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This Halloween, admire spiders as garden friends

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED OCT 31, 2019

This golden orbweaver spider likes to hang out in rose bushes. It's harmless to humans. (Photo: Debbie Arrington)

These critters may look scary, but most won't harm people

What’s the scariest critter in the garden? Most people have an immediate answer: Spiders!

Evolution likely programmed people to be scared of spiders. According to researchers, early humans came in contact with many venomous spiders. Arachnophobia, a fear of spiders, became part of our survival instinct.

As for Halloween, spiders have been connected to witches since medieval times. Several species hang out in dark and spooky places, adding to spiders’ creepy reputation.

But in ancient folklore, spiders are an omen of good fortune. They just look scary.

I’ve encountered many arachnids over the years. Their presence actually is a good thing. Spiders are natural pest control; they eat lots of bugs.

This season, one particular spider has been making its presence known with a web as wide as our double front door. It’s a golden orbweaver, a common garden spider known for its over-sized concentric webs.

Harmless to people, this particular variety is fond of large rose bushes, such as those growing on either side of my doorstep.

“They like to hide out under leaves on the rose bush during the day,” explained Baldo Villegas, Sacramento’s Bug Man. “That’s where it’s nice and cool.”

The retired state entomologist has encountered many, many spiders. In Sacramento, we only need to worry about widows. They have a venomous bite.

“In the Sacramento area, the black widow spiders are the most dangerous as they are very common,” Villegas said. “Next would be the brown widows, but they are much less common.”

The widows tend to be found outdoors or in garages in dark, dry, seldom disturbed places. Brown recluses and hobo spiders, two other species that can hurt people, are not found in California.

Villegas likes jumping spiders (his favorite), crab spiders, garden spiders and cellar spiders (a.k.a. daddy long legs). All of them have a productive job eliminating unwanted pests.

“All spiders are predacious on other critters, especially insects, and they are considered beneficial critters of the garden,” Villegas explained. “Most all spiders in our area are harmless to humans or pets. The only problem is when the spiders are grabbed or trapped by human hands! Then is when they can bite.”

What does Villegas think is the scariest critter in his garden?

“Personally, I don't think that there are any scary critters in the garden that will harm you,” Villegas said. “However, one has to be careful reaching into darkened or protected areas where the widow spiders make their webs, which are obvious because of the confused pattern and very sticky silk.

“Also, one has to realize that some of the large garden or orb spiders construct huge webs that in my garden cover the walkways,” he added. “If one wanders in the garden and accidentally runs into these huge webs, the experience can be very scary.”

Important correction: The website for the Placer County master gardeners that appeared in Wednesday's newsletter was incorrect. The correct link to order their 2020 calendar is http://pcmg.ucanr.org/2020_Calendar/ . The main Placer master gardeners' site is pcmg.ucanr.org .

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Keywords:

gardening Sacramento black widows spiders pests roses webs Halloween insects

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Garden Checklist for week of April 21

This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.

* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* 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.

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* 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.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, 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.

* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.

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