Deadhead duty, mighty microgreens and more to do in the garden this week

1. Deadhead pansies and Johnny jump-ups (miniature pansies) to keep them blooming. Deadheading is the practice of removing wilted flowers so that more flowers can develop. When flowers wilt, it is a sign that seeds are forming, an energy-intensive process in the faded flowers’ ovaries that inhibits the development of more flowers. Other winter bloomers that benefit from this practice include stock (Matthiola incana), cyclamen, alyssum, calendula, primroses, and snapdragons.

You can keep stock and snapdragons alive for several years by allowing the flower stalks to remain after they finish blooming. Just cut them down to where a set of leaves is growing and they will leaf out and rebloom again. Pansies and snapdragons are highly susceptible to a variety of fungus diseases and for that reason it is advisable to disinfect your scissors or garden shears between cuts by dipping them in a solution of 9 parts bleach to 1 part water. Of course, you can also deadhead simply by pinching flowers off at their base by using your thumb and forefinger (but don’t dip your fingers in bleach between pinches). To really stay on top of things, deadhead twice a week.

2. Microgreens are becoming increasingly popular due to their ease of care and quick growth, their nutritional value, and the taste, texture and color they add to salads and other dishes. Unlike sprouts that are consumed whole, microgreens, as the name implies, are harvested solely for their green cotyledons, first leaves, and stems a week or two after they have sprouted. You can grow them in any shallow repurposed container, such as the one that encloses your take-out burger or store-bought cupcakes; detach the base from the lid and you will have two trays for growing microgreens. After punching a few holes in the trays for drainage, cover the bottoms with a one- or two-inch layer of moist potting soil. Spread your seeds and sprinkle a thin layer of soil over them.

If you cover the container with a plastic dome or cling wrap, you do not have to water again as the cover will keep soil moist. Otherwise, you will want to maintain soil moisture by applying water with a spray bottle once or twice a day until your seeds sprout. Microgreens can grow on a window sill or kitchen counter as long as they get at least four daily hours of sunlight. Where natural light does not reach, you will need the assistance of a grow light. The tastiest microgreens are pea, radish, beet, and mustard, while the healthiest is broccoli.

3. If you have a front yard with a dead lawn, or it’s otherwise in need of a makeover, you may want to consider a colonial garden. The first step in this transformation is to create a straight path that runs from the sidewalk or the street to your front door area. Make it out of brick or flagstone or decomposed granite. A path running through a yard or garden will immediately demand a commitment to what is happening on either side of it.

You might now consider subdividing the two parcels of your new yard even further, with each small plot accessible from a side path. The more you divide your yard, the easier and more inviting it will be to visit your plants. You will be more of a grower than a watcher.

Once upon a time, in colonial America – from Virginia to Massachusetts – front yards divided in this manner were growing grounds for fruit trees, vegetables and flowers. Speaking of design ideas to contemplate this winter while the garden rests, you may want to think twice before doing what’s known as foundation planting – the placement of plants along the front of a house or other building. Such planting interrupts clean architectural lines and creates a cramped and messy look. You cannot see the house for what it is, but neither can you see the plants – only their front is visible – for what they are either. Also, shrubs and trees that abut a structure are susceptible to fungus and insect pest problems due to lack of air circulation and water that cannot evaporate from sun-deprived leaf surfaces.

4. I talk a lot about mulching, but I don’t think I could talk about it too much since its benefits are tremendously significant. I just learned about a two-year study conducted at Michigan State University where growth was compared between mulched and non-mulched young tees. At the end of two years, the trunk caliper (trunk diameter six inches above ground level) of the mulched trees was 70% greater than that of unmulched trees. Soil moisture level down to an 18-inch depth was consistently greater in mulched trees. Whether you are growing trees or tomatoes, fluctuating soil moisture is a problem, whether a slower growth rate or cracked fruit is the result. Incidentally, the trees used in this study were Bloodgood sycamores (Platanus x acerifolia var. Bloodgood). There are several important distinctions between Bloodgood and our California native sycamore (Platanus racemosa) Whereas the California sycamore produces angular, unpredictable growth, with trunks suddenly taking 45-degree or wider turns, Bloodgood sycamore has a straight trunk with a symmetrical, pyramidal dome. Also, whereas California sycamore is highly susceptible to fungus diseases that disfigure foliage and, in attacking the growing points on shoots, are responsible for their angular growth, Bloodgood is resistant to these diseases and possesses glossy foliage, as compared to the sickly foliage of California sycamores. Both sycamore types can grow to seventy-five feet tall and may live for five hundred years or more.

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5. The easiest berries to grow in Southern California are blackberries and now is the time to plant them. The biggest challenge in this endeavor is building a stout trellis to provide them the support they need. By the same token, If you happen to have a chainlink fence that you wish to hide, there is no better plant for achieving this goal than the blackberry. If you have a brick or a block wall, you can still grow blackberries or any other vining plant, for that matter, through the procurement of clear silicone adhesive sealant and plastic-coated twist ties. Dab a small blob of sealant onto the wall and, shaping a twist tie into a U, embed the center of the U in the sealant. The next day, once the sealant has set, bend a vine stem to a tie, and then twist it around the stem. Such ties can last for years but you can also gently scrape the sealant away from the wall, if you desire, and no mark will remain. Ties should be green or black so that, like the clear sealant, they will go unnoticed. The most recommended blackberries for Southern California are boysenberry and ollalieberry. Dave Wilson Nursery (davewilson.com) grows 12 blackberry varieties, including these. If you visit the site, you can scroll through the varieties and, on the same page, find a retail nursery near you that carries Dave Wilson plants.

If you have any questions or comments regarding any garden phenomenon, please send to joshua@perfectplants.com.