts its legs alongside its body, adding to its appearance as a stick. In fact, if it were a bit longer, you might accidentally pick it up and throw it to your dog for a game of fetch. Considering its ability to remain hidden, however, it is a wonder that these curious insects, often kept as pets, often seen as pests, are even discovered.
Originally native to southern India, Indian walking sticks are a familiar attraction in elementary classrooms because they can survive on lettuce, making them an easy pet to care for.  Their dramatic appearance and slow swaying motion that mimics a branch in the wind, make these bugs a conversation piece no matter where they perch.  These insects became established outside of India as a result of their popularity as pets. The female walking stick is an interesting character that does not require the benefit of male attention to reproduce. Combine that with the ability to lay a significant number of eggs, which often go unnoticed as waste products and you have a recipe for easy breezy reproduction. When kept as pets, it is recommended that cage waste be placed in a tightly sealed bag and thrown away. This should limit the possibility of infestation.
While the Indian walking stick is generally not a major pest, it has become more of a nuisance in recent years. Springtime is typically the time when the most damage occurs. This is because the nymphs hatch and search voraciously for the insect version of a "Twinkie"  Small-leafed varieties of ivy and privet are prize catches for these insects, but beware, they will also enjoy azalea, bramble, camellia, geranium, hawthorn, hibiscus, jasmine, oak, pyracantha, rose and of course, your veggies are not immune. In some locations defoliation of plants and significant damage to valued specimens has occurred.
Control of the Indian walking stick is limited. Pesticides are not recommended. Hand removal, though it can be a challenging game of hide and seek, is the best management strategy.  
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 a.m. to noon on Wednesday in Arroyo Grande; and at 434-4105 from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday in Templeton. Visit the UCCE Master Gardeners Web site at groups.ucanr.org/slomg/or e-mail mgsanluisobispo@ucdavis.edu


Photo Cutline: Photo Courtesy of UC Regents, by Ryan K Perry

By Maggie King, Master Gardener

January means different things to different people. For some it means good books, bunny slippers, and naps by the fire.  For avid gardeners, January is the time to grab a pair of pruners and head outside to the fruit trees and vines that await our attention.  Careful pruning can make the difference between a bountiful crop of fruits and berries and an unhealthy, unproductive orchard.  When we prune we get rid of dead and diseased branches and we improve the structure of a tree. 

Probably the biggest reason for pruning can be understood if one thinks back to high school biology class (for some of us it’s a LONG way back!)  Does the word photosynthesis ring a bell?  It’s the process by which plants use sunlight as an energy source to convert water and carbon dioxide to sugars which are stored in the plant, and oxygen which goes back in to the atmosphere.  Important stuff!  Proper pruning of trees allows more sunlight to get to the leaves of the trees where photosynthesis will occur.

Using the right technique is important. That’s where the Master Gardeners come in!  Many locals have discovered the benefits of our monthly Advice to Grow By workshops, held in our own Garden of the Seven Sisters.  One Saturday morning each month we offer a presentation on some relevant topic.  The workshop on Saturday January 21 will be a complete discussion of winter pruning of fruit trees and berries.

We will begin with a general discussion of pruning, why we prune,and what plants benefit from pruning at this time of year. Experienced Master Gardeners will then use our own orchard to demonstrate proper techniques in the hands-on portion of the workshop.  You will learn the difference between a thinning cut and a heading cut.  You will learn what tools will make the job more efficient.   In other words, you will be prepared to approach your own backyard orchard (or single fruit tree) with confidence.

The workshop starts at 10:00am. and goes until noon at our garden at 2156 Sierra Way.
January weather can be unpredictable.  Bring a hat, a jacket, a bottle of water and a friend or two and come join us for what will certainly be a fun and informative morning.

Advice To Grow By Workshop
By Andrea Peck, Master Gardener

The San Luis Obispo Master Gardeners are at it again with their monthly Advice To Grow By Workshops. This Saturday from 10 to noon the workshop will discuss that odd piece of machinery that inhabits the center of the Garden of The Seven Sisters. As important as any growing element in the garden, the mechanical whirligig is not modern garden art; it is a state-of-the-art weather station which measures temperature, precipitation, wind speed and soil moisture. All information is recorded and can be downloaded for comparison and research purposes.

Though often disregarded, weather is a key player when it comes to gardening effectively.  The number and severity of frost days, temperature, inadequate or excess rain and high winds has an effect on plant growth, fruit production and soil.  The weather station is a tool that allows information to be extrapolated and interpreted in an accurate, clearly-defined manner.

The weather station was installed in the fall of 2009 by the Farm Advisors and is similar to the equipment used on farms to monitor crops. The Advice to Grow By workshop will discuss the differences and similarities of the microclimates that exist in the Demonstration Garden and the macroclimates of the greater San Luis Obispo County. Also on the agenda is the weather forecast for this coming winter.

As our rainy season begins, it's time to start thinking about what can be done to prevent weeds seeds from germinating and developing into mature plant. During the second half of our workshop, we will be discussing different control and prevention methods of weeds.

The seminar will take place at the Garden of the Seven Sisters, located at 2156 Sierra Way, San Luis Obispo. Bring plenty of questions and a pad and pen for notes and unless you have access to your own weather station, dress for the possibility of unpredictable weather.

Got 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 a.m. to noon in Arroyo Grande; and at 434-4105 from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday in Templeton. Visit the UCCE Master Gardeners Web site at groups.ucanr.org/slomg/ or e-mail mgsanluisobispo@ucdavis.edu