Sanhedrin Nursery – Garden Blog

• Japanese maples and dogwoods are some of the most colorful trees in the fall. Plant them now and give them a head start on spring.

• Fragrant hyacinths make a colorful display in a garden bed, or can be grown in pots. They come in red, pink, blue and white and can be planted now.

• Naked lady amaryllis have lovely, fragrant pink flowers that bloom in late summer with little or no care. Plant the bulbs, available at local nurseries, now.

• Check houseplants for insects. Spray leaves with insecticidal soap and wipe them off to leave them clean and insect-free.

• Tree collards are delicious winter vegetables. Set out plants now.

Grow great daffodils

Daffodils are some of the easiest bulbs to grow. Under good growing conditions, they will live for many years and probably outlast any of us. While some kinds of bulbs tend to dwindle and die out, daffodils increase.

Daffodils come in all sizes from 5-inch blooms on 2-foot stems to half-inch flowers on 2-inch stems. They also come in a variety of color combinations.

The well-known ‘King Alfreds’ with their bright yellow, trumpet flowers are always a welcome sight. ‘Dutch Master’, the standard of yellow trumpet daffodils, introduced in 1938, is an heirloom variety. And ‘Carlton’ is a two-tone yellow daffodil whose soft yellow petals encircle a large, frilly, golden yellow cup.

‘Ice Follies” daffodils are large-flowering with creamy white petals and a butter yellow ruffled cup inside. The unique ‘Salome‘daffodil is quite showy with its ivory-white petals surrounding a magnificent salmon trumpet.

‘Sempre Avanti’ is a charming variety of large-cupped daffodil having rich creamy petals with striking orange cups that appear very early in the season. With its large yellow flowers and soft orange cups, the blossoms of the ‘Fortune’ daffodils last up to 4 weeks in mid spring.

Mixed daffodils are excellent bulbs for naturalizing. They will return year after year and are great for areas with high deer population. Plant a deer-resistant blend with Chionodoxa, (Glory-of-the-snow), to add some little blue stars to the landscape.

To grow great daffodils you should choose a well-drained, sunny place. Hillsides are excellent spots to place drifts of bulbs where they will make an eye-catching display for passersby. Hillsides and raised beds are ideal, but drainage is the key. Spade at least twelve inches deep adding well-rotted compost to heavy soils.

If planted properly, naturalized bulbs can live and bloom for many years with a minimum of care. When planting bulbs in a natural area to be left undisturbed for years, plant them deeply, so that their tops are at least eight inches deep.

Daffodils will grow in the shade of deciduous trees because they finish flowering by the time deciduous trees leaf out. However, it is better to grow them outside the drip line of deciduous trees rather than under them. Daffodils will not survive for a long time under evergreen trees and shrubs.

One reason for the longevity of daffodils is that squirrels, gophers and other rodents will not eat them. Deer also tend to leave them alone.

Daffodils bloom for almost six weeks in the spring garden. After blooming, leave the bulbs alone while the foliage is still green. The green leaves are rebuilding the bulb for the next year, and this is a good time to fertilize your bulbs. When the leaves begin to yellow, then you can cut the leaves off but not before.

Daffodils multiply, and after a few years you may need to thin them out, if they become crowded and are not blooming well. Dig them up in midsummer and replant them six inches apart.

In some cases, daffodils can be grown with ground covers. They do well planted with shallow-rooted, trailing plants, such as potentilla, creeping thyme and blue star creeper, but vigorous and deeply rooting plants, such as rosemary and ivy are likely to discourage daffodils.

“A host of golden daffodils” is certainly one of the glories of spring, and now is the time to plant daffodil bulbs. Plant a variety of daffodils for a wonderful display in the garden and a beautiful bouquet in the house.

• Bulbs, bulbs, bulbs! It’s time to plant tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus and many other flower bulbs for beautiful blooms next spring.

• Crimson clover, fava beans and rye grass will fortify your garden soil over the winter. Seed these crops as you compost your summer vegetables.

• Choose shade trees for fall color now and plant them while the soil is still warm.

• Wildflower seed broadcasted with the first rains will take root over the winter and burst into flower next spring.

Frost in the Garden

It is common to have our first frost around the first week of October in Willits. However, that will vary depending on where you live. Areas near a lake, in valleys, or in the foothills can have quite different temperatures and frost conditions.

Since cold air is heavier than warm air, it sinks into the valleys, while hillsides may remain frost-free. Similarly, some parts of a particular property such as low areas may be more prone to frost than areas near warmer pavement or buildings.

The first frosts usually happen on calm, clear nights. During the day the sun warms the soil, and if the night is calm, and there are no clouds, heat rises as cold air sinks into the valleys. The temperature near the ground becomes cold and frost forms. These frosts often follow the passing of a cold front.

Since often there are a couple weeks or more of growing season after the first frost, if you can minimize the effects of this frost you can get more enjoyment from flowers and a longer harvest season.  Here are several methods to protect tender plants from frost.

The key to good frost protection is to trap the warm air from the ground in a tent over the plants. Woven fabrics are better than solid ones such as plastic. “N-Sulate” is a special white fabric you can find at nurseries just for frost protection.

A lighter weight fabric, gives about 2 degrees protection, while the thicker one gives up to 5 degrees protection. If possible, support the material so it doesn’t rest directly on the plants.  Apply covers in early evening as winds die down, and remove the next morning as the sun warms the plants.

One easy method to afford some frost protection is irrigation. Moist soil can hold up to four times more heat than dry soil, keeping the air above it about five degrees warmer. So water well before a frost.  

Spray citrus and other tender plants with Cloud Cover to give them some protection from frosts. Cloud Cover is a product that holds moisture in the leaves and reduces stress caused by temperature extremes. Frost tender plants have about 3 to 5 degrees more frost resistance than untreated plants.

If you can’t protect sensitive crops like tomatoes, harvest them early.  They will ripen in the kitchen, or you can pull up the whole plant and hang it upside-down in the garage, and they will continue to ripen slowly.

Tender crops that can’t withstand frost include tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, beans, cucumber, sweet corn, squash and melons. Cool-season crops such as cabbage, broccoli, onions, parsley, radish, spinach, turnips, and Brussels sprouts will withstand a hard frost.

Plan ahead to be ready for the first frost and prolong your gardening season. 

• Holland flower bulbs are now available for fall planting. These lovely gems will bloom for you next spring.

• Lettuce can be planted from starts for a quick fall crop

• Garlic cloves can be planted now. Keep them watered and weeded through the winter and you will harvest healthy large bulbs next June.

• Clove-scented stock is a bedding flower that likes cool weather. Plant them now to enjoy their pink, white and lavender blooms.

• Fall is for planting! Make the most of the nice fall weather and plant shade trees, roses and spring-flowering bulbs this weekend.

Enhance your Living Environment with Shade Trees

Planting trees around your house creates a pleasant environment that invites you to spend more time outdoors, especially during the hot weather days of summer and fall. If you plant a tree where it will shade your home as it grows, you can greatly reduce the heat both inside and around the building. For a small investment, you can greatly increase the value of your property.

Trees planted on the south side of the house should grow tall enough to shade the roof. Summer sun is at a high angle and heats the roof much more than the south wall of the house. Sycamores and maples both grow large enough to do the job. On the south side, be sure to plant deciduous trees which will let the sun shine through in the winter.

Shading on the west side of the house can be very effective. Even if trees do not grow up and over the house, shading the western wall through the long hot afternoons will greatly improve the comfort indoors. Any medium-sized tree can do this job nicely.

Fruitless mulberry is a fast-growing shade tree, to 35 feet tall and wide. It can reach 20 feet by 20 feet in five years. Its large leaves offer considerable shade.

Purple Robe locust is a very showy tree in the spring when its purplish-pink flowers hang in long clusters like wisteria. It is fast-growing to 40 feet tall and well adapted to hot, dry areas.

Chinese pistache is one of the best trees for filtered shade. It grows 30 to 40 feet tall with a round crown. The leaves turn brilliant orange and red in the fall. It takes heat, tolerates most soils, and can be grown as a lawn tree or where it gets little summer water.

Autumn Fantasy maple is a beautiful, fast-growing tree to 50 feet tall and 40 feet wide. The large leaves consistently show very good fall color, turning a bright red as the weather cools.

Other large maples include October Glory, which has beautiful reddish-purple fall color, and Sun Valley, with reliable bright red fall leaves.

Sycamores are hard to beat when it comes to shade. These giant trees grow 40 to 80 feet tall. They can take harsh conditions, drought and tough soils. The bark is attractive as it flakes off leaving light-colored patches behind.

If you have plenty of room to spread out, there are few trees more beautiful than a large, spreading Weeping Willow. It’s a tree to grow up with, to enrich your lives with great memories.

If you need a little smaller tree, look to the Chinese maples. These tough trees can be planted closer to the house to provide shade for the front porch, or a sunny window. Two fine hybrids are Norwegian Sunset and Pacific Sunset, both with glossy summer leaves and red-yellow-orange fall color.

Fall is the best time to plant trees, so begin now to create a more pleasant environment around your home with trees.