Plant Care

Corrine Kutx, Unsplash Succulents are among the easiest plants to propagate. Snap off baby succulents (pups) growing right off the parent plant or make a cutting of a stem. You can take succulent cuttings in the fall, spring, or summer. Pruning/cutting tools.

Create new planting areas by sheet mulching over weed patches or unwanted lawn. Photo: Courtesy UC Regents Maintenance and prevention Mulch bare soil to hold in moisture, keep out weeds, and prevent compaction by hard rains. Clean up the garden before the rains begin.

As temperatures cool and daylight hours decline, plant growth tends to slow. In addition to being an excellent planting season in our Mediterranean climate, fall is also a good time to clean up our gardens so that theyre healthy and fire-smart.

Direct seed May–June (possibly April and July). Plant every 2–3 weeks for successive harvest (or when the most recent seedlings have 3–4 leaves). Sweet corn is ready for harvest about 17 to 24 days after the first silk strands appear, more quickly in hot weather, more slowly in cool weather.

Something in your garden or home bugging you? Do your roses have strange spots? Is something eating your tomatoes? The Merced Master Gardeners are here to help! Contact our Helpline to get answers to your garden challenges and pest problems. Send an email to anrmgmerced@ucanr.edu.

Photo: Daria Rem, Pexels If you revel in the array of tones and textures in our garden, you can bring that feeling indoors with a few well-placed houseplants. Houseplants create a sense of colorful coziness, along with the added bonus of purifying the air you breathe.

 Garlic and shallots grow beautifully over the winter in Santa Clara County. Plant garlic and long-season shallots in the fall for harvesting in June–July. Be sure to choose a spot where you can withhold water for the last several weeks since the bulbs need to dry out as they mature. Fast growing Dutch…

Links to information on gardening and irrigation, water-wise plants and landscaping, and water-wise living.

Sanni Sahil, Unsplash Use our monthly care checklists to make sure you keep on top of your plant and landscape care! Timed and designed with our wonderful Mediterranean climate in mind, stay organized, plan ahead, and learn the best times (and how!) to do all your gardening chores and tasks.

Whip graft tied with string. Photo: Piqsels Grafting involves joining two genetically distinct plants to unite and continue growth as a single, compound plant.