The Digging Fork
A Davis Garden Newsletter
July - August 2009
July
Planting Warm season vegetables:
cucumbers, summer
squash, basil
Warm season annuals
Perennials
Can still plant, but need
to keep plants well
watered until established
Seeding Warm season vegetables:
These crops are best
direct seeded in garden
directly in early July-
into the snap beans, cucumbers,
garden summer squash and corn
Warm season annuals
sunflowers, cosmos,
celosia, alyssum,
marigold, zinnia
Cool season vegetables:
Must shade seedlings!!
Brussels Sprouts,
rutabaga
Seeding Perennials and cool season
annuals
in trays
outside or Cool season vegetables:
greenhouse, broccoli, cabbage, leeks,
to trans- lettuce, cauliflower and
plant later romanesco
Fertilize Roses after bloom
Tomato hornworms - pick off
Pest & Snails, slugs and earwigs
Disease damage –use baits or traps
Aphids -can spray off with
Control water and watch for
ladybeetles.
Tasks Summer pruning of fruit
trees will devigorate plant
and help control size.
Weed control continues
Stake dahlias and other tall
plants that need support
Cut back berries and tie
new canes to supports
Mums, asters, perennial
sunflowers, and other fall
blooming plants can be
cut to about 12” in early
July to encourage
branching and reduce
plant height. This may
delay the bloom time.
Water Deep water trees and shrubs
Water compost piles!
August
Warm season annuals
Perennials
Cool season vegetables:
Strawberries (if you can find
them), potatoes (early Aug.),
leeks
Can still plant, but need
to keep plants well
watered until established.
Cool season vegetables:
Must shade seedlings!!
broccoli, cabbage, leeks,
carrots, cauliflower and
romanesco, Florence
fennel, kale, lettuce, green
onions, parsnips, turnips,
Swiss chard
Perennials and cool season
annuals
Citrus as needed.
Look for nutrient
deficiencies – especially
iron and nitrogen.
Soil sulfur for citrus and
acid loving plants
(will lower the pH of soil making
iron more available to plants. Mix
soil sulfur with top 6” of soil and
water well)
Same as for July.
Summer pruning
pruning apricot trees only
in Aug. helps control
Eutypa disease
Divide and replant bearded
iris.
Weed control continues
Order cool season bulbs and
perennial plants for fall
planting (see article in
The Digging Fork,
May 2007 issue)
Same as July.
Breadseed poppies with seed pods. The holes in the bottom pod
indicates the seeds are ready to harvest for eating or sowing.
The Garden Seed Cycle
Mid-summer is generally a time to clear out the
dead, brown, unattractive growth of many plants that
have flowered in the spring. However, a closer look
may reveal a hidden treasure of seeds, which can be
very rewarding to collect and/or disperse. This is one
of the satisfactions of regular observation in the
garden. So, why bother to save seeds? Some seeds are
hard to find for purchase or large quantities may be
desired which could be expensive. Seeds can be
chosen for particular traits of a plant – beauty, disease
resistance, suitability for growing in a particular area,
etc. And best of all, it’s fun - especially if you like to
share from the garden!
There are a few drawbacks to saving seeds which
must be considered. As mentioned above, leaving
many flowers to go to seed in the garden will leave it
looking messy at times. For some plants leaving seeds
to mature may also shorten the length of time it flowers
because flowering stops when seed production begins.
There is a high risk of seeds scattering on the ground,
creating a new crop of plants which may need to be
thinned if more germinate than desired. Excessive
self-sowing may be minimized by paying attention to
when the seeds are ready to harvest and by harvesting
the early maturing seeds and cutting back the rest
before they mature.
Open pollinated species are the best for saving from
year to year. Hybrids, purchased as seeds or plants, are
the offspring of two plants purposefully crossed in
order to obtain desired traits. Their seeds are either
sterile or will eventually revert back to one of the
parents used in the cross.
When are seeds ready to harvest? The pods or
seed coverings will be brown and dry and often a hole
develops where the seeds may fall out. An example is
the breadseed poppy above. Sometimes the covering
will pop open or explode, spewing seeds all over. The
Arroyo lupine and California poppy fall into this
category. Flowers in clusters, like carrots and dill,
have the seeds pretty exposed and they just dry and fall
to the ground. Seeds from flowers that are composites
(daisies) form in the center. Many seed pods are very
interesting and decorative!
Hollyhock seeds and flower
Seeds can be directly scattered in the garden when
collected or saved for later sowing. The cut stalks with
the mature seeds intact can be left on the ground as a
marker in the garden where you want the plants to
grow and this sometimes protects and shades the
emerging seedlings. Paper bags are a great method of
collection and the seeds can be left in them for a while
longer to make sure they are completely dry. Seeds
must be stored in a dry location out of the sun. Once
dry, the seeds can be separated from the extra debris so
they take up less space for storage or sharing. Seeds
are often stored in paper because it breathes; however,
well-dried seeds do fine in plastic and many seed
companies use plastic because of the protection it
affords. Clear zip-loc bags are good because you can
see the seed. Containers, such as glass jars and tins,
also work well. It sounds basic, but always label with
name and date! Some seeds must be used within a year
while others are viable for many, many years.
If you are interested in saving the seeds from open-
pollinated vegetables, check out Seed to Seed by
Suzanne Ashworth, who lives in Sacramento. This
book covers how to save the seeds of most edibles.
There are also a multitude of websites with information
on seed saving.
Late fall is another opportunity to save the seeds of
summer and fall flowering plants so pay attention now
to favorites you would like to collect later. Besides
annuals, many perennials and bulbs are easy to grow
from seed and are worth collecting. And when some
perennial plants open up in the center and flop their
flowers out to the side and on the ground, know that
they are attempting to move seeds to a new location
away from the parent plant. They aren’t being unruly -
it is simply their cycle of life!
2
Plant sales and events
UCD Arboretum
Lots of great guided tours and workshops coming up!!
Email below for a monthly reminder of events sent to you
For information 752-4880 www.arboretum.ucdavis.edu
Tomato Festival
August 8, 9am to 2 pm Freeman Park, Woodland
Come taste and rate locally grown tomatoes.
Yolo County Fair
August 19-23 Fairgrounds in Woodland
Many horticultural talks, activities and displays in the
Hall of Flowers and Agriculture Building.
Master Gardeners available to answer your questions!
Three Palms Nursery
Summer Blowout August 1-2, 9 am to 5 pm 30% off
Information 756-8355 www.3palmsnursery.com
UC Davis Good Life Garden
http://goodlifegarden.ucdavis.edu/
Friends of the Davis Library Book Sale
August 7 (noon-7 pm), 8 (10 am-5 pm), 9 (10 am-3 pm)
Often good finds on gardening books! Info. 757-5593
Seeds of blue forget-me-nots have a Velcro-like covering that
sticks to pants, gloves, animals….
Local classes and workshops
Garden Exploration Workshop – Patricia’s Garden
Saturday, July 18 8:00 am to 11:00 am – it’s summer!
Limited to 15 participants. $20 per person
Instructors: Patricia Carpenter and Melissa Kelly
You will leave with handouts and some seeds and plants.
Reservations required TheDiggingFork@gmail.com
These workshops will be held in Patricia’s garden periodically
during the year. See what there is to observe and discover
in the garden in the summer. Guided tour and lots of time
for exploration and questions.
--see what is blooming and discover new plants
--learn about garden cleanup, seed collecting, pruning,
summer planting, ordering plants/bulbs for fall planting…
--ask questions about healthy soil, irrigation, composting…
--see what vegetables are ready to harvest and what can be
planted for a fall harvest
--learn about propagating plants, collect some seeds
--find out sources for bulbs, seeds and other plants you like
City of Davis Worm and Garden Composting
Free compost bin by taking Davis Compost
Correspondence Class
Information www.davisrecycling.org (530) 757-5686
 Plant notes!
Here is more information about some plants mentioned in this newsletter.
Some of the seeds Patricia is saving from and/or
dispersing in her garden in July:
Alcea rosea hollyhock biennial
Alcea rugosa Ukrainian hollyhock perennial
Ammi majus Bishop’s lace annual
Purple carrots seem to have pink/purple flowers --most carrots have white Aquilegia chrysantha yellow columbine perennial
flowers. These flowers are from Purple Haze carrots (Johnny’s Seeds) Aquilegia eximia serpentine columbine CA native perennial
Aquilegia formosa western columbine CA native perennial
“The Best Fertilizer is the   Armeria maritima thrift, sea pink CA native perennial
Brodiaea californica CA brodiaea CA native bulb
Farmer’s Footsteps”  Calandrinia ciliata redmaids CA native annual
Chlorogalum pomeridianum soap lily, amole CA native bulb
Substitute “gardener” for “farmer” in the above old Clarkia amoena farewell-to-spring CA native annual
Chinese proverb and you have some good advice on Clarkia unguiculata mountain garland CA native annual
how to grow a nicer garden. Take the time to walk Collinsia heterophylla Chinese houses CA native annual
through the garden and observe what is blooming, what Consolida ajacis larkspur annual
Daucus carota Queen Anne’s lace annual
combinations look especially nice together and where Erysimum cheiri wallflower perennial
there are some holes that need a plant or two. How Eriogonum grande rubescens red flowered buckwheat, San
much have the plants grown this season? Do you Miguel Island buckwheat CA native perennial
know how big they will get at maturity and if they will Eschscholzia californica CA poppy CA native perennial
have enough space? Study and monitor your irrigation Gilia capitata globe gilia CA native annual
Gilia tricolor bird’s eye gilia CA native annual
system. Are some plants not getting enough water? Glaucium flavum horned poppy perennial
Plant leaves start to look dull and a bluish-gray color Heracleum lanatum cow parsnip CA native biennial
before starting to wilt. Look for nutrient deficiencies Lathyrus odoratus sweet pea annual
and for insect damage as well as the insect doing the Linum lewisii blue flax CA native perennial
Lunaria annua money plant, honesty biennial
damage. How many hours of sun is an area getting Lupinus densiflorus aureus golden lupine CA native annual
each day and where is the sun rising and setting? Lupinus succulentus arroyo lupine CA native annual
Which plants in your garden attract pollinators – bees, Lychnis coronaria rose campion perennial
butterflies and hummingbirds? What plants smell Moluccella laevis bells-of-Ireland annual
good? Now that it is really too hot for much garden Myosotis sylvatica forget-me-not perennial
Nassella pulchra purple needlegrass CA native bunchgrass
play, practice your observation skills instead!! Nicotiana sylvestris only-the-lonely perennial
Have you always wanted to grow______ (fill in the Nigella damascena love-in-a-mist annual
blank) but have been unsuccessful? Where have you Orlaya grandiflora Minoan lace annual
seen it grown? Was it in Davis or on the cool coast? Papaver somniferum breadseed poppy annual
Persicaria orientale kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate annual
Was it in the sun or shade? Morning sun or afternoon Phacelia bolanderi Bolander’s phacelia CA native perennial
sun? Observation will help with clues for proper Reseda alba white Mignonette perennial
placement. If Patricia has a new plant to try and isn’t Salvia sclarea clary sage annual
quite sure (even after some research) what conditions it Salvia sclarea var. turkestanica alba Turkish clary sage
biennial
needs, she tries it in a couple of spots in the garden to Scilla peuviana Peruvian scilla, giant squill bulbs
see where it is the happiest and observes how the Sidalcea neomexicana checkerbloom CA native perennial
plants grow in the different locations. Sisyrinchium bellum blue-eyed grass perennial
When looking at other people’s gardens, look for Tanacetum parthenium feverfew perennial
new and interesting plants, how big they get and where Verbascum chaixii ‘Album’ mullein perennial
Vicia faba red flowered fava annual
they are growing in relation to trees, fences and houses.
Ask questions.
Insect and disease infestations are much easier to
control before they get out of hand. Ants may indicate
there is scale or aphids on the plants. Slimy trails and
holes in plants are a clue to a slug or snail problem. It
is fun to watch the predators and beneficial insects
doing their work in the garden. The ladybeetle cycle
is especially visible on fennel plants. Sunflowers and
roses are great plants to see mummified aphids with
holes where parasitic wasps emerged.
www.ipm.ucdavis.edu provides integrated pest
management solutions to pest and disease problems. Arroyo lupine. The pods curl when the seeds are dispersed.

3
 A Solar Oven is a Gardener’s Friend
Gardening can be a way to tune out the world for a
bit. Hours can pass and lunch time has come and gone.
Or in the cool of the fall, dinner preparations sometime
get put on hold when you are just having too much fun.
A solar oven is a good
way to use the sun’s
energy to cook your
lunch or family dinner
or kid’s after school
snack. An oven
thermometer shows temperatures can get up to 250-300
degrees F. The process is a lot like cooking with a
crock pot – you can put in the food and forget about it
while playing in the garden. Cooking with Sunshine
by local authors Lorraine Anderson and Rick Palkovic
is a great book to start with. The slow cooker
cookbooks are also useful for recipes to adapt to a solar
oven.
Both Patricia and Frances have been long-time fans
of cooking with the sun. For years they used an oven
called Cook-It (Frances also made one of her own), but
now they use the SOS Sport pictured above. In the
morning, Patricia often puts some of the previous
night’s leftovers in the oven for a quick lunch. At the
same time banana bread can be baking for an afternoon
snack or rice and chicken for dinner. Cookies are
always a hit. Frances regularly cooks fruit crisp,
chocolate cake, lasagna, rice, beans, beets, potatoes,
winter squash, and tomato sauce.
There are many, many types of solar ovens. They
can be purchased and also constructed at home. Some
designs are very simple and affordable and some are
very fancy and costly. Our local resource in
Sacramento is Solar Cookers International at
www.solarcookers.org and www.solarcooking.org
They, and other solar cooking organizations, are
making amazing differences for many people in
developing countries - inexpensive, low technology
methods lessening dependence on limited cooking
fuels, purifying water, and making people’s lives
easier.
Just finished cooking --coconut rice pudding and heated leftovers for lunch.
4
More gardening tips!
The second planting.
Did you miss the first planting of beans and summer squash?
Even if you didn’t, it is a good idea to plant again in early
July because the plants get diseased and production declines
towards the end of summer. These new plants will extend
the season.
Cool season vegetables in the heat of summer?
Yes, it is hot. But many cool season vegetables can be
planted in the summer for a fall crop. If planted in fall,
harvest is delayed. Shading and adequate moisture are
critical when trying to seed or transplant in the heat!!
Planting on the northeast side of tall crops (like tomatoes) or
using old shingles stuck into the ground help to shade
seedlings from the hot afternoon sun.
Wooden shingle used to shade cabbage Dahlia munched by earwigs
transplant from hot afternoon sun
Earwigs are starting to munch flowers and fruits!!
If dahlias, zinnias and other flowers are looking ragged and
chewed, check for earwigs in the flowers. Here is a quick
lesson on earwigs and a method for trapping them.
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/QT/earwigscard.html Sluggo
Plus is now available to help with control as well.
It must be July in Davis—Spiders in the Garden.
This is the time of year when the wonderful spiders are the
easiest to see in the garden.
They make webs across the
paths and just about
everywhere. Spiders are
fascinating to watch but it is
a good idea to walk
carefully and carry a big
stick (to gently move them
out of the paths) or you may
find one crawling on your
face. Not pleasant.
The Yolo Gardener is a quarterly newsletter written by
local Master Gardeners. To subscribe:
http://ceyolo.ucdavis.edu/newsletterfiles/newsletter1460.htm
Newsletter created by:
Patricia Carpenter -- Gardening Coach (Design and Education),
with 35 years of Davis gardening experience
Frances Andrews -- Long-time organic farmer
See http://TheDiggingFork.wordpress.com/ for the current
and archived past issues. To be added to the subscription list or to
unsubscribe, contact us at: TheDiggingFork@gmail.com