October/November 2008

Transcription

1 October/November 2008 Fall is Here: Get Ready for California Natives! The late fall to early winter is the time to plant California native species, giving them a minimum of two to three months of establishment time prior to the full growing season. Dig each hole as deep as the root ball (the soil and roots together) and twice as wide. Set the plant container in the hole so that the top of the root ball (or soil in the container) is slightly higher, approximately 2, than the surrounding soil. Planting more deeply or in loose soil can cause the plant to settle deeper than intended, which may lead to future problems such as crown rot. Carefully remove the plant from the container by tipping the container to the side, tap it with the palm of your hand or shovel to loosen the root ball and push gently against the root ball through the holes at the bottom of the container to gently slide the plant out. Hold the plant at the base near the soil, and then support the root ball underneath as you move it to the planting hole. Place the plant carefully in the unamended hole and fill the soil in around it. Pack the hole firmly and water thoroughly to remove any air pockets. Don t stomp on top of the root ball as you may damage the root system. If the plant is a shrub or tree, build a watering berm around the planting hole with the excess soil. This allows the water to filter in to the root zone where the plant can use it. Be sure that water does not sit inside the basin for long periods of time. As the plant becomes established, gradually widen the basin. Remove it completely after the first season. Add a layer of organic mulch spread over the soil after planting to improve the soil as it decomposes, conserve water and discourage weeds. Water each plant making sure enough water is applied to reach below the root ball. Continue watering the plant deep and often for the first week or so. However, root balls of plants that were slightly pot-bound can dry out more quickly than the surrounding back-filled soil. Until the roots grow out and become adapted to the native soil, more frequent but lighter watering may be needed. Once the plant is established, water deep and less often to encourage deep rooting. (Native Nursery Listings on page 6) Page 1

2 Stop-Start Irrigation Why It Works By Loren Oki, Landscape Horticulture Specialist Stop-Start irrigation has several names: on-off, pulse irrigation, irrigation with multiple start times, and probably others I am not aware of. So why should we program the irrigation controller to turn on sprinklers, wait for awhile, on again, wait again, and so on for several more cycles? It s easier to just turn a valve on for the 30 minutes to soak the lawn, right? Well, the objective in doing this is to avoid runoff by applying water too quickly. The on-off cycling slows down the application rate so that all of the water applied can be absorbed by the soil. More specifically, the application rate of the water is the same or less than the infiltration rate. If water is applied too fast, the soil can t absorb all of the water and the excess runs off into the gutter. So the interval between the valve openings is as important as the duration the valve is open. But how do we determine what the interval and durations are? If you have determined that your valve needs to be turned on for 15 minutes (because either you found that number from a chart or you know that duration will water down to the soil depth you desire), should the valve be turned on and left on for that long? The best way to tell is to see if turning on your sprinklers for that long generates runoff: is water streaming off of your lawn into the gutter? If so, how do you determine how long the duration should be? Here s a simple way (your lawn should be fairly dry when you do this): Turn on the valve you want to program. Note how long it takes before water starts running off of the lawn onto the sidewalk or gutter. Wait one hour to let the water soak in. Turn on the valve again and note how long it takes for the water to start running off (it will probably be shorter than the first duration). Program your irrigation controller with that second duration. Use one start time per hour since that s the interval we used for this test. Program the controller to run enough cycles so that the total time equals your total desired duration. For example, if you programmed your controller to turn on the valve for 5 minutes and you want a total of 15 minutes, and then program the controller for 3 cycles: 5 minutes on, 55 minutes off, 3 times. Using this method, you should be able to efficiently apply the water you need without generating runoff. This method works because it also takes into consideration the slope of the turf as well as the characteristics of the soil. Page 2

3 DID YOU KNOW? While landscape plants are quite thirsty during the long days and warm nights of summer; the shorter days and cooler nights of fall and winter call for an irrigation reduction of nearly 50% for most all plants. Water not being used by the landscape planting, or draining properly through the soil, increases the potential for harmful diseases or fungus that may lead to the loss of the surrounding plant material. If you haven t already done so, now is the time to reprogram your irrigation controller to increase the days in between watering. However, during unusually hot or windy days an extra application of water may be required to prevent signs of water stress such as wilting. Likewise, if rain is in the forecast, turn off your automatic irrigation system. Suggested Weekly Watering Schedule for SPRAY HEAD IRRIGATION SYSTEMS October Turf grass: 3 days, 2 cycles* of 3 minutes each Trees, shrubs, groundcover: 2 days, 2 cycles* of 3 minutes November Turf grass: 2 days, 2 cycles* of 3 minutes each Trees, shrubs, groundcover: 1 days, 2 cycles* of 4 minutes *By cycling your irrigation timer to turn on for the suggested number of minutes an hour apart, you reduce runoff and gain deeper watering and healthier root growth. Start with this weekly schedule and increase the times only if your plants show signs of stress. If stress occurs only in isolated areas, check your irrigation system before increasing the time. Irvine Ranch Water District website: Other resource: Q&A from the Master Gardener Hotline Submitted by Norma Yarbrough, MG Q - Gary asked about the low water grasses used on our demonstration yards at our Open House on May 17 th. He would like to test these types of grasses on a section of his lawn. Gary also asked about the vendors at our Open House. A - The grasses at the demonstration sites are (from lowest water requirements to highest): Carex Tumulicola ( Berkeley Sedge ) and Carex Pansa ( California Meadow Sedge ) Seashore Paspallum Sea Spray Marathon 2 Turf Grass The vendor at the Water Quality Open House featuring low water grass was from Your Turf. Actually, Your Turf specializes in artificial turf that looks like real thing. Other vendors were from Irrometer Co. (makers of the Watermark Moisture Sensor product); Tierra Verde (mulch and compost products from Orange County green waste); Hunter Industries (MP Rotator products); United Industries (Garden Safe, Stay Green and Vigoro products). For more information on turf grasses, please visit: Page 3

4 Water-Wise Seminar Topics at the 6th Annual Gardening Seminar Submitted by Norma Yarbrough, UCCE Master Gardener The 6 th Annual Gardening Seminar will be held this year on Saturday, October 18 th at the Huntington Beach Library. Hosted by the University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners, this one-day event features 9 well-known gardening experts from the Southern California area. Of interest to those who would like information on low water landscaping are: California Natives - Green, Sustainable and Beautiful! Mike & Debbie Evans - Mike and Debbie Evans are hands-on owners of the Tree of Life Nursery, a California native plant nursery in San Juan Capistrano. Both Southern California natives, they are committed to the principle that California native plants are the sustainable and green choice for Southern California landscapes. Come listen and learn as they teach about noteworthy California native plants, discuss design principles of naturalistic plantings for the California garden, and offer resources for gardening with California native plants. Water Rationing - Ways Your Garden Can Survive on Less Water Darren L. Haver, Ph.D. - What will happen to your garden if water rationing occurs? Dr. Darren Haver, Water Resources/Water Quality Advisor for UC Cooperative Extension will explain how to use both old and new technologies to reduce water consumption in the your garden to assist you in keeping your plants healthy. Soil moisture sensing devices, Smart controllers, irrigation hydrozoning, low output sprinklers, and the age-old technique of mulching are just a few of the aspects that will be discussed. Elegant Low Water Gardens - Cristin Fusano - Cristin Fusano, renowned Orange County Horticulturist, Landscape Designer and Teacher, will present landscape designs that not only require little water to survive, but will also be aesthetically pleasing. Cristin gained her fame as staff Horticulturist and Plant Buyer at Roger's Gardens. The 6 th Annual Gardening Seminar will take place at the Huntington Beach Library, Huntington Beach, CA. Register by Oct 10. Cost: $37 ($45 if lunch ordered). For more information, and a complete listing of speakers as well as registration forms, please call (714) or visit the UCCE Master Gardener website: Low Impact Development Landscape Improvement Opportunity with other Organizations Orange County Coastkeeper has announced the beginning of their Low Impact Development Project (LID). Funded by Metropolitan Water District, this project offers financial incentives to assist homeowners in selecting and installing LID Best Management Practices (BMPs) that will conserve water and reduce runoff. Examples of these BMPs include rain barrels, rain gardens, porous pavement, improved irrigation, and California friendly landscaping. If you are interested in learning more about this project, visit ojects/lid-project.asp or contact Ray Hiemstra, Associate Director-Programs at the O.C. Coastkeeper office at (714) or ray@coastkeeper.org Page 4

5 You re Invited!...COME JOIN US! The Association Greenbelt at the end of Via Los Arboles SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, :00 AM to 12:00 PM The University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners will be in your neighborhood to discuss better gardening practices in an effort to improve the health of local creeks and the ocean. Excess fertilizers and pesticides are easily carried in irrigation and stormwater runoff into neighborhood storm drains where they enter San Juan Creek, eventually making it to Doheny State Beach. Information will be available on winter irrigation scheduling and maintenance, lawn care, low impact plant material, and proper pesticide and fertilizer use. Join us and take advantage of the opportunity to meet with the Master Gardeners to discuss your gardening issues and concerns. For more information: index.cfm Water Saving Tips or Garden Questions? For free information about gardening, watering or garden pests, call the experts at UCCE Master Gardener Hotline (714) or visit our (Remember to leave your name, phone number and the code: SJC2) Don't forget... Remember to check with your Home Owners Association (HOA) and Architectural Committee to inform them and gain approval if you want to make major landscape or hardscape changes to areas that are on view to the community. Plant of the Month Lavender Trumpet Vine (Clytostoma callistegioides) Myrna Liepold, Master Gardener Low water needs Fast Growth Rate Soil Type: Sandy Sun to Deep Shade Lavender Flowers Evergreen vine Blooms in Spring Does well on walls and fences as an espalier English Cottage landscape design As an evergreen vine, this species grows under sun or partial shade. From the months of April to July, lavender, trumpet-shaped flowers will appear on the vine. Planting Instructions: 1. Dig a hole 2 times the width and 1 and 1/2 times the height of the container. 2. Set rootball at ground level. 3. Prepare soil mix of equal parts soil and soil amendment. 4. Backfill with amended soil. 5. Build Basin and water. From: Page 5

6 Native Nursery Listing (from Page 1) Tree of Life Nursery Ortega Highway San Juan Capistrano, CA Las Pilitas Nursery 8331 Nelson Way Escondido, CA Cal-Native Plants Garbani Rd. Menifee CA, / Where to Visit Native Plants: Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden 1500 North College Avenue Claremont, Ca Theodore Payne Foundation For Wildflowers and Native Plants Tuxford Street Sun Valley, CA Helix Water District Cuyamaca College Dr. West El Cajon, CA Maloof Discovery Garden 5131 Carnelian Street Alta Loma, CA Laguna Beach County Water Dist. Water Wise Garden 306 Third Street Laguna Beach, CA Laguna Niguel Botanical Preserve Crown Valley Parkway Laguna Niguel, CA Website for Future Water-wise Events and Past Clippings Newsletters Please visit our OC Master Gardener Water Quality Outreach website for future water-wise events and past newsletters: index.cfm Funding for this project has been provided in full or part through an agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board under a Prop. 50 CALFED Drinking Water Grant. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the State Water Board or CALFED, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. The University of California prohibits discrimination or harassment of any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy (including childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or status as a covered veteran (covered veterans are special disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, Vietnam era veterans, or any other veterans who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized) in any of its programs or activities. University policy is intended to be consistent with the provisions of applicable State and Federal laws. Inquiries regarding the University s nondiscrimination policies may be directed to the Affirmative Action/Staff Personnel Services Director, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 300 Lakeside Drive, 6th Floor, Oakland, CA , (510) Page 6