Flower Power Garden Hour

Alan Yip, Masters in Horticulture and Biodiversity, joins for Part 2 on a discussion around everything houseplants. Here we focus on tips and tricks about how to optimize your indoor plants. Topics include: Potting soils – how to choose or make your own Make your plants shiny (?) Protecting plants from cats Treat fungal gnats Dispelling common myths Common issues, such as leaf browning To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

Alan Yip, Masters in Horticulture and Biodiversity, joins today for a discussion on houseplants. Alan is an expert on orchids, and we will do an upcoming episode specifically on those. Here we talk about all things houseplants, focusing on ones which are easy to grow, tips for making them thrive, and common problems and solutions. We also dive into which houseplants are the popular ones currently. We’ve gone retro, because 1970’s houseplants are in! Popular plants discussed include Monstera and Ficus lyrata (aka Fiddle Leaf Fig). To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

Delmar Duldulao was the Head Gardener at the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, CA for over 20 years. The Winchester House is an 161 room estate in the heart of Silicon Valley, originally built by Sarah Winchester in the early 1900’s. Originally on 160 acres of fruit orchards, the house still sits on 4.5 acres, with 2 being manicured gardens. The Winchester House is where I had my first job and introduction into gardening, where I worked with Delmar as Assistant Gardener in my late teenage years. Delmar was the perfect teacher – a genius at mixing science & art applied to the incredible variety of plants we worked with. Here we discuss the unique plants, challenges & history of the gardens at the Winchester House. Delmar owns The Garden Samurai, a landscaping companying in Silicon Valley. To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback a

Dr. Richard Karban is a researcher at UC Davis, where he is an expert in the field of plant defenses and plant-insect interactions. His studies with sagebrush and how they “communicate” to decrease herbivore predation has been groundbreaking. Plant communication has been a hotly contested discussion for the better part of a decade. Although the general consensus in the scientific community now is that plant communication DOES occur, the mechanism(s) by which this happens is not well known or agreed upon. Watch Dr Karban’s TED-Ed talk on Plant Communication here Check out Wired Magazine’s article on Dr Karban here Find Dr Karban’s book Plant Sensing and Communication here To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

Brendan Wilce is a UCD graduate with a BA in Environmental Horticulture & Urban Forestry.  He is a nursery industry veteran, currently working at El Dorado Nursery in Shingle Springs, CA.  Brendan is a longtime friend and colleague, and has an amazing collection of succulents (Pachypodium, Stapeliads, Aloes, Agaves, dwarf Cactus), maples, oaks, woodland perennials, & rhododendron species.  He is an amazing resource of knowledge in the above and has a relentless interest in anything rare, unique, or simply odd. Check out his collection & plant photos at theplanimal on Instagram. To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

A listener questions episode this week featuring: Leaf curling on citrus trees Geriatric Christmas Cactus not blooming Difficulty growing Rhododendron in Northern California Mosaic Virus (or some other virus) in vegetables such as zucchini, tomatoes, cucumber Gnats infiltrated hibiscus Stubborn Plumeria not blooming To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

Tony Lord first developed his love of exotic edible plants while working as a social anthropologist in Micronesia. After his retirement as an Anthropology Professor at Long Beach State, he continued this passion in his Sacramento garden. Scouring plant & seed catalogs, Tony is intrigued by any plant that says, “will amaze your neighbors”. He is driven by the challenge of a difficult plant to cultivate. This could be anything from sugar cane to Moringa…. amazing because Tony grows in a Mediterranean zone as opposed tropical, yet he has continued success. We discuss many unusual plants we both have tried & Tony shares his tips & tricks. To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

It’s late August which means…time to start preparing and planting your Fall/Winter vegetable garden NOW!! Marlene discusses: Strategy to plant Winter vegetables when summer garden still going well Direct sow seeds or plant starters (small plants) Types of winter vegetables and containers/locations they can be grown in (Kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, beets, carrots, radishes, onions, potatoes, cabbage, etc) Critical aspects of success, including cover crops for nitrogen fixing (such as fava beans, red clover) Proper soil amendment (compost, potting soil, garden soil) Pests and treatment at different points in Fall/Winter season To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

A listener Q&A episode this week featuring: Seedless green & red grapes producing very small fruit – why and how to fix How to know when a watermelon is ripe and ready to harvest Avocado trees grown indoors – when and how to move outside Edible weeds – example, Purslane Techniques to propagate a Crape Myrtle from a sucker Azalea health Best soil type for raised vegetable beds Yellow spots – causes and how to fix To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

Mutations happen, just ask the X-Men. Zane Moore, a PhD student at UC Davis, wants to know why. More specifically he wants to know what possible long term ramifications can be – an effect known as “mutational meltdown”. Zane’s particular area of study are Albino Redwoods, mutant trees that lack chlorophyll. He has been studying these since he was 16 years old after hearing a radio interview about them. We discuss the possible evolutionary benefits of having no chlorophyll such as acting as a heavy metal sink, clonal populations and associated risk/rewards, how redwoods grow, and the rarity (maybe…) of these trees. Zane Moore – the Professor X of Redwoods. To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

A listener questions episode this week featuring: Hydrangeas not blooming – why?? Fungus on Squash Lemon tree issues – dropping fruit Plumeria not growing after transplant Best indoor plants for low light workspace Best flowers for a cutting garden Apple Cider Vinegar for fertilizer? To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net  

All things Begonia this week. Paul Tsamtsis (lifetime Begonia gardener & expert) & Mike Tentis (lifetime gardener with a more recent Begonia fetish) join Marlene to discuss one of her favorite undervalued flowers - Begonias. Both are active members of the Sacramento Begonia Society, a chapter of the American Begonia Society. The gamete of topics are discussed: Different forms (Rex, tuberous, rhizomatous, cane) Preferred soil types Propagation techniques (leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, “congfetti”, mop head) Light exposure Fertilizer types (Osmocote, bone meal, max sea) Pests/diseases (mealybugs, powdery mildew) To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

Listener questions answered, ranging from protecting vegetable gardens from the summer heat, water strategy with regards to landscaping, causation & prevention of yellowing leaves, protection of plants from birds & insects, and how to best keep fuchsia flowers alive. Fertilizing and organic soil amendment technique and product choice is a common theme. Use these Q&A shows to help build your diagnostic capability to become a master gardener! To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

This episode covers many of the common vegetable garden problems Marlene gets asked about. She covers tomatoes, peppers, squash and more – spanning problems ranging from overwatering, over-fertilization, deficiencies, pollination issues resulting in lack of fruit set. To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net  

Jason Carter is a PhD candidate at UC Davis studying Pine Pitch Canker, which is a fungus responsible for mass death of Monterey Pines in California. As part of this, he is investigating specific fungus ability to tolerate grass defense compounds, and if there is a correlation to the capability this particular fungus has for resisting pine defenses. To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

We all know of common gardening hints and tips. Sometimes these are passed on through family generations, and sometimes they seem to pop up in the social media world. Some are based in solid principles, and some are based in logic that belongs deep in the sewer. This episode covers some of the more popular “garden myths” and whether they have any merit or are the fake news of the horticulture world. Lots of focus on vegetable and fruits. To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

Loads of listener questions this week, with topics ranging from fruit trees, vegetables, soil amendments and prep, to flower and shrub health in harsh summer conditions.   To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram. You can also email Marlene questions, future show topic requests and feedback at msimon@marlenesimon.net

Gloria has been growing the same lineage of peppers since her family brought them over from southern Spain in 1920. Following her grandfather & father, Gloria has kept this strain alive and vibrant. Whereas most Spanish immigrant families stopped growing or lost track of the seed, Gloria has been able to keep the tradition alive. Each year she starts 1,000 of these sweet peppers in her small greenhouse & gives away most. Her list of people who want them grows each year. In her own garden, she plants hundreds of them & selects the perfect ones to dry & harvest the seed from, furnishing the seeds to grow from the following year – sustainable agriculture at its finest. This pepper represents the long history Spanish immigrants have with agriculture in the Winters area and in California Agriculture. To chronicle this history Gloria interviewed hundreds of immigrants & their families complying their unique stories into a book and documentary, An American Paella: Becoming American while Staying

Taylor Lewis, UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery Manager, discusses water-wise, drought tolerant, California native gardening. Removing a lawn can be back-breaking…..Taylor shares his detailed methodology for transforming a lawn into a water-wise garden, with minimal intense physical labor. Taylor’s method makes lawn removal a much less daunting task. Additionally discussed is maintenance of soil after lawn transformation, low water usage irrigation types and technique, and ideal plants & flowers for water-wise gardening. Marlene loves Mediterranean gardening for this purpose. For a comprehensive list of high performing, low water usage plants, check out the UC Davis Arboretum “Arboretum All-Stars” list. They’ve been compiling this list for over a decade. You can reach Taylor at tclewis@ucdavis.edu To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram Check out past all past episodes and contact Marlene at marlenesimon.net 

A round of listener questions fills this week’s episode, with a mixed focus on vegetables, pest control & flowers. Specifically, Marlene answers questions regarding artichokes – how to keep healthy, pest free (or pest “controlled”) & how/when to harvest. On the floral front, Marlene tackles rose & lavender questions around care & specific variety blooming attributes. She dives into the unique Jericho rose – aka the Resurrection plant. Bonus -- hear about The Plant Lady’s unhealthy obsession with the My Favorite Murder podcast. To ask questions for future shows, submit them at Flower Power Garden Hour Facebook page, The Plant Lady Facebook page, or Instagram