Why isn’t my forsythia blooming? What garlic should I plant for braiding? How do I protect my succulents from the cold? California Bountiful gardening expert Pat Rubin answers your seasonal gardening questions.
Fall 2025 California Bountiful magazine
Here are a few seasonal gardening questions our California Bountiful readers submitted to gardening expert Pat Rubin.
No. Elephant garlic is more closely related to onions. It has a mild garlic taste and can be used the same way you use garlic. Some people prefer it because of its milder flavor.
You can scatter almost any flower you love, including poppies, snapdragons, zinnias, cosmos and marigolds. The list goes on. Seed packets for many spring and summer flowers will tell you to sow the seed after all danger of frost has passed. But what does Mother Nature do? Those plants go to seed at the end of their growing season, lie asleep all winter and wake up in nicer weather. I’ve had snapdragons reseeding themselves all throughout the vegetable garden for years. This year, I found pink snapdragons growing among the tomato plants.
Many plants bloom in the winter. Here are a few: camellias, daphne, viburnum, hellebores, daffodils, witch hazel and Oregon grape. Do a little research online or talk to your garden center pros and you’ll find the winter season full of flowering trees, shrubs and bulbs.
Summer 2025 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
Yes, depending on the variety. Green bell peppers are the least ripe. As the pepper matures, it turns color and becomes much sweeter.
Like tomatoes, they both are members of the nightshade family. Husk tomatoes are small, about 1 or 2 inches wide, while tomatillos can be up to 3 inches. They also differ in color and taste: Husk tomatoes are slightly sweet while tomatillos are tarter.
I know exactly what you’re describing: crocosmia. It’s a corm, produces gladioli-like foliage and has bright orange, red or yellow flowers—and it is a thug in the garden! It spreads and multiplies. Of course, you could spray the plants with an herbicide, but that wouldn’t be my choice. I, too, have battled crocosmia in the garden, and my solution was to let the plants bloom each year because the flowers are beautiful, and then I pull the plants out of the ground. I try every year to pull more and more out. It takes patience but it works.
Spring 2025 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
If you live in a climate where olive trees can grow, you can grow capers. The edible part is the unopened flower buds of Capparis spinosa. The shrub grows to about 3 feet high and as wide. It can take full sun and plenty of heat but will not tolerate temperatures below about 15 degrees. The buds are salted and pickled and used as a condiment.
Come July, irises need to be cut to the ground. This is also a good time to thin or divide them. I keep my irises deadheaded all during the flowering season and cut away the flowering stems once they are finished. When the leaves start to look messy, I cut them back. I often have to cut them back a second time, especially if they are grown with very little water.
For years garden centers and stores have sold short wedge-shaped cages for tomatoes and the tomatoes outgrow those things in about two months. I use those small cages for eggplant, peppers, basil and other smaller garden plants. Garden supply manufacturers have gotten much savvier about what tomato plants need and now there are plenty of strong, tall cages on the market. You can also make your own. Some people use stakes and string, while others make wire cages.
Winter 2025 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, and are best used for acid-loving plants like blueberries, hydrangeas, azaleas, carrots, tomatoes and radishes. I sprinkle coffee grounds around my vegetables and flowers during the growing season, and when the garden is fallow, I mix the grounds into the soil.
Deer will nibble on almost anything at least once and especially during months when food is scarce. Spray deer repellent on the plants every two weeks or so. My go-to plants the deer never bother are rosemary, Spanish lavender, kniphofia, Pieris, Shasta daisies, yucca, hesperaloe (though they will eat the flowers), Jerusalem sage, artemisia, daphne and gardenia.
Instead of using the manure as a top dressing, incorporate it into the soil. No more fragrant chicken manure odors!
It’s most likely a raccoon. They’re smart and wily. The solution is an easy one: take the feeder in each night and put it back out the following morning. After about a week, the raccoons will stop checking and you can leave it out.
Yams and sweet potatoes are not the same. Yams are part of the lily family, while sweet potatoes are part of the morning glory family.
Yams are drier and starchier than sweet potatoes. They are a root tuber and have brown bark-like skin and white or purple flesh. The flesh, when cooked, is similar to a russet potato.
A sweet potato is also a root tuber. It is native to Central and South America, is more cylindrical or tapered in shape and has reddish, thin skin. The flesh inside can be orange, purple or white. The most common one has orange flesh and a sweet flavor.
I’ve made the mistake at the grocery store of buying a yam when I wanted a sweet potato. Too often, grocery stores use the terms interchangeably.
Yes. You can scatter them around the garden and let Mother Nature do the rest. If you really want to be sure the seeds get off to the best start, rough up the soil a bit, scatter the seeds and then cover them lightly.
Usually, autumn and winter rains are enough to allow the seeds to germinate and grow for next spring’s flowers, but if you hit a prolonged dry spell, give the garden some water.
Summer 2024 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
Cucumbers make a lot of people burp. Researchers discovered a compound called cucurbitacin is responsible for this and other digestive issues with cucumbers. It can also make cucumbers taste bitter. Cucurbitacin is found in the skin of cucumbers. Burpless cucumbers have less of this compound.
Rosemary blooms almost continually, so is a good year-round choice. Also include lavender, thyme, oregano, marjoram, zinnias, honeysuckle, and all types of culinary and ornamental sage. Bees are thought to prefer blue, yellow and purple flowers.
Start cutting them to the ground by December. Don’t wait so long that the blades start to break away from the plants and scatter all across the garden. Better to cut them back while they still look nice rather than wait too long and have a mess.
Spring 2024 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
The short answer is no. It’s always a risk to plant early. Sometimes it works and you get a jump-start on the season. But plants put in at the proper time grow quickly, so you really haven’t gained much. Just because the garden centers offer vegetable plants in March doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to plant them.
Your basil is finished, and by the time your tomato plants recover, newly planted tomatoes will be much farther ahead. Toss them all.
In the future, if you want to plant tomatoes early, protect them from the frost. Most garden centers sell frost protection items for veggies.
Do two things differently next time to ensure success. Give the plants more light, especially direct sunlight. Take the flats of seedlings outside for a little morning sun each day. Start when they get their first set of true leaves. Leave them outside for only a few minutes at first and gradually work up to a couple of hours. Make sure they are watered before you take them out. Be careful since fragile seedlings can burn up if the sun is too hot.
Second, run your hand across the seedlings several times each day, or put an oscillating fan on very low near the seedlings. This movement will help them grow stronger stems.
Both are in the Cucurbita family but have their own identities. Pumpkins are typically bigger and rounder, while winter squash comes in many shapes. Both have hard outer skin to protect them. Some believe the term pumpkin doesn’t really mean anything, but to gardeners and cooks alike, the terms pumpkin and winter squash conjure up two different crops. So, while a pumpkin may really be a winter squash, not many gardeners or cooks think of them that way. Oddly enough, the giant pumpkins you see people entering in contests and growing upwards of 1,000 pounds are just giant winter squashes. They aren’t traditional pumpkins at all.
The nutrients don’t last forever, so it’s important to keep feeding the soil. Your soil is like a living being and needs nourishment if it is to keep producing bountiful crops for you. If you are gardening in containers, it’s especially important to add nutrients to the soil, whether in the form of compost, time-release fertilizer granules or liquid fertilizer.
January/February 2024 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
“Blind” is a term that gardeners use for seemingly healthy, well-tended plants that don’t bloom. Usually, the problem is in the way the plant is being grown. With daffodils, the problem is either they are too crowded and need to be divided or the foliage from the previous year was cut back too soon and the plant was unable to feed the bulb. Daffodils bloom on food stored in the bulb from the previous year. That’s why it’s important to not cut back the dying foliage until it is absolutely dead.
Sounds like the soil could use some help. I’d suggest adding chicken manure. It comes in bags as well. Since it can be a bit aromatic, I’d also suggest mixing it into your existing soil. A good rule when gardening: When you harvest a crop, add compost before planting the next one so you are always feeding your soil.
November/December 2023 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
Pumpkins need to be left on the vine for as long as possible for the best color and ripeness. As long as the rind (the skin on the pumpkin) is hard, the pumpkin is still good to pick and use. It’s best to wait until after the first frost but before freezing weather sets in to pick pumpkins (and winter squash).
December is a great time for garden cleanup. Remove all dead foliage, clean away any weeds. Add compost to the vegetable garden and mulch around the shrubs and trees. If you have fruit trees, now is the time to prune them. This is the time of year I start sprinkling flower seeds in vegetable and ornamental garden beds.
September/October 2023 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
I’ve heard for years that some houseplants produce more oxygen and remove more harmful chemicals from the air than others. The best houseplants for the job include Boston fern, snake plant, aloe vera and spider plant. The nice thing about this list of indoor plants is that they are all easy to grow.
You put them in the freezer. That’s what went wrong. If the bulbs aren’t specially labeled for forcing (all that means is that they have been pre-cooled), then you need to put them in the refrigerator for a few weeks to give them a good cooling, not a freezing. Try that this year and you’ll have good results with your hyacinths.
July/August 2023 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
Most people plant their crops too far away from each other and think everything has to be planted in rows several feet apart. If you are planting directly into the ground and doing weed control with a tractor and need 3 feet between rows, then continue what you’re doing.
But most gardeners these days have turned to raised beds. Whether you are planting into the ground or a raised bed, force yourself to plant your vegetables as close together as you can, especially things like peppers, eggplant and beans. Stagger them a bit and you can get almost twice as many in a bed.
Arrange your tomato cages so they touch each other and stagger them a bit. Plant radishes or greens around them. Use every inch, and whenever you take out a crop, add compost before planting another so you are constantly feeding your soil.
This is a very common problem. Cucumbers contain cucurbitacin compounds that make their leaves bitter and unappealing to browsing, munching animals. We don’t eat the leaves or stems so we don’t notice. Sometimes the bitter taste affects the cucumbers, mostly just under the skin, so peeling helps. Some people say it can be reversed by cutting and rubbing the cut ends together.
The best solutions are to give them plenty of water and make sure your soil is healthy and has plenty of compost. Too much hot weather combined with too little water and poor soil makes a great scenario for bitter cucumbers. Finally, there are varieties less susceptible to bitterness. Look for varieties labeled “non-bitter” or “burpless.”
May/June 2023 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
Now is a good time to take cuttings of scented geraniums. They are growing readily, but the new growth is mature enough to root. It’s a race between rooting and rotting. Cut a 6-inch-long piece off the ends of the plant. Strip off the lower leaves and cut the remaining ones in half (this helps prevent the plant from losing too much moisture through the leaves while it is making roots). Trim the base of the stem another inch or so and stick the cutting in a pot filled with a coarse planting mix. You can put several cuttings in a pot.
Place the pot where it will get plenty of shelter from hot afternoon sun. Water it thoroughly. Give it a good sprinkling every day. Keep the foliage moist, but don’t let the soil become waterlogged.
The key is to look at the cuttings every day so you will notice immediately if they aren’t getting enough water, for example. It takes about six to eight weeks for roots to grow. I have to admit I give the cuttings a tug every once in a while to see if roots are forming. I can’t resist!
Those are baby glads. The mother plant produces “cormels” (these are baby corms; gladiolus are grown from corms, not bulbs). They will eventually be mature enough to produce flowers (and even more cormels). Most gardeners don’t want hundreds of gladiolus in one spot so they pull them out. You can toss them or plant them elsewhere.
March/April 2023 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
Make sure you have a feeder that doesn’t drip. If you can, move the feeder around. My solution was to smear petroleum jelly (Vasoline) on the hanger. That stopped the ants.
No, absolutely not. Honey can cause a fatal fungus infection on the tongue. Don’t use powdered sugar, either, since it contains cornstarch.
January/February 2023 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
Hopefully, you have a garden full of plants appropriate for your climate. But you can still have frost damage. The first line of defense is to water your plants before a freeze. Plants die in freezing weather from dehydration. Move potted plants close to the house. Cover sensitive plants with a sheet, towel or blanket. You can also cover them with a layer of leaves or mulch. Citrus farmers often put fans in the orchards to keep the air moving. Some turn on the sprinklers and let ice cover the foliage because water freezes at a higher temperature than plant tissue and so the ice protects the leaves. Don’t water succulents. Keeping them on the dry side all winter will protect them from freezing.
While it’s much too early for garden favorites like tomatoes and beans, it’s perfect weather for salad greens. They love the cool weather. Fava beans and peas are also great choices. You can also plant carrot seeds. Check your local garden center for leek and onion transplants.
November/December 2022 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
Plant garlic. I prefer the softneck varieties. Buy garlic from the nursery rather than from the grocery store. Separate the cloves and plant them a couple of inches apart. Once they are growing, you can harvest every other one for garlic greens and let the rest make garlic cloves. Also include plenty of salad greens in the garden. Lastly, I’d start a crop of peas. They’re very easy to grow from seed.
After the leaves fall, spray the tree with a lime sulphur mix. Your garden center will know what you should do. In the past, I have often put off spraying for various reasons but remember reading that one of the most effective times to spray for leaf curl is at the pink bud stage: when just a tad of pink is showing on the spring flowers. If you are a procrastinator like me, remember you have until pink-bud stage to get something done.
The curl usually only affects the first batch of leaves on the tree, so if you don’t spray at all, those curled leaves will fall away and the new ones are usually fine. Of course, if you don’t clean up those affected leaves, you’ll have curl again next year.
September/October 2022 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
First, don’t trim any that bloom in the spring (like forsythia). If you prune them now, you’ll be cutting off next spring’s flowers. Otherwise, the first thing to do is trim away any dead branches. Next, trim branches that cross or are rubbing against each other. Finally, prune for looks: Don’t butcher the shrub by simply cutting wherever your clippers land. Cut limbs or branches back to a main stem, or where they will branch out and get bushier. When you are done, it should look like no one was ever there; it should look as though the plant grew that way naturally.
Pumpkins can stay on the vine quite a long time, even after they turn orange (or white, or whatever color they are supposed to be), but they should be fully colored before picking. The skin should be hard. If you can easily pierce the skin with your fingernail, the pumpkin isn’t ripe enough to pick. Thump or slap the pumpkin. It should make a hollow sound. Pick them too soon, and they won’t last the season.
July/August 2022 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
It's the absolute best advice you can get and the best thing to do for your garden. Compost will add nutrients to your soil so your plants grow better, produce more and are resistant to disease and insects. Mulch will protect your soil. It conserves water, discourages weeds from growing and gives the garden a tidy appearance.
It depends on what plants you want to fertilize. If it's your summer vegetables and flowers, then I'd say go ahead. If it's the shrubs and trees in the garden, I would recommend against it. The growing season is coming to an end, and fall and winter are fast approaching with low temperatures and possible frosts. Fertilizing encourages new growth and winter chills can damage that growth. If you feel you need to fertilize, I would use a weaker solution than the directions recommend. Some plants, like citrus, especially if grown in pots, need fertilizer most of the year. Look at the label on your fertilizer package.
May/June 2022 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
First, grow them with as little water as possible. This gives the leaves a stronger fragrance and flavor. Harvest them just before the plants bloom. The best time to pick the leaves is in the morning. You can strip the leaves from the stems and put them in a paper bag, or dry the entire stem of leaves. It's best to dry them in a cool, dark place. Once the leaves are dry, put them in an airtight container. Don't crush the leaves until you are ready to use them. They'll retain their flavor better this way. Label the jar with the type of herb and also the date.
Absolutely not. You might want to buy starter plants instead of planting from seed to get a quicker start, but it's really not too late to start things like cucumbers, squash, beans, carrots or beets from seed. Most melons and pumpkins need a long growing season, so buy starter plants from the nursery. It's also not too late to get another crop of radishes or salad greens.
March/April 2022 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
I have slugs in the garden and my neighbor has snails. What do we do?
The most benign ways to control snails and slugs is to go out at night and pick them up. You can also put a small circle of ash or diatomaceous earth around the plant. Snails—and slugs—don't like to touch either. The ash is very dry for them and the diatomaceous earth has sharp edges.
You can leave out small cans (like tuna cans) filled with beer and they will crawl into the cans. Of course, there are commercial products available, but read the labels first to make sure they are safe if you have pets or small children.
I planted basil and tomato seedlings, and suddenly they bent over and were dead. Why?
It sounds like "damping off." It's caused by a fungus that thrives in cool, wet conditions and usually affects young seedlings. There is no cure; the seedlings cannot be saved. I find seedlings like tomato and basil are more susceptible to this when planted too early. Unfortunately, you're going to have to start over.
January/February 2022 California Bountiful magazine
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from our readers.
I cleaned out the dead vegetable plants from the garden but left the leaves and other debris. Won't it be good for the soil for next year? Someone told me I should clean it up.
You should clean the dead leaves and plants out of the garden. If you want to use those items for compost for next year, make a compost pile. Leaving them on the soil all winter provides a habitat for a lot of undesirable insects.
When do I trim my fruit trees? I have an apple tree and an almond tree.
January and February is the time to do the winter pruning. Apple and almond trees are trimmed in slightly different ways. But first, on both trees, prune away any dead branches. Next, look for branches that are crossing over each other or rubbing against each other. Apples produce fruit on spurs that last many years, so you'll want to be able to identify the spurs so you don't cut them off. Almonds can produce a lot of what's called "water shoots" along the main branches, so you'll want to trim them away.
My best advice is either to look online or go to the local bookstore and buy a book on pruning and growing fruit and nut trees. Take that book or your laptop out into the orchard with you and look at the tree and follow the instructions. You'll eventually learn how to recognize any fruit or nut tree just from the bark and you'll learn the different needs of each type of tree.
Is it too late to plant garlic?
October and November are the months to plant garlic but you're not far behind. The bulbs will certainly catch up with ones planted earlier, so not to worry. I prefer what's called soft-neck garlic since it is less prone to blooming during the season. Garlic bulbs that produce flower stalks don't put their energy into bulb production.
I had a horseradish plant and it was doing very well but I wanted to move it, which I did. Then I rototilled the garden bed and now I've got horseradish everywhere. How did this happen?
I know someone else who did the same thing. Any bits of root left in the soil, no matter how small, will grow. You basically propagated hundreds of horseradish plants. You can keep digging them out, which is likely your best solution. Quit watering them, too. You can spray them, but it takes a lot to kill a horseradish and it means giving up the growing space until they can be eradicated.
I added compost last year to my vegetable garden beds. Do I need to do it again?
Yes. My rule is every time I take a crop out of the garden, I add compost. When the garden is finished for the season, I add compost. My favorite is composted chicken or turkey manure. Sometimes it has a bit of an odor, but if you mix it with your garden soil, you'll get rid of any odors.
Can I leave the dead leaves and stems from the vegetable garden to decompose over the winter?
I wouldn't recommend it. Debris like that provides a perfect home for overwintering insects, mostly ones not good for the garden. Fall cleanup is just that: Clean all the leftover debris from the garden.
My grapes and crape myrtles have a white, sort of powdery look on the leaves. What is it?
It's a kind of powdery mildew, and most authorities tell you to make sure plants have good air circulation and to avoid getting the leaves wet. But I learned years ago that in California, we have what's called "dry air mildew"—and the best remedy is to wet the leaves. It's true. I noticed where the plant leaves got wet from the sprinklers, there was no mildew. If this was very late in the year, say November, and you were talking about squash or pumpkin foliage, for example, it
Everyone I know is overrun with zucchini, except me. Am I doing something wrong?
I've had those types of years, too, when even the zucchini won't produce. Most of the time, it's a matter of the flowers not getting pollinated. Squash produces male flowers first, and then the females come along a few weeks later. The female flowers have a small, immature squash at the base of the flower. As long as the male flowers get pollinated, and it takes a specialized bee to do it, the plant gets the signal to produce female flowers. If the female flowers don't get pollinated, the flowers fall away. You can take matters into your own hands: Take a cotton swab or small paintbrush and wiggle it around the anthers of the male flowers to collect pollen, and transfer it to the female ones.
My gardenia buds turn brown and fall off. Why?
Gardenias like to be kept moist, and bud drop is often associated with too little water. Typically, the buds turn brown or black and fall off before opening. Make sure the plant stays moist, but not waterlogged. Gardenias also drop buds when they are moved. If you recently planted or transplanted the bush and it is dropping buds, let it get settled and the problem should remedy itself.
The leaves on the tip of my "Howard McMinn" manzanita are curled and swollen and turning red.
The leaf curling is caused by the manzanita leaf gall aphid. It is usually harmless to the plant, although a little disfiguring to the new growth. Your manzanitas are likely being too well cared for and getting too much water. Cut back on the water and don't fertilize the plants either. Next season, apply a horticultural oil just before the new leaves appear in the spring if the problem persists.
I have a question about climate zones. One book says I live in Zone 9 while another says I live in Zone 27. Which is correct?
Both. Zone 9 is your USDA zone and Zone 27 is the "Sunset Western Garden Book" zone. The Sunset zone system is quite a bit more detailed and takes into account more than just the last frost date or lowest average temperature. In fact, Zone 9 could and does cover some areas that only get down to low temperatures for a few hours; other areas in the same zone might have those same low temps for days or weeks on end. It's a guide.
I never got around to pruning my forsythia, and it's a tangled mess. Can I still prune it?
No, don't prune it now or you'll be cutting off all of this year's flowers. The time to prune spring-blooming shrubs such as forsythia is right after they bloom. Wait until this year's flowers are gone, and then give the bush a good pruning. First cut away any dead or crossing branches. Then step back and take a look. This might be all you need to do. Next, prune to shape the shrub or to keep it in bounds. When you're done, the plant should look as though it grew that way naturally.
How do I start tomatoes now so I have good-sized plants for spring?
It's a little more complicated that just dropping seeds into a pot. You need to fool the seeds into thinking it's spring, that the ground is warming and it's time to sprout. The best bet is using a warming pad under the pots, and then having lights hung just above the pots to use when the seeds sprout. Most garden centers carry all the supplies you'll need, and there's also plenty of detailed help online.
My scented geraniums are showing some signs of damage from the cold. Can I save them?
The hardiest ones are the rose-scented geraniums. The most frost-susceptible is the peppermint geranium. However, even if the foliage is damaged and needs to be cut completely back, the root system is usually fine, and the plants come back as soon as it is safe. When the nights or days are going to be chillier than the plants can tolerate, cover them with a light blanket or newspaper. There are also covers you can buy at the local garden center to protect plants from frost. Even dumping leaves over the plant will offer some protection. If it's a geranium that is hard to replace, take some cuttings, put them in soil and bring the pots inside.
Is it true that watering your plants before a frost will help protect them from freezing?
Yes, it is, in certain circumstances. If there's been a dry spell and freezing temperatures are expected, water your plants. Get the roots and foliage wet. Water freezes at a slightly higher temperature than the foliage, so the ice can act as a protective barrier. For more sensitive plants such as gardenias, you may still have some frost damage, but hopefully you won't lose the plant. There are also covers you can put over plants to help protect them. Although these methods work well, they aren't designed to allow you to grow palm trees at high altitudes in the snow. The exception to this rule involves succulents. Lightly water them once a month. Bring them under cover near the house if you can. Overwatered succulents turn to mush when the thermometer dips below 32 degrees.
My garden needs some cheering up in the winter. What plants bloom during winter?
The list is quite extensive. Shrubs include daphne, camellia, rosemary, loropetalum and more. There are bulbs you can plant in the fall for winter flowers: daffodils, hyacinths, paperwhites and crocus. Don't forget plants with berries: nandina, beautyberry, pyracantha (if you have lots of room), cotoneaster and more. If you grow roses, don't deadhead them and they will make rose hips (seedpod), which can be very attractive. Visit your local nursery to see what's in bloom.
When should I trim my Japanese maple tree?
I usually wait until winter is firmly entrenched before doing any pruning, typically in December or January. Cut away any dead branches or twigs first. Next, cut away any branches that are crossed or rubbing each other. Step back and take a look. Often, this is all that's needed. Any additional trimming would be for shaping.
When do I cut back ornamental grasses?
Ornamental grasses such as miscanthus and Calamagrostis look beautiful as they develop fall colors. They aren't brilliant—mostly shades of gold—but they are striking. Leave them until December. By then, winter will have washed the colors away. Any later and the grasses will start to fall apart and become messy. Be careful when cutting them to the ground, because some have sharp edges. Their foliage is called blades for a reason!
One of my tomato plants says it is determinate. What does that mean?
Determinate tomatoes, also called bush tomatoes, grow to a predetermined size, produce flowers and tomatoes, and then die. It's part of their genetic makeup. Once fruits form, the tomato doesn't keep growing and flowering and producing more fruit. Most are early producers. Paste tomatoes, such as Roma, are determinate. Indeterminate tomatoes, also called vine tomatoes, continue to grow throughout the season. They keep producing leaves, flowers, fruit, more stems, more leaves and flowers until the weather forces them to stop. If not caged or staked, they sprawl. Most cherry tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes are indeterminate, as well as varieties such as Big Boy, Beefsteak, Beefmaster and Brandywine. For tomatoes all season, choose indeterminate varieties.
I'm a new gardener. What tomato varieties should I grow?
There are so many fabulous tomatoes, you could practically throw a dart at the list and come up with something amazing. The most popular heirloom tomatoes are Cherokee Purple and Brandywine. I like Black Krim. As far as hybirds go, Celebrity, Early Girl and Beefsteak have been favorites for years. I like to try a few new ones each year, and choose them based on their evocative names: Mortgage Lifter, Bull's Heart, Green Zebra, Speckled Roman, the list goes on. Have fun with it.
My zucchini is misshapen this year—sort of narrow at one end and normal at the other. What happened?
It's the weather and the water. When temperatures fluctuate from the mid-80s to well over 100 degrees, it's hard for people to regulate our intake of water, much less our poor plants living outside 24 hours a day. Once the temperatures settle, the plants will produce properly shaped zucchini.
I accidentally sprayed some of the plants in my garden with an herbicide. Can they be saved?
I've done the same thing myself. If it's an herbicide that acts through the leaves and takes the substance down to the roots, you're in luck because you have a bit of time to reverse what you've done. Immediately and thoroughly wash the foliage of the plants you sprayed. Give them plenty of water during the next week or so, and wait. Either it worked or it didn't, and there's nothing else to do.
I added compost last year to my vegetable garden beds. Do I need to do it again?
Yes. My rule is every time I take a crop out of the garden, I add compost. It only lasts a few months and the benefits far outweigh any inconveniences. My favorite is composted chicken or turkey manure. Sometimes it has a bit of an odor, but if you mix it with your garden soil, you'll get rid of any odors.
I planted basil last year in March, and the plants sort of dried up at the base and fell over and died. What happened?
It's a disease commonly called "damping off." It is most common early in the gardening season. It's a sure sign you're planting too early. Contributing factors are high humidity and poor air circulation. The most commonly affected seedlings in my garden have been tomatoes and basil. I find if I wait until the temperatures begin to warm before planting, and the ground is a little warmer, I don't have any problems with damping off.
I have clay soil and want to plant a couple of trees. The soil still seems pretty slick and thick. Is it OK to plant now?
The answer is no. Clay soil is nutritious soil, but it's very dense, and in winter the problem is worse because of the rain. Try to wait until the soil is drier. Mix compost with the soil before putting it back into the planting hole.
We cut down several trees and had the debris chipped. Can we use it in the garden?
I love this sort of material as mulch to protect the soil. It keeps moisture in, prevents weeds from growing and gives the garden a tidy look. However, you cannot mix it into the soil. As the chipped material breaks down, it uses nitrogen in the soil. As a result, that nitrogen is not available to your plants. Keep the chipped mulch on top of the soil, not in it.
I want to plant garlic for braiding. What varieties are best?
Garlic comes in two types: soft neck and hard neck. The soft neck varieties have pliable stalks, allowing them to be bent and braided easily. Soft neck garlic develops many cloves in each head of garlic. Hard neck garlic makes a flowering stem that produces many tiny bulbs, as well as an underground bulb with a single row of garlic cloves. Both are flavorful, although many gardeners say hard neck garlic is more strongly flavored. For braiding, go with soft neck.
I saw a beautiful plant in Vermont climbing up a chimney and was told it was a climbing hydrangea. Is that true? Are hydrangeas cold-hardy?
There is indeed a climbing hydrangea. It grows best where the vine can attach itself to a hard surface (it makes suckers to stick to a surface). It is spectacular in bloom. If they can survive Vermont winters, they can certainly survive anything California has to offer. Most people don't know hydrangeas can be quite cold-hardy, with some varieties even able to tolerate zone 3 of the USDA Zone Hardiness Map, the coldest zone in the country.
When do I pick winter squash?
The vine will give you clues: It will start to die back. But as long as the squash are nice and hard (thump on them with your knuckles), you'll be fine picking them sooner. Stored properly—out of sunlight and in a cool, dry place—they'll keep through the winter.
The package label says to fertilize my citrus each month. Do I fertilize the trees all winter?
During the plant's growing season, you fertilize each month, but during fall and winter, cut it back to once every two months and also cut back on the strength of the fertilizer. I use a very dilute mixture during the dormant months.
I meant to grow arugula this summer, but forgot to plant the seeds. I just found the packet. Will it keep until spring?
Go ahead and toss some of the seed into the garden now, and you'll have fresh arugula by Thanksgiving. Save the rest until spring—it will be fine.
I keep trying to grow cilantro every summer so I can use it in salsa, but no luck. It just dies.
If you live in the hotter parts of California, you'll be disappointed to know that cilantro will grow only in the cooler spring and early summer months. I've been in the same boat. Cilantro grows, matures and dies before the fresh tomatoes are ready, so I can't make salsa using both tomatoes and cilantro from my garden. It's an annual herb, so it has a short life, anyway. Bottom line: Cilantro doesn't like the heat. Sorry.
I love growing yarrow, but don't like the way the flower stems suddenly fall over and sprawl. How do I keep them upright?
It's another tricky question. If you give them plenty of water so you get bigger flowers and stalks, they will still fall apart from the middle and try to fall down. Grow them with very little water and eventually they will still fall over. The best thing to do is to put one of those small tomato cages nurseries sell around the plant when it's young and make sure the flowering stalks stay inside the cage. Problem solved, and you won't have straight stalks with flowers growing sideways!
My husband always rototills the garden before we plant. I've read that rototilling might not be good for the soil. Is it?
We used to rototill the garden before planting, and each year the paths and the plants would be in different places, depending on how we felt and what we wanted to plant. Then I decided to switch to raised beds because I could more closely control the soil mix, and, more importantly, we weren't walking on parts of the garden where we would be planting another time. Walking compacts the soil, so why not keep the paths in a permanent place and avoid compacting the soil where you plant? I also learned that rototilling breaks up the soil to a certain depth, but below that you can have an undisturbed shelf that can get quite hard. Also, as you rototill, you bring up any hidden weed seeds to the light. Yikes! I certainly didn't want to awaken any weed seeds.
Rototilling also offered another surprise. When the garden was one big 20-by-60-foot space, it was a little overwhelming every spring to weed and rototill and plant. But with the raised beds, I could focus on weeding or working on a couple of beds each day, and it was both mentally and physically easier. We used 2-by-12-inch redwood to build the beds, so I could sit on the side of the bed and reach in to weed, add compost or plant. It brought order to the garden, which is always a good thing! I haven't rototilled my vegetable garden in years.
My problem is starthistle. Need I say more?
I agree, enough said. Dealing with starthistle is a management problem I learned the hard way. We had lots of open space that needed to be kept mowed for fire management, but it wasn't irrigated. One year, I decided it would look like a park—a dry park, but neat and tidy. So I mowed early and often, and came up with a crop of starthistle that was unbeatable. I had given the lurking starthistle seeds exactly what they wanted: mowed dry space, no competition from other plants, no water. It thrived. It's a smart plant: If I mowed the starthistle, it would grow only as high as it had been mowed and bloom so I couldn't mow the new blooms off.
Coincidentally, I attended a mini-seminar about starthistle—which is native to Eurasia and was introduced to California around 1850—and learned it grows where the land has been disturbed. In the meantime, I learned to let the natural grasses grow a bit bigger before I mowed the fields each spring. That way, when I mowed, there was a layer of mowed grass protecting the soil. I'd still get a few starthistle plants, but I'd pull them up. With careful management, I was able to prevent more starthistle seeds from sprouting and taking over the land.
I want to plant a bed of colorful annuals in my garden, but want something unusual. Any ideas?
Yes. I love planting old-fashioned types of annuals with their unusual, evocative names: love lies bleeding (pictured above), kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate, love-in-a-mist, bells of Ireland, morning glory and more. Take a look through the seed racks at your local nursery and let your imagination take over. One year, I chose a half dozen or so seed packets based on the names of the flowers. What a surprise I had that year!
A couple years ago, many of my tomato plants wilted and died. I thought they had a disease, so I planted them in a different spot in the garden. I was also careful to throw away the dead plants. It keeps happening. What am I doing wrong?
A friend had the same thing happen, and he thought it was a mosaic disease that some tomatoes can get. Turns out he wasn't giving them enough water. They were certainly wilting and dying, but from thirst, not from disease. Tomatoes like thorough, deep watering. Let them dry out a bit, and water them again. The best way to water is also to do it slowly. Don't take a hose and flood them, but let the hose trickle until the ground is well saturated. I think this should take care of your tomato troubles.
I'm torn as to whether I should keep putting hummingbird food or birdseed out during the winter. Will it keep the birds from migrating? Will it make them dependent on me for their food rather than find it in the wild?
Those are questions I have struggled with, too. I have a hummingbird feeder as well as a finch feeder. I want to give Mother Nature a hand, but at the same time I don't want to be responsible for changing the natural patterns of our wild neighbors. Don't worry: Bird experts say the sugar water is a supplemental food for hummingbirds, and they will leave once the insect population in the area drops below what they need to survive. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says you can feed wild birds year-round, and it won't make them "lazy" or "dependent." So I left my feeders up. But I also made sure I planted a few chaparral currant plants (Ribes malvaceum). It's a California native that comes out of dormancy as soon as the rains start each fall and is a favorite nectar plant for migrating hummingbirds.
However, I do draw the line at leaving anything out that might draw other wildlife to my house (such as leaving cat food out, since it attracts raccoons). Some wild animals should never be lured into urban areas. They will absolutely decide to move in, and in the end it will only get them into trouble.
I planted a couple long rows of ornamental grasses—miscanthus and Calamagrostis—at my house. They were beautiful all spring and summer and fall. In fact, the fall colors were the best. But now they are falling apart all over the place. It's a mess, and I'm discouraged. Are they dead? What did I do wrong?
You did nothing wrong! But ornamental grasses need to be cut back once their fall colors begin to fade, because, as you learned, the next thing that happens is the plants fall apart, and the foliage gets scattered everywhere. Sometime between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, cut them to the ground. They'll reward you with amazing foliage the coming year.
My vegetable garden is a mess, and weeds are starting to sprout. Is there anything I can do now instead of waiting until spring to make it easier to manage?
Yikes, yes! At the end of each season, pull all of the dead plants out of the garden. If you have a compost pile that gets really hot, compost all of the clippings. Otherwise, toss them into the green waste garbage bins if your community provides them. If you leave all this dead debris in the garden, it gives overwintering insects a place to hide and live.
Next, add as much compost to the soil as you can. Finally, put the garden to bed by adding mulch: leaves, straw, chipped bark. This keeps the weeds away. In the spring, rake away the mulch and plant the garden. Do not turn this mulch into the soil, because it will use the nitrogen in the soil to break down and deprive your vegetable plants of that nitrogen. An alternative to mulch is to plant a living mulch that you can turn into the soil and add nutrients to the soil. Timing is crucial for overwintering live mulches. There are plenty of instructions online if you are interested.
My camellias are making buds, but for the past few years the flowers have been turning brown and mushy and falling to the ground just a short time after they bloom. What's wrong?
Sounds like camellia blight. It generally affects late-winter- and spring-blooming camellias. It's caused by a fungus. It's the bane of all camellia enthusiasts.
The best control is to keep the fungus out of the garden, which, if you already have it, means judiciously picking up all the dropped flowers, including those stuck between the branches of the plant, not just the ones on the ground. Throw them in the garbage. Do not compost them. Chemical control of the blight is usually unsuccessful.
Oddly enough, fall-blooming camellias usually aren't affected by camellia blight.
We planted blackberries a few years ago and have tried to train the vines on a trellis, but it is a tangled mess. How do we make it neat and productive again?
The vine that produces this year's crop won't produce any next year, so cut it to the ground. That should take care of some of the spiny, tangled mess. A berry farmer I know uses a two-wire system. The canes produced this year, he ties to the wire on one side, so he knows which ones produce fruit for the year and to make it easier to keep the berry patch organized. As the canes come up for next year's fruit, he ties them to the other wire. If your berry patch is really out of control, you might just want to cut the whole thing back and start over, keeping things more organized in the future.
We want to plant several types of fruit trees this coming bare-root season, but don't know which are best for beginners.
Apple and pear are good bets for beginning orchard gardeners because they are easy to prune. Others, such as plum and peach, bear on new wood or year-old wood, so it can be tricky to know how to prune them to keep them producing. But the best advice is to plant what you love and will eat, and learn how to take care of them. There are several books on home orchards. I had several types of fruit trees, and when it came time to prune, I took the book out with me and followed the directions for each type of fruit tree. Pretty soon, I could identify fruit trees just by their bark.
This is a good time to plan your orchard and research what types of trees you like. Rather than buy something based on a description of its taste, try to sample varieties of fruit while they are in season, and then find and plant those varieties you know you like. I mistakenly planted a Rome Beauty apple once, and while it produced beautiful apples, no one in my family liked them.
Parts of my tomato vines are dying back—the leaves are dried up and brown. Someone told me they could have tobacco mosaic, especially if someone who smokes has been in my garden.
True, the tobacco mosaic disease can be carried into a garden by someone who smokes, but it's rare. And the symptoms you describe match those of the mosaic. Most hybrid varieties of tomato are not susceptible. Many heirloom varieties are, but it is still rare. More likely, the problem is not enough water. Tomatoes like long, deep soaks of water on a regular basis. They do not like drought. Cut away the dead parts of the plant—they aren't going to recover—and give the plants more water. To be safe, plant tomatoes in a different spot next year if you can. Add plenty of compost to the soil, no matter where you plant them. Put mulch over the top of the soil to preserve moisture, and make sure the tomatoes don't dry out. A friend had this problem and was convinced it was tobacco mosaic. He called in several experts, and the diagnosis was not enough water.
When do I harvest potatoes?
Once the plants are mature, you can gently pull some of the soil away and sneak a potato. Generally, they are all harvested at once. The plants will flower and then the leaves will start to turn yellow. The plants will begin to die back. Use a pitchfork rather than a shovel to dig up the plants. You want to be careful not to slice the potatoes you've worked so hard to grow before you ever get them out of the ground. I really love harvesting potatoes because it's like a treasure hunt. You don't know what you'll find until you get there. Kids especially love digging for potatoes.
If you miss any of the potatoes, they will sprout and grow for another crop, often just after the July harvest, so you would have a crop for Thanksgiving. Always fun.
My squash plants are beginning to produce squash, but the squash shrivels up and never grows or forms correctly.
It's a problem with pollination. Squash plants produce male flowers first to attract bees for pollination. After a few days or weeks, they will produce the female flowers that will become the vegetables. The female flowers are the ones that have the baby squash at the base of the stem. Cut one of the male flowers and rub it against the female flowers to ensure they'll develop. I had this problem when growing squash in a pot on the deck. The bees just never found it.
Last year, I bought a corn plant at the nursery. It grew and bloomed, but no corn. I want to grow corn this year, so what do I need to do?
Corn has to be planted in blocks of at least 4 feet by 4 feet. That's because the flowers drop their pollen and it has to fall on the silks below to pollinate all of the kernels of corn on the cob. You'll never get a crop with a single plant, or even a few. Corn is really easy to grow from seed. If all you want is a few stalks for holiday decorations, then buying a few plants from the nursery will do the trick. If you want corn, plant a whole bed.
Last year I planted annual flower seeds (zinnias, cosmos) according to the package directions. The seeds sprouted, but even after a couple of months the plants were less than an inch tall. They just wouldn't grow. What did I do wrong and how can I prevent it this year?
I've had the same thing happen. I planted the seeds as directed, gave them good soil, plenty of water, ample light. I didn't think anything could go wrong. But my seedlings never grew more than an inch or so tall, even after two months of pampering. I traced the problem to old, out-of-date seeds. Some seeds deteriorate with age—use fresh packets of seed this year. Once you get your annuals going, let some go to seed. Either collect the seed to plant the following spring, or just let the seed naturally fall where it will. Next spring, you'll be surprised at where the plants come up.
Everyone else's forsythia is blooming. Mine isn't. I pruned it in January just like I do every year, but it never blooms.
If you want your forsythia to bloom, you have to wait until after it blooms to prune it. By pruning before spring, you are cutting off all of the branches that bear the flowers.
Some of my succulents turned to mush this winter. What happened?
If these are succulents that normally survive your winter climate, then it's the freezing weather combined with too much water. I liken it to the water inside the plant freezing and turning to ice and sort of bursting. The result is a mushy mess. Water your succulents sparingly during the winter, and not at all before frosty weather.
I want to plant grapes along a fence line because I think they will look great. What should I plant?
I agree, that is a wonderful idea. I would lay weed cloth down first, and cover it with mulch. Then you can cut a slit to plant the grapevines. Make sure you provide a strong support system for the vines. End posts should be sunk in concrete so they don't bend or rot. Most people think they will plant winegrapes and make wine, but they rarely follow through. And if you're just planting a few vines, you likely won't have enough for making wine. I'd plant table grapes. It's a crop that you will always be able to share with family and friends. Another plus to planting grapevines is that you can make decorative wreaths in the fall when you prune the vines.
I just bought an old craftsman-style house. In the front is a really large camellia planted almost against the house. It is over 50 years old and blooms each year, but there is a lot of dead wood and it is so close to the house that it is rubbing the siding. The blooms don't last long—they get brown and mushy and fall off almost as soon as they bloom. Should I cut it back?
Unfortunately, there are times a plant cannot and should not be saved. I think you have answered your own question. Knowing that it is too close to the foundation will mean nothing but trouble in the future. It sounds like it has fallen victim to the petal blight that strikes so many old camellias, and I doubt cutting it back will solve any of those issues. It is time to take it out and put in something that pleases you. I expect you will be surprised at how much more light comes into the house once this plant is gone. I suggest you stay away from camellias in this area. Try gardenias or sweet box (Sarcococca) for an evergreen hedge or planting.
What bulbs can I plant that neither the gophers nor the deer will bother? I planted three dozen tulips last year, and two came up.
Ah, the joys of living amongst Mother Nature! The only solution for problems with gophers is to plant things in a raised bed with hardware cloth (a fine-meshed wire product) on the bottom that the gophers cannot get into. I know gardeners who plant their tulip bulbs in hardware cloth-lined holes. That is a lot of work. I say: If you want tulips, plant them in pots.
While gophers don't bother muscari or lilies, deer sometimes nip at the flowers. So as far as what to plant that the varmints will not bother, daffodils top the list. Deer, squirrels and gophers leave them alone. Daffodils are easy to grow and multiply each year with no effort on your part. They are cheerful and beautiful, and there are varieties that bloom from February to May.
The gallon plants I bought at the nursery are jam-packed with roots, and there's hardly any soil. Will they grow?
If the roots are growing in circles, you have to unwind them or they will never grow into the soil. I am a bit brutal about cutting off the bottom inch or so of roots and making some slices along the sides of the root growth. You want to stimulate the plant into putting out new roots that will grow in your soil. While the plants are acclimating, keep them well watered, but not soggy. Sprinkling the leaves daily helps with water lost to transpiration.
I've cleaned out the plants from my vegetable garden for the winter. Do I need to do anything else to be ready for next year?
Add compost to the soil. If fact, add compost every time you take out one crop and put in another. Many gardeners plant a cover crop for winter—fava beans, for example—and then turn the crop under in the spring to add nutrients to the soil. Do an online search for "cover crops" and you'll get plenty of advice.
It is good to let vegetable beds be fallow for part of the year. It's letting the soil get a rest. You might cover the soil with straw to keep the rains from pounding on it. However, a straw mulch comes with its own problems: You'll have wheat sprouting in the spring! Whatever you use for mulch, be sure to pull it away rather than turn it into the soil. You don't want the mulch stealing the nutrients as it breaks down.
I want to have a garden full of perennials such as coreopsis, columbine, foxgloves and all of those wonderful flowers you hear about in cottage gardens, but I am on a tight budget. Can I plant them from seed?
Absolutely. And now is the time to plant seeds of those plants so you have nice, healthy starts to put in the garden this fall. There are two ways to go about this. First, you could buy a few of the plants you desire and let them go to seed. Either collect the seed as it ripens (the plant will be your guide) or let it fall where it may for new plants for next year. The second option is something I enjoy every year: browsing through seed catalogs. I do my ordering online, but find the most enjoyment in having a hard copy of a catalog and a cup of tea while it is stormy outside. Some of my favorites include Seeds of Change, Johnny's Selected Seeds, Abundant Life Seed Foundation, Seed Savers Exchange and J.L. Hudson. Also, don't forget the seed rack at your local nursery.
When you plant your seeds, use a good planting mix, keep the soil damp but not waterlogged and make sure the seedlings get plenty of sun once they germinate. Too little sun and they will be leggy; too much and they will burn. Morning sun is best. If you have sown them in flats, you'll have to pot them into larger containers once they get their first set of true leaves. If you have potted them in larger containers, they can stay there until it is time to put them in the ground.
What kind of soil do I use for a window box?
Choose a planting mix that has plenty of compost in it. Avoid sterile mixes. Because a window box is like a pot and every time you water you are washing nutrients away, I'd add a time-release fertilizer to the mix.
A friend gave me a bag of iris rhizomes last summer, and I forgot to plant them. I just found the bag, and the rhizomes look shriveled and dried up. Do I have to toss them out?
Amazingly, you do not. They may look desiccated and dead, but there is still plenty of life left in them. Get them in the ground and get them watered. You probably won't have any blooms this year, but by next year, those rhizomes will never remember they were neglected for months.
I've never planted a vegetable garden, but the house I just bought has a raised-bed vegetable garden. What can I plant?
Lucky you! Sounds like you are off to a good start. Most beginning vegetable gardeners plant everything and are usually successful. Really, the key is to plant what you like and what you will eat. Also, don't plant the whole garden at once. Get the tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and peppers in now, then visit the nursery again to see what new veggies and herbs they have to offer. Leave room for planting cauliflower and broccoli in August, garlic in October, and greens in the fall and spring. Your garden can become a never-ending source of fresh vegetables and herbs. Don't be afraid to try anything. I've always said you learn as much from failure as from success. Another tip: When you take a crop out, add compost before putting the next one in.
When shopping at the nursery, I am drawn to the plants in bloom, but they never seem to last long once I bring them home. What am I doing wrong?
You aren't doing anything wrong. Flowers last a certain time, and then they fade. My advice would be to admire those plants in bloom, but select ones that are just starting to produce flowering stalks—ones that aren't quite open, but have lots of buds ready to burst. This way, they will bloom for you and not for customers at the nursery.
The plant tag on my tomato plant says "determinate." I've never seen this before. What does it mean?
Tomatoes come two ways: determinate and indeterminate. Those terms refer to their growth habits. You need to know which types you have because one of them requires a much stronger, taller, bigger support system.
Determinate types have a short main stem, grow fairly compactly, grow to a certain size and stop. They are generally short and close to the ground. They bloom and then bear fruit in one big flush, and that's it. They're finished for the season.
Indeterminate types keep growing and blooming and producing fruit the entire season. They are the ones that need tall, stout tomato cages. They typically produce more fruit than determinate types.
I'm trying to get a jumpstart on the season and get lots of seeds planted. I have two problems. First, some of the seedlings look like they rot away at the base of the stem and just fall over. Second, the roots come out of the peat pots I am using, but if I don't keep the pots wet all the time, the peat gets hard and the roots sticking out die.
The first problem you are having is called "damping off." It is sort of a crime of opportunity. The conditions have to be just right for it to occur. It's most prevalent early in the seed-starting season when temperatures are cool and there is a lot of moisture. Some plants are especially vulnerable. Basil is one of them. Simply start those seeds a little later and the problem should right itself. If you really need to start early, make sure there is plenty of air circulation around the seedlings. A fan on low speed will help. As a bonus, the air blowing across the seedlings also makes them stronger.
Second, you've discovered the greatest weakness of peat pots: They work better in theory than in reality. The pots have to be kept damp, and often that is too damp for what you are trying to grow. I prefer plastic pots. A really economical solution is one of those gadgets that makes pots out of newspaper. They are surprisingly easy to handle and because the paper tears easily, the roots that come outside the pots don't get strangled like they do when the peat pots dry out.
I planted gladiolus bulbs last year. They bloomed beautifully. This year, the bulbs are beginning to sprout, but there are also dozens of tiny-looking gladiolus plants coming up. What happened?
Those are baby gladiolus bulbs. Gladiolus bulbs are actually called corms, and the young ones are called cormels. One glad corm can produce six or eight cormels each season. It takes two or three years for the cormels to get big enough to bloom. In the meantime, they can make a mess in the flowerbed if you don't want them. They are easily pulled up early in the season.
My Christmas cactus hasn't bloomed for the holidays in a couple of years. It was blooming when I bought it in December a few years ago.
That's a common complaint. Growers have a few tricks up their sleeves that allow them to bring something into bloom almost whenever they want. Often plants are grown under controlled conditions that can mimic almost any season. The good thing is these plants are supposed to bloom at this time of year.
Two common mistakes come to mind: too much fertilizer or none at all. If you are fertilizing regularly, cut it back and make sure you are not using one with too much nitrogen (that's the first number in the list of numbers on the package). Nitrogen promotes leafy growth. If you are not fertilizing at all and have had the plant for several years, the soil might need replacing or some feeding. I prefer a time-release fertilizer (usually comes in granules) that lasts several months and feeds the plant slowly. Also, make sure you let the soil dry out a bit between watering.
With the cold, how do I protect my succulents?
First rule of getting succulents to survive the winter outdoors is to quit watering them in late October or November. You want them on the dry side. Succulents turn to mush when they freeze because, in simple terms, the water inside freezes and sort of explodes and the plant collapses. If you can bring potted ones next to the house, that provides some protection. You can also cover them with row cover (all nurseries sell them). It's a lightweight fabric that keeps the temperature higher beneath it. That said, some succulent just aren't going to survive cold temperatures. It takes a bit of experimenting to find out which ones do best in your climate.
The leaves of my squash plants look terrible this time of year. They curl on the ends and get what looks like mildew on the leaves. But they are still producing wonderful squash. I haven't changed the way I take care of them.
You've done nothing wrong; it's just that time of year when the plants are dying. You can't stop Mother Nature from doing what comes naturally. Enjoy the late bounty while you can. When the plants are done, pull them out.
I want to have flowering sweet peas next spring. Someone told me to plant seeds in the fall. Isn't that a bit early? Won't the winter cold kill them?
It's true. If you want to plant flowering sweet peas from seed, you need to get the seeds in the ground in the fall. November is the best month, but if you're a tad early or late, don't worry. You can scatter the seed willy-nilly and let them take their chances and come up where they will, or carefully prepare a spot. Cover the seeds with a bit of soil—don't bury them. The plants will come up when they are ready, and you will have loads of beautifully scented sweet peas next spring and early summer. If you want them to come up again next year, leave some of the flowers to go to seed. You can collect the seed to let it dry, then plant again the following fall.
The leaves on my lemon tree are yellow and falling off. What am I doing wrong?
The most common cause of yellow leaves on citrus is lack of nitrogen. It's an easy fix. Fertilize your citrus three or four times a year. There are fertilizers specially formulated for citrus. If your lemon tree is growing in a container, remember that you are washing nutrients out the bottom of the pot every time you water it and you must be especially diligent about fertilizing the plant.
My cucumbers are bitter. Why? I certainly don't want this to happen next year.
Some varieties are bitter—it's genetics. Did you switch varieties this year? The other culprit is watering. Cucumbers need plenty of deep watering.
I'm not going to be able to get my vegetables planted as early as I would like this year. Does that mean it's too late to plant a garden?
Absolutely not! Most California gardeners can't rely on the weather to be reliably mild until late April or early May, and most crops can be planted twice during any season, anyway. If the weather is getting hot by the time you get things planted, be sure to protect the seedlings from the hot afternoon sun until they are established. I use a piece of newspaper perched on top of a stick, or try those black, plastic flats you get from the nursery. They will block enough of the sun so young seedlings don't burn.
For the last two years my tomato plants, all heirloom varieties, have just up and died before the season ends. Entire parts of the plant wilt and turn brown. What's wrong?
It could be something as simple as your plants not getting enough water and the soil needing more organic matter. On the other hand, it could be a type of wilt that affects many tomato plants, especially heirloom varieties.
If you look at the label of hybrid types, it will likely say the plant is resistant to wilts such as verticillium and tobacco mosaic. Unfortunately, although some heirloom varieties are naturally resistant, many are not. If someone who is a smoker handles your tomato plants or smokes in the garden, the tobacco mosaic can become a problem. There is no way to save the plants. Take the entire plant and toss it in the garbage; do not compost the plant.
You might try covering that part of the garden with black plastic, to let the sunshine sterilize the soil. Don't plant your tomato plants in that area for several years. Switch tomato varieties until you find ones that are resistant to the diseases, or plant hybrid tomatoes that have been bred to resist them.
I understand your frustration. It's not an easy fix.
Bearded iris
Are there any beautiful plants I can put in my sunny garden that are very low water users that maybe need only occasional watering?
Absolutely. But the key is you have to plant early, in the fall or spring, and let them get a good root system growing. The first summer or two they will need regular watering, but you can probably get away with spot watering them once or twice a week. Keep an eye on how the leaves react; if they look droopy or stressed, give the plant some water. Here are a few plants I have in my garden that get no water during the summer, drought or not: lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus), rosemary, Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas), smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria) and bearded iris. One strategy is to plant these sorts of plants farther away from the house and to keep plants that need more care and water closer to the house, thus conserving water in most of the garden while still having beautiful plants to enjoy.
My cedar tree has dozens of little seedlings beneath it. I hate to pull them out and toss them in the compost. Can I transplant them or pot them up for friends?
Yes, absolutely. I would dig them up while the ground is still moist from spring rains, so you get as much of the root system as possible. Use a planting mix that has plenty of compost in it, and you'll likely need to water the pots once a day, perhaps more when it's really hot.
For Pat Rubin, gardening is more than just dirt and plants. "It's about history, romance, adventure and people," she says. "And it should be fun."
California Bountiful's gardening columnist has lived and chronicled this fun, hands-in-the-dirt approach for years—and for additional publications including Fine Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle and The Sacramento Bee. Pat has also volunteered as a Master Gardener, speaks to garden clubs and appears regularly on gardening radio shows.
I just bought a house with a small orchard: two cherry trees, an apricot, an apple, a plum, a pomegranate and a fig. I read this is the time to prune them, but I don't know where to start. What do I do first?
I found myself in a similar situation with my first house. The problem is that each variety of fruit tree needs to be pruned differently. Apples bear on spurs that produce for many years, so you don't want to prune them off. Peaches need to be pruned to encourage new wood, but you don't want cherry trees to reach for the sky. The list goes on and on.
The best thing to do is get a book about home orchards and take it into the garden with you. It will give you advice on pruning, spraying and general care. In my case, I would go to my apple tree each January, turn to that part of the book and follow the directions. I'd repeat the process with each type of tree and soon I was able to identify fruit trees anywhere simply by their type of bark. After a few years of pruning and taking care of the trees, you'll need the book less and less. But for those first few years, it will be invaluable, and you'll get lots of fruit.
What bulbs can I plant now for spring and summer blooms?
Now is the time to plant daffodils and tulips for spring bloom. Also, plant iris, watsonia, callas, cannas and gladiolus for summer blooms. Then sit back and enjoy!
All my neighbors have beautiful snapdragons every spring, but by the time I plant them, I don't get nice blooms. Why?
In California, you need to get plants in the ground in November and December. They'll grow through our mostly mild winters and reward you with many stalks of blooms in the spring and early summer. Leave the flowers as they die back and they'll produce seed for a surprise batch of plants the following year.
When should I cut back my ornamental grasses? They look so beautiful in the fall and winter.
Timing is everything, and the plants will let you know when it's time for a haircut. The trick is to enjoy their beautiful golden hues all fall and winter, but cut them back before they start to fall apart—and definitely before new green shoots start to appear. I've let them go too long in the past and it's a messy, difficult job to get them cut and the garden cleaned up. Cut them back no later than the first week of January.
For Pat Rubin, gardening is more than just dirt and plants. "It's about history, romance, adventure and people," she says. "And it should be fun."
California Bountiful's gardening columnist has lived and chronicled this fun, hands-in-the-dirt approach for years—and for additional publications including Fine Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle and The Sacramento Bee. Pat has also volunteered as a Master Gardener, speaks to garden clubs and appears regularly on gardening radio shows.
I have planted tulips for the past two years, but very few come up and I don't get many blooms. What am I doing wrong?
Except in the coldest parts of California, we simply don't have the right climate for tulips. It just isn't cold enough. The tulip bulbs you buy will bloom the first year, but very few will survive to grow and bloom again. To add insult to injury, gophers love tulip bulbs. I, too, planted masses of tulip bulbs one year, and the gophers missed only a handful. If you want tulips, buy new bulbs each spring and plant them in pots. I plant pots of tulips (make sure the flat part of the bulb faces outward, so the leaves curl out away from the pot—it makes for a prettier arrangement) and give them as hostess gifts when we visit friends.
My camellias are beginning to produce flower buds. Last winter when I attended a camellia show, I was surprised at how large the flowers were compared to mine. What varieties can I grow to get larger flowers?
The people who raise camellias for show thin the clusters of flower buds to one or two per cluster instead of the usual four or five, so the individual flowers can grow larger. Pinch away the two or three smallest buds in each cluster and you'll have larger, although fewer, flowers.
For Pat Rubin, gardening is more than just dirt and plants. "It's about history, romance, adventure and people," she says. "And it should be fun."
California Bountiful's gardening columnist has lived and chronicled this fun, hands-in-the-dirt approach for years—and for additional publications including Fine Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle and The Sacramento Bee. Pat has also volunteered as a Master Gardener, speaks to garden clubs and appears regularly on gardening radio shows.
I've been growing lettuce and other greens with great success, and now suddenly all I get are flowers. Why?
Your greens are bolting. That means they are producing flowers instead of foliage because the weather is too hot for them and nature is telling the plant to produce seed as quickly as possible. Once the weather cools, you should be able to grow greens successfully again.
I want to build raised beds. How high should they be?
My raised beds are 12 inches high and placed directly on the ground. Some people make their raised beds even higher so they don't have to bend over so far, but the deeper ones need more soil to fill them.
Pat Rubin
For Pat Rubin, gardening is more than just dirt and plants. "It's about history, romance, adventure and people," she says. "And it should be fun."
California Bountiful's gardening columnist has lived and chronicled this fun, hands-in-the-dirt approach for years—and for additional publications including Fine Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle and The Sacramento Bee. Pat has also volunteered as a Master Gardener, speaks to garden clubs and appears regularly on gardening radio shows.
Send your questions to gardening@californiabountiful.com
The gophers are getting into my garden and destroying plants. They ate the roots on all my pole beans, and I think they are nibbling at the potatoes. Help!
I've had the same problem. One year I planted pole beans around tall tomato cages, and each day a gopher ate one plant until they were all gone. Moles tunnel through the soil looking for grubs. Unfortunately, their tunneling disrupts and uproots plants. The solution is raised beds with hardware cloth on the bottom to keep these little critters from getting in. Hardware cloth is available at hardware and big-box stores. It isn't expensive. Once you've built your raised bed, staple the hardware cloth on the bottom. The holes are too small for gophers or moles to get through.
I was told some seeds need stratification before I can plant them. What does this mean?
In nature, a plant drops its seeds, and the seeds sprout the following year. They go through fall and winter before coming up in the spring. Some seeds have really hard seed coats; it takes several summers and winters to wear them down enough for moisture to get in and allow the seed to germinate. That is what stratification means, but you can speed up the process by gently nicking or sanding a spot on the seed so it germinates on your schedule rather than Mother Nature's. I remember learning to pour boiling water on western redbud seeds to break through the seed coat to get them to germinate.
Pat Rubin
For Pat Rubin, gardening is more than just dirt and plants. "It's about history, romance, adventure and people," she says. "And it should be fun."
California Bountiful's gardening columnist has lived and chronicled this fun, hands-in-the-dirt approach for years—and for additional publications including Fine Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle and The Sacramento Bee. Pat has also volunteered as a Master Gardener, speaks to garden clubs and appears regularly on gardening radio shows.
Send your questions to gardening@californiabountiful.com
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from other readers.
The stems on my tomato and bean seedlings are long and spindly. The plants are beginning to flop over. I have them near a sunny windowsill, so what is wrong?
Sunny windowsill aside, the plants are still not getting enough light. On nice days, take the seedlings outside and let them have some natural sunlight. Be careful not to leave them outside too long because they are not used to cooler temperatures and direct sunlight. Just leave them out for a half hour at first. Next, run your hand lightly across the seedlings several times each day. This will help the spindly stems develop some strength and stand up straight. It isn't so much a problem with tomatoes because you can plant the seedlings all the way up to the top set of leaves. The stems will then root and give the plant extra strength. You can't do the same with other seedlings. Beans can't go into the ground until April in most parts of California. Because they sprout so quickly, you might want to wait a few weeks longer next year before you start the seeds
My clematis never blooms anymore. It was blooming when I bought it. I prune some of the old growth back each spring, but what's going on?
You may be pruning it at the wrong time of year. Spring blooming clematis must be pruned after they bloom in the spring, not in late winter before they bloom. Otherwise you're cutting off the blooming wood before it gets a chance to bloom. Let it go this spring and see what happens. Other types of clematis bloom in summer and fall, and these types can be pruned in late winter. One more thing, and it is a pet peeve of mine: Be sure to pronounce it CLEM-a-tis, not Cle-MAT-is.
Pat Rubin
For Pat Rubin, gardening is more than just dirt and plants. "It's about history, romance, adventure and people," she says. "And it should be fun."
California Bountiful's gardening columnist has lived and chronicled this fun, hands-in-the-dirt approach for years—and for additional publications including Fine Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle and The Sacramento Bee. Pat has also volunteered as a Master Gardener, speaks to garden clubs and appears regularly on gardening radio shows.
Send your questions to gardening@californiabountiful.com
Use dormant oil annually to help control scale in cherry trees.
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from other readers.
My cherry tree has been failing the last couple of years, and I noticed it has lots of smooth, brown bumps on the trunk. Is it supposed to have those? I never noticed them before.
Your tree has scale—insects that look like smooth lumps the same color as the tree bark. Beneath that hard lump is a tiny insect feeding on your tree. A few don't usually bother the tree, but in large numbers can cause the tree to decline, perform poorly and even die. You can take a small knife and pry the hard shell away from the tree to find the mother scale, or even eggs for the next batch to attack your tree. Also look for ants crawling up and down the tree. The honeydew secreted by the scale insects attracts ants. The ants will keep away insects that are enemies of the scale. (Sticky tape around the base of the tree takes care of the ants.)
Control of the scale is easy: dormant oil, or horticultural oil. It's harmless to the tree and environment, and smothers the scale. It must be applied when the tree is dormant. Dormant oil is part of the yearly list of chores for caring for fruit—and many other types of trees—anyway, so make it a part of fall and winter care. Scale attacks many other sorts of ornamental trees too. Read the label to make sure horticulture oil is safe to use on the type of tree you want to treat.
When do I start tomato seeds so my plants are ready for spring planting?
February is time for planting tomato seeds. But they'll need warmth to sprout and plenty of light to develop strong stems. Seeds sprout when soil temperatures warm to about 55 degrees. Many growers who like to get seeds going early use warming mats. Simply place the pots or flats on the mats, and turn them on. That's the easy part. Once seedlings are up, they need light. Sunny windowsills can work great. If your seedlings are spindly and leggy, they are not getting enough light. I move my seedlings to the sunniest spots each day, making sure I turn the pots so the seedlings don't grow crooked to one side. If the weather is nice, I take them outside in the direct light for a short period.
Many gardeners use grow lights. The trick is to keep the lights just a few inches above the seedlings, and raise the lights as the plants grow. If the lights are too high, the seedlings will try to reach them, and you'll, again, have spindly, leggy plants. Another way to prevent leggy seedlings is to run your hand across them a few times each day or have a fan that blows across them occasionally. Movement makes the stems stronger.
Even if you do get some spindly growth, it's not necessarily a serious fault for tomatoes because you can plant the seedling deep enough to cover the stem all the way up to the leaves.
Pat Rubin
For Pat Rubin, gardening is more than just dirt and plants. "It's about history, romance, adventure and people," she says. "And it should be fun."
California Bountiful's gardening columnist has lived and chronicled this fun, hands-in-the-dirt approach for years—and for additional publications including Fine Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle and The Sacramento Bee. Pat has also volunteered as a Master Gardener, speaks to garden clubs and appears regularly on gardening radio shows.
Send your questions to gardening@californiabountiful.com
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from other readers.
Can I use sawdust to help build up the soil in the vegetable garden?
Sort of. If you mix sawdust into the soil, it will use all the nitrogen it can find to break down so that it can provide nutrients to plants. But during that process, there will be no nitrogen for the plants to use. So it's best to compost the sawdust before you add it to the soil, or plan on not being able to grow much of anything while the sawdust is decomposing in the dirt.
I love ornamental grasses in late fall and winter when they turn beautiful colors. What are the best ones to plant?
Ornamental grasses are certainly beautiful all summer and add movement to the garden, but I agree they really come into their own in the winter when they are actually dying back. The greens turn to a beautiful gold. My favorites are Calamagrostis acutiflora, Stipa gigantea and any miscanthus you can find. If you look in nurseries at this time of year for grasses, they will look messy because they don't like growing in pots, but don't be afraid to buy them. I leave their dormant, dying foliage until January when it starts falling apart. Truly, there are many plants that look as beautiful when they die back as they do at their peak.
Why does the nursery staff always suggest I buy an odd number of a plant?
Unless you are looking for a very formal, symmetrical look, it's always better to plant in odd numbers. I try to buy three or five of a single plant because it gives you more bang for the buck and looks more like Mother Nature had a hand in the design. Buy in odd numbers, but vary the groups—don't always buy three because that will end up looking as spotty as if you only bought one of something.
Pat Rubin
For Pat Rubin, gardening is more than just dirt and plants. "It's about history, romance, adventure and people," she says. "And it should be fun."
California Bountiful's gardening columnist has lived and chronicled this fun, hands-in-the-dirt approach for years—and for additional publications including Fine Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle and The Sacramento Bee. Pat has also volunteered as a Master Gardener, speaks to garden clubs and appears regularly on gardening radio shows.
Send your questions to gardening@californiabountiful.com
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from other readers.
My roses, dahlias and zinnias all have powdery mildew. What do I do to keep this from happening next year?
It seems all sorts of plants get powdery mildew. The leaves look as though they have a coating of a powdery substance. The solution is to spray the plants with 2 1/2 tablespoons of horticulture oil (available at all nurseries) and 4 teaspoons baking soda in 1 gallon of water. Don't spray when temperatures are above 90 degrees. I used to get dry-air mildew on crape myrtles and was told to spray the leaves with water occasionally to wash it away. The plants never seemed to get it where the sprinklers hit, so that made sense.
What is a cover crop?
A cover crop is one you plant while your garden would otherwise be fallow. They are planted to improve the soil by allowing water penetration, reducing weeds and preventing erosion. Often, cover crops are turned under at the end of the season to add organic matter to the soil. Cover crops include clover, alfalfa, peas, beans, marigolds, mustard and rye, among others.
Pat Rubin
For Pat Rubin, gardening is more than just dirt and plants. "It's about history, romance, adventure and people," she says. "And it should be fun."
California Bountiful's gardening columnist has lived and chronicled this fun, hands-in-the-dirt approach for years—and for additional publications including Fine Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle and The Sacramento Bee. Pat has also volunteered as a Master Gardener, speaks to garden clubs and appears regularly on gardening radio shows.
Send your questions to gardening@californiabountiful.com
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from other readers.
Hi Pat,
I'm moving into a new home in Davis this fall and hoping to start a garden in mid-August. What herbs would you suggest for a shaded backyard? I'm thinking I'll put most in pots as I'd like to plant a winter garden of cole plants, root plants and lettuce greens. Any recommendations would be much appreciated.
Olivia
Hi Olivia,
I'm glad to hear you have some shade because the valley sun in August is tough. You will discover that summer is our harshest season. You should be able to plant cauliflower, broccoli and many other fall crops. I'd wait a bit on lettuce and greens, since there is a lot of hot weather ahead and greens bolt (produce flowers and go to seed) in hot weather much more quickly than when the weather is milder. Check your local nurseries to see what they have in stock. If you are new to gardening, starter plants rather than seed would be the best way to begin.
Since the garden is to be in pots, here are a few more tips:
Your local UC Cooperative Extension is a good source for letting gardeners know what to plant when, and you can find them online: http://ucanr.edu/County_Offices/.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have further questions.
Pat
My basil is blooming, and I'm not getting new stalks. Does this mean it will die?
Basil is an annual, so its "job" is to grow, bloom, produce seed and die. However, as gardeners we have other plans for this wonderfully scented plant. We want leaves, leaves and more leaves. So, when you see the plant trying to bloom, cut the flowers away and the plant will continue to produce leaves. Keep harvesting them as well, so the plant continues to grow. It will keep trying to bloom, so be vigilant in pulling off the flowers. I make pesto when the plant is producing heavily, and cut stems for drying leaves when it is slowing down. (California Bountiful foodie Gwen Schoen shares her favorite pesto recipe!)
What makes my cucumbers bitter?
Usually, the culprit is too little water or erratic watering practices. Add plenty of organic matter to the soil and keep it mulched to conserve water and prevent the soil from getting hard. Water regularly, every day at first until young roots grow deeply into the ground. Also, harvest cucumbers when they are young and slim.
The English lavender isn't blooming as well this year as past years. What happened?
Unfortunately, English lavender lasts only five to seven years in the garden. It just grows itself out. The plant eventually gets so woody it can make only spindly growth. There are some things you can do to manage the plant and to get a few more years out of it, but it won't last forever. Here's what I do: After the plant blooms, I cut it back severely—down to 6 or 8 inches. I cut back the woody growth. It seems harsh, but the plant bounces back and looks great for years with this sort of annual treatment. Spanish lavender is another story. It likes to sprawl and resents being cut back. Cut it back and it will likely never recover.
Pat Rubin
For Pat Rubin, gardening is more than just dirt and plants. "It's about history, romance, adventure and people," she says. "And it should be fun."
California Bountiful's gardening columnist has lived and chronicled this fun, hands-in-the-dirt approach for years—and for additional publications including Fine Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle and The Sacramento Bee. Pat has also volunteered as a Master Gardener, speaks to garden clubs and appears regularly on gardening radio shows.
Send your questions to gardening@californiabountiful.com
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from other readers.
Hi Pat,
I have a 6-year-old dwarf tangerine tree. It produced more than 200 delicious tangerines this winter. However, the leaves are now turning yellow and many are dropping. This has not happened before. I did have a problem with a tunneling animal for the last two months. Is there a connection or is it just a lack of nutrients? I have never fertilized the tree.
Dennis
Hi Dennis,
Based on what you've said, I'd put the blame squarely on the tunneling critters. Since nothing else has changed as far as the care of the tree, that seems the most likely culprit. Gophers and moles are tough to control. The gophers eat plant roots while the moles are looking for grubs. However, the moles disturb plant roots along the way.
I would give the plant a light dose of fertilizer, and by light I mean half of what the box recommends, every few weeks to at least give it a boost while dealing with this problem. Also try patting the soil back down if it is the gopher hills you are seeing on top of the ground. If it's moles, you'll see the ridges on top of the ground left by the tunneling.
I would also go the UC Cooperative Extension website and see what they say about gophers and moles. Here are a few to look at:
cesonoma.ucdavis.edu
www.ipm.ucdavis.edu
ucipm.ucdavis.edu
Good luck,
Pat
What is an easy thing for me to do to make sure my plants can survive on little water this summer?
The easiest, fastest and probably most effective measure to protect plants from summer heat—whether during a drought or a normal summer—is mulch. Add a 3- or 4-inch layer of chipped bark or leaves to all your flowerbeds, and I guarantee your plants will use less water. The reason is the mulch protects the soil, keeps it from baking and hardening in the sun, and keeps more moisture in the ground. Mulch also gives the garden a tidy appearance and prevents weeds from sprouting since they're denied sun.
My cannas bloom beautifully, but the flowers don't last a long time, and after they're done the plants look a little messy. Can I cut them back or do I have to wait until the fall?
I used to think I had to leave the cannas stems alone until it was time to cut them back each fall, but learned that if I cut the stem that is done flowering to the ground, the roots will send up others and I'll get another flush of bloom. This works especially well if you have a big clump of cannas because you'll always have plenty of mature stems and ones about to bloom.
I'm having a debate with a friend who says my lawn will need less water if I let it stay taller. I like to keep it cut short. Who is right?
Your friend is correct. Raising the blade on the lawnmower at or near its highest setting is best for water conservation. The blades of grass act as a living mulch to shade the soil and each other, so a lawn allowed to grow taller requires less water.
Pat Rubin
For Pat Rubin, gardening is more than just dirt and plants. "It's about history, romance, adventure and people," she says. "And it should be fun."
California Bountiful's gardening columnist has lived and chronicled this fun, hands-in-the-dirt approach for years—and for additional publications including Fine Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle and The Sacramento Bee. Pat has also volunteered as a Master Gardener, speaks to garden clubs and appears regularly on gardening radio shows.
Send your questions to gardening@californiabountiful.com
Dear Pat,
I have a pine tree up on a very steep hill in my backyard. It is very hard to reach and to work up on the hill. I have gotten up there and planted some plants, but it seems like the plants die off. What can I plant under the pine tree that will survive? I have rosemary under it right now, but several of the plants have died already. I was thinking of maybe doing something with hydroseeding due to the difficultly of planting. Any ideas would be helpful. Thanks.
Jan
Hi Jan,
Ceanothus
Hillsides are always tough places to garden. I speak from experience! Whenever I plant something on a slope, I try to make the planting hole as level as possible, and then dig a small trench above the plant that I believe will capture the water and direct it down toward the plant instead of letting it roll down the hillside.
You mentioned rosemary and said it was working out for you. Try similar plants: I'd start with ceanothus or cotoneaster. Ceanothus makes gorgeous blue flowers this time of year, and the leaves are beautiful year-round. Cotoneaster has beautiful fall color—orange or red berries beloved by birds, and shiny, brighter green leaves. Very nice. Choose ones that spread outwards rather than grow upwards. The ceanothus with the small, dark green sort of crinkled leaves are more drought tolerant that those with bigger leaves.
Lastly, add lots of mulch. It will protect the soil, keep it soft and friable, conserve moisture, deter weeds—in a nutshell, mulch is perfect for just about anything that ails a garden! It also gives the beds a clean, manicured look.
Let me know if this helps.
Pat
Dear Pat,
I'm looking for Belgian tomatoes in Sacramento. Any leads on where I could purchase a few plants for my garden? I grew a few years ago and had so much fun with them. Thanks.
Hello!
I don't know of any local nursery that sells Belgian tomatoes, but did find some online seed sources, including Burpee. If you do a search for Belgian tomatoes, you'll get plenty of hits on growing them and on places to buy seed.
Most gardeners start tomato seeds in February so they get a quick, big start on the season. But it isn't too late to order seeds and get them going. We have such a long growing season in the Sacramento area that you won't be too far behind.
The only other suggestion is to call some of the local nurseries and see whether they sell that variety. It is similar to Brandywine, so if you can't find the Belgian, try Brandywine.
Pat
I just moved to the country where the deer come into the garden. What can I plant besides rosemary and lavender that they won't eat? Help!
When I first moved into an area with lots of deer, I, too, thought I'd have a garden of nothing but rosemary and lavender, but I've discovered many, many plants they don't ever eat. My tried-and-true list includes magnolias, osmanthus, New Zealand flax, hellebores, hardy geraniums, red-hot pokers, daffodils, culinary sage, Santolina, manzanita, miscanthus (and most ornamental grasses) and irises. They also avoid the bamboo. I plant the clumping bamboo in the ground, but keep the varieties that spread in a large pot.
Last year my fruit trees produced a lot of fruit, but the fruits were very small. Do the trees need more water to make larger fruits?
Fruit trees produce plenty of blooms and fruit in the hope some of it will mature and produce seed. That isn't our goal for the tree. We want plump apples, pears and peaches. You need to thin the fruit several times during the early spring. Snip away the smallest fruits in each clump until you've thinned the fruit to one every 4 to 6 inches.
I planted marigolds and the next morning there was nothing left. The leaves looked like they'd been stripped. What happened?
My money is on earwigs. They love newly planted marigolds. In fact, I think it is one of their favorites. Go out in the garden about 10 p.m. and take a look around. Chances are you'll also find them under the lettuce leaves. You can handpick them or use bait specially formulated for killing them. There are pet- and child-safe baits you can use. Check your local nursery.
Pat Rubin
For Pat Rubin, gardening is more than just dirt and plants. "It's about history, romance, adventure and people," she says. "And it should be fun."
California Bountiful's gardening columnist has lived and chronicled this fun, hands-in-the-dirt approach for years—and for additional publications including Fine Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle and The Sacramento Bee. Pat has also volunteered as a Master Gardener, speaks to garden clubs and appears regularly on gardening radio shows.
Send your questions to gardening@californiabountiful.com
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. Here are a few questions from other readers.
Sometimes we go long spells without rain. Should I water the garden?
Yes, if the garden goes more than a week or 10 days without water, give it a drink. Potted plants need to be watered more often since the water drains away so quickly, and the only protection the soil and roots have is the thickness of the pot. Don't forget pots under eaves or against the sides of the house probably don't get any water from the rains, so it's up to you to keep them alive.
My ornamental grasses are a gorgeous golden color and I love looking at them, but I already see bits of new green growth coming up. Should I cut them back?
Ornamental grasses really come into their own in fall and winter when their foliage turns a beautiful golden color, and they look amazing against the rain and snow. But when you see green growth, that means it's time to cut away the old growth and let the new take over. If you don't cut it now, you'll be cutting away the tops of the new growth when you prune. Some winter tasks can wait, but this cannot.
I want to get a head start on the vegetable garden and was told to plant tomato seeds now. Isn't it too cold outside for that?
Yes and no. If you've grown tomatoes for any length of time, you know you'll get volunteer seedlings in the garden quite early in the season. I always figure Mother Nature knows what she's doing when that happens. Of course, you don't know if these seeds will be what you had last year; they may have crossed with another tomato, or if they were hybrids, they will revert back to one of the parents used in the cross.
The best way to plant tomato seeds now is indoors. If you don't have lights to put them under, put them on a sunny windowsill once the seeds have germinated. Not enough light causes them to get leggy and spindly. Growers who routinely start tomato seeds in February use heat mats and grow lights to get them off to a good start. It's not imperative you do this, but it makes the job easier.
Pat Rubin
For Pat Rubin, gardening is more than just dirt and plants. "It's about history, romance, adventure and people," she says. "And it should be fun."
California Bountiful's gardening columnist has lived and chronicled this fun, hands-in-the-dirt approach for years—and for additional publications including Fine Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle and The Sacramento Bee. Pat has also volunteered as a Master Gardener, speaks to garden clubs and appears regularly on gardening radio shows.
Send your questions to gardening@californiabountiful.com
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. What do you want to know, now that fall is in full swing?
Dear Pat,
Would you please tell me when the best time to prune persimmons and cherimoyas is? Thank you very much for your help.
Heddy
Dear Heddy,
Your timing is great: Now is the time to prune both the persimmon and the cherimoya. I don't know whether your trees are young or mature, but the winter dormant season is the best time for pruning.
Persimmons don't need much pruning other than shaping the tree. They are pretty polite growers and make graceful-looking trees for the landscape. I love the yellow leaves in the fall and the way the fruit hangs on the trees in the winter—very decorative!
The main thing to remember about cherimoyas is to cut away the suckers that tend to grow from the base and mature branches of the tree. The suckers grow straight up, a sure hint this is not a typical branch.
For even more information, check online. Just search "pruning cherimoya trees" or "pruning persimmons" and you'll get a wealth of information.
If you have several different fruit and nut trees, I always found it helpful to buy a book on growing and pruning fruit and nut trees. I'd take the book out into the orchard with me and turn to the section for each type of tree and follow the instructions. They all have slightly different requirements. The only common thread among them all is to prune away dead or crossing branches and suckers first, then take a look and decide what to do from there.
Best of luck!
Pat
We just built a raised garden. What vegetables can be planted in December?
In most regions, there's still time to plant bok choy, broccoli and cauliflower. Check your local nursery for starter plants, because you are a bit late to start them from seed. You can plant radishes and lettuce from seed. Now is the time to plant garlic. Just plant the cloves and let them grow until June. Don't forget cool-weather crops like peas, too. I like flowers among the vegetables: Calendulas, pansies and snapdragons are good bets.
Why are there so many acorns some years and so few other years? If we have a lot of acorns, does that mean we are going to have a wet winter? Or is it a dry winter?
There are all sorts of beliefs as to what a bountiful acorn year means, but there is a scientific explanation as to why some years the ground is littered with acorns and other years you can hardly find any at all. When acorns are really plentiful, it's called a mast year.
Getting a mast year is a two-year process. If you look at a year when acorns were really plentiful, you'll see the previous spring was very dry, but the spring the year before was very wet. All the catkins—the male flowers that look like tassels—produced after the wet spring were pollinated. If it had rained as much that previous spring, a lot of the pollen would have been washed off and we'd have fewer acorns.
My callas are top-heavy with seedpods. I can see yellow seeds inside the green covering. Can I harvest them and grow new plants?
Yes, but wait until the pod splits open. The longer you leave the stem on the plant, the better. Eventually it will start to dry up, and the soft coating on the seeds, which looks like kernels of corn, will get soft and squishy. There's a seed inside each kernel. Some people pop the seeds out, but I simply plant the whole kernel. The big, old-fashioned white callas can produce 25 or 30 seeds per stalk. The dwarf callas produce a dozen or so.
I plant them in 4-inch pots rather than directly in the ground, because it's easier to care for them. Poke the kernels about an inch deep, and 2 to 3 inches apart. Keep the pots watered, but not soggy. Some seeds will germinate right away, while others can take several weeks. Be patient. The seedlings are tough and require little care, but certainly can't be ignored. Once two or three leaves have formed, pot them into a larger pot or into the ground. Again, keep an eye on them. They should bloom the second year. Callas are deer-proof, and for me, that makes them a very desirable plant.
Pat Rubin
For Pat Rubin, gardening is more than just dirt and plants. "It's about history, romance, adventure and people," she says. "And it should be fun."
California Bountiful's gardening columnist has lived and chronicled this fun, hands-in-the-dirt approach for years—and for additional publications including Fine Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle and The Sacramento Bee. Pat has also volunteered as a Master Gardener, speaks to garden clubs and appears regularly on gardening radio shows.
Send your questions to gardening@californiabountiful.com
Pistacia chinensis
I live in Northern California along Interstate 80, and I see a lot of brilliant red trees along the freeway. What are they?
Anyone who has driven along Interstate 80 between Sacramento and Auburn in autumn can't miss the scarlet foliage planted along many of the on and off ramps. The color is screaming red. On a cloudy day, it's positively luminous. It's the Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis), and while it is related to the pistachio, it doesn't produce nuts. The tree grows to 25 or 30 feet tall.
It's very adaptable and settles just as happily in a yard with regular water and decent soil as it does in places where it gets no care at all. The female Chinese pistache trees bear small green and red berries. They can reseed, but I've never found them to be invasive. Choose pistache trees in the fall so you can see their beautiful colors.
I want to save tomato seeds this year. How do I do it?
The heirloom tomatoes in my garden are perfect for saving seed. Tomatoes are self-pollinating, so I don't have to worry about them being pollinated from the neighbor's tomatoes.
There are two schools of thought for saving tomato seeds:
Both sides say their method works well, allowing you to grow your own starts next year. If you try it, please let me know how it goes!
I do enjoy sunflowers and need a tip on how to keep bugs and/or rabbits from eating the seedlings before they become mature enough to grow large. I live in the Inland Empire in Southern California.
Pam
Dear Pam,
Thanks for writing. Seeds started directly in the ground where you want them to grow are certainly subject to insects and browsing animals. One giant pumpkin grower I know in the Sacramento area has trouble with rabbits nibbling his seedlings. He fashioned cages out of remesh (in essence, made a circular cage), and put one around each plant. Then he wrapped plastic around the bottom 6 or 8 inches of the outside of the cage. Problem solved.
We had skunks coming in the garden at night digging in the beds looking for grubs. They'd disturb all of the seedlings and vegetable plants, and after a few days of being dug up every night, the plants died. We finally put a small picket fence around the vegetable garden.
You can also protect each seedling with something as simple as two sticks with a piece of sunshade over them.
I'd also suggest starting your seedlings in pots or flats and letting them get a bit bigger before putting them out. Older seedlings are less susceptible to cutworms, earwigs, etc. Chances are that earwigs or slugs are eating the seedlings. If the problem is slugs or snails, you can sprinkle diatomaceous earth around them (has sharp edges and the slugs won't crawl over it). There is a product called Sluggo Plus that kills slugs, snails and earwigs, and is nontoxic to people and pets. I've used it with great success.
Good luck, and let me know what works!
Pat
How can I protect young plants and seedlings from the sun?
I put inexpensive tomato cages around a few of the plants, then put a black plastic nursery flat on top. The shade moves around the bed as the sun changes position, so all of the young plants and seedlings get some protection, but also get plenty of sun so they grow strong.
What's the best way to make sure potted plants get enough water?
Sometimes during the hottest days, if the pots are in the sun, you might have to water twice daily. I use a soft-rain nozzle, and I water until the water comes out the bottom of the pot, then I water the plant again. Too many people think if they sprinkle the plants, they are giving them enough water. They are not. Remember, plants in pots are more exposed to sun than those in the ground: The pots heat up, and there really isn't enough soil, unless the pot is huge, to protect and insulate the roots. So you may have to water pots in the sun more than once a day.
Pat Rubin
For Pat Rubin, gardening is more than just dirt and plants. "It's about history, romance, adventure and people," she says. "And it should be fun."
California Bountiful's gardening columnist has lived and chronicled this fun, hands-in-the-dirt approach for years—and for additional publications including Fine Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle and The Sacramento Bee. Pat has also volunteered as a Master Gardener, speaks to garden clubs and appears regularly on gardening radio shows.
Send your questions to gardening@californiabountiful.com
My yellow zucchini plant called Butterstick has unusual, tightly curled leaves on one of the bigger stems branching off the main plant. The zucchini is bumpy and deformed. The rest of this plant is normal, but this one branch is producing most of the zucchini. I checked the leaves for mites and other insects, but didn't see anything that could be causing it. Is it squash leaf curl? If so, will it affect the rest of the zucchini plants and garden crops?
Susan
Dear Susan,
It sounds like squash leaf curl, which is a virus carried by whiteflies. They are sap-sucking insects, and have infected your squash plant. There is no cure, only prevention. Often the squash produced by the affected parts of the plant will be stunted or misshapen.
If only a part of the plant is affected, remove that part. Toss it in the garbage. You can harvest the squash from the rest of the plant.
After the season is over, toss the entire plant in the garbage, even if the rest of it does not show signs of the virus. Do not use it for compost.
You can hang sticky traps for whitefly. Also, remove all weeds growing around the vegetable garden so the whiteflies don't have a place to hide or overwinter.
You can call your local University of California Extension office (look under Farm Advisor in the county section of your phone directory) and talk to a Master Gardener.
Best of luck!
Pat
I live in Sri Lanka, and here the daytime temperature is about 85° F. It's a very sunny, dry climate. What are the most suitable flower bulbs to grow in my garden?
Salinda
Dear Salinda,
I must say, I've never received a gardening question from Sri Lanka! It sounds like a beautiful place.
The problem with growing bulbs in a tropical setting is the weather. Most bulbs like a period of cold during their dormant season. That means they will likely bloom the first year you have them because they are growing and blooming on food stored in the bulb from the previous year. But production declines after that.
For example, here in California, tulips are practically impossible to keep going for more than a year or so without planting new bulbs because we just don't get enough cold weather.
From my research, I see that your climate is warm and dry, except during monsoon season, and without any cool weather. But I see that you can grow tea camellias. That said, I think there are some bulbs that might prosper for you.Some of the choices I am going to give you are actually corms or tubers, rather than true bulbs, but most people lump them all together.
If you can grow onions, chances are you can grow lilies (which are true bulbs). The Oriental lilies are fragrant, but usually come in shades of white or cream. The Asiatic varieties come in bright, vibrant colors, but aren't usually fragrant.
You might also try dahlias (a tuber like the potato). They love warm weather and come in many colors and sizes.
Other good possibilities: iris (a rhizome); crocosmia (a small, iris-like plant that will spread and makes brilliant orange flowers); watsonia (iris-like foliage with tall spikes of pink or white flowers);and amaryllis (spectacular flowers).
Also, paperwhite narcissus might work since they don't need a cooling period, but I'm not sure. They aren't an expensive plant, so it might not hurt to try.
I hope this helps. You might want to see what others you can find and try them. Sometimes plants will surprise you and do well even when the weather is against them!
Pat
I bought a home at a 3,400-foot elevation in Amador County. I have been blessed with a peach tree about 15 feet tall and a DBH (diameter at breast height) of 5 inches. Last summer, it produced about 50 wonderful peaches. I pruned it one-third back and now it's covered with golf-ball-sized fruit! I haven't seen any sign of peach leaf curl. Should I still spray the copper solution at the end of the year? Or am I safe?
You are too late to spray for curl this year, as you already know. The latest best time to spray (and the absolute best time to spray if you can spray only once) is at the pink bud stage—that is, when the flowers are showing color.
You would have leaf curl by now if you were going to get it. Keeping the old leaves cleaned up each year helps prevent the virus from spreading.
I find only the first flush of leaves gets the curl. A peach grower I once knew never sprayed, but picked off the affected leaves each year and disposed of them. The new leaves came out just fine.
If you want to spray next season, be sure to follow the directions as far as timing, but I used to spray only at pink bud and eventually quit spraying completely.
My suggestion is, the fewer chemicals, the better. Plus, it's one less task to do. Your task now is to thin the fruit. Pick away the smallest ones, then repeat.
My crepe myrtle and grapes have a powdery covering on the leaves. What is it and what can I do about it? Will it kill the plants?
It's powdery mildew, and my local nursery told me that in my area of the Northern California foothills, it is a dry-air mildew and that hosing off the leaves regularly would help.
It did: The parts of the plant where the sprinkler hit were free of the mildew. However, it is a fungal disease and can be controlled by a fungicide. You need to check at your local nursery and buy one that is designed for use on the plants that have the disease.
Sulphur is also used to control powdery mildew, and I have used that successfully, too. You can also use neem oil or jojoba oil, both of which are plant-based oils. Always follow label directions to the letter.
My impatiens are planted in the best location: plenty of filtered light, ample water, great soil and fed regularly. But all I get are leaves. What am I doing wrong?
I can tell you without asking any additional questions that the culprit is the fertilizer. Quit feeding them altogether or at least cut it back by two-thirds. The plants are getting too much good food and producing leaves instead of flowers. I guarantee this is the solution.
The winter squash plants have plenty of flowers, but I don't see any squash.
Squash, both summer and winter, first produce male flowers. Their job is to attract the bees that will be needed to move pollen from the male flowers to the female ones. Male flowers have a long stem. Female flowers have the baby squash at the base of the flower. If the flower gets pollinated, it will form a squash. So until the plant produces female flowers, you'll just have to wait.
As a California Bountiful reader, you have the opportunity to get your seasonal gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin. What do you want to know, now that winter is showing signs of making its exit?
Editor's note: Jean wrote to us earlier about problems with her citrus trees.
Thank you for the follow-up. The orange tree that is in the ground is a fairly young tree. We planted it a year ago. Although it did drop most of its leaves, it is now growing lots of new ones. The other tree is a lemon tree and in a large plastic pot. It has lots of fruit on it, but the tips of the leaves are yellow. I noticed that it does have "something" eating it on the underside of the leaf. I am thinking of how to replant this tree in the ground. It looks like that would be a big undertaking.
I do appreciate all your advice. I was very surprised at how quickly I received an email from you and all the follow-up. Thank you so much!
Jean
Dear Jean,
It sounds like the citrus tree in the pot needs repotting or transplanting into the ground. Plus I'd recommend a fertilizer for citrus—just check at the local nursery and follow the directions. However, that said, if it is producing fruit, it can't be too terribly stressed. If you decide to replant, pick any ripe or near-ripe fruit first.
If you repot into a larger pot, choose a planting mix that has multiple ingredients rather than a sterile potting mix. Loosen the roots of the tree when you take them out of the old pot.
For planting in the ground, dig the hole first (it should be slightly wider and deeper than the root ball), loosen the roots as above, add compost and plant. Make sure the soil is at the same level against the trunk of the plant as it was in the pot. The soil level could be ever so slightly lower since the soil will settle once it is watered.
As far as something chewing on the leaves, I think it would be best to either contact your local Master Gardeners office (look for the Farm Advisor's Office under your county listings) or take a sample of the leaves into the nursery and have someone take a look.
Best of luck!
Pat
This May will be the third year for our grapevines (in El Dorado Hills). No worthwhile production so far. This year's green leaves starting; full sun, drip irrigation. What basic care could you recommend for this low-information gardener? Thank you very much.
Ann G.
Dear Ann,
Thanks for the question. Luckily, you are in a great area for growing grapes in the backyard.
It does take a few years for the plants to make any significant amounts of fruit. That said, I'm hoping your plants are getting plenty of sun and that you know how to prune them each year.
The Sacramento County Master Gardeners have an amazing demonstration garden of fruit trees, grapevines, berries, vegetables and more at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, and it isn't far from El Dorado Hills. They do lots of demonstrations and workshops for people.
Here is a link to their website. Click on "grapes" from the menu on the left side of the page. ucanr.edu/sites/sacmg/Fair_Oaks_Horticulture_Center
Let me know if this helps.
On one of my citrus trees, the leaves are turning yellow on the ends. The other tree has leaves that are falling off. What can I do?
Jean
Dear Jean,
I'm not sure whether the plants are in containers or in the ground, so I will answer for both.
First off, some leaves on the citrus tree—mainly the older ones—will turn yellow during late winter and even drop off. The problem should disappear by April or May. This is normal.
If the plant is in the original container from the nursery, the plant is likely root-bound and needs to be repotted. It is also possible that the tree has outgrown the pot and needs a bigger one with fresh soil. The new container should be at least twice as deep and wide as the original so the roots can spread out. Use a good planting mix with plenty of compost.
If the tree is already in a suitable container, it could be lacking nitrogen and iron. There are plenty of fertilizer mixes made especially for citrus. I like to give the plant a more diluted application of fertilizer than the label says, but do it slightly more often than the label says. That is solely my preference, and certainly following the label exactly is what the manufacturer would recommend.
I'd also suggest adding a thin layer of compost to the top of the soil, but not so much that it affects the height of the soil against the tree trunk. Keep it away from direct contact with the trunk. As you water the plant, the nutrients in the compost will be taken down into the soil.
If the plant is in the ground, give it a light application of compost several times during the growing season and also use a light application of fertilizer.
You could also be overwatering. Check the soil before watering to make sure it isn't already wet.
I hope this helps. If you have any more questions, please write again.
Some critter is coming into my garden at night and digging round divots in the mulch and then getting in the raised beds and digging around the vegetable plants. It doesn't seem to eat the plants, but they keep getting dug up. I'm starting to dread going out to the garden in the morning. What's happening?
I know the answer to this one because I've had the same problem. You've got skunks coming into the garden at night looking for grubs and earthworms in your nice, moist, friable soil. It's a regular feast for them. You could trap the skunks and call your local animal control to find out what to do about them, or you can prevent them from coming into the garden in the first place.
The only way to do that is with a barrier. Skunks have bad eyesight and are poor climbers, so the barrier doesn't have to be high. One year we used shade cloth lashed to conduit to keep them out of the raised bed garden. We finally fenced the entire garden with a picket fence, making sure to put the pickets closely together so the skunks couldn't slip through. I would also suggest watering early in the morning so the ground around the garden is dry by nighttime, and the area won't be so attractive to them.
I've planted green bean seeds twice, and nothing comes up. Other seeds have come up, so what's wrong with the beans?
I'd guess the soil is still too cold for them, so they rot rather than germinate. Bean seeds are especially susceptible to cold soil, so try again at the end of April. "Farmer Fred" Hoffman, master gardener and Northern California radio host, always says the best way to determine whether the soil is warm enough for planting is to sit on it.
I have slugs and aphids. Need I say more?
Yikes! For the slugs, you can go out at night and handpick them. There are slug baits available that are nontoxic to pets and children, and they work really well. For the aphids, the easiest thing to do is hose them off with a forceful spray of water. A few days of this seems to discourage them. Also look for ants, since they may be bringing the aphids to the plants. If so, you need to get rid of the ants. There are sticky products designed to thwart them. Check your local nursery.
Pat Rubin
For Pat Rubin, gardening is more than just dirt and plants. "It's about history, romance, adventure and people," she says. "And it should be fun."
California Bountiful's gardening columnist has lived and chronicled this fun, hands-in-the-dirt approach for years—and for additional publications including Fine Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle and The Sacramento Bee. Pat has also volunteered as a Master Gardener, speaks to garden clubs and appears regularly on gardening radio shows.
Send your questions to gardening@californiabountiful.com
California Bountiful introduces something new for 2013: an opportunity to get your gardening questions answered by gardening expert Pat Rubin.
Hello,
This is my first year as a gardening leader for our local 4-H group. I am looking for some fun ideas to help the kids learn about gardening. Any ideas you might have would be great.
Heidi
Hi Heidi,
I'm happy to hear about your 4-H gardening project. It should be a lot of fun.
I'd start with raised beds for the garden. They're so much easier to deal with as far as planting and weeding and, for kids, a smaller plot just makes sense.
I'd plant seeds and starter plants from the nursery. In fact, it'd be a great field trip to visit the nursery and teach them how to pick starter plants. (Choose the smallest ones, not the overgrown ones; make sure they are sturdy and that there are six plants in the container; and so on.)
Radish seeds are easy to get started no matter what time of year, although in the middle of summer you're not likely to get much in the way of a crop. You can start beans, peas, sunflowers, cucumbers, squash and more in cups of small pots and transplant them or put them directly into the garden. But for warm weather crops, make sure you plant when the soil is warm. Otherwise, the seeds won't germinate.
It's also fun to put squash seeds between two wet paper towels (keep the towels moist) and let them sprout. You can see where the root grows and how the seed sprouts.
Be sure to let your 4-H'ers know that no matter how experienced the gardener, there will be failures due to weather, pests or any number of things. But it's still fun, and there's nothing like going out into the garden and picking a fresh pea pod and breaking it open to eat the peas inside, or picking a fresh tomato off the vine.
For more ideas, you might check with your local Master Gardener group. Another suggestion is to visit the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom's website: www.learnaboutag.org/wegarden. This educational organization has great garden resources you can download for free. You'll find lessons, activities, seasonality charts and more that will making teaching in the garden (or in the classroom or anywhere your 4-H'ers meet) memorable for all.
There are also scores of books about gardening with children. You'll be overwhelmed with information! Otherwise, just get gardening and you'll learn as you go.
Good luck, and please send us photos when you can.
Pat
I love succulents, but hard as I try to protect them, every winter many of them turn to a pile of slime after a hard freeze. What can I do?
Succulents love mild winters. The Bay Area is succulent heaven, so if you live almost anywhere else in California, you'll have some trouble with them. Of course, some are hardier than others, so when you buy them, check the tags for hardiness.
When frost is expected, the usual advice is to water your plants so they do not freeze. With succulents, however, just the opposite is true. Do not water them before a freeze. In fact, keep them on the very dry side all winter.
This isn't a scientific explanation, but in a nutshell, when it freezes, the water inside the plants at a cellular level freezes and turns to ice and the plant sort of explodes internally, leaving you with a pile of slimy mush. So choose the hardiest succulents you can find, water them sparingly all winter and buy some row cover to put over them for extra protection on cold nights.
My forsythia and lilac never bloom. They are well watered, grow vigorously and look great. I prune them every winter, feed them regularly, but get no flowers.
Aha! You gave me the answer to your question already. When you prune them in January or February, you're cutting off this year's blooms before they every have a chance to develop. Don't prune spring blooming shrubs until after they bloom.
There are little brown, bumpy-looking things on the bark of my fruit trees. I can scrape them off with my finger. What are they?
Sounds like scale. There are two types of scale that live on the bark of plants: hard scale and soft scale. When you pry off the shell, you can see the mother scale and often her eggs. They are not usually a problem, but can become pretty numerous if there are not any natural enemies around. A dormant oil spray in January and again in late winter will smother them.
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