Publish by: Walter Andersen Nursery

By Moosa Creek 


  If you're disappointed by Yosemite because there aren't any palm trees or succulents, then the natives class at Walter Andersen Nursery's Poway location on Oct. 20 may not be for you. Everyone else, however, should enjoy this detailed examination on how to capture nature's beauty in your home landscape. Be prepared to throw everything about ornamental horticulture out the window as Greg Rubin shows you how to create breathtaking native landscapes with year round color and interest that will be the pride (not embarrassment) of the neighborhood. You may lose the mow and blow guy and high water bills, but gain tons of birds, butterflies, color, and fragrance in a tranquil setting that will plop you back into the nature of your youth.
   Rubin has been featured in a number of periodicals including the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and San Diego Union Tribune, and magazines such as Sunset, Kiplinger’s, San Diego Home and Garden, Pacific Horticulture, and California Gardener. Media coverage includes appearances on most local San Diego TV stations and as a repeat guest on NPR. Greg regularly gives presentations on native plants to garden clubs and other organizations throughout Southern California.  
   He is the owner of California's Own Native Landscape Design and has designed more than 600 native landscapes in Southern California. Many of these landscapes were involved in the firestorms of 2003 and 2007 and none were lost to fire. Greg Rubin is the author of  "The California Native Landscape: The Homeowner's Design Guide to Restoring its Beauty and Balance."
   The class will be held at Walter Andersen Nursery, 12755 Danielson Ct., in Poway at 9:30 a.m.

Publish by: Evergreen Nursery

• Work in the Garden – Prepare for winter by picking up debris such as fallen fruit and leaves. When the rains start, debris becomes a home to a host of garden pests, particularly snails and slugs. In the colder areas of San Diego, mulch around frost sensitive plants. Secure and trim any trellised plants and re-stake smaller trees. We can still get some hot, dry Santa Ana winds so take care of tender plants and container plants by shading them and mulching. Use a micronutrient foliar spray on plants suffering from chlorosis, particularly azaleas, bottlebrush, citrus and gardenia. Thin tree branches to decrease weight and reduce wind damage. Prune any dead or diseased limbs. Winter harden trees and plants by cutting back plants hard, then feeding one last time. Plants that require winter hardening are generally tender plants and sub-tropicals such as avocado, banana, hibiscus, fuchsias, geraniums and Christmas cactus. Cut back on your watering and fertilizing schedule.
• Bedding Plants – Plant wintering annuals such as calendula, candytuft, chrysanthemums, cineraria, delphinium, dianthus, English daisy, foxglove, lobelia, nemesia, pansy, penstemon, phlox, Iceland poppy, primrose, snapdragons, schizanthus, stock, sweet alyssum, sweet William, and viola. Protect from any hot spells by shading and extra watering.
• Vegetables – Clean up remaining summer vegetables. Sow seeds of beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard greens, peas, radishes and spinach. Plant asparagus and ever bearing raspberries. Harvest pumpkins, corn and winter squash. Break up soil and till with prepared compost and any other necessary amendments. Pot up all tender herbs to be brought indoors. Plant garlic, cilantro and parsley in a sunny spot. Hardier perennial herbs which can be brought outside now including bay, chives, lavender, winter marjoram, mint, sage, tarragon and thyme.
• Fruiting Plants – Now is a great time to plant citrus trees. Choose from a variety of citrus including grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges and tangelos. Deep water mature citrus trees every three to four weeks as needed. When watering, keep in mind that citrus have very deep roots, as deep as the tree is tall. Prune berry vines that bore fruit last year hard. Tie up new canes. Cut back on watering of deciduous fruit trees to encourage dormancy and do NOT fertilize now since that will encourage growth.
• Lawns – To increase water and fertilizer infiltration, aerate and dethatch lawns, followed up by adding gypsum. Re-sod any worn spots in lawns that were not seeded last month. Fertilize one month after installation and every month thereafter throughout the fall, winter, and spring. Feed cool season grasses such as blue fescue and rye with an all purpose fertilizer such as Marathon 25-5-5.. Also continue to feed warm season grasses such as Bermuda, St. Augustine, and Zoysia for the next couple of months. Over seed warm season grasses going dormant with annual rye for a lush winter lawn. Reduce watering depending on weather conditions. Reset the blades on your mower to 1 ½”-2”.
• Roses – Plant container roses. Spray with Funginex if necessary. Water once or twice a week as needed. Discontinue fertilizing.
• Houseplants – Continue planting amaryllis, hyacinths, and paper white narcissus. Repot cymbidium orchids.
• Bulbs – Dig dahlias and dry gladiolus, shake off tubers and dip tubers in a fungicide solution. Also lift tuberous begonias. Let dry, then store in a cool area for the winter. Buy spring bulbs and plant early so roots have a chance to establish themselves. Look for anemone, babiana, crocosmia, freesia, hyacinths, ipheion, English and Dutch iris, ixia, oxalis, ranunculus, sparaxis, tulips and watsonia. For continuous blooms plant at weekly intervals for several weeks. To cover bare beds while waiting for spring, plant annuals such as pansies, sweet alyssum or violas over the bulbs. Apply slow acting fertilizer such as Ortho Lawn and Garden. Bulbs can rot so make sure the area drains well. Freesias, spider lily, autumn crocus, colchicum, nerine, lycoris and zephyr lily plants are available for planting now.
• Some Specific Plants – Plant ground covers now to give roots a chance to establish themselves before spring growth. Fertilize lightly with Gro-Power.

• Wind damage can be a problem this month. Thin tree branches to decrease windage and reduce tree weight. If the tree is very large or valuable, or has grown over the house or busy traffic area, it would be wise to have it done professionally.
• A Bermuda grass lawn need not be brown all winter. Simply sow annual ryegrass into it which germinates quickly and keeps the lawn green all winter.

Publish by: Walter Andersen Nursery

 Walter Andersen Nursery's latest online newsletter is available to read. The October issue includes savings on Old Ben's Workshop products for birds, a look at winter vegetables, information you'll need to recognize citrus leaf miner damage, and much more.
To see the newsletter, follow this link: http://www.walterandersen.com/pdf/news-october-2012.pdf. If you missed an issue of the newsletter, check the archives as they are posted to the website.

Publish by: Walter Andersen Nursery

    Here’s an unusual and lovely shrub for the landscape. Native to Chiapas, Mexico and now believed to be extinct in the wild, is Deppea splendens ‘Cristobal’.

   Growing to 8’ tall, this is an open multi-stemmed evergreen that blooms with golden yellow fuchsia-like flowers with red calyxes. Despite looking like a fuchsia, this is actually a member of the coffee family.

   It will do best if kept in light shade inland, and on the coast it can take full sun. Keep it regularly watered.

They are available in Poway and expected to arrive in San Diego by Oct. 4.

Publish by: Walter Andersen Nursery

 You can find Walter Andersen's lastest newsletter posted on the company's website. Just follow this link, http://www.walterandersen.com/pdf/news-sept-2012.pdf to see all the September news.

Publish by: Walter Andersen Nursery

   Walter Andersen Nursey will present its third Annual Fall Rose Show Oct. 27-28 at its Poway location.
   Last year, more than 100 entries competed in categories such as 'Best Bouquet', 'Best Floating Bowl', and 'Most Fragrant Rose'. Look for a complete rose schedule to be posted on the store's website that will include approximately 15 categories.
Entry registration will be held Oct. 27 from 8-10:30 a.m. Judging will be held that day from 11 .am.-1 p.m. and the show will be open through 4 p.m. on Oct. 28. 
   Accredited judging will be provided by the East County Rose Society. The rose show will be held at 12755 Danielson Ct., Poway.

Publish by: Walter Andersen Nursery

 Do you like the Giant Sea Squill bulbs we carry?  Then check this thing out!  This is Boophone disticha, a very rare cousin of the Sea Squill (Urgenia maritima).  The bulb flowers July through October with blooms in shades of pink to red that are fragrant.  The care of these is exactly the same as for the Sea Squill. Make sure they stay very dry when dormant.  The unusual thing about Boophones is that their foilage comes out in a fan rather than a whorl.  Like the Giant Sea Squill, this South African bulb is poisonous. Larger sized bulbs are on the expensive side because they do not grow


extremely fast. We're selling 1 gallon-sized for  $14.99.  We have a couple in the Poway store right now.  Call the San Diego store to see if they still have some available, 619-224-8271, if you are interested.