Transcript *************N***********N*******N*******N***N***N***N***N***N***N

DOING THE GROUNDWORK
Beautiful Gardens from
the Ground Up
Karrie Reid, M.S.
Staff Research Associate
UC Davis, Dept. of Plant Sciences
It All Begins with the Soil
•
•
•
•
•
TEXTURE
STRUCTURE
DEPTH
ORGANIC MATTER CONTENT
pH
It All Begins with the Soil
•TEXTURE: particle sizes
–Cobbled Clay: fine particles mixed
with large stones
–Mixing with sand can produce
concrete
–Organic amendments ideal for
improvement
FOLSOM COBBLE
Remove and reuse for
Borders, Paths, and
downspout drains
It All Begins with the Soil
•STRUCTURE: aggregates and
pores
–Heavy, strong structure
–Small, few pores inhibit oxygen
and water movement
–Compaction from construction
–Anaerobic
It All Begins with the Soil
•DEPTH: determines rooting depth
–HARDPANS
–Top soil removed in construction
–Remaining soil is shallow and
inverted
It All Begins with the Soil
•OM CONTENT: minimal
–Stabilizes structure
–Moderates pH
–Provides nutrients
•pH: tends to be HIGH
–Nutrient uptake inhibited
How Do You Fix It?
ADD
ORGANIC
MATTER
•Improves structure (for H2O and O2)
•Lowers and buffers pH
•Adds nutrients
To Amend or
Not to Amend?
IT DEPENDS!
Whole bed, partial bed,
under trees?
New Beds-YES!
1.Add at least 4-6” or more of composted
OM and till in to twice the depth
2.Basic soil sulfur will help lower soil pH
SLOWLY and for longer
3.Use natural blood meal or bone meal
for Nitrogen and Phosphorous
Already Planted Beds
•Add blood meal/ soil sulfur
•Top with 1-2” compost
•ADD 3-4” MULCH
Under Trees-NO
•Mulch- but keep 4-6 inches
from trunk
•If planting under-follow last
•Plant carefully into holes just
big enough to accommodate
2 x the width of plant roots
Every Year
•Add some fresh compost
•Top off thinning mulch
•Address specific problems
Specific Corrections
•PROBLEM: Old leaves yellowing,
dying
•CAUSE: Nitrogen deficiency
•TREATMENT: Blood meal and/or
soil sulfur to lower pH
Specific Corrections
•Old leaves yellow between veins
•CAUSE: Magnesium deficiency
•TREATMENT: Epsom salt
Specific Corrections
•PROBLEM: Young leaves yellow
between veins
•CAUSE: Iron deficiency
•TREATMENT: Soil sulfur to lower
pH
Compost to
improve aeration!
1.Put plants together
2.READ LABELS for eventual SIZE
and LIGHT needs
3.DON’T BUY IF overly root-bound,
diseased, broken crown
1.Buy enough for slight overlap:
i. 6” or less for large
ii.3” or less for small
2.Buy larger for back, smaller for front
3.Buy the SMALLEST POT SIZE
available
PLANTING
Prepare by watering the area
well 2-3 days before you plan
to amend or plant!
PLANTING
• Dig hole 2X as wide and AS DEEP
• Place plant root ball on firm soil
and begin replacing soil
• Firm soil with hands around the
plant roots
• Build berm and water in thoroughly
Keep top of root ball slightly
above soil level
ADD MULCH!!!
MULCH !!!
• 2” is okay – 3” is better
•Conserves moisture
•COOLS SOIL
•Suppresses weeds
•Slowly adds OM to soil
MULCH !!!
•Trees- keep 6” from
trunk
•Shrubs- keep 3” from
trunk
•Perennials- closer
• REPLACE WITH TOP
DRESSING EVERY 2-3
YEARS
1.Regular water the first year
i. Every 2-3 days in the heat
ii. Once a week as it cools and rains
iii.CHECK BY FEEL
2.For larger shrubs and trees -2 years
3.After establishment:
i. Knock down berm
ii. 1x - 4x/month: DEEP AND SLOW
iii. NO WINTER WATER
INTERMISSION
QUESTIONS?
Perennials-shade
Rosy Coral Bells
Heuchera rosada (and others)
Perennials-shade
Island alumroot
Heuchera maxima
Perennials-shade
Lenten rose
Helleborus x hybridus
•low
evergreen
•Blooms in
winter to 1 ft.
Perennialsshade
Giant chain fern
Woodwardia fimbriata
Perennialsshade
Pigsqueak
Bergenia crassifolia
•Low evergreen
•Blooms in winter
Perennials-semi-shade
Hummingbird Sage
Salvia spathacea
Perennials/ groundcover semi-shade to sun
Dwarf plumbago
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
•Slowly creeping
groundcover
•Long bloom:
summer through
fall
•Red fall color
Perennials-semi-shade/sun
Cape balsam- Bulbine frutescens
SUN Perennials
Iris PCH Hybrid ‘Canyon Snow’
•Spring bloomer
•Evergreen foliage
SUN Perennials
Penstemon ‘Margarita BOP’
•Non-stop bloomer
•Evergreen foliage
SUN Perennials
‘Max Frei’ Soapwort
Saponaria x lempergii
•Low, mounding
evergreen
•Blooms in spring
to fall
SUN Perennials
California fucshia
Epilobium sp.
•Low mound to
upright form
•Attracts
hummingbirds!!!
SUN Perennials
Snow-in-summer
Santa Barbara daisy
Cerastium tomentosum
Erigeron karvinskianus
•Low mounds
•Spread slowly
Ornamental grasses
Blue grama grass
California fescue
Giant feather grass
Grasses/ grasslike plants
San Diego sedge
Pine muhly
SMALL Shrub-shade
Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’
HIGHLY FRAGRANT!
•Evergreen
•Blooms in
winter
SMALL ShrubsShade/semi-shade
Oregon grape
Berberis aquifolia
‘Compacta’
•Fruit for native birds
•Good for under oaks
•Attracts butterflies
and beneficial insects
•Blooms
winter/spring
© By Ken Gililland
MED-LARGE ShrubsShade/ semi shade
Golden currant
Ribes aureum
SPICY FRAGRANCE!
•MED-LARGE
•Good for under oaks
•Attracts butterflies
and beneficial insects
•Blooms in winterspring
•Small (2’)
Evergreen
•Blooms in
winter
LARGE Shrub-semi shade
Western spice bush
Calycanthus occidentalis
SUN Shrubs- SMALL
2 lavenders
‘Goodwin Creek Grey’
‘Otto Quast’ Spanish lavender
SUN Shrubs- SMALL
Autumn sage
Salvia greggii and Salvia x jamensis
SUN Shrubs- small-large
‘Valley Violet’ California lilac
Ceanothus maritimus
SUN Shrubs- medium
‘Marie Simon’ wild lilac
Ceanothus x pallidus
•Semi-deciduous
•Attractive red
stems
SUN Shrubs- small- med.
‘Gruss an Achen’ floribunda rose
With lavender and catmint
SUN Shrubs: small-med
Rosa ‘Korbin’ or Iceberg rose
SUN Shrubsmedium
Lynn’s everblooming
Texas sage
Leucophyllum langmaniae
‘Lynn’s Legacy’
SUN Shrubsmedium
Vine hill manzanita
Arctostaphylos ‘Howard McMinn’
•Tolerates clay soils
•Attractive to hummingbirds and ben. insects
SUN Shrubs: medium
bladderpod
Isomeris arborea
•Flowers attract
hummingbirds,
butterflies and bees
•Blooms year round
SUN Plants for winter bloom
Winter honeysuckle
Winter jasmine
Think low-water
Forsythia!
SUN Plants for winter bloom
‘Christmas Cheer’
Torch Lily
Vines for hot, dry gardens
Chilean jasmine
Mandevilla laxa
Violet trumpet vine
Clytostoma callistegioides
Shade/Semi-shade Combo:
Cool colors
SUN Perennials Combo:Cool colors
SUN Combo:
Red, white and blue:
SUN Combo:
Hot colors
SUN Combo: Primary colors
Herb Garden
Large shrub/ small tree
Crape myrtle –Lagerstroemia hybrids
All-Star Trees-small
Snowy River wattle
Acacia boormanii
All-Star Trees-small
Island mountain mahogany
Cercocarpus betuloides ‘blanchae’
All-Star Trees-small
Western redbud
Cercis occidentalis
All-Star Trees-small
Toyon, Christmas berry
Heteromeles arbutifolia
All-Star Trees-medium
Chilean lily-of-the-valley tree
Crinodendron patagua
All-Star Trees-medium
Chinese fringe tree
Chionanthus retusus
All-Star Trees-large
Valley Oak
Quercus lobata
Trees-large
Coast Redwood