“I try to rely less and less on controlling nature. Instead, I am learning to live with its chaos.”
Monitor fruiting pear and apple trees for codling moth. To control powdery mildew on grapevines, apply sulfur every 14 days until fruit begins to taste sweet. Do not treat if temperature exceeds 100°F. When using herbicides for weed control, spray on a calm day and protect nearby plants by shielding with a large piece of cardboard. Pinch back annuals and perennials to encourage sturdy growth. Remove spent lilac flower clusters just above points where leaf buds are forming. Lightly prune lavender. Do not prune into the woody parts. Yellow leaves may be a sign of chlorosis, which can be treated with chelated iron. Spring planting season is over. Keep recent plantings well-watered. Postpone planting non-essential annual flowers, vegetables, and container plants until fall. Annuals and perennials: cosmos, dahlia, foxglove (Digitalis), coneflower (Echinacea), rockrose (Cistus). Bulbs, corms, tubers: watsonia. Trees, shrubs, vines: chitalpa, clematis, escallonia, smoke tree (Cotinus). Fruits and vegetables: nectarine, peach, plum. Manage spider mites by rinsing dust from foliage. To water hillsides, set emitters on the upper side of slope. Grafting can be performed on citrus and avocado trees now.
Source: Adapted from A Gardener’s Companion for the Central San Joaquin Valley, 3rd edition, currently available from Fresno County Master Gardeners for $30. These can be purchased at our demonstration garden – Garden of the Sun (1750 N Winery (McKinley/Winery), open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 am to Noon, and via email at mgfresno@ucanr.edu. Gardening questions answered as well at mgfresno@ucanr.edu. Prepared by Terry Lewis, Master Gardener UCCE Fresno County.