Another month has flown by, and fall planting time is fast approaching. Although I am somewhat out of the loop as to when school starts up again, I believe it is soon. Many of you will be shopping for school clothes and supplies in the coming weeks, and town will start getting busy again once schools reopen. The sun has already made progress in its journey south, although you can still bake in its strength if you are in it. I am thankful for the cooler summer temps so far, but the humidity levels are above normal, so it does not feel like much of a reprieve. We have noticed we have to water less, as some of our pots are not drying out as expected for this time of year. We are actually overwatering some plants. Plants need oxygen at the roots, and if you keep the air pockets constantly filled with water, they will suffocate. It has been a little bit of a dilemma for us with our 4-inch pots. “So it is still wet this morning, but if I don’t water it now, will it be dried out and drooping by afternoon? Should I just go ahead and give it some more water, or will I be drowning it?”
The two biggest pests this year have been squirrels and mites. If you are battling one or both, you are not alone. With the squirrels, there are foliar sprays that are somewhat effective. You can make your own with different essential oils, hot peppers, garlic, etc, or buy them here. Many herbs, like peppermint and rosemary, are supposed to deter them. Luckily, it looks like my resident ground squirrel bit the dust. He would get the almonds and plants in the back of the nursery. He would also get to the top of the prickly pear and chatter away at us, knowing he was safe up there as no ground predator could reach him. What a show off. We do not miss him.
Mites pierce and suck the foliage, causing stippled leaves. Eventually, the whole leaf will succumb, drying up and dropping off. If you see a noticeable lack of green and a silvery shiny appearance to the leaves, you probably have mites. (Thrips can cause the same symptoms but leave telltale little black poops.) They attack a wide range of plants: vegetables, roses, perennials, rosemary, boxwood, and many more. The best thing for mites is predator mites. A little research is needed as spider mites take one kind, and other types of mites need different ones. There is a lag time, too, as orders are custom-filled. They are available online. Ladybugs, Assassin Bug, Lacewings, and Minute Pirate Bug work too. Sprays include neem, pyrethrins, and horticultural oils. The safest for bees and other beneficials would be the horticultural oil, as it works by contact and is not a botanical toxin. You need to spray every 3 days, not just once. The drawback to any oils is that you need to be careful with intense light and temperatures over 80-85 degrees.
I just noticed black aphids on the underside of my rose leaves. (Not to be confused with Thrip poop.) A customer brought in a sample of his pepper plant, and it too was covered in black aphids. Aphids do come in many varieties and colors, not just the light green we associate with our budding roses and squash. For instance, they are yellow on oleander and milkweeds, grey on our broccoli and other brassicas, and black on our mums and chives. Sometimes, a good, strong stream of water on them every day is all you need to keep them in check. Personally, I like the squish method too.
We are into the change of season availability. Say goodbye to 6 packs of fresh zinnias and petunias. Violas and pansies are starting to show up, although we are still a little warm. Mums are beginning, and we will have them as soon as we can find some space on our tables. Cool-season vegetable starts are becoming available again. Our fall seed order is placed and will ship as soon as our seed company reopens from their switch to 2026 seeds, which is any day now. (Yikes, 2026!) August is the month to seed your heading fall vegetables starts, such as cabbage, broccoli, and brussels, to plant out in September and October. You can wait a little longer on leafy greens if you want. We will be starting our own organically grown veg starts this month for sale to our customers, too.
Speaking of 2026, I will be putting our plug order in soon for next year’s hanging baskets and the like. Our initial 2026 rose orders have been placed with both Weeks and Star. Bareroot fruit trees are on order, but there have been rumors that supply might be limited. Dave Wilson is in the middle of a serious shakeup. Uncertainty abounds in the business with tariffs and other factors. We are keeping it business as usual. Inventory control sounds good, but I can’t seem to keep myself from buying plants.
The nursery looks great. One of our latest arrivals is bonsai starters. We only get these in every 2-3 years, so if you have a hankering for them, get in soon. Great mid to end of summer color trees and shrubs are Crepe Myrtles. We just received more Dahlias, Echinaceas, and Black-eyed Susans. Our Salvias are starting to bloom again for fall. We should be getting a whole new shipment of Hens and Chicks in a couple of weeks. Look for a few natives like CA. Goldenrod and Pink Malva are new to us on the native table. Ca Fuchsia (not to be confused with shade-loving Fuchsias) is beginning to bloom. Right now, our selection in 4-inch is pink and white, and orange in the one-gallon size. Hummers love these. For your moon garden, we have foliage Helicrysum Silver Stitch, White Sage, Silver Sage, and Artemisia Silver Brocade along with white flowering Angelonia, roses, Rose of Sharon, and oleander.
Bearded Iris bulbs usually come in August, with the remainder of our fall bulb order coming in September. Garlic should ship mid-September with onion sets to follow.
Keep enjoying the fruits of your labor and keep up on your plant feeding for fall flowers and edibles. Don’t forget fall is prime planting time for trees and shrubs in our climate.
August Specials
50% off
Any remaining summer vegetable starts and bulbs
20% off
Tree Roses
All Petunias
Coleus
4-inch Lantana
Grapes
