August Tips & Events for Santa Clara County |
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“The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies.” ~Gertrude Jekyll
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What is marching in formation on this berry? Look closely and you’ll see barrel-shaped cylinders with concentric circles ending in a bull’s eye. You might find them on the underside of leaves or in plain sight on fruits and vegetables in your garden. Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to identify this otherworldly-looking platoon. |
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Prune Apricot and Cherry Trees
August is the best time to prune apricot and cherry trees in our area. By pruning at least six weeks before the first fall rains, you reduce the chance of Eutypa dieback. Also, pruning in August instead of earlier causes less regrowth which means less wasted energy for you and the tree. If you pruned during the rainy season in past years, you should check your trees for Eutypa infection and prune limbs at least one foot below any visible infection. This fungal infection can kill a tree if not managed.
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Photo: Apricot tree with dead branch caused by Eutypa by Jack Kelly Clark, UC |
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Become a UC Master Gardener |
Do you love gardening? Do you love helping other people learn? Master Gardeners are a group of passionate volunteers whose mission is to educate the public with science-based horticultural research from UC. Want to join us?
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Time to Start Seedlings for Fall Vegetables |
Yes, it’s time to start seedlings for fall vegetables. Broccoli, cauliflower, beets, and fennel will take about 6 weeks to grow to transplant size. Greens such as lettuce, spinach, arugula, chard, and kale will be ready in 4 weeks. So for planting in mid- to late September, aim to start them in early to mid-August. You can grow them outdoors, but shade them from the hottest afternoon sun, and don’t let them dry out. See our vegetable help page for more information on cool-season vegetables.
Photo credit: Michigan State University
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Oriental Fruit Fly Quarantine Ended |
The oriental fruit fly quarantine that affected a large part of San Jose, Campbell, and eastern Los Gatos since last October has now ended. But if you notice a suspicious insect on any of your fruits or vegetables, check out the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Report a Pest website. There you can learn how to report a pest sighting.
Note that the county-wide Asian citrus psyllid quarantine is still in effect. See our website for restriction details.
Photo: Oriental fruit fly, by Jack Kelly Clark, UC ANR
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Trees Come First during Drought |
With no end of the drought in sight and water restrictions in place, Santa Clara County residents must make some tough landscaping choices right now – namely which plants in our yards should receive our limited supply of water? The answer is trees. Because trees take years to grow, they aren’t as easily replaced as other plants. Besides that, trees provide shade critical to cooling our homes while releasing oxygen and reducing energy use. Using a hose or a soaker hose, slowly trickle water in a large circle under the canopy of the tree (but not right at the trunk). Deep watering for two hours once every few weeks will keep established trees alive. |
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Photo: Water trees with a soaker hose placed under canopy, by Laura Lukes
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Photos: Green stink bug instar (nymph) stages by Herb Pilcher, USDA-ARS, adult by James Castner, University of Florida
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Quiz Answer: Stink Bug Eggs
Those are stink bug eggs in the quiz photo above. Soon they will hatch, shapeshifting in appearance five times before becoming adults. Called stink bugs because they excrete a smelly fluid when disturbed, these insects feed on a variety of fruits, nuts, and vegetables, leaving blemishes and dark pinpricks in their wake. The best way to control them is to handpick eggs and bugs off plants and get rid of weeds where they may live. It’s not helpful to use insecticides because by the time you notice damage, the stink bugs will likely be gone already.
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The Plant Clinic Online will return in September. No Plant Clinic in August.
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Check our calendar for the latest schedule of events. Videos of many past presentations are also available.
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University of California Master Gardener volunteers promote sustainable gardening practices and provide research-based horticultural information to home gardeners. Visit our website for more information including:
Have a gardening question? Ask us. We’re here to help!
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