California gardening challenges
SOIL. Depending on where you live, your soil can be heavy clay, alkaline (which plants such as camellias dont like), or salty (especially in the desert). To lighten clay soils, add amendments such as compost. To aci
When youre trying to decide if a certain plant will grow in your garden, you often begin by thinking about your typical winter and summer temperatures. Will the plant freeze in January? Will it bake and shrivel come
PlantSow seeds of easy-to-grow chiltepin peppers early in the month. The tiny, fiery hot Southwestern natives are great for cooking and are appreciated by birds. Gurney’s Seed & Nursery Co.: gurneys.com.Try Guad
Northern California Checklist June
PLANTINGBasil. For pesto, use a traditional-tasting basil, such as Italian Pesto, Profuma di Genova, or Salad Leaf. For cooking and growing flavored or colored varieties, such as Mrs. Burns Lemon, garnet Red Rubin,
Vegetables are classed as either warm- or cool-season, depending on the weather they need for best growth. Warm-season veggies require both warm soil and high temperatures (with a little cooling at night) to grow s
Acid or alkaline soil: Modifying pH
The pH scale indicates acidity or alkalinity. A soil with a pH number below 7 is acid, while one with a pH above 7 is alkaline. Garden plants typically grow best in neutral or slightly acid soil (pH 7 or slightly be
TIME: 1 hour or less, plus shoppingCOST: About $20The basket should be sturdy and at least 9 inches wide, 12 inches long, and 6 inches deep. Line it with 3-mil plastic or a heavy-duty plastic trash bag, then use sc
PlantTo make sure cool-season annuals become well established before cold weather sets in, get them in the ground before the end of the month. If planted too late, they just sit and pout until spring. From sixpacks,
Sudden oak death (SOD), the plant disease caused by Phytophthora ramorum fungus, was originally discovered in California, where it has killed a large number of oak trees. Its called sudden oak death because it appea
BuySunset climate zones 7-9, 14-17: Give your sweetheart a valentine that will live on long after February 14. Tie a red ribbon around a lemon tree or put a bow on a bare-root rose. Or choose a flowering plant that
• Annual• All zones• Full sun• Infrequent, deep watering during growthSweet peppers are available in a range of colors, shapes, and sizes--from bell types to long, slender frying peppers, in hues from green to brigh
What to do in your garden in April
If you havent gotten started on your vegetable garden yet, dont worry ― its not too late!In Northern California, start sowing seeds for your cool-season veggies (think chard and spinach); in the Northwest, consider
PLANTING Amaryllis. For immediate, dependable bloom, shop for potted plants with buds that are already showing color. You can also buy bulbs; they may bloom in a few weeks but can take as long as three months. Give
Gardening is the slowest of the performing arts, writes garden historian Mac Griswold. She knows that a gardens parts go in one rock and one plant at a time, and the real goal is a grand show that develops later. Ka
Almost microscopic in size, thrips feed by rasping soft flower and leaf tissue, then drinking the plant juices. Leaf surfaces often take on a shiny silvery or tan cast; on their undersides, youll find black, varnish
In general, mature ornamental trees should be pruned just enough to maintain structure, health, and attractive appearance. This often amounts to minimal or only occasional pruning. Routine annual trimming is neither
PLANTING Bulbs for indoor display. Try this technique for forcing bulbs into late-winter bloom indoors: Refrigerate bulbs of daffodils, hyacinths, paperwhite narcissus, and tulips for eight weeks, then plant them i
Climbing vegetables (such as pole beans and peas) benefit from support, as do some sprawling sorts, including cucumbers, melons, and tomatoes. Put up the supports at planting time; roots wont have spread yet, so you
PrepareBefore planting a new lawn or flower or vegetable beds, prepare the soil. Dig down 10 to 12 inches with a shovel or rotary tiller, then till in a 4- to 6-inch layer of compost or other organic matter. You can
Fertilizer sections at nurseries, garden centers, and supply stores dazzle the gardener. The shelves are piled with boxes and bottles, the floors covered with bags stacked high. Labels identify the package contents
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