San Diego gardens are well into spring now and showing off their beauty. Early bulbs are finishing, mildew can show up with overcast weather, and some early fruit trees need attention. A few routine tasks will help keep your garden on track.
Care for Spring Bulbs
Many spring bulbs will have finished blooming this month. My freesia and daffodils are done, and my irises are starting to fade. Some bulbs, like tulips and hyacinths, require colder weather. Here, it’s easiest to treat them as annuals. You can just pull those out when they finish blooming. But for bulbs that are suited to our climate, like daffodils, bugle lily (Watsonia), freesias and baboon flowers, you can cut off the flower stems but don’t remove the leaves. As they die back, they feed the bulbs for next year’s growth and flowers.
You can help this process by giving your bulbs a light feeding. Only remove the leaves after they have turned yellow or brown. If you don’t want to see the dying leaves, try planting something in front of the bulbs or push the leaves down to hide them.
Take a look at my October 2020 gardening post for suggestions from a local bulb grower and a list of bulbs that grow well in my North County garden.
Control Powdery Mildew
This year, summer seems to have started before winter ended, but if we do get typical spring weather with overcast days and humid conditions, this creates ideal conditions for powdery mildew. It attacks roses, grapes, melons, squash and other susceptible plants. One way to fight it is to hose off these plants every morning with a strong spray of water. Fungicides can also slow mildew’s spread.
If you’re still having trouble staying ahead of it, look for plants and seeds that are bred for resistance. For more information on controlling powdery mildew, take a look at the University of California’s Integrated Pest Management article on Powdery Mildew on Ornamentals.
Maintain Fruit Trees
Fruit trees should be fertilized and watered throughout the growing season. Remove weeds from under the tree’s canopy and add mulch to help maintain moisture and block new weeds from growing. Use a strong spray of water on the leaves to remove aphids, spider mites and other pests. If ants are in the tree, keep them from coming up the trunk with a sticky wrap. Trim branches so they don’t touch other plants or objects. This gives the ants a route into the tree.
Thin the fruit from early-maturing apples, pears and stone fruits like apricots, peaches and plums when they are the size of a marble. You should leave one fruit on the branch every four to six inches with one fruit per spur.
San Diego Gardens Source
A lot of information for San Diego Gardens comes from the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County. They are a great resource for all of your gardening needs including planting, pests, vegetables, and water use. They even have a free hotline where you can get your home gardening and pest control problems answered.