Bog Rosemary

Andropmeda Polifolia

Mounding, spreading ground cover that produces masses of tiny pink flowers.  Perfect plant for rock gardens.  Well suited for low borders in moist situations.  This acid loving evergreen grows in full sun to part sun.  One foot tall by three feet wide.  Hardy to -40 degrees F.

Water Sprout

Water sprouts are shoots that arise from the trunk of a tree or from branches that are several years old, from latent buds. The latent buds might be visible on the bark of the tree, or submerged under the bark as epicormic buds. The structure of water-sprout regrowth is not as strong as natural tree growth, and the shoots are more subject to diseases and pests. A system of principles of pruning considers this type of shoot undesirable on orchard trees because very little fruit is produced on them, or on trees with the strong upright growth that can result from such shoots.

How to Plant Tomatoes

Tomato Planting Guide

First lets understand some terminology, many have heard of indeterminate and determinate tomatoes. But do you know what that means? Determinate tomatoes varieties tend to reach a fixed height and ripen all their fruit in a very short time.
Some examples include many of the paste varieties, “Ace”, “Celebrity”, and “Patio.”


Most of the tomato varieties grown in home gardens are indeterminate vining tomatoes. They will continue growing until they are killed by frost and keep setting fruit throughout the growing season. Some examples are “Beefsteak”, “Big Boy”, “Brandywine”, and “Early Girl”.

Heirloom and Hybrids are other words commonly spoken when discussing tomatoes and vegetables. Heirloom tomatoes are vegetables people had saved the seeds and replanted each spring continuing the line of the plant over many years. Heirlooms are openly pollinated vegetables, which means they can produce seeds that can produce the same tomato the following year. Openly pollinated also means they can cross breed with other tomatoes in the area making a different tomato from the resulting seed.

Plant breeders cross breed compatible types of plants in an effort to create a plant with the best features of both parents. These are called hybrids and many of our modern plants are the results of these crosses. In the agriculture industry farmers are looking for more disease resistance to protect their crops. As a result many hybrids are more disease resistant. But farmers are also looking for fruit that hold up better to shipping and look real good in the stores, at times this has come at the expense of taste. Ultimately the decision is yours. 

Wait until Mother’s Day to plant your tomato plants outdoors. You can start your tomatoes indoors earlier, but resist the temptation to plant them outdoors earlier than Mother’s Day. 

Plant your tomatoes in Gardner & Bloome Harvest Supreme, its 15% chicken manure and earth worm casting will provide enough fertilizer to get your plants off to a good start. After a month you will need to start a fertilizing routine. Tomatoes are hungry plants; use Gardner & Bloome Tomato Food for an organic choice. Now is a good time to add agricultural lime to your soil, this will help in preventing blossom end rot. Blossom end rot is the brown leathery spot on the bottom of the tomatoes that can form from lack of calcium. 

Pick a very sunny location to plant your tomato. Pull or cut the leaves off the bottom 3rd of your tomato and plant it deep enough to bury that portion of the plant’s stalk. 

Watering your tomatoes is very important and the amount of water will very based the plant’s location, weather temperature and humidity. If using a pot ensure there is plenty of drainage for your tomato. In the hottest weather you will most like have to water everyday. It is important to maintain a consistent soil moisture to prevent fruit problems. Consider adding a small deep watering stake to aid in putting water and fertilizer directly on the roots of the plant.

Consider planting marigolds around your vegetable garden to aid in keeping bugs off your plants. This technique will not stop all bugs, but it will add some visual interest to your vegetables.

April Gardening

April is the month when things really begin to change in the garden.  The first wave of flowers is beginning to fade, and the feeling of spring has really arrived sets in.  If you haven’t already pulled the lawn mower out for the year, you will need to get that up and running again.  Check the fluid levels and sharpen the blade if you know how. 

I have seen many people make the mistake of trying to plant all the vegetables they plan to eat for the season.  This usually leads to over spending on seeds, and under production in the garden.  Grow the vegetables that you eat the most of, don’t plan to grow your entire need, just enough to supplement your eating needs.  Get your children involved for a learning experience that will lead them to eat more of their vegetables.  Fresh raw vegetables out of the garden are much more flavorful than the ones from the store.    

April is the last chance to plant your beets, carrots, celery, endive, fennel, jicama, mustard, potatoes, and radish seeds.  But the warmer temperatures mean it’s time to plant chard, chives, spinach, and winter and summer squash seeds.  Towards the end of the month you can plant your beans (fava, lima, and snap), corn, cucumber, eggplant, melon, soybean, tomato, and watermelon seeds. 

Fertilize your flower beds if you haven’t already.  The spring rains in April will deliver badly needed nutrients to your plants roots.  It will help to scratch the fertilizer into the top layer of soil, this helps phosphate to reach the plant roots, a major contributor to flower buds and fruit.  Giving your lawn a spring feeding will help replace the nutrients lost through the winter rains.  As soon as your Rhododendrons, Azaleas, and Camellias are done blooming, fertilize and prune them.  For more information on how to do this: Pruning and Fertilizing your Rhodendrons

Warm weather means watering, water your established trees, shrubs and lawn deeply and less often.  But vegetables and newly planted beds will need more water. 

Snails, earwigs, and aphids have got a jump on your garden.  It's not too early to spray your roses, do it when the sun is off your bushes.  Put pet friendly snail and earwig bait around your plants to kill them before they can establish a foothold in your garden. 

Selecting Fruit Trees

Often I am asked: "What fruit trees should I plant in my garden?"

Well the answer is a little more complex than this but, you should always plant the trees that produce fruit you want to eat.  But you will want to take your climate into account.  For instance you may love mangoes but if you live in a climate that mangoes don't grow, then planting them would be fruitless.  Many Apples need what are known as chilling hours.  Chilling hours are considered to be hours where the temperature is below 45 degrees.  For instance a Fuji Apple needs 350 to 400 chilling hours.  In the Sacramento area Fair Oaks gets on average of 803 chilling hours every year.  If you need to know how many chilling hours your area gets, go to the UC Davis website: Chilling Hours for California by County

Another consideration is how much work do you want to put into your fruit.  Some fruit trees need more care than others.  Peaches and cherries are more susceptible to diseases than Apples and Pears, none are disease proof.  It is a good idea to spray your fruit trees in the winter with a dormant spray.  You will want to spray two to three times over the winter season.  Easy dates to remember are Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, and Valentine's Day.  You don't have to spray on these exact days, they are just easy days to remember and spaced about right.  If you decide to spray only twice, then go with Christmas and Valentine's Day.  Use a good Copper & Sulfur type spray.  It's organic and the most effective I have seen.

Lastly many fruit trees, such as cherries need a pollinator.  Meaning a second tree of a another cherry variety to pollinate it.  Some Apples, Pears, and Peaches need pollinators.  Even if your tree doesn't need a pollinator you should consider planting multiple varieties.  Think of it this way, more flowers leads to more bees which equals more fruit.  Pick varieties that ripen at different times so you can extend your harvest.  If you want to know more about the needs of particular fruit tree, try the Fruit Trees

March Gardening

Let your vegetable garden soil dry out a bit (it should be moist but not wet, and dry enough to crumble when pressed in your hand) before you prepare it for planting.  Loosen the soil to a depth of 6 to 10 inches with a spading fork and pulverize any clods into pea-sized granules.  Spread fertilizer and compost and then lightly work into the soil, rake it in, and lightly water it in. 

If you haven’t planted your beets and carrots it’s not too late.  You can also plant your Celery, Swiss Chard, Chives, Collards, Endive, Fennel, Jicama, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Mustard, Peas, Potatoes, and Radish. 

Winter Gardening

Before the heavy rains of winter start, it is time to get out into your garden and cut your perennials.  Cut them back to about two or three inches.  This may seem like a harsh treatment for plants that brought you so much joy through spring and summer, but when spring arrives you will have bigger, healthier, and more beautiful plants.  Your perennials will revive from the roots, so removing last years growth will allow the new growth to be seen more readily.  Cutting the plants back now will be easier than cutting them in the spring when new growth starts.  I like to use my hedge shears for this process, just make sure you move your drip system out of the way before hand.  Make sure you remove the cuttings, and your them into your compost bin or green waste.

Watering in the Winter

With winter approaching one thing is certain, we are just beginning to see the wind pick up and blow our plants over. Now is the time to stake your tender trees and shrubs. Loosely staking your plants will allow them to move a little strengthening their roots, but protecting them from the heavy winds that can pull them out of the ground.


Don’t forget to water when the winds start to blow. A cold dry wind dries out more than just your skin. Wind will rob your plants of water faster than a hot day. If you know the wind is coming water your plants, this will keep them hydrated and protects them from some of the cold temperatures. The water acts like a barrier keeping the cold air from directly touching your plants, thus keeping them a degree or two warmer. This works well for short freezes a couple degrees colder than your plant can handle.

Covering your plants with a lightweight breathable fabric will provide further protection.  There are several brands of cold weather fabrics you can find at your local nursery.  You can always use an old bed sheet to provide a similar protection, bed sheets are heavier than the garden fabric and should be staked especially in areas where snow is likely to fall.