Five things to do in the garden this week:
Fruits. Plant citrus trees now through early December. The soil is still warm from the summer; roots will expand, and trees will grow much more rapidly when spring arrives, as opposed to waiting until then to plant. For several years, citrus tree sales were not allowed in our area due to a quarantine imposed because of Huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease, which is always fatal. The disease is caused by a bacterium vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid, similar in appearance to an aphid. However, nurseries in the quarantine zone are now permitted to sell citrus trees as long as certain preventive measures are taken. In the opinion of many, Owari Satsuma mandarin trees (Citrus unshiu) produce the sweetest citrus fruit of any kind. It’s the same fruit found in those small cans of mandarins at the grocery store. Satsuma trees, cold-hardy to 20 degrees, produce prolifically at this time of year.
Vegetables. Sow seeds of root crops — carrots, beets, turnips, radishes — now, directly in the garden since they do not easily transplant when container grown first. You can also plant garlic cloves and potato pieces (each having at least two eyes) from grocery store produce. Plant potatoes in a different area from one year to the next to prevent spider mites. Where potato spider mites have gained a foothold, avoid planting tomatoes, eggplants, or peppers next spring since these crops, as potato family kin, are susceptible to the same spider mite species. Yukon Gold potatoes are recommended for fall planting.
Herbs. Calendula has been called “the poor man’s saffron” for providing a distinctive golden color to cooked dishes. Saffron, made from the stigmas of saffron crocus flowers, is one of the most expensive herbs, while the flower petals of Calendula are readily available on flowers throughout the year, except the hottest summer months. For this reason, Calendula is equally at home in herb and flower gardens. Calendula is classified as a potherb, a designation assigned to any plant whose leaves and/or flowers, when cooked, are used to flavor other dishes, especially soups and stews. Calendula’s flavor has been described as earthy, tangy, peppery, and nutty. With summer’s heat now gone, my Calendula has started flowering again from self-sown seeds.
Flowers. I would be guilty of garden columnist malpractice were I to ignore those opulent blooms seen this time of year on the silk floss tree (Ceiba/Chorisia speciosa). Its six-inch, star-shaped, rosy-pink blooms in late summer and fall are followed by football-sized fruits that split open to reveal fluffy, silky fibers known as kapok, once used as stuffing for pillows and seat cushions. For most of the year, the silk floss tree is noticed for a unique trunk that is covered with corky, pea-green bark and large, squat, keep-your-distance thorns. These thorns deter Amazonian animals, especially monkeys, from chewing on the trunks. Thorns also collect dew that condenses into water that drips onto the soil below, a useful strategy for self-irrigation in the event of a prolonged dry spell.
Indoor plants. Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa), so-called because of the fenestrations (holes, splits, or windows) in its leaves, is now available in a version called Bulbasaur, named after a Pokémon character. Bulbasaur has strong white variegation that persists even as the plant ages, which is not always the case with variegated specimens. Should you order one through an Internet vendor, you will probably receive a small plant with one or two leaves. Foliage will lack fenestrations until leaves are 5-8 inches wide or when the plant reaches 2-3 feet in height.