Southern California Coastal & Inland Valleys Regional Report http://www.garden.org/regional/report/current/4 en-us Last Frost Signals Planting Time for Later Eating http://www.garden.org/regional/report/arch/4008 January 31 is the average last frost date for our flatland areas, with some adjustment for the higher foothills and lower seaside areas, and therefore the best time to begin starting seeds of vegetables for eating in the upcoming seasons. The...
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Resources

  • Plant Propagation for Homeowners
  • Keep Your Compost Cooking

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Reminders

  • Plant Grapes and Berry Plants
  • Plant Bareroot Fruit and Nut Trees, But Not Citrus
  • Prune Cane Berries
  • Wait to Prune Frosted Plants
  • Hold Off Pruning Spring Bloomers!

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]]> Favorite Online Seed Catalogs http://www.garden.org/regional/report/arch/4007 I asked our LA County Master Gardeners and other local gardening friends for their favorite seed catalogs, and these were their choices, listed in alphabetical order and including this information: * Name of catalog or company * Website *...
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Resources

  • Mushroom Identification
  • Fruit Tree Dormant Spray

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Reminders

  • Plant Cole Crops Deeper
  • Plant Artichoke, Asparagus, and Rhubarb
  • Prune Dormant Fruit Trees
  • Prune Roses
  • Plant New Roses

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]]> Frost Protection and Other Winter Tasks http://www.garden.org/regional/report/arch/3972 Tender trees and plants need protection from frost. For citrus, which don't go dormant, wrap trunks in newspaper, and cover the foliage with plastic sheeting. Support the plastic away from the foliage, as it conducts frost and the leaves it touches...
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Resources

  • Rose Pruning
  • Clean Tools

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Reminders

  • Plastic Helps Germination
  • Feed Late-Winter Bloomers
  • Give Houseplants a Rest
  • Tarp That Compost!
  • Make Garden Notes

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]]> Wreaths, Garlands, Valances, Table Decorations http://www.garden.org/regional/report/arch/3971 Resplendent in fruits and leaves of the season, graced with velvet and ribbons, or simply highlighted with a solitary ornament, these glories are easy to make and wonderful to receive. Like giving certain flowers to imply messages -- love with a...
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Resources

  • Norfolk Island Pines and Colorful Plants
  • Plastic as Chill and Frost Protection

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Reminders

  • Plant Asparagus Crowns at Different Depths
  • Prune When No Leaves Left
  • Take Care When Transplanting
  • Clean up Garden Debris
  • Mine the Garden for Decorative Treasures

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]]> Don't Forget the Garlic! http://www.garden.org/regional/report/arch/3970 If life isn't worth living without the richness of garlic, now's your time of year -- it's garlic planting time! But do so soon, certainly by mid-month! Planted during fall's cool weather, the cloves will develop strong root systems before they...
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Resources

  • Water Began It All
  • Cold Roots

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Reminders

  • Harvest Outer Leaves Only
  • Make Your Next Dormant Spray
  • Plant More Spring-Blooming Bulbs
  • Continue Winter Irrigation
  • Set Up Bird Feeding Stations

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]]> Fall Color Means Mums http://www.garden.org/regional/report/arch/3952 One of my great fall delights is the chrysanthemum. The wide variety of blossom shapes, sizes, and colors is astonishing and a real seasonal boon when growing and blooming in the garden and in containers, as well as displayed in vases indoors....
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Resources

  • Mum Images
  • Toast Birdseed

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Reminders

  • Time Fruit Tree Sprays Properly
  • Give Water and No-Nitrogen Fertilizer for Best Frost Protection
  • Prepare Soil for Rain
  • Let The Sun Shine In
  • Rearrange Houseplants

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]]> Perennial Delight: Strawberries http://www.garden.org/regional/report/arch/3951 The highlight of the season in my garden -- besides removing the old summer plants and getting new fall veggies in -- is transplanting strawberries. Strawberries are plentiful growers as well as food producers. The plants multiply so well over a...
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Resources

  • Huntington Ranch Symposium: Only At Home
  • Saffron Crocus

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Reminders

  • Transplant Cole Crops Deeply
  • Don't Trim Green Asparagus Ferns
  • Pick Citrus When You'll Eat It
  • Trim Roses Lightly
  • Give Lawns a Slow-Release Feeding

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]]> Checklist for Fall Flower Garden http://www.garden.org/regional/report/arch/3919 Since August I've been gradually repotting all my succulents in pots. Retrieving them from overgrown masses and from under bushes and my nursery area, I've been enthusiastically ripping them apart, sharing them with friends, and repotting them all...
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Resources

  • Lawn Still a Favorite?
  • Garbage Can Tops as Weed Collectors or Harvesters

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Reminders

  • Harvest Herbs for Holiday Decor or Presents
  • Harvest Pumpkins and Other Squash
  • Help Citrus and Avocado Harden Off
  • Thin Azalea and Camellia Blossom Buds
  • Discard, Don't Burn Oleander Prunings

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]]> Starting Fall and Winter Edibles http://www.garden.org/regional/report/arch/3918 In the summer, I'm a tomato fiend, with 20 to 30 varieties growing in my garden. During the winter I'm a lettuce fiend. Adding the beets, chards, kales, kohlrabi, cauliflower, spinach, pak choi, peas, cilantro, and parsley, I'm depending on another 30...
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Resources

  • UC Riverside Plant Sale
  • Knife as Planting or Harvesting Tool

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Reminders

  • Sample Broccoli Choices
  • Plant Garlic Now for Huge Heads in Spring
  • Harvest Potatoes Now or Leave Them
  • Plan for Posies With Bulb Blooms
  • Change the Frequency, not the Duration of Irrigation

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]]> Last Summer Fruit Tree Pruning http://www.garden.org/regional/report/arch/3896 Pruning fruit trees down to easy harvestable height during the summer encourages new growth further down in the tree. The time to do it is immediately following the harvest. This time frame can extend through the entire summer, depending on type of...
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Resources

  • Southern California Native Plant Sale & Fall Festival
  • Compost Turns Trash to Treasure!

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Reminders

  • Keep Sowing Through Thanksgiving!
  • Keep Seedbeds Moist
  • Grow Kale as Edible Cover Crop
  • Transplant Ornamentals
  • Give Roses a Last Pruning and Feeding

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]]> Fall Already? http://www.garden.org/regional/report/arch/3895 I can't believe it's moving into fall and I'm thinking about overwintering crops and posies. Except for those two short spurts of near-100 degree heat, we never really had a hot summer. Which I found really pleasant to live in, but disappointing that...
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Resources

  • Fall Color in Southern California
  • Sunflower Stalk Trellises

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Reminders

  • Sow or Transplant Lots!
  • Utilize Self-Sowers
  • Signal Veggies to Finish Ripening
  • Plant the Last Fruit and Shade Trees
  • Plant California Wildflowers

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