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.