November 2022 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Robert]

Hi Marc

I have been using Quick Hoop Low Tunnels for decades. I find them to be extremely effective for multiple applications. I would not garden or farm without them. I bought my low tunnel bender from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. They still sell them. I also use heavy #10 gauge wire to make lower Wire Quick Hoops. Johnny’s Selected Seeds also sells the heavy #10 gauge wire to make smaller Wire Support Hoops.

Depending on the season and application I use different materials to cover the hoops. I use shade cloth during the summer to protect heat sensitive crops. I use light Agribon + Insect Barrier to protect newly planted seeds from birds. I use various thicknesses of Agribon + and/or greenhouse plastic to protect crops from cold weather. What I use depends on the crop and the season. All of these materials can be purchased from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, however in agricultural areas of the country it is easy to find these items locally. With care these products can last for many seasons. And, yes, I use all these items with ornamental plants too.



The weather has cooled and yesterday, 1 November, we received some much-needed rain. The plants in our garden loved the rain. More rain is in the forecast.

Helianthus angustifolius is a beautiful late autumn blooming species in our garden.



A month or so ago we planted some Moraea polystachya seedlings in our cinder block garden. They are thriving in this location and look great right now.



I grow the tall growing form of Salvia splendens. They bloom for long periods of time and are spectacular when in bloom.



With cooler weather some of our Antirrhinum majus hybrids are throwing a few flowers.



I like trying new plants in the garden. I also like obtaining new plants locally. Pictured is Hypericum anagalloides. This native species grows locally in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

[Robert]

With cool autumn weather I have started to seed out autumn-winter vegetables and many California native annual species. I use ¾ inch soil blocks when sowing small seed species. 400 3/4 inch (19.05 mm) blocks will fit into a nursery flat. I keep the young seedlings growing by transferring them to 2” (50.8 mm) soil blocks, and then into the ground as soon as possible. This system works extremely well for me.

Marc –

This is how I use Quick Hoops made with ½” (12.7 mm) electrical conduit covered with greenhouse plastic during the late autumn, winter, and early spring to cover the seed flats. During the summer the same bench space is covered with shade cloth. It is all quick and easy. I never have any wind damage and the plants germinate and grow fantastically.



I use 2-inch (50.8 mm) soil blocks to start larger seeds. The 3/4-inch (10.05 mm) blocks fit exactly into the square hole in the top of the 2-inch (50.8 mm) blocks. There is no transplant shock and the seedlings keep growing vigorously when transplanted.



Pictured is Salvia elegans blooming with our ripe ‘Pink Lady’ apples.



I try to make efficient use of the growing space in our garden. Here mâche, Valerianella locusta, is growing with barley. The mâche will be ready to harvest well before the barley becomes too large. This arrangement works well with other vegetables such as spinach, endive, lettuce, and small bulbed radish varieties.



These vegetables were harvested from our garden on 1 November. The greens on the left we call Greens Gone Wild. They are advanced generation hybrids of Mizuna, Brassica rapa var. japonica, Pac Choi, and Tokyo Bekana, both Brassica rapa var. cinensis. We selected these from open pollinated plants at our Placerville farm about 12 years ago. They taste great and sold well at the Farmers’ Market. Center is D’Avignon Radishes, Raphanus sativus. Seeds of this flavorful radish have become difficult to obtain in the U.S.A., so we now produce and select our own seed. On the right the green Summer Squash is Lebanese Light Green. We produce our own seed of this variety and have been selecting for resistance to Mosaic Virus, which can be a big problem in the Sacramento Valley. Generally Summer Squash, Cucurbita pepo, becomes infected with various mosaic viruses by mid-summer and stop producing fruit. Our selection keeps growing vigorously and producing fruit until cold weather in late autumn (November). We have conducted trials with other Summer Squash varieties that were highly touted as being resistant to mosaic virus. Our Lebanese Light Green Squash selection has vastly out preformed all the varieties we have trialed it with to date.

[MarcR]

Than you, Robert, very helpful response!

Marc

[Jeffnz]

Robert
Have you experienced a higher level of insect infestation when using the covers?
I have made a similar shade cover using electrical conduit and attached the hoop ends to a piece of re enforcing steel hammered into the ground, then covered with shade cloth. Worked well apart from plants suffering a higher level of insect attack.

[Robert]

Hi Jeff

This is another excellent question. Currently, my work schedule is extremely full. I will get back to the question in a few days and share some of my experiences that might be helpful to others.

[Robert]

Hi Jeff

To answer your question; Have I experienced a higher level of insect infestation when using row covers?

A partial answer is yes; however I do manage the situation to vastly reduce or eliminate insect populations: For example, at times earwigs and sow bugs can be troublesome. I have a great deal of success eliminating or reducing damage to inconsequential levels by keeping my growing areas cultivated, free of weeds and debris. I also have a high degree of success controlling slug damage using this method. In addition, I frequently grow plants grown on from transplanted soil blocks. For me this, more or less, eliminates transplant shock. My experience has been that young plants transplanted using other methods often experience transplant shock and suffer a great deal of insect damage, sometimes to the point that they die. So, I guess the complete or elaborated answer to your question is no, I do not have higher levels of insect infestation when using row covers; however this is due to the cultivation methods I use and my attention to keeping my growing areas free of debris and weeds. I would like to add that my methods are equally successful with perennial species. In addition, I never need to use sprays of any sort to keep my plants healthy and free of insect damage. This works for me, but then I am constantly in the garden observing what is going on and making adjustments as per changing circumstances.  Jasmin also is very observant, and asks questions concerning what she sees.  This joint perspective is extremely beneficial.  Our garden is a true collaboration.

Here is another story about insect control that my wife, Jasmin, wanted me to relate:

About 40 years ago when I lived in the 1860’s vintage original Gold Hill schoolhouse, I had a vegetable garden on the back 1-acre plot behind the chicken coop. The broccoli and some of the other cabbage family plants became infested with aphids. Uncle Elwin, who had the cattle ranch surrounding the schoolhouse, came by one day to inspect my garden. Being an old-timer, he was shocked to see all the aphids and that I had not sprayed poison to control them. I told him that everything would work out fine and that there was no need to spray anything. He shook his head in disgust and walked back to his work, tending cattle. A few days later a flock of bushtits came by and ate all the aphids. The plants continued to grow and I had a splendid harvest of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage 100% free of aphids. Uncle Elwin never believed me when I told him that the birds ate all the aphids. If I had sprayed the aphids with poison I would have likely poisoned the bushtits. The birds ended up being the perfect biological control.



Jeff –

The next two photographs show how I keep things clean around areas where I have plants growing and covered with row cover.



The plants inside the hoops are also kept clean of weeds and free of debris.



Back at our Sacramento home, this Lachenalia rubida was in a shady location when it came back into growth. It is leggy, however I moved it to a location where it can be enjoyed as it continues to bloom.



This is not a very good photograph, however I like this new red-flowered Salvia hybrid.



We are getting some autumn-like weather that was common to our region 40-50 years ago. Low temperatures, even in the Sacramento area, have been in the 30 F (0 to 3.5 C) range and we are getting rain at the lower elevations.

I enjoy the drying foliage of plants as they go dormant for the winter.

[Robert]

Maybe we will get snow at our Placerville property this winter. This photograph was taken about 15 years ago. 30-40 years ago, snow like this was once common at our Placerville property. Now snow accumulations like this are rare.



I miss the cold rainy and snowy winter weather we once had. The snow can be very beautiful.



With the cooler weather, even in Sacramento, the leaves of our Red Haven Peach are turning pretty colors. The intensity of the color is especially brilliant during the evening as the sun is setting.



Salvia splendens in bloom is spectacular right now.



This is a scene of the Placerville garden. A part of the orchard can be seen in the background. Winter cover crops are well established or have recently been planted. Broccoli and other winter vegetables are reaching harvest. In January new hoops will be erected and late winter - early spring crops will be planted.

[Jeffnz]

Robert/Jasmin
Thank you for the comments re aphid control.
We do have a native bird called a wax eye which is a known aphid predator but unfortunately not common in the  neighborhood, mores the pity. There are other native and long established introduced bird species but sadly aphids are not on their list of dietary requirements.
There are biological controls available, for aphids an introduced wasp species,

[Jeffnz]

to continue...
aphids are the target food for the wasps, the wasps are small in size and do not sting unlike many other wasp species we have. When I had a large shade house the wasp gave an effective biological control, new wasps needed to be introduced each year as our winters were to cold . The female lays her eggs in the aphid which then acts as a nursery for the wasp larvae who emerge to continue the hunt. Have tried the same in the open garden and its was not effective, not sure this could have been an environmental issue.
Lady birds are another aphid hunter, we have a few species but there is a large one that actually eats other lady bug species and is now considered a pest.

[brianw]

Not in my garden but the drive of another house nearby some Cowslips in flower. (Primula veris) Spring is early it seems.

[Yann]

We slowly enter the period when days are the shortest however few plants don't care about that lack of light. This is the case of Ranunculus bullatus.

[Leena]

Winter has come here and it's been below freezing for a week now.
There is snow but not much, about 5cm, so ground is white.
Colchicum 'Poseidon' was still flowering ten days ago. Second and third pictures were taken earlier this week.

[Mariette]

I´m always reluctant what to prefer, Leena - lots of snow with time to read or our milder climate, which seldom allows for such wintery pics.

At least, it allows for Brugmansias in full flower as late as at the end of November. Though this is quite unusual, even here.



Camellias are flowering, also. ´Yuletide´started unusually early in mid October.



A seedling with large flowers, about 9 cm.



Phytolacca americana ´Silberstein´ glowing in pink.



And yet another brugmansia

.

[fermi de Sousa]

And yet another brugmansia

.

Which has really got your gargoyle fascinated!
cheers
fermi

[Robert]

Mariette,

Once again you have posted beautiful and inspirational photographs from your garden. Based on some of your earlier photographs it appears that parts of your garden have recovered from the heat and drought of this past summer. I hope all goes well for you in our garden this coming season.



Season extenders are up and operational in our Sacramento garden. Year round production of vegetables is relatively easy.



The autumn blooming Crocus niveus is looking good in our garden. I finally have a plan to better maintain and enjoy our Crocus species in our garden. More on this later as things evolve.



Acer palmatum ’Pixie’ did not burn in the 115 F September heat and is glowing in autumn color. Many of our other Japanese Maples burned badly in the extreme heat and have defoliated without autumn colors.



I finally found a way to use Moraea polystachya effectively in our garden. This group has been blooming for over a month now and looks great. No more flopping – nice straight upright stems. For us, a great plant when grown well.