SIR’S BRANCH #1 GARDENING GROUP
MARCH IN YOUR GARDEN
Table of contents 2/25/10
Check and review sections in which you are interested
Page # Purchase & plant
1 Table of Contents
2 1 BARE-ROOT PLANTS-Final Call: you aren’t too late: bare-root roses, apples, pears,
peaches, nectarines, apricots, flowering deciduous trees such as flowering cherry and
other deciduous plants like grapes, cane berries, currants, strawberries, iris, lilacs and
Wisteria that you plan to Incorporate into your garden.
2 CONTAINER PLANTS, usually not available in our area as bare-root: Citrus, camellias,
azaleas and rhododendrons
3 3 Camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons, select now while in bloom to observe colors,
flower types, sizes, etc, even those that are fragrant.
4 BEFORE PLANTING- amend soil-sandy (fast draining) or heavy clay soil (poor drainage)
consider double digging.
5 SPRING AND SUMMER ANNUALS-seed or use 6-packs.
4 6 PERENNIALS
7 PLANTS-started from seed.
8 BUBLIKE PLANTS: amaryllis, calla lilies, cannas, crocosmias, dahlias, gladiolus and
Oriental lilies.
9 EVERGREEN VINES
10 GROUNDCOVERS
11 VEGETABLES
5 12 HOUSEPLANTS: foliage and flowering plants, light, moisture and pH
WINTER/SPRING JOBS
13 LAWNS-seeded and sodded
14 PRUNE-last call- If you haven’t pruned your roses, deciduous fruit & nut trees do it
now.
6 15 Divide perennials
16 Transplanting evergreens-non deciduous plants
17 FERTILIZE: A. lawns,
B. roses-controlled release fertilizers, systemic insecticides,
seedicides, alfalfa pellets and mulch,
7 C. Azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons,
D. Citrus
E. Soggy soils
18 Foliar applied fertilizers such as -Miracle-Gro
19 SPRAY-deciduous fruit trees. A. peach leaf curl,
8 B. brown rot, C. aphids, D. scale
Insects, E. spittle bugs, F. codling moths-apples, pears,
20. PEARS-fire blight
21. SNAILS & SLUGS
9 22. EARWIGS
23. WEEDS
24. FROST
25. PROPAGATION: make cuttings from annuals and perennials
26. IRRIGATION: now is a good time to check your irrigation system
27. AMERICA’S NUMBER ONE BEDDING PLANT: Impatiens wallerana
SIR’S BRANCH #1 GARDEN GROUP
MARCH IN YOUR GARDEN Revised 2/16/10
Use a highlighter on things you want and need to do.
Planning for 2010--Uncompleted Winter Jobs and Those Yet to Do.
I have chosen to leave references to older publications in this revised version, and most articles referred to I have on file. These are usually articles that I filed prior to having the capability of scanning them into my computer. If you would like a specific one; I will photocopy it.
I refer to OSH-Orchard Supply and Hardware frequently, because it is the most convenient garden supply source for me, and which I frequently visit for other supplies.
Also, remember your own successful experiences with plants may differ from those which I share in the following pages from my literature research, my experience and yours. There are many factors that determine the well being of individual plants, and in most cases they can account for differences in experiences.
PURCHASE & PLANT
1. BARE-ROOT PLANTS (emphasis on roses)- If you haven’t purchased them you aren’t too late, actually this year they reached the market much later than normal, especially roses. The packaged bare-root roses that I looked over at the Millbrae OSH store appeared very acceptable, but the best roses are those available in regular nurseries like Wegman’s, Carlmont, Roger Reynolds, other nurseries and even in places like Home Depot...I checked the San Bruno Lowe’s store and was very disappointed, they had no roses, bare root or potted. Which at this time have been put into 5 gallon plastic containers with a moist potting mix, because new growth has started. However if you want bare root, they take them out the containers. I usually pay another $5 and take them in the pots. As such, I don’t have to plant them immediately. Also, I am maintaining a potted rose garden outside of the kitchen window in an area that gets a maximum of about 3 hours sunshine in the summer, Here the black plastic pot absorbs the heat from the warm air, and the soil warms up in the pot. One of the main principles of growth of plants is the warm soil in which the plants grow. These roses start growing a month or more before those planted in the soil and in the sun. Also, Fran can enjoy blooming roses 10 months out of th e year from her kitchen window However, those planted in the sun ultimately produce the best roses. The packaged bare root roses that I have observed at places like Orchard Supply and Lowe’s have looked very good. Examine bare-root plants, if they have good shoot growth, make certain the roots are healthy. They should be plentiful and well formed, (not 4-6 inch stubs) and should not look dry. Avoid black and slimy or spongy roots. (If only one or two small end sections appear damaged, they can be trimmed off without affecting the plant’s health). They should be planted immediately. These includes deciduous fruit trees, flowering deciduous trees such as flowering cherry and other deciduous plants like grapes, cane berries, currants, strawberries, iris, lilacs and Wisteria that you plan to incorporate into your garden. Also, there are still satisfactory bare-root vegetable plants; artichoke, asparagus, horseradish, and rhubarb. Again, if you see most shoots and roots dry, dead or dying skip them. If only a few bad roots, trim them off before planting. Some nurseries such as Regan’s in Fremont will order certain bare-root plants for you. Actually they are a good source for roses all year long. I find that I get better roses from Regan’s than I do from Jackson-Perkins in Medford, Oregon.
2. CONTAINER PLANTS, usually not available in our area as bare-root: Citrus-young trees in 5 gallon containers will usually establish faster and develop better than those larger trees in larger containers. Of all the perennial fruits, citrus requires the minimum care, and usually are not bothered by deer, squirrels and other animals that like fruit. I would suggest you try some of the new dwarf citrus on Flying Dragon rootstock, which are Dwarf Lisbon lemon, Dwarf Melogold, a grapefruit-pummelo hybrid, Dwarf Mid-Knight Valencia orange, Dwarf Washington navel orange, or Dwarf Star Ruby grapefruit, each which require less summer heat to ripen. Also, if you like tangerine type citrus, you should try a Dwarf mandarin orange. After tasting fruit samples, we just purchased a sweet Golden Nugget mandarin from Robert Reynolds Nursery in Menlo Park. The March Sunset also recommends that specific Mandarin orange as well as the citrus propagator-Four Winds Grower. John Chiapelone gave me some interesting history of the Four Winds. Back in about the 60’s, the citrus industry in Southern California had a disease outbreak of Tristaia? that resulted in a quarantine of all Southern California citrus nursery production, which would not allow movement of citrus nursery plants into Northern California. This resulted in Four Winds becoming the exclusive citrus nursery producer in Northern California, and which appears to be a very good nursery.. Our dwarf Washington navel orange produces about 40-50 sweet and delicious fruit each year. Our accumulated annual temperature is cooler than in the usual commercial production areas and can be marginal for several of the standard varieties of citrus, particularly reduced sweetness in a cool year. In any case, it would be well to check with a reputable local nurseryman, and inquire as to species and varieties that are best in your area. Again, selecting plants in small containers is usually preferable to those that have been transplanted several times, because as they grow they are continually being planted into larger containers and the longer they are in containers, the poorer the ultimate growth is likely to be. For maximum fruit production, a good fertilization is essential, starting just prior to blooming, with monthly applications up to about June.
3. Camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons. The above principles for citrus are equally applicable to camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons which are usually available in 2 and 5-gallon containers, but there are reasons for purchasing plants in larger containers.
There are many species and varieties, and some have already bloomed and many are in
bloom now. When they are in bloom is usually the best time to select which varieties you
would like in your garden, because there are so many different colors, flower types, sizes,
etc, even those that are fragrant; and as such you can see what they really look like.
Camellias are a favorite of mine, and the selection is almost endless, nearly 500, but most
nurseries have a limited supply of different varieties, unless they specialize in camellias.
One such company is Nuccio’s. Just after Christmas I had the good fortune of being able
to spend an hour with one of the 3 Nuccio’s,. The family has been in business for 75
years, and are both the leading breeders and also produce most, if not all varieties. They
also breed and produce azalea’s. I have their catalogue.. The SF Chronicle, Feb. 16,
2005 had a very good article on the subject. Of the then different species, Camellia
japonica is the most popular and has the greatest number of varieties, followed by C.
reticulata and C.sanqua Then there are hybrids which are crosses between the different
species and represent the next largest group. Other species are C. crysantha, C.
granthamiana, C. hiemalis, C. rusticana, C. saluenensis, C. vernalis, and C. sinesis- the
camellia species from which tea is produced (the leaves are harvested and processed as
either green tea or black tea). Also, there are the Higo camellias which were bred in
Japan 200 years ago, and are probably C. japonica varieties.
4. Before Planting- amend soil-sandy (fast draining) or heavy clay soil (poor drainage) with compost, ground bark, and/or other shredded organic matter to improve soil texture, drainage and water retention. If you use ground bark or another wood product, make sure it has been nitrogen-stabilized (read the label or ask the supplier), or add a nitrogen fertilizer like ammonium sulfate to the mulch at planting time so the mulch doesn’t retard plant growth by using up the available soil nitrogen in the somewhat complex biochemical processes of degradation. Adding sand to clay soils is always advantageous. When practical consider double digging the soil. See me for instructions on ‘double digging’.
5. Spring and summer annuals-seed or use pony 6-packs when available of Ageratum, Alyssum, bachelor buttons (Centaurea cyanus), Calendulas (Calendula officinalis), cinerarias (Senecio hybridus), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Cosmos spp., gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia hirta), Clarkia includes Godetia, Iceland poppies (Papaver nudicaule), Impatiens spp., larkspur (Consolida ambigua), Lobelia spp., marigolds (Tagetes spp.), nasturtiums (Tropaeolum spp.,, Nemesia spp., pansies (Viola wittrockiana), Petunia hybrida , primroses Primula spp., Schizanthus pinnatus, snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus), stocks (Mattihola spp)., sunflowers (Helianthus spp.), sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus), sweet William (Dianthus barbatus), Violas (Viola spp.), and others you may find in your nursery. However, Don Burns warned that some of the above are really spring/summer flowers and you should resist the temptation to plant them now, the best example being impatiens, for which he suggested that you should wait until April.
6. Perennials-Yarrow (Achillea spp.), Alstroemeria, Artemisia spp., Bergenia spp., bleeding
heart (Dicentra spp.), Bougainvillea spp. (after threat of frost is past), Campanula spp,
candytuft (Iberis spp.), columbine (Aquilegia spp.), coral bells (Heuchera sanguinea),
Coreopsis spp, Daphne spp., Delphinium spp, Dianthus spp., which includes carnations
(Dianthus caryophyllus), foxglove (Digitalis spp.), geranium (Pelargonium spp.), Heuchera
spp. (coral bells), marguerite- (Chrysanthemum frutescent), ornamental
oreganos,(Oreganum vulgare), Penstemon spp., poppy (Papaver spp.), wallflowers-
Erysimum cheiri, and violet (Viola spp.).
7. Plants started from seed: It has become apparent that most nurseries do not have flats of 6-packs available for most of the various seedlings we may wish to plant in our gardens. For those transplants not generally available, we should give more consideration to starting our own seedlings by reviewing seeds available in seed racks, mail order suppliers* and some that you may have collected and stored yourself. Fill one of the table-top long plastic greenhouses with moist potting soil in which to sow the seed, and after seeding place in a location where you will remember to spray water as needed to keep the seed moist. I suggest that you try the chop stick method of planting with any plants that have small seed. To do this, you can use 2 saucers. Put the seed in one saucer, and a small amount of water in the other saucer. Dip the tip of a chopstick in the water, and then touch the damp end into the seed. Then dab the tip of the chopstick into one cell of the tray of potting mix about ¼ of an inch deep. You may want to try different potting mixes. Possibly a better system is the one that Don Brozzo used. He used moist vermiculite in a used clear plastic container. With vermiculite, when the seedlings were about an inch or 2 tall, they can easily be removed and potted. With each method, they need to be transplanted 1 or 2 times before planting.
8. Bulblike plants: amaryllis, calla lilies, cannas, crocosmias, dahlias, and gladiolus (I suggest for some, particularly glads, that you plant a new block every 2-4 weeks to have them blooming over a longer period of time). With tigridia, caladium, tuberoses, watsonias and tuberous begonia, it is sometimes best to put then in flats of peat-moss and keep moist until planting in May.
9. Evergreen vines: Carolina jessamine, Hardenbergia violacea, Jasminum polyanthum and Clytostoma callistegiodes. There are brief descriptions in the Sunset Western Garden Book in the Western Plant Encyclopedia section.
10. Groundcovers-now is a good time to establish them, probably the best source for a wide variety of groundcovers in the front section of Sunset Western Garden Book. There are about 4 pages of various groundcover plants. It will show you a small picture of each plant, describe some of the plant’s requirements, and give the page on which it is described in more detail in the main section, designated as the Western Plant Encyclopedia.
11. Vegetables-A. Set out seedlings of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, B. for a continuous crop of beets, carrots, chard, kohlrabi, lettuce, onions, peas, radishes, spinach and turnips, sow seeds successively two weeks apart. They start easily from seed, and are less expensive than transplants. C. Thin any earlier planted seedlings that are 2-3 inches tall, and read the seed packages for spacing. D. Plant potato and Jerusalem artichoke tubers and onion, garlic and shallot sets. Indoors, start seeds of eggplant, pepper, squash, and tomatoes. However, in most cases it is less time consuming if you buy seedlings from your local nursery, if the varieties you want are available.
12. Houseplants (foliage & bloomers): Most indoor foliage plants require a minimum of light and use a minimum amount of water. Those selected for their flowers usually require a considerable amount of diffused light (close to a window) for bloom to occur, but their temperature, and water needs vary a lot. To monitor the amount of light a plant needs, and to check the soil moisture, you might try one of the meters with 2 soil probes (2 prongs) that measure soil moisture, pH, and light. They range from about $6 - $11 at your nurseries. The similar moisture meter that has a single probe and sells for about $5- $8. It usually comes with a long list of house plants and recommends the optimum meter reading range for these. The single probe is much easier to use than the double probe if you are only checking on soil moisture. I would suggest that you use the single probe for moisture, and the double probe use for pH and light. Check the light for plants that are blooming satisfactorily, and compare it with those that aren’t. You will probably have to keep a record of some of these, and do some experimenting. Some publications spell this out rather well. To properly water houseplants, it is wise to select a specific day or days of the week. If you miss that day, do it the next day. Also periodically check with the soil with your soil moisture meter probe, to be certain that you are not under-watering or over-watering. You will find a wide range of recommendations on the frequency for watering. However, in many cases this reflects variations in a plant’s needs, the water-holding capacity of the potting mix, the changing environment of the location within the house or outside (summer, winter, wind, furnace on, etc.)..I found that I couldn’t depend of the feel of the soil to determine soil moisture. Also with meter I could check at 6 inches deep.
WINTER/SPRING JOBS
13. LAWNS: now is a good time to over-seed an established lawn with weak spots, but don’t use a fertilizer with a pre-emergent herbicide, as it will kill the seed. A. Replanting your lawn: It is also a good time to prepare for replanting your lawn, after the rainy period. Again don’t use a fertilizer mix with a pre-emergent herbicide if you seed it. However, a pre-emergent seedicide like Preen is good to apply on soil before you lay sod. It is usually best to use sod for lawns that are on slopes where seed might wash away. If you plan to use sod, it is usually best to have it sodded by a professional specializing in laying sod, because for a good lawn it requires considerable preparation of the soil in depth, before the sod is put down. When I was younger, I preferred the direct seeding method. I have direct seeded many successful lawns. Also, you have a larger selection of lawn grasses to choose from. I also have friends who laid their own sod, and had watering problems. Remember when you sod a lawn without elaborate preparation you can create a stratified soil condition that interferes with water movement from the sod strata into soil strata below it. Professional who lay sod prepare the soil to overcome the stratification effect. There are several reasons to use sod. You can have a lawn immediately, and avoid the problems associated with requiring a detailed water scheduling, to keep it moist and not over watered while the seed were germinating.
14. PRUNE-last call (always have pruning directions on hand): If you haven’t pruned your roses, deciduous fruit & nut trees do it now. Most deciduous fruiting plants should be pruned before the leaf buds begin to swell and leaf out, but a late pruning may be better than no pruning. Remember with apples and pears, it is a good idea to prune back most of last year’s growth. Leave only a few of last year’s long shoot growth, and prune back to about 12 inches of growth. It is especially useful to leave some of last year’s new growth in areas of the tree that need to be ‘filled’ in. Remember you need to continually establish new fruiting spurs. Also, with apples, all of the new tip growth should be pruned off, because it is where the powdery mildew over-winters. Prune flowering peach, plum, etc. after bloom but while faded blooms are still conspicuous. The faded blooms will easily identify the ‘flowering fruit spurs’. Shape them by pruning lightly and thin out where overgrown or branches rub against each other. Camellias like other blooming perennials are best pruned for shape after blooming. Other ornamentals to prune: fuchsias (prune/pinch and remove twiggy growth), geraniums (pelargoniums), hydrangeas. Flowering-vines such as wisteria, shrubs such as lilac and Japanese snowball and shade trees prune after they bloom.
15. DIVIDE PERENNIALS: Summer and fall-blooming perennials such as chrysanthemums, daylilies and coreopsis can be divided now, while they are still semi-dormant. Lift clumps with a spading fork and make a clean cut with a spade or knife. Use the young outer portions of the clumps; discard the older center growth.
16. TRANSPLANTING: most evergreens (plants that don’t drop their leaves during the winter) are usually best transplanted when they are in bloom (usually their most dormant period). Examples of these are azaleas and camellias,
17. FERTILIZE: A. Lawns- Consider using a lawn fertilizer which includes a pre-emergent herbicide. This is to stop crabgrass, annual blue grass, and spurge seedlings from spoiling your lawn. If you don’t have any problems with these weeds, there is no need to use the herbicide. You may choose to apply a regular lawn fertilizer or use a balanced 10:10:10 ( N-nitrogen, P-phosphorus, K-potassium) type of fertilizer once a year, at about 1 lb. per 1000 sq. ft., making it an annual application of P & K. The rest of the year just ammonium sulfate (N) should be adequate. B. Roses: The first 2 weeks of March is a very busy time for the rose grower. Following the recommendations of the experts, I apply a controlled release fertilizer Apex (18-6-12), similar to Osmocote, etc, also a granular systemic insecticide Bayer’s 2 in One, Rose & Flower care, a pre-emergent seedicide Preen, alfalfa pellets, and once every 4-5 years Epson salt. I start by raking away the bark mulch from under the roses. Next with a small hand cultivator, I scratch the upper ¼ -½ inch of surface soil to break up any surface soil compaction. I then spread the controlled release fertilizer around the ‘drip line’ of the bush, followed by the alfalfa pellets, then the systemic insecticide. Next, I apply the pre-emergent seedicide around the entire soil surface, and an occasional application of Epson salt. Then I scratch it in about ¼ inch. Now, I am ready to put back the bark mulch. I always have to add bark mulch and I add enough to make it at least 1-2 inches deep. With 3-4 inches of mulch you can drastically reduce your problems with weeds.
The following are some of the product names and the amounts to apply.
1. With the controlled release fertilizer Apex, use 3/4 cup/bush, or use one of the others.
2. Systemic aphicide (insecticide)-Bayer’s “2-in-1 Systemic Rose & Flower Care, use 1 capful/plant.
3. Pre-emergent seedicide-Preen-I would suggest you purchase their 6 pound container with a spout for shaking and spreading the granules around. Costco previously has had the material in a conventional container at a considerably lower price/pound, and from which you can refill the spreader.
4. alfalfa pellets-usually available in pet stores-2 cups/bush
5. Epson salt, it is usually available in your nursery with directions for use. It is also available in drug stores but without the application rate.
Actually, it isn’t a bad idea for your roses to run out of nitrogen in the fall, because in our area it isn’t cold enough for the roses to go into full dormancy and the lack of new growth is somewhat comparable to dormancy. When your roses have lost their healthy green appearance, they are no longer active in the essential photosynthesis process and this is somewhat comparable to dormancy. .
Bayer’s 2-in-1 Systemic Rose & Flower product if applied in early March should control the aphids, spittle bugs and a few other early season insects. The alfalfa pellets are converted into an alcohol, which cause the plant to produce new ‘basal breaks’ (growth from the base of the rose, but above the bud union) which is needed to periodically replace some of the older less vigorous canes Kathy contends that Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) because of our clay soils need only be applied every 4-5 years or more. The magnesium as a cation is adsorbed to the clay with a very slow release rate, and is readily absorbed by the roots. If you don’t use Osmocote or Apex, you should start with a balanced fertilizer as soon as there is 4-6 inches of new shoot growth, and apply monthly throughout the blooming season. C. Azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons: fertilize with 0-10-10 while blooming, but wait until after bloom to fertilize with a balanced fertilizer. Most recommendations for 0-10-10, (potassium, phosphorous, but without nitrogen) are based on the premise that the application of N will stimulate new vegetative growth, at the expense of flowering. Also at this time the new growth will be very susceptible to frost damage.. In a normal year, we are usually past the killing frosts, but each year seems to be abnormal, and this year thus far has been very abnormal.
D. For citrus it is recommended that a balanced NPK fertilizer, like 10-10-10, be applied xxximmediately following bloom. (Check with John Chiapelone) However, most citrus growers and other fruit growers frequently apply ammonium sulfate (N) at this time. One purpose is to be certain that there is a sufficient N supply for both the new vegetative growth, as well as that needed for blossom retention and fruit development. If we periodically apply a balanced fertilizer, this is probably adequate for us because of our predominantly clay soils.
E. Soggy soils would be expected to have produced a somewhat damaged root system, resulting in yellow leaves, many of which have dropped from otherwise evergreen plants. These same conditions frequently produce an iron or other minor element deficiencies in the leaves of certain plants, again resulting in yellow leaves. These minor element deficiencies should respond to a foliar spray of a fertilizer like Miracle-Gro which contains chelated minor elements. However, some active growth with new leaves is usually needed for maximum effectiveness of the foliar spray. (See Micronutrient Deficiencies of Citrus p8)
17. If you haven’t done so before, now is a good time to apply an all-purpose fertilizer (such as 16-16-16) to the entire garden, not already being fertilized. Fall planted annuals and perennials as well as established trees and shrubs get a boost from fertilizing now. As a general rule- start fertilizing all plants when active growth is evident. Note any precautions for specific plants. Keep in mind that although Osmocote, or its equivalent, is one of the more expensive fertilizers, in many situations it may only need to be applied once a year, and can supply sufficient nutrients during active growth for the entire year. This may make it advisable for use in many situations. Also, there are fertilizer spikes that can be inserted around plants, which may be more convenient with some potted plants, trees, etc, but they are more expensive than the Osmocote type of fertilizer.
18. A water soluble fertilizer like Miracle-Gro, applied as a foliar spray accomplishes several things at this time, 1. It allows foliar uptake when the root system may have been reduced because of periods of saturated soil during the past month or so, 2. Any run-off will still be available to a limited extent for uptake by the roots even though not very efficient, and 3. Foliar absorption is particularly important for iron and certain other minor elements such as zinc, which may be poorly taken up by the roots. Miracle-Gro’s Miracid also contains micronutrients, but I doubt that you need to have both materials on hand. In any case don’t apply foliar sprays when rain is expected, it can wash off the leaves before there has been sufficient absorption by the leaves.
19. SPRAY: deciduous fruit trees with dormant oil, and if disease is a potential, add lime sulfur or copper dormant sprays after pruning, however don’t use dormant oil if buds have swollen. Always check the label directions carefully for usage precautions. A. Peach leaf curl-peaches and nectarines, if you haven’t done it, do so now with lime sulfur, recent studies by UC Berkeley indicated it is superior to most others. A second choice would be a copper spray such as Micro-cop with a ‘sticker’. Spray when the flower buds first display pink color (pink bud stage). This is the most important spray of the season for this disease. B. Brown rot: with wet weather brown rot fungus could be a serious problem with certain fruits like apricots. The same copper spray used for peach leaf curl should be effective. C. Especially watch for aphids on camellias, citrus and roses. However certain aphid species on certain deciduous fruit trees, such as apples and pears can produce deformed leaves similar to that which occurs on citrus. D. Scale insects watch for them on a variety of plants, the presence of ants is usually a good indicator of their presence; the presence of ants also applies to an abundance of aphids and most other sucking insects. E. Spittle bugs with their white foam should start showing up, blast them off with water, and the addition of a little kitchen detergent should help. F. Codling moths-apples, pears: April is normally the beginning of the cover sprays (after bloom) for codling moth, but if you want relatively worm free apples, it’s not too early to start your April planning. Codling moths-traps & control:(traps contain a female pheromone that attracts the males): Hang them in your apple trees to determine the best time to spray. Some suggest that you use two traps per tree for moth control & install before bud break. It can reduce the moth population by luring the males into the trap. However the cost is relatively high and with high populations of moths, they are usually rather ineffective. The University of California has demonstrated this. A single trap would be better used to determine moth flights into your trees, thus indicating when to spray. My entomology text (1951) reports that most eggs are laid 2-6 weeks after apple bloom and hatch in 6-20 days. The worms feed slightly on the leaves but in a few hours crawl to the young apples and chew their way into or enter the fruit, frequently entering by way of the calyx cup at the blossom end. One University of California recommendation was to spray when 90% of the petals have fallen, or when traps indicate post-bloom moth activity. Note egg hatch occurs 6-20 days after the eggs are laid. The 2nd spray is recommended 25 days after the first spray, and the 3d spray in late June. Codling moths on apples and pears over-winter as full grown larvae in cocoons under loose scales of bark on the tree and in the soil or in debris around the base of the tree. A thorough dormant oil spray of the entire tree and soil under it should substantially reduce their numbers. However, keep in mind that the adults of worms are moths (nocturnal-fly at night), and which would be expected to fly in from neighbors close by, especially where your neighbors don’t maintain an effective spray program. If you haven’t already applied a dormant oil spray, do so following your dormant pruning. Dormant spraying should be effective against most insect eggs, scale and mites, over-wintering in various places on the tree. The addition of an insecticide like malathion to a dormant oil usually makes it even more effective. A point on moths and butterflies, which are closely related, is their flight habits. Moths are predominantly nocturnal, meaning they are active at night, when you are not likely to see them. You are aware of moths being attracted to lights at night. Butterflies are active during the daytime. My suggestions for spraying follow: 1st spray-a dormant oil, 2nd spray-at “petal fall” XXX 3rd spray-25 days later. XXXX.. 4th spray-late June, same as the 3rd spray. Follow suggested label rates. The 1st or 2nd of these sprays, should do a good job on the rosy apple aphid.
20. PEARS-“fire blight”: like codling moth, fire blight is even a more serious disease of pears, it is most likely to show up from April to June, and requires vigilance and preparedness. A bacterium is the causal organism for this disease physically transmitted by bees and other pollinators of pears and apples, which unintentionally spread it. Commercial pear growers either spray or dust antibiotics or coppers and these must be applied one or more times during the period of bloom. The disease is systemic and in some strains can eventually kill the tree. This will be covered in more detail in April in Your Garden..
21. SNAILS & SLUGS: As night temperatures rise, they are more active and can quickly devour flowers such as crocus, daffodils, Iceland poppies, pansies and primroses, etc. Apply bait, use stale beer or hand pick at night. Copper tape is available at OSH for snail and slug control. XXX I don’t remember how they specify to use it.
22. EARWIGS: Trapping may be an effective method. Small rolls of newspaper or corrugated cardboard with large corrugations are reported as being very effective. Some suggest these be moistened. Collect the rolls and put them in your garbage can just prior to your weekly garbage pick-up. However my experience suggests that it is probably better to use baits which give good control.
23. WEEDS: With our potential for wet weather ahead, weeds could become a serious problem. Dig out large weeds where possible and lightly cultivate weedy areas around plants. However, one of the pre-emergent weed seed killers like Preen xxxx spread in weed prone areas can save you much of your garden work time (see page 5, 17B-Roses-3). Whenever you put out seedlings, apply around the seedlings, but remember, never apply it where you are going to place seed. The pre-emergent herbicides are seedicides, and don’t distinguish between plant species.
24. FROST: Watch for dry, still nights when it’s clear; monitor weather forecasts. If frost is predicted, move tender container plants such as citrus, cymbidiums, hibiscus and mandevilla beneath overhangs or into the garage. Protect other frost-tender plants in the ground with burlap, cloth or plastic coverings; but avoid the plastic touching the leaves if at all practical. It is usually recommended that the covers be removed during the day. Spray plants with ‘Cloud Cover’, a polymer coating that reduces the plant’s respiration and makes them more tolerant of frost. Mulch: If it is likely to be a hard freeze, insulate the roots by spreading bark or straw on the ground. If frost is likely during the early morning, water the plants in advance. Good soil moisture gives insulation to the root system, and itself retains some heat, and good turgidity within the plant will reduce frost damage. Frost damaged plants: Patience is the key to reviving frostbitten plants. It is best to withhold pruning out the damage until spring. With future frost damage possible, to prune now, also reduces the plant’s ability to survive. Though it may be tempting to trim off dead leaves and stems, it will only encourage new, young growth that won’t survive another winter frost. Wait: Until spring to see if your plants make a comeback, and then trim out the damaged areas. Water: If the ground is not frozen, continue watering the plant. Good soil moisture not only protects the roots, but can radiate some of its heat, which is warmer than the outside air. Again remember, keep your frost susceptible plants well watered because turgid leaves are damaged less, and moist soils can insulate the roots.
25. PROPAGATION: the next two months is usually a time to make cuttings from new tip growth of many of your garden plants, such as chrysanthemums, fuchsias, geraniums and marguerites. Those plants that are very succulent generally don’t require a rooting powder. However, plants like azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons & other woodier plant growth usually do best with a rooting powder. I found that if I scraped a small strip of the bark off of both sides of lower tip of each cutting. I had about 98% success rooting my azalea cuttings using this method and my misting chamber. The woodier cuttings do best using a misting chamber or equivalent and is frequently required for effective propagation. Small plastic containers used indoors to plant various seeds, can usually be used to root your cuttings.
26. IRRIGATION: Now is a good time to check your irrigation system. Check and clean line strainers, check emitters and other outlets to be certain they are functioning properly, and be certain to repair any leaks.
27. AMERICA’S NUMBER-ONE BEDDING PLANT: Impatiens wallerana does everything well and asks little. It’s marvelously adaptable in shaded or semi-shaded landscapes; blooms prolifically from spring to late fall in beds, borders, pots or hanging baskets. Also, it has very few disease or pest problems. However, Don Burns always recommended waiting until April before planting, even though they are now available in many nurseries. J Chiapelone reminded us that the new varieties that Goldsmith Seeds have bred tolerate sun quite well.
A few of my MEETING NOTES of John Chiapelone recommendations
Zinnias- plant as early as early May
Iceland poppies, still not too late to plant
Citrus psyllids a new damaging insect of citrus found on citrus in Southern CA
Thus far this year you should be able to plant tomatoes and parsley
Control snails and slugs-Monterey Lawn & Garden Products, Inc. has a new formulation-Sluggo Plus that control earwigs also. Their products may be found in some of your local nurseries.
A few suggestions of Kathie Guthrie (our rosarian)
Her favorite rose is Nicole
Also, she said that she had found Zygopetalum plants at Trader Joe’s periodically, that appeared to be somewhat similar to Cybidium orchids, but smaller, and fair selection of colors. I was unable to find the species listed in the 2007 edition of Sunset’s Western Garden Book, This suggests that it is a newly introduced plant species for our area. I will look for it every time I go to Trader Joe’s.