July Tips & Events for Santa Clara County |
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“Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.” ~Gerard De Nerval
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If you look closely in your garden, you may find a curious object like this on a leaf. But you’ll need sharp eyes. It’s only 1/16" in length and is attached to a plant by a fine stalk. This picture shows just one, but you might find many side-by-side. |
Photo credit: Jack Kelly Clark, UC
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Photo credit: Lucio Liu, Pixabay
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Know Which Plants Are Toxic to Pets |
Our pets love spending time in our gardens as much as we do. But be aware that some plants may pose a hazard to them, especially if your pets are prone to nibbling on plants. Cats may even accidentally ingest toxins from lily pollen by brushing against the lilies and then grooming themselves. Some common plants that can sicken pets include daffodils, philodendrons, jade, chrysanthemums, and aloe vera. Fertilizers such as blood and bone meal can also be dangerous. If you suspect your pet has eaten something toxic, veterinarians advise not waiting until symptoms appear. Call your vet immediately or call the ASPCA’s 24-hour emergency poison hotline at 1-888-426-4435.
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Plan for New Ornamentals — But Wait to Plant |
Now is the time to plan for the summer-blooming ornamentals you’d like to add to your landscape next year. Warm-weather plants are flourishing now, and a stroll through your neighborhood will give you plenty of ideas. Download one of the many free mobile apps that will identify plants just by taking a picture with your phone. Some apps will even provide optimal growing conditions and gardening advice. List the plants you want to add but wait until fall before heading to the nursery. Planting during the cooler autumn days in the still-warm soil encourages healthy root growth, resulting in vibrant ornamentals in your yard next year.
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Photo: Regal geranium, Pelargonium domesticum, Barbara Krause
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Watering your landscape in the early morning hours helps reduce water use because there’s less evaporation due to lower temperatures and less wind. But there’s a disadvantage too because you might not see problems as they arise. A broken pipe or disconnected fitting can result in an early morning geyser that you don’t know about. Inspect your irrigation system to prevent problems like this. Check monthly to ensure water is going where you intend it to. Valley Water has a list of more landscape irrigation best practices.
Photo credit: Allen Buchinski
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Brown Patches on Tomatoes |
It’s heartbreaking to pick your first ripe tomato and find an ugly brown lesion on the bottom. What is it and why does it happen? It’s called blossom end rot (BER), and surprisingly, it’s not a disease but is due to calcium delivery problems in the growing tomato. When the plant is growing rapidly in the spring, it may have a hard time keeping up with calcium demand, even when there is plenty of calcium in the soil. Maintaining a regular irrigation schedule helps, but some varieties are simply more susceptible than others. Happily, you can still eat your tomato by cutting off the damaged area, and you should see less BER as the season progresses.
Photo credit: Help Desk submission
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What Are Those Tiny Black Flies on My Squash Blossoms? |
If you look closely at the big, beautiful, golden blossoms on your squash plants, you’ll likely see bees busy pollinating them. But you may also see a lot of little black flies and wonder what they are. You’d be in good company, because even some entomologists refer to those as “wonder flies,” since “we wonder what they are.” Don’t worry, the flies aren’t doing any harm, and even tiny flies can act as pollinators. Though if you’re going to eat your squash blossoms, be sure to shake them out well first! |
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Photo: Two bees and many flies in a squash blossom, Kathy Keatley Garvey, UC ANR
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Quiz Answer: Green Lacewing Egg |
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Photo: Green lacewing larva feeding on an aphid; inset: adult insect, Jack Kelly Clark, UC
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The green lacewing is a beneficial insect in the garden. It lays its eggs on the end of thread-like stalks which are attached to plant leaves or stems. After hatching, the larvae eat just about anything they encounter, including aphids, caterpillars, mites, and scale. An adult female lays 100 to 300 eggs in its weeks-long life, and there are several generations each year. If you see any, let them work! |
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Our monthly Plant Clinic Online is an opportunity to chat with a Master Gardener via Zoom to diagnose a plant problem. You can also listen and learn while other people ask questions. It takes place on the second Saturday of the month (July 8), from 10–noon. Priority will be given to questions that are emailed in advance; instructions are in the Zoom registration confirmation. Registration required.
The Versatility of Succulents, Saturday, July 22, 1–3 pm, Sunnyvale Teaching and Demonstration Garden, Charles Street Gardens, 433 Charles Street, Sunnyvale
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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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