Re: August: What to Plant in Northern California and Central Valley and Coastal Areas

countrynaturals 8/17/2016, 11:39 am

audrey.jeanne.roberts wrote:My biggest task is going to be replacing the cover for my greenhouse. It's in tatters. We bought some 6 mil plastic and I'm trying to locate some clips that will fit my frame. I'm pretty sure I saw them from the mfg. somewhere!!!

My seedlings are doing well and will transplant in a few weeks. When is the best time to plant carrots? I saw in September, but I've direct sown seed several times and not had much success. Ideas?

I planted mine on Aug. 1. Three varieties. They're all up, still too little to notice the heat. I guess we'll know in a few weeks if I rushed things too much. Rolling Eyes

**sanderson** 8/17/2016, 2:33 pm

I hope to plant seeds within a week. Little Tendersweet. But what do I know about carrots? Embarassed

Mellen 8/17/2016, 8:16 pm

sanderson wrote:Maybe these are for the Coastal areas?? This region has a wide range of Zones so one has to plant accordingly.

I know you were just ribbing.

I get good information from almanac.com. I'm a fan. http://www.almanac.com/blog/gardening/gardening/second-coming-planting-fall-crops

**sanderson** 8/17/2016, 8:25 pm

Nice resource!

Mellen 8/17/2016, 8:34 pm

yolos wrote:I use wheat straw as a mulch. I take it up in the fall and put it in my compost pile. I do shred it before using it as a mulch.

Yolos: What kind of shredder do you have? I have checked into them online. I'm afraid the inexpensive ones won't work well (or for very long), and the expensive ones are out of reach.

I read previously that Sanderson cuts hers into 6" (?) pieces. I'm afraid I don't have the kind of patience to hand cut a bale of straw. Laughing

Any advice for a shredder would be appreciated.

**sanderson** 8/17/2016, 8:42 pm

I've been thinking about a paper cutter, the guillotine style. Remove the safety bar. After all, what could go wrong? geek

I'm going to check eBay, etc.

Mellen 8/17/2016, 8:46 pm

sanderson wrote:I've been thinking about a paper cutter, the guillotine style.

I HAVE one of those. It's a baby one for scrapbooking. I bought it to use at work for small stuff. I'm in business! I got it at Joann's with a 20% off coupon. (I love coupons. My sister calls me the Coupon Queen!). I don't remember what I paid, but it wasn't that much. I don't think you would need a big one. How much straw can you cut at one time anyway???

yolos 8/17/2016, 11:13 pm

Mellen wrote:
yolos wrote:I use wheat straw as a mulch. I take it up in the fall and put it in my compost pile. I do shred it before using it as a mulch.

Yolos: What kind of shredder do you have? I have checked into them online. I'm afraid the inexpensive ones won't work well (or for very long), and the expensive ones are out of reach.

I read previously that Sanderson cuts hers into 6" (?) pieces. I'm afraid I don't have the kind of patience to hand cut a bale of straw.

Any advice for a shredder would be appreciated.

My statement about shredding the straw was made in 8/2014. I have changed my strategy since that time. Shredding the straw only works if you have some kind of drip irrigation or soaker hose under the straw. If you shred the straw and then water from above, it takes forever to get the water down into the root zone. I no longer shred the straw if I am using it for mulch unless I put some kind of irrigation system under the straw. I also cut it sometimes with scissors if I am mulching something that is planted closely together (like carrots) if it will only be for a couple of squares.

I bought a pretty big gas powered leaf shredder from Harbor Freight when I first started composting in the fall of 2011. It works very well if the items being shredded are dry. But I only use it in the fall when leaves are plentiful and I am doing a lot of shredding. Any other time, I now use the gas powered leaf blower that converts into a vacumn and shredder. Easier to get it out and going than hauling the big shredder out of the basement, up a hill to my garden. I don't remember exactly what I paid for the big leaf shredder. Harbor Freight opened a new store in my town and had lots of things heavily discounted and then I had an additional 20% off coupon. I think I ended up paying about $150-$200. It also will shred small branches so it works great for shredding my dried corn stalks, bush trimmings, etc.

**sanderson** 8/18/2016, 2:45 am

Mellen wrote: How much straw can you cut at one time anyway???

I'll let you know! I'm thinking a 12" x 12" minimum, just for the weight and handful size of straw. Thinking

Yolos, I think "shredding", like in a shredder, makes straw and even leaves, too fine which does NOT allow water through. But, I do chop the large diameter stalks in 4" lengths to fit around plants and that allows water through. I used fine leaves (dried podacarpus leaves) as mulch and had a heck of a time getting water through. I agree with fine mulch that the drip lines need to be under the mulch. I'm thinking a paper cutter would be easier on the clipper hand and be faster. I'll put it on the picnic table and have the storage garbage can right there under the edge.

**trolleydriver** 8/18/2016, 8:07 am

sanderson wrote:I've been thinking about a paper cutter, the guillotine style. Remove the safety bar. After all, what could go wrong? I'm going to check eBay, etc.

Sanderson ... I remember earlier this year when you first mentioned cutting straw into small lengths. After I bought a bale of straw, I thought about doing that as well. The first thing that went through my mind was to use Mrs TD's guillotine paper cutter that she uses for scrapbooking. Then i thought about the consequences of doing that and decided not to do anything.

**sanderson** 8/18/2016, 1:13 pm

You are one smart man! As I don't do scrap booking, once I am finished with the poster board display for my 5th Razz

high school reunion, I can use it for straw.

yolos 8/18/2016, 2:06 pm

A machete and a log or piece of thick wood also works. Wack, wack.

countrynaturals 8/18/2016, 2:48 pm

sanderson wrote:I hope to plant seeds within a week. Little Tendersweet. But what do I know about carrots?

I grew them one time years ago. They didn't develop when the packet said they should, so I gave up on them. When it came time to pull everything up for whatever reason, I had a whole batch of beautiful carrots. All I remember is that they take at least a month longer than it says on the packet. Rolling Eyes

yolos 8/18/2016, 7:12 pm

countrynaturals wrote:
sanderson wrote:I hope to plant seeds within a week. Little Tendersweet. But what do I know about carrots?
I grew them one time years ago. They didn't develop when the packet said they should, so I gave up on them. When it came time to pull everything up for whatever reason, I had a whole batch of beautiful carrots. All I remember is that they take at least a month longer than it says on the packet.

I also will be planting Terndersweet carrots this weekend. Also Red Cored Chantenay, Scarlet Nantes, Danvers 126, Tendersweet, Carnival Blend.

**Scorpio Rising** 8/18/2016, 8:12 pm

Tendersweet is my personal fave. I grew Kaleidoscope, pretty, but not carroty enough, not sweet. Sugarsnax also very good from Pinetree/superseeds.com

I love garden carrots.

audrey.jeanne.roberts 8/18/2016, 10:34 pm

I probably have seeds for 20 different varieties - I might just plant some of them all! I love pulling one up and eating it while I'm working in the garden I love you

countrynaturals 8/28/2016, 2:44 pm

Can we plant a fall crop of sugar snap peas in our area? bounce

**sanderson** 8/28/2016, 3:48 pm

Audrey?

countrynaturals 8/28/2016, 4:48 pm

sanderson wrote:Audrey?

AAAAUUUDDDDRREEEEEEEY!!!

audrey.jeanne.roberts 8/28/2016, 8:43 pm

I feel so cherished, lol! Sorry - I was watching my Chargers football game Laughing

I grow peas all year around. They do great here!

**sanderson** 8/28/2016, 9:27 pm

countrynaturals 8/28/2016, 10:00 pm

audrey.jeanne.roberts wrote:I feel so cherished, lol! Sorry - I was watching my Chargers football game

I grow peas all year around. They do great here!

GO CHARGERS! (We're stuck with the 9ers and a quarterback whose a disgrace to the game. Evil or Very Mad

)

Thanks for the thumbs-up on the peas. August: What to Plant in Northern California and Central Valley and Coastal Areas - Page 3 3170584802

countrynaturals 8/29/2016, 1:23 pm

Almost done. I just finished planting the last of the radishes (6 varieties including daikon) and the sugar snap peas. I'll plant the white egg turnips tonight -- the packet said to keep them in a damp paper towel overnight so I'm doing that all day instead. Beans, kale, MN midgets, celeriac (new to me), sprouting broccoli, & bush cukes are all in Jiffy pellets inside and most of them sprouting already. Carrots are up with true leaves in the garden. I think I'm ready for fall. Very Happy

Anybody planting anything else? I wouldn't want to forget something good. Embarassed

**sanderson** 8/30/2016, 4:38 am

Onions and garlic planting will be coming up soon. It looks like I will have to start the snow peas in pots as the beans in the beds look like they are starting to produce, and the winter squash have some female flowers!

Right now I am fighting something digging in the winter squash bed. My first guess was another opossum digging for worms. At least some of the worms can hide in the worm tube. But for 2 nights I have also seen an adult roof rat in that area. We have a baited rat trap in a sideways bucket to see if we can catch it. Don't worry, the bucket is positioned and braced against that bed in such a way that a cat can't get hurt by accident. I'm also thinking maybe covering the opening with chicken wire with a small opening that a rat can get through but not a cat paw. I may not like my neighbor's cat, but I certainly do not want to hurt it in any way.

Maybe Audrey, Mellon or Yardslave can suggest something else for winter planting.

PS I finally planted the seeds for the purple broccoli yesterday.

Yardslave 8/31/2016, 3:48 pm

I'm going to plant some more chard, divide up my tree kale, start some Russian Red kale. I loved the french fillet beans, but pole beans are out because the last 2 years the beans were stripped in early winter by hungry migrating birds. This year it's going to be bush beans under a swath of cloth like-Sanderson does- that way the beans will be protected from birds and aphids.(same thing goes for the Romanesco broccoli and the lettuce. The onions and leeks are pretty much on their own.

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