Greetings!

Plant Depot

33413 San Juan Creek Road

San Juan Capistrano 92675

(949) 240-2107

Keep an eye on your citrus trees.  Sometime in June the Citrus Leaf Miner makes its annual appearance.  Citrus Leaf Miner came to California over a decade ago, supposedly from the West Indies.  This tiny moth lays eggs on new growth.  The tiny flat caterpillars tunnel through the foliage of new growth creating silvery trails.  Severely damaged leaves drop off.  Most mature commercial orchards are not treated as the damage is mostly esthetic.  The production of lemons and limes, however, can be affected.  Citrus Leaf Miners cause damage from June through October.  Young trees will grow much faster if treated. There are supposed to be at least 9 beneficial insects that are feeding upon the Citrus Leaf Miner, but to this point they aren't quite effective enough to stop much of the damage.  Spinosad is an organic product that will kill and prevent damage for about 2 weeks.  Spinosad is brewed and apparently is an ingredient in rum.  The commercial brand we are currently stocking is called CAPTAIN JACK'S DEAD BUG BREW.  We have a ready-to-use and a concentrate.   

This spinosad product is also great for tomato plants.  The giant tomato hornworms typically make their appearance between mid-June and mid-July.  Applying spinosad every 3-4 weeks will keep their damage to a minimum.           

Fruiting Plants Available This Week

Apple Anna, Fuji

Apricot Gold Kist

Avocado Bacon, Carmen-Hass, GEM, Stewart 

Banana Dwarf Brazilian

Blackberry Chester, Navajo, Triple Crown 

Cherimoya seedling 

Fig Italian Everbearing

Grapes Table Flame seedless, Lakemont seedless, Venus seedless

Grapes Wine Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Zinfandel

Guava Red Malaysian, Tropic White  

Lemon Lisbon

Mandarin Gold Nugget, Satsuma

Peach Red Baron

Plum Burgundy

Pomegranate Wonderful

Raspberry Rossana

Dragonfruit $10 cuttings

Dragonfruit (Hylocereus) is a tropical cactus with trailing stems that grows like a giant Christmas cactus.  A potted specimen on my patio just bloomed yesterday with a huge (10") white flower.  Flowers are followed by fruit that look like red artichokes.  The firm flesh, which contains small edible black seeds, can be white, pink, mauve pink, maroon red or even purple (depending upon the cultivar).  The flavor ranges from mildly sweet to very sweet with a hint of watermelon.  The flesh separates easily from the leathery red skin.  The fruit size ranges from 1/2 to 1-1/2 pounds.  The plant grows in full sun to partial shade.  To grow, the piece of stem is placed 3-4" deep into good potting soil or into the ground.  It will root and begin growing within 2 months and can produce fruit within 1-3 years.  This cactus is easily grown in containers with our TROPICAL POTTING SOIL.  Most commercial growers train the plants on a heavy stake to resemble a small palm tree.  A few rooted cuttings of white flesh dragonfruit in 2-gallon containers ($25) are available.  

Bedding plants 

One of our suppliers has lamented that they really missed the mark on how many herbs and vegetables to grow.   

Organic Tomato Plants $3 quart

We now have a selection of organically grown tomato plants that were grown in Orange County.  It's a great time to plant.  Generally we can plant tomato plants until September and still get a good crop.   The organic tomato varieties include:  Black Krim, Black Prince, Brandywine Red, Brandywine Yellow, Cherokee Purple, Garden Peach, Green Zebra, Juane Flamme, Kellog's Breakfast, Marianna's Peace, Mortgage Lifter, Paul Robeson, and Sugar Lump Cherry tomato.   

Other Veggies include Zucchini and Yellow Crookneck squash, Lemon cucumber and Black Beauty eggplant.   

Asian (Vietnamese) Cilantro $3 quart

Back in stock!  The traditional cilantro is a cool season crop.  In the World's tropics there is no cool season, so chefs in Asia use this totally unrelated plant to provide the same flavor.  From June through September traditional cilantro is difficult to grow since it bolts (flowers) immediately.  Asian Cilantro loves summer and seems to grow an inch per day.  Grow this invasive plant in a container and bring it indoors by November.    

French Tarragon $3 quart

Back in stock!  Tarragon can be difficult to grow.  I recommend that you wash about 1/2 of the organic soil off the plant's roots before planting it in our TROPICAL POTTING SOIL (mineral based soil).  Please note that this plant goes dormant and just about disappears every winter.     

Other herbs include lots of Basil, Chives, Lemon Grass, Lovage, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Stevia, Thyme and more. 

Ozark Sundrops Oenothera macrocarpa (O. missouriensis) $4 quart

I love this perennial native to central U.S.  I've seen it growing out of sandstone in Bryce Canyon.  It has performed for many years in my own garden.  This non-invasive species sprawls to 6" high and 2' wide.  It produces 4" pure yellow flowers all summer.   

Chocolate Cosmos $4 quart

Here's a fun novelty plant.  This Mexican native (unfortunately extinct in the wild) grows about 2' tall and blooms summer and fall with deep maroon flowers with an unusual scent of vanilla-chocolate.  Provide sun and well-drained soil.  This short-lived perennial dies back in winter.  I'm betting that it's life can be extended indefinitely if the tuber-like roots are replanted into fresh soil before growth starts every year.   

Powwow Wild Berry Purple Coneflower $4 quart

This perennial won an All-American Selection 2010 award for its early bloom, compact size, intense color that resists fading, and good rebloom without deadheading.  Expect a height of 15" with intense rosy purple blooms that start blooming in early summer and continue through fall.  Native to central and eastern North America, purple coneflowers love heat and tolerate short periods of drought.    

Other flowers include Angelonia, Carnation, Red Vienco Cuphea, several Gaillardias, Tiny Monster Geranium, Hebe, Lisianthus, Penstemon, several Salvias, Serbian Bellflower and more.   

Please visit us at our farmer's market locations:

EVERY FRIDAY 1pm-6pm 

Rancho Santa Margarita Farmer's Market

Lowe's parking lot at Santa Margarita pkwy and Avenida de las Flores in front of Big Lots.   

EVERY SUNDAY 10am-2pm

The Great Park Farmer's Market

The Great Park Balloon parking lot on Marine Way just off the 5 at Sand Canyon