Telepeer

How to keep these drought-tolerant flowers fertilized

April 29, 2023

Q. I have yellow Gazanias in my backyard. They are doing well, but I would like to know of the proper fertilization schedule for them. I left them alone for the last three years, then I fertilized them with Miracle Grow in March, they look great — do I repeat that process during the summer or leave them alone? I have been told not to fertilize Lantana very often, but at least the New Gold variety has responded well with fertilizer about every three months. Is that correct or overdoing it?

Gazanias are probably the least demanding flowers for our climate. They tolerate drought and heat (once established), sandy soil, and spread readily. They don’t take cold very well and will turn black if exposed to frost. They flower profusely throughout the summer if exposed to enough sunlight. If you find that they look better after a light application of all-purpose fertilizer, I see no harm. I wouldn’t apply more than once per summer since nitrogen-rich fertilizer encourages leaf growth over flowering.

Lantana, likewise, is drought and heat tolerant and requires little care once established. It rarely needs fertilization – only lots of sun and good drainage.

For any established California-friendly perennials, a yearly application of compost in the spring, infrequent but deep watering, and good drainage are all that’s required. I also recommend organic mulch to protect any surface roots, retain soil moisture, and keep weeds at bay. Occasional pruning may be required to keep the size manageable.

Q. When should I thin the fruit from my peach trees? They just finished flowering.

Soon. Wait until the petals fall and you can easily see the little fruits. Ideally, start thinning when the fruit is about the size of a pea. Remove all doubles first, then leave 6-8 inches between individual fruits. Remove more fruit from the branch ends to reduce stress on the tree structure. Do this in several passes because you will inevitably miss a branch or two.

If you miss the boat and don’t get to this task until the fruits are an inch across (or bigger), it still is beneficial to thin immature fruit. An overloaded tree can break in half, which is a bummer for both you and the tree.

One year, we missed thinning a couple of major branches of one of our peach trees. Once the fruit started sizing up, the whole branch bent down to the ground but didn’t break. We removed about 90% of the fruit and hoped for the best. Even after harvesting the rest of the peaches, that branch stayed bent down to the ground. We didn’t want to remove it, so we looped a bungee cord around the main trunk and the wayward branch. This exerted just enough constant pressure to coax the branch back to an upright position. By the end of summer, it was good as new!

Los Angeles County

[email protected]; 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/

Orange County

[email protected]; 949-809-9760; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/

Riverside County

[email protected]; 951-683-6491 ext. 231; https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/

San Bernardino County

[email protected]; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu

Orange County Register

News Details

How to keep these drought-tolerant flowers fertilized

News

CONTACT INFO

QUICK LINKS

SERVICES

CURRENT NEWS