April Tips & Events for Santa Clara County
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“
Every spring is the only spring—a perpetual astonishment.
”
—
Doug Larson
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2018 Spring Garden Market!
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Want help starting your summer garden? Visit our Spring Garden Market at our
new location
: Martial Cottle Park. Choose from a huge variety of
tomato
,
pepper
,
herb
, and
flower
seedlings, plus an assortment of
succulents
. All raised right here in Santa Clara Valley. We grow many varieties not available elsewhere, selected for outstanding taste, beauty, and performance in our soil and climate.
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Spring into Summer with Vegetables!
I
t’s a great time to start transplants from seed indoors even if the soil is too chilly to seed or transplant summer vegetables outside. While you are waiting for those to be ready, you can still sneak in some cool season greens like bok choy or spinach to make full use of your garden space. See our
vegetable planting chart
for details.
Photo: Pepper seedlings at Martial Cottle Park
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Painting Tree Trunks
Trunks and scaffold branches of some trees, particularly young fruit trees, can get sunburned. When this happens, the bark can crack or peel and allow pests and insects to enter the wood. The best way to avoid this is to paint them with white interior latex paint, mixed half and half with water.
Photo: UC, by Jack Kelly Clark
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Sooty Mold on Citrus
That black coating on some of your orange leaves is not a systemic disease of the tree, so don’t reach for the chemicals. It is a mold that grows on “honeydew” which is the sugary excrement of insects like aphids, whiteflies, and scale. Also, ants protect those insects in order to feed on the honeydew. To prevent sooty mold, use a strong jet of water to wash off insects. For ants, spread a sticky substance (such as Tanglefoot) on tape wrapped around the trunk.
Photo:
sooty mold on citrus leaves infested with scale, UC, by Jack Kelly Clark
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Keeping Ants Out
Ants serve a useful function in the garden, aiding in decomposition. Yet they are never welcome indoors! Exclusion and sanitation are the primary strategies for keeping them outdoors. Seal any cracks and other entry points with caulk. And make sure that the kitchen in particular is kept clean and dry, with food well-sealed. Argentine ants are the most common species in our area.
Photo: Argentine Ant, Pests of the Garden and Small Farm, A Grower’s Guide to Using Less Pesticide, Second Edition, by Jack Kelly Clark
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Native Plants
If you are looking to prepare your yard for future droughts, planting California natives is a good start. They evolved in our area with the same weather, soil, and pollinators. This makes them easy to care for with little or no need for supplemental water or fertilizers once they have a year or so to establish a good root system. The
California Native Plant Society website
is a good resource for more information. To see native plants in use in gardens in your area, sign up for one or both Going Native Garden Tours, for
Northern
or
Southern
Santa Clara County.
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There's Still Time to Apply!
If you're interested in learning what it takes to become a Master Gardener, there's
more information on our website
. Applications are accepted every other year. The deadline to join this year’s process is May 31.
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Visit or subscribe to
our blog
for longer articles on seasonal topics
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Have a gardening question? Contact our Hotline (for Santa Clara County residents). Start by reviewing our plant
problem diagnosis tips
.
The University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Santa Clara County Master Gardener Program volunteers are trained under the auspices of the UCCE. Our mission is to promote sustainable gardening practices by providing up-to-date, research-based horticultural information to home gardeners.
The University of California prohibits discrimination or harassment of any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy (including childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or status as a covered veteran (covered veterans are special disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, Vietnam era veterans, or any other veterans who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized) in any of its programs or activities.
University policy is intended to be consistent with the provisions of applicable State and Federal laws.
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