gardening on the edge newsletter, fall 2009 ~ monterey bay master gardeners

8/9/2019 Gardening on the Edge Newsletter, Fall 2009 ~ Monterey Bay Master Gardeners

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MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS FALL 2009

Turning Over a Greener Leaf1 IPM: Gophers and Moles, and Why We Garden4

Garden Tour 20096 The Pruners Corner8

MBMG Pursues Federal Environmental Objectives8

Book Review9 Try It, Youll Like It: Plectranthus10 In Defense of Dandelions11

Rose Garden at the Santa Cruz Fairgrounds12

The Edible Garden: Lemons14 How Master Gardeners Do It15

Confessions of a Reluctant Gardener19 Relevant Internet Miscellany20

Cultivate knowledge

Fall 2009 #13

GardeningontheedgeJournal of the Monterey bay master gardener

In November 2005, the Habitat enthusiastically em-barked on what would become a multi-year planning andapproval process for the first public school green classroomin Monterey County. Following in the footsteps of severalinspiring eco-examples set by colleges and universitiesacross the county (including some local private school lead-ers: Chartwell and York), the new LEED building at theHabitat strives to be a model for the local community of themany virtues of building green schools which include, butare not limited to: demonstrated monetary savings for the

district on utilities, improved student learning/teacher per-formance, a healthier work environment, enhanced wildlifehabitat and lessened CO2 in the atmosphere.

The estimated $1.1M project was partially funded by avoter approved bond measure for new and renovated facili-ties within the Carmel Unified School District, while theremaining money was raised through generous contributionsfrom foundations and private donors in the local community.After much persistence and perseverance, the arduous ap-proval process finally came to a close on August 28, 2009,when the Division of State Architects (the governing boardfor all public school building projects) authorized the revised

plans for the 1200 sq. foot building, giving the go-ahead to

move forward with the next steps in the building proceAmidst heightened anticipation, public bids from potentcontractors will be accepted by the Carmel Unified SchoDistrict on October 6th at 2pm. Due to the current naturetodays economic state and slow job market, many compe

tive bids are expected on this high profile project. The cotract for the project will be awarded to the lowest biddicontractor on October 20th at the Carmel Unified School Dtrict Board meeting. A celebratory ground breaking cermony will take place the following Friday afternoon, Octob28th in the Habitat gardens. (If you are interested in attening this event, please send an email to [email protected] more information, as it becomes available).

According to a recent study conducted by the US GreBuilding Council (www.usgbc.org), conventional building sytems in the United States contribute to 39% of US carbdioxide (CO2) emissions, 70% of US energy consumpti

and 15 trillion gallons of water. In response to these soberi

Turning Over a Greener Leaf:The Hilton Bialek Habitat Breaks

New Ground on Building Project

this FallTanja Roos, MG06
mailto:[email protected]://www.usgbc.org/http://www.usgbc.org/http://www.usgbc.org/mailto:[email protected]


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2 FALL 2009 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS


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statistics and in an effortto actively demonstrate amore sustainable path,the Habitat staff collabo-rated with husband/wifegreen team David andAnni, of the award win-

ning ecological designfirm, Arkin/Tilt Archi-t e c t s in B e r ke l e y(www.arkintilt.com) anddeveloped the vision forthis innovative structureat the Habitat. The hopewas that by providing atangible example to thecommunity of a greenbuilding that is both ecol-ogically designed and aes-

thetically pleasing, morepeople might be inspiredto try these differentgreen technologies in their own individual homes, whilecollectively reducing our net impact on the environmentand our need for diminishing resources.

The entire building is designed to be an active teachingtool. The structure exemplifies passive solar design princi-ples, which require little energy for heating and cooling. Itwill rely on the prevailing breezes, operable windows andthermal mass (concrete floor, well insulated walls, a livingroof and wall) to regulate the indoor temperature. All of

the buildings energy will be generated by a bank of photo-voltaic panels and a small wind generator. The domestichot water will be heated by solar hot water collectors,which will additionally provide the heat energy for the ra-diant floor heating system. Students will be able to trackthe energy produced and used onsite through an interac-tive building dashboard and real-time computer monitor-ing system created by Lucid Design group(www.luciddesigngroup.com). The use of indoor electric lightswill be minimized due to large south facing windows, anupper clearstory/cupola and solar tubes which allowssunlight to enter into the interior of the space. Rainwaterwill be harvested from the student-grown native grass roofand re-distributed to water the surrounding landscapes.The greywater, or the waste water generated from washingand laundry inside the building, will be recycled in a mini-constructed wetland system, designed by Santa Cruzbased greywater guru, Peter Haase (fallcreekengineering.com)for reuse in the surrounding gardens as well. The indoor airquality will be protected by the use of carefully selectedinterior materials and finishes that do not off-gas and non-toxic cleaning supplies. Waste management, recycling andvermicomposting systems are fully integrated into thebuilding design.

The building itself will be sited in the northern sectionof the existing organic gardens, which will be entirely re-designed to accommodate the new structure and bettermeet the diverse curricular areas that now use the outdoorgardens as an active teaching tool. Large sliding doors onthe south and east walls are designed to fully open, provid-ing a seamless flow between the indoor and outdoorspaces. This simple design feature will enhance the seed-to-table cooking program in the beautifully designed green

kitchen by April Sheldon (www.aprilsheldondesign.com).In addition to the many different science and cookingclasses in the building, the new classroom will house thedaily 6th grade Ecoliteracy class and AP EnvironmentalStudies class from Carmel High School. It will also serve asthe central point for our Community Outreach field tripsthat serve over 1000 students from surrounding schoolsthroughout Monterey County. These field trips providevisiting students with meaningful hands-on science pro-gramming, where often there is none due to funding cutsand limited resources in their own schools.

The building will also be available as a community re-source for meetings, adult education workshops andevents in the future. This sort of community outreach andeducation is at the core of the Hilton Bialek Habitats mis-sion, vision and values. The goal is to extend sustainabilityeducation to the broader community, while hopefully em-powering individuals to stand up and make tangiblechanges in their daily lives that support the long termhealth and vitality of our planet. Together we can makegreat change, please join us!

To keep in touch with the Habitat during these excit-ing times, get involved, DONATE or for more informationabout upcoming events, visit their websitewww.carmelhabitat.org.
http://www.arkintilt.com/http://www.arkintilt.com/http://www.luciddesigngroup.com/http://www.luciddesigngroup.com/http://www.fallcreekengineering.com/http://www.fallcreekengineering.com/http://www.aprilsheldondesign.com/http://www.aprilsheldondesign.com/http://www.carmelhabitat.org/http://www.carmelhabitat.org/http://www.carmelhabitat.org/http://www.aprilsheldondesign.com/http://www.fallcreekengineering.com/http://www.luciddesigngroup.com/http://www.arkintilt.com/


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Gophers and Moles,

and Why We GardenPatricia Nicely, MG03

Aside from weeds, gophers are my most pesty, well,pest. And this year, many people are seeing more mole ac-tion than usual. So, I thought it was time to evaluate someof the methods available for managing these charismaticcritters.

More correctly known as pocket gophers for theircheek pouches, the five species of California gophers arewell-adapted to their predominately underground exis-tence. Gophers can actually close their lips behind theirenormous front teeth to keep soil out of their mouth. Theirburrow system can encompass an area of 200 to 2000square feet, and consists of shallow feeding tunnels anddeeper nesting and storage chambers. Gophers usually livealone except when breeding and rearing young, and there

can be up to 20 gophers per acre. Other than dead andmissing plants, the most reliable sign that you have a go-pher is a crescent-shaped mound on top of the soil (thespoils of their excavation activities), in which the hole ispositioned off-center. Gophers use their sense of smell tolocate food, and usually dine on underground roots, al-though they often come to the surface to feed around theedge of a moundless feed hole.

The other common tunneler in our area is the mole.Although they have similar habitats, gophers and moles aredifferent in many ways. Moles tend to be darker than go-phers and have very short, paddle-like limbs, and they areinsectivores, not plant-eaters. Like gophers, moles makesurface mounds, but these tend to be more volcano-like,and if the hole is visible, it is usually centered in the

mound. A surface-feeding mole will leave in its wake aridge at the soil surface. Permanent tunnels are formed 812 inches below the surface. Although moles can displaceplants during burrowing, their biggest impact in gardensseems to be the mounds and ridges that appear in lawnswhich are unsightly, damaging, and can make lawn caremore difficult.

Weve all seen the results of unbridled gopher andmole activity: lawn-smothering soil mounds, ankle-twisting holes, devoured and displaced vegetation, evendamaged irrigation systems. Gopher burrows can alsocontribute to water waste by diverting irrigation wateraway from your plants. Below, Ive addressed some of theways to manage gophers and moles, concentrating on themost reliable ones. However, I invite you to investigateand experiment with other methods.

I would first like to mention the concept of tolerancebecause it is often viewed as a last resort in the litany ofpest control options (especially for gophers and moles)

Tolerating some pest activity is key to any IPM programand committing to a more tolerant attitude can really alteryour perspective. For example, an active gopher can provide my under-stimulated dogs with of hours of entertain-ment. (As I write this, my dogs are pursuing a gopher thahas just punctuated the surface of my lawn.) And, being anature lover, I really enjoy watching gophers and moles inaction. Its a treat to observe the weirdness of the occasional unearthed mole and its ability to quickly repositionitself in the ground.

Plant selection can reduce many types of pest damageIn my garden, gophers love some plants and have neverbothered others, so I focus on planting the less palatableones (lavenders, salvias, rosemary). For plants that I knowgophers will eat or I am not sure about, I either exclude thegophers (see below), or plant so many (e.g. poppies) thatthere are enough for both me and the gophers, or I committo the idea that if the plant goes, I wont be too heartbro-ken. This last letting go method has been helpful onmany occasions. If moles are more of a problem in yougarden, I suspect that larger plants would be less prone totoppling by errant gophers than small or fragile ones.

Exclusion is simply gardening in a way that doesntallow gophers and moles access to your planted areasPlacing plants in individual cages, lining a garden bed or

lawn bed with wire mesh, and container gardening are allvery successful methods for keeping these critters out. It isimportant, however, to use the appropriate materials andmethods in order to be successful. Gophers can chewthrough thin plastic pots or slip through wide-meshedwire. Ive made cages out of chicken wire, but these dontlast very long; hardware cloth works better, but is moreexpensive and more difficult to handle. There are excellencages available for purchase, which has led me to abandonmy home-made efforts. To me, it is worth the initial cosand effort to cage plants that might fall victim to a hungrygopher or errant mole. Caging can also exclude your dig-

Thomomys talpoidesNorthern Pocket Gopher

(Wash. Dept of Fish and Wildlife)


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ging Fido. Some plants do not thrive in cages, so you needto weigh the risk of losing a plant against how well thecaged plant will perform. Cages made out of lighter-gaugematerial might be more suitable in these situations, pro-

tecting the plants when young but degrading as the plantsbegin to outgrow them.Trapping is a very effective pest control method, but in

the case of gophers and moles, were not talking aboutcatch and release. Gopher and mole traps are designed tokill their intended quarry, some with better success thanothers. Because of their different behavioral patterns, go-phers and moles are typically caught with different kindsof trapsbox traps or Macabee traps for gophers, andscissor traps or harpoon traps for moles. Developed about100 years ago but still hard to find are Cinch traps, whichcan be used successfully for both gophers and moles. Tho-mas Wittman of Gophers Limited (who sells Cinch traps,and has used them for 15 years) says that the catch rate ofCinch traps is about 75% for gophers (lower for moles),and that the quick-kill rate for both is very high (99%). Ionly mention the kill rate because my experience with Ma-cabee traps is that they dont always kill the gopher imme-diately, requiring me to dispatch the gopher in bucket ofwater. Wittman is of the opinion that Cinch traps aremuch more humane than some of the other traps becausethey kill quickly. Trapping methods vary with the type oftrap, and it is best to refer to the UC IPM Pest Notes foradvice on trapping (or the Gophers Limited website fordirections on using Cinch traps). Wittman says that

Cinch traps are also easier to use than other types becausethey are set near the surface. I definitely intend to replacemy Macabees with a couple of Cinch traps.

Raptors and other predators are known to eat gophersand other small mammals, which is why some people placea barn owl box in their neighborhood. UC doesnt recom-mend relying on predators to control gophers and moles

but providing owl habitat is good for the owls, can providelearning opportunities for adults and kids alike, and wouldcertainly knock out a few pests.

Various poisons are available for use in controllingmammalian pests; strychnine, and rodenticides(anticoagulants, and non-anticoagulants). Although effective, these compounds are highly toxic, and even whenused correctly there is a risk of poisoning non-target spe-cies (children, pets and wildlife), as well as secondary poi-soning of predators and scavengers that might eat the poi-soned target species. The EPA is continually evaluatingthe usage of these chemicals in order to improve safety

while preserving efficacy (see references), but I dont thinkthat managing gophers and moles with poison is worth therisk to non-target species.

Ive spent some time lately thinking about differentperspectives on gardening. Why do we love gardens?Whatever your reason may be, I suspect it has somethingto do with making life better. This is one of my guidingprinciples in choosing gardening methods and practicesand is the reason why I prefer to use methods that dontinvolve poisons. To me, when you consider all of the unintentional consequences, gardening with poisons does notgenerally make life better. In my garden, I rely on toler-

ance, plant selection, and exclusion to control gophers andmoles, and am willing to humanely trap the occasional go-pher.

By the way, if youre having problems with other mam-mal pests, my mothers 1969 Ball Blue Book has a recipe forcanning squirrel.

Important resources for gopher and mole management:UC IPM Pest Notes, for gopher and mole biology and

management: www.ipm.ucdavis.edu.Gophers Limited website, for purchasing Cinch traps

and great exclusion cages, and lots of info on proper trap-ping and exclusion techniques (even in lawns)

www.gopherslimited.com.Hungry Owl Project, for information on barn owls andrelated topics: www.hungryowl.org.

Other references:Final Risk Mitigation Decision for Ten Rodenticides

EPA, May 2008R.E.D. Facts for Strychnine, EPA, July 1996.Reregistration Eligibility Decision for Strychnine, EPA

July 1996.Stone,W.B., J.C. Okoniewski, and J.R. Stedelin. 2003

Anticoagulant rodenticides and raptors: recent findingsfrom New York, 1998-2001. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol

70:34-40.

IPMis an ecologically-based approach to managing pests thattries to prevent problems through a combination ofmethods and uses pesticides only as a last resort.IPM programs can be applied against insects, weeds,

plant diseases, rodents, or other pests. With IPM, youllhave a safer home and environment and youll have fewerpest problems.

Remember these IPM steps as you try to solve your pestproblems:

Correctly identify the pest Determine if it is a problem you cant tolerate. Identify the conditions in your home or garden that

are causing the pest to thrive or invade and changethem to the extent possible.

If this isnt enough, consider other methods such ascultural, mechanical, physical or biological controls,

or use least-toxic pesticides as a last resort.For more information on identifying and managing pestsin California, consult the UC IPM websitewww.ipm.ucdavis.edu or call the Master Gardener Hotlineat 763-8007.
http://www.hungryowl.org/http://www.hungryowl.org/http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/http://www.hungryowl.org/


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Garden Tour 2009....Hundreds

Braved the FogMaryann McCormick and Barbara

Schilling, o-chairs 2009 Garden Tour,

MGs04

Garden Sanctuaries of the Monterey Peninsula, this yearsMaster Gardeners Garden Tour on the Monterey Penin-sula, attracted well over 600 visitors. The summer fog thatis so much part of our coastal gardening climate neverquite lifted but it could not dampen the curiosity and joy ofthe many visitors. We commend and respect them!

The rich offerings included nine beautiful and very dif-ferent private gardens, two historic gardens and one school

garden. Visitors lined up well before the 10 AM opening toget an early start. Most visitors proceeded in a north-to-south direction starting in Monterey and working theirway down to Carmel and Pacific Grove.

The "will call" site at the Kent garden was packed fromthe onset, not just for the distribution of tickets, but alsofor the fabulous plant sale. There were hundreds of plantsto choose from; sages, mints, scented geraniums, salvias,coleus, ornamental peppers, lilies and many grasses andsucculents were just a few of the varieties offered. All hadbeen lovingly propagated and nurtured by Master Garden-ers. The sale was a great success and by the end of the day

only a few plants remained.The Arts and Crafts sale at the Braddock garden was

another big visitor draw. The fourteen artisans were dis-tributed around the pretty patio areas of the garden andalong the front and made browsing and shopping a de-lightful experience with the garden providing a wonderfulbackdrop.

Twelve gardening mini-lectures were offered as a newaddition to the tour. The themes were composting, flowerarranging, fire safe gardening, succulents, pruning, creatingsacred spaces, low-water gardening, beekeeping, wormcomposting, vegetable gardening, container gardening and

habitat gardening. Each talk was repeated three times dur-ing the day, a schedule that allowed visitors to attend sev-eral. The Thumbnail Lectures were a great success witheach talk attracting 15 to 25 visitors and many of thespeakers going overtime due to intense audience interest.

A well-received book sale at the Lloyd garden and theraffle with its many surprises at the Grate garden roundedout the offerings for shoppers.

All gardens had been carefully prepared to look theirbest on tour day. Plant lists and labeling of many of the

plant species in each garden allowed curious visitors tobecome inspired by specific attractive plant arrangementsand combinations and take home not only the visual mem-ory but also plant names and varieties to experimentwith in their own gardens. There were wonderful exam-ples of gardens for different tastes, and a nice sample ofwhat thrives in our area's various settings and local micro-


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climates, including a succulent garden, rose garden, Eng-lish cottage garden, vegetable gardens, gardening underlocal live oaks, gardening on steep hill sides andmore. The thesis that you can grow almost anything inCalifornia was put to the test!

Knowledgeable docents and the garden owners wereavailable all day to offer some of the history and processesof creating each garden. They addressed specifics abouttheir plant collections and showcased their garden's indi-vidualities.

The day rocketed past, but from visitors comments

we gleaned that the gardens inspired the eye, the lecturestantalized the mind, and the browsing delighted the shop-pers. Folks enjoyed the company of friends, gardendocents and ownersit was a fabulous way to spend aday.

Photos by: Leora Worthington, Barbara Schilling, Christina Kriedt and Candice McLaren .


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The Pruners CornerPaul McCollum, MG04

I hope everyone has enjoyed his or her summer. Mostof my gardening time has been spent in the vegetable gar-den and we are now reaping the benefits of growing our

own food. For me, pruning in the vegetable garden usuallyinvolves a pinch here and pinch there to encourage bushygrowth peppers and basil come to mind and seem to re-spond well to this. If I have a summer or winter squashthat is sending out too much vine I just cut it back to a leafand the plant will usually send out a new runner in a dif-ferent direction. Our vegetable garden always has flowersgrowing (to draw beneficial insects and add beauty) alongwith the vegetables and I try and keep them deadheaded toencourage new growth and more flowers.

Here a few pruning terms: coppicing: cutting shrub to ground to encourage

bushy new growth; selective pruning: removal of branches to restore

balance or achieve a desired effect; shearing: light overall pruning of plant to limit size

and encourage dense growth; deadheading: removal of spent flower stalks.

Every season is pruning season for me. If you haventalready summer pruned your apricots and plums then they

can still be done up until mid to late September someexperts advise not cutting back apricots after August be-cause of the tree forming its fruiting buds.

Roses are deadheaded throughout the growing seasonas are flowering shrubs. Any branch that is growing at anodd angle or into a pathway is pruned (think: cut off) backout of the way. We have a number of sweet bay (Laurusnobilis 'Saratoga') which can be grown as a tree or a shrub.These are pruned as needed to keep them in bounds and tolimit their height. Butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii) growseveral feet tall during the season and fall is a good time tocut them back. Prune back passionflower vines hard for fall

and spring and keep them trimmed back for the best flow-ering. Escallonia is another plant the grows a lot during thegrowing season and I cut it back sometimes twice a year late summer or fall being one of those times.

A few of the plants that do well with fall pruning are: sagebrush (Artemisia californica ) - cut by redbud (Cercis occidentalis) selectively prune dead

crossed branches climbing penstemon (Keckiella spp.) - prune by mallow (Malacothamnus spp.) - remove top 1/3 o

plant currant (Ribes spp.) - selectively prune crossed/

dead branches.Here is a little word about SAFTEY. Pruning tools

hedgers and reciprocating saws can remove fingers as wellas branches! Be alert and pay close attention at all times tothe task at hand. If any distraction occurs, stop whatyoure doing and wait until you can give pruning yourfullest attention.

Always wear appropriate safety gear when workingwith any pruning tools that includes wearing safety gog-gles, gloves and closed-toe shoes. Wear a safety helmettoo, when working with overhead limbs. If youre operat-ing power tools, wear ear protection as well.

Last but not least: Tools. Make sure your garden toolsare all cleaned and free from soil and sharpened beforetheyre put away for the winter. Spay on a little WD-40 orrub them down with linseed oil. Rust is the big enemy ofgarden implements.

Have a great fall season and the best possible holidayseason! See you in January. If you have any questions please

write me [email protected].

MBMG Pursues Federal

Environmental ObjectivesTom Karwin, MG99

The MBMG has embarked on a new level of environ-mental education.

The MBMG has partnered with Ecology Action in aproposal for federal funding of the EAs environmental education project, Our Water, Our World (OWOW).

For the past two years, Ecology Action has managedthe OWOW project, an initiative to protect the NationalMarine Sanctuary watershed, i.e., Monterey Bay area. Ecol-ogy Action is a non-profit organization, based in SantaCruz and actively involved in a wide range of environ-mental projects. Visitors to the MBMGs annual SmartGardening Faire will remember Ecology Actions verypopular composting workshops each year at the Faire.

The OWOW project is funded in part by the NationalOcean Service of the National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA), through its Bay Watershed Edu-cation and Training (B-WET) grant program. NOAA is

Diagram illustrating the coppicingcycle

over a 7-20 year periodWikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coppicing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coppice2.png


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part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.NOAA has approved EAs proposal and allocated funds

for the third year of OWOW.The Monterey Bay Master Gardeners has begun work-

ing closely with Ecology Action to implement three activi-ties of the OWOW project: The Green Gardener Program, which provides professional

training and certification in ecological landscaping.The program goals are to reduce reliance on syntheticfertilizers and pesticides, reduce water pollution andencourage water conservation. The program includesten weekly classes conducted by highly qualified spe-cialists in selected aspects of ecological landscaping.The classes were designed originally for landscapeworkers and are also valuable for home gardeners. Formore information visit the Green Gardener website:www.green-gardener.org/.

Retail Clerk Training, which involves working withtwenty-four (mostly larger) participating retail stores,

e.g., Home Depot, Orchard Hardware & Supplies, toupdate their employees on less-toxic pesticides forhome and garden, and organic fertilizers.

Retail Customer Information, which involves informinghome gardeners on less-toxic alternatives for home andgarden pesticides and organic fertilizers. This activityincludes labeling product shelves with OWOW labels,distributing OWOW fact sheets about uses of pesti-cides and fertilizes, distributing UC Cooperative Ex-tension literature, and having one-on-one dialogs withretail customers in the participating stores.

These three activities are scheduled as follows:

Green Gardener Program: September November 2009Retail Clerk Training: February May 2010Retail Customer Information: March August 2010

The OWOW project brings the MBMG into an excit-ing and substantial involvement in efforts to achieve fed-eral objectives for the protection of the Monterey Bay areawatershed. Look for OWOW literature and Master Gar-deners in your favorite garden center next year!

Book ReviewSue Tarjan, MG06

The Natural History of theUC Santa Cruz Campus

Second Edition

Edited by Tonya M. Haff,Martha T. Brown, andW. Breck Tyler

2008 Environmental StudiesDepartment,University of California,Santa CruzPrinted by the Bay TreeBookstore, UCSC

Natural histories have always been among my favoritenonfiction choices because they are so inclusive in an ageof relentless specialization. This books far ranging topicsinclude the human history of the UCSC campus from12,000 years ago to the present, geology, plants, mush-rooms, lichens, invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birdsand mammals. Appendices feature campus statistics andlists of plants, butterflies, amphibians and reptiles, birdsand mammals found at UCSC. The first edition of thisnatural history was published in 1982. Since then, muchhas been learned about the natural resources of the site and

how they are faring as UCSC expands. This edition bringsmuch of that information up to date.

One of the books editors, Martha Brown, senior editorat the universitys Center for Agroecology and SustainableFood Systems, comments on this second edition: "The cam-pus is full of surprises ... our hope is that this book willhelp the reader discover UCSC's rich diversity of plantsanimals, and geologic features, as well as learn more aboutits human history and the role of the landscape throughtime." Monterey Bay area gardeners will no doubt pay par-ticular attention to the ways that humans have so pro-foundly altered this location over the years because, after

all, thats exactly what gardeners do all the timeoftenwithout thinking about the long-term ramifications oftheir actions whether for good or ill. To add to the booksappeal, most local gardeners will find that at least one ofthe myriad campus micro-ecologies discussed herein re-sembles their own garden enough to enhance their storesof practical gardening knowledge.

What most strikes me, however, is how this book de-picts the ancient, intricate dance among animals andplants. Many books about landscaping and garden designdiscuss soil, water, and weather; few that Ive read delveinto the interactions among living kingdoms so well. ForBrugmansia, angels trumpet

Photo by C Kriedt


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example, heres a fascinating excerpt describing the Span-iards introduction of livestock:

The hooves and teeth of horses, sheep, cattle, and pigs greatly affectednative plants distribution and abundance . . . . Domestic livestock placed constant, intense pressure on perennial grasslands that hadonly been seasonally grazed by herds of native ungulates. In addition,

livestock distributed the seeds of annual European grasses and herbsin their manure, dropped them from their fur, and buried them withtheir hooves. Exotic plant species also escaped from the mission fieldsand gardens and spread across the landscape. The success of these plants was in part due to reproductive strategies that fit well withagricultural disturbance. Introduced annuals from Europe, such asripgut brome and storksbill, survive the plow or constant grazing pressures by sprouting, growing, and producing thousands of large,nutrient-rich seeds every year. In contrast, native perennial grassesmay live hundreds or even thousands of years, but each year produceonly a few, small seeds. Tilling and intensive grazing prepared the

ground for introduced annuals, which largely displace native peren-nial grasses and became a permanent part of the landscape. Intro-duced species also altered the subterranean ecology, as the Spanishand other immigrants unintentionally introduced invertebrates suchas European earthworms, earwigs, and sowbugs. Almost in the blinksof an eye, Californias perennial coastal prairies came to resemble thebarnyards of Spain. (1011)

If youre not hooked yet, you will be once you startbrowsing through the many intriguing sidebars like TheIntroduction of Fire, Naming the Redwood: A ProminentRole for Santa Cruz, The California Bay Aroma: Theres

More Than Meets the Nose, Does That Manzanita Have aBurl or Not?, Supersize Me, An Afternoon in a ParkingLot, and Deer Ears. No, Im not going to be a spoiler.Youll just have to read the book!

Try It, Youll Like It: PlectranthusChristina Kriedt, MG06

My new favorite plant is one that, until this summer, Ihad only grown indoors believing it to be a tropical house-plant. Wrong. There are many interesting Plectranthuseamong the 350 species that originated in sub-Saharan Af-

rica, Madagascar, India and the Indonesian archipelagodown to Australia and some Pacific islands. Some are usedmedicinally and some are edible (leaves and roots), but thethree species growing in my gardenoutdoorsarestrictly ornamental. The hot Plectranthus for flowers isMona Lavender. They make good, if tender, mediumtextured perennial groundcovers in shade (part or full)have no serious problems, and are easily propagated from

cuttings. (I start mine in cups of water.) They make fantas-tic potted plants and will spill, fill, or trail as you pleaseThe species pictured are Plectranthus coleoides variegata(left)P. purpuratus (top), andP. australis (above, right). The flowerabove is P. coleoides variegata, variegated Swedish ivy. Thatsright, this is the Swedish ivy that you used to grow all overyour house with the spider plants, devils ivy andPhilodendrons when you were a hippy.

Photos by C KriedtArticle reference: https://www.finegardening.com/plantguide/

plectranthus-mona-lavender.aspx


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In Defense of Dandelions,

Taraxacum officinaleSue Tarjan, MG06

While my sister was visiting me around the end of Au-gust from Marylands Eastern Shore, she asked the name ofthe pretty little yellow flowers she saw brightening up mydroughty, dusty yard and attracting happily hummingbees. On hearing that they were the detested dandelion,she couldnt believe it! How could she take pleasure in ayard of blooming WEEDS? She attributed her misplacedadmiration to poor eyesight and the fact that the Marylandvariety is typically so much larger, no doubt plumped upby abundant summer rains and high humidity.

Lest you think me some kind of liberal pinko weirdoweed lover (its true I also wrote Read It and Weed in theApril/May 2008 newsletter), its not that I think that everywayward plant is my friend. Its just that we gardeners

sometimes forget that were the true subversivesout tosubvert nature and evolution, insisting on the kind of con-trol with no consequences that appalls us in dictators andour own teenagers. How do we do this? Well, by yankingout what wants to grow and substituting what wont sur-vive without uswithout extra water, artificial fertilizer,pesticides, gopher cages, deer fences, and lots and lots ofweeding.

Now if I were a real farmer, I would retort that most ofus would starve if we didnt harness nature to the plow. Icant argue that although I would note that we do it far

better with the carrot of sustainability than with the stickof slash and burn. But survival is one thing, and eye candyis another. Gardening is subject to fads and fashions likeeverything else. Whats been wowing us in the garden re-centlyxeriscaping and restoration gardening with nativeplants, for exampleis just fine and dandy and a greatstart and all. But what about gardening with, well, what

pops up? I mean, just pretend you mean to do it and standtallits just an idea.

Meanwhile, lets get back to dandelions. You cant pos-sibly eradicate them, so learn to love them. They ask fornothing but your respect and to be left alone. And youSHOULD respect them because they can be highly benefi-cial to the ecosystem of your garden. Their pollen feedsaphid-eating ladybugs in early spring before other flowersbloom and delights pollinators in late summer when pick-ings are bare; their long roots aerate the soil and accumu-late minerals released for other plants to use when theydie; and my turtles, Junior and Peggy Sue, love them, espe-

cially the flowers.Moreover, since you cant beat them, eat them. Dande-lions are good for you. They are excellent sources of betacarotene, vitamin A, and vitamin C, and good sources ofcalcium to boot. The whole plant but particularly the rootis a liver stimulant and diuretic, the flowers make greatwine, and theyre great sauted and stirred into a pot ofblack eyed peas. The white sap from the stem and root caneven be used topically as a cure for warts! By the way, thereis actually a dandelion native to our state, Taraxacum californicum. It grows in the San Bernardino Mountains of South-ern California and isyes, its trueendangered.

Left: California dandelion,Taraxacum californicum.

Above: fully opened

dandelion head

Right: Taraxacum

officinale

Photos: Wikipedia


12/21


The Rose Garden at the Santa

Cruz FairgroundsPaul McCollum, MG04

Most likely everyone who lives between Big Sur andHalf Moon Bay is aware of or has visited the Santa Cruz

County Fairgrounds located just east of the city of Wat-sonville on Highway 152. At the end of summer(September 15-20) the fairgrounds played host to the 2009Santa Cruz County Fair. Various individuals and groups,like the Monterey Bay Rose Society (MBRS), volunteermany hours of their time making the fair a giant success.Fair-goers are treated to hundreds of floral displays and therose collection is one of the highlights.

And speaking of roses, we Master Gardeners need tobe aware that there is a permanent rose garden locatedright on the fair grounds. It is not accessed by the maingate; visitors must proceed a little east and enter at thehorse barn and racetrack entrance. If you have visited therose garden in the past, we suggest that you pay it another

visit because there have been some very positive changes tothis beautiful garden during the past year.

Here is a little history about the garden: About 15 yearsago the Watsonville Womens Club (WWC) planted thegarden and tended it for a number of years with the help ofcounty employees who worked at the fairgrounds. Thiscontinued up until the fall of 2006 when the WomensClub could no longer continue the maintenance chores.From that time until last year, county personnel as well asvolunteers from the Rose Society maintained the garden.Then in September of 2008 the county could no longer pro-vide maintenance because of budget constraints. Thats

when two longstanding members of the MBRS, Janey Leo-nardich and Myrna England (one of the original WWCmembers who planted the garden) approached the FairBoard of Directors and requested that the MBRS be giventhe opportunity to take complete responsibility for thegarden. Because of their knowledge and expertise no othergroup could be better suited for the task and the FairBoard agreed unanimously.

Since that time many members of the MBRS haveworked long hours replanting dead roses, pruning anddeadheading, installing drip irrigation throughout the gar-den, and fertilizing the roses as needed. Two members of

the society, Judy Sauve and her husband Jim, have devoted

countless hours over the past year making certain the gar-den is maintained and in proper order. Vision Recycle do-nated yards and yards of Eco-Blend compost that not onlyserves to feed the roses but to beautify the planting areaDonations of roses to replace dead or diseased ones havecome from locals Janey Leonardich, Alladin Nursery, BokayNursery, and McShanes Nursery as well as Jackson andPerkins, Heirloom Nursery, and NorEast Miniatures whoare out of the area. Many of the roses have name tags andthe MBRS is working on identifying each and every rose inthe garden. Almost all the classes of roses are representedsuch as hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, rugosasminiatures, mini-floras, Large-Flowered Climbers, shrubsDavid Austins, polyanthas and Old Garden Roses.

As you can see by the pictures, the Rose Garden at theSanta Cruz County Fair Grounds is a beautiful place tovisit and spend some time just enjoying the tranquility andtaking in the wonderful aromas of the flowers. Make it apoint to come out to the rose garden and see and smell for

yourself fall is a wonderful time to visit.


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We can complainbecause rose bushes have thorns,

or rejoicebecause thorn bushes have roses.

Abraham Lincoln

Many thanks to Janey Leonardich,

Myrna England, and Judy Sauve fortheir information and dedication to the

rose and its cultivation. Many thanks

also to all the members of the MontereyBay Rose Society who volunteer their

time and effort to make the Rose Gar-

den at the Fairgrounds the lovely placeit is today! (Photos by Paul McCollum)


14/21


The Edible GardenGood Eats and Gardening Tips

Tammy Tahara, MG06

Lemons originated in India near the Himalaya andwere brought to the new world by Christopher Columbusin 1493. Citruses are members of the Rutaceae family witharound 20 species of evergreen, aromatic shrubs and treesfound naturally in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.They are now grown the whole world over with India lead-ing the pack in production.

Growing lemons in our climate is not difficult if youfollow some very basic rules:

Lemons require at least 6 full hours of sun per day in a shel-

tered, open position and do well within a daytime tem-perature range of 70 - 80 degrees down to a nighttime tempof 55. If the temperature drops below 30 degrees you mustprotect your tree with a frost blanket or move it close tothe house or risk losing your plant.

Lemons require consistent moisture on a weekly basis, espe-cially in hot weather. Water them well once a week ratherthan in dribs and drabs on a daily basis as inconsistent wa-tering results in fruit drop. Do not allow the roots to sit inwater as lemons hate this!

Feed your plant with a nitrogen-based fertilizer (with nonumber in the formula higher than 8-8-8) about 4 times

per year but not in the coolest season when its not in ac-tive growth. Apply the fertilizer in a circle around the treeat the drip line and not near the trunk or the roots will notbenefit from the feeding.

Lemons require a well-draining, not too acidic soil. Enrich thesoil with lots of organic matter and dont forget to mulchto help conserve moisture.

Citrus suffers from a number of plant diseases and pestsso be sure to watch your lemons for signs of stress and crit-ters and take appropriate action to correct the problem sothat you will continue to enjoy a bountiful harvest of lus-cious, beautiful, flavorful fruit!

One of my favorite recipes for lemons is lemon curdThis is a wonderful spread for English muffins and breadsas well as a filling for cookies. Oh, and its low calorie, too wink, wink!

Lemon Curd1- cups butter, cut into small pieces

4 cups sugarThinly pared peel and juice of 6 large lemons8 eggs, beaten

Place all ingredients in a heatproof bowl placed over asaucepan of boiling water or in the top of a double boilerCook, stirring gently until the butter has melted and thesugar has dissolved. Pour the mixture through a strainerplaced over a bowl. Discard the lemon peel. Return themixture to a clean heatproof bowl or the top of the doubleboiler. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thick-ens.

Pour into clean, dry, warm bottles up to the rim. Theyield will be about 6 cups. Cover and label, store in a coolplace.

Note: Lemon curd does not keep for as long as jamsand jellies and should be used within 3 to 4 months.

References:The Complete Book of Preserving by Marye Cameron-Smithhttp://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/growing lemons.htmlhttp://www.flower-and-garden-tips.com/growing-lemon-trees.htmlhttp://hubpages.com/hub/Do-we-Take-the-old-Lemon-for-Grantedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon

Right: Pickled lemons,

a Moroccan delicacy.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Lemon

Left: Citrus medica var.

sarcodactylus, Buddhas hand;not especially juicy, but interest-

ing to look at!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Buddha's_hand

Lemons
http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/growing%20lemons.htmlhttp://www.flower-and-garden-tips.com/growing-lemon-trees.htmlhttp://hubpages.com/hub/Do-we-Take-the-old-Lemon-for-Grantedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemonhttp://hubpages.com/hub/Do-we-Take-the-old-Lemon-for-Grantedhttp://www.flower-and-garden-tips.com/growing-lemon-trees.htmlhttp://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/growing%20lemons.html


15/21


How Master Gardeners Do ItCompiled by Sharon Ettinger, MG00

Fall Soil Prep:

If you plant a winter veggie garden, how do you

prep your soil? What are your favorite amend-ments? What veggies have you had success withand what are your tips for growing them? Doyou have any special tips for planting during fall?

Dee Dee Hanania, MG99If you want to plant a winter garden, now is the time

to plant (mid-August). Chard, lettuce, kale, and sorrel dowell at my house. Compost seems to work well for us. Car-rots and beets also and don't for get the broccoli. Startnow, use the warmth to get the seeds started and plant asuccession.

Randa Solick, MG06I usually plant winter veggies and fall ones as well -

adding compost and Sustane and sometimes drenches withfish emulsion to renew the soil. Fall and winter (and springand summer) I plant greens - lettuces, chard, dandelion,kale - and fall and spring I plant sugar snap peas - my fam-ily can and will eat as much as I plant. Also green and otheronions, garlic in the fall for mid-spring harvesting, some-times bok choy and other greens - this year "Italian saladgreens and some fake lettuce types. Sometimes cabbage,not often. This year had lots of kinds of chard and kale andcooking greens.

Only tip for fall is plant if possible right before therains, never to work in mud. And succession plant, espe-cially for peas.

Melita Israel, MG95I have vegetables all year round. The sandy soil drains

well and I have few freezing nights as I'm at 500 ft. eleva-tion. I have full sun.

Veggies are beets, carrots, onions, snow peas, (if I'mlucky with the weather the sugar pods will grow), lettuce,all cole crops (I have to use float covers over the broccoli asthe quail eat the flower buds), chard, spinach reseeds it-self. I must cover the seed rows with a tent of hardwarecloth so the birds don't eat them and watch for snails.

I have asparagus and artichokes as perennials, whichmay need moving from time to time. My asparagus bedslast about 25 years.

Strawberries need to be planted in the fall.

Judith Hillman, MG08For fall planting garden soil preparation, I will dig in

fresh soil from my compost piles and worm bins, and givethe square-foot gardening/companion planting duo a muchbetter trial. At this time other amendments may also beadded.

Sharon Ettinger, MG00

Last fall at the first rain I planted fava beans, not as acover crop, but to harvest to eat. The only soil prep was toloosen the soil with a garden fork. I soaked the beans over-night and planted here and there. I never watered them ordid anything else to them and in April and May I harvestedenough beans for 15-20 meals for 2. This was from less than

$5.00 worth of seeds! (from General Feed in Santa Cruz)Because the beans were young when they were harvestedI only removed the outer pod, which made preparation ofthe beans much easier. I used them in stir fries, steamedbaked and even put some on a pizza. In terms of sustain-ability, growing your own source of protein and using onlythe rain as the water source, has got to be at the top of thelist.

I will definitely plant more favas this fall. I even or-dered some seeds from www.italianseedandtool.com and wilalso plant some from General Feed. This turned out so wellthat I plan to plant favas in every sunny spot I can. Also,

sugar snap peas and erbette and Swiss chard will beplanted along with garlic. Compost will be added beforeplanting time.

Cover Crops:

If you use a cover crop, when do you plant andwhat do you plant? When do you dig it into thesoil, etc.

Fava beans, Vicia faba. Photo by Tuinboon. Wikipedia.
http://www.italianseedandtool.com/http://www.italianseedandtool.com/http://www.italianseedandtool.com/


16/21


Randa Solick, MG06I plant cover crops in the late fall - vetch, fava or bell

beans, rye or oats - over my veggie garden growing area.Sometimes I plant clover - this year crimson clover - undermy fruit trees, and sometimes I plant in the rows betweenmy raised beds. I cut it once in the early spring, let it growagain, cut it down around April and turn it under. Some-

times I plant for erosion control and let it grow for a yearor two on the hillsides if they're falling apart.

Robin Sanders, MG95I plant Peaceful Valley's green manure mix of bell

beans, vetch, oats, etc. I plant in late October or early No-vember. I dig it in when about half of the plants are in fullbloom. I do this every year (more or less) in my raised beds.That's almost all I do for fertilizer - other than adding com-post to keep the beds filled.

Melita Israel, MG95I use fava beans in any vegetable bed that is empty dur-

ing the fall. I plant the seeds on 1 foot spacing by pushingthem into the soil with the tip of a hoe. (I don't like tobend down much.) I harvest a few to eat, a few to matureand the rest is off with their heads when most of theflowers appear. These harvested plants are cut into 4-6inch pieces and dug in. The roots are left in place and dugin when the next crop is harvested. The mature plants areharvested, dried and tucked away as some animals like toeat them.

I've tried birdsfoot treefoil, clover (burr clover is some-times used) and other plants available at General Feed, butfava beans are the easiest for me. My soil is mostly sandy.

Patty Nicely, MG03I don't use cover crops, but I plan to in certain areas.

Peaceful Valley FGS sells lots of cover crop seeds.

Al Derrick, MG95I use white or "Dutch" clover because my orchard is too

shaded in the winter to grow fava or bell beans. I like toplant after the first rain in the fall. I broadcast the seed andthen rake it in. I may have to water it a time or two if thefall rains are late.

Judith Hillman, MG08

I have not planted cover crops, though I do a largeamount of composting of garden trimmings, all spent flow-ers/veggies and weeds (but only weeds that have not setseeds), plus we have several worm bins which give us agreat return on kitchen scraps. We have many naturalizedflowers around the trees and I compost those and amhappy when lots of them sprout, bloom, set seed and arereturned to the compost pile when spent, only to pop upall over the next year.

Dee Dee Hanania, MG99Every year we plant fava beans in various places--and

it is usually where the garlic was previously planted and

tomatoes. We plant it in November or December. Latelywe have been harvesting some of the beans to eat beforechopping it up then dig it into the soil, depending on thespring.

At the elementary school we have planted wholeboxes, even used fava beans, as a science project.

Barbara Gordon, MG98I've used vetch and fava beans whenever I can plant themin the fall. I love doing this because I like saving money onadding nitrogen. Also I used cover crops when I had thegarden at San Jose State University. It was a great demon-stration for students.

Spring-flowering Bulbs:

What spring-flowering bulbs do you plant in thefall and why do you prefer them?

Brenda Wood, MG06I splurge every fall when I go to Costco and buy about

20 bags of bulbs. I mostly plant tulips (and I treat them asannuals) and miniature tete-a-tete daffodils. I plant mostof my spring bulbs in pots and when they bloom, I putthem on the paths of my garden so I will have brilliantcolor. I throw away the tulips after they bloom and I keepthe daffodils in pots and set them aside after they bloom. Ifertilize the daffodils with organic fertilizer in Novemberand start watering the pots. I keep them in pots for 3-4years before they start to bloom sparsely and then I tossthem too. I also plant hyacinths and keep them for 2 yearsin pots and then I plant the bulbs in the ground.

I am in the Monterey Bay Iris Society and I plant at

least a hundred new rhizomes each fall. After about 3years, I dig up the increases and take them to our club'sannual iris rhizome sale at Deer Park Shopping Center. TheIris Society is a non-profit and with some of the moneyfrom the sale, we give scholarships to the Cabrillo CollegeHorticultural Department every year.

I especially like spring-flowering bulbs because theyare so welcome after the blah winter days and they are thestart of the flowering season. Speaking of "blah winterdays", we are so fortunate to live in the Monterey Bay andhave so few blah winter days. I think we live in para-dise....where else in the world can you work in your garden

year round....except for a few rainy days.

Judith Hillman, MG08My favorite spring bulbs are daffodils and paper-

whites. We have many varieties, so there is quite a longblooming season from them. They are quick to announcespring and the gophers do not eat them. We also have Crocosmia and lily of the Nile which are blooming now and alot ofWatsonia in several colors which has been through fora while. Our bulbs and many others kinds of flowers areplanted in large circles around the watering basins for ourorchard trees, and to me it's a beautiful and rather random


17/21


garden. None of the flowers or bulbs are watered, only thebearing trees and then only when they are bearing.

Melita Israel, MG95Daffodilspreferably simple onesare a no brainer.

The fancy ones get too heavy and bend over in therain. These bulbs come up every year even where I haven'tplanted them. Gophers move them, but don't eat them. Allother bulbs have to be in pots. The only drawbackis gathering all spent leaves and dividing every 3-5 years soyou get more to plant.

Dahlias are potted up and moved into the gardenI think gladiolas are ok. At least some come up.

Carol Kaplan, MG01I always plant daffodils because they are so easy, never

fail, and always brighten a spring garden. In the last fewyears I've been planting tulips, which I usually order bycatalogue. I especially like the ones I have received throughthe Van Engelen catalogue.

Patty Nicely, MG03I love daffodils! They are so beautiful and varied, and

don't require gopher caging (although some would arguethat point). Also, my daffodils are very low maintenance,but keep blooming year after year. I love that they startblooming so early in the year.

Al Derrick, MG95The only spring flowering bulbs I regularly plant are

the tulips, about 200 planted in the late fall, about the firstweek in December. They are kept in a refrigerator from thefirst of September until planting time to be sure of suffi-cient cooling.

Sharon Ettinger, MG00Definitely daffodils for their ease and sunny disposi-

tion. I also like to plant Dutch iris. They are inexpensive

and as easy to grow and carefree as daffodils and make simple yet elegant bouquets.

Raised Beds:

If you plant in raised beds, what do you likeabout them and/or what challenges do you face?

Dee Dee Hanania, MG99

Raised beds seem to work for us in the country be-cause gophers run wild, but quail and my cat seems to liketo roll around in them if there is freshly tilled soil or freshlyplanted seeds. The height is another factor that helps if youhave trouble bending. The soil is more controllable also.

Karen Walters, MG97We love our two raised bedswere able to keep the

gophers out with gopher/chicken wire across the bottomof beds.

Randa Solick, MG06I like that I have lined them with gopher wire. Like the

drainage, and that they keep my good soil that I've covercropped or amended with compost in one place. Im chang-ing my veggie boxes this year to make wider in-betweenrows so I can more easily kneel between them, still keepingthem fairly narrow for ease of reaching the middle. It'sbeen 15+ years. This year I've dug them all up to change thegopher wire (chicken wire), rusted away, so it's fallow forthis summer.

Candice McLaren, MG01Out of frustration I put in raised beds in my small gar-

den to save my vegetables from the gophers. One year I re-alized that in one month I had nothing left of my garden soI built some small raised beds.

They are about 12" tall and either 30" square or 30" by 4or 5' depending on how they fit in one section of my gar-den. All beds have hardware cloth (heavy duty wire) be-low. I have about 12" of space between beds which thought would be adequate as I don't have a lot of spacebut looking back I should have increased it a bit! (My feetmust be growing).

Raised beds do save my vegetables from the gophersbut seem to dry out quicker. I don't care for having "boxeson the ground but in the end I like having a vegetable gar-den more.

Robin Sanders, MG95

I love my raised beds! When I started my garden hereover 15 years ago, they were the first thing we built. Ini-tially it was for gopher control, then I realized how muchfaster the soil warms up in the beds. And now as I get alittle older, I realize it's easier working in a raised bed, eventhough mine are only 1 foot high. The only challenge I can

Narcissusspecies. Photo by C Kriedt


18/21


think of is keeping them filled with soil. The gophers workunderneath the beds so soil is constantly dropping through- but the gophers are kept out by the wire bottoms.

Al Derrick, MG95

My beds are not technically "raised" beds, more liketerraced beds due to hillside gardening. I don't see any

challenges, only the need for regular additions of finishedcompost along with drip irrigation. Living in the woods wehave mole problems in the soil with raccoons digging atnight both after the worms living on the compost in thesoil.

Patty Nicely, MG03I love my raised beds. They were made from reclaimed

redwood, and are lined with hardware cloth to keep thegophers out. They are 4x9 feet, and about 2 feet tall, so it'seasy to reach all areas of the bed without bending overor trampling the soil. They also have a narrow seat around

the edge for sitting, standing, placing tools, or weighingdown bird netting. There is also a space between beds thatcan accommodate a wheelbarrow. Their depth accommo-dates all of the veggies that I grow.

The one irksome thing about the beds is that gophersundermine them, so that by mid-summer, the soil from thebed starts to fall through the hardware cloth into the tun-nels under the beds (usually caused by watering). It's notreally a big deal, because I add compost each year anyway,which tops off the bed volume. If I build more beds, I mightplace some sort of screen on top of the hardware cloth atthe bottom of the bed to help hold the soil in.

Carol Kaplan, MG01

I have a couple of raised beds. I like them because it iseasier to control the soil, and by lining the bottoms withwire, I can minimize gopher problems. I use one for vegeta-bles, one for lilies, and one in the shade as a literal garden"bed."

Melita Israel, MG95

The vegetable garden has raised beds with hardwarecloth lining. This doesn't guarantee gophers and voleswon't climb over the wood into the bed, but it has helped.

My vegetable garden is on a slope. For every 5 feet the landdrops one foot. So the raise beds are also retaining walls. Itis easy to have drip irrigation attached to the wood frames.

I wanted to use cages for my tomatoes. I could notdrive a steak to hold the cages, as this would put a hole inmy hardwood cloth. My husband designed a system of us-ing 2 x 4's to make a stand on the small end of the bed. Re-bar was put through a hole in the top of the stand andthreaded through the tomato cages. Using some tape, thewire cages stay in place.

I've been quite happy with our raised beds. They costmore, but I get a harvest most of the time.

Judith Hillman, MG08Raised beds are great, I think, in that before being set

in place above ground, the soil where they are to be set canbe dug up and amendments added and the raised bed seton top and filled with more amendments. I started thesebeds by composting right in them so the soil is rich and fullof humus and there is wire under the wooden frames to

keep the gophers from access. I do not walk on the bedsand can reach the middles for weeding, planting and har-vesting. The surrounding ground is deeply mulched withwood chips for weed control and to protect the soil aroundthem from becoming packed down and hardened duringthe wet times, and it also keeps me cleaner.

This year for the first time I have tried my hand atsquare-foot gardening (see www.squarefootgardening.com), andit is amazing how much can be grown in a small area andhow it lends itself to rotation of crops throughout eachgrowing season. Truly amazing. Teamed up with somecompanion planting, it will be even better. Also, a first this

year is vertical growing. Our raised beds have a South/North orientation, and on the North end of each bed wehave put in rigid 6" wire mesh. That is working very wellfor vertical growing of tomatoes, tomatillos, and butternutsquash. It would also work for beans, peas and cucumbersbut they have not yet been put to the test, for both thebeans and peas were grown in a tepee structure thatworked well (but without gopher protection).

Barbara Gordon, MG98

I like my raised beds that I lined with gopher wire be-cause they are a bit higher and easier to reach. Also, they

prevent some predators from entering and eating my veg-gies. I water them with soaker hoses on a timer!The challenge faced with my raised beds is after a few

years gophers eat through the wire that lines the beds, getin and have a feast.

Sharon Ettinger, MG00

After about 10 years, the raised beds that were herewhen we bought the house became overrun with gophersSo I built 3 X 3 raised beds and placed them on top of theexisting larger raised beds, like a layer cake (and put go-pher wire underneath the new beds). This is working out

very well, as I can sit on the older beds to work on the newbeds. Everything in the new beds gets watered by handand everything in the old beds gets little or no water(bearded iris, various herbs, bulbs, dry-farmed favasplanted in the fall). Additionally, this has helped cut downon water use.

Sharon Tyler, MG04The big advantage for me to use raised beds is that

when constructing them, we can add aviary wire to thebottom, to keep out gophers. The other is that we can filwith good soil, instead of the native rocky clay.


19/21

MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Fall 2009

Confessions of a Reluc ta nt

GardenerChristina Kriedt, MG06

In my world there are two kinds of lemons: Meyersand everything else. Gastronomic heaven is the liquid of a

Meyer mingled with barely blanched vegetables or crispygreens or fish or chicken or water... Mix minced garlic withMeyer lemon juice and an excellent extra virgin olive oil, akiss of sea salt and a pinch of pepper and you have perfec-tion on pasta. In case I have not made my preference clear,let me just say that its Meyer lemons or no lemons.

However, because that does make me sound just ateensy biased, I decided to expand my citrus horizons bytrying to learn about the other lemons. Please note thatIm not saying Ill EAT any of them. I just wonder whatsout there and if they have any redeeming qualities whatso-ever (she said, rolling her eyes).

Im clear that my lemon knowledge is seriously defi-cient since the only other lemon in my cranial database isthe inelegant Eureka, lumpy, thick-skinned and signifi-cantly less fabulous. (I knowIm being judgmental.) So Iturned to the only grower with whom I have direct experi-ence: Four Winds Growers. I purchased a dwarf Meyerfrom them about a hundred years ago and it is still healthy,productive and lovely in its large plastic pot. Right now itcarries 13 lemons in various stages of development and itsonly about two feet tall. I love it. It smells good, lookspretty and gifts me those precious succulent lemons.

Lo and behold (did I say that out loud?)Four Winds

somewhere in the neighborhood of 67 differentvarieties of dwarf citrus:(# of varieties)Sweet Oranges (8)Blood Oranges (3)Sour Oranges (4)Mandarins (13)Lemons (6)Mediterranean Lemons (Villafranca, Genoa or Genova,

Limonero fino)Limettas (2)Limes (7)Grapefruits (7)Kumquats (7)Citrons: (Buddha's Hand / Fingered Citron, Etrog Cit-

ron)Other interesting varieties: Variegated Calamondin,Calamondin, Yuzu, Australian Finger Lime, Minneola

Tangelo(Kerry at Four Winds says that Home Depot and the

other big box stores offer the most competitiveprices for Meyers, Washington Navel, and other commonvarieties. For varieties that are out of theordinary, visit the Four Winds website:http://www.fourwindsgrowers.com.)

I can feel my mind expanding as I ponder the possibil-ity of whipping up a lemon meringue pie this afternoonasmidge of cinnamon and a sprinkling of Meyernay, YenBen zest in the dough.

The Meyer, Citrus x meyeri, is thought to be a truelemon crossed with an orange or a mandarin; it was namedfor Frank N. Meyer who discovered it in 1908. The reason

we find more Eurekas and Lisbons in the markets is thatthe Meyers are thin-skinned and hard to ship; the othersare also less fussy to grow.

Some people, like our own MG Sharon Ettinger, arenot afraid to use Other Lemons which I find very inspiring:

Sharon's Lemon Apple BettyApples: remove core, cut in chunksEureka Lemon: peel, cut in small (1/4) bits and add

to apples with squeezed lemon juicePure maple syrup: drizzle over apple/lemon mix-

tureCinnamon: add lots and mix all togetherBake, covered, at 350 for approximately 20 minutes

or to your likingUncover and add walnuts or pecans and cook an-

other few minutes just to toast the nutsTop with vanilla, Coconut Bliss or other ice cream

if you like!She assures me that it is equally wonderful withMeyers.

The best pizza I ever ate had anchovies and paper-thinslices of lemon, peel and all. Must have been a Meyerlemon. Im so happy my daughter bought a house with abig productive Meyer lemon tree in the back...Im a lemon-snob, I admit it. (Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon)


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Relevant InternetMiscellanyChristina Kriedt, MG06

The Benefits of Pocket GophersA typical pocket gopher can move approximately a ton

of soil to the surface each year. This enormous achievementreflects the gophers important ecological function.

Their tunnels are built and extended, then gradually fillup with soil as they are abandoned. The old nests, toilets, andpartially filled pantries are buried well below the surfacewhere the buried vegetation and droppings become deepfertilization. The soil thus becomes mellow and porous afterbeing penetrated with burrows. Soil that has beencompacted by trampling, grazing, and machinery isparticularly benefited by the tunneling process.

In mountainous areas, snowmelt and rainfall aretemporarily held in gopher burrows instead of running overthe surface, where they are likely to cause soil erosion.

Surface mounds created by gophers also bury vegetationdeeper and deeper, increasing soil quality over time. Inaddition, fresh soil in the mounds provides a fresh seedbedfor new plants, which may help to increase the variety ofplants on a site.

Many mammals, large birds, and snakes eat gophers anddepend on their activities to create suitable living conditions.Salamanders, toads, and other creatures seeking cool, moistconditions take refuge in unoccupied gopher burrows.Lizards use abandoned gopher burrows for quick escapecover. Hmmmmm. Ill have to think about this(http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/living/gophers.htm)

Plectranthus tomentosa, or Vicks Plant has leaves thatsmell like Vick's Vap-O-Rub or mentholatum when crushed.(http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week284.shtml)

Plant your favorite roses or other aphid-attracting plantsnext to aphid-discouraging plants: garlic, chives, onions,mint, petunias or nasturtiums. Roses grown with garlicplants or chives are much less prone to aphid attacks .(http://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Aphids-Away-Using-Eco-Friendly-Methods)

Bamboo's environmental benefits arise largely out of itsability to grow quickly -- in some cases three to four feet per

day -- without the need for fertilizers, pesticides or muchwater. Bamboo also spreads easily with little or no care. Inaddition, a bamboo grove releases some 35 percent moreoxygen into the air than a similar-sized stand of trees, and itmatures (and can be replanted) within seven years(compared to 30-50 years for a stand of trees), helping toimprove soil conditions and prevent erosion along the way.Bamboo is so fast-growing that it can yield 20 times moretimber than trees on the same area.(http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/eco-friendly/bamboo-

green-461208#ixzz0NnjxfaTD .)

GARDENINGONTHE EDGEJournal of the Monterey Bay Master Gardenerswww.montereybaymastergardeners.org

EDITOR Christina Kriedt

ASSISTANT EDITORS Sharon Ettinger & Kathleen Sonntag

DESIGN/LAYOUT Christina Kriedt

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The Monterey Bay

Master Gardeners extendsresearch-based

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Copyright 2009 MBMG. All rights reserved

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21/21


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Sierra Azul Nursery, Watsonville, http://www.sierraazul.com, 763-0939,

email: [email protected] Garden Company, Santa Cruz, http://www.thegardenco.com/, 429-8424

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Bokay, Salinas, http://www.bokaynursery.com/, 659-1268, email: [email protected]

Hidden Gardens, Aptos, 688-7011

Wild Rose Landscape Design, Aptos, 539-5841, [email protected]
http://www.bokaynursery.com/http://www.sierraazul.com/http://www.thegardenco.com/

gardening on the edge newsletter, fall 2009 ~ monterey bay master gardeners

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