garden-tips

By Rebecca Jepsen
for the Mercury News
August 2, 2008

Control ants by storing food in airtight containers and clean up any food crumbs or spills. Keep ants out by caulking cracks and crevices that provide entryways into your home. If necessary, use bait stations that use boric acid, but be sure to place them out of the reach of children and pets. If ants are a problem on shrubs or trees, exclude them by banding the trunks with a product such as Tanglefoot. For complete details on ant control, go to: www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7411.html.

Fire blight affects apples, pears and related ornamental plants. Tips and branches appear burned and often there is a dark, oozing liquid. Prune off at least 8-12 inches below the infected area. Discard all diseased wood, and clean pruners with a bleach solution after each cut.

Prune hydrangeas to control size and shape. Cut off older stems that have flowered. For large flower clusters, reduce the number of stems. For lots of smaller flowers, keep more nicely spaced stems.

Bees and wasps can be aggressive when defending their nests, so avoid those areas. When eating outdoors, keep food covered. Place a piece of meat or an opened can of soda a good distance away from your table to lure them away.

Tomato russet mites suck fluids from the cells of leaves and stems. The damage they cause usually starts at the base of the plant and moves up, causing leaves to yellow and die, and stems to turn a bronzy color. If not controlled, these tiny pests can kill plants. At the first sign of damage, treat with sulfur dust or a spray solution of wettable sulfur mixed with a spreader-sticker. For complete details, go to: www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r783400111.html.

Poisonous Plants

As we approach the holidays, there are a lot of questions on poisonous plants. Fortunately, many of these plants have a very bitter taste that limits the amount of the plant eaten. Poinsettia and mistletoe should be kept away from curious children, but the list includes other flowers and plants such as azaleas, calla lily, carnation, daffodil, foxglove, hydrangeas, iris, lantana, narcissus, poppy, sweet pea and tulips. Different parts of the plant may be toxic. Chapter 21 of the California Master Gardener Handbook contains more detailed information as does this poison plant website.

Citrus Bud Mite

Have you ever seen weirdly shaped lemons or oranges that appear to have 'fingers'? The Citrus Bud Mite attacks newly forming flowers and fruits. The mite is only visible with a magnifying glass and has a elongated yellow body with four legs that appear to come out of its head. The mites feed inside the buds, killing them or causing a rosette-like growth of the subsequent foliage and distortion of flowers and fruit. The problem is usually limited to just a few fruit on the tree. Previously recommended oil sprays have not proven effective. This is one of those pests that is best left alone. The oddly-shaped fruit is edible.

Fall Tasks

With the cooling weather and soon-to-arrive rains, now is the time to clean up your garden beds in preparation for the winter. Many pest insects and diseases live over the winter in the weedy areas and dead plants left from the summer garden. Keep your planting beds clean and you will reduce next year's problems. Roses, camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas need cleaning of dropped and diseased leaves. Cleaning should stop, however, before removing leaf litter under oak trees and needles under pine trees and junipers. This leaf duff helps protect the roots of these large trees and shrubs. Adding a several inch deep layer of compost on your planting beds will provide much needed nutrients for next year's plants. Many perennials benefit from removal of a third to half of their growth. Salvias (sages), penstemons, yarrow, buddleia (butterfly bush) are among them. Create your own compost with healthy trimmings by alternating green cuttings with brown leaves or straw in a pile or a compost container. Free composting classes and low cost bins are available from the Master Composters who can be reached at 408-918-4640.

Persimmons

Soon those beautiful orange fruits will start ripening. In addition to providing fruit, the persimmon tree is an nicely sized landscape tree that grows to about 25 feet tall and wide. The tree drops its leaves quickly in the fall for easy cleanup, allowing the sun to warm the garden and nearby walls during the winter months. Persimmons come in two types - astringent until soft (Hachiya type) or non-astringent when still crisp (Fuyu type). Both have their uses and provide great fall color with the fruit on bare trees as they ripen. The fruit must be cut off the tree as you will damage them if you pull. To learn more about the varieties, take a look at some excellent information at the California Rare Fruit Growers web site.