Garden spiders are beneficial insects that feed on common garden pests like aphids and mosquitoes. Photo courtesy Getty Images.
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 home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices specific to our area.
Our monthly “Ask a Master Gardener” column will answer your questions and offer tips. Have a question? Email lifestyle@embarcaderopublishing.com.
Is it good to have spiders in your garden?
Answer: While we use spiders as spooky Halloween décor, common garden spiders are beneficial insects and only spooky to the insects and other pests that they prey on. Spiders such as orb weavers catch our attention with their large, dramatic webs, while dwarf spiders are so small, we may not even notice them. Others, such as jumping spiders and flower spiders, hunt their prey without spinning webs. Widow spiders are indeed venomous, but they are also very shy and hide in dark places. So even though they are common, bites from them are rare. Here’s a link for a video about spiders and the myths surrounding them.
Pruning by shovel
Sometimes a plant just isn’t working out in your garden and it comes time to part ways.
Spring and fall are good times for new plantings, so it is also a good time to reassess the appropriateness of what’s in your yard.
The most drastic form of pruning is “shovel pruning,” where you just dig the plant out. Another term for this technique is “editing the garden.”
Perhaps you saw a plant you liked in another part of the country or world and tried growing it in your yard, but it isn’t doing well in our dry climate and clay soil. Perhaps you wanted to garden organically, but the plant has too many pests or diseases and you are having trouble controlling them with organic methods. Or maybe a plant simply doesn’t resemble what the tag promised. It’s okay to let go.
Overwintering habitat for beneficial insects
Want to do your part to help pollinators and beneficial insects such as bees, moths, and ground beetles? Keep some fallen leaves in your landscape this year. They provide valuable shelter for pollinators to help with nesting and overwintering.
If it’s too messy to keep all the leaves that drop, consider keeping at least some of them. You can rake them around vegetable and flower beds or pile them around trees and shrubs as mulch. If you want to provide even more habitat, leave dead flower stalks through the winter or find a spot to build a brush pile. Here’s more information on how to provide a habitat for beneficial insects this winter.
Planting shrubs
Fall is a great time to add shrubs to your yard. They are perennial and most require little maintenance. California natives are particularly low-maintenance plants. If they go in the ground now, the new plants will have time to establish strong root systems and soak up the winter rains before being stressed with the strong summer sun.
All plants need special care until they are well established. After a year or two, they can better handle the dry heat and probably need less regular water.
When choosing a plant, the most important considerations are the conditions of the site (soil, sun, wind, moisture) and the purpose of the plant (beauty, shade, privacy, food). Then make sure you know the eventual size of the plant (width first, then height) to make sure there is adequate space for it. That helps narrow down your selection, and then you can choose whatever looks or smells pretty to you or to whatever you might be trying to attract to your garden. You can get shrub ideas at the UC Davis Arboretum All-Star Plant Database. You can also search for other plant types on that database as well by changing the search parameters.
Upcoming Gardening Events
UC Master Gardener gardening events are taking place throughout the county this month. Here are some of them, with more listed on our events page.
Martial Cottle Park Fall Garden Fair, Saturday, Oct. 11, 9 a.m.–2 pm, Martial Cottle Park, 5283 Snell Ave., San Jose
Palo Alto Demonstration Garden “Open Garden Saturdays,” Saturday, Oct. 11, 10,18 a.m.–noon, Palo Alto Demonstration Garden, 851 Center Drive, Palo Alto
Worms! The Fun Way to Compost, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 6:30–7:30 pm, Mountain View Public Library, 585 Franklin St., Mountain View
Growing Culinary Herbs in Santa Clara County, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 7–8:30 pm, Saratoga Library, 13650 Saratoga Ave., Saratoga
Plant clinic online, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 7–8:30 pm, online
Tree and shrub pests, Thursday, Oct. 16, noon–1 p.m., online
Bringing nature into your home with houseplants, Saturday, Oct. 18, 10 a.m.–noon, McClellan Ranch Demo Garden, 22221 McClellan Road, Cupertino
PADG Open Garden Saturdays, Saturday, October 18, 10:00 am–noon, Palo Alto Demonstration Garden, 851 Center Drive, Palo Alto
A World of Plants Without Soil, Saturday, October 18, 10:30 am–11:45 am, Willow Glen Branch Library, 1157 Minnesota Avenue, San Jose
Growing Culinary Herbs in Santa Clara County, Saturday, Oct. 25, 10:30 a.m.–noon, Rose Garden Branch Library, 1580 Naglee Ave., San José
Cover your assets: Investing in healthy soil, Saturday, Oct. 25, 1–2:30 pm, Sunnyvale Public Library, 665 W Olive Ave., Sunnyvale
Fruit Tree Basics: Three Week Course, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 6:30–8:30 pm, Fremont Unified High School District Adult Education, 587 W. Fremont Ave., Sunnyvale
The Power of Compost, Saturday, Nov. 1, 10–11:15 am, Palo Alto Demonstration Garden, 851 Center Drive (Intersection of Center Drive and Martin Street), Palo Alto
Roses: Fall and winter care and pruning, Saturday, Nov. 1, 10:30 a.m.–noon, Rose Garden Branch Library, 1580 Naglee Avenue, San José
Fall soil management: compost vs mulch
Many home gardeners are confused about the terms “compost” and “mulch.” These terms are frequently used interchangeably, but they are not really the same thing. Before you prep your yard this season, know the difference between the two.
Here is a comparison of soil and mulch:
Compost
Amend soil with compost to create soil that will retain water but still drain well enough for roots to have the air and water they need.
Compost forms aggregate particles with clay, creates larger pore spaces for water and air, helps release nutrients from clay so that plant roots can absorb them, supports the soil foodweb by providing nutrients for the organisms, and lowers pH somewhat
Mulch
Mulch does not get worked into the soil. It sits on top of your irrigation system and helps control weeds, prevent erosion, preserve soil moisture, and keeps roots cool and moist.
How to start a major landscaping project
Sometimes it’s hard to start a major landscaping or gardening project because you don’t know where to begin. How do you find qualified experts to help? What qualifications should you be looking for? The UC Master Gardeners are here to help, offering a variety of lists of qualified landscape designers, contractors, maintenance services and arborists. You can also find guidelines on how to select a landscape contractor. We have a number of tips on lawns, including turf selection, renovations and even help with replacing your lawn. Check out our other sections, including selecting and caring for trees and shrubs, landscape pest management and more. Fall is the ideal time to refresh your landscaping, and we hope our resources can help.
Would you like to ask a UC Master Gardener about a plant problem? Submit questions to our Help Desk online. You can also attend our Zoom Plant Clinic Online on Tuesday, October 14 at 7:00 pm.
You can also subscribe to our monthly Tips and Events newsletter. San Mateo residents can also find gardening advice on the UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo and San Francisco website.Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
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