knick knack patty whack, give the dog a bone?

What part of "bone meal" is so mysterious? "BONE" or "MEAL", together or apart, just the sound of it will get the dog salivating. Maybe because this version is sold as a fertilizer, people think it is somehow magically transformed inert, like chemical fertilizers? I am ranting because someone called into the nursery highly upset that the dogs were digging where she had just planted a tree with bone meal.  She admitted she was hard of hearing, ranted about the dogs, couldn't hear a word I said, and wondered why we didn't tell her dogs like it!!
First - I warn everyone buying bone or blood meal - animals love it. Plant it at the bottom of the hole, put a rock around  it for a week while the smell dissapates. Store unused portion in a closed container, like a garbage can with a tight lid.
Second - we probably did tell her, but she wasn't listening!
Third - use some common sense ( could all the warning labels we are subject to make us think we don't need this anymore?) Light forgive we need to put a warning on bone meal that says " carnivorous animals will be attracted to this product". YIKES
Fourth - yes, cute little Fifi is a Carnivore.

landscape fabric, friend or foe?

It's always fun to read an article in a national magazine that echoes your own experience or opinion, especially when it bucks a common trend.So here goes - unless you are putting it under rocks(eek) or a path(ok), landscape fabric ( week block, or plastic) is actually detrimental to your plants, and you. First you, for the cost. Spend the money on mulch ( if you have to, many sources are  free -  like the tree guys, or your own yard leaves). For the plants, it blocks nutrient exchange and soil enhancement. Soil needs organic matter added to it each year, in the form of compost or mulch, in order for the soil biology to continue and keep the plants healthy. Put down a block, throw some mulch on top, and you  block weeds the first year. Only. Next year all the seeds are on TOP of the block, and sprouting. Some grassy weeds, and those with a taproot, will actually anchor INTO the fabric, making them ridiculous to pull. A few years go by, you have a nice layer of loam on top of the weed block where the mulch has broken down. Now pull up the fabric. Check out the soil where your plants are. It has become almost a desert! I have even found an innocent earth worm trying to get through the fabric to get at the loam on top, it had made a hole in it and was trapped!
If you must put something down in an area that has been weed infested, use layers of newspaper or cardboard. Note that if these dry out, they can act as a block also. But keep them moist ( lay them down in the fall) and they will smother those old weeds and break down to continue to feed the soil next year. Keep 2" of fine ( or 4" of coarse) mulch on top, and you will have few weeds.
Feed the soil, and the plants take care of themselves.

enough frogs already?

Question of the week at the nursery - " what do you have to kill frogs?" ???!!! Apparently some people don't "like all the noise" they make for a few weeks this time of year. Really guys? maybe they are just complaining about all the cars on the freeway and jets overhead!
Of course my answer is "Leave them!" they mean things are good in your yard, they eat bugs, and they are only mating for a few short weeks!

pruning daphne

my daphne does not have much bloom on it this year. Lesson: prune daphne soon after flowering ( round march or april). If you wait until the end of summer and hack it back because you are sick of tripping over it, you will sacrifice next season bloom. going out to play in the sun now. We could use some rain soon.

Do I need a soil test?

Answer: probably! Unless you have checked on your soil in the last year or two. Native soil in El Dorado County tends to be low in nitrogen and phosphorus, two important nutrients for plant growth.Also the pH ( level of acidity) tends around 6-7. This is why we recommend bone meal or other starter fertilizer for new planting, to get the needed phosphorus for root development. HOWEVER, there is too much of a good thing. Too much phosphorus will deter mycorrhizal ( symbiotic fungi) development , which is a main avenue for phosphorus uptake is most woody plants and perennials. A little when you first plant is probably enough. Before you add more fertilizer every year, go to the local garden center and get a simple test kit. Test your soil. It will  save you money ( only buy what you really need, if anything), and it will definitely make your plants happier.

bare root trees

Tis the season to plant bare root... fruit that is, apples and asian pears. Maybe a fuyu too. Adding to my little orchard, now that I have a deer fence. Easy diggin right now too!
Pretty much ready for the MG soils class I am teaching next month. Come one, come all, 9AM Sat. feb5 at the Vets Hall in Placerville. Should be fun! No, really!

seed starting

I attended a talk on seed starting by a fellow master gardener who has it down to a real art. Very inspiring!So I am ready to get a head start on spring, but I don't have a green house. Where in the world am I going to put all these seed trays? I have heat mats, pots, pans (!) soil, soilless, all the doo-dads, but no where protected enough with power for either lights or heat. hmmm. Got a little work to do here. Stay tuned...