Looking for the perfect tree - Zone 10B
Eric Johnson - Zone 10B / Sunset 22
8 years ago
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kentc
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoRelated Discussions
Al's Gritty 5.1.1 or 1.1.1. Which is best for 10b zone
Comments (52)Anurag - the thread about container soils and water retention was written with the hope that those reading it would come away with an understanding of how water behaves in soils, & particularly how particle size and other physical characteristics impact perched water retention and o/a water retention. It's up to the grower to decide what he/she wants to do - how diligently they want to work at reducing the amount of excess water their soils hold. 1:1:1, screened bark:screened Turface:grit is the most productive soil I've used, but I don't use it for everything. Veggies & plants I know are only going to live a year of go 1 year between repots, usually go in the 5:1:1 mix. All of my woody plants, housep0lants including succulents, and other plants I know will be in the same soil for 2 growth cycles or longer, go in the gritty 1:1:1 mix. The 1:1:1 and 5:1:1 ratios are guidelines, but they're good ones. They minimize the amount of perched water a soil holds, and the gritty mix makes a good run at maximizing the volume of water held inside soil particles while still offering additional adjustability. If you live in a rainy climate and you're using the gritty mix, you might want to increase the amount of grit and decrease the amount of Turface commensurately. If it's dry where you live, increase the Turface and decrease the grit - but make sure that the soil holds enough water to carry you through the dry days, but not so much your plant suffers during periods of prolonged rain. Shading the pots when it's hot is very helpful. High soil/root temps is one of the primary limiting factors for container growers. I like soluble synthetic fertilizers. There is no more efficient way to ensure your plants get what they need, when they need it, at the right ratio, and in a favorable o/a concentration. How you fertilize is up to you, but soluble synthetics make fertilizing almost foolproof, as long as the grower holds up his/her end of the deal. When you root prune, the object is to eliminate large roots that aren't attached to the trunk and are in unfavorable positions to make room for and increase the number of fine roots, which do all the work except anchoring and transport. You'll need to develop a feel for root pruning because all plants don't get the same treatment. Reread the thread about water movement in soil, and the one about trees in containers. Make sure you understand what's in those threads. If you do gain that understanding, it should make a significant difference in what you get back for your efforts. Best luck. Al...See MoreWS in Zone 10b (Sunset Zone 23)?
Comments (11)Alex, there is an extremely talented gardener here in my area who has done some gardening similar to your zone - although I haven't seen her posting in the last few months. I attached a thread she responded to a while back about growing hydrangea in the Laguna area. 'Macs' - hydrangea macrophylla. But, be warned, if you are not seeing them at all in your own neighborhood, there may be a reason. The florist type hydrangeas you mention are varieties of hydrangea macrophylla. Sometimes they are perfectly acceptable planted in the garden in mild zones like my own 8b....after being acclimated to being outdoors, these are greenhouse grown plants. The problem with them is they have been bred and raised for the flower trade, and grown under a strict regime of fertilizers, hormones, lighting and temps so that they will bloom to coincide with particular dates, like Valentines Day, Mothers Day etc....often grown with no regard to long term plant health. Sometimes they recover from the treatment and do well, other times they do not. If you were to receive one as a gift, I'd say go for it and plant, but if you have a choice, choose regular nursery stock, not florists stock for your garden. Your seed choices look good with a couple of exceptions. Hellebores sown in Feb may take 15 - 18 months to germinate. They need to experience a period of warm moist, followed by a somewhat lengthy moist chill, then will germinate while conditions are still cool. If I sow them fresh by Aug/Sept, I will have germination approx March into April. If you were to ask around June, someone could probably send you fresh seed (like me) that you could sow - much more reliable than dried commercial seed. Alstroemeria can be similar, they self sow like crazy in my garden, can be stubborn or at least very slow (many months) from dried commercial seed. And do you know they go dormant around August, leaving a blank space in your garden? The hummingbirds love them while present, but they spread, become a little messy, disappear until Fall rains begin or the weather cools. Here is a link that might be useful: Hydrangea, California...See MoreSuggestions for privacy hedge zone 10B(FL)
Comments (10)Podocarpus. It's neat and formal and bug resistant. I planted 4 to block the pool filter and you couldn't see it within a year. It's such a full shrub and it's evergreen. Easy to shear too. I keep it at 4 ft high but it will grow as tall as you let it. https://www.google.com/search?q=podocarpus+hedge&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS751US751&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj0w_bf_r3ZAhWmz4MKHarhCfYQsAQIKA&biw=1115&bih=743...See MoreLooking for more light pink flowers to grow, zone 10b
Comments (21)I don’t have blooms on my ranunculus either Azusa, just foliage. Looking back on my records, my ranunculus start blooming in late March or early April every year. I live about 12 miles from the famous “Carlsbad Flower Fields”. They grow thousands of ranunculus, and sell the cut flowers and corms, seasonally. The fields are open from March 1 -May 12. Their ranunculus bloom a little earlier in Carlsbad, (slightly warmer nights by the coast) and bloom longer, (cooler Spring days, than at my place, 12 miles inland.) Your ranunculus sound like they’re right on schedule. I’m trying to overwinter my lisianthus this year. I didn’t realize they were actually tender perennials, until this year. The foliage looked very ratty by November, and I recently cut them back to a healthy looking rosette of foliage. Mine get a bit of afternoon shade, and I made sure to amend the little planting holes with perlite and compost. My soil is heavy clay, and I suspect they’d rot without the extra drainage. I really would like to grow some of the really unusual colors available at Johnny’s Seed, but I hear they’re difficult from seed. Stocks are great winter bloomers for us. Isn’t the scent wonderful? I purchased some very pale pink stock seed, from Floret, but I haven’t seen a thing from them. I did save at least half of them, so I’ll try again in the Fall. You picked out some lovely roses! We pale pink lovers don’t lack for choice when it comes to roses, that’s for sure. I’ve never grown Scepter’d Isle, but it’s gorgeous in pictures. My Queen of Sweden wasn’t very happy planted in the hottest, sun-scorched spot I could have possibly given it. It’s no surprise she didn’t perform very well for me. I’ve learned that very few David Austin roses are truly happy in full, blazing sun in MY yard. In my yard the true exception to this has been ‘Evelyn’. Everyone’s got a different microclimate, though. Those growing the exact same rose, in the same zone, can get drastically different results. I need to look up that pink lavender! I didn’t realize there was a pale pink one available. I’ll be looking up your camellias, as well. I’m currently growing one, and it finally has a few buds on it. I can’t remember if it’s a pale pink, or a darker pink. That’s another thing I need to look up. Every year I vow to be more organized in my garden journal. I’m finding it SO helpful to look back on. The problem is remembering to write it down in the first place. There are some gorgeous breadseed poppies out there. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pale pink ones. They do great here if you throw the seed around in mid November. Lisa...See Moreeloise_ca
8 years agolgteacher
8 years agoEric Johnson - Zone 10B / Sunset 22
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8 years agoLars/J. Robert Scott
8 years agoEric Johnson - Zone 10B / Sunset 22
8 years agoLars/J. Robert Scott
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8 years agokentc
8 years agoNil13 usda:10a sunset:21 LA,CA (Mount Wash.)
8 years agoJXBrown (Sunset 24, N San Diego County)
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8 years agoNil13 usda:10a sunset:21 LA,CA (Mount Wash.)
8 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
8 years agoNil13 usda:10a sunset:21 LA,CA (Mount Wash.)
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8 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
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8 years agolast modified: 8 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
8 years ago
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