MOSQUITOES: Scroll down to the "Pests" entry on this page and click on the UC IPM link to learn how to control these West-Nile-Virus-carrying annoyances.

FRUITS & VEGGIES: Harvest early in the day.

BULBS: Order fall-planted spring bloomers NOW if you're not planning on buying locally. Bulbs will be showing up in local nurseries any day now. Buy early to allow time for pre-chilling (tulips and hyacinths) and for the best selection of large, firm, unbruised bulbs.

ROSES: Feed modern roses like hybrid teas now to encourage fall blooms.

YELLOW, LACKLUSTER LEAVES? Feed garden plants with a balanced fertilizer if green leaves are looking chlorotic (and it's not due to other circumstances like overwatering, etc.) Liquid fert. like Miracle-Gro or a fish/kelp organic fertilizer gives the fastest results. A slow-release granular or pelletized fert. will feed slowly for months. Yellow leaves but leaf veins are still green? An iron deficiency is more likely. Visit your local nursery for chelated iron products.

Later in the month, you'll want to switch to a "fall fertilizer", which is lower in nitrogen (N) and higher in phosphorus (P).

LAWN MAINTENANCE: Lawn renovation time is now! The UC Guide to Healthy Lawns is an excellent place to start. So is the UC "Lawn Watering Guide for California".

LANDSCAPE TREES: Having any tree concerns? Call a certified arborist for help.

Fall is for tree planting!!!

MULCH: Add a thick layer of mulch to beds, but keep mulch a few inches away from main trunks or stems. A layer at least 4 inches thick is required for good weed suppression.

BACKYARD ORCHARD TREES, SHRUBS & VINES: Harvest ripe fruit early in the day. Provide extra support for fruit-laden branches. Get variety-specific help on the University of California's The California Backyard Orchard website. Suckers & water sprouts: Watch for these in trees and shrubs. Remove so they don't sap tree/shrub strength.

Clean up fallen fruit to avoid pest and diseases. If you haven't done so already, paint trunks of young fruit trees with interior white latex paint cut 50% with water to protect against sunscald.

The following links to the University of California Backyard Orchard care sheets will keep you on track and on your way to a tasty harvest:

CITRUS CARE

RECOMMENDED FERTILIZER APPLICATION RATES:

NITROGEN (N): regular application required
1 to 2 year old tree: 2 tablespoons nitrogen fertilizer 3 to 4 times per year or 1/10 lb. nitrogen fertilizer per year
3-year-old tree: 1/4 lb. nitrogen applied to dripline before watering
4+ year old tree: 1 lb. actual nitrogen per tree per year. So, if your nitrogen fertilizer contains 33% actual nitrogen (33-0-0), you will need to apply 3 lbs. Some references recommend dividing applications into thirds, totaling 3 applications per year (early spring, summer and fall). If you follow that recommendation, make sure you avoid feeding oranges and grapefruit during summer to avoid thick rinds, lower juice content and re-greening of Valencia oranges.
PHOSPHORUS (P): 1 lb. phosphate per tree every 3 to 4 years per mature tree
POTASSIUM (K): as needed (deficiency: general leaf pattern begins as a yellowing of the tips and margins, which then gets broader. Necrotic areas and spotting can develop on the leaves) 2.5 to 5 lbs. potassium per mature tree per year for 2 years if deficiency is noted.
MAGNESIUM (Mg): as needed (deficiency noted by yellowing between veins of older leaves followed by dropping.)
ZINC: as needed (deficiency symptom is "mottle-leaf", exhibited by "small terminal leaves with mottling between large leaf veins". Apply late-winter or early spring foliar spray (carefully follow label directions)
IRON: as needed (deficiency symptom is yellowing between large leaf veins... i.e. interveinal chlorosis)
foliar spray (follow label directions)
MANGANESE (Mn): as needed (deficiency: young leaves turn light green between veins, often more noticeable on tree's north side).

Combination "micronutrient sprays" are available at your local nursery if you suspect multiple deficiencies. A specialized citrus fertilizer or "citrus food" likely contains all necessary macro- and micro-nutrients.

References: California Master Gardener Handbook and the following books:

LanceWalheim.com...
This guy literally wrote the book on citrus!

IRRIGATION: Prepare for cooler temps. and fall rains. Adjust sprinklers accordingly. The goal is to water as deeply and infrequently as possible. Shallow, frequent watering (i.e. 10 min/day, 7 days/wk) is a no-no because you'll end up with shallow root systems requiring frequent watering and conditions that encourage disease. Also, early morning is the best watering time if you want to discourage heat-loving, water-transported plant pathogens.

Download the free UC publication "Lawn Watering Guide for California". This excellent guide solves the mystery of when to water and how much to apply.

ANNUALS: Warm-season color is starting to fizzle out. Think about replacing it with cool-season color, showing up in nurseries this month.

Avoid purchasing summer color (petunias, marigolds, etc.) unless you need a quick, temporary burst of color for a party or event.

PERENNIALS: Continue deadheading spent flowers. Cut back perennials after they finish blooming.

Feed perennials that are about to bloom.

HERBS: Keep from flowering to redirect energy to leaf production. Do this by harvesting often!

WEEDS: Maintain weeding diligence (duh, right?). See the UC Weed Gallery for proper identification and the UC IPM Pest Notes for how to manage them.

PESTS: Visit the fabulous UC IPM website for control measures. Here are a few timely links to pest pages:

Mosquitoes: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7451.html
How West Nile Virus is transmitted-- http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/transmission.htm

Spider mites: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7405.html
Slugs & Snails: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html
Aphids: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7404.html
Ants: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7411.html
Earwigs: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74102.html

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