As the weather has warmed, we’ve seen aphids appear. Aphids are little green (although they can be other colors such as black, yellow or grey) insects that suck the juice from new spring leaves. The subsequent scarring can cause the leaves to warp and curl around the aphids, protecting them.
In addition to weakening the plant, aphids drop a messy, sugary residue on items below their work site and they are also prolific in their reproduction, making problems exponentially worse if left unchecked.
The first line of defense with aphids is to hose them off the plants physically with a spray of water. If you have a small infestation, you can wipe them off the leaves. These techniques would need to be repeated daily.
A favorite way to handle these invaders and also very effective are to release lady bugs into your garden. These beneficial insects are a valuable addition to the toolkit of every Valley gardener. Alden Lane Nursery can provide them in useful quantities and advise you on where and how to use them most effectively. Each adult ladybug will consume over 5,000 aphids in their lifetime.
Don’t panic when you see the black “bug” pictured! That is the ladybug larvae.
For those wishing another organic or natural method of controlling aphids, we suggest a one-two punch, first with Bonide All Seasons Spray Oil followed up with a fresh release of Ladybugs a day or 2 later.
The spray oil simply sprays on at the end of a hose, no mixing. It smothers pests, rather than poisoning them. The Ladybugs mop up the leftovers and stand guard against local aphid uprisings.
We are so excited to offer our customers an incentive for shopping with us.
Purchases made during the months of April, May & October earn Garden Reward Points (formerly known as Bonus Dollars) which can be redeemed in the month of August or between Thanksgiving and December 24th.
During April/May and October, your purchases will accumulate points in our Garden Rewards program at the register. Make sure you identify yourself to the cashier! Your receipt will show a running total of your accumulated points.
When you shop in August or Thanksgiving through December 24th and have Garden Reward points available, our cashier will be alerted and let you know. You have the option to redeem the points for that purchase or save them for a future purchase.
New Garden Reward points will function just like old Bonus Dollars. Each point is worth one dollar. One point is earned for every 10 dollars spent from April 1st through May 31st and during the month of October.
Garden Reward points can be used for up to 50% of your purchases in August or between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. For example, if you have 10 Garden Reward points, you may use all 10 on a purchase of $20 or more, paying the balance with US Dollars. Garden Reward points do not expire.
Garden Reward points are more flexible than Bonus Dollars or Holiday Dollars as they can be redeemed either season, August or between Thanksgiving and December 24th.
You may convert your paper Bonus Dollars to Garden Reward points at any time. If you have a handful of Bonus Dollars and you want to tidy up your coupon box, bring them in, we’ll convert them for you. A balance will show on each of your receipts going forward.
Garden Reward points are not valid with other discounts or coupons. They are not valid on sod or sale items. Sales are limited to stock on hand, and they are not redeemable for cash. Garden Reward points cannot be redeemed outside of the redemption season.
Snails and slugs are among the most bothersome pests in many garden and landscape situations. Snails and slugs move by gliding along on a muscular “foot”. This muscle constantly secretes mucus, which later dries to form the silvery “slime trail” that signals the presence of either pest; both pests have voracious appetites.
Snails and slugs are most active at night and on cloudy or foggy days. On sunny days they seek hiding places out of the heat and bright light; often the only clues to their presence are their silvery trails and plant damage. During hot, dry periods or when it is cold, snails seal themselves off with a parchment-like membrane and often attach themselves to tree trunks, fences, or walls.
Damage they can do Snails and slugs feed on a variety of living plants as well as on decaying plant matter. On plants, they chew irregular holes in leaves and flowers and can clip succulent plant parts. They can also chew fruit and young plant bark. Because they prefer succulent foliage or flowers, they are primarily pests of seedlings and herbaceous plants, but they are also serious pests of ripening fruits, such as strawberries, artichokes, and tomatoes, that are close to the ground. However, they will also feed on foliage and fruit of some trees; citrus is especially susceptible to damage. Look for the silvery mucous trails to confirm slugs or snails and not earwigs, caterpillars, or other chewing insects caused the damage.
Earth and pet-friendly Sluggo! The base ingredient of Sluggo is naturally occurring Iron Phosphate that does a great job of controlling snails and slugs in the garden while not harming other creatures including pets and people; and as it breaks down it actually nourishes the plants.
Make your environment less snail and slug friendly A good snail and slug management program relies on a combination of methods. The first step is to eliminate, to the extent possible, all places where snails or slugs can hide during the day. Boards, stones, debris, weedy areas around tree trunks, leafy branches growing close to the ground, and dense ground covers such as ivy are ideal sheltering spots. Reducing hiding places allows fewer snails and slugs to survive. The survivors will congregate in the remaining shelters, where they can more easily be located and eliminated.
Note, there will always be shelters that are not possible to eliminate e.g. low ledges on fences, the undersides of wooden decks, and water meter boxes. Just be sure to locate vegetable gardens or susceptible plants as far away from these areas as possible. This will not only protect your plants; it will also reduce the capacity of these pests to hide and proliferate.
Choose and locate plants carefully Choose snail-proof plants for areas where snails and slugs are dense. Many plants resist damage from snails and slugs including begonias, California poppy, fuchsias, geraniums, impatiens, lantana, nasturtiums, and purple robe cupflower, and many plants with stiff leaves and highly scented foliage like lavender, rosemary, and sage. Most ornamental woody plants and ornamental grasses are also not seriously affected.
A penny apiece bounty is a great incentive for kids. Remember to tightly secure the bag before putting into the trash OR you could turn your catch into escargot.
Our Copper Tape is a good mechanical barrier that can be used to protect your plants. Use 2 widths of it to keep snails and slugs from devouring your plants.
Use barriers to protect susceptible plants Snails and slugs favor seedlings and plants with succulent foliage and these plants must be vigilantly protected. Some plants that are seriously damaged include basil, beans, cabbage, dahlia, delphinium, lettuce, marigolds, strawberries, and many vegetable plants.
Copper barriers are effective because the copper reacts with the slime the snail or slug secretes, causing a flow of electricity — to take advantage of this just put 2 widths of copper tape around your planting beds.
Proper water management An important tool in your anti-snail and slug arsenal is careful irrigation. Avoiding over-watering and/or using drip irrigation will reduce humidity and moist surfaces, making the habitat less favorable for these pests.
Snail and slug baits should be chosen carefully Snail and slug baits can be effective when used properly in conjunction with a cultural program incorporating the other methods discussed above. However, baits alone will not effectively control snails or slugs in gardens that contain plenty of shelter, food, and moisture.
Note, do not use salt to destroy snails and slugs; it will increase soil salinity – making the cure worse than the illness.
In addition to looking good, these plants can significantly reduce toxins in our indoor air. The cast includes those that love the spotLIGHT! Fiddle Leaf Figs for true drama, palms for exotic ambiance, and don’t forget the elegant rubber trees in deep burgundy and colorful variegated varieties. The supporting roles that also tend to hog the light are hoya plants, hardy umbrella plants, perky peperomia, orchids, and African violets. Air plants also share the limelight and are a bonus for quirky displays of unusual décor.
Those headliners that are our A-List as lower light lovelies include showy peace lilies, the zen-like ZZ plant, the graceful lines of a fresh fern, and don’t forget the dashing and durable dragon tree. One of my all-time favorite divas of the low maintenance houseplant realm are the many varieties of sansevierias (snake plant).
Whatever stage you set in your home or home office, it is not complete without the splash of verdant green or the healing refreshment that plants can bring to your environment. We at Alden Lane can be your guide and make choosing the right plants simple and rewarding, creating an all-star cast for your home.
Left to Right – Snake Plant (Sansevieria), Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera adansonii) & Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides)
April is a great month to start planting your vegetable garden. We have seeds, seedlings, and four-inch plants to help get you going. Once the danger of frost has passed you can set out tomatoes, eggplant and pepper starts.
As temperatures warm plant watermelon, cucumbers, pumpkins, beans, and more. Melons, cucumbers, basil are very cold sensitive. We have a great selection of tomato cages, organic snail and bug baits, and vegetable fertilizer along with tips for good growing. Stop by and see us soon!
Vegetable
Plant Time
Amount
Family of 4
Special Notes
Plant Now
Artichoke
Year ’round
3 – 4 plants
Permanent, perennial.
4″ Pots
Beans, String
April – May Then later again in July and August
15 – 25 ft. row
Suitable for a small garden. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest.
From Starts or Seeds
Beets
February – April then later again in August
10 – 15 ft. row
Suitable for a small garden. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest.
From Seeds
Cantaloupes/Other melons
April – June
5 – 10 hills
Soil must be warm.
From Starts or Seeds
Carrots
Year ’round
20 – 30 ft. row
Suitable for a small garden. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest.
From Seeds
Chives
Year ’round
1 clump
Suitable for a small garden.
From Starts or Seeds
Corn, sweet
April – July
20 – 30 ft. row
Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. Soil must be warm.
From Starts or Seeds
Cucumbers
April – July
6 plants
N/A
From Seeds or Starts
Eggplant
April – June
4 – 6 plants
Suitable for a small garden. Ok in morning sun
From Starts
Parsley
Year ’round
1 – 2 plants
Suitable for a small garden.
From Starts
Peppers
April – July
5 – 10 plants
Suitable for a small garden
From Starts
Pumpkins
April – June
1 – 3 plants
N/A
From Starts or seeds
Radishes
Year ’round
4 ft. row
Suitable for a small garden. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest.
From Seed
Squash, summer
April – July
2 – 4 plants
Suitable for a small garden.
From Starts or seeds
Squash, winter
March – September
2 – 4 plants
Known as winter Squash because it stores over winter but it grows in summer-fall.
From Starts or seeds
Strawberries
March – September
12+ plants
Bare root in November – 6-Pack arriving in Feb.
6-Packs
Tomatoes
March – July
6 – 10 plants
Suitable for a small garden. Weather permitting, starting in March is possible.
The annual Mt. Diablo Iris Society spring show and plant fundraiser will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2024, between 1:00 and 5:00, and Sunday April 28, 2024, from 9:00 to 4:00 at Alden Lane Nursery, 981 Alden Lane, Livermore, CA. This is a judged show of many colorful and different varieties of iris cultivars and will also feature flower arrangements, a demonstration, and a photo contest open to public contributors. Admission is free. For additional information, call Mary Sindicic at 925 606-0355 or email MtDiabloIris@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook and Eventbrite.
Here is a list of the vegetables that have come in on this week’s orders. There is no guarantee about specific availability when you visit. We have lots of fun varieties to try this year!
Colorful & Classy Groundcover Drift Roses are prolific bloomers, disease resistant, low maintenance, drought tolerant, and best of all, attractive garden and landscape focal points in themselves. In addition to being an excellent choice for general “ground covers”, their size and versatility make them an ideal addition to smaller gardens, combination planters and even container gardens and hanging baskets where their attractive good looks provide dimensions of color and foliage probably unavailable through any other means.
Since the Drifts were specially created to be ground cover roses, they have a low growing characteristic 1½’ tall and 2′ wide. And beautiful colors including white, pink, peach, coral, red & soft yellow. We are currently well stocked with plants that are continuous bloomers from spring to early frost; they are naturally dwarf, with very dark glossy attractive foliage.
As ground covers, Drift roses kept the best of their parent pedigrees — they are a cross between full-size groundcover roses and miniatures. From the former they kept the toughness, vigor, disease resistance and winter hardiness. From the miniatures, they inherited their well-managed size and repeat-blooming nature. To top it off, Drift Roses are easy to establish and are low maintenance landscape plants.
With all these benefits and good looks too, it is no mystery that Drift Roses are becoming one of our Valley’s most popular flowering plant options. If you have been looking for a way to add a fresh new look to your to garden and landscape check out Drift Roses.
If you have apple trees and want to monitor codling moths to determine the best time to spray, use our Codling Moth Traps.
Periodically looking into the trap in search of captured moths will alert you as to when the moths are present and therefore when to spray.
When codling moths first appear (usually when about 3/4 of the flower petals have fallen from the tree), wait one week and spray every 10 days with Captain Jack’s, (Spinosad) for 3 applications.
Replace traps monthly and repeat spray regime after additional generations of moths are trapped.
Check out the UC Cooperative Extension Service website for more detailed options.
