Regional Reminders
January 3, 2008
Southern California Coastal & Inland Valleys
By
Yvonne Savio,
Pasadena, CA
Sow These Veggies Outdoors
Some seeds will sprout outdoors even in the cold if given a little time. These include chard, kale, leeks, bibb and iceberg lettuces, mustards, green and bulb onions, flat-leaf parsley, peas, radishes, and savoy spinach.
Sow These Veggies Indoors
Sow more of the same seeds indoors as transplants, and add broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, chamomile, caraway, cauliflower, chervil, chives, coriander (cilantro), dill, fennel, lettuces, marjoram, mint, oregano, curly-leaf parsley, sage, spinach, tarragon, and thyme.
Plant Garlic and Onion Sets
You can still plant garlic cloves, bulb onion sets, and shallots where they will be able to dry out for a month before harvest next summer. However, since we've had some good rain, move the soil as little as possible as you plant the bulbs to avoid compacting it. Remove a full scoopful with a small hand trowel, place the clove/set/bulb in, and gently crumble the soil back on top. Sprinkle just to settle the soil around the clove or set.
Scatter Posies Outdoors
Outside sow ageratums, alyssum, bachelor's buttons, calendulas, candytuft, celosia, columbines, coreopsis, English daisies, delphiniums, dianthus, forget-me-nots, four-o-clocks, hollyhocks, larkspur, lunaria, pansies, California and Shirley poppies, salvias, snapdragons, stocks, sweet peas, sweet william, and native wildflowers.
Sow Flower Seeds Indoors
In a warm and brightly lit but not necessarily sunny place, sow asters, balsam, cosmos, African daisies, dianthus, gaillardias, impatiens, lobelia, marigolds, nicotiana, petunias, phlox, statice, verbena, and vincas.
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