Peach on left is fully set with fruit.  Branch on right has been thinned so individual fruits can develop fully without rubbing on each other.

     This week’s surprise drizzles and cloudiness are perfect for continuing to sow seeds and transplant seedlings of summer veggies and flowers. The mildness of the cloud cover and rain make tender baby plants’ growing easy to get established and develop their root systems out into the garden’s native soil for nutrition and moisture. This month is ideal for these encouraging conditions, so take advantage of getting your plants in the soil or containers before the summer heat is upon us and the plants start getting stressed.
 
Last Chance for Cool-Season Veggies
     My last sowing of lettuces and bok choy and peas are in the ground just in case this mild weather extends far enough into May and June to allow enough harvesting to make it worthwhile making the effort.
     I also started a batch of asparagus seed, and the baby plants are now about 2 inches tall.  In another couple of weeks, I’ll transplant them into their well-amended bed to develop over the summer and fall and then put up new shoots next spring.  But I probably won’t harvest any until the following spring, since I want them to get really strongly established before robbing them of any energy by harvesting even a couple of shoots.
 
Third Planting of Tomatoes
     Early in February, I found 3 volunteer tomato plants coming up amongst my beets.  Since they had germinated on their own – probably from the compost that I’d incorporated in January before sowing the beets – I knew the soil was warm enough for me to start buying some of the tomato varieties that I grow every year and are generally already available at nurseries.
     Later that month on my first forays to nurseries for tomato plants, I brought home 2 Sungold cherry plants and 3 Celebrities, which I set on top of the soil to acclimate to the area for a week, and then planted on March 3.  The Sungolds are now about 3 feet tall, so I’m letting them set their blossoms.
     Three weeks later, on March 20, I planted the 14 plants I’d purchased at my local Fig Nursery from its Tomatomania sale.  Those plants are now about 20 inches tall.  I’ll wait until they grow another foot before I let them set their blossoms, to make sure their root systems are extensive and deep.
     This last weekend I purchased another 6 plants from the Tomatomania sale at Descanso Gardens, and planted them. 
     With these multiple plantings over 2 months’ time of varieties with varying maturity ranges, I’ve guaranteed continuous harvests through the summer and into the fall.  
     Here’s who I’m growing this year:  Atomic Fusion, Black Cherry, Black Krim, Black Russian, Black Zebra, Brad’s Atomic Grape, Brandy Boy, Carbon, Celebrity, Cherokee Carbon, Cherokee Chocolate, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra, Indigo Gold Berries, Isis Candy,  Jaune Flamme, Kellogg’s Breakfast, Paul Robeson, Pineapple, Stupice, Sungold, and then whoever those volunteers become….
 
Plant Everything by Mid-May
     In the past – before our several years of drought and those couple of torrid days of 116 degrees each year – I used to plant yet another batch of tomatoes and squash and beans and cukes in late May or early June, to carry our harvests through the heat of summer. 
     But, with the advent of those droughty years, I found that I couldn’t even keep those plants alive – much less thrive -- even with extra effort and expense of more frequent watering. 
     So, now, I make a point to get everything planted in April or early May to enable root systems to develop deeply into the soil so they’ll be strong enough to withstand summer’s heat. 
     All more the case this year, since we’ve had not even 6 inches of rain so far, with nary a promise for more!
 
For more gardening tasks and opportunities, go to April.

Several roses blooming after last October's pruning.

Several brassicas going to seed.  Fortunately, the foliage - including the blossoms themselves - is still tender and sweet, great raw for salads and stir-fried or cooked. 

Four variations of Ferraria crispa.  Although each bloom lasts only one day, each stem has a couple of dozen that open gradually.  The whole display may last a month.

Several freesia colors.

Scilla peruviana, Portuguese squill. 

Four camellias blooming.

     With this week’s daytime temperatures topping 90 degrees every day, and nighttime temperatures above 60, it appears that we’re finally moving into summertime.  My first beans, cukes, and squash have germinated, and my tomatoes are well up to the second rung on their cages and putting out blossoms.  So I thought I’d provide these warm-season-plant-problems-and-solutions tips earlier in the season so you can be ahead of the curve in checking out your plants and taking care of any issues. 

Previous Blogs you may want to refer to, about everyone's favorite veggie - TOMATOES - are:
6/17/20 Tomato Growing Problems and Solutions
3/20/20 Happy Spring!  Transplanting Tomatoes Technique 
 
Beans
PROBLEM:   Healthy  plants that drop their blossoms or stop setting  them  may be strained from a previously heavy harvest,  or some overmature pods may still remain on the plant, thus inhibiting the setting of new fruit.  Too much nitrogen fertilizer can also contribute, as can hot weather over 85 degrees and low soil moisture.  After air temperatures return to below 85 degrees, it may take another two weeks for plants to set new blossoms.
SOLUTION:  Make sure to harvest all pods as they mature, and wait for new pods to set.   Incorporate a balanced fertilizer, and sidedress with a low-nitrogen fertilizer.   Plant  early in the season to avoid hot weather during the blossoming period, and water deeply and more frequently.
 
PROBLEM:  Bacterial blight  spreads quickly on wet foliage and is evidenced by large brown spots on leaves and water-soaked spots on pods.
SOLUTION:  Pull up and destroy (don’t compost) affected plants.  Avoid handling wet foliage.
 
PROBLEM:   Leaves with small red or black blisters that turn yellow,  dry  up, and drop are affected by rust.
SOLUTION:  Plant resistant varieties.   Destroy diseased plants after harvest.  Use new stakes for climbing varieties.  Avoid handling foliage when the plants are wet.
 
PROBLEM:  Beans become shriveled and limp when they have received insufficient irrigation.
SOLUTION:  Beans should never dry out.  Never handle the plants, however, when the foliage is wet.                 
 
Corn
PROBLEM:  If plants grow slowly early in the season,  the climate is still too cool.
SOLUTION:   Cover  plants  with hotcaps to retain heat, or  wait  for  warmer weather to sow the seed.
 
PROBLEM:   Leaves  that roll upwards indicate that the plant  needs  immediate irrigation.
SOLUTION:   Irrigate more deeply and frequently to keep soil consistently moist.   Provide organic mulches  to retain soil moisture.
 
PROBLEM:   Leaves  that  develop green and yellow striping at their  base  are deficient  in  zinc.   This occurs more frequently on wet heavy soils  in  the early spring and may be due to excessive phosphorous.
SOLUTION:  Incorporate manure.
 
PROBLEM:  Leaves that appear streaked are deficient in potash,  especially  if the plants are grown on very light soil that is easily leached.
SOLUTION:  Incorporate manure,  seaweed,  wood ashes, greensand, granite dust, non-woody plant residues, manure, or compost to aerate the soil.
 
PROBLEM:  Yellow striping on leaves indicate a manganese deficiency, especially on soils with a pH above 6.7. 
SOLUTION:  Incorporate manure that includes micronutrients.
 
PROBLEM:  Reddish streaks on leaves point to a phosphorus deficiency.
SOLUTION:  Sidedress with a complete fertilizer.
 
PROBLEM:  Holes can be chewed in leaves by various insects.
SOLUTION:  Ignore the damage unless it is severe,  or handpick and destroy the insects.  The loss of a small amount of leaf will not reduce the yield.
 
PROBLEM:  Stunted plants with speckled leaves and ears that are filled but may have missing kernels have sugar cane mosaic.
SOLUTION:  Plant resistant varieties.
 
PROBLEM:   Stalks that fall over after a moderate wind,  especially after rain or irrigation,  need to have their roots anchored better. 
SOLUTION:   Corn is naturally shallow-rooted and needs to have soil hilled  up around  the base of the stalks.   Add more every two weeks until tasseling  begins.   This extra soil also serves as a mulch to retain moisture.
 
PROBLEM:   Corn earworms are bright green to purplish-brown worms that may  be present  on the silks or eating their way down through the kernels at the  tip of the ears.   Brown,  sawdust-like material close to the damaged area  accompanies the worm.
SOLUTION:   Plant  resistant varieties as early in the season as  possible  to avoid higher populations later in the summer.   Apply Bt, lime, or mineral oil to  silks  just inside the tip of each ear as soon as the silks have begun  to turn brown.  Applying these sooner will interfere with pollination and  result in poorly-filled ears.   In hot,  dry weather,  however, the oil may spoil the ears.   Encourage lacewings,  toads, spiders, and ladybird beetles.  Break off and  destroy  the damaged portions of the ears.   Destroy (don’t compost) the ears or portions which  have been damaged to prevent the worm from maturing.
 
PROBLEM:   Small  ears that are poorly filled with incompletely  developed  or shriveled kernels - but with no insect damage - result from poor  pollination, insufficient irrigation (especially from silking through harvest), hot weather or  high winds from two to three weeks before harvest,  or planting a  variety that is not adapted to the area.
SOLUTION:  Plant corn at least four rows wide and long to encourage pollination by breeze.   Water and fertilize the corn well,  as it is a heavy drinker and feeder. Grow varieties that are appropriate to your area.
 
PROBLEM:   Kernels that are tough and doughy, somewhat shrunken, and taste starchy haven’t been watered enough. 
SOLUTION:   Irrigate corn deeply for the approximately three weeks  from  when the  silks  first appear until they dry up and the kernels are full  of  milky juice.   If the corn is not harvested during this milk stage,  its sugar turns into starch.
 
PROBLEM:   Large gnarled galls that are greyish-white to black are from a smut infestation  that thrives in hot,  dry weather.   Late-maturing corn  is  more susceptible.
SOLUTION:   Plant fungus-disease-resistant seeds early in the season on a  three-year rotation  of  crops.   Remove and destroy affected plants as soon as they  are noticed, and keep the powder from spreading.  Do not compost. Huitlacoche is prized in the Hispanic and Latino culture.
 
Cucumber Family:  Cucumber, Pumpkin, Squash
PROBLEM:  When vines wilt, and leaves have small specks which turn yellow, and brown, the squash bug has infected the plant.
SOLUTION:   Handpick  and destroy the adults and their  egg  clusters.   Plant resistant varieties.   Rotate crops.   Apply wood ashes or an ash-water spray.  Squash bugs hate catnip,  pink petunias,  radishes,  marigolds, orange nasturtiums, and tansy, so planting these will provide garden beauty while deterring the  bugs.   Plant  new  crops as far away as possible  from  the  previously-infested crop.  Trellised plants are less susceptible. 
 
PROBLEM:  Leaves that are eaten may have been enjoyed by the cucumber beetle.
SOLUTION:  Plant late in the season.  Cultivate the soil thoroughly, and mulch heavily.  Dust plants with rotenone for a serious infestation.  Striped cucumber beetles love goldenrod more than cucumbers, melons, and pumpkins, so plant some of these as sacrificial attractants.   Interplant with catnip, radish, or tansy.  Natural enemies are the soldier beetle, braconid wasp, and nematode.
 
PROBLEM:  If plants suddenly wilt,  have parts chewed, and yellow sawdust-like deposits are at the base of the stems, the squash vine borer is in residence.
SOLUTION:  Make succession plantings. Slit the stems and remove and destroy the borer.   Cover the damaged area and every fifth leaf node with soil to encourage rooting,  so that the vine will continue to grow beyond the slit.  Destroy (don’t compost) all vines after harvest.
 
PROBLEM:  When mature plants are healthy but no blossoms or fruit set after  a particularly  heavy  harvest or some mature fruits still remain on the  plant, the plants are just temporarily resting from their exertion.
SOLUTION:  Harvest as fruits ripen, even if they will not be used immediately.
 
PROBLEM:  Blossoms that appear but don't set fruit,  or the fruits shrivel and fall off,  may result from several causes.  Early-season flowers are male, and female  blossoms will follow and set properly.   Blooming and fruit  set  will resume about a week after night temperatures that were too cool or too hot, or an unusually heavy fruit set.  In addition, lack of moisture, poor soil fertility, too much shade, and various diseases may also contribute. 
SOLUTION:   Fruit  should  set properly later in the  season.   Irrigate  more frequently and deeply to keep soil evenly moist.  Incorporate a complete fertilizer.
 
PROBLEM:  Cucumbers that taste bitter, especially just under the skin and more deeply  at  the stem end,  may be due to older  varieties,  overmature  fruit, alternately hot and dry temperatures,  daily temperature fluctuations that are greater  than 20 degrees,  excessive nitrogen,  or irregular growth  resulting from inadequate or infrequent moisture.
SOLUTION:  Choose newer varieties.  Irrigate more deeply and frequently during hot,  dry weather,  and harvest fruit when it is ready.  For eating,  cut  and discard the bitter end portions,  and heat the cucumbers for one minute in boiling water to draw off the bitterness, then discard the water.
 
PROBLEM:  Misshapen fruits can result from inadequate moisture,  poor pollination,  or confined development.  When the weather is too cool or too hot, bees are  not available,  and pollination is not complete.   When blossoms cling to the  fruit after overhead watering,  or the fruit is confined in the  foliage, fruit development is restricted, and odd shapes result. 
SOLUTION:   Irrigate  more  deeply and  frequently,  and  underneath  foliage. Encourage  bees  to your garden by  providing  blue-flowering  plants.   Avoid overhead  watering during blossoming.   Provide trellises or other support  to release fruits from being bound in the plant foliage.
 
PROBLEM:  Scab,  which thrives in foggy, cool weather, causes dry, corky spots on fruit,  leaves,  and stems.   Sap oozes from the fruits,  and greenish mold develops.
SOLUTION:   Pull up and destroy (don’t compost) infected plants immediately.   Plant resistant varieties.   Rotate the crop so that they are not grown in the same soil  more frequently than every three years.
 
PROBLEM:   Squash and pumpkins that rot during storage were probably not  sufficiently cured or properly stored - or are next to ones that are spoiling.
SOLUTION:   Let the fruit mature completely before harvesting,  and cure  them thoroughly.  Store in a dry place out of direct sun at 40 to 60 degrees.
 
Melons:  Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Muskmelon, Watermelon
PROBLEM:   When vines wilt and leaves have small specks which turn yellow  and brown, the squash bug has infected the plant.
SOLUTION:  Handpick the adults and their egg clusters.  Plant resistant varieties.   Rotate crops.   Apply wood ashes or an ash-water spray.   Squash  bugs hate pink petunias,  radishes,  orange nasturtiums, and marigolds, so planting them will provide garden beauty while deterring the bugs. 
 
PROBLEM:  Melons taste bitter when they ripen in cold, wet weather. 
SOLUTION:  Plant melons so that they mature in warm weather.
 
Peppers and Eggplants
PROBLEM:  Leaves roll downwards, but there is no yellowing or stunting. 
SOLUTION:  Nothing is needed, as the fruit yield will not be affected.
 
PROBLEM:   Plants  that  grow very slowly and either don't set blooms  or  the blooms  drop off are suffering from weather that is too cool.
SOLUTION:   Wait until warmer weather to plant,  or provide hotcaps to concentrate the warmth.
 
PROBLEM:  When mature plants are lush, but no fruit sets, too much nitrogen is the problem.
SOLUTION:   Incorporate  a balanced fertilizer  when  planting,  and  sidedress several times during the growing season with a low-nitrogen fertilizer.
 
PROBLEM:   Pepper blossoms or young fruit drop when plants have been  stressed from  lack  of water,  air temperatures above 85 degrees,  too many mature fruits not  yet harvested, or magnesium deficiency.
SOLUTION:   Peppers  are only moderately deep-rooted and recover  slowly  from drought injury.   Harvest fruits,  and blossoms will begin setting  again.   A solution  of one tablespoon of Epsom salts to one quart of water sprayed  onto leaves  and  blossoms several times through the bearing season will aid  fruit set.
 
PROBLEM:  Peppers may be eaten from the inside by pepper maggots.
SOLUTION:  Destroy (don’t compost) the affected fruit.   Spray adult flies (yellow with  brown bands on wings) with rotenone before they lay maggot eggy in the peppers.
 
PROBLEM:  Eggplant fruit have brownish spots of rot that are especially severe during wet weather.
SOLUTION:   Plant  resistant varieties.  Rotate so that they are not grown  on same soil more frequently than once in every 4 years.
 
Potatoes, Sweet
PROBLEM:   Stem rot causes young plants to die after transplanting,  and  survivors develop bright yellow leaves which pucker,  wilt,  and die.  Harvest is of poor quality. 
SOLUTION:   Plant certified seed of resistant pieces.   Rotate the crop  so that plants grow in the same soil only once in four years.  Avoid overcrowding and overfertilization.
 
PROBLEM:  Tubers that are long and thin have received too much nitrogen.
SOLUTION:  Incorporate a balanced fertilizer when planting, and sidedress with a low-nitrogen fertilizer.
 
PROBLEM:  Tubers with a brown to black surface discoloration that is only skin deep and can be scraped off easily have scurf.  It is most severe on heavy wet soils with a high level of manure.
SOLUTION:   Plant healthy sprouts from certified seed stock.  Incorporate compost to lighten the soil and provide better drainage.  Rotate the crop so that potatoes grow in the same soil only once every four years.   Eating quality is not harmed.
 
PROBLEM:   White mold starts on bruised areas and develops into  soft,  watery rot on stored tubers. 
SOLUTION:   Plant certified seed of resistant varieties.   Avoid  bruising tubers  during harvest.   Cure tubers in a dark,  humid,  and  well-ventilated atmosphere at 80 to 90 degrees for two weeks.  Store in a dry, well-ventilated area at 55 to 60 degrees.  Avoid overcrowding.
 
PROBLEM:   Tubers are rough and oddly shaped when they are grown in soil  that is too heavy.
SOLUTION:  Incorporate organic matter to lighten the soil texture.
 
PROBLEM:  Tubers are dry and rough-textured when they have endured alternately wet and dry conditions.
SOLUTION:  Irrigate deeper and more frequently.
 
Potatoes, White
PROBLEM:  Potatoes that fail to emerge after planting the seed pieces in  cold wet  soil  may  have rotted.   If the potatoes were purchased at  the  grocery store, they may have been sprayed with a sprout retardant.
SOLUTION:  Plant only certified seed of resistant pieces when the soil has warmed.  Incorporate compost to lighten the soil and provide better drainage. 
 
PROBLEM:  Potato tuberworm eats tunnels in the tubers, and the shoots wilt and die. 
SOLUTION:   Keep potato plants deeply hilled with soil.  Don't allow  soil  to crack.  Destroy infested vines and tubers.
 
PROBLEM:   Leafroll  virus  and net necrosis cause plants to  be  stunted  and markedly  yellow  and leaves to uniformly roll upward.  Cut tubers have  brown netting.
SOLUTION:  Plant only certified seed of resistant pieces.   Spray peach trees for  overwintering green peach aphid (the carrier).
 
PROBLEM:   Stunted  growth and leaves that turn yellow and brown  between  the veins and become brittle may be suffering from magnesium deficiency.
SOLUTION:  Incorporate dolomitic limestone or a handful of Epsom salts.
 
PROBLEM:  Rhizoctonia,  black scurf,  causes vines to suddenly wilt,  stems to have brown lesions,  and tubers to have irregular raised,  black,  hard bodies and  be  roughened in a cross-patched pattern.   It is more prevalent in  wet, cold, heavy, and poorly-drained soil.
SOLUTION:  Plant clean certified seed of resistant varieties.  Rotate the crop to  a  new area with cereal or corn crops on a five-year  basis.   Incorporate compost  to lighten the soil and provide better drainage.   Plant as  late  as possible in the season.
 
PROBLEM:   Tubers  crack  from sudden growth resulting from  heavy  irrigation after long drought conditions.
SOLUTION:  Water deeply and more frequently in dry weather.
 
PROBLEM:  Tubers are knobby-shaped or have cavities in their centers when they have undergone alternately wet and dry conditions.
SOLUTION:  Irrigate to keep soil more evenly moist.   Incorporate compost to lighten the soil and maintain a more even moisture.
 
PROBLEM:   Tubers  with corky scabs on their skin surfaces are  infected  with common  scab  that is most frequently a problem in  dry,  sandy,  or  gravelly  soils that are alkaline,  lacking in organic matter,  or have a high level  of fresh manure.
SOLUTION:  Plant resistant varieties.  Avoid using wood ashes,  lime, or fresh manure.   Potatoes are safe to eat after removing the scabby areas.  Incorporate  compost  to improve the soil texture and its ability to remain moist  but not wet.   Grow and turn under a green manure crop - the soil will become more acidic,  and rapidly decaying matter will encourage beneficial organisms  that compete with scab.  Rotate crops on 5-year basis.
 
PROBLEM:   Stored  tubers  become soft and rotten from infection  that  gained entrance through wounds inflicted during harvest and storage.
SOLUTION:  Avoid wounding tubers during harvest and storage.

Tomatoes
See my previous Blogs:
6/17/20 Tomato Growing Problems and Solutions
3/20/20 Happy Spring!  Transplanting Tomatoes Technique 



More Gardening Tips for This Month
See March and April.
​

    We're getting to the end of our cool growing season, with perhaps two more months of coolness before summer's heat blasts its way through our gardens.  Perhaps you've had some of the primary problems listed here regarding the main veggies we grow during the cool season, so you can benefit from some of the solutions.  If nothing else, you'll be aware of some things that may appear in future gardens, and now you'll know how to deal with them! ​
 
Asparagus

PROBLEM:   Plants  that turn tan or brown from their tops downward  have  been attacked by the asparagus beetle.
SOLUTION:   Hose  off  plants with a strong stream of water  to  dislodge  the beetles.   Remove and destroy the beetles and their larvae as soon as they are noticed.   Spray heavy infestations with rotenone.   Rotenone kills beneficial insects also,  so use only for really major infestations.   Plant tomatoes  as repellents.
 
PROBLEM:   Stems  and branches with reddish-brown spots have been infected  by asparagus rust.   The entire plant yellows,  weakens,  and dies.   Rust  needs dampness to germinate.
SOLUTION:   Plant resistant varieties.   Avoid damp or low-lying  areas.   Cut tops close to the soil, and destroy (don’t compost) them.
 
PROBLEM:   If  spears are thin and weak or do not come up at all,  the  plants have  been  weakened  by poor cultural care,  previous attack  by  insects  or disease, frost or drought, or they have been harvested too heavily previously.
SOLUTION:   Fertilize and irrigate the plants adequately.   Control damage  by pests  and  competition with weeds.   Mulch soil to protect  the  plants  from freezing  or  drought conditions.   Do not harvest until spears are  from  one quarter to three-eighths inch wide.  Limit harvest to allow plants to recover.
 
PROBLEM:   Spears that are tough are too mature,  or perhaps the soil was  too acid or not fertile enough.
SOLUTION:   Harvest when the spears are six to eight inches long.  The  plants are  heavy  feeders,  so  mulch them with lots of manure during  the  fall  or winter.  Rains and irrigation will then wash "manure tea" down to the roots. 
 
Beets

PROBLEM:   A  cracked root results from sudden growth after  heavy  irrigation following drought conditions.
SOLUTION:   Irrigate deeply and more frequently to keep soil evenly moist.   Provide organic mulches  to help retain moisture.
 
PROBLEM:  If the root is chewed,  root maggots or wireworms have been enjoying your beets.
SOLUTION:  Incorporate wood ashes into the soil.
 
PROBLEM:   Root is not sweet-tasting and become stringy and woody  when  it is  too mature or has matured late in the summer,  or when they haven't been watered adequately.
SOLUTION:  Water deeply and more frequently.  Harvest when roots are no larger than  one to two inches in diameter.   Plant them so that they  mature  during cool weather.
 
PROBLEM:  Roots that are too small have been sown too closely together. 
SOLUTION:   Each seed is a composite that will develop into several beets,  so allow enough  space when sowing,  and thin and eat the young beets.  Young beet greens make excellent raw or cooked additions to salads.
 
PROBLEM:   Roots  with  internal black spots suffer from a  boron  deficiency, which is most prevalent in dry, alkaline soils that are high in calcium.
SOLUTION:  Incorporate some borax into the soil.  
 
Cabbage Family:  Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kohlrabi

PROBLEM:   Plants  that wilt and fall over and have tunneled stems  and  roots have been feasted upon by the cabbage root maggot. 
SOLUTION:  Plant seeds early in the fall so they develop into large,  vigorous transplants  that  overwinter well and can be harvested early in  the  spring.  Protect seedlings with cheesecloth cover to prevent the adult black flies from laying their eggs in the surrounding soil.  Place collars around  transplants.  Dust with a mixture of lime and wood ashes or with diatomaceous earth - but be certain  to purchase only the type sold for garden use,  not that labeled  for swimming pool use.  Interplant with mint, rosemary, sage, and tomato.
 
PROBLEM:  When plants are stunted,  leaves yellow and wilt, and roots are misshapen and enlarged with club-shaped knots that rot and become slimy, clubroot is the problem. 
SOLUTION:   Plant healthy transplants of a resistant variety.   Rotate  crops.  Maintain  soil  pH  above 7 by sprinkling wood ashes around the  base  of  the plant. 
 
PROBLEM:   Plants  with foliage edges that appear burnt have been affected  by water stress and calcium deficiency,  especially on dry soils which are acidic or high in potassium.
SOLUTION:   Provide  plants  with sufficient water to  maintain  their  steady growth.   Calcium is not available to plants at a low pH.  Dolomitic limestone is a good source of lime and magnesium.  The finer the grade of the limestone, the faster it can break down in the soil, raise the pH, and enable the calcium to be utilized.   Incorporate bone meal,  gypsum,  and plant residues.  Rotate crops.
 
PROBLEM:   Cabbage  or brussels sprouts heads suddenly split  when  they  have grown  suddenly as a result of too much fertilizer or water after a  prolonged dry period, making the inner leaves grow faster than the outer leaves, so bursting their way through. 
SOLUTION:  Do not allow the soil to get too dry.   Apply water slowly at first after a dry period.
 
PROBLEM:   Cauliflower  heads  that look cracked and may have  leaves  growing through  the head may be overmature or subjected to excessive nitrogen or  hot or dry weather. 
SOLUTION:   Do not let the soil dry out.   Plant varieties appropriate to  the area so that they mature before the weather gets too hot.
 
PROBLEM:   Cauliflower  forms  heads when the plants are still  small  if  the weather gets too warm before there is sufficient plant development.
SOLUTION:   Plant earlier in the season so that plants can mature before  warm temperatures trigger heading.
 
PROBLEM:  If cauliflower heads are only the size of buttons,  nitrogen  deficiency or poor drainage may be at fault.
SOLUTION:  Apply a nitrogen fertilizer, and aerate the soil to improve drainage for the next crop.  The tiny heads won’t get any larger.
 
PROBLEM:  Cauliflower heads that are brown, stunted, deformed, hollow-stemmed, or with pithy cores may be suffering from boron deficiency.
SOLUTION:  Apply a complete fertilizer with micronutrients.
 
PROBLEM:   Cauliflower heads that turn yellow or brown have been sunburned  or frosted. 
SOLUTION:   Plant  cauliflower so that they mature before the  first  expected frost.   When the head is three inches across,  tie the outer leaves up around it, and harvest it from four to seven days later.
 
PROBLEM:   Foliage  that is deformed,  wilted,  and has whitish  or  yellowish spotting has been infected by the harlequin bug.
SOLUTION:   Handpick  and  destroy adults and egg  clusters.   Control  nearby weeds.  For severe infestations, spray with pyrethrum, rotenone, or sabadilla.  Rotenone  and  sabadilla kill beneficial insects also,  so use them  only  for really major infestations. 
 
PROBLEM:   Large ragged holes in the foliage and the presence of green  caterpillars indicate the presence of cabbage worms.
SOLUTION:  Handpick and destroy worms and egg clusters.  Spray with Bt (Dipel, Thuricide,  Biotrol) every seven to ten days.  The adult white butterfly moths will be deterred by planting hyssop,  pennyroyal,  rosemary,  sage, thyme, and wormwood.   Spray a diluted solution of ground leaves of these plants onto the crops,  reapplying after rains or overhead irrigation.  Spread cheesecloth over the crops and anchor it at the soil level to keep the moths from reaching  the crops to lay their eggs.
 
Carrots

PROBLEM:   Roots that are hairy,  forked,  or misshapen have been overwatered, overfertilized, or grown in rocky or cloddy soil. 
SOLUTION:   Plant  in raised beds.   Incorporate compost to lighten  soil  and improve drainage.
 
PROBLEM:   Cavities  in roots indicate water stress  and  calcium  deficiency, especially on dry soils which are acidic or high in potassium.
SOLUTION:   Provide  plants  with sufficient water to  maintain  their  steady growth.   Calcium is not available to plants at a low pH.  Dolomitic limestone is a good source of lime and magnesium.  The finer the grade of the limestone, the faster it can break down in the soil, raise the pH, and enable the calcium to be utilized.   Incorporate bone meal,  gypsum,  and plant residues.  Rotate crops.
 
PROBLEM:   Roots  that grow twisted around one another have been  planted  too closely together.
SOLUTION:  Sow carrots more thinly.  As they grow, thin them to an inch apart. 
 
Celery

PROBLEM:  Stunted plants with greenish or water-soaked spots on the leaves and sunken lesions on the stalks are infected by blight, which is favored by cool, moist weather, and easily spread by splashing water droplets. 
SOLUTION:   Use clean seed of resistant varieties.   Oversow seed that is more than two years old to compensate for lessened viability.   Avoid handling  wet foliage.
 
PROBLEM:   Pinkish,  water-soaked  areas on stalks which rot and taste  bitter have pink rot.
SOLUTION:  Plant resistant varieties.  Destroy infected plants.  Rotate crops.  Avoid planting where cabbage, celery, or lettuce has been planted.
 
PROBLEM:  Cracked stems indicate a boron deficiency,  especially in dry  soils with a pH above 6.8.
SOLUTION:  Incorporate lime, manure.  Irrigate deeply and more frequently.
 
PROBLEM:   A blackened central portion identifies blackheart and results  from calcium  deficiency in the young,  rapidly-growing leaves.   This occurs  more frequently  on  dry,  acidic  soils under stressful  growing  conditions - hot weather, alternately wet and dry soil, and high potassium levels.
SOLUTION:  Incorporate bone meal,  gypsum, and organic compost.  Mulch plants, and water deeply and more frequently to maintain high moisture levels.  If the soil  is  high in potassium,  avoid using wood ashes  and  manure.   Dolomitic limestone is a good source of lime and magnesium.   The finer the grade of the limestone,  the faster it can break down in the soil, raise the pH, and enable the calcium to be utilized.  Rotate crops.
 
Lettuce

PROBLEM:  Leaves that are bleached and paper thin have matured in weather that is too hot. 
SOLUTION:   Plant  summer-maturing varieties rather than try to  lengthen  the season for those that should mature in cool weather.
 
PROBLEM:   Tipburn causes foliage edges to appear burnt and results from water stress  and calcium deficiency,  especially on dry soils which are  acidic  or high  in potassium and on hot,  dry summer days after cloudy weather or  heavy irrigation.
SOLUTION:   Provide more regular deep watering.   Calcium is not available  to plants  in soils that are a low pH.   Dolomitic limestone is a good source  of lime and magnesium.   The finer the grade of the limestone,  the faster it can break down in the soil,  raise the pH,  and enable the calcium to be utilized.  Incorporate bone meal, gypsum, and organic matter.  Rotate crops.
 
PROBLEM:  Inner leaves of head lettuce that develop black and slimy edges is due to hot weather. 
SOLUTION:   Plant warm-season varieties for warm-season  maturing,  and  plant cool-season varieties so that they mature in cooler weather.
 
PROBLEM:   Lettuce that tastes bitter has matured when the weather is too hot. 
SOLUTION:   Plant the proper varieties for maturing at different  times.   Sow fewer  seeds at a time,  and sow them  one or two weeks apart,  so  that  they mature consecutively.   Harvest them promptly.  For eating, rinse the lettuce, shake  off  the excess water,  and let it sit in the refrigerator for  several days - the bitterness will dissipate.
 
PROBLEM:  Lettuce that goes to seed before it can be harvested was planted too late in the season.
SOLUTION:  Make successive plantings of varieties appropriate for your area so that they mature in different seasons and levels of light and heat.
 
Onion Family:  Chives, Garlic, Leek, Onion, Shallot

PROBLEM:  Plants send up flower stalks rather than forming bulbs when the bulb sets  were planted when they were too large,  planted too early,  or kept  too warm  for too long prior to planting;  the soil was allowed to become too dry; or there was a period of cold weather after plants were grown in warm  weather for six to ten weeks.
SOLUTION:   Plant  seeds  just before a frost period for a greater variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors.   Plant sets  which  are smaller  than one-half inch in diameter during or after frost  period.   Plant larger bulb sets for use as cool-weather green onions.   These will bolt (send up their seedstalk) with the  slightest  hint of warmth.   Water onions deeply and more  frequently  to maintain their steady growth. 
 
PROBLEM:   Plants stay small and do not produce bulbs if they have been insufficiently fertilized or irrigated,  or they are the wrong variety.   For example, bunching onions don't produce bulbs. 
SOLUTION:   Plant  bulbing varieties.   Apply a balanced  fertilizer  in  late spring,  and  water  onions  well until their tops turn brown and  fall  over, signaling maturation.
 
PROBLEM:   Plants that grow slowly and develop thick necks may result  from  a phosphorous deficiency or excessive nitrogen or water.
SOLUTION:   Incorporate  a  high-phosphorous fertilizer - bone  meal,  finely ground rock phosphate,  fish meal,  manure, compost, cottonseed meal, and soybean meal.  Incorporate organic matter to improve drainage. 
 
PROBLEM:  Leaves striped with yellow indicate a manganese  deficiency,  especially on soils with a pH above 6.7.
SOLUTION:  Incorporate manure.
 
PROBLEM:   Leaves  that  have whitish blotches streaked with silver  may  have thrips.   Heavily infested plants become stunted,  the leaves are bleached and die back,  and the necks grow abnormally thick.   Thrips are worst in hot, dry seasons.
SOLUTION:   Plant  tolerant and resistant varieties.   Dust with  diatomaceous earth.   Spray  with  a soap mixture or rotenone.   Keep the garden  clean  of weeds.
 
PROBLEM:   Leaves that are pale or greenish-yellow may be deficient in  nitrogen, perhaps from leaching out after long, wet periods.
SOLUTION:   Incorporate a high-nitrogen  fertilizer,  blood  meal,  cottonseed meal, manure, or compost.
 
PROBLEM:  Fluffy white rot begins at the base and spreads to the foliage,  and bulbs have a soft watery rot.
SOLUTION:  Destroy (don’t compost) diseased plant immediately.  Rotate crop to new soil.
 
PROBLEM:  Onion maggots tunnel cavities in the lower stem and bulb, and plants may  wilt and die.   Susceptibility is greatest with white varieties,  less so with yellow ones, and the least with red ones.
SOLUTION:  Plant seeds or sets throughout the garden, rather than in one area.  Add sand or wood ashes to the top layer of the planting area.   Spray the soil with  an oil-and-soap mixture.   Dust with diatomaceous  earth.   Destroy (don’t compost) the affected  plant before the maggots mature into flies and lay a new  generation of eggs.
 
PROBLEM:  If plants are stunted and roots are pinkish or red,  shriveled, and rotted,  the  plant  is infected with pink root fungus.   It is encouraged  by heavy, wet soils. 
SOLUTION:  Plant tolerant and resistant varieties on well-drained soil. Incorporate organic matter to improve drainage.   Once the soil is infested, do not grow any bulb crops there.
 
PROBLEM:   Rust  infection  is manifested by long pustules  of  bright  orange spores on the leaves. 
SOLUTION:  The fleshy parts are usually safe for eating,  but the foliage must be destroyed.  Rotate crops to soil that is not as rich in nitrogen.
 
PROBLEM:  Black spots on leaves and between the sections of bulbs indicates  a smut infection.  Young plants may have twisted leaves.
SOLUTION:  Plant healthy, resistant varieties.
 
PROBLEM:  Bulbs that are soft and have thin skins,  thick necks, and leaf tips that turn brown are deficient in potassium.
SOLUTION:  Incorporate a high-potassium fertilizer.
 
PROBLEM:  Bulbs with thin skins are deficient in copper.
SOLUTION:  Incorporate manure with micronutrients.
 
PROBLEM:   Outer  layers of harvested bulbs that become  bleached,  soft,  and slippery demonstrate sunscald damage that occurs when bulbs are harvested  and set out for their initial curing in direct sun on very hot, dry days.
SOLUTION:  Shield bulbs from direct exposure to the sun during curing.
 
PROBLEM:   Mature  bulbs and sets develop sunken,  spongy areas  around  their necks when they are infected by neck rot fungus.  White varieties are extremely  susceptible.   The fungus is encouraged by insufficient curing and  fertilizer that is applied late in the season. 
SOLUTION:  Plant healthy sets of early-maturing,  thin-necked varieties.  Pungent  varieties  are less susceptible than mild-tasting ones.   Do  not  apply fertilizer late in the season.   Incorporate organic matter.  Cure bulbs thoroughly  at warm temperatures with good ventilation but out of the direct  sun.  Store them in a cool,  dry area with good air circulation.   Examine the bulbs frequently,  and remove those that are spoiled.   Store thick-necked varieties separately  from thin-necked ones,  and eat them soon after harvest,  as  they will not cure sufficiently for long storage.
 
Peas

PROBLEM:   Semi-circular  notches  on  the margins  of  leaves  are  tell-tale munchings of the pea leaf weevil.
SOLUTION:  Serious damage occurs only until the six-leaf stage.
 
PROBLEM:   Plants  that  are healthy but don't set blooms may be  affected  by excessive  nitrogen,  a previously heavy set,  or overmature pods  that  still remain on the plant.
SOLUTION:  Flush out excessive nitrogen with a one-time very heavy irrigation.  Keep pods harvested as they mature.
 
Radishes

PROBLEM:   Small roots that grow slowly and have a strong flavor have  matured in hot weather or have not been watered sufficiently. 
SOLUTION:  Water more deeply and frequently.  Plant for cool-season maturing.
 
PROBLEM:  Red varieties that grow slowly,  are pale, and have yellowish leaves are suffering from general nutrient deficiency.
SOLUTION:  Apply a balanced fertilizer.
 
PROBLEM:   Plants with healthy foliage that develop only tiny bulbs were  sown too closely.
SOLUTION:   Allow  more space when sowing,  or thin seedlings  to  two  inches apart.
 
PROBLEM:  Roots that split or are hollow or pithy are overmature.
SOLUTION:  Harvest as soon as roots are large enough.
 
PROBLEM:  Plants bolt (send up their seedstalk) when the days are too long and the nights are too short.
SOLUTION:  Grow in cooler weather of early spring or late fall.
 
Spinach
​
PROBLEM:   Blight,  transmitted  by aphids,  causes plants to be  stunted  and leaves to yellow and curl.
SOLUTION:  Plant resistant varieties, control aphids, maintain weed-free growing areas.
 
PROBLEM:  Plants bolt (send up their seedstalk) when the days are too long and the nights are too short.
SOLUTION:  Grow in cooler weather of early spring or late fall.
 

​​     Aside from wondering when or if we’ll get some more rain later this Spring, the weather has been blissful, with 70s in the daytime and high 40s during the nighttime.  Seeds and transplants from winter like chard and parsley and cilantro and spinach are filling out enough to already harvest their outer leaves a couple of times.  Some bok choy and tatsoi are even reacting to the daytime heat and beginning to bolt (going to seed) but still delightfully sweet, either as additions to raw salads or stir-fried for roll-ups or burritos, or added to soups.  The first tomatoes I’ve been transplanting as I found my usual varieties at nurseries are a good foot tall and starting to blossom (which I’ll remove until the plants are two feet tall and therefore with better-established root systems). 
 
Upcoming Tomatomanias
     For lesser-common tomato varieties, there are several upcoming Tomatomania dates and sites on my Garden Events page – see https://www.gardeninginla.net/submit-your-garden-events.html . 
     Note that each site has its own COVID procedures. 
     For more dates and sites as they’re scheduled, go to https://tomatomania.com/ .
 
More Planting
     Continue to sow seed and transplant the cool-season veggies, including beets, carrots, celery, chard, herbs, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuces, green onions, bulb onion seed and sets, parsley, peas, peanuts, potatoes, radishes, shallots, spinaches, strawberries, and turnips.
     Transplant bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi and tatsoi seedlings.  These should bear through Spring and into early Summer.
     Plant summer-blooming bulbs, corms, and tubers -- including acidanthera, agapanthus, tuberous begonias, caladiums, calla lilies, canna lilies, dahlias, gladiolus, hemerocallis, tuberous iris, ixias, tigridias, tuberoses, and watsonias. Repeat plantings through May for continuous bloom through the summer.
 
Wait To Plant Warm-Season Lovers
    Hold off for another month or so to transplant warm-season veggies other than tomatoes – like cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, and squash – until the soil (not air) temperature feels comfortable to hold the palm of your hand on. 
     Planting these warm-season lovers into cold soil now will just chill them, and they won’t really recover and thrive for longer than you should have waited.
     A good cue when to proceed with planting these is when overnight temperatures are consistently in the upper 50s.
 
Pluck Off Strawberry Blossoms
     If your established strawberry plants are producing blossoms, pluck them off through April or May -- whenever the warm weather has settled in for good.  You want the plants to conserve their first real burst of fruiting energy into large sweet berries rather than small tart ones. Unless, of course, you're desperately wanting that very first berry, even if it is tart.
 
Last Fruit Tree Pruning and First Feeding
     As fruit trees start blossoming and putting out their first leaves, make your last pruning cuts and first fertilization, scattering it out to a foot or more beyond the drip line.  Then water it into the soil so it starts to “melt” downward and be available for the tree’s feeder roots in the top 12-18 inches of soil. 
 
California Arbor Day = March 7
     Arbor Day is celebrated in California on March 7 in honor of horticulturist Luther Burbank's birthday. (National Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday in April, but many states observe Arbor Day on different dates throughout the year based on the best tree-planting times in their areas.)
     Burbank is famous for his work improving varieties of flowers (like Shasta Daisy), fruits (Santa Rosa Plum), grains, grasses, vegetables (Russet Burbank Potato), and trees.
     See my 9/23/15 Blog on  my visit to Burbank's home and garden in Santa Rosa.                                            
More Gardening Tips
See March on my Monthly Tips page.

​Fig putting out its new leaves and first "bebra" crop on last-year's wood that will ripen in early June.  Main fruit crop will appear on this year's new wood and ripen in July/August according to its specific variety.

Chasmanthe "Duckittii", yellow chasmanthe, wonderfully bright color during normally gloomy February

Chasmanthe floribunda, orange chasmanthe, like the yellow one, creates clumps of bulbs over several years' time.

Hardenbergia's delicate purple pea-like blossoms are intensified by their teeny lime-green centers.  I accidentally discovered that leaving the bush unpruned after early July results in this wonderful waterfall of color now in February.

Single and double paperwhites.

Salvia blooming all year long, although less now.

Bees love rosemary.

     This year, with its lack of frost in the lower elevations, has enabled multiple seedings and transplantings since Fall, and this weather promises to continue for at least a couple of weeks. 
      Even though assorted critters have munched their way through many of my sprouts and seedlings,  many more thankfully have survived so I still have more than enough to find niches to plant them. 
     One bed I’ll leave alone was supposed to be intermixed bok choy, chard, cilantro, kale, lettuce and parsley.  It is those, but many of last year’s breadseed poppies from a nearby area sprouted amongst the edibles, and I love them too much to pull them up or try to transplant them (their long taproots don’t like being moved, as I’ve learned in the past).  Of course, when I harvested the pods last year and scattered the seeds where I wanted them to come up this year, they didn’t sprout.  Sometimes you just have to adjust yourself to where the seeds want to sprout and thrive!  
     In another bed, where I’d replanted purchased broccoli starts and just now removed their soda-pop greenhouse protection, they seem to be doing well, without any munchers enjoying them (yet). Sometimes just trying again and again is finally successful – and still less expensive than purchasing from a grocery store, especially when - like broccoli - the potential eating season is so very long.  Perseverence!
     I’ve tried seeding a couple of new kinds of greens, and they’ve come up nicely and haven’t been munched, so I hope at least a couple of them will thrive so I can enjoy eating them!  It’s always nice to add something new to the garden each time around!
 
Transplanting My First Tomatoes
     I transplanted my first tomato plants – a Sungold Cherry – a month ago, as soon as I saw a healthy one at an Ace Hardware store.  I know that the Sungold – as an "indeterminate" type - will continue growing and bearing fruit for the entire summer, so getting this really early start will hopefully give me tomatoes extra early as well. 
     I transplanted a second tomato plant – a Celebrity – 2 weeks ago, and a third – another Celebrity – just yesterday.  The Celebrity plants – since they’re "determinate" types – will grow only so much and then bear all of their fruit within a couple of weeks.  By staggering plantings of these, I hope to have a continuous supply with one bush starting to bear at about the time a previously-planted one has finished bearing.  I’ll continue this pattern of planting another Celebrity plant every 2 or 3 weeks through perhaps April or May.  After that, the heat will have probably settled in and precluded planting more plants that will actually thrive because it’s just too hot for the plants to establish themselves, develop nicely, and then bear fruit.  I've tried to keep planting in the past, but the plants just didn't do well and I just don't want to spend the money for the water needed to keep them struggling!
     I’m currently eating from a Sungold volunteer that sprouted among my boysenberry plants just down the slope from where the Sungold was planted last year.  It's a bit tart, but definitely with real tomato flavor, as opposed to those things from the grocery store.
 
Don’t Transplant Any Other Summer Crops!
     Tomatoes are the only warm-weather-loving summer crop that can tolerate our still-chilly weather now and get nicely established and begin growing. 
     Other warm-season crops will literally glare at you in angry agony that you've forced them to deal with both cold soil and cold air all night long, and they’ll never really thrive once the weather and the soil warms because they've been so stressed out now. 
     Best to wait at least another month or two to purchase transplants and get them into the soil, and then they’ll take off in appreciation that their roots and foliage are warmer!
 
Last Pruning
     Finish heavy pruning of dormant trees and shrubs that will bloom in summer and fall, and also roses, grapes, and vine berries. 
     For beginning gardeners, doing this pruning when you see the first green buds is fine because you can actually see where the growth is coming from and consequently where to cut. 
     However, even if you can’t get to doing this pruning within a week or two, be sure to trim extra long branches within the month to help limit the tree’s or shrub’s potential gangliness and possible breaking of those branches when they’re full of fruit later this spring.
 
Pull Those Weeds Now!
     Get rid of the weeds now while they're small and before they form flowers or seeds, and you'll have fewer weed problems later.
     Watering the area to be weeded the day before the job will soften the soil and ease the removal of the weeds' entire root systems, preventing resprouting.
     A handy tool to use to pry up entire root systems is the pronged "asparagus fork" that looks like a slightly bent stick.
     If you pull out a weed that has already formed its seedhead, do not leave it in a walkway as mulch or compost it, since the weed will continue to mature and possibly scatter its seed before it finally dies.  This kind of recycling you really don’t want!
 
More Gardening Tips
For more timely gardening tips, see February.

     With our promised rain for this weekend and next week, be sure to prepare your seeding trays and your garden beds to transplant whatever’s available at nurseries.  Seeding and transplanting will both be more successful when the entire area of soil is moist to at least a six-inch depth.  And, as you winter-prune your fruit trees and perennials, you can propagate the trimmings to share with fellow gardeners.
 
Seeding

• Some seeds to start either in trays or in the soil include celery, chard, cilantro, kale, leeks, lettuces, mustards, green and bulb onions, parsley, peas, radishes, and spinaches.
• Sow root crops like beets and carrots and turnips directly into the soil where they’ll mature. Their long roots want to grow straight down without being interrupted or grow curly because they’ve hit a rock or been transplanted (since you can't really position that long skinny root to be really straight).
• For wildflowers, scatter directly where they’ll grow.  Sow some right before the promised rain and another batch right after the rain so both batches of seeds can lodge in moist soil from the first rain and then get another sprinkling with the next rain to settle the seeds in even further.
• Plant garlic cloves, bulb onion sets, and shallots directly into the soil where they’ll mature. Once they’ve extended their roots, they don’t like being disturbed without a setback.

 
Transplanting

• Transplant more cool-season perennial roots like artichoke and asparagus crowns and rhubarb rhizomes, grapes and berry vines, and strawberries, along with broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflower, celery, chard, chives, cilantro, kale, leeks, lettuces, mustards, parsley, and spinaches.
• Of the warm-season crops, transplant ONLY tomatoes, which do fine when placed into the chilly soil.  However, DON'T PLANT ANYTHING ELSE that thrives in warm weather, like cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, and squash, even if they’re in the nursery.  If you transplant these now, they’ll just sit and pout at you, as if angry that you’ve stuck them into cold soil, and they’ll never really recover and thrive even once the weather and soil stay consistently warm.  Best to wait until the weather is consistently above 70 degrees, and the soil feels barely cool to the touch (test with the palm of your hand).  Then, the transplants will thrive as they develop in the warmth.

 
Use Prunings To Propagate New Plants

• Take cuttings of fig trees that have about 8 nodes (where the leaves emerge from the stem), cut just below the bottom node, place into a 1-gallon pot with either soil or potting mix, water in, and place in bright light to root.  In a couple of months, tug on the cutting, and if it resists it probably has developed some initial roots.  Keep moist in the container through the summer and into the fall as it develops foliage.  Transplant then, once the beating heat of summer has passed but the soil is still nice and warm to help the extensive root system develop more fully as it gradually acclimates to cooler weather for overwintering.  Remove any fruits that form so all the plant’s energy goes into extending its root system.  Next June and August you’ll have a strong plant and a great crop!    
• Dig clumps of perennials, separate into smaller groups, and replant.  To propagate perennial plants like Justicia and sage and geraniums, cut a branch right below the 6th or 7th node.  Keep the top 4 or 5 leaves, but cut larger ones in half crosswise to lessen the amount of foliage that must be supported as the roots develop.  If you remove too many entire leaves instead of leaving these half-leaves, there’s the risk that a pet or other animal (or you) will break too many off so the plant can’t do its photosynthesis to enable the plant to root.

 
Frost Still Possible

• The end of January is the “average” last frost for our area, but higher altitudes may still get some frost a bit later.
• Frost is most likely on dry, windless, clear nights.
• Plants are less susceptible to frost damage when they have been sufficiently watered so the soil or planter mix remains barely moist.
• Frost settles straight down, so best to provide coverings directly above plants.  Side coverings can be additionally helpful, but the top coverings are critical.
• Keep frost-protection coverings, especially those made of plastic sheeting, away from directly touching the foliage, or the foliage may more readily freeze.

 
More Gardening Tips
For more timely gardening tips, see January and February.

1.  Lettuce plant protected by juice bottle, 2.  Bottle removed, 3.  Plant harvested leaving 2 innermost leaves to continue growing, 4.  Protective bottle replaced onto plant.

     Yay for the wonderful rains that dribbled and torrented our gardens on late Sunday and Monday! Lightning blasts and thunderous claps set off neighbors’ security lights, and then the soft pitter-patter on our roof became heavier downpours.   Gentle drops turned into bucketfuls.  By daytime on Monday, the initial onslaught evolved into alternate sun and rain and drizzle that is best for slowly and consistently absorbing into the soil.  
     This pausing between bouts of rain is important to allow the water filling the air pores in the soil to drain out before the next batch of water comes down.  If this drainage can’t happen, the new water flows off of the surface of the soil and into gutters or the street, which of course is a lost resource.
     Such delight that I’m sure only we gardeners appreciate fully!

Gardening tasks right after rainstorms

1. No stomping in the garden.  With all the water filling the air pores in the soil for hours after a good rain, you don’t want to walk in the garden because your weight will literally push out the water and compress the soil particles, which will result in roots that can’t breathe or grow between the particles.  Wait at least a full day until you walk in the garden, even in the pathways.  If you absolutely must walk in the garden, then lay down a broad piece of lumber or garbage can top or something similar so your weight is spread out.  
2. Dig gently when transplanting seedlings or planting bulbs.  Move the soil as little as possible.  Remove a scoopful with a small hand trowel, place the seedling or bulb in, and gently crumble the soil back on top to avoid compressing the soil.  Sprinkle with just enough water to settle the soil around the plant or bulb.
3. When rain is promised again later this winter – or even when you apply overhead watering throughout the year – make a point of doing any digging or harvesting activity the day beforehand so you’ll not be tempted to do so until two days after the rain to allow the rain to drain naturally and retain the air pores.

Protecting plants from frosts

1. Frost is likely on dry, windless, clear, cold nights. Be concerned when temperatures in the high- to mid-30s are forecasted, especially for lower areas in your garden like the bottom of a hill or against a fence that don’t have good air circulation to sweep the cold further away.
2. Plants are less susceptible to frost damage when they have been sufficiently watered, so soil or planter mix remains barely moist. However, more water may stimulate new growth or drown the plant, since roots and foliage don't circulate moisture quickly during cold weather. 
3. Provide protection of seedlings with mini-greenhouses made from clear plastic milk or water jugs with their caps removed and their bottoms cut off. Place the jugs over the seedlings after the bed has been watered well. Press the jugs about one-half inch deep into the soil to prevent the entry of pests such as cutworms at the soil level and to lessen the chance of the jug being blown away during windy gusts. Remove the jugs when the foliage begins to crowd inside the jug, or when night temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees.  
4. Frost settles directly down, so provide protection for larger plants from above as well as from the sides. 
5. Keep frost-protection coverings, especially those made of plastic sheeting, away from the foliage, or the foliage may more readily freeze. 
6. If plants are damaged by frost, don't remove any of the dead foliage or branches. Plants may look messy, but these damaged portions will protect sensitive growth further inside the plants from later frosts. Wait to start trimming the dead stuff until new  growth begins again in spring – you may find that branches which appeared dead are indeed alive and well after all. 
7. Don’t fertilize frost-damaged plants until spring growth begins, when more frost is unlikely.

For more timely gardening tips, see January.

Is your garden growing frustratingly slowly?  Have you sown seeds weeks ago and only a couple have emerged?  Even though it's been pleasantly in the 70s during daytime, night-time temperatures have been only in the high mid- to high- 40s here in my Pasadena garden, and this means that everything grows sssslllllooooooowwwwwlllllyyyy.  Apparently the cooler night-time temperatures – not the warmer daytime temperatures - are what determines how the garden proceeds.  Here are some other considerations to help you feel that you’re doing the most you can for your garden now, while being patient and appreciative when you do see something green growing.
 
Direct-Seeding
     Seeds that are large enough to handle easily – like chard and peas – and root crops – like beets and carrots – should be sowed directly where they’ll mature.   
     For the larger seeds this means avoiding the 10 days or so of delay when they’re transplanted later and need that extra time to resettle into their new homes. 
     For root crops, this enables the roots to grow straight down into the prepared soil – although we all enjoy the funny shapes some carrots develop when their fine roottips must swerve around an obstruction. 
     The only drawback is that, for those of us whose garden is some distance from our homes, we need to visit the just-sown space frequently to make sure that conditions continue to be right for germination.
 
Starting in Trays for Later Transplanting
    Most seeds can be started in trays and transplanted later, except for carrots.
     The advantage is that trays can be kept closer to or in our homes for frequent monitoring. 
     The disadvantage is that the little plants will need to be transplanted into the garden later, with probably some loss of some of the seedlings and delay as little plants reacclimate to their new homes.
 
Some Tricks for Each Veggie
Bok Choy and Tatsoi - Space about an open hand-width apart to allow foliage to develop fully before harvesting.
Broccoli – Space about 2 feet apart to allow foliage to develop fully without crowding the next plant.
Cabbage, Cauliflower – Space a good 3 feet apart to allow for full spread of foliage before the single head is harvestable.  Since these are one-time harvests, you can place them away from general traffic since you'll need to access the area only that once.
Carrots – Seeds generally take a full 3 weeks to germinate.  They’re not strong enough to push through crusted soil, so are best sown with radishes which will germinate within a couple of days and then keep the soil “moving” as they develop so the carrots don’t have to struggle to come up.  Even so, my carrots that were sown almost two months ago are just now coming up.    
Chard and Kales and Mustards – Space at least a foot apart to allow for full development of leaves before harvesting (leaving several smaller inner leaves to continue developing).
Cilantro – Sow in blocks so you can harvest by cutting batches of stems an inch or so above soil level.  They may or may not resprout more harvestable stems before they bolt and go to seed with the merest amount of warmth.
Leeks – Transplant at least 2 inches apart to allow full development before pulling up at harvest. 
Lettuce – Transplant a hand-width apart since you’ll be harvesting outer leaves and leaving the inch-size inner leaves to continue developing.   
Onions – Space green onions only an inch apart, since they won’t spread much further before harvesting.  Space dime-size bulblets about 4 inches apart, since these will develop into 3-inch globes when they're ready to harvest in late May and June.
Parsley – Sow in wide blocks where they’ll mature so you can harvest by cutting stems an inch above the soil level so more stems can develop for harvesting again in another month or two.
Peas -- Last year, I resowed my peas three times between October and January, assuming that the previous sowings had been eaten or rotted...and then they all came up in February. 
Radishes – They come up quickly, so are great to sow with carrots that need the help to emerge.
Spinach – Space varieties that mature to only about 4 inches wide a stretched-out-hand width, and a bit wider for larger-leafed varieties, since you'll keep outer leaves harvest and allow the inner ones to continue developing.
 
Sprinkle Mulch Onto Seedbed
     Sprinkle a very thin layer of fine-grained mulch over a batch of just-sown seed so it’ll keep the seeds in place and the soil barely moist and therefore lessen crusting of the soil and encourage germination and development.  This works especially well with carrots since the seeds aren't very strong in being able to push up through crusted-over soil.
 
Sprinkle Water Onto Seedbed
     Gently sprinkle water onto the seedbed or trays, moving frequently and repeatedly back and forth to thoroughly moisten the bed at least an inch deep without blasting the seeds around.
     Repeat this gentle sprinkling every other day or so, preferably in the late afternoon so the soil remains moist overnight and into the next day to encourage germination.
 
Warm Beds with Clear Plastic
     To help concentrate daytime warmth and increase germination, cover the bed with clear plastic sheeting. Anchor down the edges with soil or rocks to keep out slugs and other critters who love the succulent sprouts, and to keep the sheeting from blowing away.
 
Protect Beds from Critters
     If critters like skunks and other diggers love searching for slugs in your just-sown beds, stretch fruit-tree netting over the bed and anchor the edges so they can’t get into the area.
         If other munchers love those just-transplanted seedlings, cover them with plastic bottles with the bottoms cut off.  But remove them once the plants start peaking out of the tops! 
     If flying insects like cabbage moths are flitting about, cover the area with spunbonded polyester landscape fabric to keep them out.

More December Garden Tasks
See ​December Monthly Tips 
​

       What is Compost?  Is it different from mulch?

                               Why Make Compost?

                    How to Start:  An Enclosed Bin
​

                          How to Start:  An Open Pile

    How to Start:  Sheet, Lasagna, Worm Composting

      Plant Materials to Use:  Moist Greens = Nitrogen

        Plant Materials to Use:  Dry Browns = Carbon

                               Materials to Avoid: 
    Meat, bones, dairy, fat, oil, feces from meat-eating
           animals, diseased or pest-infested plants,
          herbicide-treated plants, weeds and seeds

            Putting Materials Together:  Small Pieces,
                      1 Part Green to 2 Parts Brown

                Constructing A Pile in Layers:  3x3x3
       Coarse brown base, small green, small brown,
         dirt or compost or potting mix, moisten, etc.

                            How Long Will It Take?

                              When Is It Done?

                                 Troubleshooting

               How Do I Use Compost In My Garden?
  Benefits sandy soil, clay soil, soil structure; nutrients
​       are more immediately available to plant roots;
         resulting in healthier plants that more easily
                          resist diseases and pests

​A home composting system can be as simple as gathering together bits and pieces from meal preparation and mixing with dried leaves from the garden, or as complex as processing measured ingredients in specific steps and exacting timeframes.  It’s up to your choice of how you spend your time and effort to achieve your desired results.  Here are some considerations.
 
What is compost? Is it different from mulch?
Compost is decomposed organic material that you can no longer tell what its original ingredients were.  Mulch is also of organic material but may be partially decomposed or not at all, and is generally laid on top of the soil.
 
Why Make Compost?

• Composting continues Nature’s recycling plan.  A diverse pile of kitchen and garden waste will eventually decompose; but when materials are purposely chosen, mixed together, kept moist and aerated, the process accelerates with beneficial microbes, bacteria, and fungi doing the work. 
• According to CalRecycle (https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/homecompost), “Home composting is an effective and efficient way to dramatically reduce your waste stream at home, while doing your part to reduce your carbon footprint. Organic material sent to landfill creates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to the negative impacts of our changing climate. By making compost, you are creating a valuable soil amendment that you can use to benefit your landscape, boost plant growth and sequester carbon.”

 
How to Start

• Home composting can be accomplished in an enclosed bin or tumbler, or in a pile that’s either free-standing or corralled with wire or palettes or netting. 
• Sheet or Lasagna Composting entails layering materials on top of a garden bed and letting it incorporate shallowly into the soil as it decomposes.
• Vermi (Worm) Composting requires a dedicated container and can be accomplished indoors.  It’s best used when only a small amount of kitchen waste is available; and close attention to the worms’ needs is required.

 
Plant Materials to Use

• Moist Greens = Nitrogen = fresh grass clippings, green leaves, vegetable and fruit trimmings, coffee grounds, tea leaves, egg shells, weeds, vegetable plants; and manure from herbivorous animals like chickens, turkeys, cows, horses, goats or rabbits.
• Dry Browns = Carbon = dry grass clippings, small twigs, dried leaves, hay, shredded paper, wood chips, sawdust (not from treated wood).
• Size = Smaller pieces, especially of dry brown material, will decompose more quickly.
• Proportion = For quickest decomposition, use about 1 part nitrogen/green materials to 2 parts carbon/brown materials in each layering.

 
Materials to Avoid
To reduce the potential for pests or odors, avoid animal products like meat, bones and dairy; anything with fat or oil like baked goods and salad with dressing; feces from meat-eating animals like dogs, cats, and humans; diseased or pest-infested plant matter, herbicide-treated grass or plants, perennial and seed-bearing weeds, and hay (which has weed seeds).
 
 
Constructing a Pile

• Plan for a compost pile that is three feet wide by three feet deep by three feet tall. Smaller piles may not achieve sufficiently high temperatures to kill bad organisms and weed seeds. Larger piles can achieve composting temperatures more easily, but need more frequent turning to ensure optimum oxygen supply.
• There’s no need to purchase a “starter” or inoculant.  The plant material, soil, and previous compost can serve this purpose.
• Start with a 4-6” base layer of coarse dry brown materials to allow air penetration under the pile.
• Add a 2-3” layer of green materials.
• Add a 2-3” layer of smaller-sized brown materials.
• Top with a dusting of dirt or unscreened, mature compost or used potting mix.
• Wet the pile, making sure that the edges as well as the center are equally moistened.
• Continue making additional layers in this order and end by sprinkling the top layer well.
• During hot and dry weather, you may have to moisten the pile more frequently between adding more layers.
• During wet weather, you may need to cover the pile to shed off rainwater.

 
How Long Will It Take?

• Composting can be accomplished with more effort and faster results, or with less labor and a longer finish that may not kill all weed seeds or pathogens. The time of year and size and type of materials will also affect the rate of decomposition.  Depending on these variables, the process may be completed in a month or in a year.

• A “hot” pile requires turning of all materials and remoistening the pile every couple of days. Finished compost may be available in a month or two.
• A “cold” pile that is left to decompose by itself with no turning may result in much material that doesn’t break down and must be screened out when the pile is deconstructed.  Finished compost make take 6 months or a year.

 
When Is It Done?

• Compost is ready when its texture is uniform, dark brown and crumbly with a pleasant, earthy aroma, and you can’t recognize any of the original materials.  Any remaining chunks of material can be screened out and put back into a new pile.
• There is no “expiration” date for finished compost.  You can let it continue to “cure” before applying to the garden.

 
Troubleshooting

• If the pile gets too wet or dense with food scraps, it will smell bad, and composting will slow down or stop altogether because the beneficial microbes – bacteria and fungi – decomposing the ingredients  need oxygen to live and have died. Add more carbon/brown material, turn and fluff the pile with a pitchfork to incorporate air.
• If the pile is too dry, decomposition will stall, and ants may set up nests.  Add more nitrogen/green material, turn and remoisten the pile; ants will move elsewhere.
• If insects, rats, racoons appear, there may be meat or fatty foods in the pile.  Remove these items from the pile, turn the pile and remoisten to increase temperature; use an animal-proof bin.

 
How Do I Use Compost in My Garden?
Compost is an excellent amendment for soil of any type.  Its benefits include:

• Helping sandy soil to retain water.
• Helping clay soil to drain better.
• Improving soil structure friability.

• Nutrients are more immediately available to plant roots.
• Healthier plants can more easily resist diseases and pests.

Salvias continuing their year-round bloom

     I do love gardening at this time of year, when air temperatures are in the 70s and soil temperatures are still warmish.  Seeds germinate easily, and transplants galore are available at nurseries.  But the munchers are also active – my entire batch of seedlings were beautifully sprouting one day, without their baby leaves the next day, and even stems shorn to the soil level the next.  And this was when my seed trays were six feet in the air on top of a rack! Another reason to be relieved and thankful that we gardeners aren’t limited to what we can grow at home, that we have our local nurseries and online resources!
 
Pumpkins Alive!
     Given the end-of-the-month festivities, toast -- don't toss -- your pumpkin seeds when you carve your Jack O'Lantern. Separate the seeds from the stringy pulp by washing the seeds well. Spread them on a cookie sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt if desired. Toast them for three or four minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, stir, and toast another two or three minutes until they're evenly golden. Cool them to room temperature, and enjoy!
 
Plants Overwintering Edibles
     The entire slew of cool-season veggies that love the cool weather and will provide a wide range of flavors and textures and colors for your culinary delight – including artichokes, asparagus, fava beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, chives, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsley, peas, radishes, rhubarb, sage, spinaches, shallots, and thyme.
     Just about any broccoli variety will do well in our area. After harvesting the single head, many little bitesize florets will appear at seemingly every node (where the leaf emerges from the stem).  For a milder taste, try a cross between broccoli and cauliflower – sometimes called “broccoflower”, that forms a brilliant chartreuse, beautifully pointed head; Romanesco is one variety.
     Plant asparagus crowns at least six inches deep, and mulch them heavily with manure.  Winter rains and later irrigation will slowly wash the nutrients down to the root zone.
     Cole crops like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kohlrabi frequently develop long stems before their first leaves, so transplant them up to the first set of leaves to prevent their developing into weak, leggy plants that flop over.
     Plant garlic cloves now so they’ll develop strong root systems over the winter, and leaf production can begin early in the spring, resulting in a larger head next summer.
     Also plant strawberry plants now so they’ll develop their strong root systems over the winter.  In early spring, they’ll shift their energy to their leaves and blossoms. 
 
Flower Bulbs
     For a cover crop of flowers before, during, and after spring bulb bloom, sow seeds or plant seedlings of low-growing annual bloomers after you've planted the bulbs. Think of color contrasts such as purple pansies with yellow daffodils or white alyssum with red tulips. Good choices include calendulas, pansies, Iceland poppies, primroses, dwarf snapdragons, dwarf stock, and violas.
     Separate and replant crowded clumps of flower bulbs, especially if they’re already sprouting. For those that bloom in early spring, place them near deciduous trees so they’ll show their color before  the trees leaf out.
 
Change Watering Frequency
     Help overwintering plants harden off by changing your irrigation schedule. Cooler weather slows evaporation from the soil and transpiration from plant foliage, so irrigation is needed less often. So, decrease the number of times -- but not the length of time -- you water. This change will still provide water to deep roots while allowing for longer periods for the soil to dry in between waterings, and it doesn't encourage new, frost-tender growth. 
     The depth of the watering is always dependent on the depth of the plants' root systems according to their genetics. For example, beets, carrots, lettuce, spinach and Swiss chard all need water down to about 12 inches so their entire root systems will be fully hydrated. So, each watering must be long enough to allow water to filter that deeply.
 
Make Plants Cold-Hardy
     Feed all overwintering plants with a low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus, high-potassium fertilizer to help them become cold-hardy.

More Garden Tasks
     For more possibilities to accomplish in your garden, see October Tips and November Tips.