Follow Us!
† Requires Javascript
Copyright © 1997-2009 Demand Media. All rights reserved.
|
| Member | Message |
|---|---|
 |
Posted: Feb/17/2008 7:01 PM PST
www.mastergardeners.org March Gardening Tips for Los Angeles County Residents by Yvonne Savio This is the month when most gardeners finally get out into the garden. Until now, it's been too chilly, even during sunny weather, for most people to want to do much outdoor work. And, this year, it's been raining and raining and raining..Now, spring warmth tempts us outside, and the chance of late frosts is less and less. Vegetables and Fruits In Spring, oranges have both deliciously fragrant blossoms and ripening fruit. Outdoors, sow or transplant beets, carrots, celery, chard, herbs, jerusalem artichokes, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuces, green onions, bulb onion seed and sets (be sure to get summer- maturing varieties), parsley, peas, peanuts, potatoes, radishes, shallots, spinaches, strawberries, and turnips. Transplant broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and kohlrabi seedlings. Herbs to start from seed include anise, basil, chervil, chives, cilantro (coriander), dill, fennel, lavender, marjoram, oregano, parsley, and savory; transplant mint, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme (these don't come "true" from seed). Herbs make great landscaping plants, as well. Chives add attractive, spear-like foliage among blooming plants. Rosemary and wooly thyme make attractive, drought-tolerant, trouble-free ground covers. Peas and other legumes will germinate better when an innoculant of nitrogen-fixing bacteria is used. One way to dust the seeds is to pour them into the package of innoculant, fish them out, and plant them. Wetting the innoculant gets more of it to stick to the seeds. I find it quicker and less messy to pour a line of innoculant directly into the furrow, place the seeds on top of it, then gently draw the soil over the seeds, and water it all in. Indoors, sow eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes for transplanting into the garden in late April or early May. Cucumbers, eggplants, melons, and squash can also be started indoors but require special handling, as they don't transplant well if their root systems are damaged. Sow several seeds in a large container, thin them to the single strongest plant when the second set of true leaves has developed, and--when nighttime temperatures outside are moderate--carefully trans-plant the entire unit after very gently removing the container. Bok choy's thick stalks and leaves offer substantial but tender and tasty greens during cool weather. Photo by Yvonne Savio, © UC Regents, 2000. For an attractive array of lettuce flavors, textures, and colors, choose varieties from as many as you can find--dark greens, light greens, reds, bronzes; butterhead, looseleaf, romaine, and crisphead. Don't bother with "iceberg" type crispheads because they don't have time to develop heads before summer heat arrives, when they'll go to seed. Replant the others every three weeks for continuous harvests of young, sweet succulent leaves and heads. Choose varieties that are heat-resistant, bolt-resistant, and less likely to turn bitter when they mature during hot weather. Soaking seeds prior to planting--or planting seeds in soil that is too wet--may do more harm than good. When seeds take up water too quickly, their outer coverings cracks. This allows nutrients to leak out, and disease organisms to enter. Beans are especially prone to this problem. Be gentle with all seedlings: handle the little plants by their root clumps or leaves rather than stems, and never squeeze them tightly. They will grow new leaves and roots, but can't develop new stems. Sweet potato sets can be started indoors now for planting outside in May. Place small-to-medium sized tubers in a container that drains well, and cover them with light, sandy soil or planter mix. Maintain a damp but not soggy moisture and a 70 to 75 degree tem-pera-ture in bright light. Sprouts will be ready for trans-plant-ing in four to six weeks. An easy way to start sweet potato sprouts--and give yourself an ornamental plant at the same time--is to sprout a tuber in a glass or jar filled half-way with water. Shoots will sprout from the top half, and root from the bottom half. You may even decide you like the foliage so much, you'll keep it growing as a houseplant, perhaps stringing the vines around a window. To plant the sweet potato shoots into the garden, care-fully pull or cut the nine-to-12-inch shoots from the starter root, retaining attached roots. Plant these 12 inches apart in sandy, well-drained soil. Water them in well with a half-strength solution of a balanced fertilizer, and shade them from the hot mid-day sun for a week. This is the last month to transplant artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and rhubarb; also strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry roots so they'll bear fruit well this year. Pluck off strawberry blooms through May--or whenever the warm weather has settled in for good--to concentrate the plant's first real burst of fruiting energy into large sweet berries rather than small tart ones. Unless, of course, you're desperately waiting for that very first berry, even if it is tart. When harvesting broccoli, cut the head at an angle with a sharp knife. Snapping or cutting flat across the stem leaves creates an uneven surface where water can collect--since a callous can't form, decay can start. Also, cutting too far down the stem, where it is hollow, provides a cavity that can collect water, and decay can set in. Excessive nitrogen, making the plant grow too fast, causes a hollow stem. Harvest asparagus spears when they're three-eighths of an inch wide or larger. Cut them no lower than soil level to avoid damaging the crown. Harvesting smaller spears, or harvest-ing for too long a period, especially from young plants, weakens the plant and lessens later harvests. Be overgenerous towards the young plant by not harvesting too much, and your plant will increase future harvests because it has gained strength. Harvest pea pods as they are ready, depending on the variety. Allowing them to mature too fully on the vine will stop further blossoming. Feed bulb onions with a 10-10-10 fertilizer to encourage bulb-ing. Sets that send up flower seed stalks instead of forming large bulbs were perhaps not sufficiently dormant when they were planted, or they were larger than dime-size and going to bolt anyway. To delay bolting, snap off the stalk at the base. Citrus and avocado trees do best when they're planted from late this month through May--as the weather warms up. Choose a southwest exposure that is protected from the wind, for the best protection from cold weather and frost. Plant them on a mound or in a raised bed so water drains away from the roots. Rub suckers off trunks as they appear. Tape together or remove broken branches. Paint trunks and large limbs with a matte-finish, off-white interior latex paint mixed half and half with water to prevent sunscald. Don't try to rush growth of nectarines, peaches, or plums by providing too much nitro-gen. This contributes to generally poor fruit quality--poor color development, delayed maturity, softness, and reduced storageability. Too much vegetative growth from excessive nitrogen can also result in poor fruit set for the follow-ing year. If the trees have good growth with dark green leaves in the spring, they have sufficient nitrogen. Tree roots can extend almost four times the distance from the trunk to the dripline. The longest ones--the "feeder" roots--are near the soil surface. When planting the tree, dig the planting hole twice the size of the rootball, and turn over soil a foot deep for that distance again further out. Incorporate some compost and other organic matter to help keep soil uncompacted. Then, new roots can easily reach out into this native soil and become well-established. MORE AT SITE |
|
|
Posted: Feb/25/2008 7:45 PM PST
Copied from the article above for March: In Spring, oranges have both deliciously fragrant blossoms and ripening fruit. It's February and my Valencia oranges are ready to eat & very Yummy! So there!     
Attachments:  |
 |
Posted: Mar/31/2008 1:04 PM PST
That is some great info, I am just about to plant a redd grapefruit, Mandarin, Navel, and Tangelo tree. All dwarf except for the red grapefruit. I'm going to plant them at my mother in laws next to her side fence. |
|
|
Posted: Mar/31/2008 7:33 PM PST
OH good glad it helps! Don't forget to check out http://www.mastergardeners.org/. Other cities are listed, not only los angeles. Plus, more of the article will be at the site. Some of the articles get cut out when I post them 'cause they are too long. Reminder: there are master gardeners in most all states. Check out your state, lots of cool info.!  April April Gardening Tips for Los Angeles County Residents by Yvonne Savio Most gardeners have been out in the garden for several weeks already, but anytime this month is a great time to start incorporating soil amendments, sowing seeds, and putting in transplants. The soil is dry enough to be worked without compacting it, the air is warm enough to enjoy working outside, and the soil temperature is ideal for germinating all kinds of seeds and getting transplants growing well. In short, it's garden time! Vegetables and Fruits Apple blossoms and small fruit promise a good late-summer and fall crop. Photo by Yvonne Savio, © UC Regents, 2000. Sow or transplant asparagus, beets, carrots, celery, chard, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuces, okra, summer-maturing onions, parsley, peanuts, the last peas (choose a heat-tolerant variety such as Wando), white potatoes, radishes, rhubarb, and spinach. Transplant early-maturing varieties of beans, cucumbers, eggplants, melons, peppers, squash, and tomatoes that will tolerate cooler soil temperatures. For protection from pests and some nightime chill, cover them with hotcaps or clear plastic water jugs with their bottoms and caps off. Continue reseeding a flat of heat-tolerant leaf lettuce throughout the summer to have seedlings to plant into unused spots as earlier crops are harvested. Herbs to sow or transplant include anise, basil, borage, burnet, catnip, chervil, chives, cilantro (when it's seed, it's called coriander), comfrey, dill, fennel, lavender, marjoram, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, and thyme. Many perennial herbs make attractive, drought-tolerant, trouble-free landscaping plants. Herbs that also produce well indoors are dwarf green or dark opal basil, chervil, chives, dill, marjoram, oregano, parsley, savory, and thyme. Wait until the end of the month to sow or transplant vegetables and fruits that prefer very warm weather to mature--including beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplants, melons, peppers, pumpkins, and squash. They will do better when they have consistently warm soil and air temperatures. Planting them into the soil when air temperatures are still cool results in growth stress which is difficult for the plants to overcome. Peppers, especially, will just "sulk" if their roots are chilled, and they won't recouperate quickly-best to just wait till the soil has warmed before planting them. Add to your garden some edible flowers for their foliage and their bloom. You may already grow some--the edible portion of artichoke, broccoli, and cauliflower are all immature flowers. Nasturtium leaves and flowers taste peppery. Squash blossoms have a cucumbery flavor. Some marigolds taste unpleasantly strong, but others are mild. Be sure, however, to harvest only flowers and foliage that hasn't been sprayed with a pesticide not registered for food. Poor germination of seeds may result from several conditions. The seeds may be too old, poorly stored, or planted too deeply. The soil temperature may be too low or too high. The soil moisture may be too dry or too wet. The soil may have too much fresh manure, which burns the seedlings but is wonderful a month or so later for transplants. Soil that forms a crust kills germinating seeds before they can break through the soil surface. To lessen this problem, cover the seeds with a thin layer of compost, potting soil, grass clippings, potting mix or other light-textured substances--rather than the heavier soil. Snow-white, tender and sweet heads of cauliflower don't last long before they get "sunburned", "ricey", and strong-flavored. Photo by Yvonne Savio, © UC Regents, 2000. Keep the area moist but not soggy until two true leaves develop ("true" leaves are the ones that look like tiny versions of the mature leaves). Sprinkling the bed with a fine spray of water several times a day also helps. If a muddy slurry results from irrigation, it will dry into a crust. If hornworms have plagued your tomatoes in the past, consider planting cherry tomatoes. Their thicker skins and higher alkaloid content seem to repel the worm. Adult hornworms are the larval form of large fast-flying, mottled gray or brown moths that will hover near tubular flowers at dusk later this summer. As you work your soil prior to planting, destroy the pupae--the hard, brown, two-inch spindle-shaped cases with a handle that are buried three to four inches underground. Feed vegetables with manure tea or fish emulsion when they are transplanted and every six weeks throughout the season for gradual and gentle feeding. Make manure tea by placing a container in the sun and filling it with one part manure and two parts water. Stir the mixture once a week. Within a month, a rich fertilizer tea will be ready to feed plants. Replenishing the container with manure and water after each use will maintain a ready supply throughout the season. Onion bulbs tend to split if the soil is alternately wet and dry early in the season during bulb formation, or if excessive nitrogen is applied during the two months before harvest. The weather from now through June is ideal for planting citrus, avocados, and other tender trees such as kiwis, kumquats, and pomegranates. In frost-free areas, also try cherimoya, guava, mango, and passion fruit. For containers, be sure to choose dwarf types. For the best choice in citrus, look for trees with many strong branches, a smooth graft union, and deep green leaves. Prune frost-damaged wood once the plant or tree has completely leafed out and you can easily see just what wood is dead. If you're in doubt, wait another month to avoid pruning wood which was just late in leafing out. By mid-summer, any remaining deadwood will be obvious. Feed all trees heavily for strong growth and good fruit production. Topdress them with compost and fertilizers high in nitrogen (fish emulsion, chicken manure, cottonseed meal, blood meal), and phosphorus (bone meal and rock phosphate). Keep composts, manures, and fertilizers away from tree trunks. Start thinning excess fruit set on trees and vines for better-developed remaining fruit and grapes with less strain on the tree or vine. This is especially important for those trees bearing fruit for the first or second time. Allow a spacing of five inches between peaches on opposite sides of the branch, and three inches between plums and apricots. Thin peaches before the fruit reaches almond-size for the greatest benefit in size and flavor of the remaining fruit. Be ruthless in your thinning: the fruits are small now but will take lots of energy to mature, and you don't want to stress the tree or vine to produce fruit you won't eat because there's too much ripening at one time. Paint tree trunks with light-colored indoor latex paint to prevent sunburn damage. Use an inexpensive brand, or thin down an expensive one to a solution of half water and half paint. This is the one time when "cheap" is best. Oranmentals Fields of California poppy are easy at home, and they reseed for repeat color in late-summer and fall. Photo by Yvonne Savio, © UC Regents, 2000. Sow or transplant all summer annual and perennial flowers. These include agapanthus, ageratums, alyssum, globe amaranth, amaryllis, asters, baby's breath, bachelor's buttons, balsam, beebalm, fibrous begonia, bougainvilleas, calendulas, campanula (canterbury bells), candytuft, carnations, celosia (cockscomb), chrysanthemums, cineraria, coleus, columbine, coreopsis, coralbells, cosmos, English and glorios |
|
|
Posted: Mar/31/2008 7:35 PM PST
Quote: Originally posted by marymary That is some great info, I am just about to plant a redd grapefruit, Mandarin, Navel, and Tangelo tree. All dwarf except for the red grapefruit. I'm going to plant them at my mother in laws next to her side fence. Yummy! Can't wait for your updates &/or photos marymary.
|
|
|
Posted: Mar/01/2009 5:30 PM PST
just another reminder http://www.mastergardeners.org/ takes you to other mastergardener programs. http://www.mastergardeners.org/tips/march.html March Gardening Topics Frost in March? Frost can still occur in March and it is especially hard on tender new growth. First and last frost dates for Santa Clara County are November 15 and March 15. Always wait to prune out frost damage until after all threat of frost is past. You will often be surprised at how much has survived. Early pruning can also lead to further dieback along stems and branches. . Seeding for your Vegetable Garden Starting your own seedlings is fun, easy and can please your taste buds too. You can select vegetables that are grown for a particular flavor such as heirloom varieties, many of which are not offered in garden centers. Planning a garden now allows you to consider all the factors needed for success, including location, soil conditions, and how they affect plant selections. . There are two ways to start your seeds: direct sow straight into your garden or indoor sow. Direct sowing is easy for some plants such as peas, corn, beans, and squash. Tomatoes, eggplants and peppers are best started indoors and then planted in the ground after they are developed and sturdy. Three factors influence germination: water, temperature, and light. Information found on the seed packages will show which conditions are best for germination. . Peppers need high soil temperature (70°—78° F) for optimal germination. This can be attained indoors using a heating pad. |
|
|
Posted: Mar/01/2009 5:30 PM PST
http://www.mastergardeners.org/tips/march.html Weed Management "One-year seeding makes seven years weeding." Can that really be true? Yes and the reason lies in the genetics of seeds. They are programmed to sprout under a variety of cultural conditions. Most sprout under normal conditions. However, some will remain dormant, sometimes for years, before germinating under unusual conditions such as during a drought or after a long winter or fire. This mechanism helps ensure the survival of the species. It certainly ensures that you need to get out and pull your weeds before they go to seed! . Right now is the best time to weed because the weeds are small and have not gone to seed and the soil is moist so you can get the whole root system. The most effective way to remove weeds is by hoeing and hand pulling. . Rather than applying pre-emergent herbicides, read Weed Management in Landscapes, Pest Note 7441. You will also find information about specific weeds, including dandelions, creeping wood sorrel, purslane, annual bluegrass, field bindweed, spotted spurge and Bermuda grass. . Excellent information is also available in the Weed Science chapter of the California Master Gardeners Handbook, a book available for purchase at the UCCE Santa Clara County Master Gardener Program office by calling 408-282-3105. . Save Money on Irrigation Consider various forms of irrigation conversion! Irrigation systems, especially drip and micro-sprinklers, have drastically improved over the last few years. For example, there are kits that convert pop-up sprinkler heads to low-flow systems. The conversion kits include a pressure regulator to control changes in pressure and a filter to improve water quality. Water usage is reduced through better water management; control of distribution and less loss from evaporation. Other advantages include water is placed more accurately and efficiently in the root zone; it is applied at a slow rate that reduces loss from runoff; and dry soil between plants allows you to work in the garden between irrigating. The key to success is watering long enough to supply adequate water to the root zone. As with any irrigation system, they are efficient only when regularly monitored for proper watering conditions. |
|
|
Posted: Mar/01/2009 5:31 PM PST
http://www.mastergardeners.org/tips/march.html Citrus Housekeping Do not start working on your citrus trees until at least March 15 and after new growth has appeared. They are particularly subject to frost damage when leafing out so pruning before the last frost could increase the amount of dieback of your plant. Compared to many ornamental trees, citrus generally need less pruning. Judicious pruning should include removal of dead, diseased or broken branches and some thinning if the tree gets very dense. . Yellowing of leaves (chlorosis) may indicate a nutrient deficiency. Yellowing of older leaves can be an indication that the tree needs more nitrogen and inter-veinal (between leaf veins) chlorosis usually indicates a micronutrient deficiency such as iron or manganese Until the soil warms in the spring, the roots may not find the nutrients available. Foliar application of chelated micronutrients allows absorption anytime of year. A great new resource for the home orchard grower is Home Orchard: Growing Your Own Deciduous Fruit and Nut Trees. |
|
|
Posted: Mar/01/2009 5:32 PM PST
Quote: Originally posted by marymary That is some great info, I am just about to plant a redd grapefruit, Mandarin, Navel, and Tangelo tree. All dwarf except for the red grapefruit. I'm going to plant them at my mother in laws next to her side fence. Updates?
|
 |
Posted: Mar/03/2009 12:58 PM PST
Just a point of interest about strawberries. My son works at a strawberry stand where they grow their own right there next to Cerritos college. They started picking and selling strawberries Jan 11th, 2009 |
† Requires Javascript
Copyright © 1997-2009 Demand Media. All rights reserved.
