GARDENING ON THE EDG E

MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April - May 2008 1

NEWSLETTER OF THE MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

Number 129 — April / May 2008

Beneficial Insects: Ladybird Beetles — Denise Weatherwax, MG08

Who has never recited “Ladybug, and suck the contents from their
ladybug, fly away home…”? Almost prey, while adults and older larvae
anyone, whether a gardener or not, chew up and consume the entire
can easily recognize the common prey. For example, a larva of
garden insect known as a ladybug, Coccinella Septem-punta (Seven-
lady beetle or ladybird beetle. spotted Ladybug) can eat 50 to 60
Many gardeners are aware that the aphids per day and may wander up
ladybug is a beneficial insect. to 40 feet in search of prey.
Despite its cute, colorful
Several species of ladybugs occur in
appearance, it is a voracious
the Monterey Bay area, including
predator of harmful species such as
the following:
aphids, scale insects, and other sap
feeders. A single ladybug may eat Hyperaspis—tiny, shiny, black with
as many as 5,000 aphids in its several red, orange, or yellow spots
lifetime. on the back.
Larvae of ladybugs are equally Rhyzobius lophanthae—reddish head
beneficial predators. Adult females and underside, and a grayish back
usually lay small clusters of eggs densely covered with tiny hairs.
near colonies of aphids, scale Introduced to California from
insects, or mealybugs. In two to Adult Coccinella septempunctata, Australia in 1892 to control scale
Seven-Spotted Lady Beetle insects.
five days, the larvae emerge.
Sometimes compared to alligators, Coccinella septempuncta (Seven-
the larvae have a ferocious appearance (and a healthy appetite). Spotted Lady Beetle)—red wing covers, three black spots each
with one spot spread over both wing covers, for a total of
Depending on the species, larvae grow from about 1 mm to 8
seven. Adults and larvae of this species prey on aphids and
mm in length. After 21 days the larva attaches itself by the
other insects. Introduced from Europe for biological control of
abdomen to a leaf or other surface to pupate; depending on the
aphids.
temperature (61°F to 82°F), new adults emerge in 2 to 8 days,
completing the cycle. Under ideal conditions, several Chilocorus orbus (Twice-Stabbed Lady Beetle)—shiny black
generations may be produced. with two red spots on its back, and reddish underneath. Preys
on scale insects.
In general, adult ladybugs are 1/16 to 3/8 of an inch long, dome-
shaped, either oval or convex in shape, and often shiny with Harmonia axyridis (Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle)—a
short legs and antennae. Wing covers are dark, either reddish- relatively large, variably colored species; wing covers range
orange to pale yellow, with or without black spots or irregular from black to mustard; spots number zero to many. The most
marks. Some species are solid black or black with a red spot. common U.S. form is mustard to red with 16 or more black
The head is concealed from above. Like many other brightly- spots. Introduced from Asia for biological pest control.
colored insects, they are protected by an odorous, noxious fluid
that seeps out of their joints when the insects are disturbed. The Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis) has a
wider range of colors and spot numbers than other ladybug
Larvae are elongate, with long legs. Young larvae usually pierce species.

Beneficial Insects: Ladybird Beetles Updates

A Master Gardener Remembered The Sole of a Gardener
Epolls Book Review: Garden Insects of North America
Read It and Weed Photo Essay, San Francisco Flower Show 2008
Perking Up Your Garden Favorite Succulents
Bud Burst Advanced Training & Volunteer Opps
The Propane Weed Torch Relevant Internet Miscellany
2 April - May 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

Ladybugs can often be purchased at garden stores for use in the

Right: Pupal stage
home garden. However, according to the UC Integrated Pest Below: Larval stage
Management website (IPM), conserving our resident natural
enemies is actually a more efficient and longer-lasting strategy
than buying and releasing beneficials in gardens and
landscapes. Reasons are: released ladybugs may just “fly away
home” unless released in a greenhouse or similar enclosure;
also, collected specimens native to other areas may be of less
value as predators than local species. In any case, once prey
becomes scarce, adult ladybugs will move on, but provided
that some have reproduced in the garden, the larvae will
remain and continue to search for more prey.
Strategies for attracting and retaining ladybugs (and other
beneficial insects) to a home garden include planting flowers Hippodamia overwintering en masse
Colorado Ladybugs, Colorado Springs, CO
that produce pollen and nectar (dill and yarrow, for example),
learning to recognize different life-cycle stages, minimizing
dust, which interferes with their activity, by washing plant
surfaces, avoiding or minimizing use of broad-spectrum
insecticides and spraying a combination of whey and yeast
(called wheast) on plants as an artificial food source.
If current levels of aphids or scales are intolerable, try oil or
soap to reduce pests while still conserving beneficials.
No matter how it arrives, the ordinary ladybug is always a
welcome resident when it chooses to fly away to make its
home in a garden. Ï

The Multicolored
Asian Lady Beetle
(Harmonia axyridis)
has a wider range of
colors and spot
numbers than other
ladybug species.

References
University of California Davis, Statewide Integrated Pest Manage-
ment Program (IPM) http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/index.html
Cooperative extension of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University http://www.ext.vt.edu/
Left: Neoharmonia venusta
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture
Below: Harmonia testudinaria
http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef105.asp
University of Florida Department of Entomology and Nematology &
Division of Plant Industry http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/
The Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet
Horticulture and Crop Science
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2002.html
U.S. Dept of Agriculture (USDA) http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/br/lbeetle/
(Photos: First page: Wikipedia commons; above: USDA site; all on right: Wikipedia)
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April - May 2008 3

A Master Gardener Remembered

Linda Caruthers
A 1999 graduate of the Master Gardener program, Linda
Caruthers joined the board in Nov. of 2000. In 2002 she
co-chaired the presidency, and subsequently became
president, serving in that capacity until November of
2005. Her calm and focused approach to the office of
board president reinforced the strong foundation of the
MG program while charting some exciting new territory
and programs for the next decade. Linda's passion for
gardening and for the MG program is evidenced by the
hundreds of hours she spent successfully completing the
duties of her office. Her compassionate and caring
attitude for the people she interfaced with along the way
is her trademark and will not be forgotten by those who
worked with her. Thank you, Linda, for a job well done.
— Martye Lumpkin, MG01
Linda Caruthers (MBMG class of 1999) died of
pancreatic cancer on March 13, 2008. During her last few
weeks, good friends were with her, and both the weather
and views from her bed were gorgeous. She was cared for
by Hospice of Santa Cruz as well as 24-hour daily
caregivers so that she could remain at home. She had
Because Linda requested that there not be any services,
time to reminisce about such things as Russell’s
she suggested that a contribution be made in her name to
restaurant in Long Beach, talk about mini-vacations, and
a National Trust site that had been a passion of Linda’s
her collection of daffodils which were in bloom. She was
for many years. Their address is: Filoli, 86 Canada Road,
knitting scarves from gorgeous yarns right to the end.
Woodside, CA 94162. Please stipulate that the
Earlier MG graduates will know Linda from her many contribution is to be used at the discretion of Lucy
years of services as chair of the fall garden tour, president, Tolmach, Director of Horticulture.
and finally as class coordinator. — Claudia Sammis, MG99

Linda with Steve Tjosvold

4 April - May 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

Epolls
— compiled by Sharon Ettinger, MG00 Dee Dee Hanania, MG99
To do a through prep such as installing gopher wire and
What’s the best advice you have for other adding compost or healthy soil to start. Water seeds often to
gardeners? get them started and be sure to plant at the appropriate time.
Cynthia Jordan, MG94 Pat Small
Never EVER think that one day your garden will be "done". If Keep trying!
it's done it's because you are dead…or no longer interested in
gardening. It will always be a work in progress. Enjoy it no Tom Karwin, MG99
matter what state it is in. If you adopt this attitude you can Stay ahead of garden maintenance by working for an hour or
walk through your garden and see the beauty of it; otherwise, more several days every week.
every visit to your garden will result in you creating a mental Jan Olafsson, MG01
list of "this or that needs to be done". DO NOT TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY!
Al Derrick, MG95 It's all just a lesson learned.
Spend your time and money on your soil. A well-known garden Joan Halperin, MG04
expert visiting me, put his hand into one of my gardening beds Sign up for the next MBMG class!
and remarked, "ANYONE can garden in this soil". I chose to
think the remark was complimentary. My point is ANY soil What’s your most tenacious weed?
can be made into GREAT garden soil if you put in the effort. How do you attempt to get rid of it or live with it?
Leora Worthington, MG03 Do you have a favorite weed?
Use Integrated Pest Management techniques for the safety of What do you like about it?
the complete environment of your garden. The critters, from
fungi to insects to birds to moles, deserve consideration Christina Kriedt, MG06
too. Know what your plant's living requirements are and I have to say that at the top of my list of tenacious, hardy,
diligently follow them. This makes them hardy and removes ubiquitous, unwanted South African plants is Oxalis pes-caprae,
major unknowns when figuring out problems that may arise aka nodding wood sorrel or Bermuda buttercup. Such sweet
from variable sources such as prolonged cold weather. Most of innocent names. Even as I complain about it, however, I
all, enjoy your garden. Admire it when you look at it. That will confess that I find it to be a lovely, cheery plant and a happy
add life to it too. addition to an otherwise
drab winter backyard --
Simon Stapleton, MG06 front yard, side yard.... I'm
Please yourself! It's your palette! Don't be afraid to fail! not dedicated enough to dig
Challenge the "rules"! up the bulbs. "The genus is
not known to be subject to
Paul McCollum, MG04
pests or diseases in the
Build your soil and leave it better for the next person. Plant
garden..." (Du Plessis &
cover crops in some part of the garden each year. Keep worms
Duncan 1989).
and make ACT (Aerated Compost Tea) with the castings.
Practice ‘nothing organic leaves the property’ - it is all hot As I consider it, though, I
composted (or given to the worms) and left to mellow a few think I like its cousin less:
months before using. Keep yearly records of your garden with O. corniculata, (green leaves
pictures. Try different varieties and experiment. Plant or purple leaves - same
something new each season. Share the bounty. Walk in the plant) a European native
garden every day if possible and observe. Sit or stand quietly in according to some sources
the garden at different times of the day and give attention to all but of unknown origin
the different life that exists. Plant flowers in the garden. according to others. It is
Appreciate the gift and blessing that God has given you. that low creeper with
Barbara Gordon, MG98 exploding seeds. The
Plan, go slow and be sure to have fun. Including others to work roots are fibrous and I
with you and exchanging with them is GREAT. have a hard time
Oxalis corniculata
removing them.
Kathleen Sonntag, MG06
Buy small plants and be patient. They are easier to plant and Then there is the nasty exploding hairy bittercress, Cardamine
more likely to do well. hirsuta, a member of the mustard family; I find it growing in
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April - May 2008 5

more places every year. I only on the plant itself and leaves the tubers underground to
really don't like that establish new plants. Our most time consuming pest here is
one - it invades my the Giant Himalayan Blackberry which has escaped into much
potted plantings. of rural California.

Medicago polymorpha, or Dee Dee Hanania, MG99

burclover, is prob- My most tenacious weed is probably Malva. Using a shovel or a
lematic because of the new tool a fellow gardener gave me that has a short handle with
burs. I pull it out as a very sharp blade works wonders. My favorites are Clarkia or
soon as I see it. California poppy.
Paula Anthony, MG06
My most interesting My most tenacious weed,
Bittercress - Cardamine hirsuta
weed is cleavers or after foxtails, has to be
Galium aparine. It sticks to everything but it makes a fabulous California burclover. This
lymph system tonic according to my research. Catchweed, year I've been home a lot
bedstraw, cleavers, stickywilly: "A weak-stemmed reclining and try to go out and pull a
plant with backward-hooked bristles on stems and leaves and few everyday. Much easier
clusters of 1-3 (usually 2) very small white flowers on stalks when the ground’s wet
rising from whorled leaf axils. The common name is and the burs haven't
appropriate since the bristles cause the stems, leaves and fruits formed yet. Hopefully,
to cleave to clothes and the fur of animals. The fact that geese next year there will be Burclover
eat the plants accounts for the other common name. The plants fewer. Medicago polymorpha
are also known as bedstraws since the pleasant smelling foliage
of a yellow-flowered species (G. verum) was used to stuff
mattresses in medieval times." I didn’t find Galium in the UC Alicia Molina, MG04
database.... Purslane, also known as
verdolagas in Spanish.
It is actually high in
vitamin C and the
Galium
Hispanic culture cooks
it as a vegetable. I've
made peace with it by
feeding it to my potbelly
Portulaca - Purslane pigs. They love it!
grown as a vegetable
Taraxacum Melita Israel, MG95
Weeds are ‘growing compost’. Just cut and let it happen.
I tolerate dandelions because the children love to make wishes I like the pimpernel, both red and blue, that pop up in the
on the fairies. Welcome to my world. garden.
Carol Kaplan, MG01 I eat nettles, which are tastier
Oxalis! It is everywhere. I patiently pull it up, clump by than spinach. Just use gloves to
clump. It seems to multiply from one year to the next. At least pull and clean. (Wonder how the
the flowers are cheerful. Indians picked nettles?)
Microwave like a fresh veggie.
Al Derrick, MG95
Yellow Nutsedge is by When we cleared the orchard, I
far our worst weed. I found spurge everywhere. Just
doubt it is possible to letting the grasses grow took care
eliminate it entirely. of the spurge. Also, dust devils
Recognizing it while it developed with no vegetation to
is still tiny and digging it hold the soil.
out is about all that can
be done when it is in an I have a book, Weed-Control Without
Spotted Spurge
established planting. Yellow Nutsedge tubers Poisons by Charles Walters Jr., that Euphorbia maculata
Herbicides are effective Cyperus sp. will tell you what fertilizer
6 April - May 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

elements are in the soil by the weeds that grow. In it he asks, breeze. These weeds sprout easily, and I'm sure I'll never keep
“What are the weeds telling us?” For example, he says…. "That up with them. The roots release easily if I catch them in damp
soils must have enough calcium to manage the aluminum in the soil.
soil. This will take care of quack grass " The author's book is
full of humorous sayings. The spreading stems of burclover help to spot their little
yellow flowers, which soon turn into sharp spiny burs. These
An area of my garden where I usually do little gardening was roots can be removed with a typical weeding tool.
full of European grass weeds. They grew in the spring and set
up dry grasses, making a fire hazard and seeds that make Bindweed is annoying because it
veterinarians rich with spreads by underground
their foxtails. Here I roots. It is almost impossible to
planted a succulent, remove by hand. Mostly, I try to
which the former owner remove the flowering stems, but
had established in the that takes a lot of vigilance.
yard 30 years ago. I was My yard is so covered with
able to stop mowing the various kinds of filaree that I
grass and it has died out can only remove them from
by my planting many areas where other desirable
sprigs of this ground covers will compete.
succulent. Just breaking
off a stem of this Some typical weeds are
succulent and putting it welcome in my yard. Turkey
in the ground is all that's Sedum confusum (Photo: Sharon Ettinger) Mullein has nice soft leaves, and Groundsel
required. In fact it will grow without planting it. It grows to pleases the birds, as do the Senecio vulgaris
a low bush, filing a space of about 1-2 ft wide and high. I'm not varieties of mustard. I let these
sure of the name. Maybe it's called Mexican confusum. Its go wild. Butterflies also like the mustard.
fleshy leaves usually carry the plant through drought. Last year
with so little rain there was much dieback. It produces yellow I could go on, but it appears that so can all the weeds.
flowers every spring and stays green the rest of the year and it's Tom Karwin, MG99
coming back just great. I spent several hours weeding
Claudia Boulton, MG99 today, so I have multiple candidates
I've lived in places where there were SERIOUS weeds, but here for your list. I recognize the "usual
suspects" at this point but I don't
is foggy Rio Del Mar, my nemesis is Oxalis pes-caprae. So lovely
know their names.
in late winter, with its innocent-looking yellow flowers, so
INVASIVE, a real pest. I'm not sure whether it actually shoots I will nominate Cape Oxalis (aka
its seeds, as is rumored, but the rapidity with which it spreads Bermuda Buttercup) as most
would lead one to think so. I flame it when very small or pull it tenacious. Its botanical name is
up when the soil is very wet. I've become so obsessed with it Oxalis pes-caprae. According to
that I can't resist pulling the flowers off (so seeds don't set?) Sunset's Western Garden Problem Solver
when I'm out walking the dogs in the neighborhood. (1998), it was introduced from
Sharon Tyler, MG04 South Africa as an ornamental. That
My favorite weed, like my favorite plants, changes with the Filaree reference states, "To manage Cape
seasons. My current target for removal is vetch. It looks Erodium Oxalis, you need to get rid of the
innocently beautiful with its purple flowers and delicate bulbs." Good luck with that!
leaves, but it soon twines around and strangles all other plants
My approach has been
near it. Vetch develops seedpods very quickly so unless I am
to pull the plants before
attentive at carefully removing it by hand, including all the
they flower. I read
tender roots, I lose ground to its tenaciousness This weed,
someplace that doing so
when pulled, easily separates from its roots, which re-grow
will stop the formation
immediately.
of bulbs. That makes
I'm always aggressively after all forms of thistle, using a hand sense to me, but the
pick and heavily gloved hands to remove the roots. stuff grows in such
profusion that I haven't
Another pesky varmint is groundsel. Very early to flower, the been able to keep up. Ï
yellow petals quickly turn to seeds that spread by catching a Vetch (Unless otherwise noted, all photos: Wikipedia
Vicia sativa
or Christina Kriedt)
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April - May 2008
Read It and Weed — Sue Tarjan, MG06
You can call any plant you don’t want a weed, but that basic
definition is a bit too idiosyncratic and vague to be very useful.
You could add that a weed is a plant that pops up without
being planted. Of course, it still has to be a plant you don’t
want; otherwise, you’d call it a volunteer, like the wildflowers
that surprise you every spring years after sowing that packet of
wildflower mix.
But how do other people know which of your plants are
weeds? For example, when I was a little girl, my mother would
ask me to weed some little patch of yard now and then. At this
request, I would suffer a pang of anxiety as I scrutinized the
plants before me, all of them green and thriving, and invariably
ask, “Which ones are the weeds?” I soon learned that the
surefire way to identify a weed was to look for any wayward
plant wandering outside my mother’s evenly planted rows. But
I hated to pull them; those weeds possessed the same
anarchistic attraction I linked to coloring outside the lines of
coloring books.
To encourage reluctant weeders like me, you could hone your
definition by calling weeds useless interlopers, but beware.
Picture dandelions in the lawn. You may prefer those
monotonous monocots, but my tortoises prefer the
dandelions—those nutritious leaves and succulent flowers—
yum! Or what about miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)? It’s
also highly nutritious and a bona fide native plant to boot. So
you might call them weeds, but somebody else might call them
salad. In England, even stinging nettles are valued as important
food for wildlife and humans!
Since some people equate weeds with nonnative plants, let’s
consider exotics versus natives. As with the current
immigration debate, people can get pretty passionate about
this topic—and if you don’t believe there’s a connection, check
out American Perceptions of Immigrant and Invasive Species: Strangers
on the Land, by Peter Coates (2007 University of California
Press; see http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/10682.php).
For instance, take eucalyptus (no joke). Some Californians just
hate them while others can’t imagine California without them.
Are they weeds? You decide. In any case, the Monarch
butterflies love them. Ironically, three Australian pests have
finally tracked down their elusive hosts in California, so our
eucalyptus may wind up threatened themselves.
Consider the following: Mesquite (Prosopis species), a tough
native that calls to mind the Southwest, sweetly scented
honey, and summer barbecues, is taking over the Australian
Outback and is considered one of the world’s most worrisome
invasive species by the World Conservation Union. On the
other hand, the Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), seriously
threatened in its few remaining native stands, thrives in vast
plantations in New Zealand and Australia where it is grown
for lumber, squeezing out the native vegetation. Mâche, or
lamb’s lettuce, is a weed in French wheat fields but a delicacy
in Sunset recipes. I could go on, but you get the idea.
7
Many people worry about weeds because they tend to
outcompete crops or garden plants or natives for nutrients and
light. But it gets complicated. Some natives, like horseweed
(Conyza canadensis), are weeds in food crops that are not native,
like soybeans. Which is the weed? It depends on whether you
are a farmer or an ecologist. In general, weeds have evolved in
areas that mimic the disturbed environments humans excel in
creating through agricultural practices and construction of
roads and buildings. Frequently burned and windswept
environments and areas of shifting soils like sand dunes, flood
plains, river banks, and deltas encourage plant adaptations
that are “weedy”: rapid reproduction and growth, hardy and/or
numerous seeds, multiple generations within one growing
season, underground or creeping stems, or chemicals that
retard or prevent growth of other nearby plants.
Miner’s Lettuce,
Claytonia perfoliata
(Photo: C. Kriedt)
Stinging Nettle
Urtica Dioica
(Wikipedia )
But what about evolution? Let’s face it; we may not like weeds,
but they are evolutionary winners. Can we stop invasive non-
natives? It’s doubtful. In California, for instance, horses are
allowed in many restrictive areas that don’t allow dirt bikes or
dogs, but they do far more ecological damage because their
manure contains millions and millions of weed seeds, and I
have yet to see equestrians scooping up their mounts’ poop.
But some argue that weeds may not be so bad. J. L. Hudson,
Seedsman, who maintains a public access seed bank where you
can purchase an astounding assortment of seeds from around
the world, argues that weeds are just as important as other
plants when it comes to preserving botanical diversity. Check
out his fascinating website to learn more. (www.jlhudsonseeds.net)
In an age of global warming and massive eco-destruction, it
seems prudent to treasure seeds and seed banks of any kind.
After all, weeds are survivors that may in the end wind up
propping up their ungrateful fellow species, Homo sapiens. Think
potato famine. Agriculture has favored a few species at the
8 April - May 2008
expense of all others, but those few are susceptible to climate
change and other catastrophes. In the Andes, Peruvian potato
farmers are being forced further up their mountainsides to
protect their potatoes from the same blight that starved the
Irish. There are similar “sky islands” in our mountain ranges
(Sierra, White Mountains, etc.) that harbor species that exist
nowhere else. They will go extinct not from weeds but from
climate change unless they are harvested from the wild,
propagated, and spread through the horticultural trade into
other ecological niches more favorable to them. Yes, some of
them may become weeds, but biodiversity will be enhanced.
Think about the condors. If they hadn’t been taken from the
wild, they would have gone extinct, and their survival is still
dicey. The Endangered Species Act (1973) has fostered an
understandable tendency to split genetic hairs to find unique
or endangered species in order to protect endangered
ecosystems, but the truth is that it is our ecosystems that are
endangered. As climate change occurs, species that we
consider weeds now may emerge as ecological heroes in the
future, protecting and nurturing other species that might
otherwise perish. So just what is a weed? Your guess is as good
as mine. Ï
Weedicisms
Quotegarden.com: http://www.quotegarden.com/weeds.html
Thinkexist.com: http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/weed/
Brainyquote.com: http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/weed/
Some Online Resources for California Gardeners
Encycloweedia: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/ipc/encycloweedia/
encycloweedia_hp.htm
Weed Photo Gallery: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/
\weeds_common.html
Weed Research and Information Center: http://wric.ucdavis.edu/
California Weeds Online Store: http://www.calweeds.com/
Cal–IPC Weeds of California: http://www.cal-ipc.org/resources/
booksandcds/weedsofca.php
Perking Up Your Garden
— Kathleen Sonntag, MG06
It is hard for me to imagine a morning without the wonderful
aroma and taste of freshly ground coffee, frequently enhanced
with my favorite hot cocoa powder—might as well enjoy the
best of both worlds! The good news is that when they have
finished providing me with a hot drink, the grounds from my
favorite fair trade organic coffee can keep on working. They
can go into the garden compost bin or the worm bin OR they
can be mixed into your garden soil.
An eye-catching article proclaimed that coffee grounds spread
around vegetable and other snail-loving plants will kill the
slimy pests. In addition, mixing the grounds with broken
eggshells can be very effective. Some sources insist that it is
not the texture or taste of the grounds that is responsible for
ridding an area of snails, but that the caffeine is what gets
them. Hence the suggestion that you spray very concentrated
coffee (made from instant coffee) around susceptible plants
Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
instead. I say, “Why bother when you can just spread the
grounds around?” If you don’t drink coffee, most coffee shops
(including the famous one with the green and white logo and
the one that started it all in Berkeley) have used grounds
available for gardeners—and they are happy to recycle them.
Coffee companies even have information on their websites
about adding coffee grounds to the soil! And you know that
the paper filters should be tossed in the compost pile along
with teabags where they will decompose quickly.
I have it on good authority that worms love coffee grounds and
process them in as little as three weeks. Adding them to your
worm bin rather than directly into the garden is another
option, if you have a worm bin. They will improve the nitrogen
level of your compost, if you prefer that method. The cautions
about direct application in the garden are two: Spread the
grounds out or they will form a thick mat and can mold. Apply
a thin layer or work them into the soil.
In the end, I went to a definitive source, the Sunset Soil and
Plant Laboratory, Inc., Bellevue, WA to determine if and where
I should recycle my coffee grounds. There has been so much
interest in this topic that the scientists at the Sunset labs did a
chemical analysis of coffee grounds. Here are the results:
Nitrogen: 2.28 percent
Phosphorus: 0.06 percent
Potassium: 0.6 percent
Available nutrient levels: The pH or reaction of the coffee
grounds is considered slightly acidic and in a favorable range
at 6.2 on the pH scale.
The primary water-soluble salts in this product are potassium,
magnesium, sodium and chloride. The potentially problematic
ions in sodium and chloride are each sufficiently low as to be
inconsequential in terms of creating problems for plants.
There you have it. The grounds won’t hurt anything in the
garden and can certainly improve soil nutrition and tilth, too.
This is the best summary list I could find for the benefits of
using coffee grounds in the garden (www.sustainableenterprises.com ):
•Sprinkle around plants before rain or watering, and your
plants will have a source of slow-release nitrogen.
•Add to compost piles to increase nitrogen balance. Coffee
filters and tea bags break down rapidly during composting.
•Dilute with water for a gentle, fast-acting liquid fertilizer.
Use about a half-pound can of wet grounds in a five-gallon
bucket of water; let sit outdoors to achieve ambient
temperature.
•Mix into soil for houseplants or new vegetable beds.
•Encircle the base of the plant with a coffee and eggshell
barrier to repel pests.
•If you are into vermi-posting, feed a little to your worms. Ï
Resources
http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/how-to/qa/coffee-grounds-garden.aspx
http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/Business/coffeefert.htm
http://www.paghat.com/coffeeslugs.html
http://www.gardensalive.com/article.asp?ai=793&bhcd2=1204604352
http://www.sunset.com/sunset/garden/edible/article/0,20633,1208232,00.html
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April - May 2008 9

The Propane Weed Torch A posting to the MBMG Yahoo group soliciting reviews from
fellow MGs proved much more helpful, not to mention more
— Kari Olsen, MG06 reliable. A MG knows there is no single method of weed
I saw a propane weed torch in action for the first time during control, and that a combination of good cultural practices, a
the 2006 MG training class on “Weeds” and all I could think generous layer of mulch and, inevitably, some hand-pulling is
was, “I’ve gotta get one of those.” I don’t know if it was the the necessary recipe for weed control. The MG also realizes
thrill of the flame action, the thought of complete and utter that sustainable gardening practices involve some amount of
weed destruction with a flick of the wrist, or the possibility “work” and “upkeep” in order to stay ahead of ever-
that this could eliminate the temptation of using herbicides on opportunistic weeds. Bottom line: there is no silver bullet in
weeds that refuse to die. (OK, I admit it was the flame action.) the weed eradication department. What I wanted to know
was if a propane weed torch was worth adding to my weed
Justifying the purchase combatant methods.
took a while. Most of my
gardening is limited to The MBMG Yahoo group
containers so, other than posting produced many
the ubiquitous weeds in more responses than I
concrete cracks manage- expected, plus a couple of
able by the boiling water requests to report my
treatment, I didn’t have a findings, which is what
pressing “need” for a generated this article. Here
torch. Fortunately, I am are a couple of reviews
now helping renovate which helped me identify
two gardens from the useful features, strengths
ground up providing me and limitations, as well as
a legitimate “reason” to informed me of other con-
merit the purchase. siderations I’d not yet
Besides, I hadn’t given thought of:
myself my own holiday I've been using the
present. It was time to Bernzomatic with great
shop. success. It works great on
I started researching oxalis and field bindweed,
propane torches online to two of my most pesty weeds. I've had great success with
find out what I was really popweed, too, because as you know, it can disperse seeds
dealing with. For home landscape use there are two basic widely when it is touched. The Bernzomatic kills it and
types: a beefy torch that uses a five gallon propane tank and a hopefully scorches the seeds so they won't be viable (but I am
smaller torch with less fire-power which uses a 14 oz. propane not sure about that). – Debra
cylinder. I have one that is light and easy to hold and use, with an
While each manufacturer’s information was easily available, I igniting switch. [Note: this is the Bernzomatic.] It is quite
had trouble deciphering the customer reviews, which I useful at this time of the year when weeds are small and
suspected were less than reliable. Nearly ALL products have a tender. Oxalis is one of my prime targets and it works well
certain number of conflicting accounts in their customer when they are small and tender, but it often takes several
reviews. Usually I go with the odds figuring there are some applications. The same for weeds in cracks - several
defective items out there and hoping mine isn’t going to be one applications before the weed stops coming back. I have not
of them. found it useful with anything over 2-3 inches in height. I paid
about $50. Canisters of propane are about $4-5 each at a
The customer review information for propane torches was hardware store. – Claudia
atypical in this regard. Most of what I read was fairly evenly
split between “works like a charm,” to “what a disap- I have a torch that I bought from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply
pointment” and a lot of “sort of works but not as well as I a few years ago (the inexpensive one that you use with a small
wanted” reviews. It occurred to me there was a high canister.) I love it, although (I think) because it doesn't have a
probability people might buy this tool expecting it to be the regulator, it freezes up periodically (the propane gets very cold
“be-all and end-all” solution to weed control. If that was the as it comes out), so I have to stop working after a few minutes
expectation, the inevitable reappearance of weeds poking their to let it warm up. This happens a lot when I am in my cold,
little heads through the soil might lead a person to think his or shady back yard in the winter – seems to stay lit much longer
her propane torch didn’t live up to its promise, thus producing in the sunshine. I use it to control weeds in the soil between
an unfairly unfavorable review. my pavers. You don't want to let the weeds get too big,
10 April - May 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

because more weeds means more smoke, which is a bit

unpleasant. In general, I like it. – Patty
I don't know the brand we have but we do find it somewhat
useful. It is not self-igniting – we’ve had it for years. We find
we can only use it during the wet months – we have pine trees
and the needles will ignite underneath what you see and keep
going. So a bit scary. But it works well on basic weeds. Like
most garden wonder items, it does well for some things but
not everything. But if you have oak trees or pines, be very
careful. The oak leaves and pine needles can ignite very
quickly. – Robin
I have a small Bernzomatic that I bought at OSH three or four
Before and after a
years ago. I love it. It works best on small weeds that are just
heat treatment
getting started. For larger weeds it just takes forever to burn
them off, and then I need to go back over them several times as
they seem to re -emerge. It also works great to clean off the
BBQ grill. AND, I use it to "poof" off the spider webs from our
rock walls, because it's much quicker and easier than sweep-
ing. The smell occasionally bothers me if I'm up wind from
what I'm burning. It takes a long time to go through a small
propane can (you can get them quite inexpensively at
Costco). I find that I can use mine for about an hour at a time
before I get "stiff."
My sister has a larger one that she uses a propane tank with look it over in person. January isn’t a month when garden
(like a gallon or so sized). She hauls the tank around in a centers are fully stocked so after a number of calls it was only
wagon. It destroys everything. She has a lot of Himalayan OSH that had one in stock and that was the Bernzomatic.
blackberry vines where she is and it just totally "torches" them Once there, I naively wandered around in the garden
right out of existence. – Mary Alice department thinking I would find it there; not so. I went
through a couple of clerks who had no idea what I was
After reading this advice, I narrowed the field down to two talking about but they finally found someone who did and he
likely candidates: the Weed Dragon Torch Kit and the directed me to Aisle 17 which he referred to as “the torch aisle.”
Bernzomatic ‘Blaze Away.’ The Weed Dragon uses a five gallon Of course – why didn’t I think of that??
propane tank which requires a dolly to move it (sold
separately, of course) upping the price considerably. The torch In the end I bought the Bernzomatic then and there at OSH.
has a fuel regulator that helps it run consistently and the 10’ While equipped with more firepower, the Weed Dragon with
hose gives a decent diameter in which to work. Most its five gallon tank seemed like overkill at this time and it was
impressively, the 100,000 BTUs must pack a punch if it can certainly more money than I wanted to spend when I wasn’t
torch Himalayan blackberry vines out of existence. The fact certain this was a product I would find useful or effective. All
that the Weed Dragon’s five gallon tank is refillable eliminates the MGs had reviewed the Bernzomatic favorably and the
having to needlessly throw away the used propane canisters is portability and ease of use issue was the deciding factor.
also a plus. A couple of “cons” in terms of my intended uses: it Triumphantly bringing home my torch, I proudly showed it off
does not have the self-igniting feature and, more importantly, I to my husband who clearly had some qualms over me using
know if I’m going to have to haul around a heavy tank rather anything involving fire without supervision. These suspicions
than just grab the torch, it’s less likely that I will actually put it were probably confirmed when I asked how it worked, saying,
to use. The Bernzomatic, which uses the disposable propane "So you just put on the propane canister and turn it on, right?"
cylinders, is much more portable – just grab it, press the self- "Nooooooo, FIRST you read the Instructions, THEN you put
igniting switch and torch away! Drawbacks are less fire power on the propane canister and turn it on." Right.
(20,000 BTUs) so some of the hard core weeds may win out in
the end, and using propane cylinders instead of a refillable Using my Bernzomatic torch is easy and, I have to admit, fun.
tank which does produce unnecessary waste. I’ve found the self-igniting “trigger start mechanism” feature to
be extremely handy. The torch is light with the propane
The next task was choosing the model and figuring out if I cylinder attached so it’s completely portable; walking between
could buy it locally or if it had to be ordered. Like anything several areas is no problem though I do tend to “plan my route”
else, there are a multitude of online sources for ordering either to avoid using up fuel (with all my experimenting I’m still on
mode but when I’m not sure what I’m buying, I really prefer to my first propane canister.) The best method is to use a slow,
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April - May 2008 11
sweeping motion just enough to “boil” the water in the leaves;
no need to blast them until they blacken – then you’re just
wasting fuel. A mere 24 hours after torch-treatment and where
once stood a vigorous weed is now a wilted husk. As with all
weed control methods, the key seems to be torching the weeds
when they are still small and accepting that repeat treatments
are sometimes required.
A word on a few specific weeds in my life. Clearly nothing
short of napalm is going to have an effect on Bermuda grass but
though the torch doesn't kill it outright (does anything?) it
seems to slow down its growth until I can get to the hand
removal I keep procrastinating. In other words, it buys me
some time. My guess is that this would be the same for
anything that spreads by runners. Evil ‘popweeds’ succumb to
the torch with ease when they are small and tender but seem to
become more resilient as they grow. And definitely get to them
before they start setting seeds; I’m not yet sure if torching kills
the popweed seed or simply helps to disperse it. Small oxalis
plants wilt away at the touch of the flame – no need to wait 24
hours to see that result. What I’ve not determined with
certainly is whether this actually kills the oxalis or just renews
its will to live. But unlike my relationship with Bermuda grass,
I’ve long since decided I’m not going to spend my gardening life
These are flowers of a large shrub (or small tree) that grows in the
battling the yearly onset of oxalis; as far as I’m concerned it’s gardens of the Rosicrucian Museum in San Jose.
pretty far down on the noxious weed list. Can you identify it?
Reply to: christinakriedt@yahoo.com - Subject line: mystery flower
For my purposes, I am happy with my purchase of the
Bernzomatic torch. I’m still learning what it can and can’t do
and it will take a full “weed year” to make a complete
evaluation of its effectiveness. It is possible that I may find a
Bud Burst
heavier duty torch might have been a better investment long-
term, but for my needs now, the Bernzomatic is a good choice. Candice McLaren is participating in Project Bud Burst. ‘A
Besides, I can always upgrade. Who knows? Maybe I’ll find I National Phenology Network Field Campaign for Citizen
“need” two torches... Ï Scientists.’
(All photos: Kari Olsen) The organization collects important climate change data on
the timing of leafing and flowering, targeting native tree and
Left: flower species across the country.
Candice believes
Candice sent these photos of the first bud bursts in her
this is an old
Westside Santa Cruz yard. Below is a 4-in-1 apple: The right
Barlett pear.
side bottom branch is a Golden Delicious, the one above (2nd
It has lived in her
to burst) is a Fuji. Gala is top left and Braeburn is bottom left.
yard for over 10
years.
All of it's buds
burst at once.

If you are
interested in
learning more,
visit
http://
www.windows.ucar.ed
u/citizen_science/
budburst/index.html
Ï
12
Updates
Smart Gardening Faire: Coming into Focus
— Tom Karwin, MG99
The first day of summer, June 21 st, might seem a long way off,
but when planning the Smart Gardening Faire for that day it
seems very close.
The Faire’s planning group has been receiving early
applications from exhibitors and we have signed up almost all
of our speakers. We’re very pleased with the lineup so far, and
we’re holding one speaker slot for one more Big Name.
We continue to welcome new exhibitors who would support
the Faire’s emphasis on sustainable gardening and landscaping.
If you have suggestions, please send contact info to us. We’ve
already invited last year’s exhibitors to return. See
smartgardening.org for lists of the 2007 exhibitors and the up-
to-date list of exhibitors for 2008.
For this year’s Faire, we again will have speakers in the Scotts
Valley Senior Center and the community room in the Parks &
Recreation building. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to add
the Scotts Valley Community Center as a speaker’s venue this
year. We discovered that it had been reserved already for a
birthday party. We’ve learned that there’s no such thing as “too
early” for reserving popular spaces so we will reserve the
Center now for next year.
Other current tasks include arranging for vendors to provide
healthy food, booking music combos to add to the ambiance of
the day and scheduling garden-oriented entertainment for the
kids. We’re confident that it will all come together!
At this writing, we are preparing to launch our publicity
campaign and our sponsorship recruitment. We’re making
final changes in our sponsorship package and designing a new
logo! Betsy Shea has planned our publicity campaign. This year
we will increase newspaper advertising, emails to local garden
groups and postings on smartgardening.org to publicize the
Faire.
A major change in the Faire this year is its close working
relationship with the Water-Smart Garden Contest and the
Water-Smart Garden Tour. The Faire will serve as the “pivot
point” between these two important events by hosting the
announcement of winners of the Contest and launching ticket
sales for the Tour. We are coordinating publicity and fund-
raising for the three events, as well. The Contest, Faire and
Tour are becoming integrated into the MBMG’s extended
campaign of education on sustainable gardening and
landscaping.
This year the message is focused on water conservation. That
focus surely will be important in future years as well, as
projected climate trends reduce our water supplies. We will all
need to learn to garden with less water and protect our
watershed by replacing synthetic chemicals with compost and
other organic materials.
April - May 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
The Monterey Bay area’s water agencies see the Faire as a good
vehicle for encouraging public awareness of the need to use
water wisely in the garden and landscape. The districts’
education priorities align well with the MBMG’s mission to
inform home gardeners about research-based sustainable
gardening practices. We’re pleased to be partnering with the
Water Awareness Committees of Santa Cruz and Monterey
Counties. Ï
Mark Your Calendar!
Smart Gardening Faire
June 21
Masters Garden Tour
August 9 - 10
California Statewide
Conference
September 24 - 26
Contest & Tour — Candice McLaren, MG06
Progress is being made on the 2008 Water-Smart Garden
Contest (new) Smart Gardening Faire and Garden Tour. After
hours of meetings, emails and conversations, we have seen how
all our summer events are flowing into one great concept, three
wonderful projects! Our message will be clear: water
conservation is our way of gardening on the Monterey Bay.
We expect to have our logo and new look to put on the
applications that will be available on our website and all the
Water Agencies in early April. We are putting together a
request for sponsors and Bonnie Pond will be asking for
volunteers to start putting potential sponsor lists together.
Already many of you have expressed interest in showing off
either your gardens or ones that you have designed. I have even
heard of one that is still being designed and they want to enter
NEXT year! It will feature an underground water collection
system and I can't wait to see it!
With our rainy season coming to an end soon, and our
gardening season starting, this summer will be another
water challenge. I hope that all of you will look for ways to
conserve water and become involved with our summer
projects. They are all going to be GREAT FUN! Ï
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April - May 2008 13

The Sole of a Gardener — Christina Kriedt, MG06

”A heretofore unreported medical condition is affecting 12% of
coastal California home gardeners,” report the American
Podiatric Research Institute League and the Farmers’
Organized Outreach League. According to their article in the
November 2007 issue of Foot and Ankle Journal, studies show
that the feet of gardeners who stand on deeply
composted beds for extended periods of time emit an unusual
and highly offensive odor. What is especially disconcerting is
that the intense odor develops whether or not the gardener
wears shoes while gardening. Researchers tested the feet of
hundreds of volunteers over a three-year period. The smell,
they say, is very similar to that of a skunk's defensive secretion,
or musk; however, washing with tomato paste or other tomato
products does not eradicate
it, as on dogs and other
mammals.
garden. Smelly feet might be a small price to pay for a beautiful,
bountiful garden.
Actually, the researchers are not convinced that it is nematodes
that are causing the problem. They will be studying other
suspects, particularly Actinomycetes (filamentous bacteria
that grow in damp and warm soil conditions and cause the
pleasant woodsy 'rain' smell), earthworms, compost that
includes non-vegetative ingredients (such as meat leftovers),
and the diverse minerals that comprise our coastal soils. So if
you're one of the hundreds of central coast gardeners whose
feet smell like — well, skunk, there could be hope for you soon.
April 1, 2008.

”We are investigating the

possibility that when
microscopic soil nematodes
ingest bacteria and
emit ammonia, the ammonia
might accumulate in the
soles of these gardeners'
feet,” writes Dr. Eymjo
Kingha, Nematologist, Dept.
of Nematology at UC Davis.
“What is puzzling, is that
we have never before seen
nematodes travel through these dense natural or synthetic
materials, such as those of which the soles of shoes are made. Footnote
We are conducting tests with radioactively dyed Elaphonema A remedy for generally smelly feet quoted from the Internet – “A type of
mirabile to track its movement through various materials and bodywork called Jin Shin Jyutsu has a special ''flow'' that works for smelly
membranes.” Nematodes are the most numerous multicellular feet (when all else fails). It works! You can do this for either foot. Hold
animals on earth. A handful of soil can contain thousands of your left little toe with the left hand (use thumb and any of the 1st 3 fingers)
these simple roundworms, many of them parasites of insects, and hold the sole of the same foot with your right fingers. To do the other
plants or animals. There are nearly 20,000 species in the foot: Hold your right little toe with your right hand (same as above) and
phylum Nemata. hold the sole of the same foot with your left fingers. This is a bit awkward
Dr. Kingha continued to explain that they cannot say for you to do, so someone else can do this for you when facing you. I suggest
why gardening in non-composted soil does not have the same 20 minutes of this daily, alternating each foot, for a few weeks. This can be
effect. Nematodes prefer moist soil, so they may concentrate in done while watching kids, TV, socializing, etc. if you are limber and wear
larger numbers in water-retentive composted soils than in soils long pants.” (http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/beauty/bodyodor.html) Ï
with less organic matter. Another conundrum: what
is different about the feet or shoes of individual gardeners that References:
causes some to smell but not others? http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/jb_date.cgi?day=01&month=04
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/
Compost is rich in ‘bioiodegraders' (organisms such as derbyshire/6545667.stm
bacteria, fungi, earthworms, insects, and nematodes) that eat
the organic material. Together with carbon sources (grass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_1,_2006
clippings and most food scraps), nitrogen sources (dead leaves, (All images: Wikipedia)
twigs and wood chips), and air and water, the biode-graders
are an essential component of the composting process. The
resulting mixture of decaying vegetation is considered by
serious gardeners to be a critical ingredient for a thriving
14 April - May 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

Book Review:
Garden Insects of North There is also one chapter on “Beneficial Garden Arthropods,”
which includes predators, parasites, pathogens (which are not
America: The Ultimate Guide to arthropods), and pollinators.

Backyard Bugs —Tom Karwin, MG99 The book does not list our current insecte nuisible, the Light
Brown Apple Moth, because it’s an exotic, not an insect of
Whitney Cranshaw North American.
(Princeton Univer-
When I encounter an unfamiliar insect in the garden, I like to
sity Press, 2004)
know just what I’ve got. I like to know its proper name, so I
This fat book can refer to it correctly and perhaps look it up in this book or
presents a wealth of another reference work. There is a multitude of garden insects
interesting and so identification is never easy, but this book is a valuable
useful information resource for both identification and control.
in the first couple
The book doesn’t have a key identification system, but it has an
chapters before it
appendix that lists many garden plants with the names of
starts cranking me-
insects and mites that attack them in one way or another. If
thodically through
you have a specimen of the insect, an example of the damage it
the facts and great
has caused and genus or common name of the victimized plant,
photos of specific
this book could be helpful in identifying the culprit. A
insects.
particularly useful element for this purpose is the extensive
In the early pages, collection of color photographs of insects.
the author indicates
Garden Insects of North America would be a valuable reference
the animals that the
work in a gardener’s library. Although it’s a formidable volume
book covers. The
of 656 pages, it’s an authoritative work and surprisingly
book’s title clarifies
inexpensive (less than $20 through amazon.com).
that it’s about a specific subset of the insects of North America,
and Professor Cranshaw defines that subset in scientific terms. As always, there is a wealth of related information on the
It’s quite interesting, for those of us who find insect taxonomy World Wide Web. Here’s a sampling.
fascinating
A Comprehensive Guide to Safe Biological Pest Control, by Buglogical
Here’s the abbreviated version. Control Systems. Lists common insect pests, with photos, with
The book is about phylum Arthropoda—invertebrates with information on biological controls for each one. Valuable!
segmented bodies—and is mostly concerned with the class http://www.gardeninsects.com/index.asp.
Hexapoda, animals that we commonly call “insects.” Their Garden Insects and Pests, by Gardener’s Network. Links to useful
bodies are divided into three sections (head, thorax, and information on web sites. http://www.gardenersnet.com/atoz/insect.htm.
abdomen) and they have three pairs of legs (located on the
thorax) and one pair of antennae. Featured Creatures, by University of Florida & Florida
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Detailed
Class Hexapoda includes fourteen orders of insects. Only one database of insects, searchable in several ways. Florida’s hot
of these orders, Hemiptera, includes “true bugs,” e.g., water humid climate supports some insects that we don’t see in the
bugs and aphids. Monterey Bay area, but there’s a good measure of common
Some members of five other classes of Arthropoda are included: experience as well. http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/.
Crustacea (pillbugs and sowbugs), Diplopoda (millipedes),
Beneficials in the Garden, by Galveston County (Texas) Master
Chilopoda (centipedes), Symphyla (symphylans which
Gardeners. I’m pleased to recommend this good work by
resemble centipedes) and Arachnida (spiders).
master gardeners in Texas. This website includes several solid
Finally, the book also has information on slugs and snails, articles on beneficials and a photo gallery of predators,
which are in class Gastropoda and phylum Mollusca. The parasites, decomposers/recyclers, and pollinators.
author calls them “garden bugs,” although they are not insects http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/beneficials_in_the_garden.htm
or even Arthropoda.
Pests in the Garden, by Colorado State University. An excellent
The book devotes eight chapters to many categories of garden website on the subject, with information organized under
pests, e.g., “Leaf Chewers,” each with a detailed but non- multiple headings for convenient study.
technical discussion of many specific insects. http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Pests/pests.htm. Ï
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April - May 2008 15

Photo Essay: San Francisco Flower Show 2008 — Kari Olsen, MG06

The ‘Water is Life’ garden reminds us that water IS life.

Decidedly aquatic, this display offered an opportunity
to step into a refreshing space literally surrounded by
water, Visitors walked on boardwalks over quiet pools
as the soothing sounds of water gently poured over a 10'
high wall. Water-loving plants knit the garden together
creating a lush, tranquil oasis. Gold Award.
Designed and constructed by Studio Replica, Inc.

Twenty-two full-size display gardens filled the Cow Palace

at the 2008 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show.
Particularly noticeable this year was the generous number of
trees gracing the main garden pavilion, which adds to the
marvel that these garden displays are
literally created overnight.

Right: Set on a series of multilevel rock terraces, it was the

plants in ’Life on the Edge’ that took center stage. At first
glance, the unusual and showy Mediterranean climate plants
caught plant-aholic's eye but as one moved through the garden,
it was the attention to detail, plant choices and design that
became apparent. The display was cohesive; by pairing
numerous specimen plants with more subtle succulents and
other drought tolerant species, it created a vibrant, dynamic
space without being cluttered.
Gold Award plus several additional Horticulture Awards.
Sponsored by Garden Design Magazine.
Designed by Living Green Plantscape Design.
Constructed by Rock & Rose + Birkmyer.
16 April - May 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

‘Hot Springs of the Acropolis’ replicates a hillside hot spring

cascading over icy-blue aragonite and smithsonite rocks native to
Greece. Familiar Mediterranean climate plants surrounding the
pools emphasize the similarity of climate between
California and Mediterranean countries.
Bronze Award.
Designed and constructed by Goulart Design
Colorful recycled glass is the eye-catcher in ‘The and French's Waterscapes.
Jeweled Garden’! Glass planters and a luminous glass
"pool" with walkways throughout the garden create a
magical space populated by glowing glass dragonflies
and striking sculptural trees. Crystal Award.
Designed and constructed by DJ Curb Appeal.

‘Containers from around the World with Succulents’ The ‘Essence of the Tree’ shows how using mature
demonstrates the versatility of succulents in different styles of trees in container gardens allows us to enjoy their
containers from Mexico, Asia, and Europe. Succulents are grace and elegance in our smaller, intimate spaces.
perfect low maintenance plants for small space gardening.
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April - May 2008
Antique 17th, 18th, and 19th century pots from Spain provide
focal points and accents in the ‘Terra Aqua i Flamma’
container display garden. Whether used on their own or
planted with succulents, citrus, or herbs, these unique pots
will stand out in any Mediterranean-style garden.
‘Garden Fantasia’ Container Gardens for City Living’
demonstrates the "full-garden" effect achieved by artfully
grouping attractive planters and dramatic plant combinations
in a small space. The plant choices selected in this display are
decidedly high impact and low maintenance.
Ï
Aeonium flowers
(Photo: C. Kriedt)
17
Favorite Succulents
— Paula Anthony, MG06
I love all succulents, mostly because they are so forgiving and
easy to propagate. My favorites, I’ve discovered since
becoming a MG, are Aeoniums. I attended an Aptos Garden
Club meeting one month with speaker Patrick Anderson. He
is an expert on succulents, lives in San Diego and brought
beautiful slides of his garden. The best part was he also
brought cuttings that he passed out after the lecture!
I picked up one little ‘Zwartkop’ and the fun began. Their
color changes from almost black to green centers with dark
edges, depending if they’re in full sun, partial sun or shade. By
the end of summer they grow very tall and leggy. At this point
in their life cycle they don’t look very attractive in the ground
or a pot.
Then I discovered “Beheading”, from a wonderful book called
Designing With Succulents by Debra Lee Baldwin. You actually
cut off their “heads” with a sharp knife, severing the rosette
about an inch below its base. Then place the rosette in a
sheltered, shady area. In ten days or so the cut end will have
callused and sprouted roots. Pot in fresh soil. I’ve also just
potted the cuttings immediately and they seem to do fine.
Next, watch what happens to the decapitated stem. Leave it
in its original place, planted in the ground or a pot, and tend
to it as when it was intact. New rosettes may grow from one
or more leaf axils. When these are 2 or 3 inches in diameter,
remove them and plant. This process works for Aeoniums and
showy hybrid Echeverias (ruffled cabbages).
I’ve had so much fun this winter watching the “babies”
emerge from the ugly decapitated stem, anxiously waiting for
them to grow to be 2 or 3 inches so I can pluck them off and
carefully place them on some dirt. I might be able to part with
some of them for the class raffle or MG plant sale, but I’m not
sure. I’ve got this crazy attachment… Ï
18 April - May 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
Advanced Training Opportunities
Advanced Training Opps:
Check April
websites and May — Christina Kriedt, MG06
for fee information
date day time class organization/ contact
website
Mar 28 Fri 7:00pm Striped Roses Monrerey Bay
Rose Society
29 Sat 9:00 – 4:00pm Tending a Summer Vegetable Garden Love Apple Farm Cynthia Sandberg
29 Sat 9:00 – 4:00pm Tending a Summer Vegetable Garden Love Apple Farm Cynthia Sandberg
April 6 Sun 9:00 – 4:00pm Tending a Summer Vegetable Garden Love Apple Farm Cynthia Sandberg
12 Sat 2:00pm – sunset Peak of Season Wildflower Tour Fort Ord Public Lands CNPS
19 Sat 11:00 – 1:30pm Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve with Val Haley CNPS
19 Sat 1:00 -- 3:00pm Wormshop Cabrillo College Karen Grobe
427-3452
19 Sat 11:00 – 1:00pm Keeping Chickens Love Apple Farm Cynthia Sandberg
20 Sun 9:00 – 4:00pm Fire Follower Hike - Henry Coe Park CA Native Garden 408-292-9993 or
Fnd. info@cngf.org
20 Sun 10:00 – 4:00pm Going Native Garden Tour website
26-27 Sat- 10:00 – 4:00pm 36th Annual Wildflower Show, Santa Clara website
Sun
26 Sat 10:00 – noon Edible and Medicinal Native Plants of Delaveaga Park CNPS
May 3 Sat 11:00 – 1:30pm Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve with Val Haley CNPS
3 Sat Botanical Excursion to Clear Creek/San Benito Mountain CNPS
11 Sun 10:00 – 3:00pm Fort Ord Vernal Pool Flora and Fauna CNPS
17 Sat 11:00 – 1:30pm Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve CNPS
17 Sat Mysterious Monterey Manzanitas CNPS
24 Sat 10:00 – 4:00pm Edible and Medicinal Native Plants of CNPS
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
30-31 Fri-Sat Conference: Climate Change and Your Backyard CCUH, UC Davis
June 16 Sat 11:00 – 1:00pm Designing Ca Native Gardens Native Revival
Nursery
July 17 & 18 Thu- 11:00 – 2:00pm Plant Problem - Diagnosis & Becoming a 1st Detector UC Davis
Fri
Sept 24-26 Wed- Statewide MG Conference Monterey Bay MGs
Fri
Mar 22-26 Sun- International MG Conference, Las Vegas Nevada MGs of Southern
2009 Thurs Nevada

Volunteer Opportunities
Cooper Adobe Garden: workdays 10:00-noon on 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of month. Contact Marcia Smullen, 626-3519. Other
workdays can be arranged.
Seaside Green Team Project: workdays every 3rd Saturday 1:00 - 3:00 PM. Contact Mary Wilson, 393-0193
bluespud@pacbell.net, and ask to be placed on email reminder list.
Carmel Orchid Society: meets at 8:00 PM on the first Monday of each month, except May, September and December at: First
Presbyterian Church of Monterey, 501 El Dorado Street, Monterey.
Santa Cruz Orchid Society: monthly meeting at Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz at 8:00 PM on the first Friday of
each month. Orchid show and sale is in early February each year.
Monterey Bay Dahlia Society: meets second Friday of every month; 7:00 PM potluck dinner, 7:30 PM meeting. Simpkins Swim
Center, Community Room 979 - 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz
Monterey Bay Rose Society: meets the last Friday of the month at the Grange Hall, 2555 Mar Vista Drive, Aptos. Check the web
site (http://www.montereybayrosesociety.org/) for guest speaker information.

When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it.
If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant. ~ Author Unknown
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April - May 2008 19

Relevant Internet Miscellany — Christina Kriedt, MG06

If you are fascinated by ‘bugs,’ check out Bug Guide, a
community of naturalists who enjoy learning about and
sharing their observations of insects, spiders, and other related
creatures. They capture never-before -seen behaviors and have
photos of species that you won't find anywhere else on the
web. ( http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740) Ï
Ladybugs cannot fly in temperatures below 55° F. Ï
A gift from Europe, “dandelion is a perennial that grows best in
moist areas in full sun; however, it can survive some shade and
dry conditions once established. Dandelion grows year round
in California except in the coldest intermountain areas where
it is dormant during the winter. It produces a strong taproot
that is capable of penetrating the soil to a depth of 10 to 15
feet, but it is most commonly 6 to 18 inches deep. Buds grow
from the uppermost area of the root, producing a crown that
can regenerate "new" plants even though the plant is cut off at
or below the soil surface. Sections of the root as short as 1 inch
in length are also capable of producing new plants.” Talk about
adapting to your environment!
(http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7469.html) Ï
Banana slugs are
detritivores (a fancy
term for decom-
posers). They
process leaves,
animal droppings,
and dead plant
material, and then
recycle them into
soil. They seem to
have a fondness for
mushrooms, and
they spread seeds
and spores when they eat. (Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Banana_slug) Ï
• It has been spread around the world as a lovely ornamental
-- and it has gotten out of hand. (No kidding!)
• To mitigate the population in your garden, pull the long
taproot out when the soil is soft, grasping it just below soil
level. When it tries to come back in a weakened state (the
bulb trying to re -energize itself) pull again. Each year,
there will be fewer and weaker plants to pull. This way
you might slow it down....
• Another method is sheet mulching, smothering the weeds
by using black fabric mulch or cardboard. On top of that
you add a thick (up to 8 inches) layer of woodchips or
leaves. The bad news is that sheet mulching could take a
year or two to kill the plants.
(http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20040207/ai_n14569085
and http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/02/21/
HOGIFO5GQ01.DTL&type=printable)
• Some say that the best way to get rid of Cape Oxalis is to
move. Ï
If it rolls up when you poke it, it's a pillbug (family
Armadillididae). If it doesn't, it's a sowbug. Isopods are not
insects; they belong to the class Crustacea, mainly marine
animals with a calcareous exoskeleton and jointed appendages,
like crabs. In one California study, isopods ate whatever was at
hand, living or dead plant (and fecal) material. (http://
crawford.tardigrade.net/bugs/BugofMonth17.html Ï
Visit Neary Lagoon on Sunday April 27, 11:00-12:30.
“We’ll explore our urban wetland, learn about how it’s
changed over time, and introduce you to the plants and
animals that call Neary Lagoon home. Meet promptly at the
Neary Lagoon Entrance at Chestnut Street. Bike racks and
metered parking nearby. Dress in layers, bring water and a hat.
Limited to 30 participants, pre- registration required. To sign
up, call 420-6113.” (http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pr/parksrec/facility/
nathist.html) Ï (Photos: C. Kriedt)

Oxalis pes-caprae:
• It is endangered in South Africa (it's place of origin) where
predators have decimated the genus. My personal solution:
send them ours. (http://www.berkeleyhort.com/gardensuggestions/
gs_jf04_sourgrass.html)

• In the United States, O. pes-c. thrives in California, Arizona

and Florida.
• Experts agree that the O. pes-caprae that is widespread
outside South Africa does not produce viable seed. Instead,
a pale-brown bulb produces a taproot during the rainy
season, inching out with a lateral runner that often pops
up in the middle of another plant. As if the runner wasn't
enough, the bulb's taproot produces 10 to 20 bulblets for
the next season.
20 April - May 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

What’s Blooming in Your Garden in April and May?

This list is exerpted from the What’s Bloomin’ database, which is based on observations made by Monterey Bay Master
Gardeners in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. The entire database is online at
http://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org. Please send your data to Annette Longuevan at bloomingepoll@gmail.com.

Abelia grandiflora Cyclamen spp. Lamium maculatum Psoralea pinnata

Abutilon spp.
Aechmea spp. & hybrids
Allium schoenoprasum
Aloe vera
Alstroemeria hybrids
Aquilegia spp.
Borago officinalis
Brassica alboglabra
Brugmansia spp.
Calendula officinalis
Callistemon spp.
Camelia spp. & hybrids Fremontadendron spp. & hybrids
Ceanothus spp. & hybrids
Centrantus ruber
Choisya ternata
Chrysanthemum spp.
Citrus spp.
Citrus X limon
Clematis spp.
Clivia miniata
Crocosmia crocosmiiflora
Cuphea hyssopifolia
Cymbidium hybrids Lavatera assurgentiflora Pyrus communis
Daphne odora Lavendula spp. Ranunculus asiaticus
Dietes iridioides (D. vegeta) Leptospermum scoparium Rhododendron spp. & hybrids
Digitalis spp. Limonium spp. Ribes spp.
Dymondia margaretae Lunaria annua Rosa spp. & hybrids
Echium fastuosum (E. candicans) Malus domestica Rosemarinus officinalis
Erigeron karvinskianus Malus spp. & hybrids Salvia leucantha
Eschscholzia californica Melaleuca alternifolia Senecio hybrids
Festuca californica Mimulus spp. Spiraea prunifolia
Fragaria chiloensis Muscari spp. Strelitzia reginae
Freesia hybrids Myosotis spp. Sutera cordata
Narcissus spp. & hybrids Thysanotis sp.
Fuchsia hybrida Oxalis spp. Tropaeolum majus
Geranium spp. Paeonia suffruticosa Tulipa spp. & hybrids
Hebe spp. & hybrids Passiflora spp. Vaccinium spp.
Heuchera spp. & hybrids Pelargonium spp. Viola spp.
Impatiens spp. & hybrids Petunia hybrida Westringia fruticosa
Iris - bearded hybrids Pieris japonica Wisteria spp.
Iris - Pacific Coast hybrids Primula spp. Zantedeschia aethiopica
Iris X hollanica cultivars Prunus domestica
Jasminum polyanthum Prunus tomentosa Ï
Kniphofia uvaria Prunus, subgenus Cerasus

G A R D E N I N G ON T H E ED G E
Thank you to all the
Newsletter of the Monterey Bay Master Gardeners
Monterey Bay Master Gardeners
who share their knowledge and advice in our EDITOR Christina Kriedt
Epolls ASSISTANT EDITORS Sharon Ettinger & Kathleen Sonntag
DESIGN/LAYOUT Christina Kriedt

CONTRIBUTORS
Candice McLaren Kathleen Sonntag Sharon Ettinger
Christina Kriedt Kari Olsen Simon Stapleton
Claudia Sammis Martye Lumpkin Sue Tarjan
Denise Weatherwax Paula Anthony Tom Karwin

STAFF
Bonnie Pond
Cynthia Jordan
Denise Weatherwax
Kari Olsen
Paul McCollum
Simon Stapleton
Tanja Roos
Tom Karwin Hotline: 831-763-8007
Alstroemeria
Copyright © 2008 MBMG. All rights reserved
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î April - May 2008 21

Visit Our Wonderful Sponsors !

Sierra Azul Nursery, Watsonville, http://www.sierraazul.com, 763-0939,

email: sierraazulnursery@yahoo.com
Lumbermens, Santa Cruz, http://www.lumbermens.net/store_locator/zSearch.asp?
ZipSearchSubmit=1&State=CA, 423-0223, email: gardencenter@lumbermens.net
The Garden Company, Santa Cruz, http://www.thegardenco.com/, 429-8424
FezQ, Carmel Valley, 659-1268
Bokay, Salinas, http://www.bokaynursery.com/, 659-1268, email: jeff@bokaynursery.com
Hidden Gardens, Aptos, 688-7011
Wild Rose Landscape Design, Aptos, 539-5841, claudia@wildroselandscape.com