D's Blog

Little Bits

Sometimes it seems like there is not a lot blooming in August.

This Stephanotis (Madagascar Jasmine) is an exception. In this picture it is growing through the Dwarf Princess flower on the trellis. The pot it is in was placed in bright shade where we keep our limited collection of begonias and other tropicals. The top is reaching for full sun in a western exposure. It seems like it has been blooming all summer.

When my sister moved to Oregon two years ago she dug up this loved Stephanotis put it in a 15 gallon pot and brought it over. I wondered if it would live. It not only lived but thrived and has given us fragrance and pleasure. It's nice for her to see when she visits Santa Barbara as well.

We had a very interesting visitor in the nursery last weekend.

He was traveling in California from Florida and said he had looked all over the country for a Thevetia thevetioides. Luckily we were able to send a truck over to San Marcos Growers to pick one up for him to send home.

This gave us time to chat and I discovered he has a nursery in Florida, is owner of Butterfly world, and president of the Passiflora Society. I have just started exploring his website http://butterflyworld.com. If you are interested in plants growing plants for hummingbirds and butterflies it is a great site to visit.

Speaking of butterflies we have our first crop of La Sumida grown, pesticide free, Asclepias (Milkweed) available for sale. Milkweed is the host plant for the Monarch butterfly. They lay their eggs on the plants and the young caterpillars eat the leaves. We brought some up front to the register area. On Saturday we had our first cocoon turn into a butterfly. We are anxiously waiting for more"new arrivals". (Photos attached)

In September cool season bedding plants and vegetables will begin arriving in the nursery. Many years I feel too burned out after the summer garden to do much in the way of fall planting but I am determined that this year will be different.

Take care, D.

Judi's Blog

So now we are head long into summer. The rush of spring planting is over. Our thoughts now turn to keeping our gardens watered and disease and bug free while we wait for our vegetables to ripen and enjoy the fruits of our labor. I have already harvested some of my potatoes, zukes and tomatoes.
While I know that vacation and summertime activities are priority and dominating our lives right now, we don't want to forget our initial excitement and investment into our vegetable adventure. Planting time is not over. Lettuce can be planted every two weeks. Beans can also make a second appearance in the garden. Squash, cucumbers and chard can still be planted to last longer into the end of summer when your first early plantings have pooped out. And don't forget that peppers are perennials. They will actually do even better next year as a more mature plants. So think ahead and plant now for next season’s early start.

Most of all, now is the time to start planning for your "Fall" or as I like to call them, your "Late Season" (Cool Season) tomatoes. If planted before the end of September, many varieties of determinate and short season tomatoes will give you fruit into December depending on the weather.

Good varieties to try are: Early Girl, Siberian, First Lady, San Francisco Fog, Glacier, Siletz, Jetsetter, Stupice, Legend, Subarctic, Manitoba, Sun Cherry, Oregon Spring, Sun-gold Cherry,Peasant, and Taxi.

P.S. If you are having problems with your garden, bring samples into us at the nursery. We are here to help you learn. Farmers face different challenges year to year and so does the home gardener. There are good years and bad years. Weather, rodents, bugs and disease are always a challenge. Don't give up. Don't quit. Learn and grow! Judi

D's Blog

Our busy spring season is over and we have time to get back to blogging. What a strange year it's been. We have experienced fires, extreme weather fluctuations and a struggling economy. With all this craziness I am glad to report that people are still purchasing plants.

The biggest trend we saw at La Sumida this year was the huge increase in edibles.

Everybody is putting in vegetable gardens this year. They are also planting for the future with fruit tree and berries. Edible sales were so high, wholesale vegetable growers had trouble keeping up with the demand.

Speaking of weird weather can you believe the rain yesterday? I sure don't recall too much June rain in my lifetime.

The big news at La Sumida is a wedding. many of you may know Armando. He grows our beautiful roses. He drives our delivery truck as well. If you see him tell him congratulations.

That's all for now... Judi and I promise to be more diligent bloggers for the rest of the year.

Take care, D

Judi's Blog

Well it seems obvious where the trend is going this summer in the gardening world.  It’s all about VEGETABLES.  Everyone wants to supplement their grocery budget by growing as many fresh veggies as their garden space will allow.  Call it a Victory Garden or Recession Garden, I have never seen or experienced such a surge towards folks wanting to grow their own food and to be more self-sufficient.  We all need to feel like we can take care of ourselves.  Maybe it is a bit of a control issue.  We all need to eat.  Who wants to feel like we are dependant on others for the most basic need of feeding ourselves?  Whatever the reason, we are happy to see and help anyone who wants to learn.

La Sumida has one of the largest selections of vegetables in town.  But try to understand and don't worry if the vegetable that you want to buy is not in stock when you come into the nursery.  We get new deliveries every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  We will usually have everything that the growers have available for the week, out and displayed by Saturday morning. And please realize that not all the vegetables are available all the time. The growers may run out but will quickly reseed and have more ready as soon as possible.  Most of them were caught a little off guard by the unusually high demand this year.  They are trying very hard to get the product out to the nurseries.  The supply is not keeping up with the demand.

When I order certain veggies on the list they send me every week, there is no way to know for sure if I will actually get them.  But I will always try to keep getting whatever I possibly can. Especially with the tomatoes.  We carry 108 different varieties, but not all at the same time.  Don't panic!  There is plenty of time to put all the vegetables in.  And we will continue to carry most everything right thru August.  And don't forget seeds are always a great alternative.  We have a wonderful selection. And remember, a vegetable garden does not have to be put in all in one day.

Sometimes it is a good idea to stagger your planting or even put in a late crop.

So be patient and enjoy the experience of gardening.

Judi

 

D's Blog

March heralds the arrival of spring. Days grow longer and soil temperature warms. Now is the time to think about feeding, pruning and planning your summer color. 

Planting: March is the transition between cool season and warm season plants.  http://www.lasumida.com/tips/plantinglists/warmseason.html

Summer color: Annuals: Petunias, Marigolds, Cosmos, Dianthus, etc.

Perennials: Foxglove, Cleome, Delphinium, Nemesia, Salvia, Etc. Etc. Etc.

Summer vegetables and herbs are now arriving. See March planting list for more information. www.lasumida.com/tips/plantinglists/edible_03.html 

Lawns may be started from sod or seed. Don’t forget soil amendments and fertilizers to assure best performance. Prepare flower and vegetable beds.

Plant summer blooming bulbs:Tuberous Begonias- plant w/acid planting mix or peat moss indented side up (round bottom side down).

Fuchsias:Pinch back for compact growth. Flowers are produced on new wood. Feed with acid food.

Prune: Prune back dead and old growth on shrubs, vines, and perennials. New growth will be quick to fill in. Shrubs – may be cut back by 1/3. Prune Camellias after they bloom. Grasses/Cannas cut just above the ground.

I hope these tips help get you in the spring gardening mood. D

 

Judi's Blog

Yea!! Finally we got some much needed rain.  So far, at this writing, we really haven't had a heavy soaking that would constitute a "deep" watering.  Just steady, light showers that seem to be enough to allow the weeds to germinate and grow like crazy.  So be aware, you might have to supplement with an additional soak to your trees and shrubs if we don't get some more "real" rain.  Don't forget, it was 80 degrees just a week ago and the ground was very dry and alot of plants were showing stress from lack of water.  You can dig into the soil, outside the drip zone, to check and see just how deep the rain was able to penetrate around your trees.  Remember, strong roots go deep.

 

If you sprayed your fruit trees or roses with the "dormant" spray within three days of this storm, you should do it again once things have had a chance to dry out.  Try to spray a couple of times before the fruit tree buds open or the foliage leafs out on the roses.  You want to make sure that you get good coverage to get any fungal spores.  So that means spray the head of the tree or bush, the trunk, and the ground around it.

 

If we do get a substantial amount of rain, you want to be careful about working your soil while it is still wet.  A healthy soil needs airspace in it.  You can damage and destroy its structure by digging or walking in your garden and compressing and compacting the dirt.  Very, very bad for your soil.  Wait a few days and give it a little time to dry out a bit.  Weeding and cultivating should be just as easy and much better for your garden, by waiting a week or so.

 

And don't forget, you still have plenty of time to put in a winter vegetable garden.  The cool weather crops like, brocoli, cauliflower, cabbage, peas, chard, spinich and so many different varieties of lettuce.   Also root crops, carrots, beets, onions and potatoes.  Have you ever had a homegrown potato?  Melts in your mouth-no butter or salt needed.  I lived in Idaho for ten years, where I discovered that the potatoes in most stores are already a year old!  Try growing your own.  Fresh makes all the difference and its an easy and fun crop for the kids.  You can keep planting most of the cool season veggies on into March.

 

And for all you aspiring vegetable gardeners, we will have a Free, Organic Vegetable Growing Clinic.  It will be on February 7, 2009 at 10:00 A.M., in our greenhouse.   The class will be taught by Oscar Carmona, an experienced grower and supplier of vegetable starts to our community.  Be sure to bring something to take notes on and come early as there will be no admintance after the first 100 chairs are filled and the class has started.

 

See you there,

 Judi

P.S.

Please, don't anyone ask me for tomatoes before March.  It's just wrong to make plants perform before there time and expect them to be healthy and produce well, just because we want to extend our already long season.

D's Blog

Rose Pruning

In Santa Barbara rose pruning season is generally between Christmas and Superbowl. Roses are a deciduous shrub.  In our mild climate, we don’t often receive the cold required for real winter dormancy, so it’s especially important to clean them up for a good healthy start in the New Year. Pruning actually breaks dormancy.

 

We prune roses for health, shape, growth control, and to encourage new canes.

 

·      Remove any dead, diseased or damaged wood.

·      Check for sucker growth. Suckers are canes from below the bud union.

·      Leave 3, 5 or more, young strong canes. Remove week spindly canes . Remove old gray ones. Best blooms come from new growth. Remove crossing canes, and canes that rub against each other.

·      Cut back desired canes into an open vase shape. All pruning cuts should be made ¼ inch above and angled away from an outward facing bud.

·       Light pruning is removal of about 1/3 of the height. Hard pruning is about ½. Your pruned rose will probably be 2 to 4 feet tall.

·      Saw off any dead wood at the base of the rose if necessary.

·      Lightly brush old peeling bark on crown with a brush to stimulate new canes,

·      Remove all foliage. Clean up all debris. Apply dormant spray to plant and soil.

·      Fertilize in March after foliage grows.

General guidelines:

Hybrid Teas: 3-5+ canes in a vase shape open in the center

Floribundas: 5-7 canes in a vase shape open in the center. Sometimes not pruned as hard as hybrid teas.

Shrub and groundcover: Usually have more “twiggy” growth habits.

Prune the same as a floribunda, leaving more lateral branches.

Climbers: need little pruning for the first few years. Prune to shape.

Leave laterals 2-3 , as this is where climbers bloom. Yes, you do need to strip all the leaves.

 

Don’t worry. Our roses will recover from any mistakes we may make.

 

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