From Mulch to your Mouth! Edible Landscaping Concepts and Principles in a Water-Wise Garden

Bill Krycia

Bill Krycia

Formal style: knot garden

Herbs as borders

Lettuce and other vegetables

High maintenance

Whoa!

Let’s slow down a bit and get into the basics…

Edible Landscaping Concepts and Principles in a Water-Wise Garden

• Gardening basics

• Water

• Planning & Selection

• Brief Intermission

• Veggies and Herbs

• Berries and Grapes

• Fruit Trees

• Q&A

Garden Basics

• Sunlight! • Fruiting plants need 6 to 8 hours a day

• More is better for many fruiting plants

• Vegetative plants can get by with less • But not much… • Possible increase in disease with low light • “leggy” growth

• Prevent sunburn! • Shade cloth • Trunk paint

• Shade patterns

Garden Basics

• Sunlight! • South facing

• Walls as heat sinks • Keep some space for maintenance

• Set taller plants on north side

• Planting trees on north side close to house sub optimal

• Optimal planting direction • Rows running north-south

• Low profile, doesn’t matter so much

Garden Basics

• Soil

• Working with existing plantings, compost helps, as does mulching

• Don’t necessarily want to create “pockets” of amended soil.

• Will your plan disrupt existing root systems?

• You don’t have the option of turning over larger areas

Garden Basics

• Fertilization

• Similar needs

• Compost

• Containers have different needs

• Over fertilization results in lush growth, and just maybe few or no fruit

Garden Basics

• Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

• Recognition

• Evaluation

• Control

• Cultural practice, resistance

• Natural control

• Non-toxic or least toxic

Other thoughts

• Frost protection

• Security

• Post harvest storage

• Vector control

• Soil compaction

Water

• Drainage

• Good drainage = happy plants

• Evaluate drainage

• Poor drainage

• Rip down

• Build up

• Raised bed

• Containers

Water

• Plant Needs

• Plant itself

• New or established

• Time in life cycle

• Other factors

• Weather

• Soil characteristics

Water

• Hydro zoning

• Concept of grouping plants by common water need

Water

• Irrigation

• Multiple systems

• Drip

• Micro spray

Water

• Mulching

• Critical, low cost water conservation

• Mulching and drip can save 50% water use

• Natural materials

• Break down, provide nutrients, organic material

• Create environment for good fungi, inhibit bad fungi (phytophthora)

• Help to maintain even soil moisture

Planning and Selection

• Water Wise Landscape Design Steps

• http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/gardennotes/411.html

Food Can Be Grown in Any Garden

Interplant edibles with your ornamentals

Planning and Selection

• Evaluate existing landscape and resource$

• Softscape

• Hardscape

• Keep a garden journal

• Sun patterns

• Pests

• Drainage

• Other issues, preferences

Planning and Selection

• What do you want?

• Bananas?

• Edible groundcover?

• Alpine strawberries?

• Resist the temptation to fill every square inch.

• Things will grow!

Planning and Selection

• List what you want

• Think about the use of the entire space throughout the year.

• Think color

• Think texture

• Think layering (scale)

• Think flavor!

Planning

• Hydrozone Bubble Drawings

Planning

• Areas of routine irrigation – watered every 2 to 4 days.

• Areas of reduced irrigation – watered every 4 to 14 days.

• Areas of limited irrigation – watered during dry spells once plants are established.

• Nonirrigated areas

From: Water Wise Landscape Design Steps, Colorado State University Extension

Figure 17. Examples of styles for a backyard with patio (gray) flower beds (pink) and vegetable garden (yellow). Left: Rectilinear design, Center: Curvilinear design, Right: Angular design.

Photo: Rosalind Creasy

Best of both worlds: edible

and ornamental

Inter-planting reduces pests

New textures, forms, colors

Grow what you like best

Fun for everyone

Great conversation piece

Choosing Varieties That Best Suit your Needs

Some plants have varieties/cultivars that are better suited in your landscape Drought tolerance

Salt tolerance

Disease resistance

Pest resistance

Striking or more profound colors

Dwarfing or “bush” type

Planting Your Edible Landscape

Warm season crops grow best when average daytime temperatures are between 65-950F

Cool season crops grow best when average daytime temperatures are between 55-750F

Some cool season crops must be planted during the end of the warm season to allow for adequate growth before cooler weather; or in the case of seeds to allow for germination.

Planting Your Edible Landscape

Plants can be direct seeded, transplants, or self seeding

Use direct seeding for large seeded plants: corn, melons, squash, beans and peas; and for root crops: carrots, radish, beets, turnips, and parsnips

Use transplants for crops that you want to get an early start by growing them in the house, a cold frame or greenhouse

Sacramento Vegetable Planting Schedule (EHN 11)

From Mulch to your Mouth!

• Brief Intermission

Incorporating Vegetables into your Landscape…

Make a list of edibles you like and that grow well in your climate

Identify the cultural needs of each Sun vs. shade Soil pH Water requirements Nutrient requirements http://ucanr.edu/sites/gardenweb/Vegetables/ http://ucanr.org/freepubs/docs/8059.pdf

Incorporating Vegetables into your Landscape…

Realize that some plants may not be compatible with certain areas or existing plants

Be aware of overall form Size, shape, color, flowers, fruit

Identify any pests/diseases that are common

Vegetable crops perform best when well irrigated and receive at least 6-8 hours of sunlight

Vegetables can be used as Ground covers

Annual low border bedding plants

Visual screens

Trellis vines

Hanging baskets/containers

Vegetables

Squash

Photo: Rosalind Creasy

Many Edibles are Attractive Plants

Artichoke

Kale

Lettuce

Mustard

Rhubarb

Broccoli and cauliflower

Beets and chard

Jerusalem artichoke

Peppers

Beans and peas

Eggplant

Tomatoes

Artichoke

Perennial, some thorny, possibly marginal in Sacramento

Kale

\

Cool season, several varieties, does well. Remember crop rotation!

Lettuce

Cool season!

Mustard

Photo by Nancy J. Ondra

Rhubarb

Photo: Rosalind Creasy

Several varieties, some with more colorful stalks, remember, the leaves are toxic, only use the stalks

Broccoli and Cauliflower

Cool Season

Beets

Eggplant

Beets

Chard

Peas

Remember, plants will need support!

Photo: Renee Studebaker

Peppers

Squash Blossoms

Beans

Tomato

Straw Bale gardening at Fair Oaks Horticultural Center

Container veggies at Fair Oaks Horticultural Center

Thoughts on Veggies

• Seasonality

• Staggered planting

• Crop rotation

• Weeding

• Thinning

Planting calendar

From: Year ‘round gardening by Dr. Norris

See also: http://ucanr.org/sites/sacmg/files/77734.pdf

Herbs

• Color

• Variegated

• Pesto perpetuo basil

• Variegated sage

• Access

Basil

Basil

Lemongrass

Leaves are exceptionally sharp! Grows well in container also

Rosemary

Upright varieties, Tuscan Blue Prostrate (creeping) varieties also

Herbs in Containers

Food Can Be Grown in Any Garden

Interplant edibles with your ornamentals

+

Alpine strawberry Angelica Anise hyssop Artichoke Arugula (perennial) Asparagus Basil Beet Borage Broccoli Cabbage Cantaloupe Celery Chard Chives Collards Corn

Cucumber (bush or trellis) Edible flowers Eggplant Endive Kale Lavender Lemongrass Lettuce Lovage Marjoram Mitsuba Mizuna Nasturtium Okra Orach Oregano

Parsley Pea Peanut Pepper Poppy (breadseed) Rhubarb Rosemary Safflower Sage Scented geranium Sea kale Shallot Squash (summer) Tarragon Tomato (determinate)

Edible Herbaceous (Non-Woody) Borders

+

Alpine strawberry

Chamomile

Cucumber

Mint (creeping)

Peanut (temporary cover)

Rosemary (trailing)

Sweet potato (temporary)

Sweet woodruff

Thyme

Wintergreen

© Rosalind Creasy

Edible Ground Covers

Thyme

© Rosalind Creasy

Edible Herbaceous (Non-Woody) Borders

+

Anise hyssop Apple Arugula Basil Bee Balm Borage Broccoli Calendula Chamomile Chervil Chicory Chives Chrysanthemum Citrus

Okra Passion flower Pineapple guava Redbud Rose Rosemary Sage Scented geranium Squash Sunflower Sweet woodruff Thyme Tulip Violet

Edible Flowers

Daylily

Dianthus

Dill

Elderberry

Hibiscus

Hollyhock

Johnny-jump-up

Lavender

Lemon verbena

Lilac

Marigold

Mint

Nasturtium

Borage

Calendula

Lavender

Nasturtium

Viola, Pansy, Johnny-jump-up, Violet

Chives

Berries and Grapes

• Strawberries

• Cane Berries

• Blueberries

• Grapes

Strawberries

• http://ucanr.org/sites/gardenweb/Berries/Strawberries/

• Need to be a bit more aware of slugs/snails in edible landscape

• Plant so readily accessible

• Think everbearers, or day neutral varieties

Alpine Strawberry

They are invasive!

Cane Berries (Blackberries and Raspberries)

• http://ucanr.org/sites/sacmg/files/11712

8.pdf

• Cane berries will need support • Trellis

• Pruning • Primocanes

• Floricanes

• There are thornless varieties

Blueberries

• http://ucanr.org/sites/sacmg/files/13806

9.pdf

• Select variety for the area

• Soil pH needs to be amended to make it more acidic

• Better fruit set with multiple varieties

• Bird protection

Blueberries in Containers

http://ucanr.org/sites/gardenweb/Berries/Blueberries/

Grapes

• Requirements

• Adapted to a wide range of soil types

• Sun

• 6 to 8 hours a day

• Irrigation

• Drainage

• Support!

• Care

Low-Maintenance Fruit Species

• Cane berries & blueberries

• Citrus (for now)

• Figs

• Jujubes

Persimmons

Plums & pluots

Pomegranates

Grapes

• Care

• Staking/trellising

• Irrigation

• Fertilizing

• Pruning/training

• Suckering

• Leaf thinning

• Cluster thinning/tipping

• IPM/Spraying/Bird control

Grapes

• Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

• Powdery mildew control

• Bunch rot

• Grape leaf hoppers

Grapes

• Selection

• Most grapes are vigorous growers!

• Most table grapes on own rootstock, most wine grapes on grafted rootstock

• Taste

• Seedless or not?

• Ripening time

• Varieties from mid-July through October

Grapes

• Use

• Arbors

• Trellised along a fence or structure

• Specimen planting

• California head pruned

• Containers

From P Allen Smith online

Edible Landscaping, Grapes!

• Arbors

• Acceptable for either spur or cane pruning

• Should be very durable!

• Consider access for pruning, spraying, etc

http://ucanr.edu/sites/gardenweb/Growing_Grapes_in_the_California_Garden/

Edible Landscaping, Grapes!

• Trellised

• Support the plant

• Durable

• Access

Fruit Trees

• 6-8 hours of sun, or more

• Space!

• Space for the canopy

• We can manage that

• Space for roots

• Tougher to manage

Fruit Trees

• Canopy management

• Pruning

• Dormant season, winter pruning

• Summer pruning

• “Backyard Orchard” concept

• Espalier

Fruit Trees

• Root management

• Selecting a rootstock

• Dwarfing

• 8 to 12’

• Semi-dwarfing

• 12 to 18’

• Standard

• 18 to 25’

• Still have to winter prune

Fruit Trees

• Backyard orchard

• Manage canopy by summer pruning

• Minor pruning during winter

• Other concepts

• Shortened planting distances, hedges

• Multiple plantings

• IPM

• Many fruit trees will require some management

Citrus

Fruit Trees

• Backyard Orchard

• http://ucanr.edu/sites/sacmg/Fruit_and_nuts/

Seedless Kishu Mandarin in Container at FOHC

Espaliered Pomegranate at FOHC

• Sac MG Edible Landscaping:

• http://ucanr.edu/sites/sacmg/Edible_Landscaping/

Credits & Acknowledgements

• Gail Pothour

• Sacramento County Master Gardeners

• UCANR Cooperative Extension

Questions/Discussion