D's Blog

Frost Tips

 

In the Santa Barbara area we have many microclimates. Some of these are susceptible to frost damage in cold winters. If you live in the bottom of a canyon you know how chilly it can get.

 Do not fertilize permanent landscape plants except for lawn, cool season annuals, and vegetables after October 1. This allows plants to harden off. Tender new growth is more susceptible to frost damage.

 Keep your plants well watered. Damp soil retains more heat than dry soil. Mulch to trap soil heat and protect roots.

 If frost is in the forecast, there are precautions you can take. Group tender container plants under eaves, against the house, under covered patios or large trees. They may be covered with sheets, blankets or products like row cover and insulation cloth. If you use plastic, make sure you stake it up, so it does not touch plants. You can string large bulb Christmas lights to keep plants warm.

 Many plants don’t mind cold weather. Most of our trees and shrubs will be fine. It’s the plants of tropical origins that are very unhappy.  Examples include: Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, Impatiens, Mandevilla and Ficus If you have tender plants you may cover them the same as your containers above. Make sure you uncover plants before the sun hits them the next morning.

 If you get frost damage the most important thing to remember is: Do not prune off damaged foliage until new growth appears in the spring and all danger of frost is past.  In Santa Barbara this is usually late February.  Frost damaged leaves and stems may not be attractive but they will protect the plant from subsequent frosts.

 After an occasional hard frost it’s a good idea to hose the plants off before the sun hits them.

 Most established woody plants survive Santa Barbara frosts with minor injury. If you live in an area that freezes most winters its best to avoid tropicals. Watch for clear, cloudless, winter nights with low humidity. A great place to check the forecast is: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/ or 805 9886610.

D's blog

Those of you who read this blog are most likely local La Sumida Nursery customers. We are very grateful to you. Your support makes it possible for  Independent  Garden Centers to continue in the era of the 'Big Box'  center. Can you imagine the lack of selection if we could only purchase plants at Home Depot?  

At this time when we see even chains going out of business recently  (Comp USA, Circuit City, and Linens N Things)  I have made a new commitment to support local business and shop locally. At the Nursery, La Sumida is able to support local growers and wholesalers, both large and small. This is also good for keeping freight costs down.

Two instances lately have made me rethink my shopping habits. I admit I can get pretty lazy. There have been times when virtually all my shopping has been online. I realized the error of my ways when I tried to stop by Crispin Leather downtown. OOps, they aren't there anymore. Jr./ Sr. Shoe-Town where my family bought shoes for three generations is  gone as well. Where are all the shoe stores? 

For my granddaughter's birthday I shopped locally. Luckily Chaucer's Bookstore is still going strong.  Kernohan's Toys on Calle Real had great selections as well. I'll shop locally for my Chrismas gifts as well.

Thanks to all of you for your support this year. Please remember La Sumida for the holidays. We have beautiful Noble firs, Live trees, Poinsettias, Wreaths, Garland, Table arrangements, Cyclamen, Christmas Cactus, Ornamental Peppers, Holiday Color Bowls, as well as great gift items for  gardeners and plant lovers. Gift wrapping and delivery is available. Going to a dinner party? Need a host/hostess gift? Judi makes beautiful, creative, gift baskets. 

We look forward to seeing you this month, 

Take care, D.

 

Judi's Blog

Fall Rose Care

One of the most asked questions for this time of year at the Nursery is, "what to do with the roses?" After the summer heat, fall's cool down can produce some of the years best blooms. 

 
Do you feed?  Do you prune?  Should you continue to spray for insects and disease?  

No, to all of the above: most experts let them rest. If you must, you may pick or dead head the flowers before Thanksgiving but that is about it until January.  With the cooler temperatures, the roses feel like it is spring again.  They love the cool nights and sunny days.  You can still get a last great bloom for Thanksgiving.

But do not feed!  You don't want to encourage new growth as we go into winter with shorter days and colder temperatures. The buds and flowers would be ruined by the moisture and dampness in our coastal air.  You want them to slow down and rest.  To conserve their energy for next springs big show.

By allowing the roses to "bloom out" and develop "rose hips", it sends a signal to the bush to slow down.  It will stop putting out new growth and forces it into dormancy.  It has been working all summer and needs some time off, just like us.

You can keep the bush clean from yellowing leaves if you must, but it is going to look a bit raggedy anyway.  It's just that time of year.  Very important, is to not forget the regular watering.  Even though they are slowing down, their need for water goes on thru winter.

So now, for the most part, you can take some time off from the demanding summer rose care until January.  At that time you will have to jump back into "rose maintenance", with the hard pruning and dormant spraying for insects and disease.  But that is a whole other subject.

So until then, enjoy the rose season's last and possibly, “best blooms", of the year.  And don't forget to check our website for the 2009 Bareroot rose list.  It is never too late to find a new place to squeeze in a new rose.

Judi

D's Blog

Trees for Planting in Lawns Many trees do not like to be planted in lawns. They perform best with deep infrequent water rather than the shallow frequent water we put on our lawns. We often see problems with lawn planted citrus in particular. Here is a list I've started. If you have any suggestions email me at nursery@lasumida.com. Planting a tree is a big commitment. It will probably outlive you. It's important to plant the right tree in the right place. My favorite website for choosing  trees is http://selectree.calpoly.edu They have over 6000 photos of over 1000 trees. You can also search for trees by many attributes. Some of these include: climate zone, soil type, size, utilities, root damage, growth rate, disease and pest resistance, fire danger, flower color, etc. etc. etc.  I always advise customers looking at trees to "do the research' and this website makes it easy. Take care, D Arbutus unedo                                   Strawberry Tree

Betula                                     Birch

Geijera parviflora                   Australian Willow

Gingko Biloba                         Maidenhair Tree

Hymenospermum flavum        Sweet Shade

Koelreuteria                             Chinese Flame Tree and Goldenrain Tree

Liquidambar                            Sweet Gum

Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’

Magnolia soulangeana hybrids

Maytenus boaria                        Mayten

Melaleuca quinquenervia         Paperbark Tree

Pistacia chinensis                    Chinese Pistache

Podocarpus gracilior               Fern Pine

Salix matsuda ‘Tortuosa’        Corkscrew Willow

Tipuana Tipu                           Tipu Tree

Tristaniaopsis laurina              Water Gum

Judi's Blog

With fall comes the transition of the summer garden into winter color. Hard to think about sometimes when the days are still nice and warm.  This can be a confusing timing issue.  After the warm August and September days, while most of the garden is still showing color, it can be a little tired and overgrown.  Even the garden at the front of the nursery shows the "end of summer" stress.

 So this is the time to re-look at the garden. See what needs to be cut back or taken out.  I know that it can be hard to prune back plants when they are still trying to perform, but it is better to do the trimming now, so they have time to re-grow before the cooler winter nights slow them down and they don't have time to put out new growth. You can also take this time to decide on what needs to be taken out or relocated.  We all have planted and then realized that it was the wrong choice or didn't perform the way we may have envisioned.

 My gardens are never static.  I am always learning and changing.  Plants I thought would look good and fit nicely into my landscape, end up getting to big, out of control, or just don't look like what I wanted.  So I usually dig it up, pull it out or move it and swear that I am going to simplify my garden and make my life easier next year.

 Fall is a great time to think about changing your garden.  It is still warm enough for new plantings to root in.  And there is still a good selection of perennials available at the nursery.  Also the colorful, winter annuals and cool season veggies have arrived.

http://www.lasumida.com/tips/plantinglists/edible_10.html 

http://www.lasumida.com/tips/plantinglists/coolseason.html 

Also, our Fall planted bulbs have arrived.  Plant now for Spring color.

http://www.lasumida.com/seasonal/bulblist.html#fall

Don't be afraid to make changes.  That is what keeps the garden interesting.I love to see the different combinations our customers put together. Keep on learning, Judi

D's Blog

Thoughts on Water Part 2

 

We receive more questions, and see more problems, in the nursery related to watering, than perhaps any other subject. In the 4/26/08 Blog I discussed water for landscape plants. This week I’ll address outdoor container plants. How do we water all the plants in the Nursery?

Embarrassingly it’s not just our customers who have problems. We do too. Sometimes we see over watering and sometimes under watering. It’s the hardest thing for us to train our new employees. First of all you need to know how much water individual or groups of plants perform best with. Classes of plants have differing water requirements. For example: our ferns will need water more often than our camellias. Hanging baskets and small containers need watering way more frequently than a 15-gallon tree. To further complicate matters, some growers use light fast draining potting mixes, while others use heavier water holding mixes.  We could have the same Blue Salvia in the same size pot, from two different growers, and one will be dry, and one wet, even though they were last watered at the same time.

 

 We train: “always water a dry plant, do not water a wet plant”. We teach to look for signs: drooping foliage, learn how heavy the container feels when it is wet, and how heavy when it is dry. Look at the bottom holes of nursery containers: are they moist or dry? Stick your finger in the pot: is the soil dry down two inches?

 

The next thing we have to train is how to water. We have to watch new people to make sure they are not blasting the soil out of the container. On flowers and small bedding plants etc. I like to use a water wand. The water-wand disperses the water and helps to not bruise the flowers. We train to water early in the day whenever possible so the plants “don’t go to bed wet”.

We train to “water the container, not the foliage “ We say: “water until it comes out the bottom of the container.”

 

I hope this look into our problems helps you with some of your watering questions.  Thanks for the opportunity to clarify my thoughts; there will be more on this subject in the future.

Take care, D 

D's Blog

It is hard to believe that I once did not care for the color orange. Walking through the garden this August I marvel at how are tastes change over the years, and what a warm, marvelous, diverse color orange is. We sometimes complain about how "blah" the garden is in late summer, but my orange flowers are giving it a lot of punch. These aren't even all the pictures I took. I was playing with a  macro lens and don't quite have the hang of it yet so many more "orange" flowered plants didn't make the cut.

Pictured are: Cape Honeysuckle, Gaillardia 'Oranges and Lemons',  Salvia confertifolia, Cigar Plant,  Alstroemeria, Dahlia, and Lantana.

Remember to give most of your plants a nice long deep soak this month.

Enjoy summer and take care,  d

     

Judi's Blog

What a busy couple of weeks it has been. My fruit trees all came ripe at the same time: apricots, peaches and nectarines. Biggest crops I have ever had. And for once, we got them covered with netting before the birds discovered them.

Why such a great harvest this year? We had cool winter, a good amount of rain and a perfect spring? I did give them more water this year than I have in the past. Was it all the work we did pruning, spraying and feeding? Or was it just that the moon and stars were all lined up right? Who knows?

All I know is that I had a ton of jam to make and there seemed to be a shortage of half pint canning jars in town. Not only that, but pectin was in short supply and very expensive this year. You would think that that the stores would stock up at this time of year. You try so hard to do everything right to get a good crop and then when the magic happens, you can't find the supplies that you need to make the fruits of your labor come to fruition. Lesson learned...BUY YOUR CANNING SUPPLIES EARLY!!!

When I was in the grocery store complaining about the lack of seasonal supplies, most everyone was quick to point out, that it was cheaper to just by the store jam. They obviously have never had the "Golden Nectar" from a fresh, ripe, organically grown apricot or peach tree,

or the jams, pies, crisps and tons of fresh fruit. Yes, it was a bumper year.

So now that I have a years worth of jam in the pantry and my Christmas gifts are set and ready, I can relax and not worry about my fruit trees until it is time to prune and spray again in January. The birds can have whatever I have left behind (it's always nice to share).

Now my big worry is how do I keep my tomatoes healthy and producing while I go up to Idaho for the month of August on my much needed vacation? Prime producing time for the summer vegetable garden, and I am going to miss it.

There will be no one to reap the bounties of all my tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, eggplants and peppers as they reach their moment of productive glory. Can I trust anyone to really care for my garden while I am gone? This is a dilemma that a lot of us have when we go on our summer vacation. I am going to put my trust in my young friend, Nick Carlson, someone I have known since he was in the third grade. These tomatoes are very important.  I always experiment with different heirloom varieties. Some work, some don't. Every year brings different results. I keep trying to weed through the process of why some work and others fail.

There is weather, varieties and cultural needs. What works in Santa Barbara? I am trying to figure it out. I do know that there are good years and bad years.

Sometimes it is not the plants fault. You have got to keep trying. Just because Hillbilly did not work last year, does not mean that it won't be great this year. Keep trying.

Example: Three years ago my Hillbilly was good. Last year I only got three off of a sad looking bush. This year I have over 20 tomatoes ( and they are usually a pound each) on one plant. Oh yeah!!! Keep on trying!!!

See you in September.

Judi

D's Blog

Fire

Hello everyone

I didn't think we needed to see any more pictures of the Gap fire but I did include a picture of flame colored flowers. This is a picture of my Rothschild Lily climbing through  my Marmalade Bush.

The news from the fire seems better for Goleta today. It was quite a scare. Just about everyone should be home soon. They lifted my evacuation order Saturday afternoon so I was able to water my garden. I was relieved that the Carmello tomatoes I started in pots for the Tomato Tasting did just fine. I normally water my containers on Fridays, but everything is o.k except for the ashes. 

After you get your walkways and house clear of ashes it is time to hose off your plants. They will really appreciate it.

Wildfire prevention and preparedness is on our minds this week. We all want to reduce or prevent wildfire damage to our homes and property. We have good resources for information available to us.

 The city of Santa Barbara has a Firescape demonstration Garden  at 2411 Stanwood drive on the corner of Stanwood drive and Mission Ridge Rd. It's open daily with free admission.

Our friends at San Marcos Growers have a great page on their website. Check out http://www.smgrowers.com/resources/firescape.asp

Santa Barbara County Fire department  department has a great plant reference guide at http://www.sbcfire.com.

The entire site is a valuable. For plant list hit Fire Prevention and Plant Reference Guide.

Other sites I like:

http://www.firescape.us/

Take care, D

Judi's Blog

The pace has slowed down a bit here at the nursery.  The spring push to get the gardens remodeled with a fresh look and the vegetables planted (to hopefully cut our grocery costs) are now over.  Now we are just trying to keep everything watered and healthy. 

In the nursery, we are still fully supplied with all the summer, heat-loving color.  Black-eyed Susan, purple coneflower and of course the ever popular, petunias, marigolds and zinnias.  Most all the landscaping shrubs and hardy perennials are looking good and still very available.  If you have a hillside or erosion control problem-NOW is the time to plant it up.  Don't wait until the winter rains come.  Get the young plants started now.  Give the roots time to grow strong and root in. 

And of course, don't forget the roses.  We still have hundreds to choose from and they can be planted anytime all summer long.   Remember to keep deadheading and feeding every six weeks for best performance.  If bugs or disease are a problem, bring in samples.  We will try to give you the most organic and safe solution to the problem. Don’t forget that our rose field is closed every Wednesday for maintenance.

In the vegetable garden, there is still plenty of time to plant tomatoes, squash, beans, eggplant, peppers and herbs.  I just planted more tomatoes and cucumbers, this weekend.   You can continue to plant new crops of lettuce every few weeks.  Maybe giving them afternoon shade as the summer gets warmer.

Right now the emphasis is on feeding, mulching and maintenance.  Watching out for bugs and disease.

 But don't forget the most important job of all:

 Sit back, relax and enjoy!

 

Judi

D's Blog

July 24 Sorry... Event Cancelled

Coming Soon


Our annual Tomato Tasting Experience will be Sunday September 7 from 12 to 2. That's in almost 100 days. Why am I telling you now? I am telling you now because you still have time to put in tomatoes to enter our contests. You even have time to grow tomatoes from seed. 

Everyone is always in such a hurry to plant tomatoes in the spring. We start getting calls in January! A little known secret is that June tomatoes are often times more successful than March tomatoes.  In June the days are long and the soil is warm.  I try to plant a few tomatoes every month from March until September. In September I put in the "cool season" tomatoes.

Normally no matter when I plant I get my first ripe tomatoes around the 4th of July. This year I planted the cool season Stupice in April and it's ready now. I will remember to plant more next spring.

We are growing tomatoes for the tasting at the growing grounds. We have over 40 kinds. Armando is having to guard the seedlings from squirrels. They are a big problem this year. Judi and I are growing tomatoes in our gardens to bring as well. We are focusing on heirlooms. Judi is growing the larger varieties and I am growing the smaller ones. Hopefully Steve Goto will bring a lot in as well. One year we had almost 100 kinds. My stomach didn't feel too well afterwards but maybe that was from the chile peppers Steve brought for the chile tasting.

The tomato tasting is a lot of fun. We line up the tomatoes and you rate them for us. It's great to see the results of everyone's favorites and helps us to choose what to plant next year. We also encourage every one to bring in their tomatoes as well. We have prizes in different categories such as largest, smallest, most colorful, weirdest looking and most perfect looking.

Mark your calendars and plant some tomatoes. Hope to see you there!

D

Judi's Blog

A lot of you folks already have your vegetable gardens planted for the summer. I got mine started about four weeks ago and it's coming on strong. For those of you who feel like you might be getting a late start-don't worry! You still have plenty of time. We will be carrying most all of the summer veggies through August. Its actually better to wait. In March and April, even though the days can be warm and sunny, the nights are still cool. Plants like, eggplant, cucumbers and peppers, will not do well. Most people start to early and try to put in everything all at once. This can lead to disease and loss of vigor for your vegetables.

It is much wiser to start off slow and easy with cooler season crops, like herbs, lettuce, onions, chard, spinach and cool season tomatoes. Then as the spring evenings warm up, you can add the squash, cukes and longer season tomatoes. Your garden will catch up and most of the time even pass earlier planted ones.

We never know what our spring weather is going to be like. And even though it has been as ideal as we could expect, I am beginning to see customers bringing in samples of problems from early planted tomatoes.
Bacterial speck, alternaria, and early blight are diseases with very similar symptoms. It starts off as splatters of rusty brown spots on the leaves. The leaves may start turning yellow. They usually affect the lower and older growth first. Each disorder has its own special look.

The cause can range from leaving last years debris, (leaving spores) in the soil, moisture in the air, from foggy and dewy Santa Barbara mornings or overhead watering. Also heavy soils that stay wet and don't drain well. If this sounds like a problem you might be having, adjust your watering. Once a week should be adequate with proper mulching. You can also pick off the worst leaves and spray with a copper or sulfur spray or other organic fungicides.

The next problem I expect to see is blossom end rot. The dark spot that shows up at the bottom end of the tomato. While sometimes it can be caused by the lack of calcium in the soil, the most common reason is uneven soil moisture. Allowing the tomato to dry out to much, then soaking it. Dry-wet, dry-wet. This is mostly a problem for container grown tomato plants. It is best if you can keep the soil evenly moist.

Hopefully we won't see to many bug and disease problems this summer. But if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us or bring in samples. We will be glad to help you find an organic and healthy solution to your problem.

D's Blog

May Gray / June Gloom

It's very foggy and drizzling this morning. The good news is it looks like some clearing is forecast for the end of the week with some hot sunny days. This is the first year I remember weather affecting my mood but I understand many experience seasonal affective disorder this time of year.

Our May gray/June gloom days are created when the land warms up and the ocean is still cool. These conditions usually occur in late spring and early summer but we may see the pattern in fall as well. We like to complain, but this weather pattern helps keep our weather mild. When it gets hot we complain too. We are a little spoiled in Santa Barbara.

This weather affects our plants as as well. With less sun and light some of our vegetables, annuals, and other plants do not grow as fast as we'd like. The high humidity, moderate temperatures, and low light intensity promote conditions that some fungal disease such as powdery mildew thrive in. On the other hand, watering chores are less. My containers simply are not drying out at their usual rate.

Its hard to believe it may be 80 degrees in a few days. See you at the beach!

Take care, D

Judi's Blog

 It has been a great spring and the roses have never looked better.  The blooms were big and bountiful. But now the first show is over and the next step is important if you want a good repeat bloom. We want the roses to perform all summer. For this we need to set up a routine of feeding every four to six weeks.  Working the fertilizer into the soil and top dressing with a mulch to help keep the sensitive surface roots cool as we move into warmer weather. If your roses are on a drip, be sure to hand water the fertilizer in with a good deep soak.  And remember to always pre-water the day before you feed.  Never feed a dry plant!  Roses are not fussy about what you use to feed them. They just need to be fed on a regular schedule with a good balanced diet.  I prefer organic methods, which nourish the soil and allow the rose to become stronger with all the nutrients available in the soil.

As for pruning and deadheading, this is where you can determine the height, size and shape of your bush.  You always want to prune to an outward facing leaf that is pointing in the direction that you want the next stem to grow. The reason for pruning to an outward bud is to direct the growth away from the center of the bush, which will improve air circulation and prevent canes from growing into each other.  When you have decided how low you want to prune, look for the first leaf that has five leaflets.  Make your cut at a 45 degree angle, slanting down and away from the emerging bud eye and about 1/4" above the leaf axle.

If you are working on a hybrid tea rose, they bloom on a single stem, so it is pretty straightforward. With a floribunda, the flower is on a stem in a group of three or more buds.  They bloom in succession, one after the other.  With this type of rose, you can nip off each flower as it fades, or wait until the whole stem blooms out.  Then remove them all at once.  Also keep in mind that it is not a good idea to put your clippings into the compost pile.  Disease and insects can survive and re-infect. And there is nothing like coming in contact with a rose thorn that didn't quite compost down.  So bag and toss your trimmings into the green waste can.

 The main thing to keep in mind is that roses are very forgiving.  What mistakes you might make are not going to hurt your rose.  They will survive and bloom anyway.  If you don't deadhead, your rose will look messy and stall before blooming again.  The process of pruning away the spent blooms triggers a response in the bush to re-bloom faster.  So by pruning and feeding regularly, you should have another round of beautiful blossoms in a few weeks to share with  your friends and neighbors.

D's Blog

Thoughts on Water

The question we get asked most in the nursery is "how often should I water this plant? The problems we most often see in the nursery are often associated with over or under watering.

For a long time I have wanted to write a handout on watering but it’s a daunting task. There are so many things to take into consideration. What are the water requirements of the plant? Is the plant in a pot or in the ground? What watering system is being used? What type of soil do you have? How old is the plant? How many hours of sun does it receive? What is the temperature and wind situation on that given day? What month is it? Sometimes when people ask me how often to water their container plants I’m afraid I sound condescending when I say, "water a dry pot but do not water a wet pot". In fact that is exactly how we try to water all the plants we have in the nursery.

For today I am confining my thoughts to landscape plants in the ground. Fortunately the Sunset Western Garden Book and two of my favorite websites Native Sons and San Marcos Growers are full of great information.

We always tell people to water even drought tolerant plants until they are established. But what does this really mean? Sunset says, "This may be a single season for a perennial, up to 2 to 5 years for a tree.” Sunset lists the water requirements for every plant. It’s important to group plants with similar requirements together.

 Native Sons gives good advice for our area the Central Coast. These recommendations apply to the dry (no rain) months of the year.

 

Regular Water = weekly, or every 3-4 days if it's very hot or windy.

Moderate Water = every 10 to 14 days depending on climatic conditions

Occasional = Every 3-4 weeks

Infrequent= DEEP water every 4-6 weeks in summer.

 

I would also like to stress the importance of deep water for our trees, shrubs and other permanent landscape plants. Deep watering encourages deep roots, which allow the plants to go for longer periods between watering. Shallow watering keeps roots close to the surface. They are unable to cope during hot, windy periods.

Another thing I’d  like to mention is watering systems. Drip and other water saving systems do help to save water. They may be great on established plants. On new plantings we want you to be able to flood the entire root zone. Sometimes basin watering to start a plant may be best. It is also important that any system you are using can be adjusted for the needs of different groups of plants.

 Thanks for helping me clarify my thoughts. There will be more to follow. Take care and don't forget to water yourself,  D

Judi's Blog

 We are all busy putting in our spring veggie gardens, or redoing our landscapes before summer vacations but we don't want to forget  to take time to check out the magnificent California landscapes "Mother Nature's Garden". Some of the most beautiful countryside you will see anywhere in the world is in our own backyard.

Last weekend my husband and I (along with our dogs) went for a little spring drive up Alisos Canyon Road to Foxen Canyon. At every turn in the road each and every view was more gorgeous and awesome. The hillsides were bathed in Blue Lupine and huge patches of  Purple Vetch. We saw Queen Anne's Lace, Shooting Stars, Indian Paintbrush, Sticky Monkey Flower, Gilia,  Miner's Lettuce, and Owl's Clover, just to name a few.

It was a wonderful bright sunny day and with the windows down you could hear the song of the Meadowlarks as we slowly cruised by. As we drove by the fields of grape vines I couldn't help but wonder about the enormous job of pruning those thousands of vines, all perfectly done. What a lot of work.

Anyway a few things not to forget:

1. Binoculars
2. Bird and wildflower I.D. books
3. Notepads
4. Map
5. Lunch
6. If you bring your pooches: leashes, water and poop bags.

Here are some websites to check out before you go:

www.santabarbarahikes.com

www.desertusa.com

Other areas to check

1. Antelope Valley to the California Poppy Reserve ( is just starting to bloom)
2. Drum Canyon Rd. off 246 is very nice

Don't wait too long. This show does not last forever. Relax and enjoy.

D's Blog

Preventing Fungal Disease on Roses

 

Many of us in Santa Barbara have problems with fungus.  We see diseases such as  Rust, Blackspot and especially Powdery Mildew.

Powdery Mildew loves warm days and cool damp nights, pretty typical south coast weather, spring to fall.

 The best control is preventative: plant in full sun with good air circulation. Modern roses with glossy foliage seem to be more resistant.

 We recommend a preventative spraying program to prevent disease especially if you have had problems in the past. The use of a hose end or other sprayer that allows you to direct under and over the leaves is best. Do not spray in the heat of the day.

Three products we like are Organicide, Neem Oil (Rose Defense) and Paraffinic Oil (Year Round and All Seasons). These products smother fungal spores as well as as sucking insects such as aphids.

 Organicide is derived from sesame oil. Neem oil is formulated from the Azadirachtin Tree.  The “ultrafine” type Paraffinic oils form a barrier, coating the leaves so fungal spores don’t settle.

 Of course this advice is not just for roses. If you had trouble last year with other plants ornamentals or edibles, preventative spraying may be a good idea for you. 

Have a great week!

Judi's Blog

Yea!

Finally the roses are at bud stage and beginning to bloom. We have waited all winter for this time to arrive because as we all know the first bloom cycle is the best: big, bold, and beautiful. Bragging rights for all who pruned sprayed and fed. But even if time got away from you and you were not able to complete routine annual maintenance, roses will still produce the most glorious blooms on the first flush.

Next come the foggy days which may bring mildew, rust, and don't forget the bugs. Roses have their own special insect problems. But don't lose heart, we have answers for most every problem and we try very hard to keep it organic.

The first problem you will likely see is aphids. They are soft bodied sucking insects that enjoy the tips of your beautiful new rose buds. They may be green, yellow, orange or black and in their early stage have wings. They are easy to spot and deal with using organic solutions.

The next common damage we see are leaves that have been eaten into lace. This is the work of the rose slug. This little critter is on the under side of the leaf and looks like a little green inch worm. It is actually the larvae of a sawfly wasp. You will probably never notice the wasp. You must direct your spray underneath the leaves. You can keep the solution organic with Spinosad and have great success.

Now that our rose field is open feel free to come and wander. Please remember the field is closed every Wednesday for maintenance. Every day new roses are showing more color.

P.S. Don't forget to "stop and smell the roses."

D's Blog

Hi 

The big news is the La Sumida Rose Field will open Saturday 3/29/08.  

I am enclosing pictures of blooming California Natives this week. From top to bottom: Bush Anemone, Hummingbird Sage, Douglas Iris hybrid,  and Island Bush Poppy.

Come see us soon!

D

Judi's Blog

Spring seems to be in the air and everyone is ready for planting. The summer garden may be started now.

 You can begin your veggie garden with cool season tomatoes like Early Girl and Stupice. Lettuce, peas, chard and herbs can  can be planted. You may want to wait a week or two before planting cucumbers and eggplant. As for summer color, you can begin putting in your perennials and anuuals. 

This is a good time to prune back your leggy shrubs and tropicals. They will come back with the warmer, longer days.

Pruning, planting and feeding are what spring is all about.  Also weeding, cleaning and planning.

It's very important to remember to go through your garden and empty anything that might be holding water from the rains. Mosquitos are a big problem. The larvae wigglers are hatching out now. So be aware. Walk around your yard or patio and empty any containers and water holding objects.

There is a lot to do, so remember: the garden doesn't have to be put together in one day or weekend. You can add to it all summer long.

Have fun, learn , and enjoy

Judi

P.S.

For those of you who read the Independent this week:

They were inaccurate. The plant in the picture was not a Scotch Broom  as they said. Instead of going to management for accurate information  their source was our newest  (two weeks) employee in training. 

Their caption made it sound like La Sumida is unaware and doesn't care about the environment.  We have worked very hard to help our customers to be responsible and considerate of the environment. We all need to be aware of the footprint we leave behind.

D's Blog

Happy March

We have been busy in the nursery gearing up for the "spring rush". Warm season bedding color, vegetables, and herbs are arriving weekly. We have a lot of beautiful Australian shrubs in bloom in the Sun Section. Come see the Tea Trees, Wax Flowers, Grevillias, etc. We love them all.

Yes, tomatoes are here. Unlike many of our chain competitors, we do not put them out in February. We want your tomato growing to be successful. When nights are too cool tomatoes tend to succumb to blights and other disease.

While April and May are the best months for planting tomatoes we know you want to get started.  I like to put in "early" or "cool season" tomatoes to start. Some favorites are Early Girl, Stupice, and Sungold Cherry. 

Sunday March 9 is the date for our popular tomato seminar. There are two sessions: at 10am and 1pm. Typically the morning session has been more crowded. Judi and I will both be there so don't forget to say hi.

Hope to see you soon, D

Judi's Blog

Ok, I know that last week it was hot and we had temperatures close to 80 degrees.  It felt like spring was here.  Everyone was asking me, “where are the impatiens?"  And "why don't you have the tomatoes yet?"  This is Santa Barbara; don't we only have one season?  Can't we plant anything, anytime?

No, we can't. It's February. This week it’s cooler.  The nighttime temperature can still drop into the 30's again.  When you are tucked into your nice warm bed (with the heater on), the plants outside are dealing with frosty nights, cold soil, foggy mornings and maybe sunny days. Cold-tender plants like, tomatoes, squash, peppers, eggplant, cukes as well as bedding plants like begonias and impatiens will suffer with the cold soil and cool nights.  It retards their growth pattern and subjects them to disease, like Early Blight and other fungus problems.

So even though you will find the summer veggies available elsewhere, try to hold off.  Just a few more weeks of preparing your beds and waiting until the soil is warm and the weather is stable makes a huge difference to the health and productivity of you plants later this summer.  They will take off so much faster when you plant them when both the soil and air temps are warm.We will have all the warm season veggies the first week in March.  And don't forget, we will have our annual tomato class, March 9.  Learn everything you need to know about growing the best tomatoes you can.Be patient, we have all summer.  Get out and enjoy the sunshine, listen to the birds and pull a few weeds.  The tomatoes are coming!!!

P.S. If the buds have not opened on your fruit trees you still have time for one more dormant spray.

D's Blog

Hi everyone

Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words so I thought I would try to add some this week. These are pictures of Rosemary, Manzanita, and Chasmanthe blooming on the bank while much of the rest of the garden is taking a break. I am always very interested in plants that bloom in late fall and winter. Ever year I vow to add more.

The weather has been beautiful . I wonder if it signals an early spring or Mother Nature has surprises in store. At any rate, enjoy it.

Take care, D

Judi's Blog

Thank goodness for the break in the rain. I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to have chance to do my pruning. Although I am very thankful for the much needed long, slow soil soaking moisture, I needed to get my roses pruned before Superbowl Sunday.

January tends to be our coolest month. A slight temperature increase in February along with the ever so slightly increasing day length can cause growth spurts that can catch you by surprise. So don’t put it off too much longer.

So out into the garden I went. First I spent a few moments to a little much needed sun and listen to the birds. I must have seen at least ten different types. They were happy to be out in the sun too.

O.K. quit stalling, time to get to work. Luckily my husband Joel helps me. It makes the job go so much faster. We were able to do about thirty rose bushes before the sun started to go behind the trees and it began to get cold. When the sun goes down, I go in. The roses were done and ready for dormant spraying.

Tomorrow if it doesn’t rain I will try to get to it. Don’t forget: if it does rain within two days after spraying, you should re-spray again.

P.S. Next time you are in the nursery let us know that you read our blog and if there is anything you would like to hear about or have us discuss.

Judi