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Do you have a gardening question? The UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County can help. Our volunteers are part of the University of California’s Cooperative Extension program and we are trained to use research-based information to educate our fellow residents on sustainable gardening and landscaping practices specifically for our area.
Our monthly “Ask a Master Gardener” column will answer your questions and offer tips. Have a question? Email lifestyle@embarcaderopublishing.com or leave a comment at the end of this month’s column.
I don’t have a yard that allows me to grow vegetables or ornamentals. How can I grow in containers?
Container gardening is growing in popularity and for good reason. Almost any plant that can be grown in the ground can be grown in a container, including vegetables, flowers and dwarf varieties of citrus and fruit trees. Succulents, which can create a spectacular display, grow particularly well in pots.
Here’s a good resource for information on container gardening, along with a few tips:
- Choose a good quality potting mix or potting soil. Potting soils are formulated specifically for containers.
- Do not use “planting mix”, “garden soil” or “topsoil” as your primary soil component. These are too heavy or otherwise unsuited as a container medium.
- Some potting soils contain fertilizer pre-mixed into the soil. Be sure to read the label and follow directions.
- All containers should have drainage holes. If a drainage hole is not there, it can usually be added using a household drill. Use a concrete or masonry bit for glazed or unglazed pots.
- Do not put a layer of gravel or other material in the bottom of a pot ‘to improve drainage’. It actually makes drainage worse.
For more information, attend our Container Gardening for All Reasons talk at the Rinconada Library in Palo Alto on May 23.
May Gardening Tips
Thin fruit trees
Fruit trees often set more fruit than they can support, resulting in small fruit and sometimes limb breakage. Peaches, plums, apricots, apples, pears, kiwifruits and persimmons almost always need to be thinned. Thinning too late reduces the chances that remaining fruit will achieve full size.
Remove excess fruit when they are about a half inch to 1 inch in diameter. Apricots and plums should be thinned to 2–4 inches apart; peaches and nectarines to 3–5 inches; for apples and pears, leave one to two fruit per cluster.
Here’s more on thinning young fruit.
Plant tropical plants
If you have your heart set on tropical and subtropical plants like bougainvillea and hibiscus, planting in May will give them time to get established before the cold weather hits in the fall. Planting them in a protected area such as under eaves may keep you from having to cover them on cold nights.
Plant a variety of peppers
As soon as average nighttime temperatures are above 55 degrees, peppers can be added to the garden. Before that time, they can be started indoors. Make peppers more productive by planting different varieties closely together. You will get more peppers per square foot because the plants support each other and provide protection from sunburn. Plus, they look lush and beautiful. Learn more pepper tips by consulting our Growing Great Peppers and Chiles page.
Protect seedlings with floating row cover
Now is the time to plant many summer vegetables and flowers from seed. You can protect your plantings with a floating row cover, a lightweight material that protects seedlings in a variety of ways. Here’s how to use a floating cover:
- Suspend it over newly planted seedlings to shade them from the hot sun.
- Tightly enclose plants to exclude insect pests such as leaf miners or flea beetles.
- Lay over newly planted seeds or seedlings to keep birds from eating the tender sprouts.
- Isolate plants to prevent undesired cross-pollination if needed when saving seeds.
The material is light enough for plants to lift it up as they grow if you leave enough slack. Row cover is available from nurseries or online.
Plant now for fresh-cut flowers from your garden
It’s so satisfying to be able to pick flowers right from your own garden. The Santa Clara County Master Gardeners has a webpage to help you choose and grow beautiful cut flowers for your home or to give away. The Cut Flower Planting Chart lists ornamentals we’ve grown successfully. We selected these for their hardiness, appeal to pollinators and production of good cutting flowers. The chart tells you when to start these flowers from seeds or when to transplant, plus when you can expect to see blossoms.
And here are some tips on planting a cut flower garden.
May gardening events
Check out some of the events the Santa Clara County Master Gardeners are offering in May. Here’s the full events calendar. Here are some selected May talks:
Growing Culinary Herbs, May 11, Cupertino
Managing Pests and Welcoming Beneficial Insects to Your Garden, May 14, Mountain View
Wonderful Pollinators!, May 15, Los Altos
Moles- Voles- and Gophers, May 16, Online
Container Gardening for All Reasons, May 23, Palo Alto
Do you want to ask a UC Master Gardener about a plant problem? Submit questions to our Help Desk online. Find garden events and classes here.
Ask questions or listen in at our monthly Zoom Plant Clinic which is held the second Tuesday of the month from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Dates for 2024 are June 11, July 9, Aug.13, Sept. 10, Oct. 8
You can also subscribe to our monthly Tips and Events newsletter and to our seasonal Thyme to Garden blog. San Mateo residents can also find gardening advice on the UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo and San Francisco website.