Posts Tagged: Perennials
Winter is Coming in the Garden
Signs of autumn are all around us. . .we've had some rain, trees are showing off their fall colors...
No need to amend soil when planting new trees or perennials
Gardeners who follow conventional wisdom and nursery recommendations to mix organic amendments into the soil when planting new trees or perennials in their landscapes are making a mistake, according to UC Cooperative Extension environmental horticulture experts.
“This is one of the garden myths that I'm trying to dispel,” said Jim Downer, UCCE environmental horticulture advisor in Ventura County. “We recommend residents not amend the soil when they are planting based on outcomes we have observed in research.”
Downer and Ben Faber, UCCE advisor for water, soils and subtropical crops in Ventura County, summarized this and other information about the use of organic amendments in home landscapes in a six-page publication now available for free download from the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources catalog at https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=8711.
The publication says research has not shown that adding amendments to planting holes for perennial plants provides a significant advantage compared to using native backfill.
With perennial plants, the roots do not stay in the planting hole for long, so amendments would only be effective for a short time. The practice of amending the soil further harms the plant by creating an interface where the soil in the planting hole is different from the native soil.
“When that happens, roots and water don't move as well through the soil,” he said.
While there are few reasons to mix organic amendments into the soil, Downer said mulching the soil surface with uncomposted organic matter is almost always beneficial.
“If your goal is to get organic matter into the soil, we recommended topping the soil with fresh, undecomposed wood chips. It will give you microbial stimulation and suppress disease. Arthropods will slowly grab pieces of the mulch and incorporate it into the soil at a gentle rate,” he said.
The publication also provides information about various common organic amendments – such as coconut fiber, coffee grounds, horse manure, peat moss and green waste compost – with details about each product's benefits and detriments.
To weed or not to weed...that is the question!
During this time sheltering in place, I've had more time to be in the garden weeding. This got me...
Lepechinia In Your Garden?
Advice for the Home Gardener from the
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardeners
Program of Contra Costa County
Master Gardeners' Help Desk Request: I recently moved into a home in Clayton and am very fortunate to have inherited many beautiful perennials! One, in particular, has stumped me and I was hoping you would be able to help me identify it. I have attached a few pictures.
Along with identifying the plant, I am also curious as to seasonal care. It is obvious the flowers are finished. It is also very large and many have fallen to the ground (the plant isn't able to support itself). Should I cut it way back, deadhead the flowers, etc.?
Growing up in the Midwest, I don't have any experience with perennials in this climate! I am enjoying reading up and learning about the plants in my new yard. I appreciate your time and help on this endeavor!
Response from the MGCC Help Desk: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk about your unknown perennial. Any plant identification done from a picture must be considered tentative, however, I think that this plant is a Lepechinia sp., and I suspect it is Lepechinia hastata.
Originally looking at your pictures, the plant looks like a salvia. It has broad thick leaves, with well-defined veins. However, most salvias flower on a single stalk and the flowers do not branch as you get to the top of the plant. This branching of the flowers is very prominent in your pictures as is the calyx (the cup that holds the flower on the plant). Lepechinia sp. have very similar leaves to salvias, but can have these branching flowers and a very prominent calyx.
They are in the same family as salvias and are so similar, they are frequently referred to as the false sage or the pitcher sage. There are Lepechinia sp. which are native to California but these seem to have a more drooping carriage. With the upright flowers on your plant, it likely is Lepechinia hastata, a variety that possibly was native to Mexico or Hawaii.
According to the Sunset Western Garden Book, Lepechinia sp. can grow up to 6 feet tall and wide. They require almost no summer water except under the hottest conditions and deer are rarely interested in them. It was difficult to find any clear advice about caring for this plant as it seems to require almost no care. It likes well-draining soil and does not want to be soggy.
A few nurseries recommend deadheading the plant or cutting it back after blooming so it seems reasonable to clean up the parts of your plant that have fallen down. In areas that are warm enough, it might continue to produce some flowers year-round.
Hope this helps.
Best of luck with your new garden
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SES)
Notes: Contra Costa MG's Help Desk is available almost year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays (e.g., last 2 weeks December), we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 2380 Bisso Lane, Concord, CA 94520. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 608-6683, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/. MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Biog.
How to Prevent Weeds in the Landscape
Nurseries and garden centers often sell a wide range of plants for use in gardens and landscapes....