Around Town Vallejo

Drought Resistant Planting

By David R. Giger, The Garden Coach

Some say that we are in a drought year. When many home gardeners hear this they automatically start thinking of drought tolerant plants because they want to conserve water. You’d be surprised how much vegetation there is currently around your home landscape that doesn’t require a lot of water. There are also many plants you can install that are not super slurpers.

Those old shade trees around your house are a great example of plants you don’t worry about watering. The important thing to do of course is to deep water them for the first two years after planting. After that just be sure to keep your lawn at least 18 inches away from the base of the tree! Those big shade trees are also really important for water conservation all around your home. The more shade you have the less water you will be using on the rest of the plants, specially the lawn. Energy conservation of your home will be improved also.

Like trees, shrubs also do not need a lot of water after establishment. This is about a year after planting. Infrequent deep-watering is good. A drip system or soaker hose works well for this. Some shrubs don’t need much supplemental water at all like photinia, nandina and dodonaea (purple hop bush). This depends, however, that we get the normal rainfall in the winter. Also, soil type makes a difference. Heavy soils that are high in clay content will hold water much longer than sandy soil. This is a big problem with lavender in clay soils. The soil holds so much water that the plant gets root rot and dies. Your shrubs should stay healthy as long as you don’t prune them when the weather is hot and dry. Actually, only a few acid-loving shrubs such as camellias and azaleas need frequent watering.

Most perennials need regular water. That is when the top several inches of the soil is dry it is time to water. I have found that some perennials like agapanthus, common geranium and bearded iris are drought tolerant. Like lavender, armeria (sea pink) and scaevola don’t like wet feet. The main thing with perennials and shrubs is that they are in the right environment. If they are in the environment they are meant to be in they will be fine. This environment is usually listed on the plant tag. The Sunset Western Garden Book will also have all the pertinent cultural facts on your plants.

Some people recommend native plants. These are great because they are used to only what nature provides. You will have to look hard, however, to find them in nurseries. My favorite native is the California poppy. These are easy to find in seed packets. Just spread them in the fall. One great place to see and buy California natives is the UC Davis Arboretum (arboretum.ucdavis.edu). Also the Arboretum Terrace next to Borders Bookstore in Davis is a great little place to see hardy Central Valley plants together in a landscape setting.

-David R. Giger has been a professional landscape gardener in Woodland since 1993. He can be reached at <a href=”mailto:Dmmegiger@aol.com”>Dmmegiger@aol.com</a>.

Plant Right

California home gardeners protect wildlands and wildlife by avoiding invasive plants.

By Ann Schmidt-Fogarty

With a burst of spring energy, California’s PlantRight campaign has kicked off across the state to empower home gardeners to avoid using invasive plants. Invasive species are the second leading threat to wildlife and biodiversity, and are expensive for public parks and agencies to remove. Although most garden plants are not a threat, more than half of invasive plants originally arrived through gardens and landscaping, so home gardening choices matter. The PlantRight campaign is led by a diverse partnership of the horticulture industry, environmental groups, scientists, public agencies and other experts to help home gardeners make smart gardening choices that protect California’s unique wildlands and wildlife.

“Most of the plants used in gardens and landscaping do not invade natural areas and harm wildlife. But a few species can – and do – escape from cultivated areas into open landscapes and cause serious ecological problems,” said Terri Kempton, PlantRight Manager at Sustainable Conservation. “Fortunately, there are plenty of beautiful, safe alternatives to invasives, so it’s easy for gardeners to find plants that will thrive in their yard.

For each region of California, PlantRight’s steering committee identified the problem plants and non-invasive alternatives that will thrive in that area. These are shown on the PlantRight website, www.PlantRight.org.

The PlantRight campaign asks gardeners to: (1) Avoid planting invasives; (2) Plant beautiful non-invasive alternatives; (3) Find local retail partners and other resources at www.PlantRight.org.

“Invasive plants like brooms, Arundo donax and iceplant cause significant harm to parks and natural areas across California,” said Ruth Coleman, Director of California State Parks. “They crowd out native plants, insects and animals. Once they take hold, they are expensive to remove or control. Invasions can also lead to flooding and fires.”

For example, Arundo donax (giant reed) forms massive stands that crowd out the native plants that provide valuable habitat for birds and other wildlife. At least 10 protected animal species in California, including the endangered bird the Least Bell’s Vireo, suffer habitat loss due to invading Arundo. These tall plants burn quickly and at high temperatures, allowing flames to jump streams that would normally act as barriers to the spread of wildfires. Safe alternatives include Clumping Bamboos (Bamboos multiplex, B. oldhamii, Fargesia nitida) and New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax cultivars).

Nationally, invasive plants cost more than $35 billion per year in eradication work and economic losses. In California alone, $85 million in taxpayer funds go to fighting invasive species every year. Fortunately, home gardeners and professionals are making smart choices to avoid planting invasive varieties.

“Plant growers, garden centers and landscaping professionals can help gardening enthusiasts find the perfect match for their needs,” said Bob Falconer, Executive Vice President, California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers.

In addition to being environmentally responsible, some non-invasive plants offer additional benefits such as drought resistance, lower fertilizer requirements, attracting wildlife and reducing fire risks.

About PlantRight

PlantRight was created by the California Horticultural Invasives Prevention (Cal-HIP) partnership to help protect California wildlands and wildlife from invasive plants. Sustainable Conservation, a nonprofit organization known for forging lasting collaborative solutions to critical environmental problems, created the Cal-HIP partnership and manages PlantRight. www.PlantRight.org.