Gardening: Building a compost pile, planting roses and fertilizing ferns

• May 31, 2024

Five things to do in the garden this week:

1. Build a compost pile as you would craft a lasagna. Construct the pile by alternating 2-inch layers of brown (dead leaves, wood chips, straw) and green (leafy trimmings, grass clippings, fruit and vegetable peels) material, moistening each layer before adding the next. When the pile is 3 feet tall, cover it with a thin layer of soil. Soil contains the aerobic bacteria that will accelerate the decomposition process. Soil will also help the pile hold moisture, keep down odors and slow decomposition of the vegetation, making the pile easier to manage. Keep the pile moist and turned over every now and then to supply the water and oxygen for the proliferation of the aerobic bacteria that transform the pile into that soft, crumbly, sweet-smelling substance known as compost. Before starting, loosen the earth where the pile will stand to a 1-foot depth. The base of the pile should be a square 3-5 feet per side. 

2. Cut a sweet potato in half and place the two pieces in a pot of moist soil, cut side down, leaving the pointed ends uncovered. Keep soil moist and you will soon see slips (shoots) reach six inches in length, a good size for planting. When detached from the tuber, some slips may have roots and some not. Those with roots attached may be planted in the garden while those without roots can be rooted in a glass with two inches of water at the bottom prior to planting. Plant slips 12-18 inches apart in full sun and you will have large tubers in the ground sometime in the fall. There are two types of sweet potatoes: firm when cooked (white to yellow flesh) and soft when cooked (orange flesh), the latter often mistakenly referred to as yams. You may want to purchase organic sweet potatoes for this process since others may be sprayed with a chemical that inhibits sprouting.

3. If you are thinking about planting roses, consider two cultivars hybridized by the late Jack Christensen, who authored the 5 things to do in the garden this week feature for 25 years. Among the more than 80 hybrids to his credit is ‘Voodoo,’ whose six-inch blooms sport 35 petals. Flowers emerge orange and pink, transitioning to scarlet and foliage is a rich, glossy green. Voodoo has an outstanding fragrance, is disease-resistant, and is long-lasting in vase arrangements. ‘Gold Medal,’ a grandiflora rose of Christensen’s creation, has golden yellow petals with tawny edges. As if their color wasn’t enough, flower are notably fragrant, too. Find nurseries in your area that stock these roses at starrosesandplants.com. When you get there, click “Where to Buy” at the top of the home page.

4. You can ensure a robust yield of blooms on your azaleas and camellias next year by cutting branches back now. This will ensure more side branches and a greater abundance of flower buds next winter and spring . Also make sure to remove all withered flowers, whether they are still on the plant or have fallen to the ground, as these can harbor fungus diseases. As for fertilization, camellias should receive their first dose now, another dose in six weeks, and another dose six weeks after that for maximum bloom next year. Azaleas should be fertilized now and in later September. Any fertilizer recommended for acid-loving plants will do. Never cultivate around camellias or azaleas due to their shallow roots. Instead, keep a layer of mulch around them at all times.

5. Fertilize ferns once a month with mild products such as fish emulsion or cottonseed meal. You can also use a more concentrated liquid fertilizer as long as the percentages of available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are equal. Make sure the soil is well soaked before fertilizer application since ferns are more susceptible to fertilizer burn than most plants and a wet soil weakens the strength of the applied minerals.

Your questions, comments, gardening problems and tips are always welcome. Email [email protected]. 

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​ Orange County Register 

Douglas Schoen: Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on these key races

• May 31, 2024

While much of our news and attention is focused on November’s presidential election matchup between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the fight to control the United States Senate is just as important, and figures to be just as close.

Today, the race to control the Senate is virtually tied between Democrats and Republicans, 45% to 45%, according to Real Clear Politics’ polling average. However, Republicans hold what I believe to be a substantial electoral advantage. 

Given the fact that the Democrats are defending 10 seats and Republicans are defending just three, the Democratic party is – and will be – forced to allocate money to many more races than Republicans. As of April, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the main fundraising entity for Senate Republicans, had raised over $102 million, surpassing the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s $94 million.

Put another way, all Republicans have to do is flip one of the Democrat’s 10 seats in order to take control of Congress’ upper chamber. And with fundraising advantages and wealthier GOP candidates financing their own campaigns, Democrats are at a distinct disadvantage.

To be sure, Republicans still must defend the three seats in which they have an incumbent running for reelection — Texas, Florida, and Missouri — but as it currently stands, Republicans lead Democrats by an average of 11 points across those three races. In other words, these seats are pretty safe barring any major changes to the race.

Indeed, given the American electorate’s growing partisan divide and due to the Senate’s unique election process, control of the upper chamber is likely to come down to just a handful of races in a few key states.

As it currently stands, the six most competitive races exist in Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. At present, each of these races are considered tied or within single digits according to their RCP averages.

One factor that has contributed to Democratic success in recent cycles (2020 and 2022) is anti-Trump sentiment among the electorate. However, this seems to be dissipating as voters rank Trump as a stronger leader than Biden (58% to 36%) according to the latest Economist/YouGov poll. This is likely due to Biden’s historically weak candidacy, plagued by the high cost of living, persistent inflation, a disastrous foreign policy, and the influx of migrants at the Southern border. 

To be clear, any one of these issues has the power to — and likely will — remove Democrats from power in 2024. And unfortunately, Democrats up and down the ballot lack a coherent message on how they will solve these problems.

However, there is one caveat. Put simply, Republicans have a candidate problem, especially in the Senate. Since 2016, the GOP continues to nominate far-right, MAGA-extremists. Time and again, Republicans fail to choose moderate, center-right candidates who, hypothetically, have the best chance of winning voters in toss-up states. 

In Arizona, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, Trump-backed candidates for Senate continue to underperform against vulnerable Democrats. 

In Ohio specifically, Democrats are taking advantage of these Republican candidates’ shortcomings by advertising for their most preferred opponent, Bernie Moreno. In a brilliant move of political persuasion, the Democrat Sherrod Brown and his allies helped shape their general election matchup by spending $2.7 million on ads for Moreno in the Republican primary, framing him as “exactly the type of MAGA-fighter we need in the United States Senate.”

And thus far, Senator Brown leads Trump-endorsed businessman Bernie Moreno by 5 points, 42% to 37%, according to RCP. Ohio is considered to be one of the most competitive and expensive races of 2024.

The story is the same for Republicans in Arizona and Pennsylvania, where MAGA-aligned candidates like Kari Lake (-7 points) and Dave McCormick (-4 points) trail their opponents, per their RCP polling averages, despite Trump leading Biden in these states by 4-points and 2-points, respectively.

If anything, the fact that these MAGA-aligned candidates are hanging around, at least in the polls, highlights the messaging and enthusiasm gap that has plagued Democrats for years now. If these gaps persist, 2024 could turnout to be an inflection point for Senate Democrats for years to come.

Looking at other competitive races, Maryland is where Democrats appear to be most vulnerable in my opinion. Given Biden’s 21-point lead against Trump in the statewide polls, it’s jarring to see Republican candidate and former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan leading the Democrat Angela Alsobrooks by 7 points, 47% to 40%.

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Alsobrooks’ odds are sure to improve once the Democratic field consolidates. After a divisive primary contest concluded earlier this month, Alsobrooks is still working to win over supporters of her primary opponent, David Trone. The distinct partisan advantage Maryland Democrats enjoy on the presidential level will likely play out in similar fashion in the general election for Senate. 

To be sure, each of these races will remain competitive, and likely get even closer as we approach November. However, Democrats are almost certain to lose their majority in the Senate when West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin — a long-time moderate and Democratic holdout in recent years — steps aside for current Republican Governor Jim Justice to take his seat.

While Senate races are unique to each state, the top of the ticket races are often a strong barometer for how voters will cast the rest of their ballot, especially in a presidential election year. And, given Biden’s dismal approval rating, struggling poll numbers in swing states, and lack of a coherent campaign message, Democrats are at considerable risk of losing the Senate.

Douglas Schoen is a longtime Democratic political consultant.

​ Orange County Register 

La Mirada baseball buried early, but rallies to stun Huntington Beach in Division I regional semifinals

• May 31, 2024

HUNTINGTON BEACH — The Huntington Beach baseball team took a big early lead in its CIF Southern California Division I Regional semifinal against La Mirada on Thursday at Huntington Beach High School.

But La Mirada’s relief pitchers came in to keep the Oilers in check from the second inning on and the Matadores’ power-hitting lineup, led by Kevin Jeon’s two home runs and five RBIs, led the way to a stunning 10-8 come-from-behind victory,

The Matadores (25-7), who are the No. 7 seed in the bracket, will take on No. 1 seed Orange Lutheran in the regional final Saturday at 4 p.m. at Hart Park in Orange.

The Lancers defeated Santa Margarita 3-0 in the other regional semifinal Thursday.

“We took advantage (of the opportunity),” La Mirada coach Jimmy Zurn said. “I feel like we can beat any team in the Southern Section or in California on any given day and we showed that today.”

The No.3 Oilers (24-10) strung together five consecutive singles to start off the first inning and eight hits overall to take a 6-1 lead.

Trent Grindlinger, Jayton Greer, John Petrie and Ethan Porter singled in runs for the Oilers in the first inning.

Relief pitcher Jason Rodriguez entered the game in the bottom of the first and kept the Oilers off the board through the fifth inning.

La Mirada got two runs back in the third to make the score 6-3.

Then in the fourth, Jeon’s grand slam gave the Matadores a 7-6 lead.

“We made mistakes on the mound and we left the ball over the plate and they made us pay for it,” Huntington Beach coach Benji Medure said. “And that’s what a good hitting team will do to you. Sometimes you make mistakes and people pop up. A good hitting team doesn’t miss. And they didn’t miss. So, credit to them.”

Travis Curry’s solo home run in the bottom of the fifth tied the score and swung the momentum back to the Oilers.

But the Matadores took the momentum right back in the sixth with back-to-back home runs, a two-run shot from leadoff hitter Maverek Russell followed by Jeon’s second homer, giving La Mirada a10-7 lead.

Grindlinger, who went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run scored, singled home the Oilers’ eighth run.

Luke Armijo pitched the final two innings for the Matadores.

The Oilers were held to three hits after their first-inning barrage.

“I thought that the key to our game was what Jason Rodriguez did coming in and giving us four innings in the middle and let us chip away and get back into it,” Zurn said. “That is a special program in the other dugout.”

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Bullpen meltdown allows game to get away in Angels’ loss to Yankees

• May 31, 2024

ANAHEIM — Just when Patrick Sandoval gave the Angels hope that they might be able to pull off a series victory against the New York Yankees, his teammates came up short.

The Angels managed just one hit while Sandoval was in the game and reliever Adam Cimber gave up five runs in the seventh, sending the Angels to an 8-3 loss to the Yankees in the rubber game of the series on Thursday night.

It was a 2-1 game after Sandoval threw his final pitch in the sixth inning, ending one of his best outings in a disappointing season.

Cimber then entered in the seventh. He has been a reliable reliever all season, with the notable exception of three blowup outings.

This time he walked four of the six batters he faced, including two with the bases loaded. He left with the bases loaded. Lefty Jose Suarez allowed Juan Soto to unload them on his first pitch, when Soto pulled a bouncer down the right field line for a three-run triple.

At that point, the Angels were down 7-1, and the only hit they had managed was a Logan O’Hoppe homer.

Although they strung together a rally to score two runs in the seventh, it was too late to make a difference. The relatively paltry offensive performance against left-hander Carlos Rodon was disappointing because the Angels came into the game with the fourth-best OPS in the majors against lefties.

The late arriving offense and Cimber’s loss of control cost Sandoval, who continued the Angels’ recent stretch of solid starting pitching. Angels starters gave up six runs in 16 innings in three games against the Yankees.

The only blemish in Sandoval’s performance was a two-run homer from Aaron Judge, who tied for the major league lead with his 18th.

Sandoval has struggled for much of the season, but he’s now allowed three runs or fewer in five of his last six starts.

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One of the changes he’s tried lately is adding a sweeper to his repertoire. He threw it only 15 times in his first 10 starts, but he threw 12 of them last week against the Cleveland Guardians and 21 against the Yankees.

Sandoval got Judge looking at a sweeper for strike three in the first inning. Judge looked at another one for the first strike of his at-bat in the fourth inning.

Apparently, Sandoval tried the pitch one too many times to Judge, though. He threw it again on a 2-and-1 count in the fourth, and this one hung right at Judge’s thighs, on its way over the fence.

Sandoval bounced back to get nine more outs without another run scoring. He left the mound with an emphatic scream after the third out of the sixth inning.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register 

Gary Morse, Derek Curiel lead Orange Lutheran baseball to win over Santa Margarita in CIF regional semifinals

• May 31, 2024

ORANGE — Gary Morse’s pitching and Derek Curiel’s speed added up to a win for Orange Lutheran’s baseball team Thursday.

Morse pitched a one-hit shutout and Curiel scored twice in the Lancers’ 3-0 win over Santa Margarita in a CIF Southern California Regional Division I semifinal playoff game at Hart Park.

Orange Lutheran (27-7) will play La Mirada (25-7) in the Division I championship game Saturday at Hart Park. The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. but could be moved to a night game if La Mirada agrees to the change and the change is approved by the CIF State office.

The Lancers beat La Mirada 9-4 in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals on May 10.

Santa Margarita finished 22-10-1. The Eagles were second to Orange Lutheran in the Trinity League and had defeated Orange Lutheran in two of their three league games. Santa Margarita was 4-0 against Orange Lutheran last season, including three league wins and a CIF-SS Division 1 semifinals victory.

Orange Lutheran finished No. 1 and Santa Margarita No. 2 in the final Orange County baseball rankings.

Morse, a 6-foot-8 sophomore right-hander, had five strikeouts with no walks and hit three batters. He is 6-2 with a 1.18 ERA.

Morse said his success came from throwing strikes, staying ahead in counts and trusting his teammates in the infield and outfield.

“It’s pretty easy to pitch when you have those guys behind you,” he said.

Orange Lutheran third baseman Wyatt Hanoian made a leaping grab of a line drive and threw to first base for a force out for a double play in the second inning.

The Lancers turned another double play in the fourth inning after Brody Schumaker led off the inning with a single for the Eagles’ only hit, and right fielder Vinny Hudson made a running catch of a foul ball in the fifth.

Curiel, a senior center fielder who signed with LSU and is projected to be an early-round selection in the MLB Draft in July, hit an opposite-field double into left field with one out in the first inning. Curiel moved to third base on Josiah Hartshorn’s single and scored on Brady Murrietta’s fly out to left field for a 1-0 lead.

The Lancers pushed their lead to 2-0 in the second inning when Hamilton Friedberg singled and eventually scored on Evan Wiley’s ground out.

With two outs in the fifth inning Curiel pushed a bunt toward third base and was three-quarters the way to first base before Santa Margarita third baseman Trevor Banning could make an unsuccessful barehanded grab-and-throw effort.

Curiel took off on a steal attempt on a pitch that was wild and reached the backstop, enabling Curiel to round second base and reach third safely. Hartshorn walked. Curiel scored on a double steal to make it 3-0.

“Curiel can just take over a game,” Orange Lutheran coach Eric Borba said. “You saw his tools. The double and the first-to-third on the wild pitch, and the drag bunt. He is a catalyst.”

Borba said the Lancers have plenty of rested pitchers for Saturday, including Ross Clark who is 8-0 with a 0.82 ERA and Colt Peterson who is 3-1 with a 1.62 ERA.

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Luka Doncic, Mavericks crush Timberwolves in Game 5 to reach NBA Finals

• May 31, 2024

By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS — Luka Doncic had a 20-point first quarter on his way to 36 points for his high this postseason, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 124-103, on Thursday night to breeze through the Western Conference finals in five games.

“He let his teammates know that it’s time and they’ve got to take it up a notch,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “He sent the invites out, and they all came.”

Kyrie Irving also scored 36 points for the Mavericks, who built a 29-point halftime lead on 61% shooting to deflate the once-energized crowd before most fans got up for their first snack break. The Mavs led by 36 in the third quarter, consistently keeping the Timberwolves offense all out of whack.

The Mavs, who had the fifth seed in the West, have a full week to rest before the NBA Finals begin in Boston on June 6 for the franchise’s first appearance since winning the championship in 2011 when Kidd was playing for them. The Celtics will have had 10 days between games after sweeping Indiana in the Eastern Conference finals.

Anthony Edwards scored 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 12 rebounds for the third-seeded Wolves, who met their match with the defense-smashing duo of Doncic and Irving after stifling Phoenix in a first-round sweep and then dethroning defending champion Denver in a seven-game series.

“We never clicked all together as a team in this series, not even one game,” Edwards said. “The last two series, we were all clicking at one time, making shots and stuff. It wasn’t clicking at one time here.”

Irving improved to 15-1 in his career in closeout games in the playoffs.

Doncic set a defiant tone by starting 4 for 4, hitting rainbows from 28 and 31 feet as he turned to talk trash to the courtside fans with each swish, often with a sly smile. He drained a 32-footer later in a first quarter as the Mavs closed on a 17-1 spurt, a run they pushed to 28-5 over a nine-minute stretch.

“I thought I set a good-enough screen, and I turned around and he’s shooting from half court,” center Daniel Gafford said.

This was Doncic’s second 20-point quarter in his postseason career, following a 21-point fourth quarter in the Western Conference finals loss to Golden State in 2022. He was voted the MVP of the series.

Doncic, who shot 14 for 22 from the field and grabbed 10 rebounds, and his savvy sidekick Irving, who has a championship ring from 2016 with Cleveland, were the superior stars in this series as this Wolves team found its first taste of a sustained postseason run to be a bitter – but perhaps ultimately beneficial – one.

Though he familiarly and persistently waved his arms at the officials almost every time a whistle didn’t go his way, the 25-year-old Doncic played with an unshakeable confidence and unflappable joy from start to finish. As he was taunted by the fans with a “Flopper!” chant when he shot free throws in the third quarter, Doncic smiled and mockingly mouthed the words along with them.

The Mavs got 7-foot-1 rookie Dereck Lively II back from the sprained neck that kept him out of the previous game, restoring the complete rim protection duo with Gafford that helped them disrupt Rudy Gobert in the post and just about everyone else who tried to attack the basket. Gafford had 11 points and nine rebounds, and Lively added nine points and eight rebounds.

Edwards, though he hit the 25-point mark for the 15th time in 27 career playoff games, had trouble finding his rhythm amid all the double-teams. The Wolves, for all their progress this season, were reminded they don’t yet have a championship offense despite his dynamic skills and clutch mentality.

They had several wince-inducing possessions in the decisive first half, with the coaches struggling to find a group that could play in sync together.

As the final seconds of the second quarter ticked away, Edwards drove to the lane and kicked the ball to the corner to Kyle Anderson, who swung it back to Towns on the wing and failed to find a look he liked. He passed back to Anderson, who tried to move closer and had the shot clock expire on him.

P.J. Washington, who had 12 points, flexed his arms in celebration of yet another stifling defensive sequence by the Mavs.

“We missed a lot of easy stuff, went one-on-one too early, just got kind of busted out of any offensive structure,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said.

​ Orange County Register 

Sparks can’t escape early hole in loss to Chicago

• May 31, 2024

CHICAGO — Winning on the road is tough enough. Falling behind by 18 points at halftime makes it all the more difficult.

Dearica Hamby had game-highs of 24 points and 13 rebounds and Kia Nurse had 17 points, but the Sparks could not overcome a slow start in an 83-73 loss to the Chicago Sky on Thursday night at Wintrust Arena.

Marina Mabrey scored 20 points and tied a career high with six 3-pointers, while Elizabeth Williams had 17 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots as Chicago (3-3) earned its first home win of the season.

Mabrey gave Chicago a 21-point lead with 6:59 remaining in the third quarter. The Sparks (2-5) battled back, closing on a 20-8 run to get within 67-58 entering the fourth. The Sky committed 10 fouls in the third quarter, turned it over six times and allowed 27 points.

The Sparks were within 78-69 with 2:16 left after rookie Rickea Jackson completed a three-point play, but Sky rookie Angel Reese made a shot in the lane on back-to-back possessions to extend Chicago’s lead to 82-69.

Jackson (10 points, five rebounds) and fellow rookie Cameron Brink (seven points, six rebounds) are still trying to grow into their roles, but the Sparks had more turnovers (18) than assists (17). Chicago moved the ball more efficiently (27 assists on 32 field goals) and opened an 11-point lead after one quarter and on its way to a 49-31 halftime cushion.

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Dana Evans had four of the Sky’s 13 steals and added 15 points. Chennedy Carter scored 14 points for Chicago. Reese picked up her fifth foul with 8:22 left in the fourth and finished with six points and six rebounds in 25 minutes. Evans scored 11 points in the first half and Carter added 10 as the Sky shot 51% from the field before the break and led by as many as 20 points.

The Sparks are still searching for a win against any team that could be considered a legitimate playoff contender. Their two victories came against the winless Washington Mystics (0-7) and the struggling Indiana Fever (1-8), and Indiana’s lone win came at the Sparks’ expense at Crypto.com Arena.

​ Orange County Register 

Following conviction, Trump still on for Beverly Hills, Newport Beach fundraisers next week

• May 31, 2024

Former President Donald Trump still plans to head to Southern California next week for a pair of fundraisers, despite a guilty verdict in his hush money trial Thursday, a campaign spokesperson confirmed Thursday, May 30.

Trump – who is the first former U.S. president to be convicted of a felony – is in the midst of his third quest for the White House. He has plans to head to Beverly Hills on Friday, June 7, and then Newport Beach the next day to raise money for his campaign.

“The fundraisers are still on. We’re excited about the president coming out,” said Tony Strickland, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign in Orange County.

Earlier Thursday, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts. Jurors said Trump was guilty of falsifying business records in a bid to influence the 2016 presidential election, which he won.

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Trump and his supporters immediately decried the verdict, calling it “rigged.” The former president has lambasted the judge and Manhattan district attorney in the case.

Strickland maintained the verdict only galvanized supporters more. Case in point, he said: Trump’s fundraising page crashed shortly after the verdict was handed down, which the campaign has attributed to an influx of support.

And Strickland expects to see that increase in support when Trump comes to Southern California next week.

“I think President Trump is stronger today than he was yesterday because people inherently see what it is,” said Strickland, a member of the Huntington Beach City Council. “What the American people see is not equal justice, and people fundamentally don’t like injustice.”

Trump was last in Orange County in the fall to address attendees at the California Republican Party’s convention in Anaheim. There, speaking to a friendly crowd, Trump vowed “to bring back law” to California if elected to the White House for a second term.

Southern California is a popular stop for national politicians who hope to tap into the checkbooks of wealthy donors. Tickets for the Beverly Hills fundraiser range from $5,000 to $250,000.

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The event in Newport Beach is hosted by virtual reality entrepreneur Palmer Luckey, who has put on private fundraisers for the former president in past election cycles as well.

President Joe Biden will also trek out to Southern California in June; his campaign has planned a star-studded fundraiser in downtown Los Angeles the weekend after Trump is in town.

Staff writers Clara Harter and Hanna Kang contributed to this report. 

​ Orange County Register