gardening on the edge newsletter, spring 2010 ~ monterey bay master gardeners

8/9/2019 Gardening on the Edge Newsletter, Spring 2010 ~ Monterey Bay Master Gardeners

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Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

Making Friends in Your Garden1 Growing Woody Herbs in Containers3

Asparagusa Spring Delicacy5 How to Plant and Care for Tree Dahlias6

Composting for the Rest of Us8 Book Review: The Trail of the Wild Rose8

How Master Gardeners Do It9 Summer at Annies11

Confessions of a Reluctant Gardener14 The Pruners Corner15

CULTIVATE KNOWLEDGE

Spring 2010 #13

GARDENING ON THE EDGEJOURNAL OF THE MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

As gardeners, were all keenly aware of the myriad sea-sonal tasks that lurk behind every page of the calendarpestcontrol, planting, thinning, watering, fertilizing, soil build-ing, weeding, mowing, mulching, pruning, primping, collaps-ing. Thats why its so nice to come across a gardeningpractice that involves doing next to nothing. In a healthy,well-managed garden, some pest damage can be controlledby letting species interactions run their course. This is thebasic approach of biological pest control.

Biological control agents are often referred to as naturalenemies, beneficials, or garden allies. Garden allies generallyreduce pest damage by killing pests or affecting their ability

to reproduce. Most gardeners are familiar with the threePspredators, parasites and pathogensbut other inter-esting garden allies control pests through herbivory, compe-tition or antibiosis (the secretion of inhibitory substances).The list of allies is (thankfully) huge, so in order to illustratesome basic concepts of biological pest control, lets followfour possible fates of one common pest, the aphid.

Most aphids are delicate and dewy, but sometimes theylook more like crispy, golden aphid-puffs. Often calledmummies, these golden husks are not the molted exoskele-tons of thriving aphids but the parasitized remnants of veryunlucky ones. All parasites make a living at their hosts ex-pense. In most cases, killing the host would be counter-

productive (if your host dies, you die). However, for maparasitic insects, the host provides a tasty meal and a coplace to pupate, so killing the host benefits the parasite. Itthis lethal tactic that makes parasitic insects, especially fliand wasps, good garden allies. In the case of the golden aphmummies, the parasite is a tiny wasp that lays its egg insithe aphid. The egg hatches into a larva that consumes taphids innards, and pupates into an adult wasp. The wathen chews its way out of the mummy, creating a perfectround exit portal, an elegant remnant of its intrigui

journey.Elsewhere, a different aphid is having a different kind bad day. The lovely convergent lady beetle is famished, anespecially loves aphids. Adults and larvae of many lady betles are voracious predators, and just one can eat dozens hundreds of aphids in a day. Other predatorslacewinsoldier beetles, syrphid flies, and many true bugsare alaround to help with the aphids and other pests.

Yet another aphid is happily slurping up plant juice, uaware that things are about to go horribly wrong. The predceous flies are hungry, and an adult Aphidoletes has come feed on the aphids honeydew. This doesnt harm the aphidall. However, the flys newly laid eggs will soon hatch in

Making Friends in Your Garde

Patty Nicely, MG0


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larvae that will devour the aphid. Like the parasitic wasps,some predators let their offspring do all the dirty work.

Dare I say it? Another aphid is about to bite the dust.Most insects are susceptible to pathogenic infection, andaphids are no exception. Especially in humid environ-ments, aphids are prone to infection by various fungi. All ittakes is that one sporeonce it makes contact with theaphid, it quickly germinates and takes over, turning theaphid into a fuzzy mess. Aphids do have one advantageagainst microbes; since they are sucking insects, they arenot susceptible to pathogenic viruses and bacteria thatmust be ingested through leaf eating.

Walking through these four scenarios was meant tohighlight the wide variety and complexity of pest/ally in-teractions. Hopefully it also inspired you to go out in yourgarden and look around. If it did, I encourage you to get agood hand lens and learn to identify the various life stagesof pests and beneficials, and evidence of their interactions.This will allow you to monitor your pest situation and de-

cide if intervention is needed. For example, when I seeaphid mummies, I feel pretty confident that my aphidpopulation will start to dwindle. If youre new to insect ID,start with the various life stages of some common insects:aphids, whiteflies, scales, lady beetles, soldier beetles, syr-phid flies and tachinid flies. Also look for some commonsigns of ally activity: discolored eggs, mummies, droopingor liquefied caterpillars and curled up or fuzzy bodies.Many excellent resources are available to help you learn(see below). Identifying insects is fun, challenging and veryempowering.

There are some easy ways to help conserve your garden

allies and enhance their activities. The most importantthing you can do is to not use broad-spectrum or residualinsecticides, as these can kill allies along with pests andcan even result in a secondary pest outbreak. If you need touse sprays, spot-treating heavily infested areas (or treatingduring certain times of year) might leave some allies (andtheir food sources) unharmed. Remember that bees pro-vide valuable pollination services, so even though they donot control pests, they should be protected like any otherbeneficial insects. You can also provide water for benefi-cials, and offer them a diverse range of flowering plants toprovide adults with food and habitat throughout the year.

Lists of ally-friendly plants usually include small-floweredplants such as alyssum, yarrow, cilantro and aster. You canalso make or purchase good bug food to place in yourgarden.

Some people augment their populations of natural ene-mies with purchased beneficials. Successful augmentationcan depend on many variables, and its effectiveness inhome gardens is still being studied, so I dont recommendit for every home gardener. It does work well for commer-cial operations. If your garden monitoring efforts lead youto conclude that you could benefit from purchasing allies,please choose a reputable mail-order source (I would avoid

home and garden centers when purchasing insects). Alsochoose the right ally for your pest problem, and follow di-rections carefully. Some worth trying are predatory mites(for various mite pests), parasitic nematodes (for varioussoil-dwelling and other larvae), mealybug destroyers (forvarious mealybugs and other insects), Trichogramma wasps

(larvae parasitize some caterpillars), green lacewings(larvae feed on many pests), and convergent lady beetles(for aphids and other pests). Note that lady beetles arevery likely to fly away after you release them. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt, a bacterium for certain caterpillars, grubs, andmosquitoes) is also readily available, easy to use andeffective. Purchasing praying mantises is not recommended, because these generalist predators might eat yourbeneficials.

Many natural enemies, especially wasps and lady bee-tles, have been imported to help control exotic pests. Help-ing to conserve these natural enemies is just as importantas conserving native ones. Importation is only done by gov-ernment agencies that have thoroughly researched andtested the possible outcomes of importation. Dozens ofinvertebrate and plant pests in the U.S. have been at leastpartially controlled by imported natural enemies.

Biological control is just one part of an IPM approachto pest control. Know what pests and allies you have inyour garden. Tolerating low levels of pests will help keepyour allies fed. Special pruning techniques can removepests or preserve beneficials. Dont overfertilize or overirri-gate. Control ants and dust, both of which can interferewith your allies (dust can also cause mite outbreaks). Re-member that the list of potential garden allies is huge

mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, spidersmites, nematodes, bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, andeven plants. Making it easier for your new-found friends tocall your garden home is a good step toward solving yourpest problems.

For more informationFrom the Marin County Stormwater PollutionPrevention Program http://www.ourwaterourworld.orgLinkClick.aspx?fileticket=V28NsqxvaoQ%3D&tabid=61Mac's Laminated Field Guide to Garden Bugs of

CA:h t t p : / / w w w . a c o r n n a t u r a l i s t s . c o m / s t o r e / M A C S -LAMINATED-FIELD-GUIDE-TO-GARDEN-BUGS-OFC A L I F O R N I A - P3 0 0 8 C 2 9 6 . a s p x ? Us e r I D = 2 7 8 8 5 1 4 6&SessionID=eOzQJJkljz7ivTi{3JkZThe three insect field guides listed here:http://www.insectidentification.org/field-guides.asp

And this from ATTRA:http://attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/IPM/insects.pdf

Photo, page 1: Wikipedia

2
http://www.ourwaterourworld.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=V28NsqxvaoQ%3D&tabid=61http://www.ourwaterourworld.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=V28NsqxvaoQ%3D&tabid=61http://www.ourwaterourworld.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=V28NsqxvaoQ%3D&tabid=61http://www.acornnaturalists.com/store/MACS-LAMINATED-FIELD-GUIDE-TO-GARDEN-BUGS-OF-CALIFORNIA-P3008C296.aspx?UserID=27885146&SessionID=eOzQJJkljz7ivTi%7b3JkZhttp://www.acornnaturalists.com/store/MACS-LAMINATED-FIELD-GUIDE-TO-GARDEN-BUGS-OF-CALIFORNIA-P3008C296.aspx?UserID=27885146&SessionID=eOzQJJkljz7ivTi%7b3JkZhttp://www.acornnaturalists.com/store/MACS-LAMINATED-FIELD-GUIDE-TO-GARDEN-BUGS-OF-CALIFORNIA-P3008C296.aspx?UserID=27885146&SessionID=eOzQJJkljz7ivTi%7b3JkZhttp://www.acornnaturalists.com/store/MACS-LAMINATED-FIELD-GUIDE-TO-GARDEN-BUGS-OF-CALIFORNIA-P3008C296.aspx?UserID=27885146&SessionID=eOzQJJkljz7ivTi%7b3JkZhttp://www.acornnaturalists.com/store/MACS-LAMINATED-FIELD-GUIDE-TO-GARDEN-BUGS-OF-CALIFORNIA-P3008C296.aspx?UserID=27885146&SessionID=eOzQJJkljz7ivTi%7b3JkZhttp://www.insectidentification.org/field-guides.asphttp://attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/IPM/insects.pdfhttp://attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/IPM/insects.pdfhttp://attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/IPM/insects.pdfhttp://www.insectidentification.org/field-guides.asphttp://www.acornnaturalists.com/store/MACS-LAMINATED-FIELD-GUIDE-TO-GARDEN-BUGS-OF-CALIFORNIA-P3008C296.aspx?UserID=27885146&SessionID=eOzQJJkljz7ivTi%7b3JkZhttp://www.acornnaturalists.com/store/MACS-LAMINATED-FIELD-GUIDE-TO-GARDEN-BUGS-OF-CALIFORNIA-P3008C296.aspx?UserID=27885146&SessionID=eOzQJJkljz7ivTi%7b3JkZhttp://www.acornnaturalists.com/store/MACS-LAMINATED-FIELD-GUIDE-TO-GARDEN-BUGS-OF-CALIFORNIA-P3008C296.aspx?UserID=27885146&SessionID=eOzQJJkljz7ivTi%7b3JkZhttp://www.acornnaturalists.com/store/MACS-LAMINATED-FIELD-GUIDE-TO-GARDEN-BUGS-OF-CALIFORNIA-P3008C296.aspx?UserID=27885146&SessionID=eOzQJJkljz7ivTi%7b3JkZhttp://www.ourwaterourworld.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=V28NsqxvaoQ%3D&tabid=61http://www.ourwaterourworld.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=V28NsqxvaoQ%3D&tabid=61


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Summer 2010 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS 3

References and Resources

1. Natural Enemies Handbook, UC ANR, 1998

2. UC ANR Pest Note 74140, Biological Control and Natural

Enemies (Oct 2007)3. UC IPM website (www.ipm.ucdavis.edu)

4. Pests of the Garden and Small Farm, UC ANR, 1998

5. Sunset Western Garden Book, 2001

6. Sunset Western Garden Problem Solver, 1998

7. California Master Gardener Handbook, UC ANR, 2002

8. Pests of Landscape Trees and Shrubs, UC ANR, 2004

9. The Home Orchard, UC ANR, 2007

10. Golden Gate Gardening, Pam Peirce, 1998

11. Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply 2010 Catalogue;see also www.groworganic.com

Growing Woody Herbs

in ContainersChristina Kriedt, MG06

I dont really garden. I mean, I do provide rescue waterwhen my gardening philosophy Dont Spoil Your Plants

takes a turn for the worse. And I do pull a weed or two iftheyre causing my guests to trip on the walkway. (I alsoput the wine away.) But in spite of my resistance, I am re-sponsible for about 30 containers ranging from 3 clay potsto 24 wooden tubs where I have plants growing, more orless, many of them culinary herbs.

To some, the word growing implies thriving. Notso most of my plants; not surprising considering my gar-dening philosophy. Some, however, do hang on to life inspite of my attempts to deprive them of it. There are herba-ceous (non-woody stemmed) and woody herbs. Among mypotted woody herbs are oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage,

lemon verbena, and my darling Turkish (Mediterranean,sweet) bay tree, Laurus nobilis. Truth is, its really no sur-prise that the perennials are still alive, as they seem to dobest if theyre not coddled; Ive always heard that if theyreunder-fertilized and watered in moderation the oils (andflavor) will become more concentrated. (With all herbstry to harvest leaves in the morning after the dew has driedbut before the hot sun dissipates the essential oils and di-minishes flavor.) It seems to be generally accepted thatsturdy genera like Rosmarinus and Salvia rooted in gardensoil improve if theyre ignored.

Plants in pots need a little more care than their garden-

soil counterparts. Nutrients leach out with rain and water-ing and potting soil dries out quickly. There is nothingmore pitiful than a shriveled, wilting rosemary. (Never fear I saved it.) On the plus side, if you have poor drainage inyour garden, planting in containers allows you providereally excellent drainage for plants that require it. An indi-vidual pot should contain plants that have similar soil andwater requirements. The placement of the container is im-portant: it should be as close to your kitchen as possiblewhere it will get at least 6 hours a day of direct sunlight.

Planting

Its best to start with potting soil that is made espe-cially for plants that require excellent drainage. Or youcould mix your own. (See page 15 for a Cornell soil recipe.)Then theres the whole clay vs. plastic controversy. I putdrought tolerant plants in clay or wooden pots and water-lovers in plastic, but not religiously. If you plant rosemaryfor example, in plastic, check the soil before you water.The plastic will retain moisture much longer than clay orwood. For a deeper discussion of watering, see my articlein the June/July 2006 issue of GOTE: Container WateringTips, http: / /www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/newsletters/2006_june_july.pdf.

IPMis an ecologically-based approach to managingpests that tries to prevent problems through acombination of methods and uses pesticides onlyas a last resort. IPM programs can be appliedagainst insects, weeds, plant diseases, rodents, orother pests.

With IPM, youll have a safer home and environ-ment and youll have fewer pest problems.

Remember these IPM steps as you try to solveyour pest problems:

Correctly identify the pestDetermine if it is a problem you cant tolerate.Identify the conditions in your home or gar-

den that are causing the pest to thrive or in-vade and change them to the extent possible.If this isnt enough, consider other methods

such as cultural, mechanical, physical or bio-

logical controls, or use least-toxic pesticides

as a last resort.

Rosmarinus officinalis

Wikipedia
http://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/newsletters/2006_june_july.pdfhttp://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/newsletters/2006_june_july.pdfhttp://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/newsletters/2006_june_july.pdfhttp://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/newsletters/2006_june_july.pdfhttp://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/newsletters/2006_june_july.pdf


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Plant on a slight mound to keep root crowns abovepuddling water. Keep mulch away from stems. I prefer tolet plants like rosemary, bay, lemon verbena and sage livealone in containers, but they are willing to share spacewith similar plants.

Watering

Watering woody perennials can be tricky. If you findthat water runs out the bottom of the pot a millisecondafter you turn on the hose then your soil might have be-come hydrophobicyes, it might have developed an irra-tional fear of water. Seriously, though, hydrophobic soilcannot hold water; it has dried beyond the water-retentionpoint. You will need to loosen things up a bit. I have used along metal skewer to poke deep water holes into hard pot-ting soil but its a Band-Aid treatment at best.

Youll eventually need to cultivate and amend that soilor replace it. If you have a dangerously dry pot that is lightenough to lift, place it in a larger container, fill both pots

with water and remove the inside container as soon as thebubbles have stopped rising to the surface of the soil. (Thisis how I routinely water most of my houseplants, whichare not from dry climates.) You want to displace as muchair as possible in as short a time as possible to rescue yourplant. That technique should hydrate the soil sufficientlyfor you to start your watering routine over and never letthe soil get overly dry again. But you must also be carefulnot to overwater. An overwatered plant can look decep-tively dry: wilted and gray. Its telling you that its not get-ting enough oxygen at its roots. Do not let pots sit in sau-cers full of water which keep the soil soggy. Also, placing a

layer of anything in the bottom of the pot (except thinscreen material to keep soil from washing out) only de-creases the amount of aerated soil available for rootgrowth. Dont do it.

Fertilizing

Fertilizing is easy. A slow release 16-16-16 fertilizerapplied according to directions will be fine. If you over-fertilize, you might get lush, succulent plants, but youllsacrifice flavor. This year I intend to use the wonderfulnessmy pet worms have been churning for the past 8 months.Should be pretty intensely populated with all the right mi-

croorganisms by now. (Ill report the results next time.)The UC ANR folks recommend that we not use fresh ani-mal manures in containers because theyre too salty.

Pruning and Propagating from Cuttings

Bear in mind that all might get quite large. In theground these plants have space to reach their full size po-tential; but in containers, if you dont do some shaping, youmight wind up with unsightly, leggy, floppy, crowdedplants. To prevent this, prune off dead or unwantedbranches in early spring and remove the top to of eachplant.

If in spite of your best pruning efforts the plant doesget out of control, you can take cuttings and start over. Inspring, select plump healthy cuttings about 3 long; trimoff lower leaves and pinch off flowers (better to select cut-ting with no flower buds); dip in rooting hormone; place inclean rooting medium; cover with plastic but dont let theplastic touch the leaves (you can place one 3 inch plastic

pot with a few cuttings into a baggie with sticks, tallerthan the cuttings, to hold the plastic away from the plantand seal; open and reseal daily for air circulation); placeaway from direct sunlight in a warm spot. Be patientwoody cuttings can take up to 8 weeks to root.

Next time: Herbaceous Herbs

Resourceshttp://attra.ncat.org/new_pubs/attra-pub/potmix.html?id=California#appendix3http://groups.ucanr.org/mgnapa/files/10334.pdf

http://www.planetnatural.com/site/herb-gardening.htmlhttp://groups.ucanr.org/mgnapa/files/10319.pdf

http://gardening.about.com/od/herbsspecificplants1/qt/Pruning_Herbs.htmhttp://www.answers.com/topic/apiaceae

http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Coriandrum+sativumhttp://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/HG_2004-01.pdfhttp://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/oregano.htmlhttp://californiacountry.org/features/article.aspx?arID=557

http://groups.ucanr.org/mgnapa/files/10319.pdfhttp://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/2157/29637.pdfhttp://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/CropFactSheets/basil.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytochemical

Laurus nobilis

Photo by C. Kriedt
http://attra.ncat.org/new_pubs/attra-pub/potmix.html?id=California#appendix3http://attra.ncat.org/new_pubs/attra-pub/potmix.html?id=California#appendix3http://groups.ucanr.org/mgnapa/files/10334.pdfhttp://www.planetnatural.com/site/herb-gardening.htmlhttp://groups.ucanr.org/mgnapa/files/10319.pdfhttp://gardening.about.com/od/herbsspecificplants1/qt/Pruning_Herbs.htmhttp://gardening.about.com/od/herbsspecificplants1/qt/Pruning_Herbs.htmhttp://www.answers.com/topic/apiaceaehttp://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Coriandrum+sativumhttp://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/HG_2004-01.pdfhttp://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/oregano.htmlhttp://californiacountry.org/features/article.aspx?arID=557http://groups.ucanr.org/mgnapa/files/10319.pdfhttp://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/2157/29637.pdfhttp://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/2157/29637.pdfhttp://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/CropFactSheets/basil.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytochemicalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytochemicalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytochemicalhttp://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/CropFactSheets/basil.htmlhttp://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/2157/29637.pdfhttp://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/2157/29637.pdfhttp://groups.ucanr.org/mgnapa/files/10319.pdfhttp://californiacountry.org/features/article.aspx?arID=557http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/oregano.htmlhttp://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/HG_2004-01.pdfhttp://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Coriandrum+sativumhttp://www.answers.com/topic/apiaceaehttp://gardening.about.com/od/herbsspecificplants1/qt/Pruning_Herbs.htmhttp://gardening.about.com/od/herbsspecificplants1/qt/Pruning_Herbs.htmhttp://groups.ucanr.org/mgnapa/files/10319.pdfhttp://www.planetnatural.com/site/herb-gardening.htmlhttp://groups.ucanr.org/mgnapa/files/10334.pdfhttp://attra.ncat.org/new_pubs/attra-pub/potmix.html?id=California#appendix3http://attra.ncat.org/new_pubs/attra-pub/potmix.html?id=California#appendix3


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Asparagusa Spring DelicacyKathleen Sonntag, MG06

Growing your own asparagus is not difficult, but ittakes time and patience (what doesnt?). Oh, it also takeslots of space if you want to have enough for a meal. Sun-

sets plant finderhas all the details about growing them.You should plant asparagus in full sun along a fence or

behind other vegetables or flowers. Add manure to the soiland water before planting. You can start them from seeds,but most people plant year-old roots. Here are the basics:

Dig a trench at least 8 deep. A second trench shouldbe 4.5 feet away from the first one.Place plants in the trench about one foot apart.Cover the roots (but not the crown) with about 2 ofsoil and water again.Add soil as the plants grow until the trench is full.No harvest the first year. Have patience while the roots

grow. Cut the plants back in the fall and look forward toyour first harvest the next spring.

Whether you rely on others to provide fresh, local as-paragus or grow your own, they are good steamed, grilledor blended into a creamy soup.

Grilled Asparagus

Cooking asparagus on a grill (or broiler) is one of thetastiest and easiest ways to prepare them. They make agood hors douvres right off the grill with or without a dipsince they taste best when they are still hot.

Use thick spears. Simply break off the tough ends (and

put them in the composter), wash, remove excess water,and coat them with olive oil that has been seasoned withgarlic salt and pepper. You can use a peeler to flatten theedges so that they are easier to turn on the grill, but it isntnecessary. Asparagus spears cook 3-5 minutes per side. Becareful not to overcook.

Asparagus Soup With Orange Cream

This recipe takes a little bit of effort, but the results areworth it. A potato base with asparagus, sherry, orange

juice and herbs makes it smooth and hearty. Top witcream just before serving.

For the soup

2 Tbsp olive oil2 cups yellow onions (sliced)2 cups peeled, cubed russet potatoes5 cups vegetable stock (mushroom broth or other)7 1/2 cups asparagus (trimmed, peeled and cut into 2-

inch pieces)1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley (chopped)1 tsp dried basil1/4 cup sherry (optional)1 tsp grated orange zest1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

For the orange cream

1/2 cup whipping cream1/2 cup sour cream1/4 tsp very finely grated orange zest2 Tbsp fresh-squeezed orange juice

Make the orange cream by stirring together all creamingredients until they are well blended; set aside.

Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add theonions and saut until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes and the stock; simmer 10 minutesAdd the asparagus, parsley and basil; simmer soup for 5minutes.

Puree the soup with a handheld blender (easiest as youcan use the cooking pot) or in a food processor.

Add the sherry, orange zest, juice along with salt andpepper to taste and bring the soup to a gentle simmer.

To serve, pour soup into individual bowls. Swirl 1-2tablespoons of the orange cream into each bowl and gar-nish with parsley.

Serve immediately. Makes 6-8 servings.

Above: Asparagus for sale in New York CityWikipedia

Top right: photo by C. Kriedt
http://plantfinder.sunset.com/sunset/plant-details.jsp?id=301http://plantfinder.sunset.com/sunset/plant-details.jsp?id=301http://plantfinder.sunset.com/sunset/plant-details.jsp?id=301http://plantfinder.sunset.com/sunset/plant-details.jsp?id=301http://plantfinder.sunset.com/sunset/plant-details.jsp?id=301


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How to Plant and Care for

Tree DahliasPaul McCollum, MG04

Up until the time I enrolled in the Master Gardenertraining, I had never seen or heard of a tree dahlia. I wasfamiliar with the dahlia tuber and have grown many largeand beautiful tuberous dahlias over the years, but thisplant was new to me. Like many or even most of the treedahlias grown by Master Gardeners in this area, the origi-nal canes most likely came from the garden of Al Derrick, atruly superior Master Gardener who has taught many ofour propagation classes over the years.

Originating in Central America, Dahlia imperialis is inthe family Asteraceae. Flower size is somewhere in the 4to 6 range and colors vary from white to pink, lavender,and purple with yellow centers. The most common colorseems to be the purple or lavender (at least in our area)which has a single row of petals; the white floweringplants are singles or doubles (or multiples). The plantsgrow tall reaching 10 to 20 feet. The canes have the ap-pearance of bamboo and are hollow with nodes every 6 to12 inches. (There is a membrane near each node that stops

water going all the way through the cane.) The plantsflower late September through December and attract bum-blebees and butterflies. It is quite a sight to see a coupleof dozen bumblebees flying from flower to flower inNovember!

Soil with a pH of 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) is preferred.They can be grown from seed by allowing the flowers tomature and dry out and then breaking them apart and col-lecting the seeds that are similar in appearance to zinniabut smaller. The usual method of propagation, however, isby cutting the canes into pieces that include at least onemembrane. If you are planting several pieces of cane at a

time, the spacing should be about 3 to 4 feet; each year theplants will add more canes and increase in diameter(Please see the photos that follow for a detailed explana-tion.) I know that if a length of cane is left to lie on theground, roots and new shoots will emerge from each section, so be careful unless you want growth every 6 to 12inches. Plants can be started in pots or directly in the gar-

den bed. The sections root quickly and growth is fast dur-ing the growing season.

Since the canes grow so tall, they can be pruned backin mid-summer to encourage side branches. They alsoshould be protected from strong winds to avoid damageThey do well against a house or fence and like full sun andrich soil. Three or four inches of good compost added afterthe canes are pruned back will be all the plant needs untilmid- to late-summer; then add a couple inches of composand you will see the results in November.

If you dont have a tree dahlia in your garden andwould like to include it in your landscape, Im sure that

some of the current MGs will be more than happy to sharea cane or two. Just ask!Internet sites that may be helpful are listed below. You

will find many more with just a couple of clicks.http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/56917/http://articles.sfgate.com/2008-01-09/home-and-garden/17149492_1_dahlias-plant-treeh t t p :/ / www.anni es annu al s .c om / p l ant s / d ah l i a_ i m p er i al i s _ wh i t_tree_dahlia.htm

How to Plant Tree Dahlias

Prune canes at the base using a small saw. (Chickens are

optional.)


7/16


These canes are ready to be cut into planting lengths.

Cut each cane into sections. Each section mustinclude at least one growing point. The node on the bottom

grows roots and the one on top grows leaves.

Use a 3-gallon pot to start your plants indoors; larger if youwill be starting them outdoors. Fill with soil to within 3+inches of the top.

Place a section on the soil.

The node should be facing up.

Cover with potting mix no more than 1/2 inch deep ankeep moist.

Transplant started plants when the soil warms up in thspring. If you want to plant at a later date, you can keep couple of the sections in a plastic baggie wrapped in damp paper towel. Store in a cool place like the refrigerato(do not freeze) until late winter or very early spring.

All photos by Paul McCollum.

The Dahlia is named after Andreas Dahl, 1751-178Swedish physician and botanist and a pupil of Linnaeu(Dahlia Imperialis http://www.suite101.com/article.cfbulbs_and_plants/75041#ixzz0jcNuuRFK)
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/bulbs_and_plants/75041#ixzz0jcNuuRFKhttp://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/bulbs_and_plants/75041#ixzz0jcNuuRFKhttp://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/bulbs_and_plants/75041#ixzz0jcNuuRFKhttp://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/bulbs_and_plants/75041#ixzz0jcNuuRFKhttp://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/bulbs_and_plants/75041#ixzz0jcNuuRFKhttp://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/bulbs_and_plants/75041#ixzz0jcNuuRFK


8/16


Composting for the Rest of UsKathleen Sonntag, MG06

If you have been hesitant to start composting yourkitchen scraps because it is too much trouble, I hope youwill give it a try after reading this. Some of us compost

partly because we just cant bear the thought of throwingvegetable peelings, old produce, coffee grounds, tea bags,banana peels, lemon rinds and the like in the trash to go tothe landfill in a plastic bag that does not decompose. In-stead, these kitchen scraps can become fertilizer for yourplants. How do you get started?

You need a small compost bin in your kitchen. Youcan buy one or use a containermaybe a plastic tub thatonce contained cookies. Treat yourself: buy some cookiesso you can recycle the container as a kitchen compost bin.

Outside, you need a larger compost bin (see the Win-ter edition of GOTE for information about some options)or some space in your yard to pile the kitchen scraps alongwith some yard clippings.

I have a compost aerator (its leaning on my compostbin in the photo at right) called a Wingdigger to turnthe compost and mix the older part with the newly added

scraps. A shovel or gardenfork works too.

When you first startyour compost, add a fewshovels full of soil from yourgarden and some leaves,grass clippings (if you stillhave a lawn) and pine nee-

dles along with the kitchenscraps. You want to haveboth green and brown vege-tation. I also added somepurchased organic compost.

Thats it! Keep addingscraps and turning the pile.

It will warm up as the worms and other insects do theirjob. Red worms (the kind people purchase for worm bins)found my compost and you will probably find them inyour bin after it starts to cook, too. I occasionally addbone meal. Add water only if it really dries out. Check the

moisture when you are turning and add some if the com-post looks dry.

This is not scientific composting; it is simply recyclingvegetation on a small scale and getting fertilizer for yourgarden in return. You will have some compost to use inabout a year.

Many websites have detailed information about whatto put in the compost binjust Google it.

You can read more about composting in my articleComposting Kitchen Scraps on Suite101.com.

Composter photo by K. Sonntag

Book ReviewKathleen Sonntag, MG06

The Trail

of the Wild Rose

Anthony Elgin2009

Thorndike Press

Anthony Eglin lives in Sonoma and writes British gar-den mysteries. Prior to writing mystery novels, Eglin livedin England. After moving to the U.S., he followed his pas-sion for gardening and created a series of garden video-tapes. He is a member of the American Rose Society andwon awards for his rose garden.

I recently readThe Trail of the Wild Rose, his latest in theseries of four books featuring a retired English botanistwho helps solve crimes involving plants and gardeners. Allof his books include a great deal of botanical backgroundinformation. They also provide insight into the world ofplant collectors and breeders. This one had several pagesabout rose history, species and breeding. The plots areengaging, the characters are realistic and contemporary;Eglins award-winning mysteries are a good read withsome horticultural information includedperfect for agardener with a fertile mind who sometimes likes a storythat does not require deep thought to be enjoyable.

Wingdigger
http://reducing-waste.suite101.com/article.cfm/recycling-kitchen-scraps-to-make-composthttp://reducing-waste.suite101.com/article.cfm/recycling-kitchen-scraps-to-make-compost


9/16


How Master Gardeners Do ItCompiled by Sharon Ettinger, MG00

Which herbs do you REALLY go get

from your garden and use in your

kitchen? Do you grow them in con-tainers or in the ground?

Denise Weatherwax, MG08I grow sage, 2 kinds of thyme, rosemary (of course),

flat-leafed and regular parsley, oregano, chives in season,and basil in the summer. I grow it in the ground in theback yard, and use all of it in cooking. I received a handyherb-keeper as a gift that keeps a supply cut and ready togo in the fridge for about a week. Or else I run down to theyard with a pair of scissors. At the end of the season, I

dump all the rest of the basil in the Cuisinart with olive oiland pine nuts, and freeze it in little containers. I add thegrated parmesan before serving and, voila, fresh (sort of)pesto.

Darcy Horton, MG06I grow parsley in a raised bed and use it all the time

when I make a smoothie or fresh veggie juice. I just throw ahandful in.

Alan Schlenger, MG96Parsley, thyme, oregano, sage, and marjoram are peren-

nial and always available. They are right outside thekitchen door in the ground. Use them all the time. Cilantrois available only when I remember to plant it -- not as oftenas I would like.

Tammy Tahara, MG06I REALLY use basil, rosemary, oregano and thyme! I

grow the basil in a pot on my deck where it gets lots ofwarmth and sun and the rest are in the ground in my ter-raced garden

Ellen Wright, MG99

I grow and use spearmint, peppermint, tarragon, sev-eral thymes, oreganos, marjorams, rosemarys, winter sa-vory, and both Mediterranean and coastal bay. The twobay trees are growing in pots and I keep them as bothquasi-bonsai and herb producers. I also grow the tarragonin a pot, as it can be a really rampant pest. The mints, as weknow, can be invasive and the spearmint, in spite of regularpulling, has threaded its way into several beds. I use somuch spearmint that I keep a big cultivated patch in myvegetable garden. The peppermint lives in a fairly harsharea which keeps the flavor intense and it in check. I growEnglish, Greek, and creeping thyme in the garden and in

pots. The oreganos and marjorams (including a lovely butpesky creeping variety) grow all over the place as groundcovers and useful ornamentals. I have two different rose-mary bushes and they have very different flavors! My favor-ite rosemary grows in the Salinas Costco parking lot. It isquite mild and it dries and grinds well. I harvest the shootsbefore they're pruned and dry them inside my car..a great

herb dryer! The winter savory reseeds itself and shows uphere and there.

Kathleen Sonntag, MG06I grow chives, flat-leaf parsley, thyme, oregano, rose-

mary, basil and dill and use them all. They do best in con-tainers in my garden, except the rosemary and oregano

Alice Waters once said that when you are going tocook something, go out in your garden and decide whichherbs to use select what appeals to you on that day.

Robin Sanders, MG95

I grow and use oregano, basil, sage, thyme, rosemaryparsley, and cilantro. All are grown in raised beds exceptthe rosemary, which is a very old plant that was here whenI moved in. The basil and cilantro are planted annually, theparsley usually lasts a couple of years. Everything else isperennial. I'm considering digging up the oregano and put-ting it in a large pot as it is trying to take over the raisedbed!

Diana Huang, MG01Cilantro. I grow it in the ground.

Mercy Rosario, MG08I grow most all my herbs in the ground. I do have a

container of basil. The herbs I really use are rosemary, oregano, thyme, mint, and basil.

Salvia officinalis

Wikipedia


10/16


Mary Bowman, MG06Cilantro, parsley, oregano, basil, rosemary all grown in

the ground.

Carri Wagner, MG04Oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, turmeric. I

cut them and often dry them. They grow on a very small

mound.

Patty Nicely, MG03I regularly harvest rosemary, bay, oregano, thyme,

mints, lemon balm, sage, tarragon, chives, borage flowers,burnet, and marjoram for use in the kitchen. I also use lav-enders, rose geranium, pineapple sage, white sage, andlemon verbena for scenting the house. Some are in theground, others are in pots. If you go with pots I recom-mend larger ones--some of the potted herbs have grownroots out the bottom and into the ground. Pots also keepsome of the smaller herbs away from my male dog

(important for anything culinary!).

Claudia Boulton, MG99I keep parsley, of course, mint, thyme and chives close

to the kitchen. Sometimes I grow several different thymesand oregano, dry them and mix them together. This mix isexcellent for salads, salad dressings, fish poaching waterand to put in the cooking water for artichokes.

Marcia Charland, MG06Basil is my #1 favorite, most used herb. I plant a lot of

it in my raised bed.I use it to make bruschetta, minestrone soup, in pasta,

caprese salad, pesto, etc!I also plant and use oregano, dill, parsley and chives.

Dee Dee Hanania, MG99Italian parsley, chives, basil, and thyme. They are in

garden boxes as the gophers enjoy eating in our yard.

Melita Israel, MG95Outside my kitchen door I have a small herb garden

that is made up of some chimney flues. They keep thespearmint and peppermint in check and serve to containwater and act as a small retaining wall along the garden

path. The mints are used for teas. I use tarragon especiallywith chicken. In the veggie garden I grow the annualherbs. Dill and basil are favorites.

Barbara Gordon, MG98I grow several kinds of thyme, usually basil, and sev-

eral types of parsley all in the ground.

What plants do you put in your

garden to attract beneficial

insects and why?

Do the beneficial insects help you

control pests?

How do you keep the beneficial in-

sects in your garden?

Mary Bowman, MG06Anise, onion and garlic flowers, alyssum, carrot and

parsnip flowers, all sorts of wild flowers, bachelors but-tons, Queen Ann's lace. Beneficials seem to love umbels, solots of them, and I am not sure they like alyssum as I don'tsee lots of activity in it. We have rosemary blooming allyear, as well as lavender, which I think attracts benies.

Patty Nicely, MG03Lavenders are huge bee magnets, and having bees

around can help with vegetable pollination. I leave flowerson my parsley and cilantro because they seem to attracthoverflies and lots of other insects. I let alyssum naturalizebecause it is said to be a "good bug" food. I assume that thehoverflies do help with pest control in my yard. I do see alot of aphid mummies, which can be attributed to thepresence of parasitic wasps.

Claudia Boulton, MG99I use a list of beneficial insect attractors created by

Rich Merrill, former head of the Cabrillo HorticultureDept. The most successful for me seem to be alyssum, an-gelica and anything in the Asteraceae (daisy) family. Notethat I don't grow any veggies for lack of heat and sun.

Melita Israel, MG95When I first moved here I purchased all kinds of

predatory insects. Green lacewings are one of my favoritesand sometimes they land on a window in the evening sothey are still around after 30 plus years. Cant see the tinyspiders I purchased or the nematodes. I guess they are do-

ing OK because I don't get holes in my carrots or radisheslike I planted the first year we had a veggie garden. Lady-bugs of different kinds and soldier bugs, tachinid flies justcame. Guess I had lots for them to eat.

Vegetable Gardening info:

UC ANR: Vegetables (website)

Vegetable Gardening at a Glance from UC -

recommended planting dates, general planting

requirements, amount to plant for family of four,

etc (pdf)

Vegetable Gardening Basics from UC (pdf)

And Spring arose on the garden fair,

Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast

rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

~Percy Bysshe Shelley, "The Sensitive Plant"
mailto:[email protected]://groups.ucanr.org/cagardenweb/Vegetables/http://groups.ucanr.org/cagardenweb/Vegetables/http://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/misc%20docs/VegGardeningAtAGlance_UCANR.pdfhttp://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/misc%20docs/VegGardeningAtAGlance_UCANR.pdfhttp://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/misc%20docs/VegGardeningAtAGlance_UCANR.pdfhttp://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/misc%20docs/VegGardeningAtAGlance_UCANR.pdfhttp://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/misc%20docs/VegGardeningAtAGlance_UCANR.pdfhttp://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/misc%20docs/VegGardenBasicsUCANR.pdfhttp://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/misc%20docs/VegGardenBasicsUCANR.pdfhttp://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/misc%20docs/VegGardenBasicsUCANR.pdfhttp://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/misc%20docs/VegGardeningAtAGlance_UCANR.pdfhttp://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/misc%20docs/VegGardeningAtAGlance_UCANR.pdfhttp://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/misc%20docs/VegGardeningAtAGlance_UCANR.pdfhttp://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/misc%20docs/VegGardeningAtAGlance_UCANR.pdfhttp://groups.ucanr.org/cagardenweb/Vegetables/mailto:[email protected]


11/16


Summer at AnniesChristina Kriedt, MG06

If you have never been there, you might want to consider visiting

Annies Annuals and Perennials in Richmond, California. Words

dont do it justice, so Ill stop talking and just show you.

http://www.anniesannuals.com/


12/16



13/16



14/16


Confessions of a Reluctant

GardenerChristina Kriedt, MG06

I completed most of my horticulture studies at Merritt

College in Oakland in the 80s. I could at that time identifyat least 1,000 ornamental plants, reciting botanical andcommon names. Things are different now with the passageof many years and the onset of Senior Moments.

These days I can recall more botanical than commonnames. Thats a good thing because common names areunreliable, at best, for identification. My granddaughtercalls Taraxacum officinalisfairy flowers. I used to call themdandelions. Now, of course, theyre officially known asfairy flowers. Common names are often descriptive of aplant (hairy bitter cress) and so are botanical names: Tri- folium repens, white clover, means three (tri), leaves

(folium), creeping or crawling (repens). Now try Metase-quoia glyptostroboides. Smallii as in Penstemon smallii doesntmean a small Penstemon, but that it was named after some-one named Small who may or may not have been diminu-tive. Latin for small is parvus or minimus.

Common names can differ wildly from area to area. Didyou know that Rosmarinus officinalis, rosemary, is alsoknown as: compass weed, dew of the sea, incensier, Marysmantle, romero, pilgrims plant, mi-tieh-hsiang, old manand polar plant? (An intensive five minutes of research didnot reveal why it has common names that refer to direc-tions.) Rosmarinusliterally means sea dew or dew of the

sea. If I go into a nursery and ask for a cedar, I might get aCedrus, a Chamaecyparis, a Thujopsis, a Taiwania, a Calocedrus, aCryptomeria, a Thuja, or a Juniperus. They may or may not besimilar in appearance or cultural requirements. Avoidingcommon names becomes especially important if yourebuying or exchanging seeds. Bluebells can be Hyacin-thoides non-script, Endymion non-scriptum, Scilla non-scripta, orMertensia virginica.Which one do you want? Better to nar-row it down a littleto the botanical name, that is to say,to the currently accepted botanical name.

This using the botanical name thing is all well andgood until the International Botanical Congress convenesevery six years and you guessed it: they change thenames. One cannot prevent the reclassification of plantsinto different genera, e.g. the common chrysanthemum hasbeen put into Dendranthema, the genus Sedum is being splitup, Zauschneria has been put into Epilobium, Pratia into Lobe-lia andPernettya into Gaultheria. There are even whisperingsof threats to lump Mahonia into Berberis! (Kew Gardens,http://www.kew.org/science/names.html) Rosemary is a memberof the Lamiaceae AKA Labiatae family; both names are ac-cepted by the ICBN (International Code of Botanical No-menclature).

There are many reasons why plant names change, butbasically they fall into one of three main categories: taxo-nomic (incorrect scientific placement), misidentification(oops, I made a mistake), and nomenclatural (not namedby the rules). If you just have to know more, read this:http://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.htm, the International Code of Bo-tanical Nomenclature, and let me know what you learned.

So, what our teachers drummed into our heads so longago was that common names are fairly useless for exactidentification, and that it doesnt matter how you pro-nounce the words (Rosaceae: roh ZAY-see--uh or roh-ZAY-see-aye or roh-ZAY-see-ee, as I was taught) as long as youspell them correctly.

Case in point: I was recently visiting a friend whosegarden is entirely surrounded by a fantastic hedge of whatI thought was Cotoneaster. I was not sure which species, butI was confident that it was in the genus Cotoneaster. In latercorrespondence, she referred to the hedge plants as Cotoniaaster. I looked it up online and found only one reference tosuch a plantin a poem. I was baffled. As I was composinga response regarding the Cotonia aster, my daughter enteredthe room and asked what I was writing. I said out loudthat I was stumped about a plant called cuh-TONE-ee-yaASS-ter (Cotonia aster) that I was convinced was actuallycuh-TONE-ee-ass-ter (Cotoneaster). And then I realizedhearing the words, that the plants are one and the sameThe owner had heard the name Cotoneasterand had proba-bly never associated it with the correct spelling. There isno such plant as Cotonia aster according to Google. Andthey know everything.

If you have a problem with this, dont call me. Take itup with Carl Linnaeus and the International BotanicalCongress. As for me, I will always call Taraxacum officinalisfairy flowers.

Learn moreThe International Botanical Congress - The Australian

botanical community invites you to Melbourne, Australiain July 2011 to participate in the XVIII International Bo-tanical Congress. The rules that govern scientific namingin botany (including phycology and mycology) are revisedat Nomenclature Section meetings at successive Interna-tional Botanical Congresses. http://www.ibc2011.com/

The Code: http://www.bgbm.fu-berlin.de/iapt/nomenclatureCODE/SaintLouis/0000St.Luistitle.htm

Referenceshttp://www.kew.org/science/names.htmlhttp://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.htmhttp://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.htmhttp://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/common.htmh t t p : / / w w w . b g b m . o r g / I A P T / N o m e n c l a t u r e / C o d e /SaintLouis/0002Preface.htm
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/PlantFinder/plant.asp?code=L200http://www.kew.org/science/names.htmlhttp://www.kew.org/science/names.htmlhttp://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.htmhttp://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.htmhttp://www.ibc2011.com/http://www.bgbm.fu-berlin.de/iapt/nomenclature/CODE/SaintLouis/0000St.Luistitle.htmhttp://www.bgbm.fu-berlin.de/iapt/nomenclature/CODE/SaintLouis/0000St.Luistitle.htmhttp://www.bgbm.fu-berlin.de/iapt/nomenclature/CODE/SaintLouis/0000St.Luistitle.htmhttp://www.kew.org/science/names.htmlhttp://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.htmhttp://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.htmhttp://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/common.htmhttp://www.bgbm.org/IAPT/Nomenclature/Code/SaintLouis/0002Preface.htmhttp://www.bgbm.org/IAPT/Nomenclature/Code/SaintLouis/0002Preface.htmhttp://www.bgbm.org/IAPT/Nomenclature/Code/SaintLouis/0002Preface.htmhttp://www.bgbm.org/IAPT/Nomenclature/Code/SaintLouis/0002Preface.htmhttp://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/common.htmhttp://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.htmhttp://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.htmhttp://www.kew.org/science/names.htmlhttp://www.bgbm.fu-berlin.de/iapt/nomenclature/CODE/SaintLouis/0000St.Luistitle.htmhttp://www.bgbm.fu-berlin.de/iapt/nomenclature/CODE/SaintLouis/0000St.Luistitle.htmhttp://www.ibc2011.com/http://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.htmhttp://www.kew.org/science/names.htmlhttp://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/PlantFinder/plant.asp?code=L200


15/16


The Pruners CornerPaul McCollum, MG04

Welcome to spring! Most of the pruning of trees andshrubs has been completed and we are all looking forwardto a time of renewal in the garden. Its almost mid-Marchas I write this and the sun is bright. Most of the apricots

have flowered and set fruit; oranges (limes and lemons too)are ripe and perfect for juicing; apple buds are swelling;and kiwi vines are breaking dormancy. Add to this theroses, which are in the beautiful copper-red new leaf stage,and what we have is an outstanding spring growing seasondue to a wonderful winter season of rain. This is indeed agreat time to be a gardener!

Our hope is that all goes well this year, but because ofconditions beyond our control, and some things because ofour control, some of us may have added work to do in ourgardens. We will be dealing with only two issues fornowwater sprouts and suckers.

If you do a Google search you will find that some peo-ple say that these terms mean the same thing and in a waythat is correct in that they are both a result of excessivevigor due to growing conditions. Others (including theUniversity of Californiaand I agree) make this distinc-tion: a sucker is growth emanating from the base of thetree or from shallow horizontal roots; water sprouts growstraight up from an existing lateral branch.

Some trees are more likely to have these problems thanothers. For example, almond trees seem to produce watersprouts easily. Plums and some apples and some pears, onthe other hand, seem to produce suckers rather than water

sprouts.We can debate the question of proper terminology butthe real question is what do we do with them. What I tryto do is remove them as they develop. I use my pruners andcut suckers off at the base, meaning at the root line ortrunk. Water sprouts are best snapped off at the point ofgrowth or they have a tendency to grow back. If you use amower on suckers they multiply and get worse because themower does not cut them off at the base.

A general rule with both is to remove them as soon aspossible because they rob the tree of nutrients that areneeded to produce fruit or good growth. Water sprouts

and suckers also grow fast; they may be a few inches talltoday but they can add two or three feet in two to fourweeks and attain a diameter of or more at the base.

There are some people who suggest that a watersprout can be used as a central leader and this is true if it isthe right kind of tree. If the central leader on a pear treehas been damaged and there is a water sprout growingstraight up near it, remove the damaged leader and thesprout can be trained to take over. You can also tie orweight a water sprout to keep it from growing straight up.A vertical branch made lateral will put fewer demands onthe tree and produce more flowers and fruit. It should begrown as close to horizontal as possible and not in an arch

if it forms an arch another water sprout will grow fromthe top of the arch. There seems to be agreement that it isbetter to just get rid of them.

In closing, suckers usually come from shallow roots soadding a layer of topsoil will sometimes discourage themAlso, many times suckers will come from just one root so ifyou can simply cut off that root, it will lesson or eliminate

the problem.That is it for this time around. I will hopefully see youin the summer edition of the Journal and until that time happy gardening enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Cornell Soil RecipeThis recipe is for plants that require good drainage, aeration and

have the ability to withstand drying between watering; and have

coarse, tuberous or rhizomatous roots:

Material 1 cubic meter

Sphagnum peat moss (screened 1/2 inch mesh) 0.33

Douglas, red or white fir bark* (about 0.5 cm size) 0.33

Perlite (medium grade) 0.25

Ground dolomitic limestone 4.2 kgSuperphosphate 20% (powdered) 2.7 kg

Fertilizer (10-10-10) 1.5 kg

Iron sulfate 0.3 kg

Potassium nitrate (14-0-44) 0.5 kg

Granular wetting agent 0.9 kg

Fir bark comes from Douglas fir, white or red fir, or redwood, ground and screened to a definite size. Finally ground

bark (about 0.5 cm) has a dry weight of about 200 g per liter

cube. Fresh bark has a pH of about 5.0. Upon weathering, ibecomes slightly more alkaline. The bark contains some nu-

trients, but these will not meet the requirements of growing

plants.


16/16


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

EDITOR Christina Kriedt

ASSISTANT EDITORS Sharon Ettinger & Kathleen Sonntag

DESIGN/LAYOUT Christina Kriedt

CONTRIBUTORS C & STAFF S

The Monterey Bay Master Gardeners extends

research-based horticultural information;

creates and promotes educational and recreational

gardening activities in Monterey and Santa Cruzcounties; and supports the educational program of the

University of Californias Cooperative Extension.

Board of Directors

Simon Stapleton, President

Denise Weatherwax, Vice President

Gigi Tacheny, TreasurerBonnie Pond

Barbara Gordon

Barbara OlsenBetsy Shea

Denise Weatherwax

Liz BurnsMaryann McCormick

Page Fox

Patricia Nicely

Sheryl McEwan

A 501 (c) (3) Corporation

Post Office Box 1786

Capitola, CA 95010

HOTLINE 831-763-8007

CULTIVATE KNOWLEDGEMany thanks to all the dedicated

Monterey Bay Master Gardeners who readily

share their knowledge, expertise and advice.

Copyright 2010 MBMG. All rights reserved

Amy Savage S

Bonnie Pond S

Christina KriedtC,S

Darcy Horton S

Cynthia JordanS

Denise Weatherwax S

Kari OlsenS

Kathleen SonntagC,S

Patricia NicelyC,S

Paul McCollumC,S

Sharon EttingerC,S

Simon StapletonS

Sue TarjanS

gardening on the edge newsletter, spring 2010 ~ monterey bay master gardeners

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