Timely Tips for Gardeners

The Crocker Art Museum - Put it on your list of things to do in Sacramento

The Crocker Art Museum is in downtown Sacramento (216 O Street, Sacramento, CA) and is one of many reasons to visit Sacramento (alongside river rafting, the Capitol, the Kings while we still have them, the State Fair, Thanksgiving 10Ks, the Crest Theatre, the River Cats, the Delta King, gold mines, Old Sacramento, lots of trees, amazing wine tasting and the crooked mile at Fairytale Town in William Land Park, among things). 

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Here's the video from our museum visit: http://youtu.be/GlFP4wmhu3I

 

 

Dill Pickles - An Easy, Delicious Recipe

 

Dill Pickles - The Blue Ball Book - Short Method 

Recipe doubled with some adaptations to make 7 quarts.  Use a meat slicer to cut cucumbers 1/4" thick  as "stackers" when fitting in canning jars. 

 

1 cup each sugar and sea salt

2 qt. distilled white vinegar (5% acid)

2 qt. water

2 tbsp. mixed pickling spice

21 plus medium cucumbers (5 - 6 inches long), washed and ends trimmed

garlic (sliced) AND dill flower heads. 

 

Combine the first four ingredients.

Tie spices in a cheesecloth bag.

Add to liquid and simmer 15 minutes.

 

Wash and heat-dry widemouth jars in dishwasher.

Put a head of dill and a slice or more of garlic in each jar.

Pack cucumber slices in hot jars leaving 1/4" headspace.

 

Heat brine to boiling.

Pour over cucumbers in hot jars leaving 1/4" headspace. 

Wipe clean jar rim, tighten lids and caps.

In a pot tall enough for water to come up to top of lids, fill 1/2 way with water

and bring to a boil.

  Place jars in water and adjust so that water is to top of lids.  

Process in hot water bath. Count 15 muniutes from beginning of the water boiling. 

Remove with jar lifting tool.  Cool and watch for lids to cave downward indicating

a firm seal. 

If you decide to use this receipe, you'll want to plan space for and  pick up seed for cucumbers, dill and plant garlic cloves in your garden this spring.

Healthy Gardening,

K. Alan Brizzi 

 

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Lemongrass - Refreshing, delicious cooking herb and gift idea

Lemongrass is a sensual delight in the garden, tea, stir fry, oriental cooking and in candle making. I’ll show you how to use this striking garden perennial to make tea gifts as party favors or “just because” gifts.  It’s quick, easy, and classy. Lemon grass Tea Treats. MVI_4888.AVI  

Since Lemongrass is green and healthy looking most of the year, it can be harvested and used at any time except late January through early March, when it is brown from the frost. If you wish to have some on hand for winter use, in the fall bring a pot of it indoors as a house plant and grow it near a sunny window.

It is extremely easy to start from a clump division from a friend. Nurseries sell it in small pots, which is all you need as it is fast growing and will develop into a large clump in one or two seasons. Use monthly organic feedings and water twice a week with the rest of your vegetable garden. It is not fussy about watering and will withstand a little drought. If it dries out and turns brown in the summer, it will quickly recover with watering. Few pests bother lemongrass. It is a delight to smell in the garden and visitors are easily impressed when you crush some leaf tips in your hand for them.  Visually, it is a nice corner accent and blocks the hose from running over delicate plants when you walk around the corner of the garden to water.  Some gardeners use it in the corners just to protect plants from the hose. Rosemary works well for hose protection, too.

Lemongrass is healthy and tasty. I hope you have a chance to try it in your garden this year.

Happy, Healthy Gardening,

Ken Brizzi

Coles: Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Cauliflower, BroccoFlower , Romanesco, Collards

Growing Cole Crops

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Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale make up a group of cool season vegetables known as cole crops. The word “cole” means stem and has nothing to do with the fact that these vegetables are tolerant to “cold.”

Cole crops are hardy and grow best in the spring and fall. However, growers must take care to avoid extended periods of low temperature before or after transplanting.

Successful production of cole crops is related to how each crop grows and which plant part is eaten. The edible parts of broccoli and cauliflower are the flower heads which are quite sensitive to environmental and nutritional stress. Cabbage and Brussels sprouts produce leafy heads and can withstand greater fluctuations in weather and nutrition.

Growing Conditions

Site Cole crops will tolerate some shade but full sun in winter is always preferable. If garden space or orientation is such that some vegetables will have to be partially shaded, reserve the full-sun area for warm season crops.

Soil A wide range of soils is suitable but fertile, well-drained loams are considered best, especially for early crops. Cole crops will grow better in heavier, cooler soils than warm season crops.

Fertilizer A soil pH in the range of 6.0 to 6.8 is optimum, but a pH maintained on the high side of the range will help control the soil-borne disease called clubroot. Cole crops are heavy feeders and do best in a deep, fertile soil enriched with plenty of organic matter. A soil test will determine deficiencies of major plant nutrients and recommend ways to correct them. Because cole crops can easily become deficient in minor elements, at least part of the fertilizer material should be composted manure or composted vegetable matter to ensure a supply of these nutrients. Of the four crops, cauliflower is the most exacting in soil and fertility requirements.

Planting and Culture

Most growers grow cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts from spring transplants rather than seeding them directly, although fall crops may be seeded directly into the garden in early summer. A quality transplant is a vital key to a successful crop. To prevent premature flower stalk formation, keep the seedlings growing above 60º F. This is particularly true for broccoli and cauliflower. A good transplant is 5 to 6 weeks old, sturdy with good color, and has been hardened off. Older plants or those that have already formed small heads do not yield as well as younger plants. Ensure vigorous growth once plants are set in the garden to prevent the flowering heads of broccoli and cauliflower from “buttoning”. “Buttons” are small, unusable heads borne on small plants stunted by drought, weed competition, or insect damage. A few days of low temperature (35ºF to 50º F) can also cause buttons to develop. While young cabbage plants can withstand very low temperatures (even down to 10º to 15º F for a night or two), broccoli and cauliflower are not nearly so resistant. Do not plant too early!

Space rows 24 to 36 inches apart, setting transplants or thinning seedlings12 inches apart for cabbage and 18 inches for cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

When direct-seeding, plant seed 1/4 inch deep. Conserve seed by grouping 3 to 4 seeds at the desired plant spacing instead of the more traditional system of sowing a continuous row and discarding many seedlings by thinning. Proper spacing is important for maximum crop yield. Adding a soluble starter fertilizer around each plant at the time of transplanting helps get the plant off to a good start. Before filling in the transplant hole add one cup of starter solution made up of 2 tablespoons per gallon of soluble fertilizer such as 16-32-16 or 10-45-15.

Weed Control

Avoid garden areas heavily infested with quackgrass. Hand weeding or hoeing, shallow cultivation and straw or hay mulches will provide excellent control. Black plastic mulch also provides good weed control when crops are established with transplants. An efficient planting pattern is a double row with the plants in a staggered arrangement.

Pest Control

The first line of defense against all insect pests and diseases of cole crops is crop rotation. Do not plant any cole crop in a spot occupied the previous year by another cole family member. Two or three-year rotations are even better. Flea beetles and root maggots can cause serious damage to cole crops, chewing away the roots of young seedlings so they wilt and die. Covering beds or rows with floating row covers of spun-bonded polyester for the first month of more of growth will prevent attacks by both these pests. The larval stages of several different species of moths can also cause serious damage. Row covers left on throughout the growing season, or regular applications of Bt (Bacillus thuriengiensis), a bacterial poison that kills only caterpillars, will control cabbage worms of all species. Clubroot is a soil-borne disease causing stunted plants which wilt even in moist soil. Raise the pH to 7.0 to 7.2 if this disease is a problem. Practice rotation, that is, don’t plant the same crop in the same spot every year. Switch spots where you plant crops.

Harvest

Cabbage Harvest when the head is very firm. Springy heads are not mature.

Cauliflower Harvest heads when they reach a diameter of 5 to 8 inches and before the segments

begin to separate. To get pure white heads, exclude light. If you are not growing a “self-blanching” variety, tie the outer leaves over the developing head with rubber bands or clothespins and keep them tied until harvest. Do not be concerned if some light gets through and discolors the head; the eating quality is not affected.

Broccoli Harvest while the head is still compact and before the small flower buds open up to

show yellow. Head diameter will range from 4 to 8 inches. After this center head is harvested

side shoots (heads) of 2 to 3 inches will develop.

Brussels sprouts Small, cabbage-like sprouts develop along the thick stem, maturing first at the

base of the plant. As the sprouts enlarge, remove the large leaves between the sprouts. Pinch out

the growing tip of the plants in early September to hasten maturity. Harvest the sprouts when

they are firm and before they open up. A light frost or two improves their flavor.

Kale - Harvest kale any time leaves are large enough for intended use. Tender young leaves are

best for salad; older leaves for cooking. Frost improves the flavor of kale.

Storage

Mature cole crops are quite hardy and will withstand several frosts (or even snow) in the fall; therefore, “garden storage” is feasible well into October or November, even later for the hardiest varieties of kale and Brussels sprouts.

Late fall or winter cabbage can be stored for several months if kept in humid conditions as close to freezing as possible. Store only disease-free heads. Remove loose outer leaves and place in containers lined with perforated plastic bags. Pull out the cabbages and hang in a moist cellar, roots and all, or cut heads, remove loose outer leaves and spread one layer deep on shelves or pallets in a moist root cellar. Visit website: ceinfo.unh.eduUNH Cooperative Extension programs and policies are consistent with pertinent Federal and State laws and regulations on non-discrimination regarding age, color, handicap, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veterans status.Fact sheet originally developed by Dr. Otho Wells, former UNH Cooperative Extension Vegetable Specialist, revised 2/01

Dill Pickles - An Easy, Delicious Recipe

 

Dill Pickles - The Blue Ball Book - Short Method 

Recipe doubled with some adaptations to make 7 quarts.  Use a meat slicer to cut cucumbers 1/4" thick  as "stackers" when fitting in canning jars. 

 

1 cup each sugar and sea salt

2 qt. distilled white vinegar (5% acid)

2 qt. water

2 tbsp. mixed pickling spice

21 plus medium cucumbers (5 - 6 inches long), washed and ends trimmed

garlic (sliced) AND dill flower heads. 

 

Combine the first four ingredients.

Tie spices in a cheesecloth bag.

Add to liquid and simmer 15 minutes.

 

Wash and heat-dry widemouth jars in dishwasher.

Put a head of dill and a slice or more of garlic in each jar.

Pack cucumber slices in hot jars leaving 1/4" headspace.

 

Heat brine to boiling.

Pour over cucumbers in hot jars leaving 1/4" headspace. 

Wipe clean jar rim, tighten lids and caps.

In a pot tall enough for water to come up to top of lids, fill 1/2 way with water

and bring to a boil.

  Place jars in water and adjust so that water is to top of lids.  

Process in hot water bath. Count 15 muniutes from beginning of the water boiling. 

Remove with jar lifting tool.  Cool and watch for lids to cave downward indicating

a firm seal. 

If you decide to use this receipe, you'll want to plan space for and  pick up seed for cucumbers, dill and plant garlic cloves in your garden this spring.

Healthy Gardening,

K. Alan Brizzi 

 

Update for April 20, 2010

 
Our spell of spring sunshine just broke into some clouds and large raindrops with a rainbow at the same time. Planning for rain, we planted the "Feed the Hungry Garden" these past two weeks with the help of a family from the U.K. so, this year it is an International effort! Thank you to the Betts Family! They are surprised to learn that we will be giving away close to one ton of tomatoes to the kitchens to cook meals for the homeless. We will be picking in a couple of months on plants that will reach close to 5' tall. They cannot till yet because of rainy, muddy fields. Our pool is almost warm enough to swim in already. Solar heating is wonderful. We thought about swimming yesterday, but not today. Summer will be here soon and every day will be a swimming day in the afternoon (saving the mornings or evenings for gardening).

Healthy Gardening,

K. Alan Brizzi

The garden's contributors now include international visitors

How to grow Giant Pumpkins

 

 

Timely Tips and Instructions for Growing Giant Pumpkins:

It’s time to think of Halloween pumpkins if you want to grow a giant one. The longer it’s growing, the bigger it’ll get, so start soon!

1. Select a Site in full sun. Growth relates directly to the amount of sunlight.  They need 8 to 12 hours every day.
2. They need space. Each hill (cluster of three to four plants) should be spaced 35 to 50 feet apart, if you are planting more than one hill.
3. Soil must be rich and well prepared.  The best pumpkins come from the best prepared soil. Dig a hole 3 to 4 feet deep and 3 to 5 feet in diameter and mix the soil well with six to eight bags of soil amendments or conditioners. Include steer or horse manure that is one or more years old. Put the mixed soil back in the hole. You should now have a mound two to five feet in diameter and 16-18” high at the center.
4. Germinate Giant Pumpkin Seeds.
1. Soak seeds overnight 8-12 hours in warm water. This softens the shell and accelerates germination. Start this mid-April to mid-May. If you have a warm, sunny environment, like a greenhouse or cold frame, you will get substantial growth before transplanting, so use a container that will hold enough seed germinating soil mix such as a 5” or larger pot or a flat of soil 2” deep and 18” X 18”. Keep moist and warm 75 to 80 degrees F is ideal. Special seed germinating soil cables under the flats or pots will hasten the process. The cable is also useful for starting cuttings of other plants. This special cable is water resistant and is safe, avoiding electrocution. Plug in to a protected ground fault interrupted plug for further safety. Do not use sharp tools in the soil once the cable is in place. To keep the cable for years of growing, clean it off and store it dry between uses.
2. Under these conditions, the seeds should sprout in 4-7 days, sometimes even sooner.
3. After the seedlings have developed one or two true (large and veined) leaves, the plants are ready to transplant into the mound.
4. Alternatively, you may just plant the seeds directly in the mounds once the soil has warmed up later in the season. Competitive giant pumpkin growers have successfully used both methods.
5. Transplant on a warm, calm day or in the evening to reduce dehydration. Plant the seedling peat pot and all in the center of the mound, making sure the peat pot is well below the surface of the mound. Use care to minimize soil compaction with your weight. You can distribute your weight across a sheet of plywood or large, lightweight board.
6.  Protect your new plant from earwigs with rolled up newspaper or earwig bait or put a cardboard box with the top and bottom removed to also protect from rodents and wind. Take off once the seedling is fully established, usually 7-10 days.
5. Watering, Fertilizing and Care.
1. Pumpkins are 90% water, so the soil should be kept fairly moist. Do not keep the soil saturated, though as disease problems might arise. Water daily to once every 2-5 days depending on your weather and soil conditions. Watering times should be consistent. The best time to water is early mornings 5 to 8:30 am. If you can't make that time, the next best time is late afternoons/early evenings.
2. Use organic fertilizer every 5-10 days. Seaweed kelp and/or fish emulsion are some of the fertilizers being used by competitive Giant pumpkin growers.
3. Mulch around the main stem with bark, compost, straw or well aged manure 3-4” deep. Leave 9-12” air space around the stem to avoid rotting it. Mulching will help regulate soil temperature and retain moisture around the main stem and primary root system.
4. Place a wooden pallet under the pumpkin before it gets too big and too difficult to move (10-25 pounds) to keep the pumpkins bottom from rotting, and to facilitate lifting and transporting later.
5. Shade the pumpkin once it reaches 24” to 36” diameter to keep the skin from burning, hardening and cracking from the hot, mid-late summer/early autumn sunshine. The pumpkin expands very quickly during this last growth phase, so protect the flexibility of the skin with shade. Short of building a miniature shade house, you can use cheese cloth over the fruit or carefully cover the pumpkin with its own leaves. Be very careful not to break the vine.
6. I’ve carved larger pumpkins with a small electric chain saw. It works great on the extra-thick rind. The world record is 1,725 pounds set last year in Ohio.

Healthy Gardening!

Article by Stuart Shim copyright 2008

Edited by Ken Brizzi 2010

Landscape Planning part 2

Once I have determined my style, and committed to how much time and effort I want to invest, what do I do next?

Create your garden plan

Make a drawing of the garden area. Include existing and future fence and building boundaries, water, sewer and electrical access, location of walkways, gates, windows on each building and how high they are off the ground so you can decide how high a shrub will be to keep a view open or to purposely block it. Then, lay out each “room of your yard” (e.g. bbq area, playground, sitting area, etc.) with boundaries. If you are not receiving consultation, consider flowing, curved boundaries that mimic nature. Next, you can draw in the plants making circle sizes to scale of their mature size. After the plan is completed, draw in irrigation lines. Some sprinkler companies and hardware stores will help with this for free since you are buying supplies from them. Also, nurseries usually help with suggestions on plants and design layout.

A plan example:

Making the plan come to life

Next, take lots of pictures in to the nursery along with your plot plan (yard and house drawn to scale) for the fastest and best help. Convey your style and the feeling you want to accomplish. If you have favorite plants you want included, be sure to start there so your consultant can make appropriate companion suggestions. Now, DO NOT DIG until you have your utility companies identify their lines that are on your property. They come out to your house and use marking paint to indicate where their lines are. They don’t want to spend time and money fixing lines and if you break their line, you are usually billed for repair. There is almost always one number to call (usually 811 or on line at http://www.call811.com/ ) that will alert all the utilities that you are going to do work involving digging.  Any one of your utilities can confirm this phone number. It will involve your water main, sewer, cable, any underground electrical, gas and possibly others.

Be sure to use colorful flowering plants by the front door and walkway to indicate the main entrance for your guests. Include lots of color on your patio or deck for attractive entertaining. Use containers, as needed. Now, on to getting on with the foundational work.

Soil, soil, soil. With good, nutritious soil, you can grow most anything and with less effort. A good soil texture has the capacity to hold some water, nutrients and oxygen all at the same time. Professional nurseries know soil textures in their city neighborhoods. If in doubt, take a sample of your soil to them and they can add water to it and determine what your soil texture is. If you have sandy soil, they will recommend adding compost like nitrified redwood or fir mulch (not ground-up bark); sometimes, even peat moss. In loamy soil, which is the best soil because it is a balance of sand, clay and compost, you probably won’t need to add anything except fertilizer. In clay soil, you’ll need to loosen up the soil with gypsum and compost. Notice I’m not recommending adding sand to clay soil because doing so makes bricks. Plants don’t grow in bricks. An easy way to remember amending soil is this: “Clay on sand, money in the hand; sand on clay, money thrown away.” Both extremes of soil types, clay and sand, benefit from adding lots of compost. Gypsum changes the clay soil structure to act more granular, and therefore, drain better. Common to the central valley are hard pan and clay pan soils. This is an impenetrable layer of compacted clay that causes the soil to hold water, killing plant roots by drowning. Over time, deep tilling with compost and gypsum helps change the physical and chemical structure of the clay pan making it plant friendly. In the past, hard pan soils were drilled and cracked with dynamite. The soil below the hard pan is anaerobic and once penetrated smells like rotten eggs. In general, clay soils are more nutrient-rich than sandy soils. If you live near a river, you probably have a sandy soil. If you live in old agriculture land, the soil is more likely to be clay pan, which is caused from years of running heavy equipment over clay soil causing compaction. Hard pan, though, is a layer of compacted clay that is chemically bound and acts like concrete. You might need a jack hammer to penetrate it. Dynamite is no longer legal to use in most cities. If you have three feet of good soil above the hard pan or clay pan, you can grow most any plant. Large trees might require more root space, but everything else will grow well. As you can imagine, a large part of your time and money will go into soil preparation. It reminds me of painting. So much of the work is prep and is not seen, yet essential to success. Lawns require soil preparation six to eight inches deep. Shrubs and small trees perform best with two or more feet of good soil. In the case of untillable soil, you can build planter boxes and beds one to three feet high and fill with loamy soil for ideal conditions. For individual plantings, you can add a mound of soil and just plant into it. Till the native soil before dumping on the good soil and be sure to blend the two before planting. The mound should end up looking like a small mesa, flat on top so water will sit long enough to penetrate. If you bring in soil, be sure to have it checked out by a reputable nurseryperson so that you aren’t bringing in more trouble with poor soil, weeds, contamination, etc. If you pay for it, it’s soil. Dirt is free. Your wisest investment is almost always compost. In Sacramento, talk to Hastie’s Capital Sand and Gravel, Capital Nursery or Redi-Gro Corp. to buy what you need. Be sure to describe how you will use the soil or compost so they can sell you the right product.

Healthy Gardening,

K. Alan Brizzi

Timely Tips: Questions to ask before landscaping (part 1)

What will be my time investment?

Once, a customer said to me that mowing his lawn was “the biggest waste of his time”. He sent a clear message that he valued low maintenance landscaping. He either didn’t have time or didn’t consider maintaining his yard a high priority. He might have felt that the physical stress was not worth his suffering fatigue and sore muscles. The question becomes “Who’s going to do your work?” If the answer is you are, you can plan ahead and reduce the time spent in the yard by half. Low maintenance yards grow slower, use less water and fertilizer, require less trimming and are naturally cleaner. They often have fewer flowers, fruit and, therefore, litter. Beauty is more likely derived from leaf textures and colors. For example, look at the myriad of Junipers, dwarf conifers, and California natives (like Ceanothus). Imagine combining  an upright  Juniper that has grey foliage, a false cypress that has golden tips and layered branches, a California lilac, (Ceanothus) that has rich-green leaves with deep purple spring  flowers and a fountain-shaped ‘Cinnabar’ Texas Ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens) of silver leaves, displaying masses of lavender flowers in the summer. There are many “filler” plants that add color and texture to this mix such as sages, gaillardias, daisies and creeping phlox.

How do I determine my style or theme?

To see what kind of garden style matches you best, follow this link and take a quick quiz. http://www.monrovia.com/design-inspiration/style-quiz.php

The garden is just like the inside of your house. Divide it into rooms by use. Do you want a BBQ area? A kid’s play area? A water feature or Zen garden area for serenity and beauty? A party area? A vegetable garden/food growing area? A pet area?     Ask other questions related to outdoor use.
As in art, using items in odd numbers (1, 3, 5, etc.) is more pleasing and relaxing than even numbers. Landscapes “flow” better with designs that mimic nature.
Even numbered plantings often take on a rigid, military look and feel uneasy and even restrictive. Plus, symmetrical plantings that get stressed or damaged look lopsided until the replaced plants catch up in size to their counterpart. If you look around town at rows of Italian Cypress that are over a few years old, normally several in a row are replacements and half the size of the others. They look out of place for years until the symmetry is restored. There are other components that add serenity from nature, like water features.

Popular for their relaxing qualities, water features are pleasing to view and hear. I like the “endless water fountain”. It is a large vase set on top of river rocks with a submersible pump hidden down in the rocks. A tube carrying the flowing water goes up from the pump to the top of the vase, sending water flowing over the top of the vase and back down into the river rock. This type of fountain is easy to maintain, requiring very little cleaning and only occasional topping off with fresh water. With its constant movement, it stays mosquito-free and alga is rare. Depending on the type of vase and accessories, it can look oriental, country, pop-art, French provincial, Italian or follow any theme the creator wants to choose-even Super bowl Sunday, a Halloween cauldron or Oktoberfest. Have fun!

Also popular for easy set up and low maintenance is the use of very large glazed pots with one or three special “specimen” plants growing inside. Pot color and style define the entire theme and plant selection makes the theme unique. For example, bird of paradise plants in tropical pots around a swimming pool area are reminiscent of vacationing in Hawaii. Other plants that work for a tropical theme include *‘Tropicana Cana’, *sago palm, fragrant ginger, tropical hibiscus, *Lantana, *million bells, *philodendron, Bougainvillea, and so many others. (*=easy care). Don’t use Loropetalum (Chinese Fringe Flower) near water because the constantly shedding leaves and flowers are a bother to clean up. Bougainvillea sheds a lot, too and has nasty thorns. Sago palms are clean, but have very sharp thorns and leaves.

Two great sources of ideas for combination plantings in containers are www.flowerhutnursery.com and www.highhandnursery.com. Both nurseries are well worth visiting and have very knowledgeable staff to help you with your specific needs. Jen Miner, owner of The Flower Hut, is an extraordinary plant artist. Scott Paris, owner of High Hand Nursery, travels half way around the world to bring back pots that he finds and designs. Both of these nursery professionals have insight that is world class.

Remember to include citrus in large pots for rich evergreen leaves, fragrant white flowers and, colorful, tasty fruit. Meyer Lemons, Fukushu Kumquats, Bearss Limes, and Satsuma Mandarins are my personal favorites. If you come across Tango tangerine, buy it. You’ll be glad you did. Be sure to purchase “true dwarf” citrus so they will last for many years in the pots without getting overgrown.

If you use lots of pots, watering in the summer will be time consuming and you will want to set up a drip watering system before it gets hot. With a simple battery operated irrigation clock, you can set the water frequency by days and length of time to water. It’s a great tool to use when you go on vacation, too. In pots, use slow release fertilizer 3 times per year to keep plants blooming and healthy. For citrus, make sure the fertilizer includes iron. A great, colorful filler plant is purple statice (Limonium perezii). Try it and Liriope purple, lavender or white, for constant color and low care.

As with planning a house lay out, the yard takes just as much consideration. It is a process that continues and develops with the owners and their changing lives. So, as you make new plant discoveries, enjoy trying new things with the advice of nursery professionals.

 

Healthy Gardening,

Ken

Ken Brizzi Community Garden update for February 2010

Saturday's community garden meeting at American River Community Church covered Garden orientation, safety training, tools, tool care and maintenance, planting seeds, citrus varieties, espalier training, starting transplants, organic weed control, organic pest prevention and control, how to make inexpensive mocha expresso, a proposed memorial rose garden and lots more. And then I gave a hands-on pruning demonstration. All this in only 2 hours. Now that we have 4 roto-tillers, our February 20, 2010 planting day will be easier and go smoothly. See you there. We have about 8 garden sites left for those who still want to sign up.  Today, Monday 2-8-10, Kyle Brittain worked with me for several hours in the gardens doing important, timely work. Thank you Kyle!    Ken

Timely Tips "Growing Citrus"

Growing Citrus for health, food and savings.

  Grapefruits ripen throughout the year, producing crops that ripen summer, fall and spring. From the time they flower to harvest time is about 16 to 18 months. Most hold on the tree very long and still maintain excellent, sweet quality.

Cultivated for thousands of years, most citrus originated in Asia. The two biggest growers of orange fruit for juicing are San Paulo, Brazil and Florida. Central California is an ideal location to grow many varieties of citrus. See www.Montereybaynsy.com or www.fourwindsgrowers.com/ for the best source of information on Citrus varieties and valuable information on growing in the central valley of California. I’ll tell you my recommendations later, but first, let’s look at what to do with what you are already growing in your yard. Since citrus are mostly subtropical and we live in a temperate to subtropical area, winter frost protection is a concern. Limes tend to freeze the easiest and Meyer lemons, tangerines and grapefruit tend to be the most cold-hardy. We experienced a very cold snap in early December 2009 that ruined some fruit and damaged some citrus plants. If your tree or bush has branch damage, wait until April to determine what will not grow back. Be sure to check the soil for moisture in spring and do not let the frost damaged plant go too dry. Lightly fertilize in April. When new growth starts, prune out the dead wood.

Citrus plants need sun and heat. The dwarf types can grow productively in large containers, such as a half wine barrel. Full size trees can grow 30 feet by 30 feet if they are vigorous varieties. If you have limited garden space and want several different types of fruit, you can plant 3 types in the same hole. Be sure to match their vigor so that one variety doesn’t shade out and crowd out the other types. Here are some good combinations: Kumquat, Lime and Meyer lemon. All three are small. If you have more space and don’t do any pruning, Orange, Grapefruit and sour lemons are all vigorous and will grow to 30 feet. If you do prune the vigorous varieties, you can keep them 12 feet tall and as wide. Especially with the vigorous types, choose a dwarfing rootstock so you don’t have to prune very often. You’ll still get plenty of fruit even if you prune the plants back a bit every couple of years.

The October newsletter talked about fertilizer. For citrus, high nitrogen and high iron fertilizer is best for spring and summer applications. In fall and during bloom time, switch to 0-10-10 or bone meal to promote flowers, sweeten the fruit and add cold hardiness. Too much fruit production can break branches, so be sure to thin the fruit when it is the diameter of a dime or nickel. If it still produces too much, you’ll end up with small fruit that lacks sweetness. See “Frequently Asked Questions” from the about growing techniques www.fourwindsgrowers.com website for lots more information about growing techniques and answers to common questions.

The most popular citrus varieties are: Meyer Lemon (sweet), Washington Navel Orange, Owari Satsuma Mandarin, Eureka Lemon (acidic), Kaffir Lime (Cook with the foliage), Fukushu kumquat, Limoncello Santa Teresa Italian lemon. For making pretty and fun citrus juice, add color to summer drinks by squeezing in Moro blood oranges which have dark red juice inside. Valencia is the primary juice orange because the juice holds well in the refrigerator whereas navel and other juiced oranges become bitter overnight.

Many varieties of citrus grow well in the Sacramento valley. Don’t be afraid to experiment with something you really want.

Healthy Gardening!

Ken Brizzi

Timely Tips "Dividing Plants to Make More"

Image is the Daylily 'Kenneth Alan Brizzi'

 

 

Plant World Math – divide to multiply.

Mathematics in the plant world has a distinct advantage over math taught in school. In class, I learned that a pie divided into 10 pieces resulted in 9 pieces of pie (my incentive for learning math was a piece of pie). But a plant chopped up into 10 little pieces, with a little time, produces 10 new plants as big and as valuable as the original. Plants have the potential to reproduce or multiply by a variety of methods. Seeds fall to the earth to make new plants, stem and leaf cuttings can be encouraged to grow roots, bulbs generate bulblets which mature to bulbs, modified stems called stolons and modified roots called rhizomes send out new roots into the earth followed by plantlets and some grow modified storage roots called tubers which separate from the main plant and become plants on their own. One can make divisions from plants that have rhizomes, stolons or tubers. Many plants that are dividable can be identified by their clumping growth habit.

To determine which plants are dividable, consider the function of the plant parts. Roots and stems that are modified to store reserves of food and water appear thick and fleshy. Their primary function is to keep the plant alive during times of drought and extreme cold if the plant top dies down. The secondary function of specialized roots and stems is to provide for vegetative reproduction. This is where “free” plants come in. A word of caution, though, it  is illegal to propagate patented plants just as it is illegal to copy protected music, movies, etc.

The division method of making new plants is easy. It consists of thrusting a shovel straight down into a clump of a potentially dividable plant, such as iris, and moving the new clump to another spot in the garden. The new location should be prepared by mixing in soil amendment with the native soil to allow for quick root growth. Thoroughly water both the division and the original clump. With iris, the original (called the mother) plant benefits the most by this division since it will have more root room, light, access to fertilizer  etc and so will bloom better. Overcrowded iris plants will not bloom as well as smaller well spaced iris clumps.

By the way, for stunning state-of-the-art daylilies go to www.californiadaylilies.com. This grower /breeder has world famous varieties and gives top notch service. Image on the left is the Daylily named 'Kenneth Alan Brizzi' bred by and sold exclusively by www.Californiadaylilies.com.

 

 

Consider potential value when purchasing dividable plants such as lily of the valley. Its little white fragrant flowers grace any garden. After a few divisions, it becomes a ground cover that is strikingly beautiful.

As landscapes mature, sunny areas become shaded by tree growth. Dividable plants, such as Lily of the Nile, will continue to grow in the shade, but they bloom more profusely in the sun. This type of plant is easily divided and relocated.

Divisions are successful spring through fall as long as the mother plant is healthy. In the fall, after collecting nourishment all summer, divisions are most reliable. Roots receive food from the leaves and will provide all the food necessary to survive the transplant. Cooling weather in the fall and winter ease the demand for water and root function so the new division is less stressed. Root growth occurs in soil temperatures down to 40 degrees F. Plants divided in the fall benefit from several months of root growth before winter cold slows them down.

Spring flowering plants such as Persian iris, German bearded iris, artichokes, cannas and violets are best divided in the fall.

Summer and fall flowering plants and tender spring flowering plants divide best in the spring after the coldest weather is past. These include Kaffir lily, callas, Dahlias, bleeding hearts, lily of the valley, rhubarb, poor man’s orchid, horseradish, lemongrass, caladiums, Hostas, Agapanthus, Siberian, Pacific Coast, English and butterfly irises.

July, August and September are good months to divide German bearded iris, but I prefer waiting until August or September when the maximum amount of food is stored in the roots (rhizomes). If you miss dividing in the fall season, iris are hardy enough to successfully transplant in the spring.

Dahlias are best dug in the fall and divided and planted out in the spring. Store them overwinter in vermiculite. When dividing, make sure part of the stem is included in the division. In spring, the tuber is planted at a 45 degree angle with the stem 2-3” below the soil surface.

Strawberries propagate themselves by sending out “runners” that develop plantlets which can be separated. For maximum fruit production, plant new nursery grown starter plants every two years. If it’s time to rejuvenate your strawberry beds, try “day neutral” varieties as they will produce quickly and consistently over a long growing season- spring through fall.

Japanese anemones send roots underground laterally. Like strawberries, make new plants easily be cutting the plantlets from the mother plants. It’s as easy as cutting the umbilical chord connecting mother and baby.

So many plants can be divided successfully. See perennial books, on- line sources and call your local nurseryman for detailed information. Have fun multiplying beauty in your garden by dividing.

Ken Alan Brizzi