July days are now warm or hot everywhere, but nighttime temperatures depend upon your
distance from the ocean.
Water, water, water is the rule by which Humboldt County gardeners live in summer. The
amount needed, and frequency of application, depends upon many things, including the type
of soil and whether plants are deep- or shallow-rooted. Shallow-rooted plants like azalea,
camellia and rhododendron suffer when the top few inches of soil are dry. If the leaves
begin to curl, this is a sign that they need water in a hurry, or they will quickly shed
their biggest liability, the flower buds. Humidity-loving plants such as ferns, fuchsias
and begonias need a light sprinkling each day. Newly planted shrubs and trees will need
more water than established ones. Containers may need water every day.
The time of day that you water makes a difference. In early morning city water has higher
pressure so every watering device works at peak efficiency. Avoid watering after the wind
starts to blow since the sprinkler pattern is disrupted and the water is wasted.
To save water, make basins beneath small trees and shrubs, extending them as far as the
branches reach. Direct water into these where it will wet the soil and root area rather
than being wasted on bare ground. Water early, then spread a mulch three to six inches
deep over the entire basin to increase humidity, reduce surface evaporation and eliminate
competition from weeds.
Overhead watering, contrary to the opinion of many, is a good way to water once in a
while. It helps control mildew and red spider damage, and washes smoke and dust
accumulations off leaves. However, it should be done only in the morning, because when
plants go into the evening wet, fungus disease may be introduced.
Tuberous begonias have begun to flower. They can be transplanted easily when in bloom.
Stake and tie tall-growing chrysanthemums, disbud these and dahlias for large blooms.
Tall, late-blooming perennials, such as autumn asters, should be staked now. Dahlias
should have plenty of water and a feeding or two of fertilizer low in nitrogen. Winter
vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli and turnips, should go in now. Go ahead, spoil
yourself, buy that gorgeous fuchsia basket while you're at the nursery.
Trees, both deciduous and evergreen, should have their summer pruning later this month. It
is important, even on young trees, to encourage an open-branching structure by removing
crossing branches and those that tend to grow inward. Pruning cuts made now have a chance
to heal rapidly.
Sow perennial seed now. It is an ideal time to sow delphinium; plants from a July sowing
may flower this fall, though they will not put out a normal-sized spike of bloom until
next spring. Watch for snails and slugs; it is best to spread a bait just before new
sprouts are due to appear.
This is the time of year when plants that thrive on neglect are especially attractive to
gardeners harassed by the chore of continual watering. We naturally think first of
California natives which subsist without summer rain. Ceanothus, Matilija poppy ( there's
a nice one, six feet tall, at the corner of the fence in the landscaping on the corner of
North Main and Third across from the old bowling alley in Fortuna--read more about this garden
below ), fremontia, oenothera, and carpenteria are excellent for dry areas that cannot be
watered.
Many of the gray-foliaged plants add a soft, pleasing texture to dry, sun-baked areas.
Some of these are wooly thyme, Stachys lanata, snow-in-summer, pinks, dwarf rosemary,
sedums, santolina, and dusty millers. Taller perennials for dry soils include globe
thistle, showy sedum, oriental poppy, coreopsis, and yucca. Annuals such as California
poppy, rose moss, and verbena supply summer color with a minimum of watering. Shrubs that
are undemanding of moisture are mugho pine, cotoneasters, sumac, pyracantha, hypericums,
manzanita, Choisya ternata, barberry, broom and that old standby, juniper.
But now is only the time to plan, not plant. This type of
garden should be planted in the fall, just
before the rains begin.
If you go on vacation, soak your trees and lawns before leaving, and add mulch around your
roses and shrubs. They can probably go for two weeks without any further attention, but
get a friend or neighbor to attend to your other plants.
About that garden I mentioned--here's a good example of having to choose the correct plant
for the area. This corner (North Main and Third, across from the
old bowling alley in Fortuna)
had always been an eyesore because it grew blackberries and weeds, some ten feet tall. It
required occasional maintenance with a weed eater to keep the weeds down, but it still was
unattractive. It included a driveway for access to City utilities. Since the car storage
area behind it was also inherently untidy, it didn't exactly make the best impression on
someone coming into town for the first time.
My plan started by looking at the soil --
and I found that there wasn't any. The entire area
had been filled with river run rock to support the roadbed. Plant choices then were
limited to several factors; not only would the plants not be watered during the dry
season, they also had to grow in compacted gravel! Added to that, during the rainy season
the ground was completely saturated due to runoff from higher terrain.
Fortunately there are plants that grow well given these conditions (after all, the weeds
did great!). I started by planting a 350-foot-long row of Escallonias
along the fence from the overpass to the corner to screen the car storage area. This large
shrub is common on the north coast primarily because it is as tough as nails. I had put in
the Matilija poppy a year prior to that when it outgrew the container.
The corner garden area was planted with rosemary, dwarf santolina, teucrium chamaedrys
(germander, they have the purple spikes), helianthemum (red sun rose, the wrong color, it
should have been pink), cistus (more pink and lilac rock roses), Hawthorn trees donated by
Kiwanis, several luma apiculata (small tree), and several Abelia 'Edward Goucher".
The primary planting tool was my pick. I planted in the fall, opened shallow, wide holes
and incorporated lots of organic matter into the root zones, added a ton of mulch and lots
of rocks.
Not all these plants survived, but the ones that did are
able to stand up to the climatic
excesses, even a couple of excursions by out-of-control
vehicles. I made the mistake of watering the Escallonias the first year and
they grew too thin for the lack of nutrients in the soil. They were all
chopped off a foot above the ground and allowed to grow on their own and are
now forming a nice hedge. Not only have the visual esthetics improved, each year there's less
maintenance for this area and I can budget my time for other new landscaping.
