The Digging Fork
A Davis Garden Newsletter
May - June 2008
May
Planting Warm season vegetables:
eggplant, sweet and chile
peppers, tomatillo, sweet
potato slips, tomato, basil
Warm season annuals:
coleus, petunia, lobelia,
moss rose, celosia,
impatiens and more
see
Perennials: all, but
Plant notes
especially frost tender
plants
Warm season bulbs
Seeding Warm season vegetables:
beans (dry, snap, lima,
yard long), cucumber,
directly
into the
corn (all kinds), melon,
okra, pumpkin, soybeans,
garden
summer/winter squash,
watermelon, peanuts
Warm season annuals
see sunflowers, tithonia,
Plant notes zinnias, scarlet runner
bean, cosmos and more
Fertilize Lawns as needed
Roses after bloom
Snails, slugs and earwigs
Pest & damage –use baits or traps.
Disease Emerging seedlings and
transplants are the most
Control vulnerable!
Aphids. Can spray off with
water and watch for lady
beetle & parasitic wasps
Scale. Keep ants under
control with ant stakes and
rub off scale insects
Tasks Prune deciduous shrubs and
vines after they flower.
see They will soon start setting
Plant notes buds for next spring.
Spring garden cleanup
begins. Cut back spring
blooming perennials, pull
out cool season annuals,
cut bulb foliage when
yellowing. Good time to
dig and mulch.
Thin stone fruits, cover
cherry trees (bird control)
Weed control continues!!
Many plants benefit from
support: dahlias, peppers,
tomatoes, eggplant, etc.
Add stakes and/or cages
when planting.
Lift ranunculus-leave dirt
on them and store in cool
place in open container
Water Water deeply and
infrequently to encourage
deep roots!!
Water compost piles.
June
Warm season annuals
Perennials
Can still plant, but need to
keep plants well watered
until they are established.
Warm season vegetables
beans (dry, snap),
corn (sweet and baby),
okra, melons, pumpkin,
summer/winter squash.
(Snap beans & summer squash
often have disease problems,
a second planting will
prolong the season)
Warm season annuals:
see May
Lawns as needed
Look for nutrient
deficiencies – especially
iron and nitrogen.
See May.
Spring garden cleanup
continues (see May)
Stake dahlias and other tall
plants that need support
Weed control continues!!
Tall, fall bloomers like
mums, asters, perennial
sunflowers, etc. can be
cut to 12” in late June to
encourage branching and
reduce plant height. This
may delay the bloom
time.
This is the month of the
highest water needs due to
rapid plant growth and
warmer temperatures.
Water as needed.
Deep water trees and
shrubs.
silver sage Darcy sage
More Salvias
It’s May and that means once again it is time
to plant Salvias. The nurseries should have a good
selection and the last chance of frost is passed allowing
frost sensitive species to get established and thrive.
With over 900 species of Salvias existing in the world,
it can be difficult to narrow down to a few to plant in
the garden. Many salvias can add fragrance, attract
hummingbirds and are happy with low water. These
qualities can help in your selection.
Many salvias are known for their fragrance such as
the popular herb, garden sage, but others are equal if
not more aromatic. If fragrance is a must in your
garden here are several ideas. Grape-scented salvia
has a wonderful grape scent when in flower early
spring. Some people describe it as “grape cool-aid”.
Two California native salvias, hummingbird sage
and Cleveland sage have intense aromatic leaves that
can be smelled from afar on hot days. White sage
leaves have been used for centuries for smudging while
pineapple sage leaves have a hint of pineapple and
edible red flowers.
If summer watering is not possible or is sporadic,
some salvias will thrive from this absence of water.
Not surprisingly, these salvias are native to areas where
summer rains are rare such as California, South Africa
and Mexico. Good drainage during our winters is
required, so planting in raised beds or on a slight
mound can help. Brown flowering Salvia Africana-
lutea, the California natives Cleveland sage and black
sage are good choices. Silver sage with fuzzy, whitish
leaves is also a lovely drought tolerant plant that makes
a statement in the garden. White sage, discussed
above, is another great candidate for dry gardens.
Looking to attract hummingbirds to the garden?
Salvias can lure them spring through fall. Most
hummingbirds prefer orange to red flowers but are also
attracted to other hues. Darcy sage blooms late in
summer until the first big frost with an abundance of
orange-red flowers. Salvia microphylla is another
magnet for hummingbirds. Of course the
hummingbird and pineapple sages are also good
choices. The blue flowered anise-scented sage also Plant sales and events
adds a great splash of blue to the garden. UCD Arboretum
May want to see another salvia article in The Digging Lots of great guided tours and workshops coming up!!
Fork May-June 2007 issue. Email below to have a monthly reminder of events sent to you
Good web site with lots of pictures: For information 752-4880 www.arboretum.ucdavis.edu
http://www.californiagardens.com/Lists/salvia_list.htm Jepson Prairie Preserve – Vernal Pool Tours
Salvia book: Sages For Every Garden by Betsy Clebsch Saturdays & Sundays, until May 11, 10 am
Information http://www.solanolandtrust.org (707) 432-0150
Davis Garden Club
Herbs - Rose Loveall, Morningsun Herb Farm May 19
Garden Tea June 22
For information 222-3052 www.davisgardenclub.org
Davis Flower Arrangers
Flora Pacifica from Brookings, Oregon
Talk is about preserved and fresh wreaths and swags and
driftwood filled with succulents
3101 Fifth St, Walnut Terrace Community Room. 756-6722
Plant Sales at The Gifted Gardener
Saturday/Sunday May 3rd and 4th, May 17th and 18th
Saturday/Sunday June 7th & 8th , June 14th & 15th
9:30 am to 3 pm. 200 varieties of perennial plants.
white sage hummingbird sage
18th and J Streets, Sacramento. Sales benefit local charities
Information GardenNotes@sbcglobal.net (916) 923-3745
Local classes and workshops Friends of the Davis Library Book Sale
June 6 (noon-7 pm), 7 (10 am-5 pm), 8 (10 am-3 pm)
Woodland College Mini-courses: Often good finds on gardening books! Info. 758-4754
Landscape Irrigation Systems May 9 to 17
These courses are held Friday evenings and Saturday
Pence Garden Tour
mornings. For information 661-5720 www.yccd.edu Sunday May 4 12 noon to 5 pm
For information http://www.pencegallery.org/
Master Gardener Educational Workshops
Summer Pruning Fruit Trees – Fruit Bush Culture
May 10, 9-11 am Woodland Community College
Starting Plants from Cuttings
June 14 9-10:30 am 70 Cottonwood, Woodland
Workshops are free 666-8143
http://ceyolo.ucdavis.edu/Gardening_and_Master_Gardening/
Woodland Library Rose Club
All About Roses Saturday, May 10 1-5 pm
Woodland Public Library, Leake Room Cost $5
Information Betty 662-6277
Davis Botanical Society
Butterflies, Native Plants, Invasive Weeds and You
Speaker: Dr. Art Shapiro
Thursday, May 15, 7-8 pm Davis Public Library Cleveland sage ‘Allen Chickering’ tricolor sage
Free. For more information 752-1091
~ Garden Intern Needed ~
Davis Central Park Gardens Workshops For a few years now, Patricia has tried to have a paid intern one day a week.
The Magic of Mulch May 17, 9-10 am The intern learns about plants, garden maintenance, irrigation, propagation,
Plants to Attract Beneficial Insects to you Garden etc. and Patricia gets a bit of help in the garden. Days and hours are
May 17, 10:30-11:30 flexible. If this sounds interesting to you, send an email to Patricia.
Identify Common Pests and Beneficial Insects
June 7, 9-10 am
Water Wisely: How to Irrigate Effectively
June 7, 10:30-11:30
Free, more information http://www.centralparkgardens.org
City of Davis Worm and Garden Composting
Free compost bin by taking Davis Compost
Correspondence Class
Information www.davisrecycling.org (530) 757-5686
Global Climate Change and Your Backyard
California Center for Urban Horticulture May 30 and 31
$125(UCD Arboretum members), $150(general public)
Information http://ccuh.ucdavis.edu/events 752-6642 anise-scented sage Salvia African-lutea

2
 Plant notes!
Here is more information about some plants mentioned in this newsletter.
Salvias:
anise-scented sage Salvia guaranitica 4-5’tall, sun to part shade.
Dies back to the ground each winter, but fast growing in spring.
black or honey sage Saliva mellifera Drought tolerant CA native
with very fragrant foliage. Loose, floppy growth habit up to 3-5’ high.
White to pale lavender flowers, attracts bees . Does best in full sun and
good drainage.
Cleveland or CA blue sage Salvia clevelandii Woody CA native
shrub 3-5’ tall and wide with pale lavender flowers in early summer. Full
sun, good drainage needed. Cultivars include ‘Winnifred Gilman’ and
‘Allen Chickering’.
Darcy or Galeana sage Salvia darcyi Red flowers bloom summer
until frost. Does best in full sun. Dies completely to the ground in winter
but will grow back up to 3’ in spring. Don’t cut plant back till spring.
garden or common sage Salvia officinalis 1-4’ tall, culinary. Many
cultivars are ornamental as well, including ‘Tricolor’, ‘Icterina’,
‘Purpurascens’ and ‘Berggarten’
grape-scented sage Salvia melissodora Woody shrub up to 6’ high
and 4’ wide with lavender flowers spring until frost. Takes full sun and
needs good drainage. Native to Mexico. Attracts butterflies and
hummingbirds.
hummingbird sage Salvia spathacea Evergreen 3’ tall herbaceous
plant. CA native with fuchsia colored flowers that bloom all spring.
Prefers partial shade and humus soil. Spreads by underground rhizomes.
pineapple sage Salvia elegans Red flowers bloom in late summer until
frost. Can reach 4-5’ tall. Flowers are edible. Needs full sun. Cut plant
back in spring when new growth appears.
purple or gray sage Salvia leucophylla Arching, evergreen woody
CA native shrub. Flowers are pale purple and bloom in early to mid
spring. Plant reaches 3-5’ tall and wide.
Salvia African-lutea 3’tall woody evergreen shrub from South Africa.
Flowers emerge yellow and turn brownish-orange. Full sun and good
drainage required.
Salvia microphylla Woody evergreens shrub 3-4’ tall. Blooms in spring
and then again in summer. Does best in full sun. Many color variations of
pinks and reds.
silver sage Salvia argentea Has basal growth of fuzzy silver leaves.
Flower stalk emerges and blooms in spring. Cut flower stalk off before
seeds set to prolong plant’s life. Biennial or short lived perennial. Needs
full sun and good drainage.
white sage Salvia apiana 4-5’ tall evergreen woody shrub with white
to pale lavender flowers. Needs full sun and excellent drainage. Very
aromatic foliage used for smudging.
Warm season vegetables:
basil Easy to find transplants in the nurseries. If there are many seedlings
in the pot, separate before planting. Protect seedlings from snails, slugs
and earwigs with baits. Keep leaves picked to prevent flowering.
beans (snap, dry and lima) Best direct seeded in the garden as they
germinate and grow quickly. Snap beans can be bush or pole type. Pole
beans twine counter clockwise, important when helping on a trellis.
corn Wind pollinated so best planted in blocks (except baby corn that
never gets pollinated). Leave suckers to increase photosynthesis as there
is no change in yield. Baby corn is usually a popcorn variety. A favorite
is “Chires Baby’ available from Seeds of Change. Harvest when silks
first appear and cob is ½” in diameter. If this window is missed, the cobs
can be allowed to mature and dry for popcorn or decoration.
cucumber Some think bitterness is caused by uneven watering, others
think it is genetically controlled. There are burpless, vine and bush
cultivar. Tendrils grab onto a trellis, large tomato cages work well. The
first 10-20 flowers are male and don’t produce cucumbers.
eggplant Plant when daily air temperature is above 70 deg. F. They need
lots of sun and water! If plants are stressed, they won’t set fruit.
peanut Spanish and Valencia types need shorter growing season than
Virginia types. The fertilized flower produces a peg that grows
downward into the soil which needs to be easy for the peg to penetrate.
Can use raw supermarket peanuts for seed, shell before planting. Harvest
whole plant when leaves turn yellow, hang 2-3 weeks to dry.
peppers Afternoon shade best as peppers burn easily in our hot sun. Can
also plant peppers deep. Support plants, they break from heavy fruit.
tomatoes Plant deep with only a few leaves showing, roots will form on
the stem.
3
Garden record keeping
When gardeners visit a garden, whether public or
private, there are questions that are often asked.
-What is that plant?
-When was it planted? How big will it get?
-I want that plant! Where did you get it?
This is when the owner of the garden or tour guide relies
on his/her memory or some sort of record keeping.
Keeping track of what is in the garden, when it was
planted and other important information usually isn’t on
the mind of most beginning gardeners. They are still
trying to “grow’ the plant successfully. However,
keeping records can help you become a better gardener.
For instance, if a plant isn’t growing well and further
research is needed you may need to know the plant’s
scientific name, as common names aren’t reliable. This
will help both with looking it up in a book or asking
another knowledgeable gardener.
Garden record keeping is as individual as gardens.
There are many ways to keep the information you may
need about the garden and/or plants. These include plant
labels, computer lists, binders of notes and garden
journals.
Plant labels: copper, zinc (and replacement label), aluminum with wire,
plastic (yellow with pencil, white with label maker, from nursery, small
white for seedlings) , laminated with wire holder (detail of wire), wooden
Plant Labels. One advantage to plant labels is that the
plant name is with the plant in the garden. Other info,
including date planted, size, flower color, maintenance needs
and even where it came from can also be recorded. This is
especially nice when you have planted a plant you just met
and are still getting to know. The disadvantages of plant
markers is that they can get easily broken, lost (end up in the
compost pile) and/or the information disappears off the
marker.
There are many types of plant labels and the type needed
is often dictated by whether it is important to be able to read
it easily when walking by or if it is ok to bend down to read
the label. Most are made of metal, plastic or wood.
Information can be put on labels in many ways including #2
pencil, permanent marker, grease pencil, label makers,
engraver, paint pen, or using laser computer printers. Pencil
is the most permanent, but not easy to read. Permanent
markers do fade, even those made for horticultural use.
Grease pencils don’t last forever. Label makers can produce
plastic labels that adhere to either plastic or metal and are
easy to read and last many years.
Zinc labels with galvanized legs. Patricia’s favorite are the
10 inch rose markers. Use #2 pencil to write on both sides.
The writing can be immediately erased and corrected but
over time the pencil and metal react to make it very
permanent. It is possible to use a permanent marker to write

over the pencil for easier reading. Our water, full of salts,
may make the writing difficult to read, but a little spit or
water will solve the problem. The zinc label part can be
purchased separately. A good source is Eon Industries
(www.eonindustries.com 419-533-4961). Before using,
spread the legs and crimp the label with pliers .
Copper labels. These are similar to the above zinc labels but
more expensive. The copper can be indented with a pen.
Aluminum identification markers. These are easily etched
on both sides with a pen or pencil. They can be wired,
stapled, or nailed. The wire is really thin and can be
replaced with tie wire. These are especially useful for
labeling irrigation valves.
Plastic. The disadvantage is that breakage is inevitable with
exposure to sun. Pencil is the most permanent for marking,
however a label maker or permanent marker is easier to read.
Printing with a laser printer is another option.
Wood. Similar to plastic in that they don’t last forever
because they will eventually rot.
Laminated plant labels. These are usually printed on paper
and then laminated in a plastic sleeve which is easy to do at
local copy shops. They are flexible in layout and
information and are easy to read but the plastic eventually
will need to be replaced. 12 ½ gauge galvanized wire can be
used to make holders. A leather punch works well for holes.
Other types of record keeping. Another way to keep
records is to use files or binders, garden journals or a
computer file for plant information. The advantage is that it
is possible to keep more information than on a plant label.
Many gardeners do both. Some methods are easier than
others for transporting the information to the garden or
nursery when needed.
Binder or file. Many gardeners devote a page or two to each
plant with information including where the plant was
purchased, when planted, plant characteristics and
information for growing requirements. Photos, seed
packages and observations can also be included. For
vegetables, harvest information is useful. The binder or file
system might make sense divided by subject. Possibilities
include trees and shrubs, flowers, vegetables , pest problems,
plants you want to grow, garden maps, irrigation (layout and
watering schedules) weather information, general garden
notes, newspaper and magazine articles, useful websites,
nursery information…..
Garden journals. Journals are often more about the garden
in general, what is blooming, weather trends and general
observations rather than detailed information about plants.
Many garden journals are available to purchase but are
usually very structured and may not meet your specific
needs. Lee Valley Tools (www.leevalley.com 1-800-871-
8158) has a 10 year garden journal, perfect for weather
information and just a couple observations daily. It is fun to
see how the garden changes over time and what is blooming.
Computer records. Plant lists can be easily compiled using
the computer. The Excel program allows for lots of
flexibility, sorting, etc. It is easy to print a plant list and
carry it to the garden or nursery.
Is there such a thing as recording too much information?
Absolutely!! It does take awhile for gardeners to figure
out just what information is useful. We don’t want to
spend all our time recording useless information -- we
need time to enjoy our garden, too!
4
More gardening tips!
Tomato control. Putting tomato cages around your
tomatoes is not good enough to keep them under control.
Every few days, the tips of the branches need to be pushed
into the center of the cage to prevent them from growing
outside. Trying to weave the branches through the cage
often results in them breaking. It is a good idea to stake
your cages to prevent them from tipping when plants get big
and heavy with fruit.
When to clean up bulb foliage.
Bulbs ready to clean up: tulips, daffodils, naked lady
Now is the time to start cleaning up the withering foliage of
many bulbs. Spring flowering bulbs of daffodils, tulips,
freesia, Spanish bluebells, etc. and summer/fall flowering
bulbs like naked ladies and spider lilies (flowers come up
first and then the foliage grows during the winter) are
starting to yellow and flop over. There is no need to wait
until leaves are completely dead and brown. We want the
leaves to photosynthesize and store energy in the bulbs but
when the leaves start to decline, they can be cut or gently
wiggled out a few at a time. This is a great time to loosen
the ground around the bulbs with a digging fork. If you dig
a bulb up, just replant it. Summer annuals can now be
planted over and around the bulbs.
Ace Hardware now sells
Presto compost bins!!
The Digging Fork May-June
2007 issue talks about turning yard
waste into compost using these bins.
Do you have a red rose growing in your yellow one?
Many roses are grafted onto hardy rootstock. Sprouts below
the graft usually have red flowers, but also sometimes white
and rootstock leaves are usually very different from the
graphed rose leaves. These rootstock sprouts need to be cut
off as they take energy away from the desired plant and if
ignored can take over the grafted rose.
Staking dahlias is a personal preference. Some gardeners
don’t mind them flopping and growing among the other
plants but others want straight stems for cutting An easy
way to keep them upright is with a large tomato cage.
Newsletter created by:
Marlene Simon -- UCD graduate in Horticulture
Patricia Carpenter -- Gardening Coach (Design and Education),
with 35 years of Davis gardening experience.
The bi-monthly newsletter is free if received by email. If mailed,
the cost is $15 per year. To be added to the subscription list or to
unsubscribe, contact us at: TheDiggingFork@gmail.com