Starting up a garden

Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes
1

In my backyard we have a good sized chunk of land that seemed to formerly be a garden. I figure I might as well use that space… any suggestions on what to plant this time of year?

Thanks =)

2

If it were me, I’d plant my ass in a chair until spring time.

3

Pretty good advice right there…

JD

4

Yeah, but you guys forget where Charlie lives.

Charlie, you can probably plant cool weather crops such as broccoli, lettuce and peas, though I might wait until right after the first of the year. Consult the Sunset Western Garden book or Burpee. Your biggest challenge is going to be finding seeds or plants this early.

5

Get or look at a Sunset Magazine. Every month they list what vegetables, fruits or plants can be started. Ah, I see someone suggest the Sunset Garden Book. You can usually look at one at a nursery.

6

Charlie,
Are you planning on tilling/digging the ground or doing a raised bed with imported soil?

You can direct sow lots of crops in S. Cal this time of year- carrots, lettuce, spinach, chinese greens, brassicas(broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage). Cilantro does well in cooler weather if you are into thai and mexican food. Potatoes are very easy to grow and insanely good when you grow them yourself. It’s a bit too late for garlic, but if you can find some onion starts, now is a great time to plant them for may harvest. Shallots also are planted now down south. Radishes would be good, direct seeded, along with arugula, and the other greens. I know this is a pretty long list, but we used to do this for a living, and timing is everything.

7

Raised bed is the way to go. Put some screening down if you have gopher problems or they will make short work of your veggies. We are growing some lettuce, peas, onions and my jalapeno plant is throwing out another batch. [thumbs-up.gif]
Summer was great for LOTS of tomatoes, bell pepers and a few varieties of squash/zuchini, along with various peppers.
Good luck with your green thumb adventure.

8

thanks for the advice on what to grow :slight_smile: also the previous tenant had a veggie garden there (two months ago) so i am assuming the stuff is readyfor planting. i do have a lot of potted soil at home in bags… so i could pile on more. i dont think i need to do much more right?

9

Cash crops, buy more wine.

10

Actually, it may not be ready to go. I’m surprised at the number of backyard gardens that have very poor or dead soils. It depends on how the previous tenant took care of it. Over fertilizing and not adding organic material every year can burn out a garden pretty quick.

I would work at preparing the soil now and plant in the spring. First off, forget the bagged potting soil unless it’s premium, organic soil (no, I’m not an organic nut, but this is the one place I would recommend it), but then it’s going to get expensive. Peat moss is a great addition, it lightens up clay soil and increases water retention in sandy soil, and it’s relatively cheap. Then start to build up other organics in the soil - cow manure, grass clippings, leaves, fire ashes, etc - but make sure they are well composted.

Look at local farms or your town for free or inexpensive compost until you get your own pile going.

Get a read on the pH of the soil too. It’s common to have to add very acidic soil so you may need to get some lime worked into the soil.

Andy

11

One more thing, when you do start to plant, pick out a nice section for your herbs. There’s nothing like walking outside and picking your own fresh herbs (but forget the mint unless you have someway to control the spread).

Andy

12

Forgot where Charlie lived and that it wasn’t 29 degrees this AM…oh, and there are a lot of “herbs” that grow well in S. Cal…or so I’m told.

JD

13

All good advice, save for adding the lime. In SoCal, where Charlie lives, the soil is not acid, but alkaline. Salinity can sometimes be a problem, too.

14

Ah, back to that cash crop that William mentioned.

15

+1 although the wholesale market is tanking

16

Mint goes in large pots near the garden! Worse than ivy!!!

17

I planted some in a side bed that isn’t visible from anywhere in our yard. I figured I’d just let it go so not to have to deal with pots or let it invade our other garden. Grew fast the first year and our landscaper’s crew pulled it all or what the thought was all of it (didn’t know what it was but that’s another story) and I think it came back even stronger and thicker than it was before. Very hardy stuff.

JD