August Updates for the Nor Cal Regional Area

Can you believe it is August 4th already? We have had some strange weather in Danville, California and I am sure you have had some too. Please update us with your garden progress. What is growing, what is not.

Also, in our area we can grow crops into the fall. Are you starting to think about your fall crops? Are you starting any seeds inside for later planting?

Thanks for sharing!

hmmm....
well I have 2 people in the family with pneumonia and 5 people coughing.
But despite my husband having pneumonia I saw that he has started collecting lumber for our garden on the side of the house. What a great man.

I called up THermo Rock in Arizona and she told me of a wholesale supplier up in Sacramento called Ready Grow or Ready Gro and they sell Vermiculite 3.8 cu feet bags for 20 bucks and peat moss!
They are opened Mon-Fri. I was going to go up today to pick them up but a daughter and son are sick too. Their phone number is 916-381-6063. She says that she doesn't supply any stores in the Bay Area yet. Perhaps I should buy a bunch and supply it down here for SFGers. Anyone interested?

Sorry to hear your family is sick. Please tell your husband not to work too hard... pneumonia is nothing to mess with. Hope your family is better soon.

Wow that is a great price on the vermiculite. You will have to let me know how it goes. I will need some more vermiculite when I finish the last two garden beds but since I am not going to build them for another month or so, it is a bit early for me to want to part with my money.

Great research on the supplies! Thanks for letting us know.

Our group garden boxes have new sprouts from seed comming up and the rest of the garden group is working on planting various things in their box's so we are on the way to having a real garden here in Modesto.

I posted a picture of my inclined driveway on the "Driveway..." topic. The big new is, I finally got my first box (2'x4') put together and filled. (My 8-year-old did most of the work, and loved mixing the Mel's Mix with her feet!) The box looks beautiful on the driveway, in contrast to all those weeds nearby.

Question -- I plan to get some 4'x4' boxes and place them half on the soil and half on the driveway (since I only own a 3.5' strip along the driveway). Since the boxes will be over both soil and concrete, should I get patio boxes with wood bottoms, or boxes with porous weed barriers?

Gosh Casey, I really don't know. You might try asking the SFG folks if you are ordering the boxes from them. I guess I would use the weed barrier but that is just because I don't think the wood bottom is necessary.

Let us know what you decide!

Well, our boxes have been in for about a month now and I alternate between being happy and unhappy with the progress - or lack thereof. My reject nursery tomato plants seem to be doing well except for the green zebra (maybe) and the watermelon beefsteak. But, we'll see - it's only been a month & they've been through 2 transplants. The spinach and beets are doing well. The carrots are iffy - some sections have only 3-4 carrots that come up and others do great. My swiss chard is popping up but slow to grow. The loose leaf (tolerant of heat variety) is doing well but the romaine that claims to be all season - only 1 plant came up in 4 squares. So, I'm replanting carrots where I see fit & trying to have more success with them. My bush beans are doing well - most came up and are now growing. Only one cucumber plant came up - I think the location was just too hot. My pepper plants are iffy - I think they're too hot too. Overall, I think things are going well - only time will tell. I'm sure it'd be more impressive if I'd started on time. But, already planning my fall garden!

You posted in Aug. about [Ready Grow or Ready Gro and they sell Vermiculite 3.8 cu feet bags for 20 bucks and peat moss! They are opened Mon-Fri. Their phone number is 916-381-6063.]

I'm going to save some money on shipping by driving up. You live down the street from me. Do you have extra? Need more? Know anybody who needs any locally? I'm willing to make the trip.