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At last.
After some real rains here in late October the ground should be more
digger
friendly,
and it’s cool out to boot! Plants installed now won’t reward
you
with much new growth ‘til spring, but their roots will get a head start
into the ground before the heat sets in again. Also, new planting
guidelines suggest that you need to dig planting holes only as deep as
the rootball and about twice as wide. Since all plants like good
drainage, and if you’re in doubt about yours, fill the hole with water
and wait. If the water hasn’t drained down after a few hours, you’ve got
a problem. You’ll have to dig deeper and hopefully hit a better draining
layer or try a different location.
As we go
into late fall and winter, we enter a tricky time for the care of
Desert Roses
(Adenium
sp.)
and Madagascar Palms (Pachypodium sp.)Both of these plants
do their growing during warm weather and go partially or completely
dormant as cold weather approaches. When night
temperatures drop down to 50 F or so it is time to drastically reduce
water application to these plants. They will tell you themselves when
they are preparing for their winter rest by
forming and dropping yellow leaves, even though the soil is damp. Don’t
mistake this event for a need for more water! Desert Roses are
especially sensitive and prone to rot if kept wet during cold weather.
Some go dormant earlier and to a greater degree than others. Plants may
lose their leaves completely or keep a few at the tips, but all cease
new growth with cool temperatures and definitely need protection from
frost. Move them to the warmest, driest, brightest
area
possible inside or outside. About once a month ( or less if soil
re-mains damp) give them a watering.
Yes , we
finally have the much sought after White Sage (Salvia apiana).
Why is it sought after? Because this pungent herb, well known among
people into natural healing etc., has had a myriad of uses among native
as well as more modern folk. White Sage, sometimes called Bee
Sage
or
Sacred Sage,
is native to Southern California where it grows on rocky slopes and
desert hillsides. It can grow to 4 or 5 feet tall with long stalks
bearing whitish flowers which bees love. The stiff leaves become almost
white and are very aromatic (overpowering to some!). Native
Americans used the seeds and leaves in cooking, teas, and healing
remedies and burned the leaves in sweat lodges. The smudge stick, a
wand of bundled , dried leaves that is lit and allowed to smolder, was
used in cleansing rituals. Smudge sticks are still popular today. The
theory is that as the smoke wafts around people, objects, or places it
picks up negative energy and deposits it elsewhere to become positive
energy. The harvesting of wild plants for use in smudge sticks has
unfortunately had a negative impact on some native populations.
Growing
White Sage here in the desert is challenging but it can be done. The
plants need excellent drainage and protection from the afternoon sun in
summer. A real bugaboo is how much to water in summer. Too much too
often may lead to root rot and plant death; not enough and not often
enough will lead to drying up and plant death. Your best bet is to plant
them as soon as possible while the weather is cool so that a good root
system will develop before summer. Watch plants and hose water deeply
and just often enough to keep plants from wilting. To see plants in the
ground visit the Nature Trail and Baja area at the Desert Botanical
Gardens.
Cool
weather is the time for leafy things like Lettuce, Spinach, Bok Choy,
Arugula, Mustard Greens, Collards etc.. We especially like
Swiss Chard.
The
brightly colored stems of the Bright Lights variety are chock
full of those natural vitamins. A colored pot full of these
veggies will brighten up a sunny winter spot. They can stand quite a
bit of cold and will produce their delicious leaves into hot weather. We
recommend keeping them out of rabbit reach in a stand or tall container. |
