California Gardening

Chilopsis linearis, or something else, for zone 9?

Posted by melle_sacto July 6, 2015

16 Comments

melle_sactoUpdated July 27, 2015 The drought is definitely taking a toll on our birch. They are a prominent part of the front landscape, so it will be weird when they're gone.

Plumeria- good low water shrub or potted plant

Posted by stanofh July 26, 2015

1 Comment

calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9Updated July 27, 2015 Roots are very prone to rot. I have had the best performance using the gritty mix. Al

Cherry tomato transplant

Posted by Gil Rothschild July 26, 2015

Gil RothschildHi there. I have recently transplanted a rather mature cherry tomato plant. It is about 15 inches tall and it has already began to produce some fruit at the nursery. After transplantation, should I get rid off the unripe fruit so as...

My report on the drought effects.

Posted by stanofh July 20, 2015

24 Comments

Nil13 usda:9a sunset:21 LA,CA (Mount Wash.)Updated July 25, 2015 Parker, how many HCF are you using per billing cycle?

Best Low Chill Cherry Varieties?

Posted by Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b April 13, 2014

5 Comments

parker25mvUpdated July 25, 2015 They prefer 200-300 chill hours, but can still be grown with less. Somewhere like Lemon Grove in San Diego probably gets 150 chill hours in a good year. Royal Lee can still produce fruit, but there will probably not be as much of ...

Sour Cherry tree for Northern California

Posted by Olena Svidersky July 20, 2015

1 Comment

stan_(Zone 9, Tracy, CA)Updated July 25, 2015 Hi Olena, Please check this post for some info: http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2809185/sour-cherry-in-northern-california I have recently ordered a few Univ. of Saskatchewan varieties from Honeyberry USA ( http://honeyber...

melon question

Posted by ofpete July 23, 2015

3 Comments

ofpeteUpdated July 24, 2015 No, I have fruit on almost every vine, but that is a thoughtful response. Thanks

Soil Sources in San Francisco

Posted by doodlelou(10a, Sunset 17) July 8, 2014

6 Comments

andy_e(SF Bay CA Zone 9)Updated July 23, 2015 Yep, Lyngso is great. Topsoil is $42/yard and you'll need a little over two yards. Or you can follow their recommendation and top it with nursery mix. If you don't have a truck you can have them deliver it. http://www.lyngsogarden...

Podocarpus (fern pine): a monster?

Posted by ruby138(9/10) August 21, 2005

38 Comments

retnavythom(z10 CA)Updated July 20, 2015 Just an update... We had our tree trimmed up today by a tree service. They removed and trimmed up the tree up to the 16 foot mark. There is about 20 to 25 feet more above that. Other than the annoying fruit it makes a very nice st...

Cutworms

Posted by tim45z10 May 31, 2015

9 Comments

lilmermerUpdated July 19, 2015 Cutworms in terrace container. If I completely dry out the soil in my container in 90 degree heat, will the cutworms die? I pulled out as many by hand as I could find turning over the soils throughout the container except in a sm...

Second HLB found in San Gabriel Valley

Posted by pennypond USDA 10 Sunset 21 CA July 14, 2015

4 Comments

Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9bUpdated July 18, 2015 I thought we had a case here a couple years ago and had the dept of Agriculture come out and do testing. We did not have it, but they told us to use a systemic pest control product like Bayer Advanced. Ants come to your citrus f...

Landscaping planks

Posted by zagyzebra July 17, 2015

3 Comments

Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9bUpdated July 18, 2015 The original owner here used lots of railroad ties. He did put concrete down here and there, but mainly it's just the ties. They are treated! Some of our decks here are made with pressure treated wood. You will get termites if...

Manzanita Tree

Posted by silversword(9A) January 10, 2009

18 Comments

gyr_falcon(Sunset 23 USDA 9)Updated July 17, 2015 I am not surprised you are not aware of Sunset zones. They are the zone system used by serious gardeners in the west. Sunset went national in 1997 with a book covering the U.S. and Canada, but the expansion didn't take. I hoarded ...

Annoying bare strip around lawn--what to do? (Sunset 15)

Posted by Lydia Lee March 8, 2015

5 Comments

Lydia LeeUpdated July 17, 2015 That's an interesting idea--I love the idea of natural transitions between areas! However, hard to imagine that blue-eyed grass or Australian violet would do very well with foot traffic, so it wouldn't have worked for my particula...

Horsetail Reed

Posted by NorCalNiko(USDA 9 Sunset 16/17) August 10, 2011

12 Comments

Nil13 usda:9a sunset:21 LA,CA (Mount Wash.)Updated July 16, 2015 P. afra is not short. I have some on my property line that are 10 feet tall. Slow and controllable? Yes, but they can eventually get pretty big if you let them.

My California Lilac is dying

Posted by deiler July 12, 2015

10 Comments

lgteacher(SCal zone 9b)Updated July 14, 2015 Back off the irrigation and put some mulch on the ground, but not close to the main stem of the plant.

Smart Irrigation Controller

Posted by jxbrown May 29, 2015

13 Comments

HydrawiseUpdated July 14, 2015 PS no subscription required, for our fully functioning system. It is an optional extra for email and SMS alerts and access for up to 5 weather station.

Hummingbird Bush - Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii

Posted by chezron July 13, 2015

chezronI have this plant in my garden. I think I am seeing seedlings everywhere. Does your plant produce copious seedlings? What is your experience with this plant? I love that it flowers in the summer.

Pittosporum Probs

Posted by sweargarden(9) July 9, 2015

6 Comments

calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9Updated July 13, 2015 I have had similar looking wheeler dwarfs that turned out to be simply not enough summer water. They are not native and not drought tolerant, when I increased the water they recovered nicely. Al

Does anyone know what trees these are?

Posted by savoiu(9A (San Jose)) July 10, 2015

4 Comments

Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9bUpdated July 12, 2015 Next to Mexican Fan or Queen Palms, that Silk tree is very prolific. My neighbor has one and we are constantly pulling baby trees.

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