Summer 2021 - Volume 2, Issue 3
Hello Gardeners,
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.”
Loren Eiseley
We are once again facing a severe drought and it is highly likely that it will get worse with more intense wildfires, blackouts, failed crops, and perhaps even a lack of safe drinking water. Let us all be more aware of our own water usage and commit to using less of it. We cannot stop the current drought, but we are not powerless before it either! In this summer issue we will be talking about choosing drought tolerant and fire safer plants for your garden. Realizing that water is indeed a finite resource, we all need to do a better job at water conservation too. And in honor of all the first responders, we'd like to introduce you to our own Master Gardener, Steve Danziger (Director of the Moraga Orinda Fire Department). First however, we'd like to show our gratitude to you!
Hedwig Van Den Broeck, Editor
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The 2021 Great Tomato and Plant Sale
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The 10th annual UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa Great Tomato Plant Sale was a huge success, and we want to thank everyone for your wonderful support! Over 23,000 plants found new homes! Although we were unable to hold an in-person sale this year we appreciate all our customers using the online tool and for patiently waiting until online orders were filled. The response was truly amazing – over 1,500 orders in the first half hour!
This is our UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa’s main fundraiser, and the proceeds go towards our many educational outreach programs regarding sustainable gardening. Visit our website regularly for further details on these programs. With your overwhelming support, we will be able to continue and expand these programs.
Not only were we thrilled to be able to hold our sale to the public this year, it also felt great to at least chat with you briefly about your vegetable choices.
Until we see you again, happy gardening!
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CA Native Plants: A Smart Choice |
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by Kate Verhoef
Throughout this issue of News to Grow By, your UC Master Gardener volunteers provide advice on reducing water use in your home gardens. You can do this by selecting drought-resistant California native plants. Drought tolerance is not the only positive feature of many California natives. Here are more reasons to choose California native plants, and a list of recommended plants for a more drought-tolerant, fire-resistant landscape.
Many California native plants also require fewer pesticides and herbicides. After all, they have co-evolved with native insect pests and have effective defense mechanisms. Native plants are naturally adapted to our climate and soil conditions, so tend to require less maintenance. They contribute to our local ecology: they support native insects, including bees and butterflies, as well as the birds that eat berries, seeds, insects and larvae. Many native plants are also soil stabilizers, preventing erosion and soil loss during wet winters. Finally, a careful selection of native plants can provide color and beauty all year: from January’s berries to marvelous spring wildflower displays, from summer- and fall-blooming butterfly magnets to evergreen foliage shrubs, California native plants really do have something for everyone.
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Succulents are Made for Water Conservation |
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Succulents are indigenous to many parts of the world including regions of California. These plants adapted to arid and semi-arid areas which had long dry periods such as deserts. Many non-native succulents adapted very well to our California climate as they
- are drought tolerant,
- can survive for long periods without water since they are able to store water in the form of sap in their leaves, stem, or roots. The sap makes these parts of the plant thickened and fleshy,
- thrive with little maintenance,
- are fire tolerant as they first tend to cook or char (unless the time and intensity of the fire dry up the plant completely),
- easy to propagate,
- perform well in planters, rock gardens and other hardscaped landscapes,
- are beautiful with many species, shapes, and color variations to choose from.
as well as
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Extreme Drought and Wildfires |
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Droughts in the West are nothing new. Currently, we are facing one of the worst droughts on record and due to climate change, they are becoming more intense and longer lasting. Effectively dealing with this crisis will require us to rethink every gallon of water we are using. |
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The Bay Area Tree Die-Off
by David George *
What’s killing our Bay Area trees? Climate change, drought, disease, or all of the above? I attended a recent Bay Area chapter of the Society of American Foresters meeting where UC Cooperative Extension’s tree expert, Dr. Igor Lagan briefed attendees about a concerning uptick of dying trees in Northern California. Igor provided graphic images of large stands of dead or dying blackwood acacias, eucalyptus, knob cone pines, and even native bushes such as toyon, manzanita and monkey flower. Concerns over these species die-offs are relatively recent and are in addition to our longstanding battles with Monterey pine and coast live oak mortality.
What has the task force found so far? Read on!
*written for and published in The Latest Dirt (editor Simone Adair)
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Interview with Steve Danziger, director of the
Moraga Orinda Fire Department
by David George
I caught up the other day with UC Master Gardener of Contra Costa, Steve Danziger to learn more about his volunteerism and contributions to our public good. Steve and his wife, Leesa (also a UC Master Gardener of Contra Costa) live in Orinda near the border with Moraga. When they are not busy with their public commitments, they enjoy growing 500+ pounds of veggies & fruit in their garden as well as tending to their mostly native plant landscape.
But Steve leads a busy life as a public servant as well. He spends most Wednesday mornings helping at Our Garden in Walnut Creek, ...
To brush up on Defensible Space and Firescaping to protect yourself against wildfires, read:
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Water as a Finite Resource |
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by Kathy Gage
Water is a finite resource. Even though about 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, less than 1% is available for human use. Too often we take for granted that when we turn on a faucet, water will flow, and the water that flows is safe for us to drink. Though so many US communities face uncertain water supply, each American household uses an average of 88 gallons of water each day, which includes outdoor spaces. Residential outdoor water usage in the US accounts for nearly 9 billion gallons of water every day, mostly for landscape.
Who tracks and controls water use?
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Please Touch that Dial!
A Guide for Monthly Irrigation Scheduling
by Lori Palmquist
Since we are officially in drought again — and the water companies are asking us to cut back— I have some suggestions for reducing your water usage in the landscape.
I’ll bet you’ve heard about adjusting your controller’s watering schedule seasonally. It makes perfect sense. Winter is when we get rain in the Bay Area. So, our controllers are off in winter. In spring, it rains a little. In summer, it’s hot, and we don’t get any rain. In fall, it’s still hot, and the rain starts mid- to late fall (usually November). But I’ll bet you didn’t know that the amount of water that plants require is different enough from month to month that we should be adjusting our irrigation schedules monthly, instead of seasonally.
Water in Your Garden - Taking Control on July 13 at 6 p.m.
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Gardening in Small Spaces |
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Repurposing Clean Household Water for Planters
By David George
Whether you are growing asters, or zinnias or anything in between, gardening in containers and planter pots can be challenging. Container-grown plants need frequent fertilizing and regular (but not too much) water. Plus, our winter weather has not provided your garden with sufficient rainfall the past two years. Bay Area water districts are calling for watering cutbacks this summer. But most homes and condominiums have an ample supply of water that just goes down the drain. Why pay high water bills or mess with gray washing machine water? Instead, you can repurpose clean shower and kitchen sink water for planter irrigation.
How about all that water wasted while your shower warms up? Read on!
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The Dangers of Homemade Pest Control Remedies |
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Severe drought puts a lot of stress on our plants. They become more vulnerably to diseases and increased insect populations.
Instructions for making homemade mixtures to control pests are easy to find online and in social media, and it’s tempting to make your own home remedy when pests invade, but did you know that what you are mixing is considered a pesticide? A pesticide is any mixture used to kill, destroy, repel, or mitigate a pest. Common garden pests include insects, spiders, weeds, plant diseases, and rodents.
Pesticide mixtures of household ingredients like dish soap, garlic, and vinegar (Figure 1) may seem innocuous and safer than store-bought formulated pesticides, but they can actually pose unrealized risks.
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Our popular Garden talks are back!
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Our Garden in Walnut Creek: every Wednesday
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June 30: Keeping deciduous fruit trees small and manageable
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July 7: Critters in the garden
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July 14: Pickling
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July 21: Permaculture
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Rivertown Demonstration Garden in Antioch: once a month on Tuesday
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June 29: Home composting and soil amendment
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July 20: Drought Tolerant landscapes
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Richmond Dry Garden: no scheduled talks but certainly worth a visit.
Consult the calendar on our website for more upcoming events and detailed information.
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Are you one of the 12,000+ viewers of our educational speaker programs this past year or on-demand? If not, we have you covered; all our past programs are all available for on-demand viewing anytime, anywhere. We continue to offer at least monthly evening webinars and post a recording of each program on our YouTube channel (@CoCoMGUC) within a few weeks after the live program.
Here is a list of upcoming webinars, if you want to catch live (or later on-demand). Registration is open for both our July webinars - Come join us! Information on other events can be found on our website and Facebook page or seen in our program eblasts.
REGISTER NOW! July 13 at 6 p.m.: Water in Your Garden - Taking Control
Tuesday, August 17 at 6 p.m.: How to Grow a Successful Winter Garden
Tuesday, September 21 at 6 p.m.: Cover Crops
Tuesday, October 19 at 6 p.m.: Managing Garden Critters
Tuesday, November 16 at 6 p.m.: What to Do About Weeds?
In addition to our webinars, we post additional on-demand content to our YouTube channel so make sure to check out our channel regularly or subscribe to get notified when new content is added. Up now you can view:
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El próximo curso de Jardineros en el Huerto
Cultivo de Verduras
es del 7 de agosto - 28 de agosto 2021.
¿Preguntas?
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Protect our Watershed
Artwork by Anulika Mishra, age 10
"The Contra Costa Water District organizes a WATER AWARENESS YOUTH ART CONTEST every year. Children within the ages group of 8 to 18 who reside or attend school in the Contra Costa Water District service area, which includes Antioch, Bay Point, Brentwood, Clayton, Clyde, Concord, Martinez, Oakley, Pacheco, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Port Costa and Walnut Creek, submit artwork Illustrating the importance of water in their life. Twelve entries are selected as winners after voting by the public, and are featured in their yearly calendar."
as well as
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Answer to our spring issue question
I have scales but I don't measure weight
I'm an insect but I'm not a cockroach
I feed on nectar but I'm not a bee
I'm colorful but I'm not a rainbow
I flutter but I'm not a hummingbird
What am I?
Correct answer: a butterfly
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Got a Gardening Question? |
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Virtual Ask a Master Gardener (VAAMG) is a NEW online offering to get answers for your gardening questions (pre-registration is required)
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Additionally, our Help Desk is staffed 50 weeks of the year,
Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-Noon.
Currently, we are communicating through email ONLY
In your email request:
- Include your name and city (plant advice depends on local conditions!).
- Describe the problem in detail. Include the name of the plant if known, when the problem began, and cultivation history such as watering, fertilizing, pruning, pesticides, etc.
- Send photographs, if appropriate.
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“Water is the driving force of all nature.”
Leonardo da Vinci
Images used in this newsletter are credited to UCANR.edu, UC Davis, Kate Verhoef, Maxpixel, Lori Palmquist, Sandy Steinman, Greg Letts, Janice Winsby, David George, Melissa Holmes, Ed Leszczynski, Nathan Dumlao, Anulika and Akshita Mishra, and H. Van Den Broeck
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