Drycreek Blog

Anticipating the Coming Growing Season

2012-02-24T15:17:00-04:00

It's been a surprisingly dry winter for the Sierra and Great Basin. So dry, in fact, that gardeners needed to compensate for lact of rain and snow by watering their trees, perennials and lawns from time to time during the cold winter months. But if your watering efforts were too little, too late, damage and die back, especially with plants that are strangers to the desert to begin with, are probably the inevitable results.

Some plants will survive and recover. Some will die. As the soil begins to warm with night temperatures rising, the damage will become more evident. Many drought tolerant plants -- the yucca, agave, hardy cacti and others -- will probably be just fine. Plants with deeper root systems might send up their new spring growth like nothing strange happened at all. Time will tell.

If you keep a gardening journal with maps for locating and tracking your plants, it will be easier to tell what's been lost. Whatever the case, this is the time of year to work on preparing and improving the soil for the typically hot, dry growing season to come. If there was little water in the winter, we can most definitely expect more of the same for summer.

Right now, though, as the lack of water continues, it's important to add moisture to your soil, especially for your large trees and shrubs, as well as your less drought tolerant perennials. For large trees and shrubs, twice a month, slowly soak the dripline areas (away from the trunk toward the outer edges of their branches), at least to a depth of 8 inches. Do this slowly so that the water does not run off, but rather soaks in.

Lilac In Bloom

2011-05-19T14:48:00-04:00

Lilac (Syringa) is an upright deciduous shrub belonging to the Olive family (Oleaceae) and is grown for their beautiful, showy, highly fragrant flowers that bloom this time of year. Lilac is not indigenous to North America, but does very well in many parts of the United States, including the Truckee Meadows. This slow to medium growing shrub will reach twelve to fifteen feet at maturity. It loves full sun, but will take partial shade. The more sun, though, the better chance of a festival of blooms in May. Make sure the soil drains well.

To get more flowers, Lilac enthusiasts recommend snipping off the spent flower heads immediately after the flowers fade. This practice keeps the plant from producing seeds and promotes new flower growth for the next blooming season. The next year's buds develop just after the present blooms fade, so don't wait too long if you plan to prune, else you might inadvertently destroy next year's crop of flowers. Also avoid cutting old wood unless it has become completely unproductive as it takes about three years before flowers form on newer stems and shoots. If you need to shape the plant, try pruning old growth in yearly stages. This way the plant will bloom each year as its new shape takes form. Avoid severe pruning. If all old wood is removed, the plant will most likely survive; new shoots will emerge, but there won't be flowers for two or three years.

There are over twenty Lilac species with many more hybrids and cultivars. Flower colors include white, blue, magenta, pink, purple, violet, and of course, lilac.

Maintenance

2009-12-19T20:13:00-04:00

Xeriscaping involves a different kind of maintenance. During the summer, while some of you poor suckers are pushing a loud, smoggy lawnmower back and forth every week. Pouring fertilizers, pesticides and water onto your outdoor, hopefully not wall to wall carpet, I'm doing next to nothing but the occasional cutting back of a spent plant and pulling a weed here and there. My rule of thumb is not to cut anything back unless I don't like looking at it. I'm rewarded in the winter with a lot of interest. The Coneflowers in the picture are one of the best for winter interest. My work starts when the snow melts. I will start cutting back select things that no longer hold appeal. If you want to get a lot done in one day use a hedge trimmer. They make quick work out of ornamental grasses, russian sage and lavender to name a few. There are many advantages to this method. I get to work in forty degree weather rather than ninety and I get my yoga workout reaching and twisting as I prune to name a couple. If you have been reading this blog you have a pretty good idea what I'm going to do after this laborious process. Thats right, I'm finding a sunny spot to soak up some rays and catch a well deserved nap.