Executive Care Inc.

By Arthur Navarrette

Welcome to our fall issue. This time of year is one of my favorite times of the year. I love to feel the crispness of fall in the air, and to appreciate the beauty of the changing trees. They undergo amazing changes as they prepare for winter. Outwardly the leaf color changes as inwardly the leaf begins to shut down “production.” Through a complex process called photosynthesis, in which the tree combines water from the roots with sunlight and carbon dioxide from the air, the tree produces food called glucose. As a by-product of this process, the leaf releases oxygen, the ingredient of life. Chlorophyll, which gives leaves their green color, is also an integral part of this process, absorbing the sunlight for the “leaf factory” to do its job.

Interesting enough photosynthesis literally means “putting together with light.” The definition helps us understand how sensitive the tree is to the amount of light available, not only in intensity but in duration as well. So when the days begin to shorten and the nights grow cooler as winter steadily approaches, another process is triggered. That process, called dormancy, is how the tree protects itself against longer periods of darkness and colder winter weather.

Therefore, the fall colors we so enjoy are a result of the tree’s preparation for dormancy. During the growing season, the leaves use special cells called abscission cells that act as tubes between the leaf and the branch. From the branch water passes into the leaf and from the leaf glucose passes into the branch on its way down to the roots and the growth tips of the tree. Specifically, these cells are located at the base of the leaf where it attaches to the branch. As the climatic changes in fall occur, these cells swell and prevent the free exchange of water and glucose between the leaf and tree. With the water progressively being more restricted, the leaf soon uses the existing moisture. Without adequate moisture the chlorophyll is soon depleted, leaving behind high concentrations of glucose, waste products and pigments called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are also found in beets, carrots, apples, and flowers, giving each their distinctive color. It is the concentration of these substances that give us the beautiful fall colors. It is amazing that each species responds to the shorter day and weather changes by turning distinctive and unique colors, like brightly wrapped Christmas gifts. Birch trees turn yellow, pears predominantly turn dark reds and purples, and Red Leaf Maples turn, well, red—but some varieties of maples are so bright that at sunset they look as if they could be on fire. It is beautiful to behold each species, a wonderful creative tapestry, and it’s neat to understand the process and to be able to explain it to our kids.

As we enjoy these changes, life continues. With the holidays approaching we want to fix up our yards, especially if we are going to have the family and friends over for the holidays. During this time I am always asked, “Is it ok to landscape in late fall or winter?” The best way to understand my answer is to become a plant, in your imagination of course. As a plant we are going to live either in the ground or in a plastic can. For simplicity’s sake, we are all in plastic cans in our favorite nursery. As the temperatures drop, the plastic can gives little to no protection from the cold. Therefore, most of the cold is born by us, the plant, in the leaves, branches and most importantly in the roots. Often borderline plants (plants that really do not like our cold winters), such as brunsfelsias, plumbagos, bouganvilleas, or perennials such as daylilies, will lose all their leaves or freeze to the ground, but in the spring we will see new shoots. These shoots are energized by the food source stored in the roots via the photosynthesis process, but if the roots freeze, then there will be no shoots, and no plant. During my years as a grower in the wholesale nursery business, we had a saying, “Grow roots and shoots will follow.” A simple saying, but it works every time. So with that in mind let me ask the question, “Which is a better insulator, the ground or the plastic can?” Hands down, the ground makes a better insulator. Whether it is the cold of winter, or the heat of summer, in the ground is the best place for the plant to be. In addition to this, adding bark at the completion of each job acts as an added “blanket.” As a side note, the roots do continue to grow in the winter though not as rapidly as in the warmer months. So in thinking like a plant, the answer is rather easy—in the ground is better.

I would like to encourage everyone whether you are planning to add a new landscape or re-do an existing one to start as soon as possible. If you wait until spring, it is like going Christmas shopping in December, there is going to be a line. December is when I end up going shopping, and instead of it taking a day (my job is easy, I just buy for my family) it takes me several trips because invariably there are lines. Our business is the same, our “Christmas” starts when the rains end in spring, and continues up to November. Yet, we landscape year-round with less of a wait during the winter and early spring months. We may have to wait a few days after a good rain, but in many cases once the irrigation/drainage is complete we are back the next day. The weather delays caused by working on your landscape project during the winter and early spring will be less than the delays if you wait until “Christmas” to start your project. Until next time, Good Gardening!

Quick note: Gardeners it’s time to plant our cool season crops, such as, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, spinach, cabbage and broccoli (watch out for snails). Timing on fertilization is super important during this season. Unlike synthetic fertilizers that dissolve on the surface and are in a form readily available, organic fertilizers need to be cultivated into the soil, and need more time to break down. The mycorrizhae, beneficial fungi that digest the organics making them available to the plants, work slower in the cooler temps. Also, if there are directions for winter application follow those, if not, do not hesitate to add about 25% more fertilizer. Some good organic fertilizers are Monrovia brands, Dr Earth, and MRoots, but more are available as they are becoming more main stream.

If you are a do-it-yourselfer, please use this article as a guide. If you need help, please do not hesitate to call at (916) 765-9040 or visit our website www.executivecareinc.com. Executive Care Landscape Management, Inc. is a local full service residential and commercial landscape company. We specialize both in commercial (H.O.A.s, etc.) landscape maintenance and residential custom installs and re-dos. If you have missed previous articles, they can all be found on our website under publications. To schedule an at-home consultation click on “contact” then fill out the form. Lastly we appreciate the support of the community, and ask that if we do not return your call in a couple of days, that you would recall. I am not always able to understand the message.

Plant Talk

Welcome to this month’s Plant Talk. I am definitely on my “soap box” when it comes to these topics. As I consider what would benefit you the most at this time of year, what comes to mind is the approaching winter season. I love all the seasons, but unless you prepare for winter, it can be a little drab. Many plants are either deciduous or look as though they are frozen in time during the winter. There are plants that break through the bleakness of winter by giving us color. Ornamentals, such as, Camellia Sasanquas (smaller leaf than the Japonicas) will bloom during the winter.

My favorite one is Yuletide, which has a dark red, very Christmassy bloom. It begins flowering by the end of November and will bloom all the way into the New Year. By then the Japonica Camellias and Daphnes will start blooming. By mid-February the whole “orchestra” comes onto stage, with early Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Loropetalums and flowering trees, such as Tulip Magnolias, Dogwoods, Weeping and upright Cherries and Plums. So we do have flowers to perk us up during the winter months. There are also plants with winter foliage, such as the varieties of Nandinas (heavenly bamboo) with their many shades of red.

Having said this, I can’t think of anything more bright and cheery than a beautiful assortment of winter annuals, such as the multiple faces and colors pansies, snapdragons, primroses, dianthus, paludossums (white daisy) and dusty millers with their gray foliage as accent, for example. I especially enjoy them when they are planted in ceramic pots. Just like a picture frame frames the picture, the ceramic pot “frames” the flowers, accenting them. Some of these annuals struggle with our clay soils, e.g. pansies will get damping off in which the whole plant detaches from the root, but they all benefit from the good drainage in pots. The potting medium should be a mix of 2/3 potting soil to 1/3 topsoil, both can be purchased in bags. One word of caution when using pots, give the plants room to grow, especially the paludossums, they will grow 12″ across so unless you have a large pot, they are better planted in the ground. They should be planted by November 10th so they have time to grow and root out. If they are planted too close to winter’s cold, they do not freeze, but they won’t give you the show they could have. Most of us know that they can be planted directly into the ground; but also planted in pots and placed in key viewing areas, they are a marvelous display of cheerfulness and brightness.

Unfortunately, I only had photos of summer color, and hardy succulents instead of winter flowers. Please use them as examples of the framing concept with pots. Pick the colors and types that attractyou, plant the taller ones in the center, and it will turn out beautifully. You do not need a landscaper telling you how to plant flowers, just enjoy doing it, and then enjoy the beauty of what Creation and you put together.