It takes a Pandemic!

I have been so busy the past few years that I haven't had any time to work on the blog. Well, we are sheltering in place for weeks on end and thought it was the perfect opportunity to add some articles and notes to the blog. I am excited at the prospect that folks will have a bit of time for rest,
contemplation, family and - Gardening!

Luckily, we have had some rain and it is a lovely time to be out in the garden. I have been pulling weeds, applying fertilizer (water in well), adding some plants and doing general repairs and clean up.
It is not a good time for rototilling when the soil is very wet as it destroys the soil structure but
spading and planting individual plants is o.k., if the soil is damp but not soggy.

Weeding is a lot better now as they pull out a little easier! Depending on the weed of course.
Best to weed the garden before they finish flowering and let go of seeds to avoid having
a deluge next year!  If you remember in fall to apply a pre-emergent i.e. Preen, Ronstar, Ortho
Weed Preventer etc..................repeating on a regular basis through spring, you can avoid quite
a few of the weeds that seed in. I actually don't use this in our garden as we have flowers and
bulbs that grow from seeds and tubers/bulbs so the pre-emergent (which kills emerging plants from seeds) isn't a good idea here. It has been great for general landscaping but should be
avoided in vegetable gardens where you are seeding in veggies. It is unknown how bulbs are
affected so don't take the chance with them.

The climate is definitely warming, as we know, and I see the results of this in my work everyday.
The lack of freeze has meant we have flourishing sub-tropicals and even tropicals  in our
gardens here in the SF Bay Area. There has been a huge interest in succulents too, as they
normally would get freeze damage in our area but now not so much. Rodents and insect pests
have also shown a population gain as the hard winters subside.
The gist of all this is that more drought tolerant gardens are finally having a gain in popularity and
a wide range of plants are available that weren't in our plant "palette" before. The nursery folk and growers have kept up with the trend and there are more and more drought friendly and interesting plants available. This makes my job very fun! Introducing new and colorful hybrids to client's and gardens is a blast.

As the weather improves, I will spray the poison oak and noxious scotch broom (a very invasive and rapidly spreading weed). A yearly task that keep the wilderness at bay and help with future issues. Remember to spray your deciduous fruit trees with dormant oil spray just before the flower buds open.
Clear old fruit and leaves from below trees and weed around them to avoid diseases and pests.
Citrus, gardenias, and plants that have yellowing of the foliage benefit from a good dose (or 2)
of chelated iron (soluble iron). This will green up the leaves and help the plants vigor.

I have saved up some topics for the blog so will add some more articles- finally!
Stay safe, healthy and have fun in the garden!