Comments for Pat Welsh Southwest Garden Advice, plus garden ideas for everyone http://patwelsh.com/wpmu Just another Patwelsh.com weblog Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:29:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 Comment on Planting California Native Plants by Pat http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/blog/california-natives/planting-california-native-plants/comment-page-1/#comment-1618 Pat Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:29:28 +0000 http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/?p=181#comment-1618 Lambs ears (Stachys byzantina) is not a native plant. It is native to the Caucasus, Iran, but it grows well in Southern California's dry Mediterranean climate and makes a good ground cover under native oaks. It can be short lived close to the coast. Clumps of lambs ears (Stachys byzantina) often die out in the center. Frost damages its foliage and heavy rains can mash the plants down and rot the leaves, but plants come back strongly once the weather warms up even if you do nothing. Lambs ears need full sun along the coast. They can take part shade inland and the green-leaved varieties must have shade at mid-day inland. Moderate water is best, once established, and good drainage is a must. If you live in Southern California, mid-February is the best time to clean up the perennial garden. I suggest you dig out and divide lambs ears in mid-February, throwing away the worn out center and all brown and unsightly sections and replanting the good divisions that are found around the edges. Never divide this plant in fall or your plants may die during winter. Amend the soil before replanting and add a little fertilizer, then follow up with a thorough irrigation. After this clean-up your plants should bounce back quickly. Lambs ears (Stachys byzantina) is not a native plant. It is native to the Caucasus, Iran, but it grows well in Southern California’s dry Mediterranean climate and makes a good ground cover under native oaks. It can be short lived close to the coast. Clumps of lambs ears (Stachys byzantina) often die out in the center. Frost damages its foliage and heavy rains can mash the plants down and rot the leaves, but plants come back strongly once the weather warms up even if you do nothing. Lambs ears need full sun along the coast. They can take part shade inland and the green-leaved varieties must have shade at mid-day inland. Moderate water is best, once established, and good drainage is a must. If you live in Southern California, mid-February is the best time to clean up the perennial garden. I suggest you dig out and divide lambs ears in mid-February, throwing away the worn out center and all brown and unsightly sections and replanting the good divisions that are found around the edges. Never divide this plant in fall or your plants may die during winter. Amend the soil before replanting and add a little fertilizer, then follow up with a thorough irrigation. After this clean-up your plants should bounce back quickly.

]]> Comment on Weed Control by Pat http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/blog/weeds/weed-control/comment-page-1/#comment-1617 Pat Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:43:24 +0000 http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/?p=1710#comment-1617 As you undoubtedly are aware, moles don't eat plants; they eat bugs, grubs, and earthworms. However, they tunnel through moist lawns and vegetable gardens at root level thus disturbing roots and making ugly mounds and you are right they first get active now when the weather warms up in spring. Best way to get rid of moles is to own a good hunting cat or dog (dachshunds and Jack Russells are notoriously good hunters of gophers and moles.) Purchase two dwarf dachshunds and your animal pest problems will be gone forever including rats and voles. Next best control is to trap them. In my experience none of the spray-on commercial repellants work and nor do the supposedly repellant plants. Putting cat litter into moles burrows may discourage gophers better than commercial repellants for a while but it will not solve the problem. (Being an organic gardener, I do not believe in any chemical controls for killing grubs or control of moles.) I have a friend who swears up and down that Juicy Fruit chewing gum kills moles. He buys a whole package and chews each piece just long enough to get it smooth and tasty, then makes holes in several places in the active, fresh mole runs and carefully drops in the gum. He swears that moles eat the gum and that it kills them. I have heard this from several people. Other folks say it does not work, but maybe they don't follow directions correctly. The gum has to land on the bottom of the run, it must still be fresh and juicy and not covered in dirt, and it must be an active run. If I had a mole problem this is what I would try first, but moles have not yet found the town in which I live. We had moles on the farm on which I grew up and we trapped them. I have gophers here in my garden and I trap them also with the "Black Hole" trap, which works like a dream. I have three of these traps. (NOT the Black Box which does not work!) I also use wire barriers installed underneath raised beds to keep gophers out. I suggested to one of my sons-in-law to put chicken wire on top of prepped soil before installing sod lawn. His was the only lawn in his neighborhood with no gophers. "Gopher wire" is smaller gauge than chicken wire and less prone to rust, but not available in all places and can also be installed under lawns, or used to line flower beds. One could conceivably line a flower bed or whole veggie garden with chicken wire or gopher wire and have no gophers or moles. I have heard of this being done but the wire must protrude a little all the way around like an enormous dish. Worth doing where critter problems reach the hair-tearing category. As you undoubtedly are aware, moles don’t eat plants; they eat bugs, grubs, and earthworms. However, they tunnel through moist lawns and vegetable gardens at root level thus disturbing roots and making ugly mounds and you are right they first get active now when the weather warms up in spring. Best way to get rid of moles is to own a good hunting cat or dog (dachshunds and Jack Russells are notoriously good hunters of gophers and moles.) Purchase two dwarf dachshunds and your animal pest problems will be gone forever including rats and voles. Next best control is to trap them. In my experience none of the spray-on commercial repellants work and nor do the supposedly repellant plants. Putting cat litter into moles burrows may discourage gophers better than commercial repellants for a while but it will not solve the problem. (Being an organic gardener, I do not believe in any chemical controls for killing grubs or control of moles.) I have a friend who swears up and down that Juicy Fruit chewing gum kills moles. He buys a whole package and chews each piece just long enough to get it smooth and tasty, then makes holes in several places in the active, fresh mole runs and carefully drops in the gum. He swears that moles eat the gum and that it kills them. I have heard this from several people. Other folks say it does not work, but maybe they don’t follow directions correctly. The gum has to land on the bottom of the run, it must still be fresh and juicy and not covered in dirt, and it must be an active run. If I had a mole problem this is what I would try first, but moles have not yet found the town in which I live. We had moles on the farm on which I grew up and we trapped them. I have gophers here in my garden and I trap them also with the “Black Hole” trap, which works like a dream. I have three of these traps. (NOT the Black Box which does not work!) I also use wire barriers installed underneath raised beds to keep gophers out. I suggested to one of my sons-in-law to put chicken wire on top of prepped soil before installing sod lawn. His was the only lawn in his neighborhood with no gophers. “Gopher wire” is smaller gauge than chicken wire and less prone to rust, but not available in all places and can also be installed under lawns, or used to line flower beds. One could conceivably line a flower bed or whole veggie garden with chicken wire or gopher wire and have no gophers or moles. I have heard of this being done but the wire must protrude a little all the way around like an enormous dish. Worth doing where critter problems reach the hair-tearing category.

]]> Comment on Planting California Native Plants by Tina Cremer http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/blog/california-natives/planting-california-native-plants/comment-page-1/#comment-1616 Tina Cremer Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:57:14 +0000 http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/?p=181#comment-1616 What causes Stachy byzantina leaves to yellow and die? Does it have a period of semi-dormancy? Knowing that it is a low water needs plant, what are it's specific water, sun, and soil requirements? Should the dead leaves be removed to improve its appearance? Thank you for your trusted advise. Tina What causes Stachy byzantina leaves to yellow and die?

Does it have a period of semi-dormancy? Knowing that it is a low water needs plant, what are it’s specific water, sun, and soil requirements? Should the dead leaves be removed to improve its appearance?

Thank you for your trusted advise.

Tina

]]> Comment on Weed Control by David http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/blog/weeds/weed-control/comment-page-1/#comment-1615 David Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:11:41 +0000 http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/?p=1710#comment-1615 Now is probably as good a time as any to talk about the mole and residential pest control. Their holes are kind of unsightly on our lawns and they can do a bit of damage to the root systems of our grass. They will also do harm to the roots of any of our garden plants. So we really need to find a way to get rid of them. Now is probably as good a time as any to talk about the mole and residential pest control. Their holes are kind of unsightly on our lawns and they can do a bit of damage to the root systems of our grass. They will also do harm to the roots of any of our garden plants. So we really need to find a way to get rid of them.

]]> Comment on Easy Pruning Directions for Many Common Plants by Pat http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/blog/pruning/easy-pruning-directions-for-many-common-plants/comment-page-1/#comment-1612 Pat Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:11:57 +0000 http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/?p=776#comment-1612 Cut back fuchsias in November along the coast and mid-February inland. If you cut back fuchsias in November then fertilize them year round. (Since they grow year round we should feed them year round.) If you cut fuchsias back in February, however, then you can let them rest without fertilizer during the three coldest months, November, December and January and resume fertilizing after cutting back in mid-February. Fuchsias bloom only on new growth thus unless they grow they cannot bloom. Therefore, always fertilize fuchsias with a complete fertilizer especially for growth (with nitrogen) and also for flowers (with phosphorus and potassium.) Never feed fuchsias with fertilizer that has more phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen since that is meant just for flowers and when fed to fuchsias will slow down growth and thus result in mighty few flowers—the exact opposite of what one might suppose. Newport, where you live is in a mild, largely frost-free coastal climate. If you live in Newport you are either in Sunset Zone 24 (close to the ocean up to the top of the mesa) or Zone 23 (on top of the mesa and slightly inland.) Gardeners in these locations can cut back fuchsias in November and allow them to regrow throughout winter. If two or three miles further inland you would be in Zone 22 and in that case mid-February is the better time to cut back fuchsias. However, in your case since you did not do the job last fall and now is January I would wait until mid-February to cut back your fuchsias. If you cut back now and we happened to have a sudden and unexpected cold snap the plants might die. If you have large old fuchsia trees growing in the ground or in large pots, do not cut these back all at once. Cut back one-third, allow that to regrow. Then cut another one-third and so forth until you have cut back the whole plant. If you were to cut back a very old, woody, standard shrub all at once it might die. But if the plants you are cutting back are hanging baskets then, regardless of age, you can cut these back to pot level or 4 or 5 inches from the top of the soil mix in the container. Simply cut off all the foliage and all the twiggy growth leaving the woody plant with several branches at that level. Then tip the container on its side and with a gloved hand clean out all the dead leaves, debris, and any dead bodies of slow-release plant food and discard. Also dig out a few inches of the spent soil and additionally take your clippers and cut off some of the old roots. Throw all this away. To prevent a carry over of pests and diseases it's safest to bag this and send it to the dump. Then set the container upright once again and refill with fresh soil mix, pressing it down. Then hang the plant back onto it's hook and water it well. After root pruning be sure never to let the roots dry out or the plant may die. One week after cutting back resume fertilizing with a complete organic fertilizer containing both growth and bloom ingredients. Here is a tip: You can grow wonderful fuchsias by fertilizing them every two weeks with fish emulsion diluted according to package directions. Another easier way is to feed once a month by placing one tablespoon of 14-14-14 balanced slow-release fertilizer such as Apex Blue 14-14-14 on top of the soil mix of every hanging basket. The plant will be fed every time it's watered. Apex Blue is not an organic fertilizer, but I am not a total purist and using a little slow-release fertilizer for a few fuchsias is not going to cause any devastating harm to our planet. I repeat to emphasize this point it is important to feed fuchsias continually for growth so they continually grow new tips that will bloom. As soon as you have cut back your fuchsias begin weekly pinching them back to make them bushy. Each time the plant puts on two sets of leaflets, pinch off the top pair off thus making the plant branch and grow twice the number of tips. When the plants have grown another pair of leaflets and these, in turn have put out a new stem topped with little leaves, pinch again and the plant will branch again. If you feed continually you will need to pinch all the plants once a week. When you have created a completely bushy hanging basket or standard plant, that's the time to stop pinching and let the plant bloom. After you stop pinching the plant it may take six weeks or even eight weeks before it will resume blooming because it will take it that much time to grow new tip growth that can bloom. This is why when I grew masses of fuchsias I always used to cut my fuchsias back in November. I pinched back all throughout November and January (a total of 12 times at least.) Then plants were getting ready to bloom during February and March they would burst into full magnificent bloom in April and stay in bloom until November when once again I cut them all back. I watered daily with a drip system, dead-headed weekly, fed monthly with one tablespoon slow-release fertilizer on top of the soil, and kept them in full bloom until November when it was time to cut them back again. Please note: This plant is spelled Fuchsia, not the way it sounds (fuschia). This is a common spelling error but one will never forget if you recall that this beloved and magnificent flowering shrub was named after a famous 16th-century German physician and botanist called Leonhart Fuchs. Leonhart Fuchs is thought of as one of the three fathers of botany. He was especially interested in the study of herbs that might be useful as medicines for healing his patients. From studying herbs he then became interested in all plants and how they are constructed. Cut back fuchsias in November along the coast and mid-February inland. If you cut back fuchsias in November then fertilize them year round. (Since they grow year round we should feed them year round.) If you cut fuchsias back in February, however, then you can let them rest without fertilizer during the three coldest months, November, December and January and resume fertilizing after cutting back in mid-February. Fuchsias bloom only on new growth thus unless they grow they cannot bloom. Therefore, always fertilize fuchsias with a complete fertilizer especially for growth (with nitrogen) and also for flowers (with phosphorus and potassium.) Never feed fuchsias with fertilizer that has more phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen since that is meant just for flowers and when fed to fuchsias will slow down growth and thus result in mighty few flowers—the exact opposite of what one might suppose. Newport, where you live is in a mild, largely frost-free coastal climate. If you live in Newport you are either in Sunset Zone 24 (close to the ocean up to the top of the mesa) or Zone 23 (on top of the mesa and slightly inland.) Gardeners in these locations can cut back fuchsias in November and allow them to regrow throughout winter. If two or three miles further inland you would be in Zone 22 and in that case mid-February is the better time to cut back fuchsias. However, in your case since you did not do the job last fall and now is January I would wait until mid-February to cut back your fuchsias. If you cut back now and we happened to have a sudden and unexpected cold snap the plants might die. If you have large old fuchsia trees growing in the ground or in large pots, do not cut these back all at once. Cut back one-third, allow that to regrow. Then cut another one-third and so forth until you have cut back the whole plant. If you were to cut back a very old, woody, standard shrub all at once it might die. But if the plants you are cutting back are hanging baskets then, regardless of age, you can cut these back to pot level or 4 or 5 inches from the top of the soil mix in the container. Simply cut off all the foliage and all the twiggy growth leaving the woody plant with several branches at that level. Then tip the container on its side and with a gloved hand clean out all the dead leaves, debris, and any dead bodies of slow-release plant food and discard. Also dig out a few inches of the spent soil and additionally take your clippers and cut off some of the old roots. Throw all this away. To prevent a carry over of pests and diseases it’s safest to bag this and send it to the dump. Then set the container upright once again and refill with fresh soil mix, pressing it down. Then hang the plant back onto it’s hook and water it well. After root pruning be sure never to let the roots dry out or the plant may die. One week after cutting back resume fertilizing with a complete organic fertilizer containing both growth and bloom ingredients. Here is a tip: You can grow wonderful fuchsias by fertilizing them every two weeks with fish emulsion diluted according to package directions. Another easier way is to feed once a month by placing one tablespoon of 14-14-14 balanced slow-release fertilizer such as Apex Blue 14-14-14 on top of the soil mix of every hanging basket. The plant will be fed every time it’s watered. Apex Blue is not an organic fertilizer, but I am not a total purist and using a little slow-release fertilizer for a few fuchsias is not going to cause any devastating harm to our planet. I repeat to emphasize this point it is important to feed fuchsias continually for growth so they continually grow new tips that will bloom. As soon as you have cut back your fuchsias begin weekly pinching them back to make them bushy. Each time the plant puts on two sets of leaflets, pinch off the top pair off thus making the plant branch and grow twice the number of tips. When the plants have grown another pair of leaflets and these, in turn have put out a new stem topped with little leaves, pinch again and the plant will branch again. If you feed continually you will need to pinch all the plants once a week. When you have created a completely bushy hanging basket or standard plant, that’s the time to stop pinching and let the plant bloom. After you stop pinching the plant it may take six weeks or even eight weeks before it will resume blooming because it will take it that much time to grow new tip growth that can bloom. This is why when I grew masses of fuchsias I always used to cut my fuchsias back in November. I pinched back all throughout November and January (a total of 12 times at least.) Then plants were getting ready to bloom during February and March they would burst into full magnificent bloom in April and stay in bloom until November when once again I cut them all back. I watered daily with a drip system, dead-headed weekly, fed monthly with one tablespoon slow-release fertilizer on top of the soil, and kept them in full bloom until November when it was time to cut them back again. Please note: This plant is spelled Fuchsia, not the way it sounds (fuschia). This is a common spelling error but one will never forget if you recall that this beloved and magnificent flowering shrub was named after a famous 16th-century German physician and botanist called Leonhart Fuchs. Leonhart Fuchs is thought of as one of the three fathers of botany. He was especially interested in the study of herbs that might be useful as medicines for healing his patients. From studying herbs he then became interested in all plants and how they are constructed.

]]> Comment on Easy Pruning Directions for Many Common Plants by Marilyn http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/blog/pruning/easy-pruning-directions-for-many-common-plants/comment-page-1/#comment-1610 Marilyn Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:39:10 +0000 http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/?p=776#comment-1610 I live in Newport Beach & would like to know when to prune & feed my fuschias. Thank you very much! I live in Newport Beach & would like to know when to prune & feed my fuschias. Thank you very much!

]]> Comment on Other area gardening by Pat http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/blog/garden-q-a/other-area-gardening/comment-page-1/#comment-1608 Pat Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:26:04 +0000 http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/?p=2378#comment-1608 Thank you so much for writing me again for information on purchasing my books. I deeply appreciate your intention of giving some for Christmas presents. It's a shame you couldn't attend one of my fall talks where many people bought several for that purpose. I do have books on hand which I sell at my talks, but I hope you can understand that wrapping and shipping books is currently difficult for me since right now I have no secretarial help. Also, it's Christmas time so I am busy with my own preparations, including shopping and shipping gifts, which in itself is not easy. Also it would be far better for you to deal with a book company who could ship at lower cost. To make it easy for you there is a place on my website where you can click to purchase books, or purchase directly from Amazon.com, or try a local book store, such as Warwicks in La Jolla or Barnes and Noble. (if they are out of the book, they can order any number for you.) Weidners Gardens in Encinitas usually keeps signed copies on hand. (But I suggest you phone in advance to make sure they are not out of copies.) Thank you so much for writing me again for information on purchasing my books. I deeply appreciate your intention of giving some for Christmas presents. It’s a shame you couldn’t attend one of my fall talks where many people bought several for that purpose. I do have books on hand which I sell at my talks, but I hope you can understand that wrapping and shipping books is currently difficult for me since right now I have no secretarial help. Also, it’s Christmas time so I am busy with my own preparations, including shopping and shipping gifts, which in itself is not easy. Also it would be far better for you to deal with a book company who could ship at lower cost. To make it easy for you there is a place on my website where you can click to purchase books, or purchase directly from Amazon.com, or try a local book store, such as Warwicks in La Jolla or Barnes and Noble. (if they are out of the book, they can order any number for you.) Weidners Gardens in Encinitas usually keeps signed copies on hand. (But I suggest you phone in advance to make sure they are not out of copies.)

]]> Comment on Other area gardening by Ilyana http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/blog/garden-q-a/other-area-gardening/comment-page-1/#comment-1607 Ilyana Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:25:48 +0000 http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/?p=2378#comment-1607 I was on line shopping for copies of your book for Christmas gifts and it occurred to me to purchase it directly from you. If you have any, can you tell me how I go about purchasing one and perhaps when it would be sent out? I was on line shopping for copies of your book for Christmas gifts and it occurred to me to purchase it directly from you. If you have any, can you tell me how I go about purchasing one and perhaps when it would be sent out?

]]> Comment on Plant identification by Pat http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/blog/gardening-tip/plant-identification/comment-page-1/#comment-1606 Pat Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:15:34 +0000 http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/?p=2387#comment-1606 You're welcome. Good luck with sifting the soil and getting rid of the corms. If you keep at it, it will work. You’re welcome. Good luck with sifting the soil and getting rid of the corms. If you keep at it, it will work.

]]> Comment on Plant identification by Charlie http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/blog/gardening-tip/plant-identification/comment-page-1/#comment-1605 Charlie Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:15:22 +0000 http://patwelsh.com/wpmu/?p=2387#comment-1605 I live in Lakeside, climate zone 21 I think (same as the citrus in Western Garden Book), or zone 9, depending on the scale you use. Quite cold (for here) in the winter & hot summers. I only have one flower per stem, but like your idea of sifting the soil to get the bulbs. I also think this is going to be a dig it up project, but wanted to know just what I had. I do have a white oxalis in my yard, although I planted it in the shade. It doesn't seem to be prolific like the other one. Thanks so much, I live in Lakeside, climate zone 21 I think (same as the citrus in Western Garden Book), or zone 9, depending on the scale you use. Quite cold (for here) in the winter & hot summers. I only have one flower per stem, but like your idea of sifting the soil to get the bulbs. I also think this is going to be a dig it up project, but wanted to know just what I had. I do have a white oxalis in my yard, although I planted it in the shade. It doesn’t seem to be prolific like the other one.
Thanks so much,

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