Two-day event celebrates plants that grow without touching the ground
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| Staghorn ferns are among plants that grow without soil. (Photo: Debbie Arrington) |
What kind of living plant needs no soil? Epiphytes!
This large group of mostly tropical plants grow without being attached to the ground. Situated in trees, they usually get their nutrients from decaying leaves and other material that collects among branches. Their moisture comes from rain, mist or fog.
Discover the diversity of these amazing plants during Spring Epi Fest. Hosted by The Secret Garden, Epi Fest will be held 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 23 and 24 at the Elk Grove nursery and garden store. Admission is free.
The Secret Garden specializes in epiphytes and will have hundreds on display including epiphyllums, orchids, staghorn ferns, bromeliads, air plants, hoya and more. Tour the store’s collection and see how beautiful these plants can grow – even in the greater Sacramento area.
A plant-mounting demonstration and Q&A will be held at noon that Sunday. Throughout the two days, get expert advice on how to keep these plants happy in your home.
During Epi Fest, The Secret Garden will offer 10% off on all plants (including land-loving succulents and cactus). In addition, Epi Fest includes an epiphyllum cutting sale. Often with huge showy flowers, epiphyllum are nicknamed orchid cacti.
The Secret Garden is located at 8450 W. Stockton Blvd., Elk Grove.
Details: https://www.secretgarden-online.com/ .
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Food in My Back Yard Series
April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers
April 8: When to plant summer vegetables
April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths
March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
March 18: Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
March 11: Ways to win the fight against weeds
March 4: Potatoes from the garden
Feb. 25: Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Feb. 18: How to squeeze more food into less space
Feb. 11: When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
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Garden Checklist for week of April 20
Before possible showers at the end of the week, take advantage of all this nice sunshine – and get to work!
* Set out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.
* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, radishes and squash.
* Plant onion sets.
* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias.
* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.
* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.
* Plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.
* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.
* Smell orange blossoms? Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.
* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.
* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.
* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.
* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Give shrubs and trees a dose of a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.
* Start thinning fruit that's formed on apple and stone fruit trees -- you'll get larger fruit at harvest (and avoid limb breakage) if some is thinned now. The UC recommendation is to thin fruit when it is about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. Peaches and nectarines should be thinned to about 6 inches apart; smaller fruit such as plums and pluots can be about 4 inches apart. Apricots can be left at 3 inches apart. Apples and pears should be thinned to one fruit per cluster of flowers, 6 to 8 inches apart.
* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.
* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.
* Weed, weed, weed! Don’t let unwanted plants go to seed.
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