Flower Power Garden Hour

Marlene answers a variety of listener submitted questions this week. It’s a grab bag of topics this time, including: How to treat a sparse looking Daphne How to stop insects from eating sweet basil and tomatoes Browning Camellias Yellowing leaves on a tomato plant Is putting ice cubes on soil an effective method of watering Pruning of Weeping Cherry tree To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com

Tina Reikes was not always a farmer. 9/11 caused Tina to reevaluate her life, leading her to deviate from her corporate real estate career to seek something more fulfilling. Never having farmed, but armed with a desire to find a rural based lifestyle, Tina searched for the perfect location. A few years later, Bear Flag Farm was born. 26 acres tucked amongst almond & walnut orchards in the ag town of Winters CA, Tina began her career as a boutique farmer of lavender, olive oil, wine – and to boot, being a world renown wedding venue. Here we discuss Tina’s trials & errors of lavender farming, including her favorite varieties, how/when to prune, & the other aspects of her life as a farmer. To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com

A listener questions episode this week focusing on vegetables: Does cornmeal work as a pre-emergent herbicide Why does broccoli bolt? What is bolting? Do eggshells and/or diatomaceous earth effectively kill snails and slugs? Use of heat mats to start seeds My go-to soil amendments for vegetable garden soil preparation – and when to use To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com

Kate Waldo owns Worm Fancy, a business focused on diverting food waste going into our landfills. She began by working with schools, and implementing local programs which yielded some astounding results – in some cases a 3x reduction in daily trash volume. The scale and applicability of raising composting worms varies widely – from single family home use, to schools & business, to large scale ag operations. Here Kate walks through steps to start and guidance about how to be successful with raising your own composting worms. Types of containers to use (stackable tray systems; Rubbermaid containers) How to set up containers -- bedding, feeding, moisture Ideal type of worm for composting (Eisenia fetida, aka Red Wigglers) Temperature range How to sort worms for harvesting – YouTube video on Light Sorting worms Pre-configured bins or stackable trays for raising worms can be purchased at Worm Fancy, as well as worms to start your population and bulk castings. Worm Fancy can be found on Instagram @wormfancy To

A highly anticipated episode, featuring world renown tomato expert, Brad Gates. Based in Napa Valley, Brad owns Wild Boar Farms where he fastidiously spends years creating new varieties of exotic tomatoes, optimized to be “stunning looking tomato varieties with extreme flavor.” To bring a new variety to market, it takes Brad on average 6-7 years of breeding for the desired traits and selecting the strongest plants each season to begin the following generation. Using fully organic and sustainable farming techniques, Wild Boar is 100% not GMO. Landscape/construction by trade, plant geneticist by proxy – Brad is known for his spectacular tomatoes such as Brad’s Atomic Grape, Black Beauty, Dark Galaxy and Blue Gold. Over 60 varieties of Brad’s tomato seeds can be purchased at Wild Boar Farms, and plants can be purchased seasonally at select Northern CA nurseries (see website for detail) Brad can be found on Instagram @wildboarfarms and Facebook To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden

This is a much requested and anticipated episode with a deep dive on bees. Bee expert Dave Watson joins the show to share best practices for successfully raising bees. Dave provides a step by step process on how to set up your hive (including terminology/equipment), proper maintenance, location considerations, how to smoke bees, how to split colonies, pest/disease control, and much more (including hive social dynamics). Dave is a fantastic teacher – this show serves as the How-To guide for those looking to get into beekeeping or seasoned beekeepers looking to expand their existing knowledge. As part of his business, Dave helps people by removing bee swarms. This unique phenomena is discussed near the end of the podcast, with Dave sharing some of his best stories. Check out Dave’s Facebook @ DRWatsonapiaries Dave sells his NorCal Gold Country honey at The Golden Gecko, where he also teaches beekeeping classes Other valuable resources are the Sacramento Area Beekeepers Association and their Facebook page (here)

This is part 1 of 2 that comprises a comprehensive breakdown of anything and everything about roses, with a focus on bare-root. Here Marlene covers: Types of roses: Old English, ramblers, climbers, hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas, moss rose Purchasing: What to look for when buying bare-root roses Planting: Bare-root, actively growing roses, grafted versus non-grafted, soil, temperature range, drainage tolerance, sun requirements, when to plant, techniques of successful planting Pruning: When to prune depending on type and area, techniques, preventing disease transfer To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at marlenetheplantlady@gmail.com

A listener questions episode this week featuring: African violets….tips for re-potting Succulent protection in cold weather and frost All about Rue (Ruta graveolens)….growing tips Mushroom infestation…potential diagnosis and recommendations Pest control (beetles)…how to selectively predate their larvae To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

Alan Yip, Masters in Horticulture and Biodiversity, joins for Part 2 on a discussion around everything houseplants. Here we focus on tips and tricks about how to optimize your indoor plants. Topics include: Potting soils – how to choose or make your own Make your plants shiny (?) Protecting plants from cats Treat fungal gnats Dispelling common myths Common issues, such as leaf browning To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

Alan Yip, Masters in Horticulture and Biodiversity, joins today for a discussion on houseplants. Alan is an expert on orchids, and we will do an upcoming episode specifically on those. Here we talk about all things houseplants, focusing on ones which are easy to grow, tips for making them thrive, and common problems and solutions. We also dive into which houseplants are the popular ones currently. We’ve gone retro, because 1970’s houseplants are in! Popular plants discussed include Monstera and Ficus lyrata (aka Fiddle Leaf Fig). To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

Delmar Duldulao was the Head Gardener at the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, CA for over 20 years. The Winchester House is an 161 room estate in the heart of Silicon Valley, originally built by Sarah Winchester in the early 1900’s. Originally on 160 acres of fruit orchards, the house still sits on 4.5 acres, with 2 being manicured gardens. The Winchester House is where I had my first job and introduction into gardening, where I worked with Delmar as Assistant Gardener in my late teenage years. Delmar was the perfect teacher – a genius at mixing science & art applied to the incredible variety of plants we worked with. Here we discuss the unique plants, challenges & history of the gardens at the Winchester House. Delmar owns The Garden Samurai, a landscaping companying in Silicon Valley. To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback a

Dr. Richard Karban is a researcher at UC Davis, where he is an expert in the field of plant defenses and plant-insect interactions. His studies with sagebrush and how they “communicate” to decrease herbivore predation has been groundbreaking. Plant communication has been a hotly contested discussion for the better part of a decade. Although the general consensus in the scientific community now is that plant communication DOES occur, the mechanism(s) by which this happens is not well known or agreed upon. Watch Dr Karban’s TED-Ed talk on Plant Communication here Check out Wired Magazine’s article on Dr Karban here Find Dr Karban’s book Plant Sensing and Communication here To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

Brendan Wilce is a UCD graduate with a BA in Environmental Horticulture & Urban Forestry.  He is a nursery industry veteran, currently working at El Dorado Nursery in Shingle Springs, CA.  Brendan is a longtime friend and colleague, and has an amazing collection of succulents (Pachypodium, Stapeliads, Aloes, Agaves, dwarf Cactus), maples, oaks, woodland perennials, & rhododendron species.  He is an amazing resource of knowledge in the above and has a relentless interest in anything rare, unique, or simply odd. Check out his collection & plant photos at theplanimal on Instagram. To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

A listener questions episode this week featuring: Leaf curling on citrus trees Geriatric Christmas Cactus not blooming Difficulty growing Rhododendron in Northern California Mosaic Virus (or some other virus) in vegetables such as zucchini, tomatoes, cucumber Gnats infiltrated hibiscus Stubborn Plumeria not blooming To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

Tony Lord first developed his love of exotic edible plants while working as a social anthropologist in Micronesia. After his retirement as an Anthropology Professor at Long Beach State, he continued this passion in his Sacramento garden. Scouring plant & seed catalogs, Tony is intrigued by any plant that says, “will amaze your neighbors”. He is driven by the challenge of a difficult plant to cultivate. This could be anything from sugar cane to Moringa…. amazing because Tony grows in a Mediterranean zone as opposed tropical, yet he has continued success. We discuss many unusual plants we both have tried & Tony shares his tips & tricks. To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

It’s late August which means…time to start preparing and planting your Fall/Winter vegetable garden NOW!! Marlene discusses: Strategy to plant Winter vegetables when summer garden still going well Direct sow seeds or plant starters (small plants) Types of winter vegetables and containers/locations they can be grown in (Kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, beets, carrots, radishes, onions, potatoes, cabbage, etc) Critical aspects of success, including cover crops for nitrogen fixing (such as fava beans, red clover) Proper soil amendment (compost, potting soil, garden soil) Pests and treatment at different points in Fall/Winter season To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

A listener Q&A episode this week featuring: Seedless green & red grapes producing very small fruit – why and how to fix How to know when a watermelon is ripe and ready to harvest Avocado trees grown indoors – when and how to move outside Edible weeds – example, Purslane Techniques to propagate a Crape Myrtle from a sucker Azalea health Best soil type for raised vegetable beds Yellow spots – causes and how to fix To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

Mutations happen, just ask the X-Men. Zane Moore, a PhD student at UC Davis, wants to know why. More specifically he wants to know what possible long term ramifications can be – an effect known as “mutational meltdown”. Zane’s particular area of study are Albino Redwoods, mutant trees that lack chlorophyll. He has been studying these since he was 16 years old after hearing a radio interview about them. We discuss the possible evolutionary benefits of having no chlorophyll such as acting as a heavy metal sink, clonal populations and associated risk/rewards, how redwoods grow, and the rarity (maybe…) of these trees. Zane Moore – the Professor X of Redwoods. To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

A listener questions episode this week featuring: Hydrangeas not blooming – why?? Fungus on Squash Lemon tree issues – dropping fruit Plumeria not growing after transplant Best indoor plants for low light workspace Best flowers for a cutting garden Apple Cider Vinegar for fertilizer? To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net  

All things Begonia this week. Paul Tsamtsis (lifetime Begonia gardener & expert) & Mike Tentis (lifetime gardener with a more recent Begonia fetish) join Marlene to discuss one of her favorite undervalued flowers - Begonias. Both are active members of the Sacramento Begonia Society, a chapter of the American Begonia Society. The gamete of topics are discussed: Different forms (Rex, tuberous, rhizomatous, cane) Preferred soil types Propagation techniques (leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, “congfetti”, mop head) Light exposure Fertilizer types (Osmocote, bone meal, max sea) Pests/diseases (mealybugs, powdery mildew) To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net