Re: January: What to plant in Northern California and Central Valley areas

audrey.jeanne.roberts 1/30/2017, 7:47 pm

Hubby is getting me some compost from Gallo and I need to get my 55 gallon food grade drums ready for sweet potatoes, potatoes and strawberries. As soon as it warms up more so I can work outside I have to get started. The slips are started though, in the kitchen window. I need to order potatoes.

Boy it comes fast all of a sudden doesn't it?!

countrynaturals 1/31/2017, 1:41 pm

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:
countrynaturals wrote: My icicle radishes never sprouted, so I think they rotted in all the wetness we had last week.
The planting charts in my ANSFG book (mine is edition 1) say that radishes take 29 days to germinate at 41*F and 11 days at 50*F. If more of the hours of the day during the last week and a half have been below 50*F than above, they made need some more time.

YIKES! Are you psychic, Beetles? Icicle radishes sprouted this morning. YEE-HAH! cheers

BeetlesPerSqFt 2/1/2017, 4:35 pm

countrynaturals wrote:
BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:
countrynaturals wrote: My icicle radishes never sprouted, so I think they rotted in all the wetness we had last week.
The planting charts in my ANSFG book (mine is edition 1) say that radishes take 29 days to germinate at 41*F and 11 days at 50*F. If more of the hours of the day during the last week and a half have been below 50*F than above, they made need some more time.
YIKES! Are you psychic, Beetles? Icicle radishes sprouted this morning. YEE-HAH!

I don't think so... The radishes just needed you to believe in them! Razz

countrynaturals 2/1/2017, 7:08 pm

I believe in them now, but they have 8 days of rain coming at them and they just barely have their heads above dirt, so fingers crossed. geek

**sanderson** 1/5/2018, 3:08 am

January is the peaceful month for gardeners. Winter crops are growing and summer crops are just penciled in on plot plans. The hardest chore for this month is deciding which seeds to order. Seed starting and sweet potato starts will be next month.

I have to take these recommendations from Gardenate.com with a grain of salt. With last frost dates in March, there's no need to start seeds until February. Last winter, there was so much glorious rain that end of February was early enough in my climate to start anything.

Beetroot/Beets- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Broccoli- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Cabbage- Plant in garden. Harvest from April
Cape Gooseberry/Golden Berry- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from May
Capsicum/Bell/Sweet/Chili peppers- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Cauliflower- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from June
Celeriac- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from May
Celery- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from June
Eggplant/Aubergine- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from May
Kale/Borecole- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Kohlrabi- Plant in garden. Harvest from April
Lettuce- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Mizuna/Japanese Greens/Mitzuna/Mibuna- Plant in garden. Harvest from March
Mustard greens/Gai choy- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from March
Onion- Plant in garden. Harvest from August
Parsley- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Parsnip- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from June
Peas- Plant in garden. Harvest from April
Potato- Plant in garden. Harvest from June
Radish- Plant in garden. Harvest from March
Rosemary- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from 12 months
Silverbeet/Swiss Chard- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Snow Peas/Sugar Peas/Mangetout/Chinese Peas- Plant in garden. Harvest from May
Strawberries (from seeds)- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from 12 months
Tomato- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Turnip- Plant in garden. Harvest from April

countrynaturals 1/29/2018, 12:53 am

Today I planted:

Daikon radish seeds in the BTE. They were from 2016, so I just tossed them on top of the wood chips and covered them with leaves. We'll see if the lazy way can work.

Sugar snap peas from 2017 in the front half of the ANSFG bed. I was going to use that part for root crops, but the leaves and rabbit poo haven't broken down at all so I opted to do it this way. I'll put root crops in there next fall.

January: What to plant in Northern California and Central Valley areas - Page 3 Leaves11

January: What to plant in Northern California and Central Valley areas - Page 3 Leaves11

Milkweed seeds -- again they're old seeds. I put some in the butterfly host garden and some inside in Jiffy Pellets.

Basil seeds from 1994 inside. Won't it be amazing if those puppies sprout?

Finally, in Jiffy Pellets on the heating pad inside, I planted, cilantro, lavender, onions, zinnias, artichoke, corn salad, kale, broccoli, jicama, kohlrabi, & celtuce. I had almost decided against fooling with broccoli, but I have plenty of room, and the tiny heads I get are delicious, so I'm going to keep going. Hopefully, my soil will keep improving and the heads will get bigger.

**sanderson** 1/1/2019, 4:46 pm

It looks like this January will be blessed with some rain, for sure in the north, flip of the coin in the central and anyone's guess in the south. Last chance to gather up leaves for composting! The freeze wasn't too bad in the Fresno area so oranges still on the trees should have survived with the help of some smudge pots and irrigation.

sanderson wrote:January is the peaceful month for gardeners. Winter crops are growing and summer crops are just penciled in on plot plans. The hardest chore for this month is deciding which seeds to order. Seed starting and sweet potato starts will be next month.

I have to take these recommendations from Gardenate.com with a grain of salt. With last frost dates in March, there's no need to start seeds until February. Last winter, there was so much glorious rain that end of February was early enough in my climate to start anything.

Beetroot/Beets- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Broccoli- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Cabbage- Plant in garden. Harvest from April
Cape Gooseberry/Golden Berry- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from May
Capsicum/Bell/Sweet/Chili peppers- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Cauliflower- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from June
Celeriac- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from May
Celery- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from June
Eggplant/Aubergine- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from May
Kale/Borecole- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Kohlrabi- Plant in garden. Harvest from April
Lettuce- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Mizuna/Japanese Greens/Mitzuna/Mibuna- Plant in garden. Harvest from March
Mustard greens/Gai choy- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from March
Onion- Plant in garden. Harvest from August
Parsley- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Parsnip- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from June
Peas- Plant in garden. Harvest from April
Potato- Plant in garden. Harvest from June
Radish- Plant in garden. Harvest from March
Rosemary- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from 12 months
Silverbeet/Swiss Chard- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Snow Peas/Sugar Peas/Mangetout/Chinese Peas- Plant in garden. Harvest from May
Strawberries (from seeds)- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from 12 months
Tomato- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Turnip- Plant in garden. Harvest from April

countrynaturals 1/1/2019, 6:26 pm

sanderson wrote:It looks like this January will be blessed with some rain, for sure in the north, flip of the coin in the central and anyone's guess in the south. Last chance to gather up leaves for composting!

I was going to finish raking today, but it's too breezy. Tomorrow should be perfect. Cool

Yardslave 1/2/2019, 1:03 pm

Three mornings at/or below 32 degrees. Had to cover the lemon and lime trees to avoid frost damage. I have sprouted broccoli, radishes, cabbage, onions, beets, carrots, fava beans and chard under frost blankets, but with the short daylight hours and the cold soil temps they aren't doing much as far as growth is concerned. Had to dust the beds with diatomacious earth to discourage the hungry hoard of bugs. Somehow the sparrows have discovered how to get past the bird netting and have wiped out over half of the beet sprouts. They are scalping the Kale to the stems and have mowed half of my lawn for me. That was the bad part; the good part is, I haven't had to water the garden since late November. Just opened the water bill and it was $24- one tenth of what the summer bill usually is. Happy New Year fellow SFG'ers smiles

**sanderson** 1/2/2019, 11:01 pm

YS, Have you considered covering the bird netting with a layer of bridal tulle? It will also prevent the nasty green caterpillar.

Yardslave 1/4/2019, 8:07 pm

Hi S,
I've got to look into bridal tulle soon- I'm tired of feeding the birds. In the past I have used the fine plastic bird netting, but the stuff catches lizards like you wouldn't believe- snakes too! They try to push in and their scales won't allow them to back out. They fry in the hot sun and die a slow death. I kind of like the reptiles around; they scarf up all the bugs they can fit in their mouths. I guess I'm going to spend one of the future rainy days in the one and only fabric store in my area looking for tulle. Perhaps I can get a deal since the wedding season is over Very Happy

**sanderson** 1/5/2019, 2:57 am

Joann's Fabrics has coupons all the time. There is a 108" white matte tulle on sale for $.79 a yard! If your local fabric store doesn't carry it, or is out, you might look into ordering online with Joann's. I recommend the 108" wide verses narrower ones that may need to be pieced together.

Yardslave 1/5/2019, 12:24 pm

Hi S,
There's a Joann's not too far way in Salinas- So off I go, but first I need your advice. I have some beds that are 4'X4' , and some beds that are 9'X3' -any idea how much it would take to cover one of those if I constructed a FVC frame like the beds your DH constructed?

**sanderson** 1/7/2019, 3:16 am

I'm sorry I am so late replying. I'm hoping you bought the whole bolt. The amount you need at a minimum for your size beds is the length plus double the height of the gable as measured from the top of the bed frame . Plus a handful of inches so that the tulle can be secured at the ends.

I took the bolt of tulle, started unwinding it hanging over one gable end, ran it down the ridge pole, then dropped back down the other gable end, allowing a few extra inches in total length. Then cut off that section of material. Then you can open up the tulle. Repeat on each bed. It's way better to have too much tulle than to cut it too short! Shocked

January: What to plant in Northern California and Central Valley areas - Page 3 Frames10

Yardslave 1/7/2019, 1:08 pm

Thanks for the tips, S. It looks like the weather is keeping me indoors, but that doesn't mean I cant slip out to JoAnn's for a little retail therapy.

has55 1/16/2019, 12:29 pm

sanderson wrote:I'm sorry I am so late replying. I'm hoping you bought the whole bolt. The amount you need at a minimum for your size beds is the length plus double the height of the gable as measured from the top of the bed frame . Plus a handful of inches so that the tulle can be secured at the ends.

I took the bolt of tulle, started unwinding it hanging over one gable end, ran it down the ridge pole, then dropped back down the other gable end, allowing a few extra inches in total length. Then cut off that section of material. Then you can open up the tulle. Repeat on each bed. It's way better to have too much tulle than to cut it too short!

Sanderson, great info. Is there a place where we keep ideas like this picture in one category? I'm copying it for future reference. This helps us the non-engineer type of people, like me.

countrynaturals 12/31/2019, 7:26 pm

PNG_Grandma wrote:Pumpkin Sow in garden.
Harvest from May.

YIKES! No wonder I never get pumpkins. I don't even plant them until May. DUH! dangit

countrynaturals 12/31/2019, 7:43 pm

audrey.jeanne.roberts wrote:You could use survival blankets to insulate your cold frames and if I remember right it averages 18 degrees warmth down to zero in the Colorado University study I linked to in the Greenhouse thread (it's back in the early pages).

I use them inside my tent style greenhouse for a greenhouse-inside-a-greenhouse effect which works much like dual glazed windows. The sun heats the ground during the day, the survival blankets hold that heat in during the night and I open them up each morning so the sun can come in.

I know Audrey is long gone (and very much missed) but I was wondering if these would do any good for the plants I can't bring in or protect.

Walmart Survival Blankets

countrynaturals 12/31/2019, 8:08 pm

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:
countrynaturals wrote: My icicle radishes never sprouted, so I think they rotted in all the wetness we had last week.
The planting charts in my ANSFG book (mine is edition 1) say that radishes take 29 days to germinate at 41*F and 11 days at 50*F. If more of the hours of the day during the last week and a half have been below 50*F than above, they made need some more time.

I have close to a 90% failure rate with radishes. They almost all sprout leggy and never produce bulbs -- no matter where or when I plant 'em. Gonna try an experiment, tomorrow. Gonna plant a bunch in Jiffy Pellets, under lights, on a heat mat. If I can get them properly launched, hopefully they'll do better. idk

countrynaturals 12/31/2019, 8:31 pm

Migosh! I wouldn't have planted these yet, either.

Bell/Sweet/Chili peppers- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April

I still have a lot to learn. dangit

**sanderson** 1/6/2020, 4:45 am

CN, No need to start summer plants until February. April 1 is the earliest we should plant outside. In 2019, the date was pushed farther out to May 1 due to the late rains. Regarding radishes, keep the Mix damp and direct sow in September or October. Or, April or May.

**sanderson** 1/9/2022, 5:49 pm

We were blessed with December rain and the snow in the mountains is uncommonly deep for this time of the year. The only change I will be making to my annual seed starting is to start the pepper seeds, and maybe herbs, 2 or 3 weeks before anything else. My peppers always seems so puny when I set them out in the garden on April 1 (Mother Nature cooperating).

Bumped:

sanderson wrote:January is the peaceful month for gardeners. Winter crops are growing and summer crops are just penciled in on plot plans. The hardest chore for this month is deciding which seeds to order. Seed starting and sweet potato starts will be next month.

I have to take these recommendations from Gardenate.com with a grain of salt. With last frost dates in March, there's no need to start seeds until February.

Beetroot/Beets- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Broccoli- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Cabbage- Plant in garden. Harvest from April
Cape Gooseberry/Golden Berry- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from May
Capsicum/Bell/Sweet/Chili peppers- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Cauliflower- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from June
Celeriac- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from May
Celery- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from June
Eggplant/Aubergine- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from May
Kale/Borecole- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Kohlrabi- Plant in garden. Harvest from April
Lettuce- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Mizuna/Japanese Greens/Mitzuna/Mibuna- Plant in garden. Harvest from March
Mustard greens/Gai choy- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from March
Onion- Plant in garden. Harvest from August
Parsley- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Parsnip- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from June
Peas- Plant in garden. Harvest from April
Potato- Plant in garden. Harvest from June
Radish- Plant in garden. Harvest from March
Rosemary- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from 12 months
Silverbeet/Swiss Chard- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Snow Peas/Sugar Peas/Mangetout/Chinese Peas- Plant in garden. Harvest from May
Strawberries (from seeds)- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from 12 months
Tomato- Start undercover in seed trays and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Harvest from April
Turnip- Plant in garden. Harvest from April

[/quote]

**sanderson** 1/14/2023, 11:07 pm

What is everyone doing this month? How are you doing with all the rain, flooding, and rock slides?

Yesterday I took advantage of the break in the rain and sifted my old Mel's Mix to use for starting seeds. Hopefully, I can get started on Peppers and herbs on the heat mat. Those seem to take forever to germinate.

I screened with a gold miner's 1/4" pan and steam baked in Dollar Store turkey pans to over 160*F. I have 3 pans of pasteurized fine Mel's Mix ready to fill the seed cups.

January: What to plant in Northern California and Central Valley areas - Page 3 Seedli48

January: What to plant in Northern California and Central Valley areas - Page 3 Seedli49

Yardslave 1/14/2023, 11:58 pm

It's too wet out to plant anything but water lillies and Taro; but as long as we aren't underwater like those houses along the nearby Carmel River, I will be happy to just stay warm inside and try to plan for a new season.

**sanderson** 1/15/2023, 3:35 am

YS, Good to hear that you are safe and warm, and out of storm's harm. That counts for a lot.

We have a roof leak in a convoluted gable/hip section of tile roof. On the bright side, the ceiling inside the house that is dripping is the easiest to change out the sheetrock and install new insulation. It's a small section of lowered ceiling in a tall ceiling bedroom. My son who lives outside of Sac has a side gig as a licensed roofing contractor and will come down and fix it as soon as there is a solid break in the rain.

January: What to plant in Northern California and Central Valley areas - Page 3 Leakin10

January: What to plant in Northern California and Central Valley areas - Page 3 Leakin11

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