Volume 2, Issue 3 May 2004 Steven Jay Porus, Publisher sjporus@unlaccess.com
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 The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch
PHOTOS AND ARTICLE BY GERALD REEVES
For eight weeks each spring (early March through early May), this land comes to life as the Giant Tecolete Ranunculus flowers bloom into a solid expanse of banded colors that delight tourists and residents alike. The ranunculus flower is native to Asia Minor and is a member of the buttercup family. Its blossoms are also known as the Persian Buttercup or Ranunculus Asiatic.
Whatever it is called, it provides a variety of dramatic colors: deep, vivid red; sparkling, clear yellows; glistening white, vivid pinks and purple. You name it. A multi-color variety adds to the impressive display of this annual attraction.
For people who live in San Diego County, the blooming of the Flower Fields. signals the beginning of spring, a reliable predictor of warmer weather ahead. For visitors, it means the opportunity to get out into the fresh air of this coastal community and enjoy the breathtakingly beautiful and colorful display the Flower Fields provide.
Ironically, the purpose of the Flower Fields is not to grow and sell flowers. Only two percent of the flowers are sold, although there are a little more than three million flower stems. They are primarily grown to harvest the ranunculus bulbs, about 200,000 per acre or six to 12 million a year. These bulbs are sold at nurseries and garden centers throughout the country.
Serving as a working ranch and regional tourist attraction, The Flower Fields attract more than 150,000 visitors a year. The Flower Fields and the Paul Ecke Ranch are sister companies, though they operate administratively and fiscally independent of one another. The Paul Ecke Jr. Family and its affiliates own both companies.
 Roses: Their Selection, Planting and Care
BY DONALD R. HODEL, Environmental Horticulturist, UCCE
Selection
Roses have an undeserved reputation as temperamental plants requiring enormous amounts of care. Rather, roses are easy to grow and have very few pest problems if adapted varieties are selected and properly situated in the garden or landscape. There are many types of roses available to fit most landscape situations in the home garden. The two broad categories are garden roses and landscape roses. Garden roses include the well known hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, and climbers, and are planted mostly for their flowers. The main garden roses include the following:
Some other kinds of roses include the miniatures and English garden types. Miniatures make good container plants. English roses and certain older varieties have more fragrance than some newer varieties but might not bloom as profusely.
Consider some of the All-American Rose Selections (AARS). Roses earn this award after two-to-three-year evaluations in test gardens around the country. AARS designation means these roses are often more disease resistant and have sturdy growth and exceptional flowers. When selecting plants, look for disease-resistant varieties.
Roses require protection from wind and need high light to be healthy and perform best, so pick a wind-protected place in your garden with full sun all day near the coast or with late afternoon shade in hot inland areas. Space roses so there is room to move and work between plants. Do not crowd them since plants need good air movement for disease prevention. Soil should be well drained but still retain water. Clay and sandy soils are okay but watering must be adjusted, heavier and infrequent on clay and lighter but frequent on sandy soils. If you have companion plants, choose ones with the same or similar light, soil, and water requirements as roses. Bark mulch or wood chips help to retain soil moisture.
Place roses where their splendid, colorful flowers can be admired from the house. Roses serve double duty in the garden and landscape as providers of cut flowers of legendary quality. The landscape roses fulfill the same garden and landscape roles as most other shrubs. They find use as flowering borders, foreground plants, barriers, groundcovers, and even as informal hedges. They are unusually effective when massed, such as in a formal or informal rose garden. Of course, a single, solitary plant with spectacular flowers and without competing plants is an unsurpassed accent or specimen. Miniature roses make fine potted specimens, which can be positioned around the garden or patio as needed.
Planting
Plant bare-root roses the same day they are purchased. They can be stored up to seven days if left in a cool place and roots are kept moist. Dig a hole large enough to spread the roots evenly without crumpling them. Mound a firm cone of soil in the center of the hole and spread the roots over the cone, taking care to keep the bud union four inches above the soil line. Backfill around the roots with unamended soil originally taken from the hole. Settle the soil by inserting a hose and flooding the backfill. Form a watering basin three to four inches high and about three feet diameter around the plant or place a drip emitter about six inches from the stem. Spread a two-inch layer of mulch in the basin and water thoroughly. For containerized roses select a plant in at least a three-gallon-size container. Dig a hole twice as wide but the same depth as the root ball. Carefully remove the plant from the container and place it in the center of the hole. Continue planting as you would for bare-root plants.
Pruining
In most cases prune roses in January. For garden roses like hybrid teas, floribundas, and grandifloras, cut out all weak, diseased, and dead stems (canes) and those crossing over others or arising from below the bud union. Leave 6-10 canes evenly spaced in a circle around the plant and growing toward the outside, keeping the middle open to form a vase-shaped structure. Cut back these remaining stems or canes, leaving about 1/3-2/3 the previous year's growth. Removing more growth gives fewer, larger flowers on longer stems, while removing less growth retains plant size. Make the cut at an outward-facing leaf or bud. Begin each cut about 1/8 inch above the bud or leaf and angle it downward at 45¡ toward the inside of the cane.
After pruning rake up and discard old leaves, twigs, and stems, and spray plants and soil with a dormant spray of oil or lime-sulfur if pests or diseases are problems. Reapply mulch if necessary.
General Care
Roses flower on new growth, which occurs in cyclical flushes throughout the growing season from about March through November. Each cycle begins with a flush of new growth and ends with a flush of blooms. Instead of one or two heavy applications of fertilizer during the growing season, make several light applications,
timing them just prior to each new flush of growth. Use a fertilizer with an N-P-K ratio of 3-1-3 or 3-1-2 (for example 12-4-12 or 11-4-8. The total amount of fertilizer applied during the growing season should not exceed the recommended yearly amount.
Water during the growing season by flooding the basin with one to two inches of water or using drip or bubbler systems to water when the soil is dry one inch deep. Avoid frequently wetting the leaves to reduce diseases. However, occasional washing of leaves with a strong spray of water can reduce spider mites, a common pest in warm inland areas, and aphids. Wash leaves early in the morning so they can dry by nightfall. When cutting or removing flowers, cut back far enough to remove at least three leaves and to an outside leaf or bud, while still leaving at least two leaves with five leaflets on the cane. Regularly inspect plants for pests, such as aphids, spider mites, and thrips, and diseases, such as powdery mildew, rust, and black spot.
The author gratefully acknowledges the assistance of John Karlik, Environmental Horticulture Advisor, University of California Cooperative Extension, Bakersfield.
 Do You Have A Fire Hazard?
BY JANET HARTIN, Environmental Horticulture Advisor, UCCE AND TOM ASH, Horticulturist,
Director of Conservation Alliances, HydroPoint Data Systems Use the same process of analyzing your specific landscape site: functional use, energy savings, color, privacy, etc. Add the priority of using low fire fuel plants, and grouping plants in fire fuel zones to protect homes and structures. Within 30 feet of your residence, low-growing, fire retardant plants should be used. In this 30 foot critical zone, maintain nonflammable landscaping such as small lawn areas, border plantings, groundcover, patio areas, and recreation areas. Large shrubs and trees should not be planted directly adjacent to your home, and in no cases should trees overhang the roof. Keep trees and shrubs trimmed of dead material. In extremely hazardous areas, the California Public Resources Code, Section 4291, requires clearance of flammable vegetation for a minimum distance of 30 to 100 feet from structures. Making your home safe from fires is an important and complex issue. We urge you to contact the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection or your local fire agency for complete information on their fire safety guidelines. Fire Retardant Checklist:
Fire Retardant Plant List:
Authors give special thanks for reviewing the text extended to the following UC Cooperative Extension specialists. Dr. Victor Gibeault, Dennis Pittenger, J.L. Meyer Illustration created by Geographics. You can find more articles like these at www.vvwater.org/
 BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
BY CHERYL WILEN, PH.D., Integrated Pest Management Advisor, UCCE It is best to use biocontrol as part of a broader approach called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). To control pests IPM relies on many techniques, including plant selection, planting of specialized crops, physical barriers, trapping, biocontrols, and when needed, least toxic pesticides.
Benefits of Biocontrol
The benefits of biocontrol include reduced pesticide use and less disruption or our natural environment. Biocontrol minimizes the chance of pests developing resistance to pesticides. Well-established beneficials often provide the best long-term control of the pest. Biocontrol can be more economical and much safer than other methods, such as
pesticides.
Types of Biocontrol
Natural enemies or beneficials can be predators, parasites, or diseases. Beneficial
predators eat the pest. One of the most common groups of beneficial predators is the lady beetles (or ladybugs). Spiders also are common predators. Another very important group of beneficial predators is the lacewings. Predators usually will attack a wide variety of pests. Ladybugs and lacewings, along with other predators, can usually be found for sale at many garden centers.
Beneficial parasites generally lay their eggs inside the pest. The pest is killed when the eggs hatch and the larvae eat the pest. Adults of a few parasites actually feed on the pest by sucking its juices. Parasites usually attack a rather narrow variety of pests. Most parasites are wasps and flies.
Diseases caused by microscopic organisms called pathogens can be beneficial and kill pests. An example of a pathogen is Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), which causes a bacterial disease in many kinds of caterpillars. Nematodes are microscopic worms that can attack soil-borne pests like root weevils, grubs, and flea larvae.
Even some plant diseases and weeds have been managed successfully with the use of biocontrols.
When to Use Biocontrols
For best results periodically release large numbers of beneficials. However, before releasing any beneficials consider the following questions:
Some pesticides are not as harmful to beneficials and are usually considered compatible with biocontrol. These include short-residual insecticides (ones that last only 1-7 days), Bt, and horticultural soaps and oils.
How to Use Biocontrols
When purchasing biocontrols, it is imperative to follow the directions closely that come with the beneficials. Sometimes it is better to release the beneficials at night. Beneficials are living organisms and should be purchased as close to the time of application as possible. Exceptions are the disease-causing pathogens, which have a longer shelf life but should still be stored according to the information on the container. Learn to recognize, understand, and conserve natural enemies.
Limitations of Biocontrol
Be patient. Remember that biocontrol is usually slower than other methods because it takes time for the beneficials to control the pest. Most pesticides are harmful to beneficials. Biocontrol is not practical for all pests and may limit control options for other pests. If pest damage reaches an intolerable level consider using other control methods. The ability to identify a pest accurately and understand the pest/beneficial interaction is important. Often this information is difficult to obtain. A good source of information can be found at the University of California Statewide IPM Project's website, in the "Pests of Home and Landscape" section www.ipm.ucdavis.edu
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Set on 50 acres of costal farmland south of the City of Carlsbad and east of I-405, the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch offers one of the most explosive and expansive bursts of floral color in the nation.
Another spectacular feature is: The Rose Garden, which features a dazzling array of more than 170 rose varieties.
Roses have long been the most loved flowering shrubs in home gardens. Indeed, they are popularly referred to as the queen of flowers. A few simple steps will help to ensure that your roses grow and flower well and are worthy of their noble title.
Landscape roses, sometimes called shrub roses, are varieties developed for use as general landscape plants, and offer several advantages. They possess glossy green leaves, have few thorns, require little pruning and disease and pest control, are well suited for low maintenance landscapes, including drip irrigation, and do not require removal of old flowers since petals fall away cleanly. Growing on their own roots and not budded or grafted, landscape roses flower throughout the year with greatest bloom in mid-spring and early autumn.
The High Desert has some high fire danger areas, particularly at higher elevations or in mountain chaparral. It is possible to plant an attractive fire retardant landscape in the High Desert. It takes thoughtful planning and careful maintenance.
Biological control, or biocontrol as it is popularly called, is a method that gardeners can use to reduce pest injury in the garden. Biocontrol is the use of other living organisms, called natural enemies or "beneficials", to eat, kill, or otherwise harm a pest. In many cases, these natural enemies already exist in the garden. However, when there are too few of them or none at all to control the pests the gardener can buy and release beneficials, such as insects, mites, nematodes, or even bacteria. Under an ideal biocontrol system, natural enemies will always keep pests under control, although the pest is rarely eliminated.
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