Posts Tagged: roots
Wet Roots
I recently harvested 'GEM' avocados and found that some of the fruit was splitting. The split fruit was just turning from a bright green to one with dark tinges. There were also gobs of snails and slugs on the fruit. I mentioned the cracking fruit to a grower who had been harvesting ‘Hass' fruit and the comment was that their fruit was turning black on the tree and falling. This is way early for ‘Hass' to show this level of maturity.
Several mandarin growers also mention peel breakdown or rind disorder. There can be brown, water-soaked blotches or dark, sunken areas developing on the rind after rainy weather. The fruit matures rapidly, turning orange early. Secondary fungi can then colonize the affected areas. It's more of a problem in northern California where thin-skinned satsumas are grown and there are early rains. But accelerated maturity and fruit/whole plant breakdown can happen on all citrus and many other fruiting plant species.
This is another example of accelerated maturity due to wet roots. The roots need air, like we do, and when they are asphyxiated for even short periods of time, they start signaling the rest of the plant that something is wrong. Prolonged rainy periods or actual ponding conditions will lead to ethylene precursors that start the maturation process – “banana in a bag” effect. This is in spite of many crops being delayed in their maturity because of the cold winter we have had. Drown the roots, and they start responding as if they are choking. They are. In some cases, leaves will droop (epinasty or wilting) and drop, immediately. And then the fruit may drop right away or then just start rapidly maturing/ripening on the tree. Once this process starts, there's no stopping it. Some growers, seeing fruit drop have gone out to start harvests, but then inadvertently gotten their forklifts stuck in the mud. Rain can have its downsides.
mandarin rind disorder
lemon cold wet exposure
What is subsoil and how does it help a garden?
This is for readers who may have heard of subsoil, but don't really know what it is, let alone...
Anthony on park bench
Soil Horizons, Wikimedia commons.
Trees and the California Drought
If you spend much time outside, chances are you've sought the shade of a nearby tree. Whether...
The Value of Trees.
by Rainer Hoenicke, UC Master Gardener of Napa County As I looked east toward Atlas Peak...
Eastern hills of Napa County. (geologycafe.com)
Streets and houses all over town show evidence of thoughtful tree planting. (redfin.com)
Another Napa home with trees front and back. (rexhomes.com)
Trees have extensive root systems. (padredam.org)
What trees mean to a community. (belmontcitizensforum.org)
All this magic in the leaf of a tree. (britannica.com)
Tree roots depend on fungi. (ias4sure.com)
Kennedy Park stuffed with trees. (yelp.com)
Fuller Park, more trees. (napavalleyregister.com)
A new park in American Canyon with shade trees of the future. (napavalleyregister.com)
Just think of the value of redwoods and oaks--and all trees--to our well-being. (fineartamerica.com)
Napa Registry of Significant Trees
Spring Is Springing!
By Penny Pawl, UC Master Gardener of Napa County Winter isn't over, but in...
Bearded iris. (garden.org)
Do your weeding before seeds set! (doctorgreen.com)
Weed torches are especially useful in gravel and hardscape. (mow-n-blow.com)
Sheet composting is a sure-fire way to reduce weeds in garden beds. (reachnettings.com)
Cut a hole in the cardboard when ready to plant. (pinterest.com)
NOW is the time for pruning, and also for bare root planting. (calendarzoom.com)
Consider California Native Plants. (volunteermatch.org)
Snails and slugs are destructive. (flickr.com)
Use a headlamp or flashlight to hunt snails at night. (flashlightsunlimited.com)
Now is a good time to replace soil in containers. (theparsimoniousprincess.blogspot.com)
The seed packet is packed with information. (104homestead.com)
Plastic containers make great temporary greenhouses--be sure to hold in place with a stick. (thriftyfun.com)
Soon YOUR backyard will be ready for its spring closeup! (thegardenglove.com)