Home & GardenThursday, November 5
Napa County Master Gardeners are prepping hillsides for El Niño and planting milkweed for monarchs
The Daily Napa team
If you've got a steep slope above your house, Napa's Master Gardeners have tips. A column in the Register says El Niño is coming and asks how to keep heavy rain away from a foundation. Napa Valley Features says UC Master Gardener Melanie Marshall terraced her hillside to hold rainwater as a strong El Niño builds.
- Terrain: clay, a clay-sand mix or rocky soil
- Plants chosen: shrubs with large root systems, sprawling spreaders
- Marshall's beds: recycled plastic, with compost and drip irrigation
Fans of butterflies, take note. UC Master Gardener Cindy Watter says a dozen California milkweed plants, a large ceanothus and a Mexican sunflower drew more monarchs than usual this summer, with little care from her. Fall is the time to plant native milkweed seeds. Monarch caterpillars eat only milkweed leaves, so skip pesticides nearby.
Watter's milkweed went from planting to seed pods
- Last yearWatter planted a dozen California milkweed plants in her backyard.
- SummerPinkish lilac flowers bloomed, and monarchs appeared in greater numbers.
- Early fallSeed pods split open to reveal seeds on silky floss.
- This fallIt's the time to plant native milkweed seeds.
Source: Napa Valley Features
Milkweed is easy to pull out by accident while weeding, so mark the spot. Allium, monkeyflower and goldenrod make good companions because they produce so much nectar.
Milkweed by the numbers
- A dozen
- California milkweed plants Watter put in her backyard
- 3 feet
- is about how tall milkweed grows
- 2 years
- is how long seeds usually take to produce flowering plants
Source: Napa Valley Features
Sources: Napa Valley Features, The Napa Valley Register