Southern California Coastal & Inland Valleys
August, 2009
Regional Report
Favorite or New Plant
Cover Crops
If you're not going to have a winter garden, cover crops are an excellent alternative, even for home gardeners with small plots. Good choices include alfalfa, soybeans, fava beans, winter rye, and winter wheat. Dig or till them in next spring two or three weeks before planting so the "green manure" will have time to decompose and not "burn" seeds or delicate seedling roots.
Clever Gardening Technique
Garden Colander
Replace the bottom of a wooden box with half-inch hardware cloth or chicken wire for use as a colander. Collect fresh-picked vegetables in the box, and rinse them off to remove excess soil. The soil will remain in the garden, and only final cleaning will be necessary indoors.
