Nursery pro Don Shor has been gardening and selling plants in Davis for more than three decades.
Join Don and co-host Lois Richter as they discuss and answer your questions on all things for the garden.
Submit a question (or a brag!) to DavisGardenShow@gmail.com
Podcast
Davis Garden Show, Feb. 27, 2025Thu, 02/27/2025 - 12:00pm | Don ShorToday's topics: ladybugs for aphid control, winter injury to abutilon, pruning roses now, heat injury to trees, jasmines in our area, lilac vines, pots that have no drain holes, and more. |
Davis Garden Show, Feb. 20, 2025Thu, 02/20/2025 - 12:00pm | Don ShorToday's topics: flowering quince, blue tomatoes, watering low-water shrubs for the first 2 - 3 years, retraining a damaged tree, peppercorns, propagating African violets, and more. |
Davis Garden Show, Feb. 13, 2025Thu, 02/13/2025 - 12:00pm | Don ShorToday’s topics: encouraging pest control by birds, propagating a ficus tree, pruning hedges and shrubs, violas in wet weather, quick review of pruning fruit trees, easy flowers from seed, what’s ok to fertilize now, and more. |
Davis Garden Show, Feb. 6, 2025Thu, 02/06/2025 - 12:00pm | Don ShorToday's topics: tomatoes in nurseries now? Plus, no more systemics for trees, more color in the winter garden, interspecific fruit hybrids, growing native grasses, citrus for light shade, and more. |
Davis Garden Show, Jan. 30, 2025Thu, 01/30/2025 - 12:00pm | Don ShorToday's topics: potatoes, lessons from 2024, green beans, training fruit trees, plants for winter color continued, what’s that tree, and more. |
Davis Garden Show, Jan. 23, 2025Thu, 01/23/2025 - 12:00pm | Don ShorToday's topics: how plants respond to cold temperatures, Blenheim apricots and other historic fruit varieties, easy fruit year-around, planting camellias, and more. |
Davis Garden Show, Jan. 16, 2025Thu, 01/16/2025 - 12:00pm | Don ShorToday's topics: starting pepper seeds, passion fruit vine injury, plants for a shade border, and fruit plants for partial shade. |
Davis Garden Show, Jan. 9, 2025Thu, 01/09/2025 - 12:00pm | Don ShorToday’s topics: Desert Gold and Suncrest peaches, paltry tomato offerings on seed racks, growing basil now, superphosphate for the compost pile, everbearing strawberries, killing a stump, and more. |
Davis Garden Show, Jan. 2, 2025Thu, 01/02/2025 - 12:00pm | Don ShorToday's topics: dealing with oxalis, bedstraw, and winter weeds; favorite peach varieties; raspberries and other cane berries; growing Christmas trees from cuttings, and more. |
Davis Garden Show, Dec. 26, 2024Thu, 12/26/2024 - 12:00pm | Don ShorToday's topics: choosing a fruit tree, poinsettias after the holidays, invasive shothole borer, and more. |
Comments
What a nice note! Thanks so much for posting it, and thanks for listening!
Don and Lois,
Hi! Thank you so much for answering my African Violet pot question. Your answer was very helpful when I chose a special pot for the varigated African Violet leaf that I had rooted. It looks so cute in the pot with the resievor and wick.
As for my next question, Eric suggested that I ask you if it is ok to prune some plants and trees in wet weather. I do not mean a deluge, but either after a rain storm, between rainstorms, or during a light rain. I do some of my weeding during this weather because the weeds pull up easier, though they do stick to my hands which is not fun.
Thank you for answering my past questions. My ears always perk up when I hear mine and Eric's questions/comments on your show. Very exciting for us both. That is partly why I listen to your podcast first in my lineup of gardening podcasts to listen and watch. The other reason is that your show has the most useful gardening information.
Robin in Southern California
I think it depends upon the species. Some of our California native shrubs (like Ceanothus and Redbud) should NOT be pruned when the cut might get wet. (That's whether in the winter OR in the summer just before the sprinklers come on.) But lots of fruit trees are regularly pruned in winter and then get rained on. I'll ask Don to explain more on our show next week. -- Lois
Lois,
Hi! Thank you for responding to my question. I look forward to listening to what Don has to add to your response. The listener in Sacramento was right, you and Don are very interesting to listen to and very helpful even to us in Southern California. I would also like to add that my young daughter has become an even more enthusiastic gardener now that we have a backyard. Her potted garden has grown and is thriving (as are mine and Eric's plants. A great microclimate here.) She has also helped me plant seeds in the yard includeing some of her own seeds. She has some very unusual plants for a young child. Two types of sages, Swiss Chard in multi colors which she grew from seeds, a Californis native wildflower (also from seed), columbine, etc. My young daughter picked all of these plants and seeds herself. I thought you might find this interesting to know.
Robin in Southern California
Don and Lois,
Hi! This is to add to what Eric said about New Zealand Flax and pruneing. I keep seeing the tips to the top quarter of New Zealand Flax pruned off. I swear people (and some gardeners) must not have enough to do if they keep doing this unnecessary pruneing. These poor plants look horrible. This unnecessary pruneing (and other unnecssarily pruned plants) is a pet peeve of mine too.
Robin in Southern California
Don and Lois,
Hi! What is the best type of pot to plant an African Violet in? Sorry that this is so short.
-Robin in Southern California
Don and Lois,
Hi! Thank you for answering my question about my father's blackberry plant. I thought your answer about feeding the plant a great suggestion. I also want to clarify a few things. The blackberry plant is very thorny. I have been pricked by it's branches and leaves so many times, yet the sting from each of those times would hurt for many minutes afterward. This does not happen to me with roses. As for our new backyard, I have been busy choosing plants for it (still have more room to add) and some of those plants are for our neighbor's cat who I noticed eats our spider plants. This leads to a question. Do spider plants cause problems for the cats who eat them?
-Robin in Southern California
I thought miniature fruit trees were compact plants, smaller than dwarf, that I can grow in my small backyard, but all I can find in local nurseries are dwarf varieties. What are miniature trees and where can I find them?
Thanks!
Nitin
San Ramon, CA
Don, thank you so much for answering my question, and thanks for the link to Bay Laurel.
I have tried to order plants online in the past from out of state nurseries but most won't ship to California. Any idea why this is so?
Thanks again.
Nitin
Don and Lois,
Hi! Thank you Don for answering my fish water question. That brought up more questions about fish water. If the medication is the all natural type such as Betta Fix and Betta Remedy, could these harm plants? Betta Remedy is blue and stains things it comes in contact with blue, which sometimes does not come off of what it stained. Could this turn plants blue and would that be harmful or like those science fair experiments with plants and food dyes, cause the plants to look really interesting? By the way, we are moving to a new home with an actual backyard. This yard has a need of spruceing up. Eric and I are looking forward to this challenge. My current plants will be a real help in doing this. We are happy to have two balconies with our current home, but really look forward to having a backyard. My young daughter will enjoy playing in it. She has been wanting a backyard and now we will have one. Here's to new gardening challenges in a new year!
-Robin