Sanhedrin Nursery – Garden Blog

• Petunias, in bright pink, red and purple, will add beauty and color to sunny borders all through the summer.

• Earwigs are out and about and hungry. Control them with the new “Sluggo Plus”, which has the natural, bacteria-based spinosad added to the original iron phosphate formula.

• When fuchsia blooms fade remove the whole flower stem to prevent it from developing seed pods which reduces continued blooming.

• Feed rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias with an acid plant food to encourage lush growth. Pinch or prune to promote full, dense growth.

Add a Peaceful Pond to your Landscape

The sight and sound of water has always drawn the interest of people, and adds an appealing element to a garden. Water gardens can include fountains, waterfalls, small ponds and elaborate combinations of rock work and lighting. Any pool of water can become home to plants and possibly fish, attracting a variety of water creatures, birds and butterflies. A container on a deck may be all that you need.

A larger pond should have marshy or shallow water areas, as well as deeper areas. In the shallow areas live the frogs and newts, beetles and other little creatures along with marsh plants like iris, cannas, arrowhead plant and rushes. Ideally, the marshy area should comprise about one-third of the area of the pond.

The deeper waters of the pond are the home of fish, water lilies and other aquatic plants. Make this section at least 2 feet deep. Fish are good scavengers. They clean up debris and help control mosquito larva, and other insects.

Small ponds use water only by evaporation. A waterfall or fountain can be created using a pump to recirculate the water.

Locate the pond where it receives 5 to 6 hours of direct sunshine a day. Most aquatic plants and fish need plenty of sun to thrive.

If possible, place it away from trees so that the falling leaves and seeds won’t foul the water. The pond should have a surface area of at least 20 square feet (4 feet by 5 feet) so that it will be able to create a balanced water community. The larger the pond the more natural it becomes.

The soil that you remove can be used to landscape the area around the pond or to construct a waterfall. A garden with a natural slope lends itself very well to a waterfall or cascading water feature. Heavy rainfall will cause the pond to fill up, so be sure to install a proper overflow pipe.

Do not locate a pond in a low, wet spot. When the water table is high in the winter, the force of the water underneath will lift the rubber liner, damaging the pond.

Water gardens open up many new possibilities for unusual plants and garden effects. From water lilies and water irises to floating plants and bog plants to go around the edges of the pond, your choice of water plants is wide and varied.

There are two types of water lilies: tropicals and hardies. Hardy water lilies do well in our climate and survive the winters in their pots at the bottom of the pond. Their flowers bloom throughout the summer, with each blossom lasting three or four days. The large, round leaves and splendid flowers float on the surface of the water, opening in the morning and closing in the afternoon. Flowers come in red, white, yellow and pink.

Water lilies require five to six hours of direct sunlight each day. They need 6 to 18 inches of still water over the root ball. Roots are planted in heavy garden soil with no compost.

A garden pond will become more beautiful over time and you will find that it is one of your favorite spots in the garden. Whether you tuck a decorative fountain near the entrance of your home or create a backyard habitat with a pond and waterfall, you’ll find each day enhanced when you add a water garden to your landscape.

• 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.