Most are tropical, so they .Ģż If they donā€™t get enough sun, they will stop growing. When they arenā€™t growing, they donā€™t take up much water. At this point, when you water the roots end up sitting in soggy soil and will rot. Root rot (from overwatering) is the most common cause of death for . Giving them 5 or 6 hours per day of indirect light will keep them growing and happy. Donā€™t place them in full, direct sun because an indoor plant is not acclimated to intense sunlight and will burn quickly.Ģż A spot that is within 3 or 4 feet of a south or west-facing window should provide adequate sunlight.Ģż

Humidity (or lack of it) is in our dry Southern California climate. Brown leaf tips/edges can be a sign of inadequate humidity. Calatheas are especially prone to leaf tip browning. Periodic misting with water can be helpful but may be inadequate. I recommend using distilled water for this since it will leave no hard water deposits. To increase local humidity, group plants together or use a pebble tray (a shallow tray or saucer containing gravel and filled to the top of the gravel with water). Set the pot on top of the water or just leave the tray nearby so the evaporating water can increase the local humidity. I will use several smaller saucers for pebble trays and place them between the pots. (Only because I have a lot of them sitting around.) When the air becomes especially dry (during a Santa Ana, for instance), use a cool mist humidifier to make the air more comfortable for both you and your plants.Ģż

Q. Is it safe to use vinegar to kill weeds? What about salt?

The internet is full of gardening advice but unfortunately, most of it is really bad. Vinegar can be used as a weed killer, but I would only use it on weeds growing between pavers or sidewalk cracks since it can damage non-target plants. If we didnā€™t all live in a fire-prone area, those propane-powered flame-thrower things look like theyā€™d be satisfying to use, especially on nutgrass and some other stubborn weeds. Unfortunately, thatā€™s not a good choice for Southern California since youā€™d risk setting the state on fire.

Salt is a very bad idea for weed killing, even if used on sidewalk cracks or between pavers. Sure, the salt will kill the weeds, but it will remain in the soil and kill any other plants that are nearby. If you try to wash the salt away, it will kill any plants exposed to the runoff. Do not use salt as a weedkiller!

Los Angeles County

mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu; 626-586-1988;Ā 

Orange County

³Ü³¦³¦±š“Ē³¦³¾²µ³ó“Ē³Ł±ō¾±²Ō±š°Ŗ³Ü³¦²¹²Ō°ł.±š»å³Ü;Ģż

Riverside County

²¹²Ō°ł³¾²µ°ł¾±±¹±š°ł²õ¾±»å±š°Ŗ³Ü³¦²¹²Ō°ł.±š»å³Ü;Ģż

San Bernardino County

mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182;Ā 

You may wish to replace your existing ā€” whose ā€œfallen leaves that last an eternityā€ reveal its identity as a southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) ā€” with a saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana).Ģż

No matter your mood, your soul will brighten at the sight of a ; its flowers are fresher, cleaner, and more refined than those of any other tree. The deciduous saucer magnoliaā€™s floral display is enhanced by the fact that flowering takes place when the tree is still leafless as winter ends. In this state, you see what looks like, at the moment of anthesis (when flowers open), hundreds of brilliantly burning lamps on an arboreal candelabrum.Ģż

SEE ALSO:

These barely opened blooms have also been compared to tulips, goblets, and water lilies. A few days later, all petals lay down flat and the flowers do briefly take on the look of saucers. Actually, it is only the outside of magnolia petals that have color, while the inside of the petals is white so that when they drop to the ground and distribute themselves evenly around the base of the tree, they could be mistaken for a thin layer of freshly fallen snow.

Saucer magnolia has other features that set it apart from most trees. Its leaves are large, flat, oblong and lime green in color. Unlike the leathery leaves of the southern magnolia that defy decomposition, these leaves are thin and make an excellent mulch. Its fat, fuzzy flower buds, likened to certain insect antennae, have unique charm. Bark is a tawny gray and, at maturity, this treeā€™s branching structure is a highly symmetrical dome that requires little if any pruning. If you should have to cut a wandering shoot or stem, prune it all the way back to the trunk; a stem cut in the middle may have trouble healing from its surgery and provide entry to disease organisms. With a height and spread of 25 feet, saucer magnolia is ideal for small spaces and, for strictly ornamental purposes, may be grown up a trellis on the facade of a house or other structure.Ģż

Of course, the most outstanding ornamental assets of this tree are the aforementioned flowers which appear in every version of pink and purple with milky white varieties available as well. An added bonus of the saucer magnolia is its cold tolerance. It flowers just as brilliantly in New York City as it does in Los Angeles. The problem growing it in low-humidity areas such as our own is that its foliage begins to crisp around the edges as weather warms and may be completely burnt when summer ends.

Saucer magnolia is a hybrid, indicated by the ā€œxā€ between its genus and species names. Although both parents are from China, their seeds were brought to Europe and hybridized in France. In fact, the genus Magnolia is named for the French botanist Pierre de Magnol, while the Soulangiana species name is meant to honor Etienne Soulange, the Parisian hybridizer of this species.

Another small to medium-sized tree to consider is . The mature height and spread of a mature gold medallion tree is around 25 feet. In the shade below, you can place a picnic table for having lunch al fresco on a summer day. are a brilliant yellow and open in large clusters in June and July. Faded flowers are followed by long chocolate brown pods, which impart considerable ornamental interest of their own. These pods may grow up to two feet in length. Kids enjoy shaking them like castanets since the seeds inside make noise as they rattle around. Attractive dark, fissured bark is showcased when leaves drop off, if only briefly, during the winter. Although native to Brazil and considered a tropical species, gold medallion trees can survive temperatures in the mid-20s and are highly drought tolerant, too.

The ideal small shade tree is a . The species ā€” as opposed to most named varieties that never exceed 10-15 feet in height ā€”eventually grows up to 20 feet tall or more with an equal spread but you will need to wait a while for it to reach this size. A Japanese maple of these dimensions is currently on display at the Huntington Gardens in San Marino and I also saw one growing in the Reseda garden of horticulturist Loren Zeldin. Its leaves invariably turn crispy in summer which deters some people from growing it but while those leaves are on the tree they provide sufficient aesthetic virtue to justify the . Protect it from strong winds and grow it shielded from the hottest summer sun or on the east or north side of your house.

The is a fast-growing species that, at maturity, reaches dimensions of 25 feet in height and girth. Flowers are bluish-violet and crushed leaves emit a pleasant fragrance. grows to 20 feet tall and wide. However, you will need to remove suckers so that it channels its growth into a single trunk whose branches will eventually provide shade. Where fruit trees are concerned, both the loquat and the persimmon will grow 20-25 feet tall with equal spread.

A final tree that provides shade while staying of moderate size is , with a habitat that stretches from Japan to Iran. It rapidly reaches a mature height of 25 feet with a wider spread and has a distinctive umbrella canopy. Its flowers are highly decorative, feathery pink and white, resembling badminton shuttlecocks with an alluring fragrance. The problem is the litter that flowers and seed pods that follow them create. The silk tree is not long-lived with a lifespan of two or three decades.Ģż Still, due to its tolerance of summer heat and rapid growth, it remains highly popular in our part of the world.Ģż

California native of the week: There are several California sunflowers that you might want to plant when it comes to pollinator plants, as they are especially attractive to California native pollinating bees. Interestingly enough, the classic sunflower species (Helianthus annuus) that we associate with Kansas ā€” since it has the status of state flower there ā€” is also native to California. No, you will not see the more familiar giant sunflowers, which are intensely hybridized, growing wild here or, for that matter, in Kansas, but this annual species, often growing in a clump, is native to 48 states. It is also the only North American native plant that has worldwide commercial importance. You can find annual California sunflower seeds at the Theodore Payne Foundation Nursery () in Sun Valley. Depending on the strain, flowers may only be several inches across but they are abundant while plant height is highly variable.

Do you have a recommendation for a tree that is around 25 feet tall and wide at maturity? If so, please send it to joshua@perfectplants.com. Your questions and comments, of course, as well as gardening problems or gardening tips, are always welcome.

1. We are in the midst of the pluot revolution. A pluot is a hybrid between a plum and an apricot. It has been said that some people donā€™t like plums and some people donā€™t like apricots, but everybody loves pluots. Pluots are not only bursting with flavor, but the hang time of some varieties is longer than that of peaches or plums, which tend to ripen all at once. The only caveat where pluots are concerned is that you must plant two cross-pollinating varieties together in order to harvest a crop. To find a nursery near you that sells pluots, visit the Dave Wilson Nursery website at . This is the nursery where pluots are propagated and then shipped to retail nurseries. When you reach the home page, click the ā€œhome gardenā€ tab at the top, then ā€œwhere to buy,ā€ and finally ā€œretail nurseries ā€¦ Southern California.ā€

SEE ALSO:

2. If you seek a steady supply of for your fruit trees, plant flowering species that attract bees. One of the best bee magnets is . Thick bluish flower spikes, 18 inches long, are on display now. The plant self-sows but it will take two years from germination of its seeds until its first flowers are visible. California natives that attract California native bee species include western redbud, California poppies, yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and blanket flower (Gaillardia x grandiflora). You can keep California native bees around all year by creating a nesting block; take a 2ā€ x 4ā€ or 4ā€ x 4ā€ piece of pine or redwood and drill dead-end holes 1/8 – 3/8 of an inch into the wood. Attach the drilled wood onto the side of your garage or other structure, or to a pole for this purpose that you pound into the ground among your fruit trees. Native bees will build their nests in the holes you drilled in the wood.

3. If you are seeking a tree with fragrant blossoms in May, plant a . Its yellow flowers slowly fade to white so that, when in full bloom, the tree appears to be covered in popcorn. Sweetshade is nearly always placed in a wind-protected location or against a building since its vertical growth habit and natural branching structure cause it to break apart in stormy weather if planted in an open area. To create a stronger tree with a broad and wind-resistant canopy, pinch terminal shoots when it is young to encourage lateral growth.

4. Justicia is a genus of plants that provides many May bloomers and each of them, in partial to full sun locations, justifies its own space in the garden. If you have desire for a three-foot shrub that blooms nearly all the time with very little water and may be grown in almost any situation, from individually in pots to collectively in a hedge, select the shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana) with its distinctive prawn-shape bronzish bracts. Other non-stop blooming Justicias include the pink Justicia carnea, the orange Justicia spicigera, the silver Justicia betonia, the golden Justicia aurea, and the yellow and pink Justicia var. Fruit Salad. There is also the California native chuparosa (Justicia californica) with its display of hummingbird attracting red tubular flowers from fall through spring,

5. Flowering vines can be a mixed blessing. Enamored with their beauty, you may loathe the thought of pruning them, but letting them just grow can spell trouble for plants in the vicinity. Before you know it ā€“ as occurred in my own neighborhood ā€”, installed to cover a low chainlink fence along the front sidewalk, will grow up an adjoining Eugenia hedge to a height of 20 feet. If not removed, this vine will eventually blanket the hedge, taking away its light and causing its death.

Send questions and comments to joshua@perfectplants.com.

The 64th Garden Grove will be May 24-27.

When you think of California agribusiness, grapes, lettuce and almonds might come to mind first, but berries are a huge presence as well. Californiaā€™s berry industry generates 5% of Californiaā€™s farm sales (2020) from less than 1% of the stateā€™s farmland. But California farms provide more than 80% of the nationā€™s strawberries.ĢżIn 2022, the strawberry market in California was valued at $2.6 billion. Itā€™s about $3.2 billion in the U.S.

California has a temperate climate, therefore allowing a 12-month growing season and producing a higher yield per acre than other states.There are three types of strawberries: day-neutral, everbearing and June-bearing. June-bearing strawberry plants are the most commonly used in commercial production.

In 2017, strawberries represented 47% of the $6.4 billion in U.S. retail fresh berry sales, followed by blueberries at 26%, raspberries at 14% and blackberries at 9%.

True or false?

Botanists call the strawberry a ā€œfalse fruit,ā€ a pseudocarp. The same goes for blackberries. A strawberry is actually a multiple fruit that consists of many tiny individual fruits embedded in a fleshy receptacle. The brownish or whitish specks, which are commonly considered seeds, are the true fruits, called achenes, and each of them surrounds a tiny seed.

Blueberries are true fruits, where the ovary wall is changed into a fruit wall, which surrounds the seeds.

Nutritional

Only 9% of adults ate the recommended amount of vegetables and 12% of adults ate the recommended amount of fruit, according to a CDC analysis of data from the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Strawberries are very high in fiber. According to the Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition, one-half cup of strawberries supplies more fiber than a slice of whole wheat bread and more than 70% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.

Each berry has over 200 seeds on its surface.

Ancient records reveal that the strawberry was grown in Rome dating back to 200 B.C. They used the berries to treat depression, fever and sore throats.

94% of households in the U.S. eat strawberries.

Tip for keeping berries fresh

Wash your berries, then dry them off and remove any that look like they are getting old.

Wrap berries in a paper towel, place in bowl or the container they came in and store in the refrigerator.

In-season produce for California

Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables can reduce a personā€™s risk of developing heart disease, cancer, inflammation, and diabetes. Citrus fruits and berries may be especially powerful for preventing disease. The chart below is based on California harvest calendar on .

* Some areas in season year-round

You can see another chart for when fruits are in season at .

Nutrition ranking

Here are ā€™s top 10 most nutritious fruit and vegetable rankings:

Fruit

1. Lemons
2. Strawberries
3. Oranges
4. Limes
5. Grapefruit
6. Blackberries
7. Apples
8. Pomegranate
9. Pineapple
10. Bananas

Vegetables

1. Spinach
2. Kale
3. Broccoli
4. Peas
5. Sweet potatoes
6. Beets
7. Carrots
8. Fermented vegetables
9. Tomatoes
10. Ģż³Ņ²¹°ł±ō¾±³¦

Sources: California Department of Food and Agriculture, carnegiemuseums.org, Medical É«ĒéĀŪĢ³ Today, Shariā€™s Berries, pickyourown.org, farmflavor.com, Berries.com

Its large, rainbow-colored obovate foliage ā€” scarlet, gold, and bluish-green ā€” makes a dramatic statement. Added to the delight of having it glow in your garden is its disdain for water since it is a drought-tolerant succulent plant.Ģż

The botanical gem I refer to is flapjack or . Like nearly all ā€” with the exception of cactuses, which are indigenous to the western hemisphere ā€” is native to South Africa. Although thriving in all-day sun in South Africa, it performs best in Southern California in half-day sun. The reason for this is that the Southern California summer, especially as you go inland from the coast, is hotter than the South African summer. A white epicuticular wax on the leaf surface, known as farina, is sometimes seen. It is present on many succulents and serves as a natural sunscreen.

I was pleasantly surprised the other day when I noticed bulbils forming in the flower stalk of my paddle plant. Bulbils are miniature plants that are produced from axillary buds on leafy shoots or flower stems and may be grown into clones of their mother plant. Bulbils are so-named because of their appearance on certain bulbous plants, where they pop out in the axils of shoots. The most famous of these is the tiger lily (Lilium lancifolium). These tiny bulbs, like all bulbils, may be picked and planted readily enough. Bulbils may also be found on Egyptian onions (Allium x proliferum).

The appearance of a flower stalk on a paddle plant is an occurrence of some sadness since it signals demise of the plant. Paddle plant is monocarpic which means that it dies after it flowers. This characteristic is uncommon among Kalanchoes but is present in nearly every Agave species. Yet, as death approaches, these plants produce offsets or pups around their base and, in certain species, the aforementioned bulbils. is the most prolific bulbil producer with as many as 10,000 of them forming on a single flower stalk. And then thereā€™s mother fern (Asplenium bulbiferum), a popular indoor or outdoor shade lover that grows tiny bulbils on top of its fronds.

May is the month that Salvias, commonly known as sages, burst into bloom. I am fortunate that one of my neighbors grows what many, including me, consider to be the most stunningly beautiful in this group of plants, which numbers over 900 annuals, herbaceous perennials, and shrubs. This neighborhood Salvia is known as Amistad, or Friendship sage, a variety of Salvia guaranitica. Amistad blooms from now until the fall in full to half-day sun; the further inland you go, the more protection from hot sun it will require due to its tropical South American habitat. Its rich violet-colored flower petals are nestled in black calyces. Leaves emit an anise scent when crushed. Amistad grows from tuberous rhizomes so that it will expand its reach in soil that is kept slightly moist.

Some gardeners say that Salvias ā€“ from the Latin “salvere,” which means “to heal” or “to save” ā€“ are a fitting appellation for these plants since they are the salvation of drought tolerant gardens due to their near constant bloom.Ģż I can assure you that if you plant a dozen different Salvia species, at least a few of them will be flowering at any given moment.

Gary Hammer, the legendary nurseryman who traveled the globe in search of plants suitable for our climate, had at least 33 different sages (Salvias), mostly with shiny green leaves. Many of these are native to the state of Monterey, in Northern Mexico. ā€œThere are lots of plants that flower most of the year that come from this part of Mexico,ā€ Hammer explained in an interview with him years ago. ā€œAlthough they keep their lush green leaf color throughout the year, they require no more water than California natives.ā€

As long as we are on the subject of Salvias, a few other notable species deserve mention. The first plant on this list is Saliva ā€˜Hot Lips,ā€™ named for petals showing red lips on the lower part of each flower complimented by white on the upper part. An ‘Amethyst Lips’ in wine red and white is also available. Many salvias are drought tolerant but these lippy hybridĀ  beauties surpass them all. They grow best with half of the dayā€™s sun and, once established in such an exposure, will only require watering once every two weeks, if not less, during the summer.Ģż Flowers are visible from late winter until fall, with some decline in bloom during hot, mid-summer weather.

Red salvia (Salvia splendens), a bedding plant, will flower non-stop for up to three years and finally die, but for those three years you will be the beneficiary of the most constant and brilliant scarlet flower display on earth. Just keep your red salvia fertilized and cut it back nearly to the ground every 4-6 months. Cooking sage (Salvia officinalis) is not only of culinary interest but grows into a fine, blue flowered woody perennial. For a dark blue bloomer, select Salvia nemerosa ‘May Night,’ and if you are partial to magenta pink, plant choose Chiapis sage (Salvia chiapensis).Ģż

There are many more Salvias I could mention, with literally dozens to choose from, including natives such as white sage (Salvia apiana), with silvery-white foliage and Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii), with purplish blue flowers. Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) blooms virtually non-stop in the shade. An advantage of growing Salvias is their moderate stature.Ģż Few species are more than 5 feet tall at maturity and many favorites grow no taller than 3 feet. Annies Annuals () is an excellent source for a large variety of Salvias.

California native of the week: Pink or red winter currant (Ribes sanguineum) is a distinctive shrub that is flowering now. It shows off 4-inch-long flower clusters, with as many as 40 blooms per cluster, complemented by maple-leaf resembling foliage. Classic varieties bloom in pink to red, but white varieties are also available. This is a shrub of significant stature as it may reach a height and girth of 12 feet. Berries are bluiish-black with a white bloom and, while tart, may be eaten fresh or dried. This shrub appears in the plant catalog of Tree of Life Nursery (), located in San Juan Capistrano.

If you have a colorful succulent or flowery Salvia tale to tell, please pass it along to joshua@perfectplants.com. You are always invited to email questions and comments as well as garden wisdom or garden predicaments to me as well.

There are that will grow and produce in Southern California, and . The trick is to you have.

Mexican avocados, such as Bacon, Duke, and Mexicola, are somewhat cold-hardy and will tolerate hot, dry summers. If you live in the Inland valleys, these trees are more likely to survive if planted in an area thatā€™s protected from cold and wind. In California, they bloom from fall through spring and the fruit is . The fruit can be pear-shaped or round and has thin, dark green skin. When crushed, the leaves release an anise or licorice scent.

Guatemalan avocados, such as Gem, bloom later than Mexican varieties and the fruit is ready to harvest up to 18 months after that. The leaves are red-tinted when new, and they lack the anise scent that Mexican avocados have. The fruit tends to be rounder rather than pear-shaped and has thick, bumpy skin that can be either green or black (but usually lighter than the typical Mexican avocado).

Just to make things more confusing, many of the more popular varieties are hybrids of Mexican and Guatemalan avocados. (Iā€™m not even going to mention West Indian avocados, since they are horrible). Here are brief descriptions of some of the most popular hybrids ā€“ see if your tree fits any of these.

Fuerte was the most popular variety before Hass came along. It blooms February through April, has very good fruit quality, and is relatively cold hardy. The skin is thin and leathery and green when it ripens November through March.

Hass is currently the most popular cultivar and is somewhat intolerant of cold, making it less suitable for the chillier Inland areas. Its skin is black and bumpy at maturity and is medium thickness. It tastes even better than Fuerte.

Lamb Hass is similar to Hass but is more tolerant of high heat and wind and is less susceptible to persea mites. The tree is smaller than Hass, making it more suitable for backyard growers.

Avocados are not edible straight from the tree. The ripening process begins when the stem is cut, so mature fruit can remain on the tree for some time without spoiling. Since most cultivars have such a long ripening period, it can be difficult to figure out when itā€™s time to pick. To make matters more complicated, fruit can mature at different times based on other factors such as elevation, latitude, microclimates, and location. If you can narrow down the ripening period, I recommend picking a fruit every week and letting it ripen on the counter. This process may take some fine-tuning but is the simplest way to figure out when to start picking.

Los Angeles County

mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu; 626-586-1988;Ā 

Orange County

³Ü³¦³¦±š“Ē³¦³¾²µ³ó“Ē³Ł±ō¾±²Ō±š°Ŗ³Ü³¦²¹²Ō°ł.±š»å³Ü;Ģż

Riverside County

²¹²Ō°ł³¾²µ°ł¾±±¹±š°ł²õ¾±»å±š°Ŗ³Ü³¦²¹²Ō°ł.±š»å³Ü;Ģż

San Bernardino County

mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182;Ā 

Vegetable gardens

• Are you new to vegetable gardening? Or have you had trouble starting summer vegetable, herb and flower seeds in the past? Enroll in my Easy Seed Starting Online Course to learn the best, easiest and most successful way to start seeds. Sign up at .

• As soon as night temperatures stay reliably above 50 degrees, itā€™s safe to plant out summer vegetable seedlings.

• What to plant now:ā€“ From seed: cucumber, squash (winter and summer), pumpkins, melon, carrots, radishes, beans, cilantro.ā€“ From seedling or start seeds in containers to plant out in six weeks: tomato, okra, basil, marigolds, eggplant, tomatillo, peppers.

• If you shop for seedlings, buy the smallest seedlings you can find. Skip large seedlings and donā€™t ever buy large plants, especially those with fruits or flowers. Those plants are too old already. Younger plants will establish better, grow into larger, healthier, more vigorous plants that produce far more.

• Since our native soils have very little organic matter, plan to grow vegetables in raised beds ā€” either free standing or on the ground. If you donā€™t have room for raised beds, use half whiskey barrels, or similar planters with a large volume of growing medium.

• Building and planting your first on-the-ground raised beds? Hereā€™s how: and .

• Fill on-the-ground raised beds with a topsoil mix ā€” not with potting soil, not with planting mix, nor with any of the bagged raised-bed mixes. Use a topsoil that is at least 40 percent organic matter (compost). Add in a generous dose of worm castings and organic granular vegetable fertilizer. Mix in to the top few inches using a hand trowel; do not rototill.Ģż

• Fill pots, freestanding raised beds and whiskey barrels with good-quality potting mix. Do not use planting mix or ā€œdirt,ā€ and donā€™t cheap out on the potting mix. Your plants only grow as well as the quality of the mix they are planted in.

• Whatever your growing situation, fill the pot, bed or planter with the same material from top to bottom. Donā€™t be tempted to fill up space with logs, branches, leaves, plastic bottles, gravel or anything else. Layers like those create a ā€œperchā€ layer that prevents soil from draining. Your plants can literally drown. Itā€™s simply a matter of physics.

• Revitalize last yearā€™s raised beds and planting containers by topping them off with compost, worm castings and organic vegetable fertilizer. Mix in to the top few inches using a hand trowel; do not rototill.Ģż

• Irrigate raised beds with , with emitters spaced six inches apart. Before you plant, lay out the irrigation in a grid of straight lines, set six to eight inches apart.

• GIVE PLANTS SPACE. Seedlings grow into much larger plants than you expect. Overcrowded plants never reach mature size. Instead, they form a giant, jumbled jungle ā€” the perfect condition for killer molds, mildew and other problems, too. Hereā€™s what to expect:ā€“ Tomato: 3 to 6 feet wide and 6 feet tall.ā€“ Pepper and eggplant: 2 to 3 feet wide and tall.ā€“ Pumpkin and melon: vines up to 30 feet long in every direction.ā€“ Zucchini: 3 feet across.

  ā€“ Tomatillo: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide.

  ā€“ Basil: 2 feet tall and wide.

• Planting into containers?ā€“ A 15-gallon nursery can or a half whiskey barrel accommodates one tomato plant, or two eggplants, or three basil plants, or four cucumber plants, or two pepper plants.ā€“ A 5-gallon nursery can is big enough for two eggplants, two basil plants, or two pepper plants.ā€“ A 5-gallon bucket with holes drilled in the bottom can support one tomato or two eggplants or three basil, or two pepper plants.

• Rotate tomato, pepper, eggplant, tomatillo and potato plants to a different garden bed. These plants cousins are all vulnerable to the same ā€œbadā€ soil viruses, fungi, bacteria, etc. Alternate them with annual herbs, root vegetables, flowers, okra, beans or other plants that are not in the tomato family. Swap locations each year.

• To prune or not to prune tomato plants? Experts say thereā€™s no reason to prune and many reasons not to. Contrary to legend, pruning does not increase production (why would it? Leaves power the plant, so when you remove leaves, you limit fruiting power). Overpruning leaves fruits exposed to sunscald. It is, however, smart to remove selective branches for good airflow and avoid mildew. Use your fingers to break off the branches, then wash your hands between plants so you donā€™t spread diseases from one to the next.

Fruit trees

• Stone fruits, apples, pears, figs, pomegranates, pineapple guava, persimmon and many other summer and early fall fruits are developing now.

• Thin out any marble-size apples, pears and stone fruits to just ONE fruit every five or six inches along the branch. Too many fruits make for tiny fruits and broken branches.

• Water stone fruits, apples and pears deeply and regularly through the growing season. Remember to fertilize them with organic, granular, all-purpose fruit tree fertilizer. Follow label directions.

• Water figs, pomegranate and pineapple guava only once every few weeks ā€” deeply each time. Mulch them but donā€™t fertilize.

• Peach leaf curl is disfiguring leaves on lots of stone fruits this year, even those sprayed well with fungicide and horticultural oil last winter. It is caused by a fungus that thrives in humidity (another reason to stop using overhead spray irrigation). Thereā€™s no treatment for it now and no reason to remove the disfigured leaves since they still photosynthesize to make energy and power fruit development. Plan to spray next winter.

• Pick fruits as they ripen and before critters get them. Pick up fallen fruits and set traps for rats.

• Continue watering and fertilizing citrus and avocado. Water under the entire canopy to wet surface roots, and water a long time to wet deep roots.

• Disfigured citrus leaves are likely citrus leaf miner. Do NOT cut off the leaves. They are ugly, but donā€™t affect fruiting. Cutting off those leaves makes things worse. Why? Pruning stimulates new growth, and those new leaves are leaf minersā€™ favorite, so the problem will only get worse.

• Bananas and other subtropical fruits are the thirstiest fruiting plants. Water once a week or more, deeply each time. Fertilize regularly and mulch thickly to keep moisture in the soil.

• Donā€™t make the mistake of planting citrus trees (or any other tree) into lawn. Their water and fertilizer needs are very different and lead to crop failure. Instead, plant citrus and avocado into beds with a dedicated inline drip irrigation zone. Mulch.

Ornamental plants

• Nurseries feature plants when they look prettiest, but thatā€™s not the time to plant them. Take a walk through your neighborhood and make note of whatā€™s blooming now. Add those plants to your garden in fall, and choose the small plants, not yet in bloom.

• Plant annual flowers in or near your vegetable garden: marigolds, calendula, zinnias, sunflowers and more. They support pollinators and beneficial insects.ā€“ Tube-shaped flowers support hummingbirds, butterflies and moths: sages, Grevillea, native currants (Ribes)ā€“ Large clusters of small flowers support butterflies and moths: Aster, mints, milkweedā€“ Flat, wide flowers support bees: poppies, native Clarkia, Zinnia, Aster, daisiesā€“ Bowl-shaped flowers and flat flowers support beetles: California poppies, magnolia, sunflowers, yarrow

• Did you know: Beetles pollinate 88 percent of all flower plants around the world!

• Inland, stop planting drought tolerant shrubs and trees, including natives, now. The heat will set in before those plants are through transplant shock. Continue planting in coastal gardens.

• Deadhead roses and spring perennials to encourage more blooms. Always cut at a branching point. Never leave a stub.

• Have you discovered Mangave? These Agave/Manfreda crosses grow as beautiful succulent rosettes with a great variety of spots and stripes in shades of blue, brown, yellow, red, green and silver. They are easy to grow and add a punch to the garden. Look for varieties like ā€˜Snow Lionā€™, ā€˜Mission to Marsā€™, ā€˜Black Magicā€™, ā€˜Dreadlocksā€™, ā€˜Chocolate Chipā€™ and others.

• This is the time to replace your lawn with a ā€œmeadowā€ of natives like clustered field sedge (Carex praegracilis), native bent grass (Agrostis pallens), and blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis). Check your local water district for turf rebate programs before you remove the lawn.

Pests

• Plants grow many leaves ā€” a few holes in plant leaves arenā€™t a problem. Just ignore them.

• Spray whiteflies and aphids off with a sharp stream of water using a Bug Blaster hose end nozzle. The crittersā€™ soft bodies canā€™t withstand the impact of the spray. Repeat every few days for several weeks to interrupt their reproductive cycle.

• Eliminate ants to control aphids, mealy bugs and scale. Ants ā€œfarmā€ these bugs by moving them around the garden and harvesting the sweet ā€œhoneydewā€ they excrete. It is the perfect ant food.

• Got gophers? Protect new plants by planting into gopher baskets. Line the undersides of raised beds with hardware cloth. Catch tunneling gophers with GopherHawk traps.

• Fungus gnats in houseplants are pesky but donā€™t damage plants. Give your plants an outdoor vacay now that itā€™s warm at night. Native predators will take care of the gnats for you.

• Got slugs? Slugs and snails abound after the wet winter. Sprinkle Sluggo into garden beds to kill them. Check plants at night for tell-tale slime trails.

Manage water

• Despite the abundance of winter rain, by summer it will be dry again. Stick to your water-conserving ways.

• Startup your irrigation system now that rains have ended. Water only when the soil is dry, once every week or two or three.

• Cover the soil with a 3- or 4-inch-thick layer of mulch, leaving a bare sunny spot for ground-dwelling native bees. These bees are important pollinators in gardens and for native plants; they rarely sting.

• Use rock mulch for succulents, wood-based mulch for nonsucculent ornamental plants, straw (not hay) on vegetable gardens.

• The goal of irrigating is to wet roots, so water long enough to get water down to the root zone ā€” with drip irrigation that could take an hour or two. Stick your fingers down into the soil to be sure it is wet as deep as the roots go. Wait to water again until the soil dries out.

• Run irrigation before 6 a.m., before peak weekday water demands. Drip can run at night, but not overhead spray. Wet leaves in the cool hours are susceptible to molds and mildew.

Sterman is a garden designer, teacher, author and the host of ā€œA Growing Passionā€ on public television. She runs Nan Stermanā€™s Garden School atĀ .

1. You can test the drainage of any soil by digging a hole 1 foot deep and filling it with water. If the soil drains within four hours, you have decent drainage. If the soil requires more than four hours to drain you have a drainage issue that could lead to soil fungus problems, and significant soil amelioration with organic amendments is recommended. And then thereā€™s the simple shovel test: Is your soil easy or difficult to dig? If you have a hard time digging, you will need to incorporate as much soil amendment as your back will tolerate.

2. This is the moment that Martha Washington geraniums (Pelargonium x domesticum) are looking their best. I see masses of their that reach four feet high and three feet wide. Leaves are finely cut around the edges, adding to the handsome visage of this woody perennial. Marthas appreciate full sun and do equally well whether planted in pots or in the garden.In the manner of , they propagate easily from stem and shoot tip cuttings, 4-6 inches in length.

3. Plant hydrangeas now. grow well as long as they are protected from hot sun. They do require constant soil moisture and, for this reason, it is wise to grow them near the front door so you do not have to drag a hose through your garden in order to keep them hydrated. Fertilize every other month with almost any fertilizer, although some growers are partial to an acid-type formula for azaleas. Expect from spring until mid-fall. Hydrangeas are somewhat cold-hardy and may be grown as far north as Acton.

4. You can stop watering those that you planted in the fall as soon as you see their outer leaves begin to yellow. Bulbs will continue to grow but yellow leaves indicate they are ready to be dug up and eaten. If you wish to store your garlic and onions, wait until all leaves have turned brown before removing bulbs from the earth. As for greens such as lettuce, Swiss chard, arugula, and kale, harvest them early in the morning for maximum hydration, freshness, crispness, and storage longevity.

5. Consider planting a passion fruit vine. Tanaka, Possum Purple, Nancy Garrison, Red Rover, Edgehill, Kahuna, and Frederick varieties are recommended. Give your but protect it from the hottest afternoon sun. You will need to grow it on a trellis or train it to grow along a wall. It is not known for cold hardiness but should flourish anywhere in Orange County. Plant it in a wind-protected area and do not water it during the winter. Thin your vine and cut back as much as one third of its growth following harvest.

If you have questions or comments, please email joshua@perfectplants.com.Ģż

A look at our local Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) species and share some tips on how to protect them.

New conservation tool

One of the ways you could help butterflies and moths in your local area is by creating a space with plants they are attracted to. Chris Cosma, a recent Ph.D. graduate from UC Riverside and now at the Conservation Biology Institute, created an online tool that lets you enter your ZIP code (or address) and the Butterfly Net shows the best native plant species to use in your area. The site works for all of California and ranks the value as host and nectar plants for local butterflies and moths. Some plants can attract dozens of insect species.

Check it out:

You can click on the image of the site to get to The Butterfly Net as well.

When it comes to creating plantscapes that help, another UC Riverside entomologist, Erin Wilson Rankin said, ā€œIn garden settings, a diversity of sages (we like to use a mix of black sage, hummingbird sage and Sonoma sage) and mallows (chaparral mallow, desert mallow, and Indian mallow). California buckwheat is a pollinator crowd pleaser, as is encelia. For trees/shrubs, lemonadeberry and sugarbush are great nectar plants.ā€

Bees get well-deserved credit as pollinators in California for all sorts of agribusiness, but they are only part of the story. Butterflies, moths, bats and birds deserve credit too.

Busy at night

In 2023, a report by the University of Sussex discovered that moths are faster pollinators at night than bees and butterflies during the day. Bees and butterflies do the vast majority of pollination but moths have a much quicker pace.

A few butterfly facts

There are 165,000 known species of Lepidoptera (17,500 are butterflies) found on every continent except Antarctica.

Their eyes are made of 6,000 lenses and can see ultraviolet light.

Metamorphosis, where a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, is completed in 10 to 15 days, depending on the species.

Sources: Erin Wilson Rankin entomologist at UC Riverside, UC Davis Entomology Department, Peter Bryant of UC Irvine, Microscopic image from Scope Tronix, North American Butterfly Association, butterflyconservation.org, ā€œWestern Butterfliesā€ Peterson Field guides, iNaturalist.org, San Diego Zoo

Photos: SCNG and David Rankin CC BY-NC

For some, that might be a top-of-the-line planter or a made-to-order plant bed, but that doesn’t work for everyone. What if you, to be blunt, are looking for ?

Try this: Head to your local store and grab a plastic tote ā€“ essentially a durable plastic container, often with handles. Then get seeds or a starter plant, and soil and you are ready to grow. Best of all, this option is affordable for those just getting into gardening.

To find out about , I went to an expert, , who has grown extensively in totes.

Harris also just happens to be my grandmother.

“I have always gardened, even as a kid. I was growing radishes and corn as a kid. My bubbe had her own blackberry garden,” said my grandmother. “I think I got into gardening because I watched her and her blackberry bush.ā€

And how did she get into YouTube ā€‹ ā€“ surely not via her bubbe (or grandma)? No, that has more to do with her husband, Gary.

ā€œGary is from Australia and his family wanted to see what he was up to in our garden. Gary was standing on top of woodchips and planting all kinds of things for his family to see, and along the way, people started subscribing and asking questions about gardening,ā€ said my grandmother.

Why plastic totes?

Yes, you can always get something more expensive or lovely to look at. But plastic totes, which make it easier to move your plants as needed, are cheaper compared to grow-beds that are wooden or metal. Eighteen-gallon to 30-gallon totes can cost about $10, while a grow-bed can cost anywhere between $35 and $90. So plastic totes are more cost-effective than traditional raised grow beds. Buying enough soil to fill a trough or grow-bed will also be costly compared to plastic totes.

If worried about the plastic cracking over time, Harris said that as long as the totes are cared for and treated as though they have a plant in them even in the cold months, they are less likely to dry out and crack.ĢżShe also pointed out that everything breaks down after a while, and she would prefer an inexpensive tote break down and need replacing than a metal trough or a wooden grow bed, which would be more expensive to replace.

Harris said she prefers planting in plastic totes instead of grow bags because grow bags allow too much airflow, allowing the soil to dry out quickly. Plastic totes enable the water to evaporate from the top but keep the soil inside moist, allowing for the right amount of moisture needed for your plants. This is better for hotter, dryer climates like Southern California as well.

Some things to be mindful of. Don’t fill them up so much that they are too heavy to move. Also, remember that the walls are not as thick as other types of containers so it’s best if they aren’t getting blasted by the heat, which could cause them to dry out. And, as one gardening expert suggested, check the prices on a range of containers: In some instances, another option, such as a metal trough, could be cheaper per square foot.

But today we’re looking at totes for those starting out as gardeners. So if what you try to grow doesn’t flourish initially, keep going. This is all about trial and error.

ā€œIf what you are trying to grow dies, it is not a waste. Itā€™s now compost for your next plant,ā€ my grandmother said.

What’s the advantage?

Besides saving space and creating large growing areas, containers make gardening easier by lifting up the plants, which keeps them safe from smaller animals such as rabbits or groundhogs. Raising the plant beds makes tending to your garden easier to manage with less bending or sitting on the ground.

Even if you have the space to garden in the ground, using totes can help make gardening more manageable when growing many different plants. It also helps control the plants you decide to grow by allowing the roots space and nutrients they need.

When setting up a tote, make sure research has been done on what plants you want to grow and see if they can be grown close to or next to another plant you are thinking of growing. This can help with setting up the totes and deciding what plants will grow better together and what plants will be too overbearing for others and should get their own tote.

Growing in totes helps the ability to move your plants around as well, making it easier to understand what makes your plants grow better.

Seeking insight from beyond my own family, I thought I’d get another opinion. When asked what the best plant to grow in totes is, Angel Martinez from Martinez Nursery in Buena Park explained that it depends on where you are growing, how much light you get and what color your house is ā€“ā€“ in short, it’s about the environment you are putting them in. He said there is no such thing as an easy plant because you need the right space to thrive.

By growing in totes, you can move your plants around to experiment with better places. Martinez also said to never be embarrassed to ask questions when learning to grow. By asking questions, you can save the life of your plant, whether you are growing in totes or not.

How to prep your plants

Make sure to cut holes in the bottom and about one to two inches from the bottom on the sides to allow water drainage. This can be done by simply drilling holes a few inches apart to allow for easy drainage. The holes do not need to be large, either. You just don’t want the water to sit and not be able to drain because it can cause rot within your plant rooting system. So adding a few holes to your tote will help with drainage and airflow circulation.

After that, layering the bottom of the tote with plant matter such as leaves or sticks helps take up room and help with the growth of your plants. If you do not have these things, compostable food can also work, or simply layering your soil mix in without layering the bottom is fine, but will cost more in soil. My grandmother said she also uses paper to layer the bottom since paper is compostable. She said she then puts about four inches of soil she buys from the store in the tote, which is then ready to be used for plants.

So now, you’re ready.

ā€œRemember, there is no wrong way to garden,” said my grandmother. “We all have gardening in our genes, or else we wouldnā€™t be here.”