Southern California Coastal & Inland Valleys
February, 2007
Regional Report
Sow Veggies
Sow beets, caraway, celery, carrots, chard, chervil, chives, collards, cilantro, dill, endive, fennel, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuces, mustards, green onions, bulb onion sets, flat-leafed parsley, peas, white potatoes, radishes, shallots, spinaches, and turnips. Indoors, start eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes as a promise to yourself that warm times are truly coming.
Plant Potatoes
Place potatoes in a 4-inch-deep trench amended well with compost, and cover the cut-and-calloused pieces or small whole tubers with more compost to the original soil level. Water lightly, just to settle the soil close to the seed pieces. Too much water will rot them.
Select Suitable Carrot Varieties
When choosing carrot varieties, consider the heaviness of your soil. Sow short stubby carrots in heavy clay soils, and longer tapered ones in looser sandy soil. Tips of the fine tap roots will grow 4 to 6 inches further down than the edible portion.
Apply Last Dormant Spray
The last dormant spray should be applied by mid-month. The precise timing of this application is critical -- before the buds swell is too early, and after the blossoms open is too late. The ideal time is when the buds are swollen but don't yet show color. Once the buds open, the damage has already been done.
Fertilize Landscape Plants
Feed ground covers, shrubs, roses, perennials, and trees with slow-release fertilizer (compost, bonemeal, cottonseed meal, blood meal, or well-rotted manure) to provide plants with consistent and gradual nutrition throughout the season.
