September Tips & Events for Santa Clara County |
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"All gardeners live in beautiful places, because they make them so." ~Joseph Joubert
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Water conservation continues to be a huge issue. We have lots of daily decisions to make about how to use water wisely; the last thing we want to do is waste it. Many programmed irrigation systems run in the pre-dawn hours when no one is around to observe them. It is important to run your system regularly while looking for leaks, fountains, crooked or broken sprinklers, and watering of sidewalks. Check all connectors for wetness. Watch your plants for signs of underwatering, overwatering, or uneven watering. And make sure your water bill hasn’t unexpectedly jumped. As always, adjust the timers monthly as the weather changes, or use an automatically-adjusting smart controller. Valley Water can help residents with Water Wise Outdoor Surveys and Landscape Rebate Programs.
Photo: Leaking water hose connection
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Many things go into deciding when to take out your warm-season vegetables and when to put in your cool-season crops. For example, are the current plants starting to be less productive? Is the amount of food you’re getting no longer worth the amount of water you are using? Are there a lot more yellow or brown leaves? Are there more signs of pests and diseases that are weakening plants, reducing photosynthesis, and spreading pathogens? Are botanical fruits like peppers producing fewer flowers, or are herbs producing more flowers and going to seed? Have you had your fill of certain vegetables or are your canning jars and freezer full? And do you need the space for your winter crops? In order to maximize both seasons, you can start cool-season vegetables in containers, interplant them with soon-to-be-removed vegetables, or buy them later as transplants.
Photo: Old cucumber plants to be removed, by Laura Monczynski
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Whether you’re replacing your lawn with drought-resistant plants or filling in spaces with various ornamental plants, now is a great time for planting. The plants will have time to establish roots before the cold of winter and especially before the heat of next summer. We live in a Mediterranean climate, characterized by warm-to-hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. That means we are most likely to have success growing plants that are native to California and Northern Baja California; Central Chile; Western Cape of South Africa; Southwest and Southern Australia; and the Mediterranean Basin. Local California natives in particular need little to no amending of the soil because they have evolved in our clay soils. Make sure to water new plantings regularly until they have established good root systems and can survive with less supplemental water. |
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Photo: California Native flowers, by Ola Lundin, UC
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Cover Crops
You may want to rest in the winter, but the soil life needs to remain active and protected and preferably weed-free. If you’re not planting vegetables or ornamentals in an area for a few months, try plants designed to feed the soil and the organisms that live in it. Fava beans are the most popular cover crop in this area and can be seen in abundance in community gardens. While fava beans are edible, they provide the most nitrogen to the soil if they are cut up and dug in while they are still in the flowering stage. Other common crops are clover, vetch, and bell beans. Different cover crops provide a variety of benefits, and you can even buy seed mixes at some local nurseries or through seed companies. Hopefully, the winter rains will provide most of the irrigation. Then in the spring while the crops are still green, you can cut up the plants and mix them into the soil, or add them to the compost pile as a nitrogen source.
Photo: Clover mix cover crop, by Chuck A. Ingels, UC
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Late Tomatoes
How many more edible tomatoes can you expect to get this year? Any tomatoes currently on the plant are likely to ripen nicely in the next month or so. Current blossoms may lead to good tomatoes, mealy tasteless tomatoes, or none at all. It depends on the weather. Many of us have taken the gamble and eaten tomatoes into December and beyond, more for the challenge and bragging rights than for exquisite flavor. But a cool fall can affect production and quality, and some gardeners start removing blossoms now. This allows the plant’s energy to go into the existing fruit. If we have another mild winter like last year, the plant could survive and produce another crop of tomatoes next summer. We each make our own decisions based on our guesses, hopes, energy level, and available garden space.
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Photo: Tomato blossom, by Allen Buchinski
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Our monthly Plant Clinic Online is an opportunity to chat with a Master Gardener via Zoom to diagnose a plant problem. You can also listen and learn while other people ask questions. It takes place on the second Saturday of the month (September 11), from 10–noon. Priority will be given to questions that are emailed in advance; instructions are in the Zoom registration confirmation. Registration required
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Check our calendar for the latest schedule of events. Videos of many past presentations are also available.
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University of California Master Gardener volunteers promote sustainable gardening practices and provide research-based horticultural information to home gardeners. Visit our website for more information including:
Have a gardening question? Contact our Help Desk (for Santa Clara County residents). Start by reviewing our plant problem diagnosis tips and then:
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