- Author: Skylar Peters
Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than to show your garden a little love? February means it is time to start planning and preparing your spring and summer garden. These gardening tips will help you get your garden ready for the spring growing season:
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Prune your roses. If you haven't already, cut back a third to half of their total height. Additionally, remove dead parts including old leaves on the bush and ground to improve overall plant health. Watch this video for more detail on how to prune roses.
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Fertilize your citrus trees. Most mature citrus require regular fertilization with nitrogen. Typically, most other nutrients are available in sufficient amounts in the soil. Nitrogen should be applied in January or February just prior to bloom. The second application can be applied in May and perhaps a third in June. Information about fertilizing citrus can be found on the UC Integrated Pest Management website.
Suggested application rates of nitrogen
Year one (1) | 1 tablespoon nitrogen fertilizer 3 times per year, per tree. |
Year two (2) | 0.25 lb. actual nitrogen per tree |
Year three (3) | 0.50 lb. actual nitrogen per tree |
Year four (4) | 0.75 lb. actual nitrogen per tree |
Year five (5+) | 1 lb. actual nitrogen each year |
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Plant these trees, shrubs, and perennials.
• Bare root deciduous shrubs and trees
• Roses, grapes, blackberries, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, asparagus, chives, onions, green onions.
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Plant cool-season crops like ... lettuce, spinach, and broccoli. These vegetables thrive in cooler temperatures and can be planted directly in the ground or started indoors for transplanting later.
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Start seeds indoors. Get a head start on your vegetable garden and consider starting seeds indoors in February. This will give your plants a jump start on the growing season and allow you to get a head start on your harvest. Here are a few seeds you can start now:
• Garlic
• Shallots
• Peas
• Peppers
• Sweet peas
• Tomatoes
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Protect your garden from snails and slugs. As the month progresses, you may start to see more snails in your garden. Make sure to remove them by hand-picking, baiting, or putting up barriers to keep snails and slugs out of your garden. Learn about snails and slug management from UC IPM.
February is a great time for gardeners in California to plan, prepare, and get an early start growing their gardens for the upcoming season. From planting cool-season vegetables to starting seeds indoors, to protecting your garden from pests, there are many ways to get a head start on your garden. So make the most of this month and show your love for your garden and your special someone on Valentine's Day.
Ask your local UC Master Gardener Program
Have a gardening question? UC Master Gardener volunteers are available to help. Click here to Find a Program and connect with your local UC Master Gardener Program. You will be redirected to your local county website and contact information. UC Master Gardener volunteers are available to help answer questions for FREE. Happy gardening!
- Author: Skylar Peters
Will you be participating in National Seed Swap Day this year? Seed swap day will take place on Saturday, January 28th, and is a reminder that spring is soon on its way! The first official seed swap day was held on Jan. 26, 2006, in Washington, DC. It was a day when gardeners, farmers, and plant enthusiasts came together to swap seeds from their best plants.
National Seed Swap Day is a great opportunity for people to share their favorite varieties of seeds, as well as to try out new varieties that they may not have had access to before. Collecting and exchanging seeds has many benefits ranging from preserving rare, heirloom varieties to saving money on seeds. Not to mention that the exchange of seeds perpetuates and improves biodiversity and promotes the ultimate form of recycling within your local area.
All gardeners ranging from novices to horticulture experts can benefit from the long-honored practice and tradition of seed swapping.
There are a variety of ways to swap seeds. Here are some suggestions:
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Check to see if your local library has a seed library.
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Find local seed swap groups on social media.
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Have a seed swap party with friends and neighbors. Everyone can bring their excess seeds to swap.
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Support your local seed library with seed or financial donations.
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Spread awareness about seed swapping by posting on social media.
Advice to Grow by… Ask Us!
UC Master Gardener volunteers are a great resource to connect with new and experienced gardeners for your vegetable gardening needs. From seed to harvesting your crops, the UC Master Garden Program has it covered. UC Master Gardeners are available in most counties to support your home gardening questions by e-mail, telephone, or ZOOM. In addition, UC Master Gardener Program public education events allow you to ask your questions face to face.
Click here to 'Find a Program' and be directed to your local county-based program. You will be redirected to your local county website and contact information.
/h3>- Author: Melissa G. Womack
- Author: Missy Gable
Proper irrigation and drainage are critically important for the health of plants and trees. But what happens when Mother Nature throws an atmospheric river curveball, and your yard or garden is now under water from heavy rains or floods?
Good garden soil contains a network of pore spaces filled with water and air. Both are necessary for healthy roots and beneficial soil-dwelling organisms. When the pore spaces fill with water, air is no longer available to the root system, and the roots become susceptible to root-rot organisms. Understanding the effects of flooding on plant health and caring for them after a flood event is important to saving your plants and garden.
Once the floodwaters have receded, assess the damage to your garden and begin the recovery process. There are a few things you can do to minimize the damage to your plants from flooding:
- Remove any debris, such as mud and silt, that may have shifted and accumulated on your plants.
- If the soil is waterlogged, improve drainage by digging ditches or furrows to redirect water away from plants.
- Check the soil for compaction and loosen it up with a garden fork. This will help to improve drainage and make it easier for water and nutrients to reach the roots of your plants.
- Wait until the soil dries out before working with it in order to reduce additional compaction. Avoid walking on waterlogged soil to prevent compaction and further root damage. Stay off a boggy lawn!
- Inspect your plants for damage to the roots, leaves, and stems. Remove any damaged parts, and prune your plants back to healthy growth if necessary.
- Remove contaminated material. Consider that any garden produce touched by floodwater may be contaminated and discard it. While the risk of contamination is low in residential areas, runoff from septic systems, pastures, or industrial areas can carry potentially harmful microbes and chemicals.
- Monitor your plants closely for signs of stress, such as wilting or discoloration, and address any issues that arise as soon as possible.
- Once dry, start to water your plants gently and gradually to help them acclimate to the new soil conditions.
Connect with us!
Recovering from a flood can be a difficult and time-consuming process, but with proper care and attention, your garden can recover and thrive. The UC Master Gardener Program is available to help! For gardening questions and local county resources, click here to Find a Program. You will be redirected to your local county website and contact information.
Source: Flood: Plant Stress in Extreme Wet Conditions, https://marinmg.ucanr.edu/PROBLEMS/EXTREME_CONDITIONS/Flood/
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- Editor: Melissa G. Womack
- Author: Skylar Peters
Happy New Year from the statewide UC Master Gardener Program. Gardening in January can be a challenge with the cold weather and shorter days. However, January can be an excellent month for garden maintenance and preparing your landscape for spring and summer.
From giving your garden a makeover to planning for a vegetable garden, there are endless opportunities to stay active in the garden in January. What steps can you take to improve your garden this month? Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Watch weather reports. Accordingly, protect your plants from frost and other weather conditions. Cover them when necessary and adjust watering both for cooler temperatures and for seasonal rains.
- Don't forget about your houseplants. Make sure to keep your houseplants watered, as they tend to dry out from indoor heating during the winter months.
- Clear plants and debris. Clean out soggy leaves, broken branches and dead plants. Maintain unraked patches (if desired) and old rose canes for overwintering insects. Don't forget to pull out weeds.
- Keep your garden tools sharp and clean. Avoid rust and dullness and prepare for the pruning that takes place in January and February.
- Prune dead or damaged branches. Since January is the dormant season, it is the ideal time to prune. Prune your fruit trees while avoiding apricot and cherry trees. For more instructions on how to prune, check out this pruning guide.
- Start your vegetable garden indoors. Expand your growing season and start seeds, you can plant cabbage, chard, broccoli, cauliflower, and spring lettuce, to name a few. You can also start them in a cold frame or greenhouse.
- Plant flower bulbs. Get a jump start on planting flower bulbs this month, which can lead to a longer spring bloom!
- Plan your spring and summer vegetable garden. Design a garden plan now to prepare for spring planting. A great first step is to draw a map of your garden on grid paper and consider which seeds you want to plant and where.
January is a time of new beginnings, including in your garden. By preparing now, you can expect fantastic results in the spring and summer months.
Ask your local UC Master Gardener Program
January can be an unusual time in the gardening world, but we are here to help. For more gardening help and local county resources, click here to Find a Program. You will be redirected to your local county website and contact information. UC Master Gardener volunteers are available to help answer questions for FREE about your garden.
/h3>- Author: Melissa G. Womack
Soil quality is critical to healthy plants and is a vital part of our living ecosystem. Soil is alive with organisms; their populations change depending on what is added, how the soil is used, and environmental conditions. Soil health, much like our own, is best improved gradually over time so focusing on regular or constant improvement helps achieve and sustain soil health. Do you have a soil problem in your garden? Below are some of the most common soil problems and how to fix them.
First, it is important to know what type of soil you have. According to the UC Master Gardener Handbook, good soil is 25% Air, 25% Water, 5% Organic Matter and 45% Mineral Matter. Soils are classified by the size of soil particles. Soil Particles range from large or “Sandy” to medium or “Loamy” to very fine or “Clay” with Loam being considered the best for growing plants. Get to know your soil and soil type with tips from the UC Master Gardener Program of Marin County.
Common home garden soil problems:
- Over-watering –Check your soil, is it soggy? If yes, you may be overwatering your plants. Heavy watering can drown plants when the soil becomes too saturated and forces out vital oxygen. Once you know your soil type, you can test your soil moisture to see if it is above capacity using the “Estimating soil water by feel” table.
- Over fertilizing – Plants primarily get their nutrients from soil and from added amendments (such as finished compost.) Some nutrients might also come from water. Most ornamental plants get what they need for healthy growth on their own, so gardeners should watch plants for signs they need to be fertilized instead of automatically applying based on a schedule. Food gardens on the other hand can benefit from regular application of Nitrogen.
Signs of over fertilizing:
- Crust of fertilizer on top of soil
- Brown leaf tips
- Yellow, wilting lower leaves
- Brown or black roots
- Slow or no growth
- Leaves falling off
- Poor soil tilth – Soil tilth refers to a soil's texture, structure, and organic matter content. Good soil tilth supports healthy root growth, water movement through the soil, introduction of air into the soil, and beneficial microorganisms. Poor soil tilth lacks these things and appears quite lifeless. Maintain good soil tilth by avoiding soil compaction, aerating soil, avoiding tilling, using green-waste as a garden top-dressing for your soil, and mulching.
- Nematodes and soil-borne diseases– Nematodes are microscopic, eel-like round worms. The first sign of a nematode infestation will include wilting during the hottest part of the day, even with adequate soil moisture. Infected plants might lose their vigor and have yellowing leaves, will grow more slowly, produce fewer and smaller leaves and fruit, and may die.Soil contains many other living organisms, including plant pathogens and diseases that attack plants. If you suspect a soil-borne pest or disease UC Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a wonderful resource to help identify and get information on next steps.
Ask your local UC Master Gardener Program
Growing and supporting soil health is something all of us can contribute to whether we have a full landscape to work in, a small patio, or a community garden plot. For gardening help and local county resources, click here to Find a Program. You will be redirected to your local county website and contact information. UC Master Gardener volunteers are available to help answer questions for FREE about your gardening zone, pests, composting, and the soil in your area.
Follow us all week on Facebook or Twitter, or by using the hashtags #HealthySoilsWeek2022 and #HSW2022. For more UC ANR information about healthy soils for a healthy California visit: ucanr.edu/sites/soils.
Resources:
- California Garden Web: https://ucanr.edu/sites/gardenweb/Vegetables/?uid=26&ds=462
- UC Master Gardeners of Marin County, Soils Basics: https://marinmg.ucanr.edu/BASICS/SOIL_813/
- UC Master Gardeners of Tulare & Kings Counties, Nematodes in the Garden: https://ucanr.edu/datastoreFiles/268-861.pdf
Estimating soil water by feel | ||||
TEXTURE | ||||
Coarse (sand, loamy sand) | Moderately coarse (sandy or silt loam) | Medium (loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, silt, sandy clay) | Fine (clay. silty clay or light clay) | |
At field capacity contains: (mm available moisture per meter of soil) |
60-100 | 100-150 | 150-200 | 200-250 |
SOIL MOISTURE CONTENT | ||||
Above field capacity | Water appears when soil is bounced in hand. | Water released when soil is kneaded. | Can squeeze out of water. | Puddles and water form on surface. |
Field capacity | Upon squeezing no free water appears on soil but wet outline of ball is left on hand. | |||
75-100% available moisture | Tends to stick together slightly. Sometimes forms a weak ball under pressure. | Forms weak ball, breaks easily, will not slick. | Forms a ball and is very pliable, slicks readily if relatively high in clay. | Easily forms a ribbon between fingers, has a slicky feeling. |
50-75% available moisture | Appears to be dry, will not form a ball under pressure. | Tends to ball under pressure but seldom hold together. | Forms a ball, somewhat plastic, sometimes slicks slightly with pressure. | Forms a ball, ribbons out between thumb and forefinger. |
25-50% available moisture | Appears to be dry, will not form a ball under pressure. | Appears to be dry, will not form a ball under pressure. | Somewhat crumbly, but forms a ball. | Somewhat pliable. Will form a ball under pressure. |
0-25% available moisture | Dry, loose single-grained. Flows through fingers. | Dry, loose. Flows through fingers. | Powdery, dry, sometimes slightly crusted, but easily broken down into powder. | Looks moist but will not quite form a ball. |
Source: Irrigation Practice and Water Management (1984) |