California Native Plants, erosion control

California Native Plants for Erosion Control

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ribes_sanguineum_King_EdwardVII.1024Getting caught out in the rain last month was a timely reminder that the rainy season will soon be upon us.The Farmer’s Almanac predicts our “winter will be much rainier and cooler than normal”. Weather bloggers online posting an impressive number of charts and figures predict “a general dry trend”. NOAA says we have an equal chance of precipitation totals going either way.

My favorite predictor, the Sandhill crane, started its annual migration to the San Joaquin Valley several weeks earlier this year. Over the years, the timing of the migration has been a good predictor of both wet and dry winters. This year the early migration predicts an early winter with plenty of rain and snow.

Who knows what the weather will actually bring but we do know that some of our rain events will come with a vengeance. It’s not that unusual for our area to get 8″ of rainfall during a storm and you know what havoc that can create on an unprotected hillside. Yes, folks, I’m talking major erosion of your precious land. Fortunately, October is a good time to do something about it.

Fall is the perfect time to plant in our area. The soil is still warm encouraging root growth and the weather is mild. Using the right plants on hillsides can help slow and spread runoff and prevent soil erosion. Mulch also protects soil from direct rain impact and slows runoff across bare soils. Covering the steepest slopes with jute netting through which plants may be installed is an added precaution.

There are many attractive plants that work well for erosion control. Often they need to adapt to shallow, poor soil and cope with less than ideal conditions all while putting down dense, strong roots. California natives are well suited to this job.

Common native shrubs include ceanothus and manzanita of all types. Calycanthus lives up to its OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAcommon name Spicebush. Fragrant flowers appear in late spring and continue to bloom well into summer with a spicy fragrance similar to a wine cellar. The foliage is aromatic when crushed and changes from a spring green color to pale golden in autumn. Decorative woody fruits last into winter making this shrub attractive year round. It thrives with infrequent to moderate watering. Combine it with coffeeberry and deer grass in sunnier spots or with Douglas iris and giant chain fern in shaded spots below trees. These also have deep roots and control erosion.

Ribes sanguinem (red flowering currant) is another show stopper capable of controlling erosion. In the spring the long, flower clusters of this deciduous shrub will dominate your garden. There are many selections of this plant to choose from so if the huge white flowers appeal to you ‘White Icicle’ will be beautiful in your landscape. “Barrie Coate” and ‘King Edward VII’ have spectacular deep red flower clusters and ‘Spring Showers’ has 8″ long pink ones. Grow in full sun to partial shade. This California native requires little water once established and are a valuable nectar source for hummingbirds.

Some other good California native shrubs for erosion control are western redbud, mountain mahogany, western mock orange, lemonade berry, toyon, snowberry, matilija poppy and western elderberry. Ribes viburnifolium, creeping mahonia and snowberry, baccharis, ceanothus maritimus and Anchor Bay are good groundcover selections.

Smaller natives that put down deep roots are yarrow, coast aster, California fuchsia, wild grape, mimulus, buckwheat, wOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAild rose, sage and salvia.

Bush poppy (dendromecon rigid) is another native found right here in our area and needs no irrigation at all once established. Beautiful bright yellow, poppy-like flowers cover the plant in spring. They can be propagated from cuttings taken in summer and are pest and disease free.

Remember when setting plants on a steep slope to arrange them in staggered rows. Make an individual terrace for each plant and create a basin or low spot behind each one ( not around the stem ) to catch water. Set the crowns of the plants high so they won’t become saturated and rot after watering and make sure mulch does   not build up around the stem.

California Native Plants, erosion control

California Native Plants for Erosion Control

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ribes_sanguineum_King_EdwardVII.1024Getting caught out in the rain last month was a timely reminder that the rainy season will soon be upon us.The Farmer’s Almanac predicts our “winter will be much rainier and cooler than normal”. Weather bloggers online posting an impressive number of charts and figures predict “a general dry trend”. NOAA says we have an equal chance of precipitation totals going either way.

My favorite predictor, the Sandhill crane, started its annual migration to the San Joaquin Valley several weeks earlier this year. Over the years, the timing of the migration has been a good predictor of both wet and dry winters. This year the early migration predicts an early winter with plenty of rain and snow.

Who knows what the weather will actually bring but we do know that some of our rain events will come with a vengeance. It’s not that unusual for our area to get 8″ of rainfall during a storm and you know what havoc that can create on an unprotected hillside. Yes, folks, I’m talking major erosion of your precious land. Fortunately, October is a good time to do something about it.

Fall is the perfect time to plant in our area. The soil is still warm encouraging root growth and the weather is mild. Using the right plants on hillsides can help slow and spread runoff and prevent soil erosion. Mulch also protects soil from direct rain impact and slows runoff across bare soils. Covering the steepest slopes with jute netting through which plants may be installed is an added precaution.

There are many attractive plants that work well for erosion control. Often they need to adapt to shallow, poor soil and cope with less than ideal conditions all while putting down dense, strong roots. California natives are well suited to this job.

Common native shrubs include ceanothus and manzanita of all types. Calycanthus lives up to its OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAcommon name Spicebush. Fragrant flowers appear in late spring and continue to bloom well into summer with a spicy fragrance similar to a wine cellar. The foliage is aromatic when crushed and changes from a spring green color to pale golden in autumn. Decorative woody fruits last into winter making this shrub attractive year round. It thrives with infrequent to moderate watering. Combine it with coffeeberry and deer grass in sunnier spots or with Douglas iris and giant chain fern in shaded spots below trees. These also have deep roots and control erosion.

Ribes sanguinem (red flowering currant) is another show stopper capable of controlling erosion. In the spring the long, flower clusters of this deciduous shrub will dominate your garden. There are many selections of this plant to choose from so if the huge white flowers appeal to you ‘White Icicle’ will be beautiful in your landscape. “Barrie Coate” and ‘King Edward VII’ have spectacular deep red flower clusters and ‘Spring Showers’ has 8″ long pink ones. Grow in full sun to partial shade. This California native requires little water once established and are a valuable nectar source for hummingbirds.

Some other good California native shrubs for erosion control are western redbud, mountain mahogany, western mock orange, lemonade berry, toyon, snowberry, matilija poppy and western elderberry. Ribes viburnifolium, creeping mahonia and snowberry, baccharis, ceanothus maritimus and Anchor Bay are good groundcover selections.

Smaller natives that put down deep roots are yarrow, coast aster, California fuchsia, wild grape, mimulus, buckwheat, wOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAild rose, sage and salvia.

Bush poppy (dendromecon rigid) is another native found right here in our area and needs no irrigation at all once established. Beautiful bright yellow, poppy-like flowers cover the plant in spring. They can be propagated from cuttings taken in summer and are pest and disease free.

Remember when setting plants on a steep slope to arrange them in staggered rows. Make an individual terrace for each plant and create a basin or low spot behind each one ( not around the stem ) to catch water. Set the crowns of the plants high so they won’t become saturated and rot after watering and make sure mulch does   not build up around the stem.

California Native Plants, erosion control, fire safe landscaping, garden design

Firesafe landscaping – Part II

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I walk regularly in Henry Cowell State Park in Felton. I can’t imagine losing the majestic redwood forest I enjoy so much to a fire. Over the summer there were several arson caused fires in the park. Actually 10 separate fires have occurred in the same general area and along the San Lorenzo River over the past 6 months, some caused by campfire escapes and some by arson. All of them were caused by humans.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWe live in this beautiful area because of the natural scenery and wildlife. To lose any part of it to wildfire would be tragic. Whether a fire is caused by humans or natural causes such as lightning it’s all the same to our neighborhood, our homes, our pets, our lives.

We know that fire in some instances can be good for the land. After many years of fire exclusion an ecosystem that needs periodic fire to remain healthy becomes overcrowded and flammable fuels build up. The Forest Service manages prescribed fires to benefit natural resources and protect communities. However, as we build homes further into nature prescribed fires are not always possible. This is where mechanical treatment can benefit ecosystems and people.

Mechanical treatment include thinning of dense stands of trees or other fuels that make an area better able to withstand fire. Pruning loser branches, piling brush or creating fuel breaks encourage a more manageable fire should one occur.

Last week I talked about how to make the area closer to your home more firesafe. Here are some more OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAtips.

In areas 30-70 ft. away from your house plants should be trimmed and thinned to create well-spaced groups and help prevent a fire in the wildland from spreading to your home.  Be cautious with slopes.  If you have a large lot, the fringe area should be inspected and maintained regularly to eliminate any build up of dry brush and litter.  This reduces the chance of surface as well as crown fires.

Plant arrangements, spacing and maintenance are often as important as plant types when considering fire safety. Group plants of similar heights and water requirements to create a landscape mosaic that can slow the spread of fire and use water most efficiently. Use plants that no not accumulate dead leaves or twigs. Keep your landscape healthy and clean. On a regular basis remove dead branches and brush, dry grass, dead leaves and pine needles from your yard, especially within 30 feet from your home and at least 150 ft if you’re on a hill. Keep trees spaced at least 10 feet apart with branches trimmed at least 10 ft away from your roof. It’s best, however, to keep trees further from your house. Low shrubs can be closer in and herbaceous perennials and groundcovers can be nearest the home.

Extremely flammable plants have a high content of oil or resin and should be separated from each other, removed of dead branches and lower limbs and kept free of dry debris anywhere around your property.  Extremely flammable pyrophytes like hollywood juniper, pines, fountain grass and Japanese honeysuckle will need a higher level of maintenance.  Other common plants that are highly flammable ares sagebrush, buckwheat and deer grass.  Rosemary and purple hopseed also fall into this category.These contain oils, resins and waxes that make them burn with a greater intensity.If you have these plants on your property yearly pruning and maintenance is important.

Irrigation is vital in a fire safe landscape to maintain plant moisture especially in the 30 ft around your home.  Choose the right irritation system. While all plants can eventually burn, healthy plants burn less quickly. Consider drip irrigation and micro sprays for watering most of your landscape. Use sprinklers for lawns and other groundcovers or turf. Even drought adapted species and natives will benefit from watering every month or so during the dry season. Unwatered landscapes generally increase the risk of fire.

Mulching around your plants will preserve this precious commodity in these times of drought.  Plantings beyond 30 ft. should be irrigated occasionally but to a lesser extent.  As you get 70-100 ft from the home, native plantings that require little or no irrigation should be used.

Using fire resistant plants that are strategically planted give firefighters a chance fighting a fire around your home especially within the 100 foot defensible zone. Each home or property is different and you will need to look at the unique qualities of yours in planning your firescaping. Some of the info for this column was obtained from 2 valuable booklets.   ‘Living with Fire in Santa Cruz County’, prepared by Cal Fire and available free from any fire dept or online and another from  Calif. Dept of Forestry at  www.fire.ca.gov/.

California Native Plants, drought tolerant plants, fire safe landscaping, firescaping, garden design, landscape design, plant maintenance

Firescaping-Part I

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shaded_fuel_brake_sign.2048I drove through the Groveland area near Yosemite a couple of days before the Rim Fire started on August 17th. The local talk over Tioga Pass was then about the recent Aspen fire in the Sierra National Forest. The Rim fire has now burned 400 square miles of forest and cost $122 million to fight to date. What started as a 40 acre fire when discovered exploded to over 100,000 acres within 2 days. It is now the 3rd largest in California history.

Remote sensing satellite images indicate that virtually all the vegetation is dead on nearly 40% of the burned area. Chaparral and oaks will resprout but ecologist say it could take 30 to 50 years for the forest to reestablish itself. It scorched some of the last remaining old growth in the Stanislaus National Forest. Two years of drought and constant slow warming across the Sierra Nevada  worked to turn the Rim Fire into an inferno. For years forest ecologists shaded_fuel_brake_example.2048have warned that Western wildfires will only get worse. The fuels get drier and drier.

shaded_fuel_brake_example.2048There have been two wildfires close to where I live in Felton, one of which was only 5 miles away on Martin Grade in Bonny Doon several years ago. How can I protect my home? Is there a landscape that is safer in a wildfire than another? Which plants burn more readily?

Many people think they have to clear everything within 30 feet of their house to truly have a defensible space.  This is unnecessary and actually unacceptable due to soil erosion and habitat destruction reasons.  We want to retain the character of this beautiful area we live in, provide the food and shelter that our native wildlife are accustomed to but also reduce fire risk.  For example, grasslands mowed to leave 4-6″ of height allow insects, reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals shelter, food and a place to reproduce. Leaving 4-6″ standing also provides some erosion protection and shades out some of the weeds that follow disturbance.

Fire safe landscaping is a term used to describe defensible space.  It can look like a traditional landscape.  The idea is to surround the home with things less likely to burn and place them to provide separation between canopies and avoid creating fire ladders.  Highly flammable plants should be placed, whenever possible, with low-growing and/or low fuel plants.

Many homes may not have 30 ft. between their house and the property line but following these guidelines will help.  Plants in this area need to be the slowest to ignite and should produce the least amount of heat if they do burn.  There are plants with some fire resistance which include drought tolerant California natives and Mediterranean climate selections.  The key to fire resistance, though, is maintenance and keeping the moisture in the foliage high.

For example,  Baccharis pilularis or dwarf coyote brush is generally considered highly flammable if its lush green top growth covers a hazardous tangle of dry branches and leaves several feet high.  Trim this plant down low in early spring, remove the dry undergrowth, follow with a light feeding and watering and the new top growth is now resistant to fire.

Other considerations may be as important such as appearance, ability to hold the soil in place and wildlife habitat value. Some fire-resistant California friendly plants are western redbud, monkey flower, ceanothus, sage, yarrow, lavender, toyon, California fuchsia and wild strawberry. Also consider coffeeberry, flowering currant, bush anemone, snowberry, California wax myrtle and evergreen currant. Fire resistant plants from areas include rockrose, strawberry tree, Chinese pistache, barberry, escallonia, oleander, pittosporum, bush morning glory and wisteria to name just a few.

Next week I will discuss plant spacing arrangement and maintenance to help you prepare a fire-safe landscape around your home.

 

 

IPM, Napa wineries, soil, sustainable gardening

Growing Wine Grapes

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Napa_Valley_vineyard.2048Prune orchards once reigned supreme in the Napa Valley. Pears, walnuts and fodder for grazing sheep were also grown where now 45,000 acres of premium wine grapes flourish. The crush is on in Napa County.  Mostly cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and merlot are being harvested at night but back in 1928 the prune crop was worth twice as much as wine grapes.

We all have an insect or two that we have to deal with in our gardens.  I found out on a recent excursion to Napa Valley that all those acres of grape vines could possibly be lost if the European grape moth has its way. Believed to have been imported in vegetables from Europe it was first detected in Napa County in 2009. Back in 2011 Santa Cruz County was dealing with the same pest. With quarantine efforts and eradication of fruits and flowers near the area where they were first detected our county hasn't had much of a problem with them since.

Integrated pest management is the ecologically sound approach to pest control. In Napa County, I learned that the European grape moth is being well controlled in recent years by organic sprays such as spinosad and BT. Another very effective control method used is mating disruption with pheromones.

These techniques might not be as picturesque as planting roses around a grape orchard as an early cabernet_sauvignon_grapes.2048warning system for fungal diseases but they have worked for the grape moth. Roses are traditionally planted at the perimeter of vineyards as both they and grape vines are prone to powdery mildew and Downy mildew in our Mediterranean type climate. If powdery mildew appears on the roses, the vineyard can be sprayed with sulfur. Although sulfur does not cure powdery mildew, it will prevent it.

Downy mildew is another deadly mildew that attacks the green parts of the grape vine. Once Downy mildew is detected on the rose bushes, the grape vines can be immediately sprayed with a solution of copper sulphate and lime.

Many of the vineyards also plant lavender and rosemary to repel many harmful insects, provide habitat for beneficial insects preying on undesirable insects and add a pleasant flavor to the wine.

cabernet_grapes_ready_for_crush.2048Sitting outside on a tasting room patio planted with beautiful flowering shrubs and perennials it's hard to imagine the delicious wine in your glass doesn't come effortlessly on the part of the winery. Like our area that grows pinot noir grapes exceptionally well, the terroir of the Napa valley is expressed in the flavor of its wine. The qualities of the soil, geography and climate all contribute.

A vast array of soils of volcanic and marine origin coexist in Napa Valley. Half of the world's soil orders occur here with more than 100 soil variations all affecting the character of the grapes. Soils guide the grape grower as to which rootstock and grape varieties to plant.  Valley floor soils tend to be deeper and more fertile and produce vigorous growth so the crop must be tightly managed to produce concentrated grapes. On the hillsides the vine has to struggle to survive the spare, rocky soils and naturally sets a smaller crop, producing smaller grapes of highly concentrated color and flavors.

Walking among the vines, I noted drip irrigation in use. I found out that traditionally Old World wine regions consider natural rainfall the only source of water that will still allow the vineyard to maintain its terroir characteristics. Spain has recently loosened the regulations of the European Union Wine Laws and France has been reviewing the issue.

Grapes depend on a certain amount of water mainly in the spring and summer and so here in California as well as other summer dry regions of the world like Australia, the vines are irrigated starting in May or June. It's a fine line to determine how much and how often to irrigate to preserve the flavor of the grape and not just grow lush plants with high yields.

In our own gardens we can train a plant to put down deep roots decreasing the amount of watering it needs. So it is in grape growing where the vine receives sufficient water during budding and flowering but irrigation is then scaled back during the ripening period so that the vine funnels more of its limited resources into developing grape clusters.

I enjoyed the gardens of the Napa Valley as much as the wine tasting. White Japanese anemone, pink sasanqua camellia and oakleaf hydrangea are all blooming. The dogwood trees are budded for next year's show and the Japanese maples are starting to color.

It's interesting to know that one grape vine produces about 4-6 bottles of wine per year and in 1968 the nation's first Agriculture Preserve was established to protect open space and prevent future over development.

 

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Santa Cruz Co Fair

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I was on my deck recently with a friend who commented that everything smelled so good that it must be nice to just sit and enjoy the garden. I thought to myself "What? How can I just sit when there is so much to do?" That's when it hit me, Why do we create gardens if not to enjoy them?  So as summer winds to an end broccoli_sweet_alyssum2celebrate what you've created and just sit and enjoy the fragrance, sights and sounds of your garden.

At the Santa Cruz County Fair last week there was plenty of inspiration to enjoy the fragrance, sights and sounds of a county fair.   Before I even arrived I stopped at a broccoli field bordered by sweet alyssum. The fragrance was lovely and I knew the beneficial syrphid flies were doing their job as predators of aphids that might find a broccoli plant irresistible.
zinnia_with_honey_bee2
At the fair I always admire the colorful beds of mixed zinnias. I didn't see any swallowtail butterflies looking for nectar but I know it's one of their favorite flowers. Lots of honey bees did find the zinnias to their liking. Next year I'm going to try my hand at zinnias again. They are one of those old fashioned flowers that are easy to grow. Kids love that they come up so quickly and develop a flower one can really be proud of.

At the Farm History display old food processing equipment and jars caught my attention. I could admire the apple boxes with their imaginative labels for hours. An educational poster of old pictures from the late 1800's showed workers spraying horticultural oil on apple trees to eradicate apple scab. When DDT came on the scene, it was used until banned in 1973 but it is still being detected in water and fish. Organic apple growers utilize integrated pest management techniques now.

I love seeing the poultry, lamb judging, dairy cows and cattle and pigs but it was the 3 day old baby goats that had the biggest audience. Naturally, I'm drawn to the horticultural exhibits. Who doesn't enjoy the dahlia competition with every color and flower type represented? A dark magenta cactus dahlia was my favorite. These mammoth flowers take longer to grow and fewer are produced by each plant but they are so worth it.

After the bonsai exhibit and vowing to do better with my own collection, it was the roses that I circled repeatedly smelling each to decide which was the most fragrant. I'm partial to the scent of my own lavender Neptune and baby pingiant_pumpkin2.1280k Falling in Love but the winners at the fair were outstanding especially the white JFK.

After the watercolor and fine art exhibit I pressed on to the agriculture building where apple pie and jams, beans, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, herbs and other fruit and vegetable entries are displayed. The pumpkin judges awarded first prize to a giant specimen but many were close in weight. I know there is an art and science to growing these behemoths. Maybe someday I'll try my hand but I like the smaller eating varieties that are so sweet.

Back at home, I'm tempted to prune the spent hosta flower stalks but I'm taking my own advice and am going to just sit and enjoy the scent of the last of the jasmine blossoms. The Iceberg rose sweetens the air with the scent of honey. The mophead hydrangea blooms have taken on that tawny dusty rose shade that will last for many more months. The Anna's hummingbirds visit the abutilons every hour sipping nectar and I can see buds forming on the Autumnalis Flowering Cherry getting ready for it's second show of the year. Be sure to take time out and enjoy your garden. You deserve it.
 

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