The Extension Washoe County Master Gardener Volunteer Educators achieved some amazing things in 2004. They helped many people and made the community we live and play in a better place.  I am so fortunate to be able to spend so much of my time with these people. The year is not over, and all our reporting is not in but we are making strides.

Staying current with horticultural practices and information is crucial to the Master Gardener Volunteer Educator role and our Master Gardeners are putting more effort in this area to ensure we can help our community.  Our volunteers have also continued to increase their impact in our community with more educational and hands-on activities, volunteering over 5,000 hours to Washoe County and its community members.  

• Northern Nevada Veterans Homes
• Master Gardener Teaching and Demonstration Garden at Rancho San Rafael
• Ronald McDonald House
• Spanish Springs Library Talks
• Home Show
• Garden Tour
• Junior Master Gardener Program, South Valleys Library
• Seed Swap
• Third Thursday Talks, Rancho San Rafael Community Garden
• Gardening in Nevada: The Bartley Ranch Series
• Greenhouse, UNR Agricultural Experiment Station
• UNR Native & Pollinator Gardens
• Food Sovereignty Garden
• Help Desk
• Mobile Help Desk
• Historic Huffaker School
• ...And many more

These people and their passion in combination with the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, are an amazing force.

Thank you, Washoe County Master Gardeners, for all that you do!

As we put our gardens to bed for the winter, and cooler weather slowly descends, many of us are already dreaming of gardens for next year. Anyone looking for something a little different might want to consider a moon garden, also called a moonlight garden. The very name elicits thoughts of something dreamy and almost magical. Because a moon garden is limited only by the gardener’s imagination, there is no reason for it to be anything less.

A moon garden is a space specifically planned to be enjoyed at night. As such, there are a few considerations that help to make it a success. One of the goals is to include something pleasing for all the senses. The two primary elements to address are light and color.

Light is essential for a moon garden. Preferably, the garden will be set in an open area, to get as much moonlight as possible. Other light sources can supplement or highlight specific elements, like a special plant or statuary. Consider solar lights, low-voltage lights, or even battery-operated candles in pretty lanterns.

Color is equally important, and light colors show up better at night. Dark colors tend to recede. A moon garden should include plant life with light or silvery leaves and flowers in white or pale shades. Keep color in mind when selecting hardscapes and decor, too. A dark statue will get lost, whereas a light-colored one can be a real showstopper. A pretty bench is a nice addition that can add comfort to the space.

Plants with variegated leaves are welcome in the mix, because their white borders or striations stand out at night. Multicolored caladiums (C. x hortulanum), variegated hostas (Hosta undulata variegata), and variegated pineapple mint (Mentha suaveolens variegata) are all good candidates. 

A bonus for moon gardens is that some flowers are much more fragrant at night to attract pollinators. A few flowering plants to consider are sweet rocket (Hesperis matronalis), lavender (Lavendula angustifolia), zonal geraniums (Pelargonium zonale), sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima), and of course roses (Rosaceae).

Some plants might be included for both texture and scent. Consider plants like sage (Salvia officianalis) with its velvety texture and warming scent, or lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina) with its soft, silvery leaves. Tall grasses that dance in the breeze add another layer to the composition. 

Finally, other elements to think about are sound, fragrance, and touch. The melodic notes of a wind chime, a trickling fountain, the heady scent of honeysuckle, and a comfy chair next to a feathery fern can indeed make a magical and inviting space.

It’s May in Northern Nevada and I’m in PLANT mode. I stop at Costco to purchase our normal supplies, and I see them: four kinds of berry bushes for less than $15. What a deal! They fall into my cart and make their way to my home, where they sit in my kitchen sink for a few weeks as I don’t know where to plant them. Unfortunately, three of the four die. Not such a deal after all.

If this is your experience, I beseech you to STOP! Don’t buy a plant on impulse. Take a picture of it or write down its name, both common and scientific. 

You’ll need to consider a few things before purchasing a plant for your garden. 

• Does the plant fit into your garden plan?
• What are the plant’s needs?
• Does your yard meet the plant’s needs?

Your Plan

First, you’ll need to consider whether the plant fits into your garden plan. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a plan. I had garden inspiration. The idea of creating a formal plan seemed insurmountable. I had a hazy thought of a vegetable garden in the backyard and a flower garden in the front yard. My newly purchased blueberry and elderberry bushes presented me with a dilemma: I could envision them planted in my backyard as well as my front yard. So, even though they didn’t fit my “plan,” I bought them anyway.

At that time, I didn’t know a lot about what my backyard and front yard could grow. The basic things I needed to consider were the hardiness zone, how much sunlight it got, the kind of soil my garden had, and any regional problems such as the high winds in Northern Nevada.

Figure 1: Basic Plant Purchase Check List

Hardiness Zone 

The first step in clarifying your gardening plan is knowing which Hardiness/Heat zone you live in. The USDA has an online chart of the United States categorized into 13 temperature zones at https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/ .  

Note: The zone chart has a 10-degree Fahrenheit difference between the zones. Each zone is then further subdivided into 5-degree differences, 7a and 7b for example. The “b” zone is slightly warmer than the “a” zone.

My Northern Nevada hardiness zone is 7a. 

While most nursery or big-box store plants will be labeled with basic plant information, requirements can also be found online. According to their packaging, the blueberry could thrive in zones 4-8, and elderberry bushes could thrive in zones 3-9. 

Sun: Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade

Because all plants need some amount of sun to grow, the next thing I needed to know was what kind of sunlight my yard gets: full or partial sun, shade, or partial shade.  

Figure 2: Sunlight and Shade Definitions

My southeast-facing front yard gets more sunlight than my northeast-facing backyard, especially in the summer. My backyard faces northeast and receives more sun in the summer. However, my front yard is home to a large ornamental pear tree that provides a lot of shade in the summer. In front of the pear tree next to the sidewalk is a small area that receives full sun. But I had envisioned planting both berry bushes on the side of my front yard as a hedge between my neighbor’s yard and mine, not as a hedge between my house and the sidewalk. In addition, my neighbor also has a large pear tree which also provides both our yards with a lot of shade in the spring, summer, and fall.  

While the elderberry might have thrived, the blueberries probably would not. Thus, the berry bushes were not a good match for my front or backyard due to the limited amount of area that received full sunlight. 

Soil

Another basic factor I needed to know was whether the soil in my yards drained well or not. The blueberry bushes require well-drained soil. 

The best practice is to have the soil(s) in your yards tested by a soils lab. The test results would reveal not just the type of soil (sand, clay, loam), but also the pH and macro and micronutrient mineral composition. 

Figure 3: DIY Soil Test

I performed the DIY drainage test on my backyard soil. After an hour, the water level in the six-inch hole had not diminished much. Thus, my backyard was mostly clay and not well drained. 

Yet another reason why I should not have purchased the berry bushes.

Of course, you can amend the soil in your yard by purchasing the kind of soil the plant requires, digging an appropriately sized hole, and mixing the soil in. Many plants also do well in containers filled with the required kind of soil.

Figure 4: Soil Drainage & Nutrients

Figure 5: pH
Soil pH measures how alkaline or acidic the soil is, ranging from 0 to 14.

Note: Blueberry bushes require acidic soil, which is not typical in Northern Nevada. 

Figure 6: Chemicals Plants Need to Grow

Regional Issues:

Northern Nevada experiences high winds, especially where I live.  Wind direction and velocity forecasts for your area can be found online.[4]  For example, as of the writing of this article, northern winds were 1 – 10 mph. 

Wind direction and velocity would affect what I plant in my backyard more because my house provides some shielding from winds in my front yard. While my backyard has a cement fence, I could improve the wind barrier by including trees and shrubs in my backyard garden plan, though it would take a few years of growth for the plants to become sufficient wind barriers. 

Figure 7: Completed Basic Plant Purchase Check List

Other Factors

While the guidelines above will start you on your way toward successful plant selection and planting, there are many other considerations when planning your garden and purchasing the right plant for the best location in it. Some factors to consider are the amount of space the plant will need when fully grown; the best time to put the plant in the ground; the best planting practices; how much water the plant requires; how you will provide that water; when the plant blooms; and what other companion plants can grow well with it.

Takeaway

Having a garden plan and knowing the basics of your hardiness zone, the amount of sunlight and type of soil required, plus any regional issues such as high winds will prevent you from the spontaneous purchase of a plant that may never have a place in your garden. 

Resources

• Banks, Shawn; and Bradley, Lucy; “Vegetable Gardening: A Beginner’s Guide,” North Carolina State Extension Publication, Oct. 6, 2023, https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/home-vegetable-gardening-a-quick-reference-guide
• “Choosing the Right Location for Your Vegetable Garden,” Office of the Public Outreach and Communication, Rutgers University, April 7, 2020, https://sebsnjaesnews.rutgers.edu/2020/04/choosing-the-right-location-for-your-vegetable-garden/ 
• Hillock, David, “Healthy Garden Soils,” Oklahoma State University Extension, ID: HLA-6436, February 2014. https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/healthy-garden-soils.html 
• Hillock, David; Mitchell, Shelley; Quetone Moss, Justin; Lockhard, Bailey; and Sharp, Pamela. “Basic Plant Care: Understanding Your Plant’s Needs,” Oklahoma State Extension, November 2020. https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/basic-plant-care-understanding-your-plants-needs.html
• Hoidal, Natalie. “Companion Planting in Home Gardens,” University of Minnesota Extension, Reviewed in 2021, https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/companion-planting-home-gardens 
• Hubbard, Pamela T.  “Planting in Sun or Shade,” Penn State University Extension, July 5, 2023. https://extension.psu.edu/planting-in-sun-or-shade 
• Wyatt, Gary. “Selecting Trees and Shrubs for Windbreaks,” University of Minnesota Extension, Reviewed in 2020, https://extension.umn.edu/agroforestry/trees-shrubs-windbreaks 

The tomato-growing showdown has come to an end, and what a fruitful competition it was! Our Master Gardeners pulled out all the stops to cultivate the best tomatoes in town, and the results are nothing short of incredible. After careful weighing, tasting, and admiring, we are excited to announce the winners of this year's contest. 

And the Winners Are...

Biggest Bonanza: Melody Hefner with a massive 1 lb., 7 oz. ‘Big Rainbow’ tomato that could feed a small family! The judges noted “Beautiful color, uniform for an heirloom” and more importantly, “How did the branch hold this?!”

Most Unusual: Liz Morrow with good things come in small packages, ‘Aunt Molly’s Ground Cherry’.  Judges proclaimed, “Never seen one like this, interesting packaging.” They also noted its sweet flavor. 

There was stiff competition in this category, with a tie for second place. 

Second-place winners: Melinda Gustin with ‘Red Zebra,’ noted for beautiful marbling, incredibly uniform, and delicious. It tied for second with Doreen Spires’s ‘Wild Boar Atomic Grape,’ praised for visual appeal and delicious fruit flavor. 

Best Tasting: Doreen Spires with ‘Wild Boar Atomic Grape’ impressed the judges with its “Deliciously sweet flavor with perfect texture.”

Doreen Spires’s ‘Wild Boar Atomic Grape’ tied for second in the
most unusual category and won the best-tasting category.

Second place:

Linda Fulton’s ‘Cherokee Purple,’ which was  noted for its “Beautiful, rich deep flavor.”

Linda Fulton’s ‘Cherokee Purple’ took second place in the best-tasting category.

Third place: Melinda Guston’s ‘Red Beefsteak Heirloom.’

Melinda Guston’s ‘Red Beefsteak Heirloom’ took third in best-tasting.

Congratulations to All Participants!

The winners from the left: 
Melody Hefner, Linda Fulton, Doreen Spires, and Melinda Guston.

Let’s give these champions a round of applause, or as we call it — tomato sauce! From big to small, every tomato was grown with care, and we couldn't be prouder of our Master Gardeners.

A big “Thank You!” to our esteemed judges: Megan Andrews, commercial horticulture program coordinator;  Angeline Jeyakumar, associate professor and nutrition specialist; and Amber Yoder, budget analyst.

The judges from left: Amber Yoder, Professor Jeyakumar and Megan Andrews.

So you have this packet of seeds, and you want to plant them for future flowers. There are some steps you have to take, but for many of you it’s well worth it. This article is necessarily short, but there are plenty of details covered by online articles and videos. 

Your objective is to mimic nature’s way (to the extent you can). When a seed is planted in the fall outdoors, it doesn’t immediately germinate. The seed has an impermeable hard coat, which is weakened during our Northern Nevada winter by cold soil and moisture. This wets the waiting plant, which starts growing a root. When the soil temperature reaches the point where the plant can grow above ground without damage from the cold, the plant puts up leaves.   

A seed planted indoors with temperatures from the 50s to the 70s, and kept moist, grows more robustly than one planted outdoors. This, in effect, is the same as planting the seed outdoors in spring when temperatures are warmer and irrigation is maintaining moisture.

The seeds of many plants can be planted directly from the seed packet into the planting medium. But some seeds require both cold and moisture for germination, even if the intent is to start them indoors. For this, gardeners use a method called “cold stratification.” 

In cold stratification, seeds are moistened and placed in the refrigerator for about 30 days. Small seeds can be sprinkled on damp paper towels, which are then rolled up and kept in plastic bags; larger seeds can be sown in a moistened inorganic medium like vermiculite and covered loosely with plastic. When the seeds sprout roots, move them immediately to containers filled with vermiculite or perlite and cover them with a thin layer of potting mix that has been moistened but not drenched.                           

There is a great variation in planting containers:

The one in the far right is the one I prefer for those seeds less than 2mm in size, which I find hard to plant individually. Since I plant several different kinds of seeds, I spread each over a different part of the tray. If you are planting only one kind of seed, you may wish to use a smaller container such as one of the three in the middle of the picture. 

The tray in the middle is called plug tray; the one in the picture can accommodate 84 plugs. You can also use a container with multiple cells, as shown by the two in front left. 

The planted container needs four things: 

1. An identifying label. I use a fine-tipped permanent marker and a small plastic stake.  
2. A light source. A south-facing window may provide enough light for leaf formation and seedling growth; otherwise, you will need artificial lighting. You can use incandescent, LED, fluorescent, or so-called “grow light” bulbs.
3. Moisture. The containers need to be kept moist but not wet during this whole process. One method is to squirt the container with a spray bottle daily. Or you can use a “humidity dome” like the translucent one in the back left of the picture (this minimizes evaporation).
4. Fertilizer. That little seed has enough stored energy to get started, but at some point you will have to add some type of fertilizer. One option is to use a diluted fertilizer solution in a spray bottle once or twice a week while the seedling is in the container.

Some people also use “heat mats,” which provide bottom heat to the container, until the seedling gets its first true leaves. Kept on a heat mat for too long, however, the seedlings may stretch and get spindly.

A diagram found at k8schoollessons.com/germination/ illustrates the germination and early growth process.  (How many of us have seen the demonstration in school where a bean seed germinates?)

The seed first sprouts a root, which pulls moisture from the planting medium to provide water for growth. As time goes on, the seed unfurls a stem above ground and leaves form.

Seedlings vary a lot in form. Since I plant dozens of kinds each year, I compare the seedling with online pictures to make sure I have properly identified the plant.

Depending on how rapidly the plant grows and how large the original container is, the seedling will eventually have to be moved into a larger container, with regular potting soil, or to the landscape. This will be covered in the March newsletter.

Mark Humphreys and I will be giving a much more in-depth presentation on this on Feb. 11 as part of the Bartley Ranch Master Gardener Series. 

Have you ever wandered through the Reno Municipal Rose Garden? It is located in Idlewild Park between the police memorial and the California building. The city website says the one-acre garden has over 200 varieties and over 1,750 individual rose bushes. Inside the fenced garden are 114 beds. In addition to the beds, climbing roses line the fence line, and additional bushes front the fence. 

The rose garden is dedicated to Fred Gallaway, who was the city horticulturist for over 25 years. He established the garden in the 1950s at the spot of what was once a small zoo in the park. At the north entrance of the garden is a mosaic created by Eileen Gay. This beautiful piece of artwork will welcome you. 

The main entrance is a lovely place to start, where stairs lined with rose bushes lead up to the garden. If you are unable to navigate the stairs, park in the police memorial parking lot. Walk just past the memorial to the gate that leads to the two sidewalks that go through the garden. 

Rosa ‘Gypsy Dancer’ is a hybrid shrub rose that grows up to four feet tall and spreads up to three feet.

What is amazing is the diversity of the roses. There are prolific budding bushes and modern hybrid tea roses with the showy buds we are used to seeing in floral bouquets. There are old garden roses which bloom only once a season. There are ground cover roses and a few miniatures. Many are polyanthas, which is a modern type of rose cultivated to produce multiple attractive blooms all season. On the east side of the garden, you can see some varieties you don’t usually think of as garden specimens, such as the rugged rugosa roses that often form thickets in some parts of the world. Some in this area have an interesting history, such as the Damask rose whose origin is thought to go back to the 1500s around Iran where it was propagated for its perfume qualities. 

Rosa ‘Brigadoon’ is a hybrid tea with showy pink and white, fragrant flowers.

The garden work year begins in late March. The Reno Rose Society has traditionally held pruning demonstrations open to the public on the last Saturday of March. Unlike in milder climates, pruning does not begin any earlier as pruning stimulates growth which can be harmed by our late frosts. Most of the roses bloom on new growth and benefit from being pruned before the first bloom. A few varieties, like old garden roses, will be pruned after the first bloom. 

By mid-September, even though many varieties are still blooming, dead-heading is stopped to allow the bushes to form rose hips and strengthen their roots for the winter. Fall maintenance and weeding continue until after the hard frost. Although maintenance of the garden is done by the city of Reno, much of the pruning and dead-heading is done by a few City of Reno volunteers with direction from the city horticulturist and a member of the rose society. The city is usually looking for volunteers as posted in the north gazebo and their website. The number to call is (775) 334-2270.

Many of the beds are marked with memorials to loved ones. Before you leave the garden, spend a few minutes at the fountain dedicated to the former Reno horticulturist Pamela Bedard. Enjoy the peaceful beauty of the garden and come again.

References:

• Fisher, J. 2018 “Different rose varieties need different pruning,” https//extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?pubtitle=2131.
• renorosesociety.org 
• https://www.reno.gov/government/departments/parks-recreation-community-services/parks-trails/rose-garden.