5 things to do in the garden this week:
Fruit. If you have a fruit tree that’s tall enough to require more than a step ladder to pick its fruit, you may want to consider pruning it back in radical fashion. Fruit trees are vigorous growers that quickly regrow from severe pruning. The best time to do this work is after fruit harvest, and cutting back citrus, avocado, or stone fruit trees to a height of six feet will lead to a crop that may be picked at a reasonable height. Yes, you could lose one year’s crop, but you will benefit from a lower harvesting height in two years. If cutting back the entire tree at once is too traumatic, cut back half of it one year and the other half the next. By planting trees with dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstocks, they may never grow more than six or eight feet tall.
Vegetables. If there is an easier, more reliable perennial vegetable to grow than asparagus, I do not know its identity. Since late last month, I have been picking around a dozen asparagus spears every week or so. You simply break the spears off at ground level and have them that night for dinner. My wife cooks them in a little water in a Pyrex dish in the microwave for a minute or two, depending on the number of spears. That way, the spears stay crisp and full of flavor; there’s nothing worse than a limp asparagus spear. You will probably have to order asparagus crowns by mail since they’re not typically found in nurseries. These crowns, planted 6-8 inches deep, are an investment that yields regal returns.
Herbs. Aztec sweet herb (Lippia dulcis) is a rarely encountered herb whose seeds are more expensive than those of most plants. The reward for growing Aztec sweet herb is its intensely mellifluous taste, which makes the leaves highly desirable as a natural sweetener. The plant grows no more than a foot tall and serves well both as a ground cover and a subject for spilling out of a container or hanging basket. Its habitat stretches from Mexico to Venezuela. Aztec sweet herb seeds and live plants are available through Internet vendors.
Flowers. Dahlias are among the most dramatic flowers, reaching up to one foot in diameter, and now is the time to plant their tubers. Dwarf to giant types are available. For your giant dahlias to last more than a year, lift them in the fall, taking a two-foot diameter circle of roots along with them. If you divide your dahlia clumps, dust-cut surfaces with sulfur so they don’t rot. Store them in boxes or paper bags in a cool, dry place, such as a garage during winter, before planting them again the following spring. During winter storage, make sure they are covered with sand, sawdust, peat moss, or perlite. If you are seeking a real garden show stopper, consider planting a tree dahlia. Tree dahlias grow up to twenty feet tall. They may die back to their roots in the winter (if not, cut them down to six inches), but do not have to be lifted like their smaller cousins and will regrow the following spring.
Gophers. Greg Alder (gregalder.com) has a most compelling video on his website. Alder notices a fresh gopher mound and slides a Cinch trap into the opening of the critter’s tunnel. A few seconds later, you hear the trap snap, and then Alder removes the skewered prey on which he invites his cats to dine. Gophers mate and give birth from January to April. They are rodents that live up to 12 years. Gophers are extremely territorial, which is good news if you have a gopher problem. You may see a dozen mounds in your backyard, but it is probably the work of a single animal, since one gopher will inhabit up to 1,000 square feet. The many crisscrossing burrows made by a gopher form an elaborate underground network, and, in fact, the word gopher comes from the French gaufre, which means honeycomb.