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Our Garden Guru answers the following gardening questions:
- Testing soil ph levels and when to add lime.
- Pink flowering plants and big evergreens for shady areas.
- When to plant tomatoes and which types?
- Window box planting in partial sun areas.
- Ground cover that will stand up to dogs.
- Planting small trees in the office.
- Why no fruit on my lemon tree?
- Choosing plants for a butterfly garden
- Ground cover suggestions for sloped areas
- Getting rid of moles
QUESTION 1
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
If I don’t know the ph or the organic makeup of the garden (and there
doesn’t seem to be a good way to find out) is just adding lime,
without any other info, a good idea? Shouldn’t a soil profile be
done? Not sure what that would look like---but I don’t know if our
soil is alkaline or acidic or neutral.
- Cynthia
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A: Dear Cynthia,
There is an easy to use soil test kit that is available at our
stores. It is called the Rapitest Soil Test Kit. You can determine
the pH of your soil, as well as test for nitrogen, potassium, and
Phosphorous levels. Here is the instruction sheet here so you can
familiarize yourself with the process.
www.lusterleaf.com/img/instruction/1601_instruction.pdf
It is not recommended that you add lime to the regular garden soil
unless you know that you have to increase the pH. The only time we
recommend adding lime prior to testing is for lawns and vegetable
gardens which prefer a limey soil. From experience, most Bay Area
soils contain insufficient organic matter, so adding compost, planting
mix, or a loam builder is always beneficial.
QUESTION 2
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
What are the pink, flowering plants that are growing up the sides of so many San Francisco homes? They get to be very tall and seem to grow like a vine. Also, what are some big evergreen plants/trees for a small shady patio that will fill out the area in green/flowers all year round? Thanks for your help!
- Nicole in San Francisco
.........................................................
A: Dear Nicole,
What you are seeing is probably Bougainvillea Barbara Karst, a shrubby vine. It wants sun. There are a number of plants that are well adapted to shade. Almost too many to list. The Sunset Western Garden Book has an excellent list of shade plants in the Plant Selection Guide at the front of the book (Plants For Shade). I recommend this book for anyone gardening in the Bay Area. You may also find a list here online www.sunset.com/garden/sunset-plant-finder-00400000042576/
QUESTION 3
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
We have just moved to Forest Hill area. Is it too late to plant
tomatoes? If yes, how about in a pot?
- Lynn in San Francisco
.........................................................
A: Dear Lynn,
You are definitely not too late in planting tomatoes. The season is
just beginning! We do have tomato starts in stock now for those
gardeners that want to get a jump start. These plants will need
protection from the cold nights with harvest guard, a greenhouse, or
Dalen tomato caps. Most of us wait until after St. Patrick's Day, and
April is certainly tomato time. Varieties for your area are the small
to medium sized slicers and cherry types. You will want a short day
variety, something that ripens less than 75 days. Good candidates are
Early Girl, Siletz, Sun Cherry, Sweet 100, Black Krim, Green Zebra,
Visitacion Valley, and Stupice to name a few. Use this time to
prepare the ground with Loam Builder and Agricultural Lime (needed
calcium to prevent blossom end rot). If you choose pots, determinate
types (those that do not vine ), are best. Don't forget the tomato
cage!
QUESTION 4
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
Every year I try to plant flowering window boxes in front of my home, and every year I fail. I live in the Ingleside neighborhood and The front of my home is east facing. No matter what plants I try, I never get the bountiful and beautiful flowering boxes and baskets I see hanging from the light posts along Van Ness and other city streets. As spring nears, what plants can I try to use this year to get the best results?
- Brian in San Francisco
.........................................................
A: Dear Brian,
Your exposure indicates that those plants that do well in partial sun would be the most successful. What happens that your boxes fail? I would start this season with new potting soil. Add Osmocote Indoor/Outdoor slow release fertilizer according to the directions. This will give you continuous feeding throughout the season every time you water. You will also be able to feed with a supplemental liquid fertilizer such as Maxsea without danger of overfeeding. Depending on how deep/narrow these boxes are and the weather, you should probably water every other or every 3rd day. Using a combination of annual and perennial plants and enough of them, should give you the look you want. Those baskets you admire are stuffed (the plants are usually planted side to side with no space in between).
Annuals: Lobelia (trails), Coleus (colorful foliage, upright), Impatiens (mounding), Begonia (mounding)
Perennials: Ipomoea (trails, colorful foliage), Lysimachia (trails), Bacopa (trails), Fuchsia (upright), Calibrachoa (mounding), Erigeron (mounding)
QUESTION 5
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
Any suggestions for a ground cover that will stand up to dogs? I'm not looking for perfection, just something that will keep the mud in check. I live in the western part of SF and the area is a mix of sun, when we get it, and shade.
- Georgette in San Francisco
.........................................................
A: Dear Georgette,
That is a hard one, especially if you are going to try to establish a groundcover while the dogs have access to the area. Two groundcovers that stood up to my dog's activities were the Carex albula or Frosted Curls and Liriope. They attain a height of 8" to 10" and tolerate your light conditions. Other plants that may work are Persicaria capitata (Knotweed), Fragaria chiloensis (beach strawberry) and Duchesnea (Mock Strawberry). You may also want to consider a thick layer of Microbark, straw or other mulch.
QUESTION 6
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
What would be appropriate plants/small trees for a very dark, somewhat
enclosed area off of an office? Obviously, something that loves shade,
but must be easy maintenance too.
- Linda in Novato
.........................................................
A: Dear Linda,
Those dark corners can be a challenge. There are 4 houseplants that
have proved themselves worthy of these locations. They are the
Sansevieria aka mother-in-laws tongue, The Pothos (used as a hanging
plant), The Dracaena aka Dragon tree (these come in many varieties
with the Janet Craig and massangeana being the most versatile), and
the Zamioculcas aka ZZ Plant. These also have the distinction of
being very low maintenance.
QUESTION 7
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
My outdoor Meyer lemon is yellowing. It has not produced fruit at all this year. Is it lacking something? Thank you.
- Zoila in Daly City
.........................................................
A: Dear Zoila,
The yellowing is due to insufficient nutrients. First, apply a nitrogen fertilizer such as EB Stone Citrus Avocado or Organic Citrus Food. There is also a chance that iron, sulfur and magnesium could be in short supply. To remedy this, use the Growmore Citrus Growers blend or F.S.T. Use these supplements twice a year in spring and fall. The nitrogen food should be fed every 6 weeks. Always apply to soil that is moist and water well afterward to prevent burning.
As to why there is no fruit this year, the blossoms may have been damaged by our late spring rains.
QUESTION 8
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
I will be helping in my granddaughter's elementary school in Novato with a butterfly garden. Can you please advise what should be planted in this butterfly garden? Thanks.
- Wayne in San Francisco
.........................................................
A: Dear Wayne,
Easy is the way to go in kid's gardens. I imagine you will want to plant for adult butterflies as opposed to the juvenile caterpillars. Many of the best butterfly plants bloom in summer and fall when the children may not be in school but are worth adding as they will continue to blossom well into November.
Perennials: (Summer/Fall) Lantana, Achillea, Asclepias, Aster, Eriogonum (buckwheat), Echinacea, Verbena, Salvia, Monarda, Rudbeckia, Oregano, (Spring) Centranthus, Erysimum, Heliotrope, Armeria
Annuals: (Summer/Fall) Marigold, sweet alyssum, lobelia, cosmos, sunflower, (Spring) sweet pea, snapdragon, dianthus, sweet alyssum (again)
Shrubs: (Summer/Fall) Buddleja,Caryopteris, Lavender, (Spring) Manzanita, Hebe, Ribes, Rosemary, and Lilac
QUESTION 9
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
I have a sloped area that gets a lot of sun -- I'm wondering what you
would suggest for ground cover?
- MK in Tiburon
.........................................................
A: Dear MK,
I imagine that the soil on that sunny Tiburon slope is not the best. It being on a slope also makes adding amendments difficult. You can take your cue by observing the plants that are doing equally well without obvious summer irrigation and in full hot sun. The Flower Carpet and other shrub roses you see along the highways are a good example. Other plants to consider are ornamental grasses such as Miscanthus, Muhlenbergia, and Pennisetum, Acacia redolens,Ceanothus, Cistus (rockrose), Ribes viburnifolium, Sollya (Australian Bluebell),and Euonymus fortunei. These plants are taller in height than what one normally thinks of as ground cover. Should you desire something low growing, look at purple Lantana, ice plants, Erigeron, Artemesia, Carex (sedge grass), Fragaria (beach strawberry), Teucrium and Thyme.
QUESTION 10
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
We have "tunneling" in our garden, not like the normal 'gopher mounds' we've seen before. A friend said they were 'voles'. What's the difference between and a vole and a gopher, and how do we get rid of them? Also, is the bait to get rid of moles safe for domestic pets and birds? We have a dog who frequents the garden and b/c we also have several birdbaths and hanging bird feeders, we want to be sure these lovely friends won't be harmed. Thanks!
- KG in San Francisco
.........................................................
A: Dear KG,
If all you are seeing is tunneling, it is probably moles rather than voles. Voles and gophers eat plants and plant roots. Signs of their activity would be dead/dying plant material. Moles eat worms, grubs, and other ground insects. The damage they do to gardens are the tunnels, and subsequent pushing up of plants. Most of the time, these surface tunnels (feeding tunnels) can easily be stepped back down. They are most prevalent in spring and fall when the soil is cool and moist at the surface, just how the worms like it. If the tunneling continues, you can used a poison bait in the shape of a large earthworm (Tom Cat Mole Killer) or try one of the sonic mole chasers. Voles are opportunists and will sometimes travel in a mole's tunnel. A vole tunnel is only about 2" wide and really much closer to the surface. They can be deterred with the same baits used for gophers.
Unfortunately, the poisoned "worms" may present a hazard to your dog should she/he find them and eat them, however the dose in the worm is high enough to kill a mole but not enough to kill a dog. The baits are applied within the fresher tunnels and would not be exposed to birds or a pet that does not seek them out. You can learn how to apply them here: http://www.tomcatbrand.com/mole_control/2-learn-to-apply-mole-killer
You may also want to consider a trap. In truth, I have had moles in my yard and beyond the tunnels that have pushed things up, very little damage is really done.
NOTES: Each month we select gardening questions that will help all Bay Area gardeners. Please allow 3-7 working days for a response. IMPORTANT: Please make sure your email address is correct so that our Guru can reply to your question.
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