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Planting Strategies If you anticipate a dry season, plant shorter season crops and fewer crops Plant in blocks, rather than rows. This creates shade for roots and reduces evaporation. Control weeds, they are competing with the vegetables for the water supply.
Adapted from UC Master Gardener Program of Marin County Cover crops are plants grown primarily to improve soil. Planted when traditional garden crops are not present, they enrich soil and provide numerous other benefits. Cover crops are often referred to as a green manure.
By Cory Kelso, UC Master Gardener Planting Choose a site that is sunny and out of strong wind. If you live in North Count or in an area that gets very hot, plant your dahlias where they will get some afternoon shade. Dahlias like well-drained soil. Prepare soil using a good quality planting mix.
By Peggy Rice, UC Master Gardener Orchids are: Mostly epiphytes that grow on branches, roots in air Not parasites, but are fully photosynthetic Recognize by flowers - 3 sepals and 3 petals (lip), fused reproductive organs Over 27,000 recognized species, grow everywhere except polar and desert re...
By Tami Reece, UC Master Gardener January: Buy, plant and prune roses this month. The goal of pruning is to have satisfactory airflow and sunlight penetration into the bush. Pruning also helps coax the rose bush into dormancy. Prune out diseased, damaged, dead and crossing branches.
By Lisa Mowery, UC Master Gardener The home gardener can have beautiful healthy rose bushes by following a few basic pruning rules. Why do you need to prune? Annual pruning improves the overall health of the rose bush and stimulates new growth for larger blooms and an attractive plant.
By Charles Davis and Kim McCue, UC Master Gardeners Success with deciduous fruit trees is a function of: 1. Finding varieties which are climatically suited to the environment, the key element is insuring they get the right number of winter chill hours. 2.
The purpose of this article is to provide basic pruning concepts for home gardeners. The goals are to create a healthy tree with a strong structural framework and to control the size of the tree for ease of harvesting and care.
By Charles Davis, UC Master Gardener Thinning is done to avoid: (1) alternating bearing years, (2) breakage of branches due to excessive crop, and (3) to allow for better air circulation around the fruit to prevent disease (especially if the fruit is touching).
