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Garden
Maintenance for the Weekend Gardener It’s Sunday morning and with coffee in hand I go to survey my yard and garden to plan my day of activities - I never think of them as chores, as anything that can bring such joy cannot be associated with work. As the hot air balloons float above I start with the lawn. No need to mow this week. Since close mowing or scalping allows weeds to germinate and grow, only remove one third of the leaf blade when mowing. Higher mowing heights also maximize photosynthesis and reduce turf stress. I will water though. Always water the lawn in the morning when evaporation is minimal. Evening watering is not recommended because the turf can become highly susceptible to disease development. Infrequent, heavy irrigation will encourage deep root growth which will discourage weeds and disease. Now that the caffeine has taken effect, I’m ready for the vegetable garden. Before I start watering I like to inspect the plants. I look at the leaves to make sure nothing has been munching on them. I also look for spots or the appearance of bugs. It’s not only the “bad” bugs such as stinkbugs, aphids or whiteflies, but the “good” bugs that I search out. It is so important to be aware of what is present in your garden, both good and bad. If you come across any damage, you can contact your local Master Gardener office or research the damage on the University of California Integrated Pest Management website; www.ipm.ucdavis.edu. Since I have no pests to deal with today, I proceed to tie up the tomatoes that I have staked. They seem to have doubled in size in a week. I notice that they have set their first fruit so I give them a nitrogen fertilizer. I’ll do this again every 4 to 6 weeks throughout the season. A little weeding and watering now. Just like the lawn, it is best to do infrequent deep waterings. And don’t forget water for yourself – remember to drink lots of water while working outside, especially during warm weather. As I wander to the front of the house, I stop dead in my tracks. My beautiful rose bushes that have been in full bloom now look like they haven’t been cared for. The rainbow of color is now a sea of brown. I whip out my trusty clippers and start deadheading - removing the dead roses by making clean cut just above a bud or shoot that points to the outside of the plant. This is also a good time to fertilize the rose bushes to promote your next bloom. And speaking of bloom…my final area to look after today is our patio area. Since we love to entertain, it is important for this area to be lush and colorful. Through trial and error, finding the right flowers to go in the right area, my hanging flower baskets are full of bright flowers which add a pretty touch to the area. This year I’m using fuchsia, begonias and petunias. They offer so many colors and varieties that it’s hard to choose which ones will grace your yard. Make sure you water container plants frequently – soil in pots and hanging baskets dries out much faster than the ground. Saturate the pot and then repeat the watering 10 minutes later to ensure the soil gets enough water. The deck near our kitchen is lined with potted herbs and a Laurus nobilis (Sweet Bay tree), the traditional bay leaf of cooking. Having these plants close to our kitchen makes it convenient to use fresh herbs in all our dishes. To tie in our culinary plants with the rest of the yard we have lined this area with rosemary bushes, which come in handy when we are barbequing salmon. Beware of chicken and stuffing cravings while trimming Rosemary bushes, and of the bees too… As I finish watering the last plant, friends show up with a bottle of Champagne. Time to put away the gardening tools and enjoy good friends in a great setting. Happy Gardening! Patti Sevigny UCC Cooperative Extension Napa County Master Gardener |
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