Nature and the interaction of people and the earth is essential to life balance. Get too far from nature and you will find that you are unsettled and cranky. We need to stop now and then and go out into nature to reconnect and find our inner calm.
Those of us who are lucky enough to have some space for a garden can bring nature home. We can build our own little natural environment to enjoy whenever we want.
Whether you have a tree and flower garden or a vegetable garden, pests can be a problem and a hindrance to your full enjoyment of your outdoor space. You put a lot of time and money into your garden, and you don’t want to let the pests eat your investment in nature. But you are also concerned about the environment, as all of us should be.
There are so many little creatures in nature. They all have a place here and a job to do. Mass destruction is not really necessary in nearly every case. There will always be some pests in your landscape. Having bugs in our landscape is unavoidable and is even desirable as they all serve some function in nature. Is the pest causing some economic or lifestyle issues? Then let’s try an integrated pest management approach.
What is integrated pest management, (also called IPM)? The basic definition of IPM according to University of California at Davis is: 1“Integrated pest management (IPM) is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through a combination of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties. Pesticides are used only after monitoring indicates they are needed according to established guidelines, and treatments are made with the goal of removing only the target organism. Pest control materials are selected and applied in a manner that minimizes risks to human health, beneficial and nontarget organisms, and the environment.” Or put more simply, using the least toxic control method that will get the job done and reduce the pest population to the lowest threshold that will produce the least amount of damage.
The use of resistant varieties is my first choice for reducing pest issues. Of course, this assumes that you are in on the planning of your natural space before it is installed. Planning is the first step in creating your outdoor environment that can thrive with little care in the space you have. Do you have a sunny or shady spot? Is it windy? Exposed? What is the climate? How much space or light will the plants you have in mind require? All too often, people pick the plants they desire, not the plants that will do well in the space they have. It’s like saying I love that little fish! I’m gonna put him here right on my pillow where I can be near him all the time. Nope. Won’t work.
There are resistant varieties of plants that do not attract certain insects, or diseases in the conditions you have. Pick those varieties and plants that will work well there and avoid certain pest issues altogether.
You can’t really plan out all pests. So you have your natural space already AND you have pest issues. What do you do now? Well identification of your pest and understanding it’s biology and habitat is critical to control. What is it’s life cycle? Which parts of its cycle is damaging to your plants? What conditions does it thrive in? Know this and you are half way there to controlling the issue with the minimum of fuss.
Look at your cultural practices. Is the plant receiving the proper care? Does it need pruning? Are you watering enough or at the proper frequency? Is there enough sun? Perhaps the surrounding vegetation has become overgrown allowing too much shade or stagnant air patterns. Is the soil in good condition, not compacted or too wet or dry. Is the ph proper for optimum plant conditions? These are all things we can adjust to modify the conditions to improve the plant health. A healthy plant will naturally repel insects and disease.
Gophers and squirrels are notorious for liking just about every kind of plant. What do you do when they invade? Exclusion is often the answer for that. Pests like certain birds, rats and even some insects can be excluded from your garden by building walls, fences or screens and structures. There are so many possibilities depending on your situation. Traps work as well to trap and kill the intruders without chemical controls.
Then there is hand control. Got caterpillars? You can hand-pick them off. Not for the squeamish, obviously. And then there are traps and things like Tanglefoot which is a sticky substance that pests get stuck in.
Then you try biological controls, natural enemies and predators. Determine the type of pest that you have. Pretty much every pest in nature has a natural enemy or the planet would be overrun with that pest. Conditions in nature bring in the natural controls. In our artificial outdoor space, the natural controls are often out of whack. We need to supplement the environment with the natural controls. This might be anything from importing lady bugs to control aphids (aww..) to bringing in natural controls for snails and slugs like toads and snakes. ( I didn’t say it would be pretty) or birds, beneficial wasps and even bacterial pathogens like Bacillus thuringiensis, to control caterpillars . There are so many kinds of natural predators to choose from.
The next step might be to apply a chemical control to bring the pest threshold down to manageable levels. My first step in any bug issue is to wash off the plant. Pure and simple a blast of water can do wonders! It washes the majority of pests off the plant where many will not make it back to the plant. Washing off the plant often reduces the conditions that attracted the pest in the first place. Take aphids. They attract ants. Both are undesirable. Washing the aphids off the plant will not only reduce the aphid population drastically, but will also wash off the honeydew the aphids produce. The honeydew is what attracts the ants. Two for one with plain water!
The very last step in integrated best management is chemical control. As a licensed pest control applicator, I do not often resort to chemical controls. When a chemical control is warranted due to severe plant damage, with potential loss of the plant or a high value plant in danger then I consider chemical controls. When chemical controls are used, always use the least toxic product that will get the job done. It’s the responsible way to protect our earth.
1 http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/GENERAL/ipmdefinition.html
February is the month of love and no where else is love more abundant than in your garden right now. “Really?” You say. “I don’t think so.” As you peer out your window to the cold and gloomy February outdoors.
But yes, the love is all around you, deep in the heart of your plants and soil. It is waiting. Waiting to be cultivated with just a little love and attention to bud and bloom and blossom into what can be. It will become heavy with fruit and green lusciousness for you to revel in very soon.
Ok. Like all good things love (and your garden) will take some time and effort, but it is so worth it!
So when you look out and see just cold empty spaces; remember it is up to you to make things grow.
“For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn’t understand growth, it would look like complete destruction.” Cynthia Occelli
Cash for Grass Program
We live in a desert. That is literally everybody in Southern California not just the High Desert areas. We grew up with a feeling of abundance when it came to using water in our homes and on our yards. Things need to change. We only have one earth and we need to conserve to keep it going in a healthy direction. We can do just as well with a lot less. We actually can do better!
More than half of the water used at residences and businesses that are landscaped is spent on outdoor watering. If your current landscaping is mostly or a large part grass, re-landscaping it into an attractive water-wise landscape is one of the best ways to help save water.
Locally here in the Victor Valley we have the Cash for Grass Program. Our local program gives you the opportunity to convert your grass into desert-adaptive and water-wise landscaping, with a monetary rebate when you do.
Of course, there are rules and restrictions to the program. You must have living grass to apply. Your grass can be dormant, but if it has been dead for a while you won’t qualify. You can apply through your water company who will give you all the particulars.
Once approved you will get a letter with the guidelines for the program and you will get a list of approved plants to install. The list is large and quite variable for lots of different looks so you really aren’t roughing it when it comes to “making do” with a water-thrifty landscape. You do not have to remove ALL your lawn. You can keep some of your grass if you like, it is just not part of the rebate square footage.
You do not have to hire anyone to do the removal or new installations for you. There are no “approved or not approved vendors”. You can do this all on your own if you feel you are up to the task. However, if you want professional help or advice, design or guidance, removal services or installations services, give us a call. We can do that for you.
February is the time for Insect Prevention
Getting ahead of the game is where it is at. Modern science has given us many tools to help us with preventing problems with our bodies and so too there are things we can do preventively to help prepare our trees and plants to be healthier and ward off attack from pest and disease. February is a great month to apply dormant oil to deciduous trees to coat the branches with the oil that will smother overwintering insects and larvae.
It is also a great month to apply a systemic treatment to the base of large evergreen and deciduous trees. It takes time for the product to be taken into the plant’s conductive tissues and to be distributed throughout the plant’s branches, stems and needles or leaves. The larger the tree or shrub, the longer the process takes. Which makes late winter/early spring a great time to apply protection before the new leaves have emerged. Prevention is key for insects like borers because when they get a foothold on the plant, it is harder to control them than it is to prevent them. So keep your plants healthy with some preventative measures.
February is also for Dormant Pruning
Hurry! Now is the time to do your dormant pruning for your fruit trees, grapes, cane berries, wisteria, roses and other woody dormant plants. Soon the warm weather will cause them to respond with aggressive growth and you want to “direct” their energies with the proper pruning. I like to say that by pruning, you are talking to your plants and telling them what is expect of them. It is much easier to manage this now rather than when they are out of control in a few months.
Don’t forget this is a good month for:
Weed prevention and control before they get out of hand.
Stock your bird feeders.
Plant bare-root trees and shrubs
Break out the seed catalogues and order your seeds
Plan this year’s garden changes
Build your raised gardens and prep the soil.
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My Favorite Recipes
White Chicken Chili
I have had recipes for white chicken chili I have been considering trying. Chicken being low in fat and chili being full of taste and both being warm in your tummy for a nice winter meal. Pair with a salad and some corn bread and you are all set.
I had a hard time finding a recipe that doesn’t make a ton of food. There are just two of us and the hubs doesn’t want to be eating the same stuff for days and neither do I. So I took the other recipes and adapted them to the one below. It is EASY, QUICK and strangely enough, tastes cheesey (without any cheese?) What’s up with that?? I don’t know, but you are sure to enjoy this “a little bit different” chili.
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of white beans, drained
1 small can of chopped green chilies
2 cooked chicken thighs shredded (or 8 oz)
2 tablespoons taco seasoning.
Put all ingredients into a medium sauce pan and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes and serve. Makes 2-3 generous servings.
To make things a bit spicier, chop 1 small onion and sauté in the sauce pan first with a tsp of olive oil until the onion is almost translucent. Add ½ to 1 fresh jalapeno (minced without seeds) to the pan and sauté 2 minutes more and then add all the other ingredients and cook as above. Yum!
We finally got some cool weather along with a bit of rain. Not much, but a good start and just enough to start up a fire. Rain and a good fire reminds me of the restaurant scene in Harry met Sally. Yes, yes, yes!
With the cooler weather and shorter days, you need to be adjusting your sprinkler system like crazy to allow for the reduced water needs of your landscape.
If you haven’t already, fertilize your trees and shrubs soon for a healthier sleep through winter and an quick start in spring.
We just changed back to standard time. Some of you have battery operated sprinkler timers and now is a good time to change the batteries in those if we haven’t already done it for you recently.
Want a fall adventure but can’t get away for a trip? Take an afternoon and drive up to Wrightwood. The road is short and uncomplicated and the drive is worth it! Beautiful pines and fall trees and crisp air. Lots of cute little shops and tasty restaurants to temp you. Go up on a Friday afternoon and stop by the Farmer’s market. I got some terrific organic apples there and made some amazing no sugar apple butter with them.
CRAFTY? While you are there, pick up some pretty fall leaves. Spray one side of the leaves with some spray adhesive and stick to the inside of a quart Mason jar. Place a battery votive candle inside and voila! Instant Thanksgiving table decoration.
“Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Falling from an autumn tree”
Emily Bronte
Fall is for FOOTBALL!
Football season means Sundays are casual. Have some soup and some chips and dip. Get your onion fix.
Homemade Onion Dip
( no comparison to store bought)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ cups diced yellow onions
¼ tsp kosher salt
1 ½ cups sour cream
¾ cup mayonnaise
¼ tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt)
½ tsp ground pepper
½ tsp kosher salt
Saute oil and onions and salt in a fry pan slowly over medium heat until they are caramelized (not burnt). This will take about 20-30 minutes. Set aside to cool. Mix the rest of the ingredients and then add the cooled onions and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Mix again and serve with your favorite chips.
Redskins and Onion Soup
3 Tbl olive oil
1 ½ lbs of white onions, chopped
¾ lbs of Redskin potatoes diced into ½” chunks
5 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large soup pan add oil and onions and saute on low until translucent but not brown, about 30 minutes.
While onion is cooking, place potato cubes in a steamer and steam potatoes until soft about 10 minutes. When onions are ready, add the steamed potatoes and the chicken broth to the soup pan with the potatoes and heat through. Puree soup in several batches if necessary in a food processor or use a stick blender and blend right in the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste and heat to serving temperature. Ladle in bowls and top with chopped tomato or shredded cheese and serve with warm french bread and butter.
“Eating is a necessity, but cooking is an art”
By Cindy Poore
My youngest granddaughter (so far) is 5. This is the perfect time to teach her where our food comes from. I have plans to plant some actual food you can eat! I want her to know what real food is and where it comes from. I want her to experience the wonderful flavors of food fresh from the garden.
I’m so excited about this. Last year we planted sunflowers from seed. It was fun and we got to see them jump up high and bloom before winter even though we planted them late. I will keep you posted.
Got Weeds?
Even though we have had almost no rain, we still got weeds. Understanding that for the weed preventer to work, it has to be watered in once; most people want to wait until a predicted rain to have us spray. Which I understand completely because the effort to drag the hoses around to water that stuff in is a major pain and in cold weather too.
The water needed to water it in should not be a big issue for you. It takes between $0.75 and $1.50 (depending on rates and tier) per 1,000 square feet in
water costs to water in your pre-emergent equal to half an inch of rain. For a job of say…10,000 square feet that amounts to $7.50 to $15.00 in water costs.
What the main problem is, I can’t know when it is going to rain. And how much. And rain usually comes in right after or with wind. That limits us in when we can spray safely.
So give us a call to have your weeds sprayed right away. Just getting rid of your existing weeds before they get too numerous, or too big, or set seeds will be a prevention tactic all on it’s own. And if you need someone to help you water in your pre-emergent, we will be able to help you with that for an additional charge.
Now offering watering services for your pre-emergent application.
Call us today at (760) 868-6104
March Tasks
¤Now is the time to tidy up your garden by removing dead leaves from your perennials and cutting back your grasses.
¤Just FYI. The Crepe Myrtles and Russian sage will still look dead for another month or so. Don’t go off thinking they are dead. Patience.
¤If you got tulip bulbs, fertilize after blooming with a balanced fertilizer like 10-10-10 or 12-10-18. This is when the new bulbs are forming and the best time to fertilize.
¤Feed all your plants and lawns now, and you will be rewarded with lots of great new green growth and blooms.
Why does my rose bush
look wet?
Spring has sprung. Well, we really did not have much of a winter. What? It rained like twice? The plants have been gearing up for a long growing season this year and the roses are no exception. They are putting out new leaves like crazy. Pretty soon you will see flower buds and beautiful blooms. And sometimes, their leaves will look wet.
The lush new growth of spring plants and the warm weather will bring out the aphids. The aphids secrete honeydew a sticky (and I’m told sweet) which makes the leaves look wet. The honeydew also attracts ants. Ants love aphids and often take care of them just to harvest their honeydew. Sorta like us and cows, ha ha.
If you see ants on or near your plants, look for aphids. Aphids come in all colors and their size can vary a lot depending on their growth stage.
Aphids are usually more annoying than dangerous to your plants. A good strong spray from a garden hose a few days in a row should take care of most of the little guys.
If that doesn’t work, give us a call. Now it the best time for us to apply a season long control for your plants that will kill and repel insects that feed on your plants.
We can kill and prevent bug damage to your plants, trees and shrubs for months with one application.
Call us at (760) 868-6104
The magic of deadheading flowers
Most people have heard of deadheading flowers, but don’t really know why it is so important. Consider that the flower plant is trying to reproduce by flowering. When you cut off the blooms, the plant will respond with more flowers!
My Favorite Recipes
Dinner for One (or two)
I have a lot of friends who are singles or couples who don’t want to fix complex meals but still want to eat good food. Since I share that same situation, I look for things to cook that are yummy, but don’t take a lot of time and ingredients. One of my favorite go-to meals is a game hen. Since they are about 1 ½ lbs each, one hen is enough for two. If there is just you, then you have some wonderful bird left for a salad the next day. Try this recipe and its variations for a great meal.
1 1 ½ to 2 lb game hen, rinsed and pat dry
Salt and pepper to taste.
That’s pretty much it. Wrap the hen in a large piece of aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Unwrap foil from the hen ( push to sides) and roast for 15 more minutes to brown.
Then try one of these great variations for the last 15 minutes after unwrapping foil from top of hen.
Baste hen with BBQ sauce.
Baste hen with your favorite flavor of jam.
Mix 2 tbls. Apricot jam mixed with 1 Tbls. Dijon mustard and ½ tsp cracked pepper and baste hen during last 15 minutes of roasting.
But wait! There’s more.
2 small red potatoes, quartered
2 large mushrooms, quartered
4 stalks fresh asparagus, cut in half
1 small zucchini, sliced in coins
¼ red bell pepper sliced
2 Tbls. Italian salad dressing
Place all veggies in a bowl and toss to coat. Place veggies in a large piece of aluminum foil and wrap. Bake veggies in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Serve with the game hen.
“The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not smashing it.” Arnold H. Glasow
- Staying Home May 31, 2020Staying home has new meaning since the tragic and crazy world of COVID-19. While most are keeping a low profile at home, Perfection Landscape knows that we are essential for helping our clients care for their home environments. We continue to do maintenance for our regular and new clients keeping with social distancing guidelines for […]
- Weeds are Back! March 10, 2018Is your yard Exploding with weeds ? You may think a few weeds here or there aren’t much to worry about, but did you know most weeds are capable of producing over a thousand seeds each? Rain and the warmer weather that will follow will make conditions just right for hose little land mines […]