Sanhedrin Nursery – Garden Blog

• Finish planting the summer vegetable garden. Seeds of early corn, and beans can go directly in the soil and plants of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons, squash, cucumbers and basil can be set out.

• Fertilize container plants every 10 to 14 days with a liquid fertilizer. Pinch off faded blossoms and they will keep blooming all summer for you.

• It’s time to set out Brussels sprouts for fall harvest.

• Attract birds to your garden with a concrete bird bath. They come in many attractive styles and make good gifts.

• Feed camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons with an acid plant food now. Remove dead flowers and mulch to keep the soil cool.

Weather-Related Garden Problems

Weather conditions greatly affect the growth and yield of vegetable crops. Wet, cool weather often leads to disease problems. Too much heat or cool nights can also be difficult.

Blossom drop sometimes happens to tomatoes, peppers, and beans. It is caused by extremes in temperature and dry conditions that result in poor pollination and cause the flowers to drop from the plant without setting fruit. Blossom drop may occur on tomatoes when night temperatures are below 55°F. The best prevention is to water the plants deeply once a week. Fruit set should improve when summer temperatures settle in.

Poorly filled ears of corn result from inadequate pollination. Hot, dry winds and dry soil conditions during pollination may result in poorly filled ears, but often the problem is improper planting. Corn is wind pollinated and must be planted in blocks of 4 or more rows to insure pollination. Be sure to water the plants when they are tasseling if the soil is dry.

Cucumbers sometimes have a bitter taste. The bitterness develops when plants are subjected to stressful growing conditions. Lack of water is often the main problem. Cucumber varieties differ in their tendency to produce bitter fruit. ‘Straight Eight’ often produces bitter fruit. ‘Sweet Slice’ and ‘Burpless Hybrid’ have fewer problems.

Blossom-end rot sometimes shows up on tomatoes and peppers, and occasionally on summer squash. A brown or black spot develops on the blossom end of the fruit. It happens when there is a lack of calcium in the developing fruit. Wide fluctuations in soil moisture levels impair calcium uptake by the root system. Excessive nitrogen fertilization may also contribute to blossom-end rot. It is usually less of a problem if you put some bonemeal in the bottom of the hole when you plant the starts in your garden.

Sunscald shows up as shiny white or yellow areas on the sides of the fruit where it is exposed to hot sun. Later, the affected tissue dries out and collapses, forming slightly sunken, wrinkled areas. Tomatoes and peppers are often affected by sunscald during periods of extreme heat. Growing tomatoes in wire cages gives the fruit good foliage protection and reduces the likelihood of sunscald.

Sometimes cabbage heads split when they are mature, before you get around to harvesting them. The splitting results from a build-up of water pressure. It can be prevented by pulling the mature head upward and gently twisting it to break some of the roots, thereby reducing water uptake.

Tomatoes sometimes develop cracks in the skin. There are two different forms of cracking: one is primarily cosmetic and the other is a result of weather and growing conditions. Cracking that looks like concentric circles on the top of the fruit is a genetic characteristic and can’t really be prevented. It is common in some varieties and the fruit will taste fine.

Sometimes the tomato splits from top to bottom. This is caused by heavy rainfall or irrigation following a long, dry period. Rapid growth brought on by the excess moisture results in cracking. These tomatoes can be eaten or used for cooking as long as you harvest them before bacteria and fungi contaminate the split.

Keep an eye on your garden and prevent problems before they occur.

• Cover cherry trees with bird netting to protect your crop.

• Roses bloom all summer with their abundant flowers in so many different colors. Choose some now when you can see their lovely flowers.

• Attract hummingbirds to your patio this summer with hummingbird feeders, so you can enjoy their iridescent beauty and charm.

• Azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons can be pruned now without sacrificing next years bloom. Ask at your nursery if you need help.

• Paint trunks of young fruit trees with Tree Trunk White. This will keep the soft bark from sun-burning which leaves cracks for borer insects, the most common cause of death of young apple trees.

Secrets of Companion Planting

The practice of mixing flowers and herbs into the vegetable garden or around certain shrubs to attract beneficial insects and repel harmful ones is known as companion planting. Hundreds of examples of plant companions are recorded in garden folklore, and scientific studies have supported many of these.

There are many varieties of herbs, flowers and vegetables that can be used for companion plants. Certain plants act as “trap crops” that draw pest insects away from other plants. Nasturtiums are used this way to attract aphids which seem to prefer them to other crops. Planting a ring of them around apple trees limits woolly aphid damage to the trees (although the nasturtiums won’t look too great).

“Nurse plants” provide breeding grounds for beneficial insects. Herbs such as fennel, dill, anise and coriander are members of the carrot family that produce broad, flat clusters of small flowers that attract beneficials. Grow these plants near your vegetables to keep parasitic wasps nearby. Sunflowers, zinnias and asters also attract helpful insects.

Cucumber beetles, which look like green lady bugs, are a common pest in the vegetable garden. You can lure them away from other plants by planting radishes or nasturtiums nearby. Nasturtiums also deter whiteflies and squash bugs.

Radishes will lure leafminers away from spinach. The damage the leafminers do to radish leaves does not stop the radish roots from growing and being edible, a win-win situation.

Flea beetles are tiny black insects that riddle eggplant leaves with holes. Catnip nearby will deter these creatures. It will also reduce aphids on pepper plants. Keep the catnip in a pot, though, because it can grow out of control in the garden.

Sweet basil is known to repel aphids, mosquitoes and flies. Planted near tomatoes, it is said to help them overcome both insects and diseases and also improves their growth and flavor.

Garlic grown in a circle around fruit trees is good protection against borers. It also deters aphids, weevils and spider mites. It is beneficial when planted around rose bushes for these reasons. Plant near cabbage to repel the cabbage moth and resultant caterpillar damage.

Rosemary deters cabbage moth, bean beetles and carrot flies, so plant some around your vegetable garden.

Marigolds are known for their ability to suppress nematodes. However, we do not have soil nematodes in this area of California. French marigolds help to deter whiteflies when planted around tomatoes and can be useful in the greenhouse for the same purpose. Marigolds may help repel flea beetles from eggplants. For best results plant marigolds that are tall and strongly scented, with the eggplants.

There are many other interesting possibilities. So fill your garden with flowers and herbs and reap their protective benefits as well as their beauty and fragrance.

• Gerberas Daisies with their large, bright-colored flowers are a standout in containers. Water them infrequently and give them plenty of sun for flowers all summer.

• Asparagus plants should be fed with good, rich compost when you have finished cutting spears. Keep the bed mulched and weed-free all summer, and the soil moist.

• Ivy geraniums make wonderful hanging baskets for partially shaded spots where they will bloom all summer.

• Tomatoes are the most popular summer vegetable. Choose from the many varieties available now so you can enjoy delicious home-grown flavor.

• When you plant your vegetable garden, why not grow a little extra to donate to the Willits Food Bank this summer.

The Ancient Art of Bonsai

One of the most fascinating of all the varied garden arts is Bonsai. Centuries ago, the Japanese collected and cultivated trees in miniature form, capturing the spirit of nature, and thus creating a unique art form. Bonsai is a Japanese word, meaning ‘tree in a tray.’

Nature’s forms are so exactly reproduced in these elegant trees, that you can almost feel the wind blow as you contemplate a weather-beaten, windswept mountain tree.

As with other hobbies, there are skills involved, but with practice wonderful results can be achieved. Your initial attempts, though not perfect, will bring you joy and pride as you watch them grow. A young tree has the potential to grow into a great work of art with your careful attention.

Spring is the best time to start a new bonsai while the trees are strongest and growing vigorously. When you visit the nursery to select your tree, examine the basic form of the trunk since this is what you will work with. Specimens that are lopsided or deformed often make very good bonsai subjects.

The easiest plants to start with are juniper, cotoneaster and Japanese maples. Keep in mind that you are creating a tree in miniature – small leaved species will help the beginner to create this image. Small starter plants are easiest for the beginner, while the more experienced may look for larger, overgrown nursery plants.

Choose a pot with large drain holes. This will help prevent overwatering, which is the leading cause of death with bonsai. A netting or screen can be placed in the bottom of the pot to keep the soil from falling through the holes.

The soil should be light and porous. You can buy a premixed bonsai soil, or make your own with three parts loam, two parts sand and one part peat moss.

After your tree is potted, pay close attention to its water needs. Daily watering is necessary during very warm weather, but may drown the plant in mild weather.

Bonsai plants like to be kept outdoors. They are not house plants, unless they are made with tropical plants that tolerate household conditions. Find a location where they will receive as much sunlight as possible without overheating or burning. This will vary according to the kind of plant. A high-branching tree or latticework can shelter them from excessive heat. Also protect them from strong winds and heavy rain.

To create the weather-beaten or windswept look, branches are often removed and tops are trimmed. Branches and trunks can be temporarily wired to produce twisted shapes. The goal is to create a plant that looks like a small old tree. The Chinese frequently use figurines and/or rocks in their compositions.

Bonsai is a very popular horticultural hobby that can be enjoyed by young and old alike.