Mid-Fall Tips and Tasks for the California Native Garden

Nov 9

This California fuchsia (Epilobium canum canum) is still blooming and is coveted by hummingbirds.

There is much to do in the California native garden right now!

Many perennials are coming alive as their growing season begins. Now through the end of November is my favorite time of the year to plant native herbaceous (plants without woody stems) perennials, shrubs, trees and annual wildflowers. Annual wildflowers can also be sown from seed at this time. Currently there is a fantastic array of locally available native plants. It is best to wait until daytime temperatures cool down (50s or 60s is good planting weather) before you undergo any major planting. An inch or two of rain before planting time would be a bonus. But the rainy season is starting late, again.

While you are waiting for the weather to cool off, here are some mid-fall maintenance tasks you can address: Prune or clean up by removing dead growth herbaceous perennials and shrubs that are staring a flush of new growth. Examples include Coyote mint (Monardella), Penstemon, Seaside daisy (Erigeron glaucus), Monkeyflower (Mimulus), sages (Salvias), and California poppy (Eschscholzia californica). You may wish to not prune everything to leave some seed heads for wildlife. There is always a balance to be struck in the fall, between tidying up the garden and leaving vegetation that serves as food and habitat for wildlife. A phased approach incorporating your own observations of how wildlife are using your garden is a good way to proceed.

Prune shrubs without berries to remove spent flowers and dead leaves. Do not prune shrubs or trees with berries or other fruits now, such as Coffeeberry (Rhamnus/Frangula californica), Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) or Currants (Ribes). The berries have great habitat value and provide winter interest in the garden. Birds will continue to eat the berries through winter. There are Cedar Waxwings around right now that love native berries!
Clean up bunchgrasses the have both active green growth and brown dead growth by pulling out the dead parts with your hands. I suggest wearing gloves to protect your hands. Let seed heads remain for now on bunchgrasses to feed the birds and promote self-sowing for a natural look.
Most Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos) have formed their flower buds and will start blooming starting now through late winter, depending on the species. Manzanitas can get quite overgrown in the garden. Crossing and redundant branches, branches that are too low (not an issue for groundcover varieties), and vigorous vertical growth detract from the beauty of the bark and white to pink heart-shaped flowers. If you selectively and thoughtfully prune your Manzanitas now, you will lose some flowers. However, pruning will showcase the remaining flowers as well as the bark.
Our native irises such as Iris douglasiana and Sisyrinchium bellum are waking up. Cut back or gently pull out dead leaves and cut back any green leaves that don’t look completely healthy. Collect and scatter Blue Eyed grass seeds (Sisyrinchium bellum) where you want more. This little iris readily self-sows.
If you haven’t already done this, cut back dead vegetation from summer dormant plants like Delphinium californicum and Giant trillium (Trillium chloropetalum). You may want to mark locations of dormant plants with a stake or label to protect the area.
Water the soil well before pulling weeds. Lightly topdress plants with compost or worm castings and/or apply a couple of inches of mulch such as wood bark. Leave some areas in your garden without mulch to provide habitat for ground nesting native bees.
Continue to enjoy late season bloomers such as California fuchsia (Epilobium). Cut or pinch them back after they finish blooming to keep the plants from getting too leggy.

The “rainy season” in my microclimate typically occurs from about October through April. However, climate change appears to be affecting the normal rainy season. For this area, it means the rainy season starts later, has a shorter duration, and ultimately yields lower than average rainfall amounts. Providing water during the rainy season is crucial for the sustainability of a native garden. Give your native garden water every 1-3 weeks during the rainy season, as needed, if there continues to be a lackluster rainy season. How often you water depends on the age and water needs for the specific plants in your garden. Now is not the time to hold back on water. Your native plants will really appreciate a good soak.

#californianativegarden