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