Watering in a drought. Reducing lawn water while keeping your trees alive. Root distribution of trees, "circle watering" strategy.
Coast redwoods in interior California. Many redwoods were planted in Davis years ago; should we add new ones now? What might we substitute for them?
What's wrong with these struggling tomato plants?
Compacting soils can cause problems.
"Mulch is for on top, not underground."
And more answers to listeners' questions. Submit yours for inclusion in a future show by emailing Don Shor and Lois Richter at DavisGardenShow@gmail.com
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Don Shor and Lois Richter talk about July pests -- what 's around now and how to handle things -- and lots about fruit trees -- including broken branches, thinning possibilties, reduced size method, and summer pruning. From that Facebook @ re feeding squirrels -- just don't!
And, of course, we talk about the GLORIOUSLY WONDERFUL WEATHER this week.
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Too many questions to get to all of them! Come back next week and hear the rest.
Mid-June topics:
La Niña and rainfall patterns. How to water -- and how not.
What plants want you to do when there's a heat wave. Or, better still, BEFORE one!
Privacy plants -- including avoiding undesired co-habitants (like raccoons and rats)!
Figuring out how/when to plant seeds. Some tips and tricks for certain seeds!
and more ...
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What's a cultivar? What's a hybrid? What's a selection? What's a variety? We get a long answer to a short question about Ceanothus "Concha" and Ceanothus "Ray Hartmann."
Also today we have a discussion of soil pH (probably not the problem in the situation described); the challenges of planting in compost instead of soil; raised planter woes; and details on local water issues and Davis' good situation. |
"See you again next year!" Today we discuss Don's list of Favorite Summer Perennials, and then we start going through his list of plants that "reseed freely." Both strategies mean we will see the same species in our garden year after year -- with perennials the plant stays in the same place, with re-seeding the species moves around (and sometimes changes color). We also discuss common name confusion, weed cloth over plum tree roots, the city's "Tree Watering" flyer, fruit set on tomatoes and zucchini and their expected yields, and (as usual) the weather and how it is affecting our plants.
Don Shor and Lois Richter are your hosts each week on the Davis Garden Show. To submit a question, email them at DavisGardenShow@gmail.com
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Did your tree-removal company leave you with a bunch of chips? Stump grinding can lead to problems with your replacement bushes. How, you ask? Listen up!
Don Shor and Lois Richter answer garden questions -- including dealing with drought, lawns, ant farming, ant management, mistaken culprits, and more. Ask your questions by emailing us at DavisGardenShow@gmail.com.
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Cool week ahead! But we still have watering challenges. A few questions (about new plantings and fungus gnats) lead to several important discussions about:
- Proper planting techniques (why planting trees ONLY with native soil is so important);
- How roots grow (and get damaged), and how that shows up in a full-grown tree;
- Home remedies (which have no research done on them and are NOT labelled for pesticide or herbicide use).
A large portion of the show is a discussion of each of Don Shor's 20 Favorite Summer Herbaceous Perennials. An "herbaceous perennial" is a plant that blooms every year but dies down every winter (different from a shrub, bush, or tree). These twenty bloom from the late summer into the fall. (We only got part way thru before running out of time, so listen to the 24 June show for the rest of the story.)
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Weather-related troubles: Can X veggie take full sun? Should we "shade" our tomato plants? Don says "no". There's a difference between hot sun on the foliage and the sun-scald of ripening fruit. Can we keep our trees alive in this year's bone-dry ground? Signs of stress to look for, and what to do to help while watering most effectively.
Easy vines to cover a fence, wall, trellis ... including "Cup and saucer vine" (Cobaea scandens) pictured here.
"What's digging up my plants at night? Not eating them; just digging down underneath and pushing them out." Raccoons might be digging up the blood meal fertilizer. What? They're smelling the blood meal that's UNDERGROUND!!?! Yep. On a brighter note, Don is growing tomatoes in a gopher-infested plot -- successfully! |
Water, water, everywhere! "How much? How often? What happens if I get it wrong?" A large part of today's show is devoted to "basic watering knowledge" and also specific differences for watering in this drought year.
Plus we get LOTS of questions answered! Scorched leaves, geranium budworm, upright evergreen tree suggestions, and more. Lois wanted to know how to tell which plants will die if cut down and which will re-sprout. Don's answer is "It depends. ..." Well, he was a little more specific -- "It depends upon the general structure of that plant."
In all, another fact-filled Davis Garden Show with Don Shor and Lois Richter.
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MELONS! Kids love to plant them; they take over large areas; they all do well in Davis; and it's not too late to transplant them. The same goes for other cucurbits -- zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins and other squash. Why do the recent cold nights cause problems for one species and not another? Is this spring's weather "typical"? IPM = IVM??? Hmmm...
Don Shor and Lois Richter use this episode of Davis Garden Show to explore a wide range of topics: growing melons, moss, low care roses, weeds, and more!
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