Five things to do in the garden:
1. Sometimes knowing what to do in the garden means doing nothing. There are three species of hydrangeas available in the nursery trade and the two species most commonly grown should not be pruned now, no matter how ragged they may look. The reason for this is that flower buds on these species are formed in summer and fall after blooms from the current year’s growth have faded. Thus, if you prune the plants now (other than taking off last year’s wilted flowers) you will remove flower buds and have to wait another year for more blooms. The two species you do not want to prune now are bigleaf (Hydrangea macrophylla) and oakleaf (Hydrangea quercifolia) hydrangeas. The former features the familiar mophead and lacecap types, while the latter are rangy plants with conical flower heads. The species that should be pruned now — to whatever extent you wish — is panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata). It puts on explosive growth in the spring when its flower buds are formed. Panicle hydrangea is also easier to grow than the more common mopheads and lacecaps, taking more sun and not being fussy about soil type. Although seldom seen in our nurseries, panicle hydrangeas have the largest flowers of any hydrangea, reaching up to 18 inches in length, with the plants themselves growing 15 feet tall. You can find panicle hydrangeas at two mail order nurseries: White Flower Farm (whiteflowerfarm.com) and Spring Hill Nursery (springhillnursery.com).
2. Plant fava beans now. They have a reputation for being the tastiest of all beans, produce prolifically, and reach a height of seven feet. Their black and white flowers are handsome and self-pollinating although bees may pollinate them too. Before they can be eaten, fava beans need to be blanched, which involves boiling water and then adding salt until the water is as salty as the ocean. Drop your fava beans into the briny brew, cook for one minute, and drain. Next, submerge your beans in ice water and let them cool for five minutes. You can now easily remove the beans from their husks, at which point you can either eat them as is, sauté or marinate them, or turn them into puree. A bonus of growing fava beans is the nitrogen added to the soil. Where soil has been depleted by cultivation of heavy feeders such as asparagus, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, peppers, or squash, fava beans are sown as a leguminous cover crop to replenish soil nitrogen in addition to the flavorful crop that they provide. Important note: Some individuals have a rare condition known as favism and experience a severe allergic reaction after eating fava beans, so be aware before tasting or offering to guests.
3. Strawberry season is every season in this part of the world. By selecting day-neutral varieties such as Seascape and Albion that are indifferent to day length where flower and fruit production are concerned, you can harvest strawberries all year long. This is one of many tips for growing this precious fruit that you will find in “The Strawberry Story: How to Grow Great Berries Year-round in Southern California,” by Julie Bawden-Davis. She advises exposing your strawberries to at least six daily hours of sun. It is imperative that soil drains well, which is an excellent argument for growing strawberries in raised beds or large containers where you bring in the designer soil of your choice. She uses a Dr. Earth soil mix while adding pumice for superior drainage. Strawberries prefer a somewhat acidic pH so if you are growing them in the ground, add sulfur to the soil. Because of their susceptibility to Verticillium fungus, they should not be planted in soil where solanaceous crops — tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, or peppers — grew within the last four years. She recommends fertilizing every three months with an organic product low in nitrogen to avoid leafy growth at the expense of fruit growth. Regarding strawberry stolons, or runners, you must decide whether you are growing for fruit production or propagation purposes since removal of stolons or runners will increase fruit yield while allowing runners to create new plants will diminish your harvest.
4. This is the right time of year to prune grape vines. But first, let’s talk about training a grapevine (see gregalder.com for details). The first year a grapevine is planted, no pruning is done since the growth of shoots and leaves provides carbohydrate that is sent down to develop a strong root system. However, it is wise to select a particularly vigorous shoot to train up as the trunk. Since you will be growing your vine on a trellis or a fence — which should be no more than six feet tall for ease of harvest — you will tie up the future trunk with green gardener’s tape, making your ties every foot but leaving the final foot untied to prevent constricted growth. When the eventual trunk reaches the top of the fence, bend it to the horizontal and tie it; another shoot will grow out from the bend, to be tied to the horizontal in the opposite direction so you will have two arms or cordons. The second year, growth that sprouts from the trunk can be directed to form two more cordons to either side, approximately two-thirds of the distance up from the ground to the top of the vine. The third winter will be the first time to prune in a manner that will be replicated each year after that. Cordons will be cut back to three feet in length and all canes will be removed except for four per cordon, each of which will be cut back to two nodes or points where buds will grow into fruit-bearing canes.
5. Propagate succulents from cuttings or offsets. Insert their stems into any well-drained soil and they should root over time. You can fill a container with cuttings for enjoyment on your patio or balcony. Do not water for the first two weeks after placement so that the ends of the cuttings can callous over. Afterward, water minimally and only when the soil is somewhere between barely moist and bone dry. When it comes to offsets, which are miniature copies of the mother plant that develop around her, gently detach them. These offsets or pups should have some roots attached and transplant easily.
If you have an African violet success story to tell, please pass it along to joshua@perfectplants.com. Your questions and comments as well as gardening problems and tips are always welcome.
