In many parts of the world fall arrives with clear signs, but here in SoCal the signs are subtle. There’s still a lot of activity in the garden, and this week we share what we see all around. There are learning opportunities in the captions, so take a look at the links.
Signs of Fall Arriving
Brassica sprouts under grow lights. The time is here! Some of these became too leggy (back right) due to not enough direct light. We’ll cut those down and re-seed. If you’re starting seeds, this video shares two ways to do it. Stinging nettle volunteers ensure that we have healthy, very green soups in fall and winter. Let plants go to seed this year, and you’ll have happy volunteers for free. This video has more info about volunteers. Comfrey loves cooler weather. It’s starting to take off again after a summer die back. It does go dormant in winter, but there’s still time to enjoy it this fall. We’re harvesting apples (safe within our pest control contraption, and the tree started flowering again. It’s weird but we’ll take it.What’s the proper way to pinch basil as the season comes to a close? This post and video shows you how.
Other Cool Stuff
Fall means new gardens here at Gardenerd. This was a big soil and mulch delivery for a new project we’re working on for UC Irvine. More on this when it’s complete!
This is what happens when rootstock gets away from you. This stone fruit tree is grafted to ornamental plum rootstock (purple leaves) and the rootstock took over. It needs to be pruned away. End of summer/early fall is the best time to prune stone fruits (if there’s no rain in the forecast). Take this time to remove rootstock, waters prouts, and the 3 Ds: Dead, diseased and disorderly branches. We’ve got a pruning video to help you along.
Praying mantis awaits a target on the window screen. Find out what they eat here.Bagrada bugs on arugula (a mustard family plant). Find out how to deal with them inside Creating a Healthy Garden, our online pest control course. Registration closes tomorrow, Oct. 6, 2022. Get on board as fall arrives.
