What are You Planting for Fall-Winter (Central California)

What seeds are you planting for the Fall and Winter in the area of Central California?

Depending on which map I use, I'm in Zone #9a, 9, 8, or 14. I grow a garden all year long, and would like to know what other gardeners are growing in my area (Ceres, California, half-way between Modesto and Turlock.

I know most of the vegetables I can grow, but would like to find more Flowers and Herbs I could grow, or at least try to grow .... I'm also interested in growing Wild Edibles, like Dandelion. I'm about to order some Dandelion seeds, along with a few other seeds (Carnation, Mustard, Stinging Nettle).

I still have some warm-weather plants growing: Peppers, Tomatoes, and Eggplants. Lots of Flowers still growing: Four-O'Clocks, Morning Glory, Calendulas, Verbena, African Daisies, Shasta Daisies, Cosmos, Carnations, Geraniums, Nasturtiums, Ice Plant, Roses, Hollyhocks, and one Unknown Flower ....

Some Greens have come up as volunteers: Red Giant Mustard, Southern Curled Mustard, Chinese Cabbage, Swiss Chard, along with volunteer Radishes.

Herbs still growing: Sage, Lemon Grass, Mint, Stinging Nettle, Thyme, tons of Basil (about 15 different kinds), Rosemary, Onions, and maybe some Chives (?).

Some other vegetables growing now: Radishes, Kohlrabi, Kale, and Carrots.

Still have between four and six weeks of weather above freezing. I planted a bunch of seeds (three different plots) four days ago. Most of those seeds are up already!!!

Even when it freezes, the temperature only stays below freezing for between two and four hours, around 3:00 a.m. until about 6:00 or 7:00 a.m., a few days until 8:00 a.m.

Hello everyone, I just joined the forum. I'm planning a full-on garden next summer, but thought I would get started with something small this winter - because I am (1) impatient and (2) getting a divorce from the supermarket I thought I would plant two 4x4's with brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, and maybe some lettuce - although I'm not sure how lettuce does in winter. I'm lucky to live near the Seed Bank in Petaluma, CA, and am heading over there later this morning to see what they recommend. Any advice for a beginning winter gardener is welcome!

sterlingrose wrote:Hello everyone, I just joined the forum. I'm planning a full-on garden next summer, but thought I would get started with something small this winter - because I am (1) impatient and (2) getting a divorce from the supermarket I thought I would plant two 4x4's with brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, and maybe some lettuce - although I'm not sure how lettuce does in winter. I'm lucky to live near the Seed Bank in Petaluma, CA, and am heading over there later this morning to see what they recommend. Any advice for a beginning winter gardener is welcome!

Looks like you are in Hardiness Zone #10. Here is a link that will give you an idea what to plant in your area:

http://www.southernstates.com/articles/winter-vegetables.aspx

You should be able to plant everything that I do, and even a few plants that I might not be able to plant. I'm planting lots of Peas. My experience with planting in the Fall and Winter has had great success!!!

I've seen many plants in my garden completely encased in solid ice, and the plants still survived just fine! Not all plants will survive the ice though, but all of my Greens did just fine. Potatoes died.

Calendula Flowers are very hardy, both in the extreme heat and below freezing temperatures. Earlier this year, around January, we had one day that got down to 18 degrees F. That's the day I lost all of my Potatoes. On that same day, my Calendulas were still in full bloom, and survived just fine!

I've seen Pansies all around town that survive even the coldest winters I've ever seen here in 25 years. Petunias do good all year long (our neighbor's have some in planters against their house that flower off and on all year long).

I'm still learning, and need some input from other gardeners who plant all through the Fall and Winter in the Central Valley (California) ......

I would like to find more Flowers and Herbs that will survive through the Fall and Winter .... Also, I'm interested in Wild Edibles that I can plant now for the Fall and Winter and early Spring .....

Now is the time to plant seeds .... Although Zone #10 doesn't get as cold, but the days are still quite warm in October, which will help the seeds to germinate much quicker. I always plant seeds in December and January, but they take much longer to sprout.

I've even planted seeds when the temperature was below freezing! I've even worked up the soil a bit when there was heavy frost, and planted seeds.

I planted my Carnations earlier this year on January 4th, and they came up, and are still blooming. Also planted some Hollyhocks near the Carnations. Only two survived (gophers got the rest). One Hollyhock is now blooming.

These are the seeds I planted first this Fall on October 17th:

1) Beets, 2 packets (Detroit Dark Red, Medium Top), 2) Radish (Minowase), 3) Carrot (Red Cored Chantenay), 4) Peas (Dwarf Grey Arvejas), 5) Collards, 3 packets (Vates Non-Heading), 6) Kohlrabi (Early White Vienna), 7) Peas (Burpeeana Early), Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum), 9) Cilantro (La Reina Baja), 10) Lettuce (Leaf, Prizehead), 11) Radish (Salad Giant), 12) Lettuce (Ruby), 13) Cilantro-Lilly Miller, 14) Radish (Cherry Belle), 15) Peas (Early Perfection Arvejas), 16) Peas (Bush, Oregon Sugar Pod II), 17) Peas (Wando Arvejas)

Many of these seeds were already sprouting yesterday, after only four days! The warm days really makes a big difference. If I had waited until December, it would have taken much longer, perhaps even three or four weeks for some seeds to sprout.

Yesterday, October 21st, I planted these seeds:

1) Pansy (Swiss Giant), two packs, 2) Hollyhock (Country Romance Mix), 3) Sage (Broadleaf), 4) Cilantro, 5) Lettuce (Ruby), 6) Lettuce (Paris Island-Romaine), 7) Lettuce (Grand Rapids), Chives (Allium Schoenoprasum), 9) Chives (Cebollin), 10) Petunia (Mixed Colors), 11) Mustard (Black > Brassica nigra).