So. California & Inland Valleys -March / April Planting Guide

Hi there!

On my its already summer veggie planting time.  I'm way behind again and have been struggling with hot days, cold nights and on going drought getting much to sprout in my beds.  I've under watered my first set of indoor seed starter and they mostly failed, then over compensated and drowned my next set.  Third set will be a charm right?

Oh well, with the hot weather this year, I hope I'm not too far behind.

To help us all along, I'll resurrect Chopper's old planting guides.  Looks like you can probably squeeze in a last cold season veggies if you're lucky.  If the heat holds, we can go to Melons!


What to plant in March:

Beans, Bush
Beans, Pole
Beets
Cabbage
Carrots
Corn
Cucumber
Eggplant
Herbs
Lettuce
Onions/Garlic sets
Peppers
Potatoes
Spinach
Squash, summer
Squash, Winter
Sunflowers
Tomato plants

What to plant for April
Beans, Bush
Beans, Pole
Beets
Cantalope
Carrots
Corn
Cucumber
Eggplant
Herbs
Jicama
Lima Beans
Melons
Onions/Garlic sets
Parsley
Peppers
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Squash, summer
Squash, Winter
Sunflowers
Tomato plants
Watermelon

Oh, and if you're curious and need a good laugh on how bad the seed starting was, here's a hint, I went 0 for 18 on green beans!  I did go 4 for 16 on sunflowers. 2 of 12 for beets, etc.

I'm pretty confident I'm just over/under watering, but I am trying newspaper pots.  So hopefully the LA Times isn't treating their paper with anything.

Well here's the good news.

At least I'm consistent.

I've got most of my bed fallow.  Have my onions have bolted.  (That's it, I'm done with store bought onions).

The over wintering bell pepper has been repeatedly mauled by slugs.

I don't have a single seed starter going.  And likely won't for a few more days courtesy of our friend 'the flu'.

The mint in my lethargy this winter has taken over.  It's killed everything in on bed and invaded.  Major overhaul going to be needed as I'll need to dig out the mix, dig ut the mint (that's pushed in and up through 12 inches of mix) and killed off all the potatoes in that dedicated bed.

On the bright side, i do have one carrot growing...

Well, I still don't have one seed started so we can have a race. And, my spring onions have bolted. Good thing about green beans is you can soak for 30 minutes and direct sow. Likewise, sunflowers can be direct sowed. At least the mix in your "mint" bed will smell heavenly.

sanderson wrote:Well, I still don't have one seed started so we can have a race.  And, my spring onions have bolted.  Good thing about green beans is you can soak for 30 minutes and direct sow.  Likewise, sunflowers can be direct sowed.  At least the mix in your "mint" bed will smell heavenly.

Won't that be like the Tortoise and the Hare?

I'll flutter around here, squawk, make an occasional post.  Disappear for a month taking a nap while you post regularly and steadily make progress.  I'll show up with a massive hare brain plan, plant a bunch of stuff at the last minute and then disappear ago.  You'll keep planting and planning...

About June, maybe July, I'll post about how disastrously my season is going?  You'll be posting pictures of all your harvests? 

;-)

And, I will think I am doing so good and along will come Audrey with her huge garden overflowing with produce!

sanderson wrote:And, I will think I am doing so good and along will come Audrey with her huge garden overflowing with produce!

I've learned my lesson with both of you. I'll just sit back and wait for winter to show off my babies.

How is everyone in Southern California doing?  You have been receiving your fair share of rain this winter, which may have pushed back your planting date.

This is the planting guide for Santa Clara and similar areas.
https://ucanr.edu/sites/mgscc2016/files/241030.pdf

This is Ventura County. https://ceventura.ucanr.edu/Gardening/Garden_Info/Plant_Veg/

To find your county's vegetable planting guide, in California, Google/Bing "ucanr vegetable planting guide." Some counties are grouped together. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.

It's finally looking hopeful for SoCal folks to plant their starts.