Maintaining Native Gardens and Leak Detection BAWSCA and the City of Palo Alto May 26, 2018 Sherri D. Osaka Sustainable Landscape Designs
Maintenance Topics Planting Propagation Pruning Soils Irrigation Favorite tools Resources Learn how maintenance of water-conserving landscapes differs from that of traditional landscapes, including the care and maintenance of native and drought-tolerant plants, soil, and irrigation devices. The lecture will also cover a brief detecting irrigation system issues such as leaks and clogs and how to clear them.
Maintenance Budget How much time can you spend on the garden? How much time does your garden require? How to equate the two! Reduce the amount of maintenance required Work smart Get help!
Garden/ Garden Study City of Santa Monica Traditional Garden Native Garden
Garden /Garden Study City of Santa Monica
Garden /Garden Study City of Santa Monica
Garden /Garden Study City of Santa Monica 71% less labor!
Remove/ reduce your lawn
Landscape Replacement Rebates Santa Clara Valley Water District $1/ square foot ($2 in Cost Sharing Areas) $2,000 max. ($3,000 in cost sharing areas) 50% covered with plants Drip, microspray emitters or bubblers No pop-up sprays Mulch
Good Design Saves Time Properly spaced plants Grouped by hydrozone Low Medium High heights Screening Creates/ takes advantage of views Well-designed irrigation
Planting
How to Plant Natives What type of soil do you have? Ribbon test Canning jar test How fast does it drain? Mediterranean climate
Jar Test
Drainage is best when: Greater than 1 per hour and Less than 6 per hour Measure how fast it drains. This soil drained 2 ½ per hour.
Annual Precipitation MINNEAPOLIS 28 BUFFALO 39 BOSTON 44 LINCOLN 28 CHICAGO 36 COLUMBUS 38 RALEIGH 43 ATLANTA 49 DALLAS 29 MIAMI 58
Combination of clay soil, plus Watering when it s warm Can foster crown and root rots http://erec.ifas.ufl.edu/tomato-scoutingguide/diseases/fulsarium-crownrot.shtml http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail. cfm?imgnum=1371017 Potential Problems
Woolly Blue Curls Cleveland Sage Natives Susceptible to Rots
Flannel bush Natives Susceptible to Rots Ceanothus
Berms
Add Compost Adds drainage Aggregates the clay particles Holds more water Fine Gardening Article Improving Clay Soils
Planting technique
See Yerba Buena Nursery Garden Guides Amelanchier alnifolia Aralia californica* Arctostaphylos bakeri 'Louis Edmunds'** Arctostaphylos 'Dr Hurd'** Arctostaphylos edmundsii 'Carmel Sur'** Arctostaphylos 'Green Supreme'** Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Howard McMinn'** Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Sentinel'** Aristolochia californica Artemisia douglasiana* Serviceberry Elk Clover Serpentine Manzanita Dr. Hurd's Manzanita Carmel Sur Manzanita Green Supreme Manzanita McMinn's Manzanita Sentinel Manzanita Dutchman's Pipevine Mugwort Clay-Tolerant Species
Soil Care
The Soil Problem Loss of natural capital: No top soil Lifeless soil Benefits of healthy soils Support plant growth Holds water Cleans water
Soil protection No top soil at new housing development, Water puddles, won t soak in Won t support plant life
Soil Biology It s Alive! From Soil Biology Primer published by Soil and Water Conservation Society
Nitrogen Cycle Courtesy EPA, Source: http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/earth_system/biogeochemical_cycles.html
Soil Biology & Plant Health From Soil Biology Primer published by Soil and Water Conservation Society
Eliminate Waste - Mulching Top: chipped plants to be used as mulch Mulch prunings and removed plants Keep arbor chips after professional tree service Create own mulch with electric chipper or leaf shredder Below: electric chipper Right: arbor chips
Eliminate Waste Grass Cycling
Eliminate Waste, Feed the Soil Compost! Closed bins: 4 parts shredded leaves, 1 part vegetable waste. Can also add dried and crushed egg shells Open bins: 4 parts shredded leaves, 1 part used coffee grounds by weight. Can also add dried and crushed egg shells Biostack compost bin (made from recycled plastic)
Improving Soil Biology Add living compost and compost tea Keep soil planted Use cover crops to add nitrogen & organic matter Keep plant litter on top of soils or add mulch Have soil tested Add organic amendments only as required No tilling No chemicals or petrochemicals No solarization Photo: www.denver.gov.org
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Soil Health References Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener s Guide to the Soil Food Web by Jeff Lowenfels & Wayne Lewis Worms Eat my Garbage by Mary Appelhof Soil Biology Primer by Soil and Water Conservation Society
Propagating Techniques Seeds Cuttings Dividing Air layering
Seed Starting Materials Vermiculite Perlite Peat moss or coir Potting Soil 4 pots
Seed Starting Set Up - Outdoor
Seed Starting Set Up - Indoor
Taking Cuttings Faster than seed Exact duplicate of the parent Bottom heat can help 1 part peat to 5 parts perlite or pure perlite
Propagating Tips Easiest when plants are actively growing Types of plants to propagate: Divide grasses, iris (late Oct/ early Nov) Cuttings of soft perennials Seaside daisy Coral bells
Easy Natives to Propagate from Cuttings Willows (!!!), Salix spp Snowberries, Symphoricarpus spp Sticky monkeyflowers, Mimulus spp Beard tongue, Penstemon spp Mallows, Lavatera and Malocothamnus spp Red-twig dogwood, Cornus sericea Matilija poppy instructions in Fremontia quarterly newsletter, Vol. 36, No. 4, page 18 (on the web)
Coral bells or Heuchera
Starting cuttings demonstration
Dividing Iris Grasses Reeds, Juncus spp Sedges, Carex spp
Air Layering Evergreen currant, Ribes viburnifolium Dutchman s pipe vine, Aristolochia californica
Propagation Resources References: Seed Propagation of Native California Plants by Dara E. Emery, 1988 Growing California Native Plants by Marjorie G. Schmidt, 1980 YouTube Videos Gardeningwithnatives@yahoogroups.com listserv
Weeds
Flamer - use with caution on windy dry days! Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply
Sheet Mulching Several methods Plant first, then sheet mulch Cut in Plant on top 76
Sheet Mulching Plant First Method Newspaper Sheet Mulch 4-6 layers 77
Sheet Mulching Cut In Method 78
Small Areas
Weedy Areas
Bermuda Grass Warm season grass, turns brown in the winter Grows by stolons Very difficult to remove
Fast Method Bermuda Grass Removal Two passes of sod cutter Lightly till Rake out all roots Sheet mulch Plant on top of sheet mulch is best Hand weed any strays immediately
Plant On Top Demonstration
Slow Method Bermuda Grass Removal Scalp the grass in late spring Sheet mulch Leave the mulch all summer and cook the grass Do NOT water Plant on top of sheet mulch in the fall Hand weed any strays immediately
Types of Paper Recycled newspaper Cardboard boxes Recycled content paper Cardboard rolls
Mulch Types Shredded leaves Arbor chips Wood chips free from SmartStation for Mt View, Los Altos, Palo Alto, and Sunnyvale residents Purchased bark mulch Purchased recycled mulch Premium arbor mulch Shredded leaves
Mulch Amounts 3 deep = 0.25 feet or ¼ of the square footage of the area 1000 square feet requires 250 cubic feet of mulch 250 cubic feet/ 27 = 9.25 cubic yards Or over 9 cubic yards of material
Free Mulch Local arborists Chip Drop Natural Arbor Care web site Use shredded leaves instead of woody mulch
Detail of Sheet Mulching
Pruning Shearing Coppicing/ stooling Cane growers Grasses and others Pinching
When to Prune Pruning stimulates growth, it does NOT control it Don t prune right before frost when tender foliage will burn Don t prune right before plant goes dormant Prune some plants during the summer when it is dry Prune once you see new growth About six months prior to blooming is a good rule of thumb Prune spring bloomers once they start to regrow
Shearing Some Natives Arctostaphylos densiflora, Howard McMinn s Manzanita, Summer, Shearing is a bad idea for most other manzanitas Prunus ilicifolia, Hollyleaf Cherry, Summer, Rhus ovata, Sugar Bush, Summer, Rhus integrifolia, Lemonade Berry, Summer, Myrica californica, Wax Myrtle, Summer, Salvia species, Sage, Summer, do not cut into old wood/interior of plant!
Hollyleaf Cherry Prunus ilicifolia
Coppicing
Natives to Coppice Baccharis pilularis, Coyote Bush, Early Spring, Highly recommended! Necessary every 2-4 years Carpenteria californica, Bush Anemone, Early Spring, May lose flowers for a year or two but shrub looks dramatically nicer Cercis occidentalis, Redbud, Fall, Excellent for rejuvenating old thinning specimen Cornus sericea, Red-twig Dogwood, Early Spring, Enhances shape and redness of stems - recommended! Encelia californica, Brittlebush, Winter, Cut to 4" stub for bushy plant next year Heteromeles arbutifolia, Toyon, Summer, Creates dense shrub from old, tree-like specimens Philadelphus lewisii, Mock Orange, Summer, If specimen is sparse and woody this will create a dense shrub again Rhamnus californica, Coffeeberry, Early Spring, Do only with old, open specimens Sambucus mexicana, Blue Elderberry, Early Spring, Creates pleasing mounded shrub Symphoricarpos albus, Snowberry, Winter, Rejuvenates old patches that have gotten woody
Cane Growers
Grasses
Leafy reed grass
Muhlenbergia rigens Deer grass