Five things to do in the garden this week:
Perennials. Ox tongue (Gasteria glomerata) is a succulent gem. Foliage consists of paired leaves, each of which is thick and covered with tiny bumps, resembling the tongue of an ox. The genus name Gasteria refers to the flowers, which are gasteriform or stomach-shaped, a characteristic common to all species of this genus. The flowers appear as little orange balloons, as many as 20 of them to a stem. The plant itself grows only four inches tall but has a clumping habit to a diameter of one foot. This is an endangered species in its native South Africa, where it roots on sheer cliffs. Absolutely perfect drainage is essential to its health.
Yes, you can grow sweet cherries in Southern California, thanks to a number of proven low-chill varieties. Mini Royal semi-dwarf (200-300 chill hours, 15-20 feet tall) cross pollinates with Royal Lee semi-dwarf (200-300 hours, 20-30 feet); you will need these two trees planted together to harvest a sizable crop from each. The Lapins variety (400 hours or less, 20-30 feet) is self-fruitful, meaning you only need a single tree for a good-sized crop, but would increase harvest by planting two Lapins side by side.
Vegetables. Consider growing carrots in a five-gallon bucket, as long as it has plenty of drainage holes. A standard five-gallon nursery container is suitable. Fill with a rich soil mix and sprinkler carrot seeds over the top, around 1/2 inch apart, covering them with a little compost. Germinate them in the shade and, when setting the bucket in a sunny exposure, cover with hardware cloth to prevent avian predations on the seedlings. Greg Alder plants the Mokum variety carrots, since they are small with a finger-sized diameter. He harvests around 70 carrots of excellent quality from a single bucket. When growing carrots in the garden bed, quality is variable with carrots often coming up twisted or forked.
Herbs. Horseradish is one of the plants used for “maror,” bitter herbs that are consumed at the Passover seder to commemorate the suffering of slavery in a palpable way. If you’re not Jewish, you should plant horseradish anyway because it is nice to have around to flavor sandwiches, salads and sauces. Horseradish rhizomes – thick stems that grow underground – are available in your grocery store’s produce department throughout the year. Plant the large rhizome horizontally, just below the soil surface. Within days, you will see leaves – some of which may already be growing from the rhizome upon purchase – begin to push up through the soil. The first leaves will be lanceolate or spear-shaped, without much interest. As these leaves turn yellow and die, however, they will be replaced with ornate, deeply lobed leaves that can grow up to 2 feet long and 6 inches wide. Horseradish grows well in full sun or partial shade.
In a windy area, it will probably be necessary to stake newly planted single-trunk trees known as standards. Yet staking is always an iffy practice as trees can rely on them too much and fail to build wind resistance. One way to avoid staking trees in windy areas is to select multi-trunk specimens. These are usually shorter and more robust than standards, with three or four roughly equivalent trunks angling up at ground level. Wind seldom breaks multi-trunk trees. Crape myrtle (Laegerstroemia indica), western redbud (Cercis occidentals), olive (Olea europaea), and pomegranate (Punica granatum) are drought tolerant species widely available in multi-trunk form.
Send your questions and comments to joshua@perfectplants.com.
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