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Rock Rose (Cistus x) | Today's Featured Plant
Rock Rose (Cistus x)
Read the full profile of this plant | | | Q&A: Pruning Back to the Crown Question: When you say to cut back perennials to the crown, where is that? Can I use regular household scissors or should they be gardening shears?
Answer: The crown of the plant is the area at or just above the soil surface, where the stems emerge from the roots.
When cutting spent flowering stems on perennials, try to cut them just below the mound of foliage, so the bare stems are hidden. When cutting back dead foliage at the end of the season, you can cut closer to the ground. However, in general, avoid cutting stems or foliage closer than 2 or 3 inches above the crown, so you are sure not to damage the growing points.
If the stems are small, you can use regular scissors. But well-sharpened pruners will probably give you a cleaner cut--important for minimizing diseases. | | | Q&A: Planting a Fall/Winter Garden Question: I'm interested in growing a fall/winter vegetable garden here in California. I plan to build a cold frame to extend the season until the snow flies. Can you give me some pointers?
Answer: With a cold frame, you can grow many different cool-season vegetables, plus get a head start on early-spring crops. Concentrate on root crops and green leafy veggies during the fall and winter months. Lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, turnips and chard are good choices for the low light and cooler temperatures of fall and winter. You may want to do a planting right in the garden in late August, and save the cold frame for a second planting in a month or so, for an extended harvest. You can cover the garden plants with row covers during chilly nights to help extend the season up until a hard freeze. | | | Tip: Harvest Green Tomatoes Harvest mature green tomatoes (those with a pinkish-yellow tinge on the blossom end) before frost. Wash the skin with a 1% bleach solution, rinse with water, dry and place in a 60F to 70F room, not touching each other. | |
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Harvest mature green tomatoes (those with a pinkish-yellow tinge on the blossom end) before frost. Wash the skin with a 1% bleach solution, rinse with water, dry and place in a 60F to 70F room, not touching each other. |
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