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

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

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MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Winter 2009

Make Your Own Succulent Wreath 1

Cleome hassleriana, Spider Flower3 Deer, Oh Deer!5 The Benefits of Gardening7

The Edible Garden: Potatoes8 Integrated Pest Management-Yes We Can9 The Pruning Corner11

Gardening Health Tip12 Searching for Book Bargains13 Book Review: Strawberries15

Epolls16 Monarch Butterflies and GM Seeds18 T he Drought Tolerant Garden: Maintenance Overview19 More on Sanvitalia22 Relevant Internet Miscellany22 Photo Contest23

Letter From the Editor24

Cultivate knowledge

Winter 200

GardeningontheedgeJournal of the Monterey bay master gardener

The Holiday Season is the traditional time to hang anevergreen wreath on your front door. But how about cre-ating a succulent wreath for year-round interest? You mayhave noticed that these are hot, not to mention pricey,items at garden shops upwards of $50 for a small 10wreath. With a little planning and effort, its easy to makeyour own succulent wreath.

Bonnie Pond recently hosted a succulent wreath-

making class. Five Master Gardeners (Sue Proctor, PaulaAnthony, Lin Eucalyptus, Elizabeth Hill and I) came

bearing succulent cuttings and wire forms; Lin brought achair with a chicken wire depression where the seat oncewas and Bonnie demonstrated planting in a wire formthat in a previous life was used to barbeque fish! We spentfour hours creating gorgeous works of art. Heres whatyou need to host your own wreath-making party.

Wire wreath forms are available at craft stores likeBeverlys or online. If the wire wreath isnt a 3-D circle,

buy two of the same size. Lay a bed of sphagnum moss

on your work surface and put one of the wire frames faceup so that you can mound the soil mixture on the insideof the wire frame. The sphagnum moss should extendabout 3-4 beyond the frame. We added perlite and coco-nut fiber to the potting soil to improve moisture retention.Pour a generous amount of soil into the wreath form andlay the other wire frame on the top of the soil to completeyour 3-D circle. Next, pull the sphagnum moss throughthe center of the wreath frame and around the outside.Using florist wire (or fishing line or telephone wire ifthats what you have!) wrap the moss-covered wreathtightly by going around the wreath a couple of times untilyou have a solid planting base. We made hooks by using

a thicker wire and designating what would become thtop of our wreath.

Everyone was asked to bring succulent cuttings share and we also walked around Bonnies yard anstimulated her succulents by pinching off some cutings. Ill consider it a major accomplishment if and whe

I learn the names of all of the succulents that ended up imy wreath. A few of the varieties I brought included Sempervivum arachnoideum, Anacampseros rufescens, GraptoverOpalina, Sedeveria Blue Mist and Mexican sedumThere were Echeverias, Dudleyas, and Aeoniums sucdiversity in color, texture, form and growth habit. Nmatter, they combine beautifully.

Use a chopstick, pencil, tweezers, or other pointed toto poke a hole in your moss-covered wreath and inseone of the succulent cuttings. Continue this process untyour wreath is covered. It takes quite a while to fill, bu

the reward is worth the effort. It also takes more cutting

Make Your Own Succulent WreatAmy Savage, MG0


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winter 2009 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDEN2

Wreaths from aroundthe Internet.

Prices rangeto well over $100.A good case formaking your own.

Below: Sue Proctor with her creation.

Yes, thats a hat...

Above: Chair with a new purpose. Reduce, Reuse,Recycle taken to new heights.


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than you think, which is why ithelped to have five of us work-ing on this together.

Bonnie said she waters herwreaths by soaking them. Minegot a good soaking by MotherNature the day after we madethem. One week later it was stilldrying out! Wait to hang thewreath until the roots have achance to get established; Iveheard it can take up to three months. We left Bonnieswith our wreaths carefully stowed and big smiles on ourfaces. Thanks, Bonnie!

CLEOME hassleriana

Spider FlowerCindy Lloyd, MG08

Until recently the genus Cleomewas placed in the ca-per family, the Capparidaceae, close to the mustard fam-ily, but recent gene analysis indicates its closer to mus-tards than to capers, so now many taxonomists assign itto its own family, the Cleomaceae.

Cleomeis native to an area of South America stretch-ing from southern Brazil west into Argentina and hasadapted to growing well in all 50 states, blooming with-out pause from late June until frost. A constant compan-

ion in cottage gardens, spider floweris a plant tradition-ally associated with the restored gardens at Monticello,with showy pink blossom heads, large multi-lobedleaves and strong growth habit.

Some common names for this old time cottage gar-den favorite include: spider flower, spider legs andgrandfather's whiskers. The common names refer to thelong stamens which come out of the flower resembling aspider, or from the long seed pods that dangle and looklike spider legs.

Sunset Western Garden Book describes Cleome as a

shrubby, branching South American native topped insummer and fall with many open, fluffy clusters of pinkor white flowers with extremely long, protruding sta-mens. Slender seed capsules follow the blossoms. Stemshave short, strong spines.

The Royal Horticultural Society New Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers says Cleomehas hairy, spiny stemsand mid-green leaves divided into lance-shaped leaflets.Large, rounded heads of narrow-petalled, pink-flushedor white flowers with long protruding stamens appear insummer. Rose Queen has rose-pink flowers.

A more poetic description is of graceful clouds ofrose atop lofty, strong, flexible stems swaying in theslightest breeze or an airy, elegant plant with blooms4-6 in diameter appearing from mid-summer to frostgrowing to a height of 4-6.

Native Americans used Cleomeas a potherb, grindingthe seeds for bread making. They and European settlersfound medicinal properties in Cleome to treat fevers

stomach disorders and sore eyes.

I prefer to think of it more as a sight for sore eyes, avery beneficial sight.

My initial introduction to this majestic plant was during the plant identification part of a Garden Designcourse in Broadview Gardens, Hadlow College, Hadlow, Tonbridge, Kent, England. Geoff, our boyishlyhandsome, boundlessly enthusiastic, deeply knowledgeable instructor had trained at Kew Gardens, whichadded to his credibility. Indelibly imprinted on mymemory is that after giving the stats of height, spreadand situation, he intoned, This plant is useful at the

back of borders. To the English gardener, a border, her-baceous or mixed, is an essential component of a propergarden. I tucked that information into the part of my

Amy Savage, MG06

Cleome. Photo by Cindy Lloyd


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brain labeled Borders for future use. I was smittenwith the spidery flower heads floating high above thesodden, cold Tonbridge clay earth. That was in 2002.

Fast forward to February 2, 2008, to another class,this taught by a soft spoken, gentle, smiling gentlemanwith years and years of experience in plant propagation.Al Derrick generously shared his wealth of information

on his favorite subject to the MG08 class gathered to-gether in Watsonville for our weekly learning session.

At the end of class, Al provided multitudes of seeds,each variety enclosed in a little round metal canisterwith clear top into which we could view the offered bitsof embryonic life. Our 4 plastic pots were filled withthe proper medium into which we planned to depositour chosen seeds, to label and date them.

I spied a canister labeled CLEOME. The magic fairlyleaped out at me. Better still, the seeds were big. Equat-ing seed size with success, I gently placed mine in their

soil bed, covered them softly and dreamed of majesticplants in my garden. When I returned home, into myshed went the various horticultural wonders that wouldgerminate, grow and bloomin my mind.

I am embarrassed to admit that I did not nurture mybabies, but left them to fend for themselves with occa-sional inspections for seed leaves or the dreaded signs ofBotrytis. Intermittent watering and benign neglect were

my slovenly nurturing techniques.

Please, please, Al, excuse my failings.

Lo and behold, despite their perfect planting and subsequent hit-and-miss tending, little leaves pushedthrough the soil in my pots. I continued watering asneeded, turning the pots to encourage even growth, butsomething happened. Maybe it was the press of Satur-day classes or the dreaded exam or the obligations ofhospital work, but my neglected Cleomeplants grew bigger and bigger, leaning out of their homes like a snakeslithering from a genies jar or a charmers basket.

During this same time period, my long awaited gar-den cottage/summerhouse was under construction inthe southeast corner of my garden. When it was com-pleted, I rescued my soil from its compacted and detritus-strewn state. The situation seemed ideal. The soiwas loose, free-draining, in full sun. Hacking back someovergrown Pelargoniums, I prepared a new home for mystalwart seedlings, for they had not given up on theirlifeline to maturity and the person to make it possible.

Into the soil I popped the five little plants. I couldntseparate them, for they had grown together too long inthe pot, rootlets sharing the same space. Im sure Anever, ever practiced such poor propagation and planting techniques.

Much to my surprise and delight, the crooked babyplants started growing straight for the sky from their de-formed starts. Soon they were healthy, producing palmate leaves (one source said the leaves resemble thoseof marijuana), growing ever taller until my greatest joywas fully realized. They produced flower buds, soon to

become full fledged heads of rosy pink. Taller and taller

they grew, branching and producing more flower heads.I felt like Jack with his bean stalk. They were so tall andshowy, they were visible from all over the garden, fromthe road and from inside my new little cottage. Prideknew no bounds.

Wanting to share my success, but not admitting tomy sloppy techniques as a propagator, I emailed Al tolet him know how much I appreciated his sharing ofseed and the wondrous plants I now had. In his re-sponse, he warned how easily Cleomeself-seeds and encouraged me to remove the seed pods, unless I wanted

masses of seedlings in that exact garden spot.Following his advice, I snipped off the elongated

pods borne on long, thin stems, saving them for futurepropagation. Not only did I have my flowering plants toenjoy, but I had future plants at my disposal. Since thenI have continued my daily enjoyment of the Cleomeplants and wonder at their great height, happy color andtruly amazing flower form. I have collected more podssplit some open to reveal the little round embryonicseeds just waiting for the chance to live and show theworld how wonderful they are.

Cleome. Photo from Wikipedia


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Description: Cleome flowers, with many opening atonce, grow in airy racemes, or clusters of flowers, six toeight inches in diameter. Cleomeflowers come in white,pink, or lavender. They perch atop stems that grow upto six feet high. It is also known as Cleome spinosa.

How to grow: Cleomegrows well in average soil locatedin full or nearly full sun. It is very drought-tolerant,though it will look and grow better if it is watered well.Space spider flower plants one to three feet apart.

Propagation: Sow after the last frost when the ground iswarm. Cleomesmay also be started indoors four to sixweeks earlier at a temperature of at least 70 F. Germi-nation time is 10 to 14 days. In the garden, it reseedsprolifically and should be thinned.

Uses: Plant Cleomefor its height, to back up borders, inthe center of island beds, or in any spot where its dra-matic quality stands out.

Cultivars: Helen Campbell is a popular white variety.Rose Queen is salmon-pink, and Ruby Queen is rosecolored. Sparkler is a newer strain that grows three tofour feet tall, not six.

Bibliographywww.gardenguides.comwww.howstuffworks.com/define-cleomeoldfashionedliving.com/cleome.htmlhankinslawrenceimages.wordpress.com/2008/11/28/spirit-frost-

spider-flowers-cleome-hassleriana/www.veseys.com/us/en/store/annuals/cleomespidermonticellostore.stores.yahoo.net/600012.htm

www.backyardnature.net/chiapas/cleome.htmwww.missouriplants.com/Pinkalt/Cleome_spinosa_page.htmlfindarticles.com/p/articles/mi

www.whiteflowerfarm.com lwww.gaygardener.com/gardenspot/annuals

Deer, Oh Deer!Christine Wood

I have lived in the SantaCruz Mountains for 7

years now. I moved froma townhouse that hadonly a tiny patio andsome potted plants toworry about. When we

bought a home in themountains, suddenly I

had 2.5 acres of rugged, sloping property. Not only wasthe property rough and dry, it was chock full of weedsand critters like snakes, gophers and deer. My husbandand I carved out a small formal garden with a lawn,fountains and seating. We put in a good infrastructure

of sprinklers, electrical outlets and pathways, but Iquickly realized when I started to plant that I was goingto have problems I had never encountered in good oldsuburbia!

The best way to deal with deer that inhabit yourproperty is to live with them and enjoy themand planta garden they hate! Deer are born into a one-square

mile territory and will follow the trails that they havecreated for generations. Fencing large property can beexpensive and should be at least 8 to be effective. Ihave a small area of about 1/4 acre fenced and it is onsloping terrain. The fencing there is only 4'; however,due to the slope, deer seem to find it very awkward to

jump so they don't bother. In this fenced area I growvegetables and roses. My main garden with a smalllawn is not fenced.

Deer are so much smarter than we believe them tobe! There is an abandoned apple orchard that goes upthe hill across the street from my house and the deergraze on the slope and watch my house carefully fromthat vantage point. They know when that garage dooropens I will drive away! I think they even know thesound of my Jeep, as Bucky, my favorite, is often stand-ing at my door for a handout as I drive up! I have seenthem watch me leave a gate open and then sneak in be-hind me, only to be trapped inside the fenced area whenI leave and shut the gate. Usually the blue jays alert meto this problem!

Our local deer also know which neighborhood dogsto stay away from. Please don't throw money away on

expensive sprays, as deer quickly get used to the spraysyou may use on your plants, and if it rains or you water,they are no good at all! They are not deterred by scare-crows and they also outwit motion activated deer chasersprinklers very quickly. At one time I had 6-10 opera-tional, and yes, they worked for a day or so, but the deerquickly figured out what they were and where to posi-tion themselves so they didnt get sprayed! I finally tookmy deer chasing sprinklers down, as all they did wasspray me when I forgot to turn them off!

Deer do dislike many pungent or fragrant plants.They also intuitively stay away from poisonous plants

and those that have certain textures that are uncomfort-able or objectionable to their palates. However, if ayoungster shows up, he may often taste test everything,including plants a mature deer would never touch! Thedeer are not deterred from thorny plants either, so rosesor bougainvillea will be eaten or nibbled immediately.Deer have very dexterous lips and tongues and can gin-gerly eat the flowers or delicate leaves while avoidingthe thorns! During the very dry months, deer will eatanything. Deer graze and browse, they eat what is onthe ground and reach up to branches of trees. They canstand on their hind legs to get something out of reach.


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Some woody or brittle plants that are often on thedeer-resistant lists are actually vulnerable to breakage bythe deer. Deer like to get their antlers into the branchesof a plant to rub off the velvet that covers the antlers,thus breaking a woody plant. They also like to break

branches to mark their territory. This occurs in the fallwhen the bucks are out roaming. October through Janu-ary the large bucks come traipsing belligerently on mylawn, making huge muddy divots with their hooves.They rip up the grass in big clumps as they graze. Comespring, I pack down the divots, put out some additionalsoil and more grass seed, fertilizer. Before I know it thelawn is back in order!

As we progress into fall, the breeding season for muledeer, I typically just 'give up' or just take a rest from gar-dening. I generally let the deer 'have at it.' The bucks,fairly docile during the summer, become aggressive dur-

ing the mating season and it is best to stay away fromthem. Once the spring arrives you get to see the newfamilies in your garden, the does with their offspringoften in pairs called 'twins.' They are delightful.

Over the years I have just come to accept a less thanperfect garden. I not only fight deer damage, but go-phers and rabbits too! Whenever I get totally frustratedwith damage in the garden, I use accessories and yes,even silk flowers in the garden. If the deer consistentlyeat a shrub, I might be inclined to replace it with a foun-tain or bench. If I think the garden is particularly devas-tated at the end of the season, I will purchase silk flow-ers and shove them in every available pot! But even thesilk flowers are not totally safe as deer are like goats andchew on these also!

Let's be realistic. If the deer don't eat, nibble or breaka plant, they will trample it to death! So, what to do ifyou live with deer that inhabit your garden? Love thedeer but plant a garden they hate. Above all don't panic.Remember they own the property and you are just atemporary guest. Here are just a few deer resistant plantsI have had success with. I realized once I completed thislist that I have many more. Best to test a new plant on

your own local deer by purchasing just a one gallonplant and placing it in the deer's grazing path. If theyleave it alone consistently, it just may work in yougarden.

Alliums: garlic smell, pretty lavender flower, sometimenibbled.

California mountain lilac: Dark Star, needs sun, large.

Coyote bush: keep trimmed, stays green, use for hedging.Daffodils: never bothered by deer or gophers but may b

trampled.Euryops: yellow daisy, large shrub, simply 'lights up' th

garden, loves sun.

Ferns of all types for shade gardens. They hate asparaguferns!

Foxglove:Digitalis, big and small varieties, very poisonouspretty in spring.

Lamb's ear: fuzzy leaves the deer find disgusting.Lavenders: all varieties, love sun, need little care o

watering, strong smell.

Manzanita: low growing grouncover, stays very green withouwater.

Oleander: large and dwarf varieties, many colors, poisonous.Ornamental grasses: graceful anspiky varieties, including pampagrass.

Purple aster daisy: very delicatlooking but hardy, easy to grow

Rhododendrons: beautiful plant for shadier areas.Rock rose: pinks and whites, large shrub, can be woody.Rosemary: trailing or upright, pungent, repels deer ver

well.

Salvias: beautiful large, purple varieties, airy lookinglovely!

Scotch broom: be sure to confine, yellow, gorgeous smell.Seaside daisy: delightful ground cover, no maintenanceSpanish marigold: large shrub, pungent, spicy aroma

beautiful!

Visit Chris ather blog:

www.thesunnygarden.blogspot.com

and see her videos onYou Tube:

www.youtubecom/user/Sunnygardener


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The Benefits of GardeningKathleen Sonntag, MG06

To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soilis to forget ourselves. Mohandas K Gandhi

As a nation, we spend more time in homes, offices or

schools and less time in parks and gardens. Cities havealways had parks, but people have had less time to visitthem since the industrial revolution. As the stresses of a24/7 world threaten to undermine the progress we thinkwe have made as a society, there is a re-emergence ofawareness that those parks and gardens are importantfor people to enjoy and share. Stepping out of their liv-ing and working spaces into an outdoor setting allowspeople to change perspective, see themselves as part ofthe larger environment and maybe comprehend the partthey play in the natural world. More and more it isviewed not as an option, but as a necessary part of being

a healthy person who can contribute to society. It ishealing and invigorating.

Gardening has always been a part of the religiouslifestyle. Frequently this was due to a need to be self-supporting, but it was also part of the lifestyle that en-courages contemplation and rejuvenation in a peaceful,welcoming outdoor setting. Government buildings havegardens. The White House has a famous rose gardenmaybe if it was tended by lawmakers themselves theworld would be a better place. College campuses, evenin cities, always have gardens. An outdoor space for

walking, sitting and thinking is part of the culture of aninstitution of learning. How many times have I quicklyclarified my thinking within a short time after startingon a walk outside? Disengaging from your indoor envi-ronment provides you with another perspective.

Commercial building landscapers and corporatemanagers are aware of studies that demonstrate thathaving a plant in an office, an indoor garden in a build-ing and inviting landscaping outside the building re-duces stress, decreases employee sick days, improves airquality inside buildings and increases worker productiv-ity. People feel better when they have a garden to view

outside the window or a green plant growing in theiroffices or cubicles. In my corporate cubical and window-less office days, I used to joke that if my plant couldntsurvive, I had to find a different workspace. I alwaysfound a plant that would adapt. I also escaped for ashort time most days to walk outside.

Hospitals and convalescent facilities are showingnew awareness of the importance of providing outdoorgarden areas that are visible from patients beds as wellas placing indoor plants throughout the facility. This isknown to benefit both patients and staff.

There is even a new attention to the views aroundprisons. Officials have started encouraging inmate gardening programs as part of rehabilitation with amazingresults. Not only do the participants learn new job skillsthat will benefit them outside the prison walls, they alsodevelop better life skills and experience changes in theirperspectives that were not anticipated by many. I would

not like to overlook the benefit that the guards mighexperience by joining the prisoners in the garden. It isnot just enclosed gardens that can improve prisons, window views of distant trees and open spaces also affectthe inmates (and the guards) positively.

We gardeners all know that working in a garden infact, just BEING in a garden is a revitalizing, relaxingand beneficial experience. We may have discovered thisintuitively. Perhaps ones parent or another family mem

ber was a gardener and we developed the connection tothe earth through that persons example. We are thelucky ones. Some people didnt have that example in

their childhood; they never developed the connection totheir environment that is both healthy and rewardingOthers lose the connection due to illness, age or disabil-ity. There is widespread agreement throughout theworld about the importance of spending time in an out-door setting. It is not a new idea, but our lifestyle todaymakes it more difficult for many people. There is somuch to do and so little time.

So clear is the need for people to be connected totheir environment, Horticultural Therapy (HT), has be-come a widespread practice. The American Association

of Horticultural Therapy was formed in 1973 and pro-vides a forum for discussion of this therapeutic methodthat brings people into garden settings as a way to improve the quality of their lives.

Horticultural therapy (HT) is not only an emergingprofession, it is a time-proven practice. The therapeuticbenefits of peaceful garden environments have been un-derstood since ancient times. In the 19th century, Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Inde-pendence and considered to be the "Father of AmericanPsychiatry," reported that garden settings held curativeeffects for people with mental illness. Rehabilitative care

of hospitalized war veterans in the 1940s and 1950s greatly expanded the practice of HT. (http://

www.ahta.org/information/)

Wouldnt our ancestors be surprised to learn that weneed someone to show us the way to deal with our livesthrough gardening? This therapeutic method goes be-yond just spending time outside in a garden. It takes thepatient into a garden to work and make a difference, theexperience has been shown to be empowering and heal-ing. HT has been successful in institutions such as pris-ons and mental hospitals, and with those who are physi-


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cally disabled. Less formally, gardens for the homeless,city garden spaces and gardens at senior centers, retire-ment homes and convalescent facilities also provide this

beneficial experience.

This is the first in a series of articles that will describesome HT gardening projects and the responses fromthose who participated. I will describe local projects that

are actively supported by MBMGs and projects like theSan Quentin garden for inmates. There are so many do-ing so much good.

For fun, I recommend amovie I saw a few years agocalled Greenfingers based on afactual story of prisoners inEngland who got involved ingardening.

The Edible GardenTammy Tahara, MG06

Potatoes

Originally Iwas going to writea column aboutgrowing onionsand feature a rec-ipe for onionsoup. That fellthrough when theonion soup recipe(billed as the best onion soup ever) I kitchen-testeddid not meet my expectations. As luck would have it,Im also growing garlic and potatoes along with the on-ions so all is not lost. Potato soup it is!

This is only the second time Ive grown potatoes.Years ago I tried growing them in the ground and hadmoderate success. The potatoes were small, but goodand I didnt run into any potato bugs always a goodthing! This time I decided I would try growing them in a

barrel in a sunny spot on my deck. The plants lookhealthy at this point but I wont know how successful Iam until further down the road after the plants blossomand then the tops wither and die and I can dig the pota-toes up.

Here are the ingredients for growing potatoes in abarrel:

Certified seed potatoes

Lots of straw

Potting soil 1 large bag

A barrel made from a 30-gallon plastic garbage can

with holes drilled into the bottom and a few holeson the sides about 4 - 6 inches up from the bottom.

A sunny location

Empty about 2/3 of the potting soil into the predrilled trash can and place four certified seed potatoeson top of the soil, eyes up. Cover with the rest of thepotting soil and water thoroughly. As the plants growmound up straw around the stems being sure to keep atleast 6 inches of the plants leaves uncovered. Pack thatstraw tightly around the stems and continue to do this asthe plants grow taller. You will eventually fill the barrel

with straw. Be sure to provide ample moisture to thegrowing plants but do not overwater or the potatoes willrot. They require good drainage also.

Once the potato blossoms have faded, you may har-vest the new potatoes the smallest, most tender tu-

bers. These potatoes spoil quickly so eat them righaway. Cover up the remaining potatoes so they can con-tinue to grow and harvest them two to three weeks afterthe stems and leaves have turned brown and died. Withhold water at this point so that your crop can matureTo harvest, simply empty the barrel, being careful not todamage the tubers. Once harvested, store your un-

washed potatoes in a cool, dry place for 2 3 days inorder to toughen up the skin and dry it out. After thisdrying-out period your potatoes should be stored in acool, dark, well-ventilated space and should keep for upto six months.

Ive been making this potato soup for over 30 yearsand can vouch for its tastiness. The wonderful womanwho gave me this recipe so many years ago was fromAustralia. She was fond of saying that this was a soupthat would warm the cockles of your heart and yourtummy on a cold winters day.

POTATO SOUP

5 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks1 large yellow or white onion, peeled and cut into chunks2 large carrots, peeled (or not) and cut into chunks3 ribs celery, cut into large piecesWater to cover veggies1 can evaporated milk2 Tablespoons flourSalt and pepper to taste lb. cooked, crumbled bacon or1 cup diced, cooked ham to garnish


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Place potatoes, onion, carrots and celery in a largepot and add enough water to cover. Cook until veggiesare soft. Remove from heat and with a potato masher,mash the veggies into small bite-size pieces (it will bechunky). Place flour into a measuring cup and add 1/2cup liquid from vegetables into it. Stir or whisk untilsmooth, adding a little of the evaporated milk into the

mixture. Pour this mixture into soup pot, stirring con-stantly on a low heat setting. The soup will thicken. Addthe rest of the evaporated milk into the soup, continuingto stir. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish withcrumbled bacon or ham bits. (The cooked bacon or hammay also be added to the soup while it's cooking).

References:www.thegardenhelper.com/potato .htmlwww.sheridangardens.com/vegetablepatch_potatoes.htm www.ehow.com/how_2222722_grow-potatoes-garbage-can.html

IntegratedPest Management

Yes We CanPatricia Nicely, MG03

Gardening on the Edge is presenting the first in a series of arti-cles on safer practices in the home and garden. Each quarter, Iwill focus on a specific pest or issue, and will present and ex- pand on information developed by the UC Integrated Pes Management (IPM) Program. I invite your comments ansuggestions, and would love to start a blog related to this series.

In this issue, I have chosen to focus on the big picture....

We are a driven species. That is one thing I loveabout humanityits wealth of vision, creativity, and thegeneral sense that yes we can make the world a betterplace. This drive has brought about some amazingchanges in the last century. It was the paucity of materi-als during World War II that led to the development ofsynthetic plastics. Pesticides were developed that couldannihilate our annoyances with one fell squirt. Nitrogenfertilizer was mass-produced from petroleum, and promised to feed the world. Water was channeled from rain-soaked regions to deserts, ensuring that we could livework and play where most other things could not thriveTransportation became cheap and readily available, andwe could pretty much go anywhere or import anythingthat we wanted. Medicines and medical procedurescould seemingly cure whatever ailed us. What a wondrous and easy and abundant and controlled place the

world suddenly became....

Having become so proficient at changing and con-trolling our environment might well be our undoingThat same yes we can mantra that fuels innovationoften swells into an avalanche of political power, corporate interests, and consumer complacence, all for todaysgain at tomorrows expense. (The mortgage meltdownglobal warming, and countless other tales of good ideasgone bad are best left for the musings of a different publication.) Sometimes, though, someone is paying atten-tion. One such success story is the UC Integrated Pest

Management (IPM) Program.The current definition of IPM (from the IPM web

site) consists of just three concise but importantsentences:

IPM is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses onlong-term prevention of pests or their damage through acombination of techniques such as biological controlhabitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices,and use of resistant varieties. Pesticides are used onlyafter monitoring indicates they are needed according toestablished guidelines, and treatments are made with the

Try growing potatoes in a stack ofold tires; you made a stack 3 or 4

high and plant into them; or startwith a short stack of one or twoand as the plants grow, add an-other tire and soil to cover the

plants up to the top few inches ofgrowth. Potatoes grow on thestems above the root; longer stemscan mean a higher yield. Poor

yield? Too much water or toomuch high nitrogen fertilizer.

Resources:

ecdiarist.wordpress.comwww.shakyard.com

radio.weblogs.comwww.humeseeds.com/potato.htm


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goal of removing only the target organism. Pest controlmaterials are selected and applied in a manner thatminimizes risks to human health, beneficial and nontar-get organisms, and the environment.

Established by legislative action in 1979, the IPMProgram actually got its start decades earlier. Shortlyafter World War II, researchers learned that the overuse

of DDT and related chemicals was destroying the natu-ral enemies of targeted pests (not to mention making lotsof other mischief). Taking advantage of natural enemiesfor agricultural pest control was already a well-established practice, dating as far back as the 1880s. Inan effort to balance the use of DDT with benefits of bio-logical control, researchers experimented with lowerpesticide doses, fine-tuned the timing of pesticide appli-cations, and "integrated" these with weather conditionsand other farming practices, with the result being a re-

bound in natural enemies and less disruption in thenatural balance overall. These biological control meth-

ods, along with newly developed pest management prac-tices, were melded in the 1959 article The IntegratedControl Concept. A key feature of this article was topoint out the complexity of pest control, and ...the er-ror of imposing insecticides on the ecosystem, ratherthan fitting them into it."

The IPM concept continued to develop through the1960s and 70s at both the state and national levels.Widespread implementation, though, had to contendwith a slew of negating factors, including lack of publicand legislative interest, interference by the agrochemical

industry, and growers fears of abandoning their currentmethods. In 1976, the California Attorney General re-quired that pesticide use be subject to the California En-vironmental Quality Act (CEQA), which promptedscathing reports of pesticide use habits that finally gar-nered public attention and prompted California to adoptthe program.

This has been a very brief summary of a very com-plex, decades-long process*. The upshot is that the IPMProgram was developed to feed a nation while protect-ing it from the chemical industry. In the 30 years sincethe legislation, we have learned so much more about the

impacts of agrochemicals and other chemicals on hu-man health and the environment, and the UC IPM Pro-gram has achieved a great deal of progress in combatingenvironmental degradation through their research, pub-lication, education, and outreach programs for growers,

*For more historical information, I recommend reading A Historyof the University of California Statewide IPM Program, especiallythe Prologue, all of which can be found on the IPM website(www.ipm.ucdavis.edu). You can also find the goals and objectives of

the IPM program, and annual reports on its progress.

landscape professionals, and the public. Recently developed programs include focusing on residential pesticidesthat pollute our waterways, education for retail pesticidesellers, and more urban and community education.

As excited as I am about the successes of the IPMProgram, I am troubled by two personal observationsthat most people have never heard of IPM or the Master

Gardener Program, and that store shelves and our envi-ronment are still full of unnecessary and toxic chemicals. Clearly there is much work to be done towardchanging our collective bad habits. Since our nationsfinancial resources will be maxed-out for the foreseeablefuture, we citizens need to be more educated and em-powered and involved. Not sure of where to start? Starat hometoday. You will find that every day in yourgarden (or anywhere) will present many opportunitiesfor change. All it takes is one small change, one smaldecision, to realize how easy it is.

Here are my Top Ten Ideas for Change:1 We have a brilliant set of IPM guidelines that hardly

anyone knows about. Read more about IPM andshare the wealth (www.ipm.ucdavis.edu).

2 The IPM program wants you to have a beautiful gar-den and a bountiful harvestconvince yourself that ican be done without compromising your health andthe environment.

3 Get to know your garden a little better. Learn to appreciate the multitude of harmless little beasties thatmake it their home (get a hand lens for a closer look).

4 Pesticides and other chemicals are pervasive in theenvironment. Limit your use of chemicals, and telfarmers, landscape professionals, your neighbors, andyour local government that you expect them to do thesame. If you must use chemicals in your own IPMprogram, make sure to follow all label directions, anddiscard them (and all trash) appropriately. Locawaste management agencies have special programsfor disposal of hazardous waste.

5 Many things on the store shelf have never been provento be safe. If you dont like being a guinea pig, I

suggest becoming a more discriminating consumerFree market is not carte blanche for bad corporate

behaviordemand accountability!

6 Whenever you buy something for your garden (orhome), ask yourself the following questions: What isit? What was it? Where did it come from? Wherewill it end up? What is its carbon footprint? Do really need it?

7 The timing couldnt be better for Californias GreenChemistry InitiativeI encourage everyone to readabout it on the State of California website

(www.ca.gov).


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8 Support businesses (especially local) that use or sellsafer, eco-friendly pest control (or other) products.

9 Think about how the basic practice of IPM might ap-ply to everyday life, including our social systemshealth care, justice, social programs, etc.

10 Get involved in your community in any way possible, and be an agent of change. Best of all, inspirechange in others.

The Pruning Corner the first in a seasonal column

Paul McCollum, MG04When making a reference to pruning a friend of mine

once told me that no matter how many pictures helooked at on pruning his tree didnt look like the onein the picture. I could understand his confusion. Hopefully, this column will help demystify some of the prob-lems we encounter when pruning our trees and otherplants. Lets start with a few generalities and go fromthere.

First, why prune? With fruit trees the primary purposes of pruning are to increase sunlight penetrationremove less productive wood, and shape the crown intoa stable form. Landscape and shade trees are pruned toimprove their structural strength, maintain their healthenhance their beauty, and increase their value. Here are

some general rules to follow: Prune if (1) trees havecrossing branches, weak branch unions, or other defects;(2) branches are dead, dying, decayed, or hazardous; (3)lower branches interfere with people or vehicles, or

block visibility of signs; (4) branches are growing intobuildings or utility wires, (5) limbs have been broken bystorms or wind; and (6) trees have grown too large andmight injure people or damage property. Proper pruningnot only adds value but also, in the case of fruit trees,improves the quality of the fruit.

Simple types of pruning, such as cutting lowerbranches from small trees, can be done by anyone whounderstands plants (as Master Gardeners do) and hasthe proper tools. But only qualified arborists shouldclimb into trees to prune them. That type of tree workrequires knowledge of scientifically based pruning techniques, tree physiology, and safety practices, as well asworking experience with various tools and tree speciesIf you need the help of a professional, we are fortunateto have our very own Certified Arborist inPeter Quintanilla, MG03, who can be reached at626-0327.

Shrubs (roses too) are a little different and most of us

can learn to prune them properly because they aresmaller and generally more manageable. We do need tounderstand the natural "habit" or shape of shrubs to helpus determine how to prune them. Shoots all grow out-ward from their tips. Whenever tips are removed, lower

buds are stimulated to grow. Buds are located at nodeswhere leaves are attached to twigs and branches. Eachnode produces between one and three buds, dependingon shrub species.

Shrubs have mounding, cane, or tree-like growthhabits. Those with mounding habits, such as evergreen

The colors of winterin Santa Cruz.

Photos by Christina Kriedt.


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azalea, generally have soft, flexible stems, small leaves,and are often used in mass plantings. Shrubs with canehabits include plants like forsythia. These shrubs spread

by sending up erect new branches, called canes, fromtheir bases. Tree-like shrubs have woodier, finely di-vided branches. Rhododendrons are examples of shrubswith tree-like habits.

There are two basic types of pruning cuts: headingcuts and thinning cuts. Heading cuts stimulate growth of

buds closest to the wound. The direction in which thetop remaining bud is facing or pointing will determinethe direction of new growth. Make heading cuts selec-tively to reduce shrub height and retain natural form.Non-selective heading cuts made indiscriminately willstimulate rapid re-growth from buds below the cut.These vigorous shoots are usually unattractive and makeshrubs bushier, but not smaller. Non-selective headingcuts are only justifiable when using hedge clippers on a

hedge or shaped (topiary) shrub. Thinning cuts removebranches at their points of origin or attachment. Used inmoderation, thinning cuts reduce shrub density withoutstimulating re-growth.

Make pruning cuts accurately. For heading cuts,prune 1/4 inch above the bud, sloping down (25-30 de-grees) and away from the bud. Avoid cutting too close,or steep, or the bud may die. When pruning above anode with two or more buds, remove the inward-facingones. Make thinning cuts just above parent or side

branches and roughly parallel to them. There is no needto coat pruning cuts with paint or wound dressing.

Here on the central coast the winter season is thetime our plants will be as dormant as they will get.Most, but not all, of our fruit and landscape trees andshrubs can be pruned at this time. Roses are one of theplants that need pruning of some type several times dur-ing the year but winter is the main pruning time forthem. The Monterey Bay Rose Society will be havingseveral rose pruning clinics starting in January of thisyear. These are hands-on clinics taught by experiencedRosarians. Dont miss going to at least one of these ses-sions. Following is a list of where and when these clinics

will be offered.January 10, 10 a.m. Aladdin Nursery2907 Freedom Blvd, Watsonville, 724-7577

January 11, 10 a.m. Bokay Nursery

30 Hitchcock Rd, Salinas, 455-1868

January 17 & 18, 10 a.m. Santa Cruz County Fair-grounds; 2601 E. Lake Ave, Watsonville

Use Horseshow Entrance to Rose Garden

Monterey Bay Rose Society 722-7958

January 24, 10 a.m. ProBuild Garden Center

235 River St, Santa Cruz, 423-0223

January 31, 10 a.m. McShanes Nursery

115 Monterey-Salinas Hwy, Salinas, 455-1876

Also, for learning the proper pruning of fruit trees,McShanes will be offering pruning clinics every Satur-day at 1:30 p.m. during the months of January and February. Steve McShane is a very civic-minded nursery-

man and offers classes such as this throughout the year.Before bringing this to a close I need to mention the

necessity of having some good tools in order to accom-plish your pruning chores. One of the things you wilneed is a pair ofgloves that let you feel what you aredoing. Personally, I like a goatskin glove because it isnot stiff and it resists punctures from rose prickles. Required also is a good quality pruning shear. Felcomakes good ones but there are many makes and styles ofgood quality shears on the market. Purchase the sizepruner that feels best to you (I like a Felco #6 bypass)One important thing to keep in mind is to follow thesuggestion of the manufacture by not cutting brancheslarger than the recommended size. For larger branches

use a lopper (ratchet type are easier to use) to cutbranches up to 1 in diameter. Branches larger than 1

require apruning saw.

Other tools that may be helpful are a pruning knifeand/or a hori hori knife (pictured below). Tools can bepurchased at good garden centers, building supplies, oron-line from retailers like A.M. Leonards(www.gardenersedge.com) or FarmTec (www.farmtek.com).

Questions? Contact Paul [email protected].

Gardening Health TipBonnie Pond, MG00

If you are doing a lot of pruning, and who isn'tright now, here is a way to transport those ugly pilesof trimmings with less effort, struggle and energy.

Take one, two or three side branching limbs andstack them with long ends together. Then pile the re-maining debris with root ends toward the big end ofyour branches. You now have a travois of futuremulch that can be pulled to your mulch pile.


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Searching for BookBargains

Denise Weatherwax, MG08

Recently I was fortunate to snag a copy of an out-of-print gardening book at a bargain-basement price. The

book, which I found on eBay, was The California Gar-deners Book of Lists by Catherine Yronwode. Eventhough the book is offered elsewhere for prices rangingfrom $35 to $235, I paid less than $11, including ship-ping.

How did I do this? Well, I cant guarantee than youwill always be this fortunate, but I am going to sharesome of the tips and tricks that I use to find the books Iwant.

First and foremost, patience is required. Fortunately,patience is a trait typically possessed by successful gar-

deners. Finding the right book at the right price can taketime, but is not necessarily time consuming. As an ex-ample, Ill walk you through the steps I used to find and

buy this book.

Search Amazon (www.amazon.com). Typing inCalifornia gardeners book of lists netted 19 results. Iused the drop-down box in the upper-right corner of thescreen to sort by Price + Shipping. There were booksranging from about $170 to $36.

When you review the quality of the available copies,look for a high satisfaction rating. Click on the high-lighted portion (i.e., 97% positive) to see what other

buyers have had to say about the seller. Be willing topay a little more to get a high satisfaction percentage.

Use Google (www.google.com). Experiment withsearch terms. Start with a broad search and then narrowit by adding additional terms if you get too many re-sults. Because this author has such an unusual name, Ityped in just yronwode and got results on copies forsale right at the top of the results page. The book was

being sold for $36-235 at various Internet stores.

Typing yronwode gardener's book of lists caused aslightly different result, with the top result being aWikipedia article on the author.

Another extremely useful source for books isAddALL (www.addall.com), which mines myriad Inter-net bookselling sites in a single search. From theAddALL home page, click to the tab for Used and Outof Print book search. You can enter the authors name,

book title, keywords and so on. If you find what youwant, you can easily navigate right to a web site whereyou can complete the purchase. Because booksellers listthe books they have for sale on Amazon and other bookselling web sites, some results will duplicate those al-ready located on Amazon and Google. In this instance,the prices were about the same. No good deals today.

eBay (www.ebay.com) is an excellent resource for buy-ing both new and used books. The eBay home page hasa search box in the upper left. You can search for any-thing on eBay without being a member, but when youwant to buy something you will need an account.


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Use the search box to type one or more keywords.Click the pull-down list that says All Categories, chooseBooks, and click the Search button.

Its important to know that eBay looks for only thosewords that the seller has used in the title of the auction.

Titles are limited to only 55 characters. Try differentkeywords.

For example, type yronwode and you may findout that this author has written other books, but thisparticular one may not show up. Next type book oflistsI got 235 itemstoo many for me to want toscroll through. So I added gardeners which returned24 results. Apparently there is a whole series of these

books for different states and regions. Finally I addedCalifornia and theres the book, with a Buy It Nowor Best Offer price of $64.98.

Click on the highlighted title to view the page andread the details about this particular copy. Here I learnthat the book is used but in very good condition, ship-ping is free, and the seller has a 98% positive rating out

of over 4,000 items sold on eBay. I decided to make anoffer. I clicked the Make Offer button. Because I alreadyknew the rock-bottom price I would have to pay else-where (about $36 plus shipping), I made a lower offer.Next, I clicked the Review Offer button, checked it tomake sure I typed the amount correctly, and clickedSubmit Offer. The seller has 48 hours to respond to an

offer.Now comes the part where patience is required.

While waiting for the seller to respond, I decided to savethis search so I would be notified anytime another copyof this book became available for sale.

Note: You must be registered or have an eBay ac-count to save searches and receive e-mails when items

become available.

The widest search would include both auctions andeBay stores. I returned to the search page (shown in the

previous picture) and clicked Advanced Search

.On the Advanced Search page, I scrolled down to

the section headed Show Only, checked Buying Optionsand selected All, then checked More Buying Optionsand selected All Items including store InventoryFormat.

I did not check any other options, because thesewould limitthe search results.

To search again with the new advanced options, re-turn to the top of the page and click the Search button. Idecided using only the books title (minus the) wouldprobably best match what a bookseller would use intheir auction title. To the far right of 1 item found for you see the words Save this Search.

(see image next page)


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Click Save This Search. At this point, if you alreadyhave an eBay account, the search is saved. You will re-ceive e-mail whenever this book is offered for sale.

If you dont have an account, you are given the op-tion of registering as a Guest by providing an e-mail ad-dress, or registering as an eBay member now. Now, backto buying the Book of Lists.

About two days later, the seller countered my offer. Ididnt accept the counter. Meanwhile, I had received ane-mail notifying me that another copy of this book was

being offered for auction with a starting price of $7.99. Ibid on it. No one bid against me and a week later, thebook was mine. Total price including shipping via Me-dia Mail -- $10.57.

Caveat: Your results at home may be different. Thiswas the luckiest I have ever been. Remember, booksell-ers use these same techniques to decide on asking prices.But the advantage to the auction format is that sellersoften list low to generate interest. If there isnt muchcompetition, you can win the item and you wont everpay more than you want to.

By using these tips and tricks for finding and buying books, you can comfortably search for what you wantand complete the transaction without ever leaving yourdesk chair. And with some patience and a measure ofluck, you may be able to find items such as out-of-printgardening books and still have money left over to buyplants and seeds.

Book ReviewSharon Tyler, MG04

Why would anyone grow his or her own strawberriein an area like ours where it is so easy and inexpensive t

buy wonderful fresh strawberries? Even organicagrown strawberries are abundantly available. One of threwards is the unbeatable taste of picking a red rip

beauty and popping it directly into your mouth. You caalso experience this if you go to a Pick yourself fieland are not worried about the cleanliness of the fruit.

Another reward is the fun of sharing the total growinexperience, from planting and watering to harvestingwith your grandchildren. My grandchildren live iColorado, and when they visit us, they love going intour back yard for the easy access to the strawberr

boxes. When they help me pick, not as many strawbe

ries make it into the kitchen!For the best advice on growing strawberries, dig int

this book! This book is targeted mainly at commerciastrawberry growers and covers every aspect of growinstrawberries in large acreage in detail. However,

bought it for my gardening library to help me with msmall strawberry patch.

The first 142 pages cover managing strawberry cropin vast commercial fields. Notably, the chapter oManaging Strawberry Pests in the Home Garden completely devoted to strawberry cultivation by non

commercial interests.In the pages for commercial growth, a lot of time an

space is devoted to which management techniques applto short-day strawberries and which to day-neutral varieties. In addition, extreme detail is provided for identifying insect pests, and control for the pests.

Each step of strawberry production is re-stated in appropriate scale for the home garden. To summarize, fothe home gardener the recommendations include common pre-planting steps:

Integrated PestManagement forSTRAWBERRIES

2nd ed., U.C.Division of Agriculture and

Natural Resources 2008Publication 3351

Cypress silhouettes against the morning sky, Santa Cruz.

Photo by Christina Kriedt.


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choosing a suitable location (sunny, well-drained, noover head sprinkling)

appropriate cultivar and planting date for yourlocation

use raised beds or planter boxes with properlyprepared soil

space plants for good air circulationset up irrigation system

After the preparation steps:

use mulch to keep plants from touching the soil

remove runners to encourage more crowns rather thandaughter plants

remove old and diseased tissue, including fruit

replace plants after 2 or 3 seasonsrotate crops in planting beds

By following the above steps, pests will be less of aproblem. However, if pests should be encountered, it isvital to identify them carefully, and always use the leasttoxic control method. Check the website:www.ipm.ucdav i s . edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/

strawberries.htmlfor the latest pest control information.

For anyone interested in growing strawberries, thisbook covers it all. Enjoy!

\

EpollsCompiled by Sharon Ettinger, MG00

How much maintenance is required

to care for your

drought tolerant garden?

Barbara Gordon, MG98I actually have several drought tolerant areas but find

that I water a couple of them on a weekly basis, usedrip irrigation on a hillside and water every two weeks tomonthly for others. Plants do look better with more wa-ter. My succulents are all in pots and I water themmonthly, which is really inadequate for best growth andlooks.

Claudia Boulton, MG99It varies from season to season. In spring I do clean-

up, shaping, move plants if needed and replace thingthat are not thriving. I also flush all my drip lines ancheck for leaks and broken emitters. In summer I montor the watering carefully. Even though I have 2 automatic drip systems, I never just turn them on and forgeabout them. I use a hand-held water meter to check thmoisture on certain "indicator" plants (the ones I know

will dry out first.) When needed, I set that zone for long watering (40-60 minutes - remember these are drior micro-sprayers) for just that zone. I then know thathat particular zone will be good for at least 2 weekunless we have a heat wave. In fall I cut back summeperennials so that I can mulch around them, cut bacrangy shrubs, clean out any annuals and put the gardeto bed for the winter. In late January I prune the roseand start thinking about the next year's new additions. Iit weren't for the many plants in pots that need more atention, this would average less than an hour a weeyear round.

Sharon Tyler, MG04Once established, the drought tolerant plants do wel

even when the drip irrigation gets clogged. Some othem, like Toyon and Monkey Flower, need pruning tkeep them looking well. Overall, it depends on the plan

but mostly the drought tolerant plants take much lemaintenance.

Bonnie Pond, MG00I have some areas that are never maintained othe

than weeding, cutting back and separating plants thaoutgrow their location or get too woody. I find that o

many of the woody salvias, cutting back to new growtrenews the plant. An application of new mulch helps tkeep down weeds and maintain moisture.

Denise Weatherwax, MG08Overall, my garden requires very little maintenance

I'd say the bulk of work consists of 8-10 days total oweeding (especially oxalis) in the late winter and springmostly during and just after the rainy season ends. Otherwise, there is periodic weeding (1-2 hours per weekuntil mid-summer, then not much until the rain startagain in earnest. (All bets on amount of work are off,

one decides to enter a garden contest and tour

During fall and winter, the primary task is pruninand cutting back dormant or non-blooming plants, or thlarge ones that get knocked down and shredded by winter storms and pruning my 3 fruit tree

Otherwise, I replace plants occasionally and add few new plants as desired seasonally. I add mulch aneeded. Really, my garden is not much work. This is onif the reasons I was initially attracted to the idea odrought-tolerant gardening several years ago.


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Do you have a lawn substitute

(such as Dymondia).

Would you recommend it and why?

Paula Anthony, MG06Where I use to have lawn, I now have several types of

thyme growing between flagstone. Except for the gopher

and mole problems, I really like the way it looks. Itblooms almost continuously and traffics well. It doesn'ttake much water and I trim it about once a month in thesummer.

Sharon Tyler, MG04I have used Dymondia in our horseshoe court. It

squeezes out weeds, has pretty yellow flowers and attrac-tive gray to green foliage. It likes water, but lots less thanlawns. It takes traffic well. It is very low to the ground.What's not to like!

Tom Davis, MG01We live in the east foothills of Santa Cruz and keep-

ing a lawn green and looking good would be a highmaintenance project. So we put in woolly thyme (I thinkit was T. lanuginosus). In the first few years it looked alittle spotty but once established it did very well. Theplus to this plant is it attracts bees and butterflies andexcept in the dead of winter, blooms constantly and re-quires no maintenance.

Kari Olsen, MG06My gardening passion is to use ornamental grasses in

the landscape, particularly California natives whenever

possible. Because I have so little planting space of myown, Ive not had the opportunity to experiment withthe native grasses I recommend below, but in both casesI have seen them successfully used as alternatives to atraditional turf grass lawn. All three are also included inthe Soquel Creek Water Districts list of water-wisegrasses for turf.

Creeping Red Fescue (Festuca rubra)F. rubra is an excellent lawn substitute among Califor-

nia native grasses. It serves admirably as a multi-uselawn and achieves the soothing visual effect of an ex-panse of cool green grass. It is a cool season perennial

bunchgrass that spreads over time by short rhizomes.The foliage is green or blue-green and reaches 1-2 feethigh if left to grow naturally. It establishes relatively rap-idly in sun to part shade and can be kept evergreenthroughout the summer depending on water availabilityand site situation. Once established it is drought resis-tant, needing only low to moderate water, a much lowerwater requirement compared to traditional turf grasses.F. rubra tolerates heat and cold but is best adapted to thecool summers of the coastal regions.

F. rubra tolerates some wear but prefers not to be in a

high traffic zone. It can be maintained as a naturalistimounding lawn or can be mowed to two inches one ttwo times per year. Fine foliage and a soft moundinhabit make this grass an ideal candidate as a lawn substtute. A wildlife habitat bonus, F. rubra is also a larva

host for Dodges skipper butterfly along the coast.

June Grass (Koeleria macrantha Barkoel) mixed with

Clustered Field Sedge (Carex praegracilis)

There is some debate over whether mixing warm andcool season grasses is advisable when creating meadowsand lawns but I have seen it successfully done in coastalconditions with low to moderate irrigation using the fol-lowing two California native grasses.

Clustered Field Grass (Carex praegracilis)

This spreading warm season California native sedgis an ideal choice for those looking for a more durablnative lawn substitute. C. praegracilis smooth glossgreen foliage tolerates occasional mowing, withstandmoderate foot traffic, and requires much less water thatypical lawn grasses. It can be planted in full sun alonthe coast and would prefer partial shade inland witmoderate water every two or three weeks in warmweather.

June Grass (Koeleria macrantha Barkoel)

A low growing cool season perennial bunch grass, Kmacrantha spreads slowly by rhizomes making it a watewise, low maintenance lawn substitute. Its fine texture

blue-green foliage grows to 18 inches. The cultivBarkoel was developed specifically for use as a low water turf grass and can be mown to three inches. Low tmoderate irrigation will shorten its summer dormancy imany situations. K. macrantha tolerates hot, dry condtions and rocky or sandy soils which make it a goochoice for difficult situations such as slopes.

Festuca rubra. Photo by Kari Olsen.


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Additional Resources

1. An online Sunsetarticle with information on creating a"no mow" lawn using hair grass (Deschampsia cespitosaholciformis) www.sunset.com/sunset/garden/

article/0,20633,1839151,00.htmlCheck it out. Theres a photo, instructions and list ofsuitable grasses.

2. Grass plug trays are coming soon to Native RevivalNursery in Aptos.Look for their new line of lawn replacement options in-cluding biodegradable peat plug trays, complete witheveryones favorite native grasses, Festucarubra and Carexpansa. Call to place your order. Plugs are a two inch sizeand can be planted directly into the ground. Each trayholds 72 plugs.www.nativerevival.com/news.htm

3. Soquel Creek Water District's turf replacement credit.Replace existing high water use lawn with low-water usegrass or plants and receive $2 per square foot of turf re-placed. Pre- and post-installation surveys are required toqualify for this rebate. Call 831-475-8501 ext. 146 toschedule a site visit. www.soquelcreekwater.com/Rebate_Grass.htm

Common water-wise turf substitutes (list includes VERYdetailed descriptions of each grass and a couple photos)

www.soquelcreekwater.com/Rebate_Grass_List.htm

Monarch Butterflies andGM Seeds: Where Has A

the Milkweed Gone?Kathleen Sonntag, MG 06

Its all connected. We hear this time and timagain. Migrating monarch butterflies that used to arrivin very large numbers on the Central Coast are showinup in much smaller numbers. Historical documents suggest that hundreds of thousands of monarchs descendeon Pacific Groves sanctuary as late as the 1980(Jessica Griffiths, a biologist with the Monarch Alemonitoring project.). But since 1997, the number omonarchs surveyed there has varied from 4,700 t45,000. Last years count was 8,100 and this year 18,00were counted.

We immediately think of habitat loss as the source othis decline in Monarch population. Milkweed is thonly plant where Monarchs lay their eggs and is the foo

source for the larvae that hatch in only 4-5 days to begitheir rapid transformation from pupa to chrysalis to buterfly.

Milkweed thrives in the Central Valleys hot dry summers. Herbicide used to control its growth along roadsides where milkweed had been a common species hareduced food sources for the butterflies at a point in thmigration where nutrition is critical. But there is more tit than that. Farmers using genetically modified seed thacontains herbicides that prevent the growth of milkweeare an even greater threat.

Perhaps the increase in organic farming and awareness of this connection between weed eradication anMonarch butterfly habitat loss will lead to a changeFingers crossed.

Koeleria and Carex. Photo by Kari Olsen.

Orchids at Maplethorpe Orchids, Soquel. Photos by C. Kriedt


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Drought tolerant (DT) plants are so varied that a de-tailed discussion of maintenance requirements is impos-sible here. Future articles will focus on the particularneeds of specific DT plant groups. That being said, theinformation provided this time should start you off onthe right track. But be patient. Allow two years toachieve a truly drought tolerant garden. It usually takesthat long and sometimes longer, depending on exposureand other factors, for a DT plant to establish itself.

WateringThe source of many (if not most) problems in the DT

garden can be traced to watering issues chiefly because itis impossible to provide a solid set of watering guide-lines. DT plants vary in their requirements just like allplants do. Further complicating How much water doesthis plant need? is the dramatic range of summer condi-tions in our area. Thus, the response to the question will

be another question: Where are you planting it? Thehot, dry summer conditions along Summit Road and thecool, foggy summer conditions of the Monterey Penin-sula require different answers. Even the expert informa-tion from our local reference books and nurseries arentconsistently the same. There are simply too many vari-ables to allow for simple generalizations, which is why itis helpful for us gardeners to have some understanding ofthe factors involved when pondering when and howmuch to water the DT garden.

What is it that makes a plant DT? Even that question brings up a range of answers. Some plants are DT be-cause while they do require periodic summer water, theyrequire much less than a comparable traditional gar-den. For example, an established DT grass variety needsonly about one quarter as much water as a classic lawngrass species, according to the Soquel Water District.This is an example of plants earning the DT label be-

cause they are relatively drought tolerant in relation toother similar plants. Others are considered DT becausethey require very little or no supplemental water beyondnormal winter rainsthese plants have evolved in areaswith rainy seasons and dry seasons. Many of these plantscome from Mediterranean climates.

Many DT plantsMimulus, for examplehaveevolved summer dormancy as a strategy to survivedrought but will remain evergreen if given water year-round. These are plants that naturally occur in moistersituations such as alongside streams or in redwood for-ests. Others like Ceanothus can be stressed by summer

water, potentially shortening the plants lifespan anmaking it more susceptible to pest infestations and dieases. For the cacti and others, it can even be lethal. Stimore require a period of summer dormancy in order tcomplete their yearly life cycle with water disrupting thnatural process. Thus, it pays to do a little research whechoosing drought tolerant plants to determine which re

quires what.Because DT plants vary considerably in how muc

and how often they need water, simplify irrigation bgrouping plants with similar water requirements together; this method maximizes water usage by applyinmore water to thirsty plants and less to plants tolerant odrier conditions. It also ensures that plants resentinsummer water will not be over-watered.

During drought years, irrigate your DT plants thoroughly during what would normally be the rainy seasonWhen summer watering is necessary, particularly i

years like 2008 when winter rains ended very early, water slowly, deeply, and as infrequently as possible. Slowwatering ensures deep penetration into the ground whilinfrequent watering allows the soil to dry out. As throots are forced to follow the moisture down deeper andeeper into the earth, plants establish increasingly extensive root systems. Always water in the early morning possible. This saves water and allows foliage and crownto dry out as quickly as possible to avoid fungal and/o

bacterial or viral infection.

A word about the merits of drip irrigation for the DTgarden: drip irrigation ensures that ninety percent of th

water you apply to the garden is actually available to thplants. Drip delivers water directly to roots, drip minmizes evaporation loss, ensures that the water you applto your garden is put where it is needed, and keeps area

between plants on the dry side limiting weed growtOne caveat is in order, however. If you are planting DTvarieties that will establish within two years so that theno longer need your help to survive, you might want tsave yourself the expense and labor of installing irrigation and just hand water until then.

Check the moisture of your soil before watering an

do not water if the soil is moist at root level even if thsoil surface is dry. When in doubt, do not water. However, regularly check the moisture in the root balls onewly installed plants as well as the soil around themBoth should be moist in order to encourage root growtfrom the root ball into the surrounding soil. If a planlooks wilted, check the soil in the root zone as wiltindoes not necessarily mean the plant needs water. If thsoil is dry, water the plant. If it is moist, do not water athis could be an indicator of root or crown rot.

Keep in mind that repeated cycles of watering andrying can cause soils to develop a crusty top laye

TheDroughtTolerantGardenPart Three:

Maintenance OverviewKari Olsen and Sue Tarjan, MGs06


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which sheds water rather than allowing it to percolatedown to the root zone. Gently roughing up this layerwith a fork or small trowel breaks up the crust and/orkeeps it from forming. Mulch will also help prevent thislayer from forming.

Soil Amendments and Fertilizer

If youve selected DT plants adapted to your soil con-ditions, usually no amendments are necessary. Unfortu-nately, many of us are working with urban soils thathave been damaged by construction, with the native soilstructure altered by compaction and imported fill. Com-pacted and depleted urban soils benefit from amend-ments that add nutrients, improve the soils texture andwater holding capacity, and, most importantly, drainage.While many DT plants are naturally adapted to poorsoils and even dislike nutrient-rich conditions, gooddrainage is required. Whatever soil you have, keep soildisturbance to a minimum to avoid additional compac-

tion and unearthing the buried weed seed bank. Amend-ments are best applied during the winter when the soil ismost accessible. Rake aside last seasons mulch, lightlycultivate the organic matter into the soil, and re-cover itwith the old mulch, topped by a new mulch layer.

DT plants need less fertilizer than conventional gar-den plants, and, in fact, many Mediterranean plants andCA natives resent its use and become stressed orharmed. For example, a flush of fertilizer-instigatedgrowth in the summer can lead to severe drought stress ifthe weather turns hot and/or windy. Remember that na-

tives produce most of their growth in spring and earlysummer during and just after the rainy season when soilsare still moist. Fertilizer can also burn plants and disruptthe naturally occurring beneficial organisms in the soil.In the DT garden, the overuse of fertilizer leads to moreand healthierweeds, so use it sparingly or not at all.

Mulch

Mulch is one of the best things you can give your gar-den. A thick layer of mulch conserves moisture in thesoil, reduces water loss through evaporation, and pro-tects the plant root zone from extreme temperatures.

Mulch is an excellent weed suppressant, prevents the topof the soil from crusting over, aids in long-term soil

building, and minimizes soil compaction and runoff. Themost effective mulches contain a variety of particle sizesfrom coarse to fine, but your garden will benefit fromany type of mulch. Good choices of organic mulch in-clude wood chips, shredded bark, lawn clippings, andstraw. While mulch is not an amendment, it will ulti-mately decompose and slowly enrich the soil.

Determining the amount of mulch you need is easywith the mulch calculators available online. Just inputthe square footage you want to cover and the desired

depth, and the math is done for you. Unlike water anfertilizer, its almost impossible to overdo mulchingThe only concern is to avoid mounding up mulcaround tree trunks and keep it away from plant crownto reduce the chance of crown rot. Always spread a thiclayer of mulch (24 inches) around newly installeplants.

Problem Solving: Cultural Considerations

Monitor DT plants carefully during their first seasonIf the plant doesnt seem to be thriving with no obviousign of disease or pest damage, reconsider its culturarequirements. Sickly plants that lean or droop with legggrowth or none at all are trying to tell you somethingWith DT plants, one likely culprit is too much shadeShade and lack of air movement tend to encourage fungus. Trim back overhanging branches or transplant to sunnier spotmost handle transplanting well wheyoung.

Another common mistake is to plant too low in thground so that water can puddle around roots. DT planshould be planted high enough that the crown stays drand sited so that they arent at the bottom of a slope or ia winter rains drainage area. And watch out for tomuch mulch around DT plants in the winter. Cooletemperatures and rain are your cues to tidy up arountheir trunkspush excess mulch at least four incheaway from trunks. If rains are heavy and prolonged iyour area, you might want to use pea gravel instead owood chips around your DT plants to promote drainagand air circulation.

Most DT plants do best planted early in the rainy season but may need a little protection from frost and severwind their first winter. If a particular plant is on the delcate side, plant it in the spring when frost danger is passo it can establish before winter storms.

Problem Solving: Pests and Disease

Providing the proper environment for your DT planthrough cultural practices will go a long way toward preventing disease and invertebrate pest infestations. Ensuing sufficient sun or sun protection, dry crown with ade

quate air circulation around the plant, and correct wateing usually do the trick. While you must water througthe first summer, be sure not to overwater. To discourage disease, water only when soil dries out around throot ball. Be especially careful with manzanitas and Fremontias and cacti. To be on the safe side, dont watethem at all after the first summer.

When it comes to vertebrate pests, just accept thathey may be too clever for you if the plant is unfenceand in the ground, even planted in a gopher cage. Yohave to decide how much effort you want to expend oplants that are as irresistible to the pests as they are t


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you. For example, much as I love them, Channel Islandnatives like my favorite tree mallow, Lavatera assurgenti-flora, are beyond my power to protect unless theyre in

sturdy, tall containers behind a substantial fence.

Deer can lead you to despair. Many plants in thenursery trade are termed deer resistant (nothing isdeer proof), which generally means deer would prefer

to eat other plants, but they will try almost anythingonce. Fortunately, however, some DT plants have anatural advantage: deer generally dislike plants withstrong smells, fuzzy leaves, and grey foliagecharacteristic of many DT plants. Additionally, DTplants foliage has a lower water content that also makesthem less appealing. During drought years, deer arelooking for water more than foliage.

If you have regular deer visitors be sure to protectnew plantings until they are established, even thoselisted as deer resistant. Small plants are vulnerable:

the deer dont browse them; they eat the whole plant.Plants fresh from the nursery also offer luscious, tenderfoliage which makes them extra yummy. If you chose toplant deer candy, protect them accordingly with fenc-ing or netting cages until they are sizable enough towithstand nibbling without damaging the plant beyondrecovery. Products such as Liquid Fence, while stinky,can be effective but not 100% of the time; some plantsare just too enticing. If all else fails, the Web is an un-ending source of creative and downright wacky ideas fordiscouraging raiding deer.

Gophers are the worst. For raised bed planting areas,line the entire bed with heavy gauge chicken wire in-cluding up the sides. In larger planting areas protect in-dividual plants with gopher baskets. Be sure to use bas-kets with sufficient room for root growth, e.g. 1 gallonplant = 3 gallon basket. Allow the sides of the basket toextend above the ground at least four inches to helpkeep gophers from using an overland route to yourplant. Contrary to what you might think, flooding go-pher holes accomplishes nothing but wasting water; go-pher tunnel networks are extensive and constructed withmultiple escape routes. Trapping is much more effective.If you are squeamish about using this control method,professional services are available in our area (e.g., Go-phers Limited.) Poison is not a responsible option. Evenif you put the poison far down into their holes, poisonedgophers are easy prey for your (or your neighbors') catsand dogs. The risk is too great to take.

Voles, also called meadow mice, are small rodentscommon in the Western United States. Unlike whitefooted mice (deer mice), house mice, kangaroo rats, andtrue rats, voles can cause considerable damage in yourgarden. They devour seedlings and ground coversand gnaw tree bark, sometimes girdling small trees. To

discourage them, remove potential nesting sites bycleaning up brush and debris, particularly near woodedareas. Dont mulch all the way up to the base of treesand shrubs, and wrap the trunks of young plants in finewire mesh until they grow to several inches in diameterCats, dogs, and mousetraps also help!

Inevitably, accept the fact that some plants, almost

invariably your favorites, will succumb, but dont justyank them out in disgust. Exhume and inspect forcauses: does a closer look at the roots reveal somethingyou couldnt see from aboveground? Are the rootschewed through? Is there a subterranean ant colony, forexample? If the plant variety is a favorite, its worth theeffort to try to figure out how it died, so the next onewill thrive. Before tearing your hair out in frustrationhowever, keep in mind that some are just weaker thanothers. If youve done everything right, it just could bethat particular plants problem. And be aware that someperennials with short lifespanspenstemons come to

mindmight be better treated as annuals because second and subsequent seasons may bring disappointinggrowth.

Pruning

Generally speaking, DT plants require very littlepruning, so a light hand is best. As always, know yourplants. Be sure before you start cutting what season isthe best time to prune and how specific plants will re-spond to pruning or shearing. Trees and shrubs are bestpruned for shaping when they are young especially ifyou desire a particular growth pattern.

Some DTs, like Mimulusand Epilobium, benefit fromperiodically being cut nearly to the ground at the end ofthe dry season. While this seems like a drastic measureit can rejuvenate the plant and extend its lifespan as welas promote a flush of fresh foliage. Others plants benefitfrom a light shearing of new growth after flowering tomaintain a full or compact shape.

If a tree or shrub canopy becomes too dense, it canprevent sufficient light from getting to understory plant-ings; a careful judicious thinning can eliminate thissituation. Selective pruning can also reveal a plants at-tractive trunk/branching structure.Cutting back many

perennials halfway through the growing season can pro-duce a second flowering. Grasses also benefit from anannual late winter haircut to promote fresh springgrowth.

Conclusion

Well, not reallythis is just the beginning! Look for-ward to coming articles with more in-depth informationon DT plants from the Mediterranean, Australia, ourown beloved state of California, and elsewhere aroundthe world. Perhaps youd like to suggest DT plantgroups youd particularly like to see featured?


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Selected Resources on the Web

California Native Plant Society: www.cnps.orgLas Pilitas Nursery: laspilitas.com/garden/Drought_resistant_plants_for_a_bay_area_garden.htmlRancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden: www.rsabg.org/Theodore Payne Foundation: www.theodorepayne.orgUC Berkeley Botanic Garden: botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu

Essential Resources for Designing and Planting a

Drought Tolerant GardenCalifornia Native Plants for the Garden. Carol Bornstein,

David Fross, Bart OBrien. Cachuma Press, 2005.Designing California Native Gardens: The Plant Community

Approach to Artful, Ecological Gardens. Glen Keator andAlrie Middlebrook. University of California Press, 2007.

Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates of the SanFrancisco Bay Area Region. Nora Harlow. East BayMunicipal Utility District (EBMUD), 2004.

Sunset Western Garden Book. Kathleen Norris Brenzel, ed.Sunset Publishing Corporation, multiple editions.

Sunset Western Landscaping Book. Kathleen Norris Brenzel,ed. Sunset Publishing Corporation, multiple editions.

Tarjan, Sue, MG06. Checking Up on the Farms PerennialBorder. News & Notes of the UCSC Farm and Garden,Issue 118, Summer 2008.

http://casfs.ucsc.edu/publications/news%20and%20notes/Summer_08_N&N.pdf

Relevant InternetMiscellany

Christina Kriedt, MG06Searching for info about potatoes, I came across

www.humeseeds.com/potato.htm. I sent an email to the siteowner asking if I can quote him. His reply was sounexpected. Of course, he said I can use theinformation; but, more interestingly, it turns out that EdHume graduated in the very first Master Gardener classin Seattle maybe 34 years ago. Now he is a localgardening celebrity; he has received numerous awards,has written several books, lectures all over Washingtonand Oregon states, has a weekly Ask the Expert radioshow and sells seeds online at www.humeseeds.com/pricepic.htm. Although his website focuses on theNorthwest, there is a great deal of relevant informationfor any gardener. In his email he said he appreciates allthe wonderful things that MGs do. Back to you, Ed!

Wintering Cymbidiums: Optimum temperatures inwinter are 45 to 55 F at night and 65 to 75 F during theday. When plants are in bud, temperatures must be asconstant as possible, between 55 and 75 F. Miniaturescan stand temperatures five to 10 degrees higher thanstandards and still flower. Most cymbidiums cantolerate light frosts and survive, but this is notrecommended. Bring them inside when temperaturesdip to 40 F. In mild climates, they can be grown outsideyear round. A bright and cool location inside is best forwinter months. www.flos.org/CultureSheets/cymbidium2.pdf

More on SanvitaliaClaudia Boulton, MG99

I purchased two 6-packs of different yellow daisy-likeplants about three years ago as part of my companionplanting experiment (daisy-like flowers attract

beneficials). The larger of the two (label now lost) was a

perennial; the other was Sanvitalia procumbens 'AztecGold, an annual. The plant with no label still came

back this year, but reluctantly, and was late to emergeneeds more water and gets leggy. But the Sanvitalia hascome back vigorously and beautifully, spreading gentlyaround my roses and into two adjacent beds. I potted upsome extras last year for the plant sale and, if it comes

back as before, I'll probably be able to make at least 6more pots and still have all I want! Pretty good for anannual! (See the last issue of Gardening on the Edge formore information about Sanvitalia.)

This 3.5 foot wide planting of Sanvitalia has been bl

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

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