New post on Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens How to Garden for Wildlife by Benjamin Vogt I was working on a handout for a presentation, and as I went along I realized just how much I’ve learned in the five years that I’ve had a garden–and not all of those was I aware that I was gardening for wildlife, and what I could yet do. So I want to share the refresher, and please do add or take away in your comments as you see fit. (All of the images are from my prairie-esque Nebraska garden.) Main back garden just before it hit 22 degrees. Yes, much wildlife shelters here in all 4 seasons. 1) Never use chemicals of any kind. 2) Use native plants. Plant thickly to conserve water and kill weeds. 3) Have a water feature. Never have I seen so many birds at the fountain this year. 2.5″ of rain in the last four months. 4) Garden for insects – they are the base of the food chain & all life. (Ex. birds only feed insects to their young.) 5) Embrace bees and wasps – they’re too busy pollinating to sting. Honest! 6) Spiders, preying mantis, and other predator bugs are signs of a healthy garden and kill pests FAST. Love them. That wasp was so intent on nectaring, it missed something. 7) Don’t cut down or “clean up” the garden in fall, wait until early March. 8) Use the spring cut down as mulch and to create bee houses (I cut hollow joy pye weed stalks into 6″ lengths, bundle, and tie to the fence for mason bees). 9) Fall leaves are free soil—they’ll break down over winter & be warm homes for hibernating insects. Liatris mucronata and indian grass. 10) Diversity – grasses, wildflowers, shrubs, trees. 11) Diversity II – groundcovers, short plants, tall plants, big blooms, tiny blooms… create a varied habitat for 4 seasons of life. A skipper on eupatorium altissimum. 12) Host plants for butterflies: milkweed, zizia, baptisia, wild senna, side oats grama, willow, elm, oak. 13) Fave nectar plants: milkweed, aster, joy pye weed, mountain mint, ironweed, culver’s root, goldenrod, coneflowers, baptisia. Signs of a healthy garden, and a child’s playground. Benjamin Vogt | October 9, 2012 at 9:25 am | Categories: Native Plants, Pollinators,Sustainable Landscaping, Wildlife Garden, Wildlife Management | URL: http://wp.me/p1tQ1a-4vT Comment See all comments Unsubscribe or change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/how-to-garden-for-wildlife/

Characteristics of Different Soil Types

It can be argued that no two soils are ever exactly alike. Although this is true, it is useful to group soils into categories. Three major categories of soil dominate our area. These are:

Sandy soil

Loam soil, and

Clay soil

To figure out what type of soil you have, there are several easy methods. The first, called the rope test, requires that you squeeze a moist, but not muddy, one inch ball of soil in your hand. Then rub the soil between your fingers. Sandy soil feels gritty and loose. It won’t form a ball and falls apart when rubbed between your fingers. Loam soil is smooth, slick, partially gritty and sticky and forms a ball that crumbles easily. It is a combination of sand and clay particles. Clay soil is smooth, sticky and somewhat plastic feeling. It forms ribbons when pressed between fingers. Clay soil requires more pressure to form a ball than loam soil, but does not crumble apart as easily.

A second test is called a jar test and is very easy to do. Here’s what you’ll need:

1 clean quart jar and tight fitting lid

clean water

soil sample

First, find an empty, clean quart jar (an old mayonnaise jar works very well for this test.) Fill the jar about 2/3 full with clean water.

quart jar with water.gif (8016 bytes)

quart jar with water and dirt.gif (7979 bytes) Next, take a sample of soil (break the large clods apart so it will fit through the jar opening) and fill the jar and water until the jar is nearly full, leaving about �” of air space at the top. Screw on the lid and shake it vigorously for a minute or two, until all the soil particles are broken down into suspension in the water.

Now, allow the suspended soil to settle for about a minute, and place a mark on the side of the jar at the top of the layer that has settled out. This is the sand layer is comprised primarily of sand and larger particles. Set the jar aside, being careful not to mix the sand layer that has already settled and wait approximately an hour. Now, place a mark on the side of the jar at the top of the next layer to settle out. This is the silt layer. Again, place the jar aside for a full day, being careful not to shake or mix the layers that have settled out. After 24 hours, or when the water is once again clear (more or less), place a mark on the side of the jar at the top of the final layer. This is the clay layer. The percentage of each layer tells you what kind of soil you have.

Type of Soil Example of Test Jar

Sandy soils are found throughout Southern California, but are very common near the mountain foothills, along rivers and streams and certain coastal areas. Sandy soils are typically comprised of approximately 80 – 100% sand, 0 – 10% silt and 0 – 10% clay by volume. Sandy soils are light and typically very free draining, usually holding water very poorly due to very low organic content.

quart jar with sandy soil.gif (26180 bytes)

Loam soils are also common in Southern California, particularly in the valleys and flat areas (flood plains) surrounding rivers and streams. Loam soils are typically comprised of approximately 25 – 50% sand, 30 – 50% silt and 10 – 30% clay by volume. Loam soils are somewhat heavier than sandy soils, but also tend to be fairly free draining, again, due to typically low organic content.

quart jar with loam soil.gif (25539 bytes)

Clay soils are very common in certain areas, particularly around urban areas where fill soils have been used to establish grade in subdivisions and developments. Clay soils are typically comprised of approximately 0 – 45% sand, 0 – 45% silt and 50 – 100% clay by volume. Clay soils are not typically free draining, and water tends to take a long time to infiltrate. When wet, such soils tend to allow virtually all water to run-off. Clay soils tend to be heavy and difficult to work when dry.

quart jar with clay soil.gif (25169 bytes)

via Soil Types and Testing.

Another version

Really want to try something with the soil? Take a quart jar and put normal soil (no top soil, or organic matter) in the bottom third.
Next fill with water to within 1 inch of the top and put the lid on and shake it and set it down and write down the measured amount
that falls out in the first 10 seconds–gravel, then 10 minutes–sand, then the next morning–clay

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Narrow Leaf Milkweed provides food for Monarch Butterfly Larva

“I hear…I forget
I see…and I remember
I do…and I understand”
Ancient Chinese Proverb

Scarlet Monkey Flower

We are beginning to provide habitat for wildlife— food, water, shelter and a place to raise their young. On June 30th, I was delighted by the sight of a hummingbird enjoying the Scarlet Monkey Flower, along with a pair of mating monarch butterflies on the Narrow Leaf Milkweed at the Schoolyard Habitat at Matilija JH.

bird bath provides summer water for wildlife

When the Ventura River, San Antonio and Thacher Creeks dry up in the summer, access to water is especially important. Wildlife prefer to drink from ground level. To provide temporary access to water, we converted an old drinking fountain into a makeshift bird bath (actually, the old water fountain had been dismantled many years ago).  This provides insects and birds with access to shallow water (not deep water) which is important during the hot summer months. Who is going to keep that water flowing over the summer when students, teachers and faculty are gone?

No rain is expected until sometime in November/December (but who really knows these days?). The native plants in the Schoolyard Habitat were planted in February 2012 and still need to be watered over the summer months, once every 2 weeks, with a slow, deep water (either early in the morning or early evening once it has cooled off) until the plants get established.

Any volunteers ready to help with watering? Send an email to Matilijasyh@gmail.com or call Renee Roth @ 805-798-3897

Below is desert willow in bloom, which also attract hummingbirds and grows 15-30 ft tall with a 15-25 ft spread, in well drained soil.

Desert Willow, Chilopsis Linearis