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Fruit tree season is right around the corner! Dormant trees arrive in garden centers and hardware stores in January. We tend to get certain questions over and over each season. Usually, gardeners want to know: How easy is it to grow? What do I have to do? Do I need two types? When will they produce? [...]
* Editor’s note: This is part of a continuing series of articles on plants that can grow and look good with low water. The focus here is on low to medium shrubs for very limited irrigation, especially natives. Low-water taller shrubs were discussed in the November 2011 article. By Don Shor Note that some California [...]
Sudden death of trees. Littleleaf linden (Tilia cordata) and a 20-year-old lemon are recent examples. A dying 120-year-old camphor tree in downtown Sacramento was recently in the news as well. It is very sad and perplexing when this happens. In the case of the linden, we deduced that it succumbed to Verticillium wilt. That was [...]
Question: When should I direct seed kale and collard greens for fall and spring? It seems too hot to do it now. What about transplants? Answer: Kale is a cool-season vegetable that can be used raw as salad greens, as a garnish, as an ornamental in the flower bed, or cooked. Kale is vitamin- and [...]
I heard the “climate zones” have changed because things are getting hotter. Which zone are we in now? Recently the USDA Plant Hardiness Zones were changed to reflect the warmer winters that have been observed in many parts of the country. No changes were made to California zones, because winter temperatures have not warmed in [...]
Dorothy Kepner has converted her lawn into an ornamental and edible garden incorporating both utility and beauty. She’ll be at the Cool Davis Initiative’s table from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Picnic in the Park in Central Park, Fourth and C streets, to offer tips on how to plan a garden and get started. [...]
Warren Roberts will be at Three Palms Nursery from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 23, to answer questions about landscape plants and horticulture, for the nursery’s 24th annual Summer Plant Sale. Roberts, 71, has been associated with the UC Davis Arboretum for more than 40 years. He has taught at Cal Poly Pomona [...]
Question: Last year, my zucchini plants had yellow specks on the leaves that turned brown and then black as they became crisp and dry. What happened? Chances are you had squash bugs, Anasa tristis. These insects (true “bugs”) suck the plant juices through their needle-like mouthparts. Look for the colorful adults, more than half an [...]
