The name chervil is probably so popular because it comes to us from the Ancient Greek words for "leaves of joy". How's that for a garden addition? Makes me want to grow them just for that. Let's see if we'll want to grow them for other reasons, as well.


Chervil, the herb

Chervil, the herb, is also known as French parsley or garden chervil, is more delicate than parsley, with a light licorice flavor. Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) is used along with chives, parsley, and tarragon to make fines herbes and it is commonly used to season poultry, seafood, soups, and sauces.
 
These plants grow 12-30" tall and readily reseed an area, left on their own. Like other umbellifers, chervil plants have hollow, ribbed stems, divided leaves, long, sheathed petioles (leaf stems), and flat seeds. Edible chervil flowers attract many beneficial insects, so these plants are commonly included in butterfly gardens and tea gardens.


Chervil prefers partial shade in areas where temperatures are under 65°F and full shade in areas that go above 80°F, making chervil a nice addition to stumperies and shade gardens.


Chervil can be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9 when temperatures are above 60°F. Chervil does not transplant well, due to its taproot, so seeds should be planted in place. This is a cool season crop that needs moisture. Seeds should be planted 1" deep and 6-12" apart. In 10-14 days, you should see signs of life. In 45 days or so, your chervil will reach harvestable size.


Slugs and snails will be your biggest problem

Chervil, the root vegetable

Native to middle- and southeastern Europe, this root vegetable goes by several names: bulbous chervil, parsnip chervil, tuberous-rooted chervil, and turnip-rooted chervil. Popular in Europe in the 19th century, these biennial plants grow very much like their cousins, the carrots. Instead of carrot's orange taproot, bulbous chervil (Chaerophyllum bulbosum) looks like stubby, dark grey carrots with yellowish-white flesh. Eaten raw, these tubers are said to taste similar to radishes. Once cooked, they are described as a cross between potatoes and chestnuts, with just a hint of celery and parsnip. [I haven't had them yet.] These roots are left in cold storage for a few months for starches to be converted into sugars.
 
Being a member of the carrot family, bulbous chervil plants produce large flower clusters that attract many beneficial insects, such as hoverflies.


Bulbous chervil grows best in loose, fertile soil that is kept moderately moist. Seeds need to be vernalized (exposed to cold) to germinate properly. Because of this, seeds are usually planted 2" apart in autumn. As temperatures rise, in spring, germination should occur.


Initial growth is a rosette of leaves close to the ground, followed by stems that can grow 2-6' tall. Roots are harvested when leaves start turning brown, usually in late summer. These are slow-growing plants that take 9-10 months to reach maturity.


Pests of bulbous chervil include aphids, carrot root flies, and voles. Diseases are similar for carrots and parsnips, with celery mosaic virus and root rots being the most common.


How about adding some leaves of joy to your garden this year?

Chemical signals

Plants have flavors because of the chemicals they use to communicate and to protect themselves. They use these chemicals to attract pollinators, inhibit bacterial and fungal pathogens, and, in some cases, slow the growth of competitors (allelopathy). Plants protect themselves by creating chemicals that make them unpalatable to attacking insects, herbivores, or pathogens.


Plants use one chemical, ethylene gas, to trigger neighboring plants to ripen. In nature, this means there will be a bunch of ripe fruit available at the same time, increasing the odds of birds and animals coming to eat and dispersing seeds. This ripening cascade works the same way leaves change color in autumn. A few trees start doing it, which triggers neighboring trees to follow suit.
 
But how do those chemical communications translate into flavors?


A matter of taste

When we eat something, our taste buds collect information about the chemicals in our food that dissolve (soluble). At the same time, our noses collect information about the chemicals released into the air as we chew (volatile). It ends up that these are the same chemicals plants use.


Taste and smell are inseparable. In fact, your sense of smell is estimated to be 80% of the flavor experience. Don't believe me? Try closing your eyes, plugging your nose, and taking a bite of onion - you'll swear it's an apple.


Taste is a matter of acids and sugars. There are different types of sugars. Most fruits contain varying combinations of fructose, sucrose, glucose, and sorbitol. Fructose has the most sweetness and sorbitol has the least.


Our taste buds sort sugars and acids into five categories: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. Umami is a protein flavor. Some cultures also include fattiness (oleogustus) and pungency.

Did you know that children have 10,000 taste buds and older adults only have 5,000? And dogs have less than 2,000 (which may explain why they are willing to eat some really gross things). They simply don't taste them. On the other hand, our canine companions have over 300 million smell receptors, while we have 50 million or so.


Scents and smells

We sort out aromas over those 50 million receptors using more than 650 different types of olfactory nerve endings found in our noses.


I once gave my students the assignment to create their own word. One 6-year-old student came up with 'olfactorized'. When I asked her for a definition, she said it meant being attacked by a bad smell. I miss teaching.


But how can a plant smell something without a nose? It ends up that plants have sensory receptors, much like our taste buds, that allow them to identify volatile chemicals (essential oils) floating around in the air. Dodder, for example, is a parasitic plant that uses its sense of smell to find host plants, sniffing out its favorites and avoiding sick plants.


Some of those scent chemicals include:

• alcohols - fruity or earthy
• aldehydes - grassy or bitter
• esters - fruity
• lactones - peachy
• terpenoids - herbal, eucalyptus, cinnamon

Clearly, there are many factors that determine a plant's flavor and some of those factors are under your control.


Flavor factors

Genetics play a big role in flavor. If you want to taste lime, you wouldn't plant a grapefruit, right? When selecting plants for your garden or landscape, start by choosing varieties that are suited to your microclimate and that produce the flavors you want.


Environmental conditions also impact flavor. If your fruit trees and tomato plants don't get enough sunlight, they cannot produce the sugars that make them taste good. Proper tree training and plant spacing, pruning, and reflective mulches can be used to increase the amount of sunlight that reaches inner branches.


If your plants are allowed to produce too much fruit, the flavor won't be as good, either. Fruit thinning allows plants to focus their energies on quality, rather than quantity. In the same way, too much irrigation can be just as bad as not enough. During the growth phase, plants need plenty of water. As crops get closer to harvest time, you can increase flavor by reducing the amount of water available. This is called deficit irrigation.


The same is true for nutrition. If your plants get too much nitrogen, they will have more of a green, grassy flavor. Less nitrogen translates into more fruit flavor.


When you harvest your fruits also determines flavor. Most store-bought produce is harvested before it is fully ripe, to allow for shipping and storage. One of the nicest things about growing your own is that you can wait until that perfect moment before taking a bite.


What are your favorite garden flavors?

Elderberry syrup and elderberry wine are yours for the making when you grow your own.


Sometimes.


​It ends up that this group of mostly edible plants is more complex that I realized.

Mexican blue elderberries

Until very recently, I didn't even know there were blue elderberries. Now I get to try my hand at growing my own because a reader dropped off a big cutting yesterday! [Thank you, C.P.!]


Blue elderberries (Sambucus mexicana) are native to North America west of the Rockies and they go by a variety of names, both common and scientific. Blue elder, sweet or wild elder, Arizona elderberry, and blueberry elder are just a few of the common names. If you talk with botanists, they have another whole collection of names, but we won't get into that. Bottom line, blue elderberries prefer hotter, drier conditions than the other two. These California natives have deep roots that go in search of water. Blue elderberries also have a longer harvest season, producing fruit all summer in most cases.


Elderberries and biodiversity

Healthy environments are diverse, with lots of different things living and growing and interacting with each other. It ends up that elderberries are an extremely important food source for many native birds, including western bluebirds, cedar waxwings, and ruby-crowned kinglets. Elderberry flowers also attract a number of moths, some of which you may not want near your garden. Maybe the birds will eat them, too.


Elderberry plants produce knob-shaped, nectar-producing glands, called extrafloral nectaries, on leaves and stems. These sugar stations attract beneficial insects. This is why elderberries are often included in butterfly gardens, bee gardens, and insectaries. Insectaries can be plants or plantings that attract beneficial insects.


How to grow elderberries

Elderberries can grow in full sun, partial sun, or full shade, depending on the variety. Once established, they need very little water, maybe once a month in summer. They can also grow in areas that stay moist, but they do need medium to fast drainage. These plants can tolerate temperatures as low as 5°F, but they prefer heat.


Elderberries are best grown from seed that have been planted right away, in autumn, or separated from the fruit, dried, and then warm stratified for spring planting. If you are lucky enough to receive cuttings like I was, follow these steps:

1. Use cuttings that are at least 10" long which have at least two nodes.
2. Start with older wood and use heel cuttings, if possible.
3. Dip cuttings in rooting hormones (auxins) before planting in 4" pots filled with perlite and high-quality potting soil.
4. New elderberry roots are very delicate and easily damaged so you need to be very careful when transplanting.
5. Transplant to a favorable location only after new growth is seen.
6. Do not press down the soil when transplanting. Instead, mud seedlings in by saturating the soil.
7. Eliminate all competition from weeds and irrigate regularly until firmly established

 
Once established elderberry plants can be coppiced. Coppicing refers to periodically cutting trees or shrubs back to ground level to stimulate new growth for firewood, basket weaving, or other building materials, as well as fruit.

There are many different types of leaf blight. Leaf blight can be caused by fungal spores or bacteria and most forms of leaf blight are species specific, which means different types of leaf blight attack different plants. If you grow onions or garlic, carrots, sorghum, melons or squash, you need to know about leaf blight.
 
 
Fungal leaf blights of onions and garlic
 
Purple lesions, yellow to brown spots, and yellow streaks on onion or garlic may mean purple blotch and Stemphlyium leaf blight have infected your plants. These two fungal leaf blight diseases are mostly late-season problems, so you can avoid them all together by planting early season crops, if that's an option for your area. As a double whammy, these two diseases often start growing in downy mildew lesions. A similar leaf blight attacks sorghum.

 
Fungal leaf blight of squash and melons
 
Alternaria leaf blight is a fungal disease caused by Alternaria cucumerina that attacks members of the squash family. Melons are the most susceptible, but squash, pumpkin and cucumber may also become infected. Brown smudges first appear on older leaves, near the base, or crown, of the plant. If you look closer, you will see that the damaged areas often have a yellow halo. These leaf spots may also develop concentric, target-shaped rings. Ultimately, leaves wither, curl upward, and die. Alternaria leaf blight doesn't harm the fruit, but it can interfere with photosynthesis enough to reduce crop size and can cause sunburn damage.


Bacterial leaf blight of carrots

Bacterial leaf blight is caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. carotae and attacks carrots. Brown spots are first seen along leaf edges, or margins, and may look watersoaked. As the disease spreads, you may be able to see dark brown streaks on the petioles, or leaf stems. Flowers may also become affected. An amber-colored ooze is usually present, as well.

 
Bacterial leaf blight is a seed borne disease, so be sure to get your seeds from reputable suppliers. This disease is only active when moisture is present. Optimal temperatures are between 77° and 86°F. This disease does not occur when temperatures are below 65°F.

 
Leaf blight management
 
Preventing disease is nearly always easier than curing it, and this is no exception. You can prevent leaf blight in your garden with these tips:

• avoid overhead watering
• use a 2- or 3-year crop rotation
• do not work around plants while leaves are wet

 
If leaf blight appears in your landscape, toss infected plants in the trash at the end of the growing season and be sure to sanitize your garden tools between cuts. You can use common bathroom cleaners to do this.

Most of us have had the experience of discovering a forgotten something in the back of the fridge, or found a fruit in the bottom of a bowl, covered with fuzz. That fuzz is a type of fungus.

Fungal feeding
 
Fungi do not perform photosynthesis. Like animals, they must get their food from other living (or dead) things. The different ways fungi gather their food may surprise you. In some cases, fungi do this by dissolving organic material using digestive enzymes and absorbing nutrients. Other fungi, especially pathogens, have piercing structures that can break through plant tissues, spreading disease. More on that in a minute.

 
Some fungi are miners. They secrete acids that dissolve tiny rocks, creating tunnels, and then harvest and store those minerals for later use.

 
You've probably heard me talk about mycorrhizae. Mycorrhizae are microscopic fungi that live in and around the roots of many garden plants, helping them to absorb important nutrients. These fungi also help transport inorganic, mineral nutrients from one plant to another, in exchange for sugars produced through photosynthesis. There's a great NPR radio show, From Tree to Shining Tree, which talks about an experiment that showed how trees share their food with other trees, even trees of different species. All of this happens because of soil fungal colonies. But there's more to fungi than simply  decomposing and mining.

 
There are fungi that actively hunt springtails and other microorganisms found in the soil. They trap their prey in sticky nets and insert hyphae into living insects and nematode eggs, sucking out the innards. But they don't keep all of that food for themselves. Fully one-fourth of those insect guts and embryos end up in nearby trees. In exchange for that gift, trees give 20-80% of the sugar they produce through photosynthesis to the fungi growing in and around their roots. The fungi, in turn, hold that sugar until it is needed by the tree, or its neighbors, at which time they give some of it back.

 
We now know that trees send chemical messages through these fungal networks, warning neighboring trees of illness, or insect or herbivore attack. We also know that dying trees move their resources into the fungal network to be shared with other trees. We do not know who or what decides the movement of these resources or chemical messages, but I can't help wondering about the neural-like structure of the fungal networks that help keep our plants alive. But I digress...

 
Fungal reproduction
 
Fungi use several methods of reproduction and some species use more than one method. In most cases, fungi reproduce by releasing spores into air or water. A few older specimens have spores have with wiggly tails called flagella. Most fungi now use cup-shaped fruiting bodies, called apothecium, which are lined with a tissue that produces spores. Spores are often ejected forcefully, with the initial force reaching nearly 10,000 g's!

Fungi also reproduce by splitting off bits of mycelium, while others use colors and odors to attract insects, which help distribute spores. Most spores are spread on wind, which is why a fungal disease in your neighbor's yard is a problem for your garden.

 
Fungi in the garden
 
Fungi perform several functions in the garden: some of them good, and some of them not so good. Fungi decompose our compost piles and provide many garden plants with nutrients. Some fungal species inhabit the leaves and stems of your grass family plants, making them less attractive to herbivores and better protected against environmental stresses in exchange for room and board.

 
One Swedish study even showed it is fungi and not plants who are sequestering the majority of the carbon held in northern boreal forests. But all too often, fungi are the cause of plant disease.

 
Fungi as disease carriers
 
There are many different fungal diseases that can affect garden plants: black spot, blights, downy and powdery mildews, rusts, and wilts are just a few. More often than not, the presence of too much moisture is the reason why fungal disease takes hold. You can reduce the odds of fungal disease occurring in your garden by spacing plants out properly, pruning for good airflow, and keeping leaves dry. This means watering from below, rather than from above. Soaker hoses and furrow irrigation are better choices when fungi are present. (And they are always present.)

 
When fungal disease strikes, be sure to dispose of infected plant material in the trash, and sanitize garden tools​ between each cut.


I hope you now share my new-found respect for these amazing life forms.

Imagine an apple that tastes something like bell pepper.


That was the first description I could find for rose apples. I had never heard of these edibles until this morning when a friend told me she was having some problems growing hers in San Francisco. Let’s see what we can find out.

Strange and exotic dragon fruit is even more bizarre when you learn that these delicious fruits grow on a vining cactus!


If you’ve never seen one, dragon fruits have bright pink, leathery skin and scaly spikes. The interior fruit is peppered with tiny black seeds, similar to kiwifruit. ​

Being cacti, dragon fruit plants thrive in Hardiness Zones 10-11, though they can sometimes be grown outdoors in zones 9a or 9b. They grow best in slightly acidic soil with good drainage.


You can grow dragon fruit from seeds or cuttings. Like most cacti, broken-off bits of a stem will readily start producing roots when in contact with moist soil. [In some countries, dragon fruit plants are classified as invasive weeds.]  


To grow dragon fruit from seed, be sure to remove all the fruit first and allow them to dry out. Then, lightly cover them with nutrient-rich potting soil and water regularly, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. Soggy soil usually kills seeds and seedlings. Seeds should germinate in a couple of weeks.


If you are growing a dragon fruit indoors, you will need to pollinate flowers by hand, which isn’t difficult. Dragon fruit plants usually reach full production when they are 5 years old and live for 20-30 years.


Dragon fruit problems

Most dragon fruit diseases are related to too much water. Overwatering and heavy rains can create conditions that allow several fungal and bacterial diseases to occur. Be on the lookout for anthracnose, black rot, blossom drop, brown spot, cactus stem rot, pitaya fruit rot, and white rot. This is why good drainage is so important. Also, you will need to monitor for aphids, mealybugs, mites, and thrips. These pests can suck the life out of your dragon fruit, and some of them may carry plant diseases.


If you’ve never eaten a dragon fruit, I urge you to try one. Then, decide for yourself if there’s room for this vining, fruiting cactus in your landscape!

Common mallow plants can be annual or biennial plants, most often found in neglected areas. [I have to assume seeds blew in from my neighbor’s yard because there’s nothing neglected about my yard. Well, maybe a couple spots…]


An edible weed

The leaves, seeds, and stems of common mallow are edible. Mature seeds are cooked like rice, and immature seeds are eaten raw. I was surprised to learn that common mallow seeds contain 21% protein and 15.2% fat!


Traditionally, people have chewed the leaves to treat sore throats. Since most mallow family plants produce mucus, I suppose that it soothes irritation the same way apple pectin does. But I’m guessing.  There are countless claims about common mallow as a medicinal plant, providing relief for everything from the common cold to childbirth difficulties. According to WebMD, there is currently no scientific evidence to back any medical claims made about common mallow.


So, the question is, should I pull them all up or let them grow?


As much as I love growing edibles, I think this one is going to have to go. First off, it is an invasive plant. Secondly, my husband really wants at least a little bit of green lawn in my backyard garden. Gotta keep the peace, right? There it is, the mallow goes. But that brings me to something else.


As you may have heard me say before, you can use the weeds in your yard to help you figure out which edibles should grow equally well. Since I know common mallows can grow well in my yard, maybe it’s time to try growing okra…

Pros and cons of goji berries
 
There are many claims about the health benefits of these members of the nightshade family. Said to help fight aging, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, eye and skin problems, and more, these fruits contain high levels of Vitamin C, antioxidants, iron, and fiber. While research has backed some of those claims, it has shown negative interactions, as well. If you are taking warfarin, blood pressure drugs, or diabetes drugs, you may want to think twice about eating goji berries.
 
Another problem with goji berry products is that they have been found to contain high levels of pesticides and fungicides. If you really want goji berries, it’s probably a good idea to grow your own.
 
Goji berries have a very short shelf life, so growing your own is really the best way to go. As a bonus, the fruits don’t ripen all at once, so you can nibble a few berries as you putter in the garden. You know, the same way you might enjoy those delicious yellow cherry tomatoes that never seem to make it into the house.

 
Goji berry species
 
Before you start, you need to know that there are two different species of goji berry available. The fruits are very similar to each other, but Lycium barbarum and L. chinense taste slightly different from each other and they tolerate different temperature ranges. If you live in Hardiness Zones 3-10, you can grow your own Lycium barbarum goji berry bush. The L. chinense variety is said to have a more limited range, Zones 2-7, so be sure to get yours from a reputable seller.


Planting goji berries

You’ll need to give your goji berry plants some room. These shrubs can grow 10-13’ tall and 4’ wide, though they are often pruned to 3-6’ tall, for easier harvesting and management. They grow best in full sun, though they can tolerate partial shade. Goji berries prefer loose, somewhat alkaline soil, with a pH of 6.5-7.5.

 
Goji berry shrubs are most commonly grown from bare root stock. You can also start one from seed, but it will take a few years to get a crop and they don’t always grow true to the parent. Goji berries can be grown in large containers (at least 5 gallons), but they will be much happier in the ground because they have a taproot. Goji berry plants can be left as shrubs or trained up a trellis.

 
Goji berry care
 
The first year you have a goji berry plant, leave it alone except to water. Mulching around (but not touching) the stem can stabilize soil temperatures, retain moisture, and reduce weed competition. In the second year, allow a central cane to grow upright and prune all the others to a height of 15”. You may need to provide support to keep it growing straight up, much like when growing currants. As the plant gets taller, pinch back stems to promote lateral growth for better flowering and fruit production. The fruit is produced on new growth, so remove canes the winter after they produce fruit. This will make room for new growth and provide good airflow.

 
You can help your goji berry shrub live longer and be more productive by removing all the flower buds for the first couple of years. This will push the plant to develop a healthier root system. Your goji berry shrub will take 4-5 years to reach full production.
 

Goji berry problems
 
Like tomatoes, goji berries are susceptible to blossom end rot. Regular irrigation can help prevent that from happening. Common pests include aphids, birds, gall mites, Japanese beetles, leafhoppers, spider mites, and thrips. Diseases include anthracnose, early blight, and powdery mildew.


If you’ve ever grown goji berries, I’d love to hear about your experience in the Comments!

The fish tanks of our youth were often coated with algae.

As gardeners, you may see algae growing in planter pot saucers, rain barrels, or birdbaths. You may also see it growing on your soil.

But what do you really know about this plant family? And what does it do in your garden?

Algae plants

Algae are a large group of plants most commonly found in water. Most seaweeds are algae, but I doubt any of us are growing any seaweed in our gardens. Unlike moss, which prefers shaded areas, algae thrive in direct sunlight. Algae can also become a problem in greenhouses and on houseplants. By learning more about how these plants grow, we can find ways to reduce a few garden problems.


Algae are simple plants that contain chlorophyll and perform photosynthesis, the same as your tomato plants. Some of them absorb nutrients through osmosis, sucking, or surrounding and incorporating smaller life forms. Algae need water more than they need heat. This is why algae is often seen in spring and autumn on soil with drainage or overwatering problems. Algae do not have true stems, roots, leaves, or vascular tissues.


There are green, brown, red, and golden algae. There is also something called blue-green algae that is more closely related to bacteria than plants. These microorganisms are all believed to be some of the first lifeforms on Earth. But we probably don’t want them growing in our birdbaths or on our soil.

Algae on soil

A thin layer of green slime on exposed soil is usually algae. Algae won’t harm your plants directly, but it does compete for nutrients and water, and often attracts fungus gnats and shore flies. As the algae dry out, it can form a dark, dry crust that makes it difficult for water and gases to penetrate in either direction.


Algae prefer neutral to alkaline soil pH, so acidic soil is less likely to have a problem with algae. If your soil is heavy or compacted, adding compost can improve drainage. If you have an area that stays wet, you may want to consider installing a rain garden there. Rain gardens are sunken areas that put native plants to work to absorb excess water.


Algae in plant containers

Algae can grow on vermiculite, peat moss, and perlite, as well as soil. If plant containers and seedling pots are not allowed to dry out between waterings, algae spores floating in the air will take up residence. Rather than watering containerized plants from above, add water from below. This encourages the root system to expand downward and makes life more difficult for algae.
​

​Algae in birdbaths

If your yard features a birdbath, keeping it clean is necessary for bird health. Red algae commonly grow in birdbaths and should be removed by scrubbing with a mixture of 9 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Birdbaths placed in sunny areas will have more of an algae problem than birdbaths placed in the shade. Position your birdbath accordingly.

​If you see algae in your garden soil, try aerating the area. If you see algae in potted plants, let the soil dry out between waterings. If your birdbath is demanding more time than you want to give, move it to a shadier spot.


And if you haven’t seen the fish in your tank lately, it may be time for a good scrubbing,

If you grow beets or spinach, you should probably know about beet yellows virus (BYV) and beet pseudo yellows virus (BPYV). These two diseases look and behave enough alike that you really don’t need to know the difference, unless you start working in a plant disease lab. [I’d love to hear about that job!]


​Along with BYV and BPYV, beet chlorosis virus and beet western yellow virus are two other diseases that can be included in this group for our purposes. [Unfortunately, I was unable to find a photo I could use. Do you have one?]

Symptoms of beet yellows viruses
 
Unlike the beet mosaic virus, where symptoms are first seen in new, younger leaves, symptoms of beet yellows viruses first appear on lower, older leaves. That yellowing is seen between the veins. If you look closely, you may also see reddish-brown spots. Those spots are like freckles, eventually becoming so numerous as to create bronzing. As the disease progresses, leaves thicken, becoming leathery and brittle. Of course, your beet plants can catch both diseases, or more, in a condition called virus decline, which can make diagnosis tricky.
  

Disease vectors
 
These diseases are all spread by aphids. Aphids are bad. Aphids are the most common guilty parties when it comes to disease transmission. As they travel around your landscape, aphids pierce pretty much every plant they come across, looking for a tasty meal. Each time they do, viruses can move from the aphid to your plants. And beets aren’t the only plants that can become infected with beet yellows viruses.
 

Beet yellows viruses have can infect raspberries, strawberries, melons and squash, and members of the sunflower family. That’s probably half the edibles growing in your garden! Poppies can catch these diseases, too. So, what can you do about it? 
 

Controlling beet yellows viruses
 
It only takes a single aphid to explode into a problem. They reproduce rapidly and don’t need help from another aphid to start making baby aphids. Beet yellows virus problems often begin in overwintered beets and other host plants. Cutting host plants off at soil level at the end of the growing season allows valuable soil microorganisms to migrate to other plants and you may even get new crops come spring! [I have found this is particularly true of cabbages, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and Swiss chard.]
 

These tips can help reduce the risk of beet yellows viruses occurring in your garden:

• Monitor host plants closely in spring for signs of aphid infestation.
• Look for resistant varieties when shopping for seeds and seedlings.
• Avoid using broad spectrum pesticides that harm beneficial predatory insects.
• Wipe or spray aphids off of plants when seen.
• Insecticidal soap or neem oil can be used to control aphids.
• Remove and dispose of infected plants in the trash.

 

Any time you start seeing leaf discoloration, take a closer look. It’s usually easier to control problems sooner rather than later.

Shoestrings are to be expected on your sneakers. Finding them in the garden is something else.

​
Leaves and stems grow in predictable ways, except that sometimes they don’t. Sometimes, stems grow strangely flattened. This is called fasciation. If you see leaves or other growths that look like a Halloween hag's broomstick, it's called witches broom. When leaves grow oddly thin and leathery, it is called shoestringing. There are several types of shoestringing and they have different causes and cures.

Viral shoestringing
 
If it wasn’t chemical overspray that caused shoestringing in your tomato plants, it might be cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Are the leaves mottled? Take a closer look at the stems. If you see a zigzag pattern, it’s CMV.
 
Blueberry plants are susceptible to a virus that causes shoestringing. You won’t see any symptoms, at first. This disease lays dormant for up to 4 years before anything visible happens. Those symptoms include long red streaks on stems, most often on the side of the plant that gets the most sunlight. Leaves take on a reddish or purple straplike or cupped shape. Rather than deep purple, infected fruit has more of a reddish tinge. Normally white flowers have a pink tint. This disease is spread by blueberry aphids. Infected stems should be removed and the plant should be monitored closely.

Armillaria root rot is another viral shoestringing disease. Also known as shoestring rot, this disease affects several fruit and nut trees. Rather than growing normally, infected leaves cup downward and start yellowing. If you were to dig up the roots of a tree infected with Armillaria root rot, you would see blackened rhizomorphs, or shoestrings, growing on the surface of normal roots. In some cases, those shoestrings may grow upward, under the bark. And sometimes, they glow! Sadly, trees infected with Armillaria root rot need to be removed.

If you see shoestringing in your garden, look again. See if you can figure what's causing it. If you need help, just let me know! ​

Have you ever seen strange bits sticking out of your apple tree in spring?


​Or, moths fluttering around your tree on a summer afternoon? You might want to take a closer look. Those bits may be discarded pupal casings from apple clearwing moths, and these pests can kill your tree.

Also known as red-belted moths, apple clearwing moths (Synanthedon myopaeformis) are native to Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. They were first seen in North America in 2005, in Canada. Now, Canadian entomologists estimate that the majority of host trees in British Columbia are infested. By 2007, these pests had made their way to Washington state. It’s only a matter of time until they spread further.


And apple trees aren’t the only ones vulnerable to this pest. If you grow almonds, apricots, cherries, crabapples, peaches, pears, plums, or quince, you should know about apple clearwing moths. These invasive pests also attack hawthorn and mountain ash trees and are attracted to showy milkweed plants.


Damage caused by apple clearwing moths

The moths themselves are harmless. It’s their larvae that cause significant damage, especially to older trees. Caterpillars burrow under the bark, entering at burr knots, grafts, pruning wounds, injured branch collars, and areas damaged by tree supports left in place for too long.


Larval feeding can kill young trees. Trees that survive often have weakened limbs, reduced fruit set, and early leaf drop. These conditions make trees susceptible to other pests and diseases and more vulnerable to drought stress and frost damage.


Apple clearwing moth lifecycle

These pests have a 2-year lifecycle. Female moths feed on nectar early to mid-summer, laying up to 250 eggs singly in crevices. When the eggs hatch, larvae burrow into the cambium layer. They feed on sap found in the phloem for the next two years. As they eat, they create shallow, winding galleries that weaken the tree. They also feed on new leaf and flower buds. In spring, you may be able to see the frass (bug poop) pushed out of these galleries by the larvae. [How about that? Even insects perform spring cleaning.] 


Larvae spend the winter protected in these tunnels, pupating the next spring. When pupae are ready to break free and fly, they push themselves through these frass openings. In addition to these discarded pupal cases, you may also see tiny holes (about half the diameter of a pencil lead) around the base of an infested tree.


Apple clearwing moth description

It should come as no surprise that clearwing moths have transparent wings. Unlike most moths and butterflies, clearwing moths do not have scales on their wings. They do have short, bushy tails, though! 


Apple clearwing moths have narrow, bluish-black bodies. Their forewings are slender and their hindwings are short. They have wingspans of ¾ - 1” wide and distinct reddish-orange bands around their bellies. Larvae are ½- ¾” long, a dirty white color with a reddish-brown head. Pupae are ½” long and pale yellowish-brown. 


Apple clearwing moth control

Preventing this problem is much easier than fixing it. Start by making sure your pruning cuts are clean and flat and that they do not cut into the branch collar.


If you believe your trees have become infested with apple clearwing moths, do not use wires to probe the holes the way you might go after squash vine borers in your zucchini plants. Infested trees already have enough damaged areas. They don’t need more.

Mold of any color
 
Molds are a type of fungus. Other common fungi include yeasts, mushrooms, and truffles. Fungi do not contain chlorophyll, so they do not perform photosynthesis. Instead, they get their food by breaking down and absorbing organic materials. Fungi reproduce using spores and many of them generate threadlike filaments, called hyphae. These hyphae develop into a complex network, called the mycelium. Despite all the similarities, slime molds, such as dog vomit slime mold, are not fungi. We’ll leave that discussion for another day.
 
You may see grey mold, white mold, black, or even blue mold. There are several different types of black mold. All of them produce black mycelium. Most of them are relatively benign, but some of them are dangerous.


​​Toxic black mold
 
After building materials are exposed to moisture from flooding or fire-fighting, Stachybotrys chartarum fungi start to grow. Generally rare in nature, these spores can also be found in grain and soil. Water-damaged buildings provide the perfect habitat for these microfungi to breed and grow. As they grow and are disturbed, they release toxins into the air that can make you sick. Toxic black mold needs to be removed right away.

​Sooty mold
 
Sooty mold is another black mold. Often seen on citrus and other tree leaves, onions and garlic, peanuts, and grapes, this black mold is the Aspergillus niger fungi. For the most part, this variety is safe to be around, unless you are a farmworker and exposed to it alot. In that case, a serious lung disease called aspergillosis can occur. This fungus can also cause fungal ear infections (otomycosis).
 
I was surprised to learn than the sooty mold fungus is commonly used in industrial applications to produce citric acid and high fructose corn syrup, and to clarify wine. Weird, right?
 
If you see sooty mold, apply sticky barriers to halt the protection provided by ants, and give your plants a wipe down to remove the mold.

Alternaria leaf spot
 
Also known as Alternaria rot and black rot, Alternaria leaf spot creates black or brown spots on the leaves of many garden plants. It can also create dark, round, flattened lesions on cherries, papaya, tomatoes, and many other fruits. Similar in appearance to blossom end rot, Alternaria leaf spot damage can appear anywhere on an infected fruit. [Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a photo I could use.] Exposure to the Alternaria alternata fungi has been found to trigger asthma and allergic rhinitis.
 
If this mold appears in your garden, your plants will benefit from proper spacing, pruning for better air circulation, and the removal of affected plant material.
 
Bottom line: If you see black mold, find out which type it is and take the appropriate action.

If snow falls on your garden this winter, take a cue from Nature and grab yourself a nice fuzzy blanket, a hot beverage, and start planning your spring garden!

Strawberries don’t grow on trees! Everyone knows that.


But you might be surprised, as my friend Linda was, to learn that you may already have this edible growing in your yard.

Strawberry tree fruit

​Strawberry tree fruit has a bumpy surface and is about the size of a small walnut. These berries are sweet once they turn red, but not before. Even then, their taste is described as bland by some. Supposedly, Pliny the Elder gave this plant its name after saying, “Unum tantum edo.” (I only eat one) We don't know why. Maybe he didn't like it. Maybe he found the rich, custard-like texture of one fruit satisfying.  


These fruits have tiny seeds which, to some, may make the fruit seem gritty, like a kiwifruit. My friend assures me that, once you’ve tried it, you’ll want to stand under the tree and keep eating!


So, why haven’t you seen these fruits in the grocery store? 


Unlike apples and pears, which can be picked unripe and shipped and stored, strawberry tree fruit is very soft and it bruises easily. If you want strawberry tree fruit, you’ll have to grow your own tree or find a neighbor who already has one.

​
[I wonder how many other edible plants we know nothing about, simply because grocery stores can't sell them…]

How strawberry trees grow

These evergreen trees average 15’ tall and 10’ wide, but they can grow 30’ tall. The grayish-brown bark peels away, exposing a lovely reddish-brown inner bark, reminiscent of our beloved manzanita.


These trees grow best in USDA Hardiness Zones 7-10 and they love sunny, dry climates. Dark green, glossy leaves are 2-4” long and 1” wide, with red stems. White flowers appear in autumn, around the same time the previous year’s fruit is ready for harvesting.


Because the flowers are hermaphroditic, you only need one tree. These trees are moderately drought and frost resistant and can tolerate shade and salt. Like other family members, strawberry trees prefer neutral to slightly acidic soil.


Aphids and fungal leaf spot are the most common problems faced by these trees. Other potential pests include flathead borers, leaf miners, scale insects, thrips, and western tent caterpillars. Other diseases that may infect your strawberry tree include annosus root disease, anthracnose, Arbutus leaf spots, leaf galls, phytophthora, sudden oak death, and twig dieback. Many of these diseases can be prevented with good drainage.


Strawberry tree varieties

​There are three different varieties of European strawberry tree: the Spanish Arbutus canariensis, the Greek A. andrachne, and the topic of our discussion today, A. unedo. There is a North America cousin, the madrone or madrone tree (A. menziesii), but the genetic connection is too distant to allow for easy hybridization. European cousins can cross-pollinate, but fruit production is intermittent to unlikely. One variety often found in California is a cross between A. unedo and A. andrachne. It is labeled Arbutus x Marina because of the San Francisco district where it was hybridized.


Strawberry trees can be grown from seeds or semi-hardwood cuttings. If you decide to grow a strawberry tree, local hummingbirds, butterflies, and birds will be glad you did.


You might, too. Thanks, Linda!

I found this in my juniper tree and had to learn more.

Cedar apple rust control

If you have cedar or juniper trees near your apple trees, regularly monitoring for symptoms is a good idea. In commercial apple groves, cedar trees within one mile are generally removed, as a preventative measure.


Fungicides are effective against cedar apple rust. Apple trees are sprayed four times, at 7- to 10-day intervals, just as buds start to open, as a prevention. Infected trees must be treated with systemic fungicides. Cedar trees are generally sprayed in summer.

The summer growing season may be winding down, but temperature extremes, smoke-filled skies, and who knows what all have caused many garden plants to behave strangely this year.

​
For one thing, many plants took a lot longer than normal to get started. Our early heat wave, followed by a cold snap, and then scorching summer temperatures caused many plants to be confused about the seasons. Instead of following their normal progression of leaf and stem growth, followed by flowering and then fruiting, plants struggled early on to figure which task they should be performing. Small pepper plants are taking longer to get bushy, eggplants were late to bloom, and squash plants look as though they are starting the season all over again!

How many chill hours does your yard get? Chill hours are the combined number of hours below 45°F experienced by a tree each year. Without adequate chill hours, trees will generally not produce. Most of northern California gets 800 to 1,500 chill hours, but Santa Clara County averages less than 450 chill hours each year.


Fall is the best time to plant bare root trees in San Jose, California, just be sure to plant them at the proper depth. This means the flare of the trunk and any grafting are visible above the soil level. For the first few years, when your fruit tree produces flowers, it will live a longer, more productive life if you remove those blossoms before they start turning into a crop. This gives the tree the time it needs to generate a healthy root system.
​

Now start planting!

Gumming is a natural protective response used by trees to counteract environmental conditions, such as sunscald, frost damage, improper pruning, planting too deeply, excessive irrigation, and too much fruit production. Mechanical injuries caused by lawnmower collisions, rubbing branches, and outgrown tree supports can also cause gumming, as well as insect infestation by peach tree borers, flathead borers, and other boring insects, and by diseases such as Eutypa dieback, cytospora canker, Fusarium dieback, and bacterial spot.


When mechanical injury or environmental conditions are the cause, it’s usually pretty easy to see. When gumming is caused by insect invasions, you will normally see insects and bits of sawdust caught in the gum. When gumming is in response to disease, you need to read up on the possible diseases to know for sure what your tree has.


Apricot gummosis symptoms

Apricot gummosis starts out looking like blisters on branches and the trunk. As the disease progresses, the tissue around these lesions will begin to die and the tree will produce gum. As fungal spores grow and reproduce, cankers will form.


Apricot gummosis pathogen

Apricot gummosis is caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea fungi. Fungal spores enter through wounds. These fungi are opportunists, causing blueberry stem blight and cankers on a wide variety of plants. Trees suffering from lower limb dieback are commonly infected by this pathogen in their weakened state.


Apricot gummosis prevention and treatment

Apricot gummosis occurs most often in years with a cool, wet spring, followed by high temperatures. There’s nothing you can do about the weather, but there are steps you can take to prevent and treat apricot gummosis.


Since gummosis generally occurs in trees that have been damaged in some way, protecting them from injury in the first place goes a long way toward preventing gummosis. Lawnmowers, weedwackers, careless pruning, borers, limb breakage, and other actions that can poke holes in a tree’s bark should be avoided. Whitewashing trunks and exposed branches can help prevent sunburn damage. Proper feeding and irrigation will keep your trees healthier in general. And always wait until your trees are dry before pruning.


If apricot gummosis is present, all infected wood should be removed, spraying cutting tools with bathroom cleaner between each cut. This helps prevent infecting healthy wood. Cuttings should be removed from the property right away.


Severe infections will require the use of fungicides. Research has shown that fungicides containing benomyl, fenarimol, iprodione, prochloraz, or tebuconazole. According to the study, “The best control was obtained with treatments of prochloraz mc alternated with mancozeb. Applications of bitertanol and fenarimol also significantly reduced the occurrence of cankers.”


As with any time you are using fungicides or other potentially dangerous chemicals, read the label and follow directions exactly.