From the UC Blogosphere...
Presenting: A Butterfly and a Fly
A gray butterfly and a fruit fly... Each has "fly" in its name but one is a member of the order Lepidoptera and...
A fruit fly, Neotephritis finalis, peers up at a gray hairstreak butterfly, Strymon melinus, in a bed of Coreopsis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Closeup of a fruit fly, Neotephritis finalis, an organism commonly known as a "sunflower seed maggot." Green is reflected in its eyes. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Keep your Garden Healthy as it Kicks into High Gear - April Garden Tips
As April unfolds, California gardeners eagerly anticipate the season's lush beauty. With frost receding into memory and temperatures climbing, it's time to welcome a fresh wave of blossoms and produce. Whether you reside in the north, south, or somewhere in between, here's a comprehensive checklist to help guide your April gardening activities:
- Conceal Fading Bulb Foliage. Hide fading bulb foliage with shallow-rooted annuals like lobelia or sweet alyssum. This not only enhances the garden's appearance but also aids in vital nutrient transfer for next year's blooms.
- Monitor Roses. As roses leaf out and bud, monitor them for aphids. If you find aphids, remove them from your plants with a strong stream of water. This practice helps manage populations so you don't end up with a large colony.
- Add Summer Annuals. Brighten flower beds with summer-blooming annuals, enriching the soil with organic compost to support vibrant growth and colorful displays.
- Plant Summer Vegetables. Sow seeds or transplant summer vegetables as the weather gets warmer, ensuring they receive sufficient sunlight and nutrient-rich soil. Hold off on planting tomato starts until nighttime temperatures remain above 55?F to avoid frost damage.
- Pest Control. Safeguard young plants from pests like snails, slugs, and earwigs by using traps. Regular monitoring and intervention help maintain garden health.
- Mulch Application. Apply mulch around trees and in beds to retain soil moisture as temperatures rise. This helps conserve water and provides insulation to plant roots during warmer weather.
- Plant Frost-Tender Species. Introduce frost-tender species appropriate to your growing zone. Ensure regular watering to keep the root zone moist but not waterlogged.
- Care for Citrus and Fruit Trees. Prune frost-damaged branches to promote healthy growth and fruit production. Proper care ensures a bountiful harvest later in the season.
- Weed Management. As weeds pop up after all the Spring rains, employ non-chemical methods like cultivation, handweeding, or mowing to manage weeds effectively. Keeping weeds in check helps maintain the health and aesthetics of your garden beds.
With this April garden checklist, you're well-equipped to embrace the season's abundance and nurture a thriving garden.
Ask your local UC Master Gardener Program
Have a gardening question? UC Master Gardener volunteers are available to help. Click here to Find a Program and connect with your local UC Master Gardener Program. You will be redirected to your local county website and contact information. UC Master Gardener volunteers are available to help answer questions for FREE. Happy gardening!
How Many Earthworms are Enough?
Perhaps you've seen them. You're digging into the soil to plant something and as you dig you run across a few earthworms. Most of us have heard from childhood that worms are good for the soil. You may also be aware of vermiculture, or worm composting, using worms to help turn organic waste into nutrient rich compost for the soil. When you see earthworms in your garden, what does their presence suggest about the soil health? Should you add more?
Earthworms and Wigglers
The earthworms you typically see in your garden are considered "migratory" which means they will travel to find the habitat best suited to their success. They tend to cluster in the top 6 to 8 inches of soil around the roots of plants where they feed on decaying material and the fungi and other organisms that live there. As they travel through the soil, they drag leaves and other litter down into their burrows where soil microorganisms also begin digesting the material. These worms can tolerate colder temperatures through the winter months when they burrow deeper into the soil.
Earthworms need a light airy soil and rely on decaying organic material for nourishment. Introducing these earthworms to an inhospitable environment such as heavy clay, or compacted and/or dry soil, will result in them either leaving or dying. Where they flourish, however, they are important in mixing the dead surface litter with the main body of the soil. If you regularly add compost and a layer of mulch to your garden to improve the soil you may find the worms 'magically' appear, attracted to the habitat you are creating. In turn their constant burrowing and feeding activities help mix and distribute organic matter throughout the soil, improve soil aeration and water penetration, promoting a healthier root environment for your plants. Their excrement, known as castings, is richer in nitrogen, potassium carbon, sulfur, and other minerals than the rest of the soil, and acts as a natural fertilizer.
There is a second type of worm which lives close to the soil surface in areas of abundant organic material. These worms, including the popular species red wigglers, reproduce rapidly and thrive in warm, crowded conditions. They are less likely to survive in your garden environment, particularly during cold weather. Instead, these worms are ideally suited to worm bins, and you will usually find them for sale for use in vermiculture. In a bin they can rapidly break down food scraps and other organic waste materials, and their castings also act as a natural fertilizer when collected and added to garden soils. Think of these worms as composting specialists.
A Note of Caution
There is a type of worm known as a jumping worm, an invasive species capable of harming native forests which has been seen in California and many other states. It is recognizable by a milky-white band wrapping all around its body near the head. When disturbed, jumping worms have been known to throw themselves into the air and thrash around. It is very difficult to eliminate these worms once established, so make sure to check new mulch, compost, and potting soil for the worms, as well as soil in nursery pots. Because they live close to the surface their castings are often visible as a coffee-ground-like substance on the soil. Don't use these worms for fishing, vermiculture, or gardening. You can learn more about jumping worms at https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=56929.
The Bottom Line
Should you add worms to your garden soil? Ultimately, it's a chicken and egg situation. Do earthworms create healthy soil or are they attracted to healthy soil? Few valid studies have been done to link the presence of earthworms with improved plant growth. However, both plants and earthworms need temperatures between 60°F and 100°F, water (but not too much or too little), oxygen, and a soil that isn't too acidic, basic, or salty. It's clear the conditions that are good for plants are also good for earthworms, and improving your soil by regularly adding compost and mulch ends up supporting a thriving community of both healthy plants and earthworms.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardeners of Contra Costa County (RDH)
Today's Honorary Bee Image Award Goes to...a Fly
Today's Honorary Bee Image Award goes to...drum roll...an image of a humble hoverfly appearing on the National Geographic...
A National Geographic Facebook image shows a hover fly masquerading as a bee.
A drone fly, Eristalis tenax, sipping nectar from a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. It is often mistaken for a bee. Eristalis is a large genus of hoverflies, family Syrphidae, in the order Diptera. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee, Apis mellifera, sipping nectar from a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Mary Louise Flint's Article in The Acorn: 'Butterflies in Decline'
You won't want to miss the cover story, "Butterflies in Decline," in the spring 2024 issue of The Acorn, the quarterly...
A pipevine swallowtail nectaring on Jupiter's beard in Vacaville. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)