Welcome to Michelle Reyno, our newest member Michelle saw our flyer on FB for our plant sale, came and decided to become a member.
Her mother, who recently passed on June 1st this past year, is the person who inspired her interest in gardening. Succulents are her favorites and playing her music and creating in her garden make her very happy.
She recently designed a succulent sphere and has more design projects in mind. She's interested in helping with our Beautification Community projects.
Dates to Remember 2nd Deviled Eggs Day 3rd Sandwich Day 4th Common Sense Day 13th World Kindness Day 14th Pickle Day 19th Use Less Stuff Day 21st World Hello Day 22nd Go For a Ride Day 26th Cake Day 27th Buy Nothing Day Club Birthdays Becky Anderson 11/1/20 Bob Laycock 11/11/20 D Jane Miller 11/16/20 Gayle Matthews 11/18/20 Joann Nixon 11/19/20 Colleen Banes 11/22/20 Liz Hopkins 11/26/20 Cynthia Struckmeyer 11/28/20 Kate Genato 11/28/20
November Gardening To-Do List November can bring chilly nights to Northern California. But there will still be some warm days. In Northern California:
· Add organic matter to flower borders and other garden beds.
· Cover your compost pile so that the rain does not leach out its nutrients.
· Harvest your cool-season vegetables often. Practice succession planting to maximize your harvest.
· Sow wildflower seeds.
· Begin control of insect pests in the stone-fruit orchard.
· Plant roses and azaleas.
· Divide perennials.
· Plant camellias and tropical fruit trees.
· Prune flowering trees after they are done flowering.
· Prepare for winter: If cool-season crops are not going to be grown in your garden, and you have harvested all your summer vegetables, it is time to get your garden ready for winter. Remove all plant material and dispose of it either in your compost bin or in your green recycle container. Do not put diseased, insect-infested plant materials, or weeds that have gone to seed in your compost, as all disease-producing organisms or weed seeds may not be killed during the composting process.
· Now that the leaves are changing colors and falling to the ground, be sure to rake them up and put them in your compost pile (discard any diseased leaves). If you have more leaves than room in your compost pile, place a layer (shredded if possible – run your lawn mower over them) onto your vegetable beds, planted or not.
· Leaves are great organic mulch that will help keep the soil from eroding and crusting, and the leaves will break down over time, release nutrients, and help improve the structure of the soil. And red worms love them! If you still have too many leaves, you can stockpile them in large garbage cans or lawn/leaf bags for use during the next year. Be sure to keep them out of the rain
Plant of the Month: Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemums, sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants of the genus Chrysanthemum in the family Asteraceae. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia and the center of diversity is in China. Countless horticultural varieties and cultivars exist.
Planted for their spectacular blooms that come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, mums are the perfect fall-blooming plant. Their showy flowers appear in late summer and continue into the fall, creating dense mats of color. If you are planning on overwintering them, plant mums in late spring to give them time to develop roots.
GENUS NAME
Chrysanthemum
LIGHT
Part Sun /Sun
PLANT TYPE
HEIGHT
1 to 3 feet
WIDTH
1-3 feet wide
FLOWER COLOR
FOLIAGE COLOR
SEASON FEATURES
Fall/ Summer Bloom
SPECIAL FEATURES
ZONES
5-9
PROPAGATION
Colorful Combinations
With almost every color of the rainbow available, chrysanthemums can enhance any garden or container. Plant breeders are even working on perfecting a true blue! Mum bloom shapes and sizes are quite spectacular, with a wide range of sizes including the common small cushion mum to the giant spider mums.
Chrysanthemum Care Must-Knows
Growing mums is an easy task if you keep a few things in mind. Plant mums in well-drained, evenly moist soil. These plants will quickly rot if where they are planted stays too wet. If you have a heavy, dry soil, such as hard clay, mums would benefit from added compost and peat moss to loosen the soil. Mums can also be considered heavy feeders; it is a good idea to give them supplemental fertilizer throughout the growing season, especially if you are growing them in pots.
For best results from your mum, plant it in full sun, which will ensure a high bud count and improved plant habits. Although some varieties will tolerate part shade, overall your mums will fare better in full sun. Too much shade will cause weak stem growth and decreased blooms. Plus, there is a greater risk of foliar fungus issues and root rot if not planted in full sun.
Planting mums late in the fall can jeopardize the hardiness of your plants. They need enough time to grow a strong root system before your area's first frost, so it's best to get them in the ground in the spring. To help these plants make it through the winter, provide them with a thick layer of mulch.
Pruning and Maintenance
Mums are interesting plants because you can manipulate their flower size and shape with careful pruning. One of the most common ways to use this to your advantage is to keep plants pinched and pruned back in spring before the Fourth of July. Simply pinching the early buds can potentially double the amount of buds your plants will grow in the fall. If you are growing mums for cut flowers, try disbudding, which removes all the side buds to encourage one central bloom. Another interesting pruning technique is called the thousand-bloom chrysanthemum, or ozukuri, which grows one extremely large plant and carefully trains the blooms to create a giant, uniform mound of blooms.
Fall Planting Fall is planting season in the Sacramento area. Pleasant fall weather allows roots to establish ahead of the rainy season. Natives and plants adapted to our hot dry summers appreciate the head start provided by planting in warm soils ahead of the rainy season. While new plants may not be showing much in the way of fresh growth above ground, winter rains allow the roots to expand deep into the soil providing the basis for abundant shoots, leaves and bloom come spring and summer.
Fall is also a good time to plant spring bulbs. Many narcissus, daffodil and brodiaea varieties do very well here with no summer water.
Wildflower Seed: Planting in Fall Fall is the perfect time to plant wildflowers. You will follow Mother Nature's cycle - flowers naturally drop their seeds in the fall, and they overwinter, then germinate and bloom in spring. Fall planting is an especially good time to plant in areas where you want to conserve water. Follow our step-by-step guide to planting in fall, below!
Seeds are a miracle of nature, holding the spark of life inside themselves that can stay viable for many years, even decades or centuries if storage conditions are optimum. Seeds are also a very cost-effective way to plant your property with a wide variety of wildflower species, especially when rehabilitating or restoring larger yards and fields.
Timing Your Planting: When to Sow Seeds
You can mimic mother nature and sow either in the fall or winter, depending on your region.
In climates with cold or freezing winters, wait until November or early December to sow the seeds. You want to have several hard frosts and freezing nights, so that the soil cools sufficiently to well below 55 degrees, so that your seeds do not sprout prematurely. Or wait until a big snow is predicted and scatter the seed before the snow flies.
In warm winter climates that do not get a winter freeze, wait until the late fall/winter rains to sow the seeds. This will provide ideal germinating conditions. Winter sowing is especially helpful in desert climates, where the hot weather arrives very quickly in spring and creates hot, dry conditions that can kill tender seedlings.
Planting in Warmer Climates
In warmer climates, you can take advantage of the rainy season for sowing wildflowers in fall. Your seed will germinate during the most optimal temperatures, rather than the often-times challenging high temperatures of very warm spring or early summer. If you live in a warm climate that still experiences frosts, you will want to time your planting to be about 60-90 days before the first frost arrives, so your perennial wildflower establishes strong root systems before frost. In warm climates, you can also 'winter sow' your wildflowers in January or February, taking advantage of the natural precipitation. Seeds will typically germinate about 2-4 weeks after planting.
The Keys to Seeding Success
Patience
Seeding can be a thrilling experience. But success can take time. Sometimes it will take a couple or three growing seasons to establish a beautiful wildflower meadow, especially when seeding a large area with perennial plants. We often recommend choosing mixtures with annuals included, as you will get quick blooming results while the perennials mature.
Having realistic expectations
Know your limitations. Be realistic as to what you can afford in terms of time, energy, and money. A realistic appraisal may lead you to an incremental approach, planting in stages over several seasons.
Prepare the area to be seeded to reduce weed competition.
Working the soil to greatly reduce weed competition is key to success. And this will take time. Seeding a big field is not a weekend project.
Being willing to put in the time and effort to control weeds:
After the seeds have germinated, weed control is the work that will help to establish your new planting.
Choose the right time of year for your region to sow the seeds:
Fall, just before the rainy season, is the best time for sowing seeds in the desert southwest. In areas that get snowfall, winter seeding can give seeds a leg up in spring. In all areas, you can seed in spring, just if the chance for frost has passed.
Select Plant Species That Are Regionally Appropriate
Use quality seeds of plant species that are well acclimated to your region, climate, and soil type. This will greatly enhance the long-term beauty of your seeding efforts.
6 Steps to Understanding Your Planting Site
It is essential that you know at least a few basic details of your plant site.
1. Understand the condition and existing vegetation on the planting site. This is especially important to the long-term success of your seeding project. If you are seeding into what used to be a lawn or recently cultivated crop field, the time needed to prepare the site for planting is much less than seeding an old overgrown farm field choked with weeds and shrubs or other invasive species. If your area to be seeded has a lot of desirable species already on site, you may just need to prepare small pockets scattered around the site to seed while leaving the established plants undisturbed.
2. Measure and calculate the square footage of the area to be seeded. This is essential for determining how much seed will be needed. See coverage rates on each product page. It is important not to use more seed that you need - this will cause overcrowding and can prevent healthy growth.
3. Determine your soil type. It is especially important to know if you have clay or sandy soil. Other soil types are generally suitable for wide range of species. But clay and sandy soils will necessitate choosing wildflower species that prefer them.
4. Know your directions. Where is north? This will help you identify shady areas around trees and buildings. South-facing spaces will receive the most sunlight throughout the day.
5. Find out if there is a slope to your property and know the direction of the slope. A north-facing slope will have colder soils that a south-facing slope and may require a different seed mix in very cold climates.
6. Identify trees and buildings that cast shade onto the planting site. Wildflowers generally require at least 6 hours of sun.
Remove Existing Growth & Prepare the Soil
If the area to be seeded is a lawn or weedy patch, then it is important to get rid of the lawn grasses or weeds. It is important to remove these existing plants to give your wildflower seeds the space and access to nutrients that they need to thrive. There are several methods you can use to clear your site of existing growth:
Smothering: This can be done one of two ways. If you want to improve soil quality or bring life back to compacted or damaged soils, covering the area with corrugated cardboard and newspaper. Then bury with a 6-to-8-inch layer of fine-textured wood chips or compost. Water every couple of weeks in hot dry weather. And in 4 to 8 months, all the weeds/lawn grass will be dead and the area ready to rototill. Alternately, you can cover the area with heavyweight tarps to create dark, moist conditions that will kill and rot the weeds/lawn grass. Note that this will not greatly improve the soil's tilth and nutrient content.
Solarizing: If you have 6 or more months until you want to plant, this is a great option. Cover the lawn grass or weeds with clear plastic and bury the edges for 6 to 8 weeks during the heat of late spring/summer, and the heat of the sun will cook the weeds and grass. Afterward, the area should be rototilled and raked to remove all the dead plant debris.
Careful use of herbicides: if you have 3 or more months until you want to plant, the judicious use of systemic herbicides is an option. Use protective gloves and clothing. And remember, a healthy living soil can break down herbicides when used sparingly. Rototill the area after the lawn grass/weeds are completely dead.
Create a Nice Seed Bed
Once the existing plants have been killed off, rototilling should be done to prepare the soil as a seedbed. Repeat several times - this will encourage weed seed germination and eliminate dormant weed seeds that sprout after being brought to the surface.
When you are ready to seed, give the area the last rototilling about 2 to 3 inches deep, and rake with a stiff bow rake to break up the dirt clods and create a smooth, even-textured soil surface.
Scatter Seeds Evenly
Unless you are seeding an exceptionally large area, it is best to scatter your seeds by hand for even distribution.
Mix seeds into dry sand (we recommend bagged playground sand to avoid contamination), used as a filler to distribute the seeds more evenly. a cup of seed to 8 cups of sand is a good ratio.
In larger areas, divide the planting area and the seed mix into smaller parts to spread the seeds more evenly. For example, if you are seeding 1,000 sq ft, divide the area into four even parts and divide the seed needed to cover that area into the same number of portions.
Mix in a couple of tablespoons of Plant Success Granular Mycorrhizal Spores into the sand & seed mix to improve seed germination and seedling vigor.
Compress Seeds into The Soil
Once the seeds have been sown, you need to press the seeds into the soil to ensure good germination. This is better than trying to cover the seeds with soil.
Use a sod roller, a small 2 ft x 2 ft piece of plywood or cardboard that you can stand on to firm the soil around the seeds.
Watering Your Wildflowers
Wildflower seeds need to stay consistently moist from germination until they are about 4-6 inches tall, which is about 4-6 weeks. Typically, a major advantage of fall and winter plantings is that they do not need supplemental watering in most locations.
It can be helpful to have some sprinklers available to irrigate the seedlings beginning in mid-spring if conditions are dry. If dry conditions continue into the summer, turn on the sprinklers to put down about 1/2 inch of water once everyone to two weeks. Sandy soils may need a bit more frequent watering when it gets hot and dry more often.
Maintenance & Weed Control
Pulling or snipping weeds will help to encourage healthy growth in your wildflowers. This can be done by hand weeding in small areas or mowing in larger areas where hand weeding is not practical.
Be sure you can identify seedlings of the seeds you sowed so that you do not need them out by accident. You can use a plant identification app or wait until the weeds bloom to cut them if you are not sure if it is a weed or a wildflower.
Hand Weeding. It is better to cut the weeds off just below the soil line with a weed fork or a Hori Hori knife (or similar implement) instead of pulling the weeds. Pulling weeds disturbs the soil and creates a new seedbed for existing seeds in the soil, or seeds that blow into the area, to germinate.
Mowing. Mowing large, seeded areas during the growing season is a great option for helping your seedlings to establish themselves by limiting competition from weeds. You can use a lawn mower or string trimmer. Set the mower deck to a height of 4 to 5 inches and mow when the weeds reach about 8 inches tall. Repeat as needed through the first growing season. If weeds persist during the second year, additional mowing will be helpful.
Wildflower Seeds for Your Fall Planting
In general, we recommend resilient native species when deciding on a wildflower seed. Planting wildflower seed mixes include a mix of native and non-native wildflowers, and a mix of annuals and perennials.
Something from Amy
The Fall veggies have been planted and are thriving under the Autumn sun. We are enjoying the garden cooling off. It is so much easier to spend time out of doors lately!
Our family has made its annual pilgrimages to Apple Hill and Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm. We have indulged in glasses of Apple cider and are looking forward to the soup and stew recipes being brought forward again. Please share with us through Facebook and Email how you are looking forward to spending time in the approaching holiday season.
Amy Carroll-Arellano
2020-2021 SBGC Officers and Chairs
August 31, 2020
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
1. President: Sharon Reed
2. Vice President: ________________
3. Recording Secretary: Louise Smith
4. Corresponding Secretary: ________________
5. Interim Vice President: Marie Dankman
6. Treasurer: Marie Dankman
7. Parliamentarian: Liz Hopkins
8. Directors at Large:
· ________________ (2020-2021)
· Bill Theiss (2019-2022)
· ____________ (2020-2023)
STANDING COMMITTEES AND CHAIRS
1. Community Beautification: Chair: Liz Hopkins
2. Membership: Barbara Denney, Marie Dankman, Janet Theiss, Libby Haraughty
3. Newsletter: Amy Carroll-Arellano
4. Education/Scholarships: Kathy Covert
5. Conservation/Penny Pines: Susanna Ford
6. Historian/Photographer: Lavaune Bell
7. Hospitality: Cynthia Struckmeyer
8. Communication: Janet Theiss
9. Programs: ___________________________
10. Plant Sale: Bill Theiss
11. Social Media: Amy Carroll-Arellano
12. Yearbook: Libby Haraughty
13. Yuba-Sutter Fair: Liz Hopkins