Important Information for Gardening in Areas Outside Burn Zones

Info Fig Earth · January 18, 2025

Important information for Gardening in Areas Outside of Burn Zones

Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the recent Los Angeles wildfires. While these events have been unprecedented in their intensity, I want to address concerns about soil and plant safety in affected areas.

According to Wallace Laboratories, if you live outside the immediate burn zone, your plants remain safe to eat and your soil maintains its health. While ash deposits are common, they typically don't pose significant toxicity risks to fruits and vegetables because the absorption rates through the foliage are so low.

Plant Care Guidelines

Keep your existing plants - washing them with a gentle hose spray removes ash deposits
Avoid using leaf blowers which makes ash airborne
For harvested produce:

First rinse outdoors with hose
Follow with indoor sink rinse using 10% vinegar solution

Monitor plants for stress signs (wilting, yellowing, or browning leaves). Plants are a great barometer for toxicity.

Click here for more information Oregon State University.

**Soil Management:

Retain your current soil. Don’t discard as soil has amazing regenerative properties.
Don’t attempt to “wash” soil through over saturation. Water plants as normal.
Support natural remediation by adding:

Organic compost
Worm castings or mycorrhizal fungi
5% biochar to boost beneficial microbes

Remember that soil has remarkable powers of remediation. So take the steps to keep it healthy and continue to grow.

“Microbes and fungi have powerful properties for remediating and building soil, neutralizing toxicity by using various mechanisms including adsorption to their cell surfaces, enzymatic degradation of toxic compounds, and by producing chelating agents that bind to heavy metals, essentially rendering them unavailable to plants; microbes utilize the contaminants as a food source to break them down into less harmful substances.” National Library of Medicine

If you want to get your soil tested:

Wallace Laboratories are based in El Segundo. They were very helpful with my research. They generally test for Lead, Zinc and NPK, soil porosity with limited testing for volatile compounds or fire related particulates.

EFI Global will test for contamination from pollutants like heavy metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), pesticides, asbestos, and more. A note of caution, these tests are very expensive.

Conor at Fig Earth

Care Guide: House Plants

Info Fig Earth · November 6, 2024

All it takes for your houseplants to thrive is a little attention and care!

WATER

By far, the biggest culprit of houseplant death is over-watering. As Conor likes to say, it is possible to love something to death. While you do need to check your plants regularly for water, it’s not always necessary to water them. Let the top inch or two of soil become dry before watering. If you’re unsure whether your soil is dry enough to water, always err on the side of caution and give your plants a few extra days before checking again.

When you do water, be sure to completely soak the soil. A quick splash from the watering can usually won’t hydrate the soil properly. Water may run off the soil and pool in the saucer, which will then be soaked up by roots and soil after an hour or two. Give it another soak until no more water is absorbed, then empty the saucer to ensure your plant isn’t sitting in stagnant water—this can lead to root rot and plant death.

When in doubt, stick your finger into the soil to see if the water has been properly absorbed. If the soil is still dry, continue slowly applying water until it’s rehydrated.

The material of your plant’s pot also affects soil moisture levels. Porous materials like unglazed terracotta allow water to evaporate more quickly, while glazed ceramics and plastics retain more moisture.

LIGHT

While plants love natural light, direct sunlight can burn leaves. Keep your houseplant out of harsh, direct sunlight.

Your plant may not thrive in lower light conditions, but many houseplants will tolerate low light.

If you notice significantly slowed growth or pale leaves, low light may be the issue.

FERTILIZER

Houseplants need nutrients since they eventually deplete the nutrients in their pots. It’s a good idea to fertilize monthly with a product like Maxsea or DTE Houseplant Fertilizer. Be careful not to over-fertilize, as too much can harm the plant. Plants can become “leggy,” with long spaces between leaf nodes, indicating nutrient deficiency, as can small leaves and yellowed foliage.

TRELLISING

Vining plants like pothos, monsteras, and philodendrons, among others, will cascade down tall shelves and across floors if allowed to grow without support. Trellising is largely an aesthetic choice, but these long vines can be attached to moss poles, bamboo poles, or railings. We recommend Quik Grips Plant Ties for securing vines instead of garden twine. Quik Grips are wider and softer, which helps prevent strangling or damaging the vines.

PESTS

Common houseplant pests include fungus gnats, mealybugs, and thrips. Act quickly at the first sign of pests. If you notice anything unusual on your plant, try to identify the pest, quarantine the plant from other houseplants, and treat it.

For sucking insects (mealybugs, thrips, aphids), wash the leaves and stems thoroughly under running water to remove as many bugs and eggs as possible. There are several options for sprays to kill and prevent sucking insects. Our favorite is neem oil; apply it according to the directions and repeat regularly until the plant is free of pests. Once pest-free, the plant no longer needs to be separated from others.

Fungus gnats are incredibly common and simple to eradicate. We recommend two highly effective treatments: mosquito dunks, which can be crumbled and top-dressed onto houseplant soil or soaked in water and applied during watering; and horticultural sand, which is also effective when applied as a 1/4-1/2" soil top-dress. The sand creates a barrier that prevents gnats from laying eggs. Sticky traps can also help control adult populations and prevent eggs.

REPOTTING

Repotting should be done sparingly and only when the plant’s growth has slowed or shown signs of being root-bound. If your plant is struggling and you’ve ruled out watering and light issues, it may be a good idea to up-pot with fresh soil. Choose a pot only an inch or two larger than the current one. Putting a small plant in a large pot can lead to root rot, as there won’t be enough roots to absorb the water in the soil. Use a well-draining soil mix to discourage root rot. If root-bound, gently loosen the roots before placing the plant in fresh soil. Water the plant in, allowing soil to settle, and top off with more soil if needed.

HUMIDITY

Many houseplants are tropical, meaning their natural habitat is very humid. Try placing your houseplants in humid environments, like a bathroom, near a kitchen sink, or by a humidifier. Keep in mind this can exacerbate fungus gnats, as they thrive in moist soil. Increasing humidity also changes soil moisture retention, so your plants’ watering needs may change.

PRUNING

Remove dead leaves as needed, and prune stems if you prefer a bushier look. Cuttings that include nodes can often be propagated in water or soil to create a new plant!

Care Guide: Strawberries

Info Fig Earth · October 16, 2024

Strawberries are a delicious, crowd-pleaser crop that can be grown with little effort in the so-cal garden. A favorite for snacking and cooking alike, strawberries round out a classic veggie garden as a year-round sweet treat.

Quick tips for growing strawberries!

Keep your soil moist - strawberries do not like to dry out.
Fertilize! We like to fertilize monthly with 1 TBSP of Recipe 420 Recharge per plant.
Plant in nutritious soil high in organic matter, like compost.
Strawberries love full sun, but would like some shade in the hottest parts of summer.

When planting be careful to set plants at the same level of the current soil in it’s nursery pot. Planting too low may cause rot and too high will result in a weak plant. Water in deeply, and cover soil with mulch to retain moisture and control weeds. Apply fertilizer monthly.

Prune runners as they develop.

Prune leaves at the end of the season (Dec/Jan), avoiding cutting into the crown. Apply fertilizer after pruning to encourage new growth.

Summer planting (Aug - Oct) results in plants that develop during the fall, winter and spring, and begin to fruit heavily in the spring and summer.

Spring planting - short day cultivars planted in springs will not fruit as the plants energy is used to grow runners. Day neutral strawberries can be planted in spring for a summer crop if runners are removed early.

Winter planting (Oct - Dec) results in plants that begin growing immediately and fruit soon after.

Strawberry cultivars fall into two categories - day neutral, and short day. Short Day strawberries produce fruit when days are short and cool in late fall, winter, and early spring. Day Neutral cultivars do not respond to day length and produce flowers and fruit all year long.

Short day cultivars:

Chandler - exceptional color, flavor, and size. Typically winter planted.

Sequoia - Large, soft berries with excellent flavor.

Day Neutral cultivars:

Albion - medium berry, balanced flavor, produces particularly well it’s second year, disease resistant. CA favorite. High sugar content.

Alpine - french variety with tiny, conical berries. Exquisitely sweet with a subtle strawberry flavor.

Quinault - decent yield, good flavor, common with home gardeners.

San Andreas - large berries, good flavor, very productive, disease resistant, release from the University of California.

Seascape - medium size berry with decent flavor, disease resistant, popular with home gardeners. Classic strawberry.