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Beautiful Plants and Inspired Designs since 1954

Dear Friends of Anderson's La Costa,

Happy August!

How did that happen so fast? We are in the full swing of summer and in many ways, it feels like it should still be July. We hope you are finding time to spend in your garden during the cool of the morning and evening and admiring the beauty of it all in between.

August Newsletter Specials

20% Off

Berries &

Indoor Ficus

Our berries are going crazy right now! Blueberry, raspberry, boysenberry, blackberry. Come take your pick, 20% off.

Indoor plants can be the most important and dramatic piece of decor in a room, not to mention being great for cleaning the air. All indoor Ficus are now on sale - including Ficus Lyrata (fiddle leaf figs), F. Audrey, F. triangularis, F. elastica, and more. Take a stroll through the greenhouse to find your favorite.

The time to harvest my blueberries and peach tree is nearing its end, but my vegetable garden (especially tomatoes) is now ripening in rapid succession. I'm also noticing a rise in insect pests throughout the garden. Time to monitor and spray as needed. Minor infestations can be tolerated and beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings take care of some problems, but sometimes spraying must be done. You can usually take care of most pest problems with just 3-4 products.



My recommendation is to use Captain Jack's Deadbug (spinosad) which works on a variety of insect pests including caterpillars and ants. Mia McCarville recommends this - it won't kill on contact but they take it back to the nest. Then, some form of B.T. (Bacillus thuringiensis) for the caterpillar and chewing pests, and either Orchard Spray (Pyrethrins) or Take Down (Pyrethrins and canola oil to help the product stick to the leaf) for a contact spray (aphids, mites, and more). These products are organic however it is always best to spray during the evening hours since the product is more effective and avoids daytime pollinators plus chewing insects tend to be more active at night.

You may have noticed our large Ficus trees have been laced (canopy thinned out). We made the decision to do this after several branches had broken or cracked from all the excessive weight at the tips of the branches. This is definitely something to keep and eye out for especially with larger mature trees. Be sure to have your trees trimmed by a professional! I would never entrust such a task to someone who isn't certified or highly recommended.

Marc recenty created a new area to display our outdoor bromeliads and it looks great. There are many reasons to choose bromeliads for the landscape. They are very low maintenance (in fact they multiply and you can spread them around if you like), they don't require much water (lightly water the soil and make sure there is water in the leaves which is actually where the plant absorbs it), and they have shallow roots (you can plant them around the base of palm trees or in soils where it is difficult to dig too deep). Bromeliads also offer a variety of foliage and texture to a garden. 

There are many plants that we get in that I find quite interesting. Currently, we have a selection of grafted Grevillea. This is particularly interesting because as grafted plants they are less resistant to rot and can also take regular fertilizer without being damaged. In fact, the grower said he uses 15-10-15 and they look fantastic. He even grafted some of the groundcovers onto taller rootstock to make them look like small weeping trees. 

Plumeria are looking great and are starting to bloom. We offer some great varieties from the collector types, to miniature (more compact) varieties, and ones I've never even heard of.

The cactus and succulent area is fully restocked with all kinds of goodies. We have a nice array of 5-gallon cactus along the parking lot side of the section. Worth looking at.

Asclepias (milkweed) are in high demand as the butterflies are now out in full force. We get new shipments every week and we carry the California native types and Gomphrocarpus (African milkweed relative).

We now have a new line of wooden planters made from Acacia which is a very strong and resistant wood.

Our sale this month features Berries such as blueberries, raspberries, boysenberries, and blackberries. Make sure to use acidic amendments and fertilizers when planting for best results. Blueberries are partially self-fertile, so you will harvest more and larger berries by planting two or more varieties together. Planting more than one variety can also extend the harvest season.

Indoor Ficus of all types are 20% off this month. We carry Ficus lyrata (fiddle leaf fig), Ficus 'Audrey', Ficus elastica (Burgundy, ruby, and Tineke), Ficus triangularis, and a few more. 

That wraps it up for this edition. I hope you are all enjoying your summer and I look forward to seeing you at the nursery.

Your Local Horticulturalist,

Steven

The Anderson’s La Costa great cactus line up.

As we sit comfortably (warm) in the middle of summer, it is time to sit back, relax and enjoy your garden. Take a peek to see if there's anything that might need some attention, or simple chores like watering and deadheading that can be done in the early, cool mornings or later into the evening.

Regardless, now is the time to reap what you've sowed - if not literally then figuratively! Enjoy the fruit of your labor. However, if you are inclined to poke around in your garden, here are a few midsummer reminders:

Watering and pest control will be your main tasks this month. Remember the basics: Water in the early morning, and water the soil to the extent of the radius of the leaves, and not the leaves themselves. Water deeply and occasionally rather than shallow and often. It is important to water plants deeply during the hot summer...

To continue reading Mid-Summer Gardening Tips, click here.

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