Alden Lane Nursery gardening checklist for this month

Notes for July Gardening

Mulching makes the summer easier on your garden. It retains moisture and helps minimize weeds. Use a four inch layer of micro, black or shredded bark for the best results.

Spruce up the garden with pots of red-white-blue petunias for the holiday. We have lots of instant color flowers to make holiday parties and barbeques all the more enjoyable. Shop early because the nursery will be closed on July 4th.

If you're looking for something to do on a warm summer night - visit the fair. The Alameda County fair houses some beautiful landscape exhibits. It runs until July 6th. If you're looking for bargains on plants attend the closing day garden exhibit sale from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Annual Art Under the Oaks Fruit Tasting - Join us on July 12th & 13th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at a fruit tasting. Taste new varieties available this year and varieties you never find in stores as well as old time favorites.

Pay a little extra attention to your roses this month, water deeply and mulch around the root zone.

Plant Crape Myrtles now. These sun and heat loving summer bloomers come in shrub and tree form. Choose from white, red, lavender and many shades of pink.

Tasty crunchy vegetables, juicy tomatoes, crisp peppers and tender beans all benefit from regular fertilizing during their growing season. We recommend Master Nursery's Vegetable Food. It's lightweight and easy to use.

Look out for cucumber beetles! They are active and hungry during the late summer. These green ladybug look alikes eat all but the veins of leaves and flowers, leaving lace like skeletons and devouring whole plants in no time. Use Master Nursery's Sevin for the best results.

The most prevalent lawn fungus, Brown Spot, is named for its end results. Look first for a deep blue green hue to your turf. This is the first sign that the fungus is beginning to cut off vital water and nutrient supplies from the roots. Treatment should begin immediately. By the time the patches are spreading and turning brown, curative measures are in order.
To prevent and cure your lawns of brown patches, we recommend first that as a matter of practice, you water your lawn in the morning to allow the grass blades to dry before night. Deep thorough watering is very important. A thirsty lawn is more susceptible. Use Bayer Lawn Fungicide. It's easy to apply and an excellent control.
Brown patches can also be caused by lawn moth larvae. To prevent or control this problem apply Bayer "Grub Control" now.

Watering 101 (Part 1)

The #1 Question: "HOW OFTEN SHOULD I WATER?"
The REAL answer: "WHEN YOUR PLANT NEEDS IT!"
THE GOAL
For your plants to be as self sufficient as possible.

THE BASIC GUIDELINES
�        Amend your soil with compost & mulch.
�        Build watering basins around new plants.
�        Hand water for at least the first week or two.
�        Water deeply & thoroughly when you water.
�        Allow as much time between waterings as possible.
�        Pay close attention to your plants for the first 3 months.
�        Adjust your watering as conditions change & as plants mature.
�        Enjoy your garden regularly, look at your plants & listen to their needs.

THE PROCESS
Understanding the process of planting and establishing a new plant is the key to a new way to think about water. The focus here will be on in-ground planting but the same general concepts apply to container gardening but the stresses are magnified due to a limited soil volume and greater exposure to the elements.

SOILS
We can't really talk about watering without a bit on soils first. Where you plant and the condition of the soil ultimately determines what happens to the water you apply. We have mostly clay soils around here so digging a hole can be a challenge & the temptation to replace the native soil with a nice potting mix can be great. The truth is, clay soils are good soils, they just need to be broken up with organic matter to create space for air because roots need air just as much as water and nutrients.
Dig a hole twice as wide & an inch or two deeper than the rootball, mix the soil from the hole 50/50 with compost discarding any clods that won't break up. You should take every opportunity to amend your soil, organic matter decomposes & needs replenishing. This is your last chance to affect the texture of the soil around your new plant so don't skimp. As for replacing the soil... don't! A transitional blend between the soil in the pot & the native soil is crucial for proper drainage.
If you encounter hardpan... that impenetrable layer of compacted clay just below the surface... what should you do? Ideally, you'd plant in another location. If that's not possible, stop digging and consider planting on top of it and mounding the soil above grade. You want to avoid digging into hardpan unless you can get all the way through or it will act like a pot without a drain.

PLANTING
Now that the hole is ready, it's time to prepare the plant. Remove the pot by tipping it over so the plant slides out. Avoid pulling it out by the stem. Loosen the roots so they are free to grow into the new soil. Position the plant so the top of the root ball is even with or slightly higher (~1/2") than the edge of the hole and fill in with your newly amended soil. Firm it around the root ball as you go with a gentle open hand (not a grinding heel). The idea is to maintain all the airspace we've created by adding organic matter while providing enough support to hold the plant upright.
Planting too deep is a common mistake with deadly consequences. The crown (the main stem at ground level) and the surface roots need air, bury them too deep and they'll choke. It's always best to err on the side of too high, if roots become exposed they can always be covered with a layer of mulch. This can also be a problem with established plants if the soil level around them is raised for any reason. You should always be able to see the flare of the trunk (where the roots begin) at or above ground level. If you don't, pull soil away until you can.
Build a watering basin around your new plant by mounding leftover amended soil in a ring just outside the diameter of the plant. This way you can apply plenty of water to soak the original root ball (where the roots are now) and the surrounding soil (where you want the roots to go). For the first few weeks, especially in the summer, you may need to water every day but as the roots grow out into the surrounding moistened soil you will be able to water less & less frequently.

And Some Like it Hot!

Do your bedding plants wilt in the heat of summer? Do the hot days bleach the color from everything in the garden? We have a suggestion for you! Plant some of these heat loving annuals and you'll have colorful and heat resilient flower beds into the fall months.

Zinnias are a familiar flower for summer gardens. They are colorful, available in a variety of heights, color combinations and flower styles. Zinnias love the heat! They look their best in temperatures over 90 degrees and they will bloom until late September, longer if we have an Indian Summer.
State Fair Mix, 36 inches tall
Cut & Come Again, 24 inches tall
Magellan, 12 inches tall
Short Stuff Mix, 8 inches tall
Crystal Mix, 6 inches tall

Vinca, also known as Periwinkle, is another "must" for those hot August gardens. The flowers are similar in shape and size to impatiens but some of the mixes sport a red 'eye' in the center of the blossom. Choose from the following mixes: Cooler Series has Coconut, Grape, Peppermint and Rose colors. The Pacifica Series covers Apricot, Orchid, Red and Punch. Both mixes produce plants approximately 12 inches tall and 12 or so inches across.

Annual Verbena is an excellent accent plant for containers, baskets and massed in flowerbeds. Each bloom is comprised of tiny flowers that form a cluster. It too loves the full sun. Choose from Burgundy, Peaches and Cream, Scarlet and White.

Keeping your Japanese Maples Healthy in the Heat.

Keep up with the watering. If you have hard water, this is the most critical time to use treated water. Use one tablespoon of vinegar per gallon of water. Wait 24 hours and use this water. Discard the last one inch of water in the container since this is where the minerals have precipitated. Make sure the maples are shaded during the hottest part of the day.

There are a few cultivars that are more tolerant to heat, for example: Bloodgood, FireGlow, Sherwood Flame, Sanjo Kaku, Shaina and consult with Alden Lane for others. July is also when the maple will go through their summer flush. This is their second growth cycle. Do not fertilize this month.

Gardening in a Changing Climate

An excerpt from "UC Davis Global Climate Change and Your Backyard"

Everyday in the news we read or hear about the effects of global climate change on our weather patterns, our wildlife and our water supplies. In response, many of us feel challenged to "reduce our carbon footprint" an expression that mandates we examine the way we use machines that burn fossil fuels, buy products that require high inputs of fuel to produce or transport, and use energy for lighting, heating and cooling.

If we want to make a change to reduce fossil energy use there are some simple things we can do: ride a bike, plant a tree, install solar panels and repair or replace our irrigation systems to make them more efficient.

How about changing the way we garden? What can we do in the garden to help reduce our carbon footprint? Replace water needy lawns and other high water use plants with drought tolerant plants will save water and the energy to pump it. Selecting more heat tolerant species may help our gardens thrive with increasing temperatures. Use of a combination of trees, woody shrubs, and grasses will help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In addition, if you incorporate lots of organic matter in your soil and apply organic mulches not only will the soil store more carbon dioxide but it also helps the soil better absorb and store water for use by plants.

For those who want to do more, consider harvesting rainwater from your roof and storing it in tanks for re-use in the garden. Grading your landscape to direct water runoff to a depression before directing it to storm water drains will allow the water, in light to medium rains, to be absorbed back into the soil for use by garden plants.

Plant Nannies for vacation plant care.

These clever and attractive self-watering systems rely on a recycled container and the slow release action of terra cotta clay. They are available in three styles. "Plant " these watering Nannies into your interior plants, attach the appropriate-size bottle full of water before you leave on an extended trip and rely on the plant nanny to tend to your water needs while you're away.

Unique siphon process releases water only when the plant begins to dry so you use just the right amount of water for plants as they request it. You can leave for vacation and not worry about the watering.

STEP 1: Insert the ceramic stake into a plant. The unique shape (patent pending) prevents root damage during insertion. Slow rotation of the stake moves soil and roots aside easily.

STEP 2: Fill and attach a plastic soda or water bottle to the Plant Nanny insert. Place your finger over the unique release port (patent pending) and invert the bottle. Remove your finger from the port as you set the adaptor into the stake for drip free and easy refilling.

Also available as a decorative watering globe . . . Beautifully fluted glass watering globes extend the time between watering. Excellent for use in indoor plants and container gardens. Can be used in the garden when transplanting seedlings.

Water Wise Plant Suggestions
As you are reworking parts of your garden consider lovely landscape additions that are a bit less thirsty. In addition to our own California natives there are many "Mediterranean" plants that hail from far away places that too are particularly suited to our mild wet winters and mostly rainless summer dry climate. Native plants from around the Mediterranean Sea, South Africa and parts of Australia & California are all part of this wonderfully diverse plant palate for us to build our unthirsty landscapes with.
Of course all newly planted plants will require a little extra TLC to get established but when their roots are deep enough they become very water wise.

Here are some lovely "Water Wise" options

Low growing plants including many colorful succulents
Aoneium succulent varieites
Apentia
Iceplant
Gazania
Rosemary varieties
Baccharis
Cacti varieties
Ceanothus varieties
Cotoneaster varieties
Sedum varieties
Sempervivum
Thyme varieties
Colorful Perennials/Succulents
Aloes
Lavender
Limonium perezii (Sea Lavender Statice)
Lantana
Achillea (Yarrows)
Kniphofia (Red Hot Pokers)
Salvia varieties (Sage)
Medium Height Shrubs
Callistemon (Bottle Brush)
Ceanothus
Grevillea
Plumbago
Rhus ovata (Sugar Bush)
Teucrium (Bush Germander)
Large Shrubs/Perennials
Ceanothus varieties
Ceris occidentalis
Dodonaea
Fremontodendron
Romneya coulteri (Matilja Poppy)
Rhamnus varieties (Buckthorn)
Xylosma
Trees
Arbutus varieties (Strawberry Tree)
Eriobotrya (Loquats)
Olea (Olives)
Heteromeles (Toyon)
Palm varieties
Pine varieties
Pistachia chinensis (Chinese Pistache)
Quercus varieties (Oaks)
Rhus lancea (African Sumac)
Robinia (Loqusts)
Schinus molle (California Pepper)
Vines
Bougainvillea
Campsis
Solanum jasminoides
Wisteria

Spray On Sunscreen for your Japanese Maples

Japanese Maples are perfectly comfortable in Portland, Oregon where the summer sky is softened with billowy clouds and an occasional shower.

The valley's dry summer climate on the other hand calls for a bit of special protection. Our hot, dry and sometimes windy summers can turn the leaf edges of Japanese Maples crispy.

Spray the leaves with Bonide Wilt Stop before the end of June and then monthly thereafter to protect the leaves from moisture loss.
One creative customer threaded drip irrigation tubing topped with a mist head up into the maple's canopy. Turned on hot days it provides welcome cooling.

Recipe for Good Garden Soil!

Good Garden Soil Starts Here!!

If you are preparing a vegetable or flower garden bed here's a tried and true soil preparation recipe that works wonders. It lightens our heavy soil, nourishes it and buffers the pH to make it 'just right' for the success of your vegetable and flower seeds or transplants.

Rose Spray Program

The program, combines diseases and pest control with fertilizer. The following are the ingredients to make up the basic spray and the amount of each to be combined and added to one gallon of water.

Ortho RosePride Disease Control (Funginex), 1 tablespoon
Ortho Systemic Insect Killer (Isotox), 2 tablespoons
MAXSEA 16-16-16, 1 tablespoon
Gromore Seaweed Extract, 4 tablespoons
Vinegar, 1 tablespoon

The first spray should be made at the moment disease is first noticeable, then as needed thereafter. For maximum protection and feeding, you can spray every 10 days through the spring growing season. Read and follow Pesticide labels.

Remember never spray or feed a thirsty plant. Always water your plants well the day before. It's important to avoid the heat of the day when treating and take care with your dilutions (don't overdose)!

Composting Information

Call the Rotline, 510-444-SOIL for information on starting your own composting pile or visit the website at www.stopwaste.org.