Test PB Collection: FTE

UCCE Master Gardeners of El Dorado County appeared in the 11-09-2022 Mountain Democrat Studies have shown that flowers are stress relievers. As the days get shorter and colder, it is time to say goodbye to warm weather gardens.

"Water, water everywhere, but nary a drop to drink" is a good analogy and sums up my thoughts when I look at all the pine needles on the ground but have been discouraged from using them as mulch because they lower the pH of the soil to acidic levels.

Article originally appeared in the Mountain Democrat, 10/19/ 2022 Leaves are magical things. The original solar panels, leaves take sunlight and convert it into food for the plant. But when they dry up and fall on the ground, many people quickly want to rake them out of their yards.

Fresh green stalks of Asparagus, Asparagus officinalis, ready to harvest, is a welcome springtime occurrence. The question is, how do we get to the point where the plant is producing this wonderful perennial vegetable? Growing asparagus requires patience, care, and a bit of know-how.

We remember the taste of fresh vegetables that always seemed to taste better than vegetables purchased at the supermarket. So, it is natural that many of us would want to have a vegetable garden, as there are few things more satisfying than growing your own food.

Prune grapes and roses Cleanup: remove mummy fruit and blighted limbs on stone fruit to reduce brown rot. Remove and destroy fallen leaves to reduce peach leaf curl. Mulch cane berries, cut out all old canes and reset new canes in twine.

Pinch chrysanthemums back to 6 inches every month through July. Trim dead flowers but not leaves, from spring bulbs. Mulch cane berries, cut out all old canes and reset new canes in twine. Cultivate and pull weed seedling now to prevent bloom.

Above 2000 ft. : prune deciduous fruit trees, cane berries Below 2000 ft.: prune grapes, roses, crepe myrtle. Paint trunks of bare root and young fruit trees to prevent borers and protect from sunburn. Use interior white latex paint with equal amounts of water and apply generously.

Continue mulching to conserve soil moisture and control weeds. Keep harvesting vegetables for continued production. Do the final pruning of summer for fruit bushes. Prune apricots to avoid Eutypa fungus. Remove about 20% of this year's growth.

Watering and pest control are top of the "To Do" list. Water after midnight and before 10am to reduce the chance of fungal infection and to conserve moisture. Pinch off the top pair of leaves on all chrysanthemum shoots longer than 5" to keep plants bushy and produce more flowers.