California - What are you doing this month?

I just amended 82 sq.feet of boxes for Spring planting. It wasn't easy, but I didn't have to use a shovel, rototiller and rake out rocks and clumps of hard soil- SFG is the way to go!. As I turned the MM and added new compost and Vermiculite I noticed a few things I'd like to share. The smaller grades of vermiculite broke down faster, and I also noticed that the beds that I used coconut coir in retained more water and actually the material hadn't broken down as much as the Peat. So, next batch of MM I'm going to use the coconut coir the and forget about using peat.

Good to know, I don't have access to coarse vermiculite locally.  Will be looking. Further afar.....

I just uncovered my black plastic test area after 1 month.  It's amazing!  I covered this at the end of February so it's been maybe closer to 5 weeks.  No real hot sun yet, just 6 mil black plastic weighed down with rocks.

Everything that was growing is dead and worm holes are everywhere as you look at the surface.  Much of the grass that was growing has been eaten to the ground.  The article I read talked about turning your weeds into a cover crop using this method and it worked really well for me.  You can see the crisp edge where the plastic was and wasn't.

I'm finishing up with 6 inches of hay for mulch.  Yup, I'll be pulling hay weeds, but they just get tossed right back on top for additional mulch and they pull up super easily as this soil is very loose and friable having been deep mulched the last two years.  These beds will be my overflow for rambling squash plants.  In front is my strawberry bed that's going into its second year.

Nice, AJR! Looks like you have some ready ground for your ramblers! I am relegating mine to the south side of my house in a degrading old window box that will serve its purpose for 1 or 2 seasons...ce la vie!

We bought a roll of 10' x 100' that I think was around $50 at Home Depot.  We covered all the areas we hadn't had a chance to weed before those weeds had a chance to go to seed so in addition to their nutritional value, it's giving us a wider zone where the wild weeds won't be encroaching.  (We are in the middle of wide open grass land on all sides).

3 of the hay bales were pretty much still in good shape so we're planting in them and putting them at the outer edge of the "front lawn" AKA mown weeds and will plant additional squash & pumpkins in them to grow down the front hill which faces North but gets heavy duty sunshine all summer long so they'll love it.  

Turned my compost pile today too - now all I need is a hot tub for a deep soak.  Must talk to honey about Mother's Day | Birthday | Anniversary, lol!

Speaking of hay, it's time for me to get a bale for chopping up as mulch.  Wish I could buy a half a bale as I don't don't need a full one.  The weather is getting warm again, 70s and 80s with a possibility of low 90s over the next 15 days.  There is also a possibility of showers this coming Friday for much of the northern Cal area.  At this time, it doesn't look like So. Cal will be getting any.    Thursday I bought another 50 feet of sun shade. I'm hoping grommets will work with it.

I'm tempted to plant my tomatoes and peppers.  I have 2 of each so if these don't make it, there are spares.  I'm feeling too lazy to up plant them.  It's also time to plant the hot pink snapdragons and dark purple petunias we bought on Thursday.  One of this year's projects was to remove a rose from a huge, heavy pot, pottery or cement??  20" across and 17" deep.  The root grew through the drain hole and the spring rains filled it up with water.  As much as I loved the hot pink, sweet smelling rose, I will enjoy the flowers just as much, a nice color spot among all the green veggies and brown wood.  Photo later.

I still have some prepping to do in a few smaller beds.  I'm thinking that more trellises would help with vining veggies.  Here are the oregano and stevia that over-wintered.  I harvested and dried 1/3 of the oregano.  I was going to use the bed for Dragon Tongue beans but really considering herbs at this point.  Need more beds!!  

Stevia! You grow it?! Fun! This will be my first year to try and grow some herbs in MM. Basil, cilantro, dill are my priorities. I have chives, a huge thyme bed outside; and a Rosemary that I have in a large terra cotta pot that has survived at least 4 overwinters indoors.

Well, I bought the stevia plant at HD last fall.  So, does that count?  

I planted the peppers today but they didn't have as many roots as I thought they would by now.  Might be touch and go with them.  Got the snapdragons and petunias planted in the giant pot.  Trimmed the geranium and pineapple sage, starting to set up this certain area.  photo later

Tomatoes.  I'm trying to figure out if the Determinates should all go in the 2" tall Table Top and the Indeterminates in the bucket brigade??  I'm going to plant them tomorrow and get the overhead frames cut and installed.  It was so hot that I had to come inside in the afternoon. Just not used to the warmth. Course, come mid summer, 90*F will seem refreshing.

sanderson wrote:  It was so hot that I had to come inside in the afternoon.  Just not used to the warmth.  Course, come mid summer, 90*F will seem refreshing.

I totally cannot relate. Were I in your shoes I'd have those tomatoes planted out so fast their little leaves with spin!
Of coarse, my season is short, so everything is fast.

CC

The way I wrote it sounded like it was 90*F yesterday It was only around 80. The peppers survived the night (with some Sluggo Plus keeping watch) so I will get the 3-4" tomatoes out today.

CapeCoddess wrote:

sanderson wrote:  It was so hot that I had to come inside in the afternoon.  Just not used to the warmth.  Course, come mid summer, 90*F will seem refreshing.

I totally cannot relate. Were I in your shoes I'd have those tomatoes planted out so fast their little leaves with spin!
Of coarse, my season is short, so everything is fast.

CC

We have terrible heat to deal with, but the offset is that we have an incredibly long season that is very forgiving!  We can grow all the way through October and sometimes well into November before our first frost.

CC, You'll be happy to know that I got 6 tomatoes in the new bed today - their little leaves were spinning. Got 9 buckets prepped for indeterminate varieties. The little Snow Fairy will go in the new bed when it gets a little bigger. Another day in the low 80s.

Working on PVC frames for support and shade cloth for both sets of tomatoes. I got out the box for the 1/4" drip fittings to repair and make new irrigation and found that they had been cannibalized for the rental houses and the neighbor. Wednesday is supposed to be in the 90s so I better hustle.

Thanks for the heads up on the temps.  I haven't checked the weather in a week or so.  My new gardens are looking beee-uuuu-tiful.  Hubby's flower selections were perfect and they're going to grow in so lush and pretty.

I need to start some new squash.  If I start them in the ground the grasshoppers and pill bugs seem to finish them off before they get too big.  *deep sigh*  Fortunately for us, I can plant 3 waves of them during the summer and still have enough time for them to mature.  

My agent hit me with a huge project that needs to be completed before the end of the month on top of everything else soooo I may be a bit sparse around here!  Happy gardening  

PS Sanderson, my kids decided they didn't need the grandmas overnight so I won't be staying down in the city for the week as planned, however - I am determined we're going to meet.  So I'll call you one of these days in the next week or two!

Woo Hoo!  Let me know when you are coming down!  Of course, you have to post a photo of hubby's flowers.

Front yard Azalea (BTE) and volunteer Borage, that were heavily thinned!!  There was a bee (singular) visiting their flowers this morning.

Very pretty, sanderson! I love volunteers when their location is good!

Thanks, SR.

Talk about perfect timing. A neighbor gave me 2 quarts of coffee grounds this evening (garbage can night)! Tomorrow will definitely be the day to empty the old worm tubes, distribute worms among the new worm tubes and feed them all. Tomorrow it is suppose to be 91*F. Followed by chance of rain this weekend. Go figure. I did get the new drip system in the new 2' x 7' and repaired 2 of the 3 broken lines. My fingers are sore from pushing the tubing and fittings together, even though I had a hot pan of water to soak the ends of the tubes.

Got the tall tomatoes in the 5-gallon buckets today. Husband mowed the lawns so everything looks tidier. I have one bed that normally has the cucumbers but it still doesn't get any sunshine and here it is April. The neighbors trees just keep getting taller and wider. So, the 12 cukes may go into the sunny box that usually has Dragon Tongue beans in the summer and cabbage in the winter.

That's all for now. I know some of you have good weather now and lots of starts out in the garden and some of you have frost and even snow. The start of the race is different but we all end up at the finish line.

Very nice, Sanderson! LOVE those pink azaleas!!!

It's suppose to start raining at 3 am so I'm glad I took photos today.  No name pink rose:

Two tall Yves Piaget with catnip and compost bin to the right.  Tight fit.  This bed normally has the cucumbers but will have KY Wonder beans this year.  You can see bare patches of dirt where the ramial chips have broken down over 18 months.  I do need more.

Tomato bucket brigade - indeterminates.

Determinates in new 2' x 7' TT bed.  Empty marker is for Snow Fairies.  Using dry compost as mulch until I get more straw to chop.

Peppers in 2' x 8' TT.  Two blank squares.

Pickling, Muncher and Crystal Apple cucumbers.  I will thin after they get established.

Got the Okra and Dragon Tongues seeds sowed.  Put food in the new worm tubes but still haven't cleaned the full tubes! Also fixed another broken drip line and capped off some others.  I need to move a square of garlic but I don't know if that can safely be done. I'm pooped tonight.

Wow sanderson you have an amazing SFG garden, etc. There is so much going on and all quite neatly arranged.

trolleydriver wrote:Wow sanderson you have an amazing SFG garden, etc. There is so much going on and all quite neatly arranged.

+1    And drip irrigation.  I am jealous.

yolos wrote:

trolleydriver wrote:Wow sanderson you have an amazing SFG garden, etc. There is so much going on and all quite neatly arranged.

+1    And drip irrigation.  I am jealous.

Agree with both statements. Just beautiful! Once I retire maybe you'll help me with drip irrigation? I even went to that website where you get your equipment but my li'l pea brain won't seem to wrap around it. My SFG layout is complete whimsy - no rhyme or reason.
But there's still time before I'll be tackling that project. Meanwhile, grow on!

CC

Thanks all.

 Still waiting for the rain. . .  Cut some roses (you know, because the 3/4" predicted would ruin some of the open ones).  Not much of a florist but they smell so nice.  

Added:  Opps, spoke too soon. The is a Red exclamation point on the weather report indicating a super heavy rain dump tonight 9-11 PM. 1-2" expected!!!!!!!

I cut roses today as well, the ones I picked smell heavenly.  I have them on my desk and can't get enough of looking at them and smelling them :-)

Hi Sanderson.  GREAT garden; I'm majorly jealous.  Bought 4 2x2 garden boxes Sunday from a kid who makes them.  These things are indestructible...built like tanks!  He even put weed cloth & critter control (read chicken wire) on the bottom. 

Things are sprouting.  My salad box is getting full (other than the spots that didn't germinate). Beans and peas are coming up.  I planted some Russian Comfrey starts that took off right away.  I'm starting them in a planter box but will move them as soon as they are 6" high or so.  Your chuckle for the day?  Planted some seeds in a box but got distracted before I labeled it?  I have NO IDEA what is in there.  I keep looking at my seed packets trying to remember which one I was in to.  Not happening.  Sigh....age is shooting down my memory. Whatever it is is happily producing little green shoots.  

A question to everyone?...something is putting holes in my basil.  It's not slugs or snails, so what is it?

And....pardon my ignorance, but what are Snow Fairies? 

It's starting to get exciting around here!

Happy gardening!