Posts Tagged Vegetables
Fall Planting Guide for California: Sowing the Seeds of Spring
As summer’s heat begins to fade and the days grow shorter, September marks the perfect time to start planting for a vibrant spring garden in California. The mild temperatures and occasional rain showers create ideal conditions for seeds and young plants to establish strong roots before winter dormancy. At DK Landscaping, we’re passionate about helping you make the most of this planting season, ensuring your garden bursts with color and life come springtime.
Flowers to Plant in September
Embrace the anticipation of spring by planting these stunning flowers now:
- Bulbs: September is prime time for planting spring-blooming bulbs like tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus, and anemones. These beauties will add pops of color and cheer to your garden as the days grow longer.
- Wildflowers: Consider sowing a wildflower mix for a naturalized and pollinator-friendly display. California poppies, lupines, and clarkias are excellent choices for a vibrant spring meadow.
- Cool-season annuals: Pansies, violas, primroses, and snapdragons thrive in the cooler temperatures of fall and winter, providing early color to your garden.
- Perennials: Fall is an ideal time to divide and transplant perennials or plant new ones. Consider options like columbine, coreopsis, and penstemon for long-lasting beauty.
Vegetables to Plant in September
Extend your harvest season and enjoy fresh produce throughout the fall and winter by planting these vegetables:
- Leafy Greens: Lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula, and Swiss chard thrive in the cooler temperatures of fall and winter.
- Brassicas: Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage are perfect for fall planting, as they prefer milder conditions.
- Root Vegetables: Carrots, beets, radishes, and turnips can be sown in September for a late fall or winter harvest.
- Alliums: Plant garlic and shallots in September for a flavorful harvest next summer.
Shrubs to Plant in September
Add structure and year-round interest to your landscape by planting shrubs in the fall:
- Evergreen Shrubs: Ceanothus, manzanita, and toyon provide beautiful foliage and attract pollinators.
- Flowering Shrubs: Consider planting camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons for stunning spring blooms.
- Fruiting Shrubs: Plant blueberries, raspberries, and currants in the fall for a delicious harvest next year.
Essential Tips for Successful Fall Planting
- Prepare Your Soil: Amend your soil with compost or other organic matter to improve drainage and fertility.
- Choose the Right Location: Consider each plant’s sun and shade requirements when choosing a planting spot.
- Water Wisely: Water deeply and less frequently, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between waterings.
- Protect from Pests: Monitor your plants for signs of pests and take preventative measures to protect them.
- Mulch: Apply a layer of mulch around your plants to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature.
DK Landscaping: Your Partner in Fall Planting
At DK Landscaping, we understand the unique needs of California gardens. Our team of experts can guide you through the fall planting process, providing personalized recommendations and professional installation services to ensure your garden thrives.
Contact us today for a free consultation and let us help you create a stunning spring garden that will bring joy and beauty for years to come.
Remember, fall planting is an investment in the future of your landscape. By taking advantage of this ideal planting season, you can create a vibrant and flourishing garden that welcomes spring with open arms.
Harvesting Your Vegetables
As the fall gardening season comes to an end, it’s definitely time to think about processing and storing the harvest. From roasted pumpkins/squash, steaming kale, to making delicious soups and stews, you’ll probably have plenty of delicious vegetables to keep you busy processing and freezing for weeks to come. Here are some tips from DK Landscaping on harvesting and storing those vegetables you grew this summer and fall:
Pumpkins and Squash – These vegetables are best harvested when the vine has dried up. If you’re threatened by frost, be sure to cover the vegetables with a blanket overnight. They’re delicious in soups, desserts and main entrees, and they can be processed immediately or stored in a cool, dry, dark environment for up to 8 months.
Leafy Vegetables – Kale, spinach, collard greens and cabbage are great growers during the fall months and often will survive a light frost. Pick the leaves when they’re young and tender, as they’ll taste better. Serve immediately or store in a cool setting for up to a week. Cabbage can be steamed and frozen or pickled for serving later in the year.
Root Vegetables – If you planted a second crop of radishes, carrots, beets or parsnips this fall, you can keep them in the ground until they reach the size you desire for eating. They’ll survive until the ground freezes hard, but typically are picked before then because they’re not as tasty when overgrown. These vegetables will keep in the refrigerator for a week, so be sure to plan them into your weekly menus shortly after picking them.
If you are already thinking ahead to your harvest for next summer, this is the perfect time to plant garlic. Wait until the first frost has passed, because you want the soil to be a bit cooler. The bulbs will thrive in the winter and produce beautiful large bulbs to be picked in the summer.
For more information about your harvest, contact DK Landscaping.
Guide to a Bountiful Autumn Garden
For Californians, Labor Day generally marks the end
of Summer… and the welcoming of Fall. It hardly seems logical to discuss Fall planting when temperatures feel like Indian Summer, but the calendars show that now, is is the right time to begin your plans for an autumn garden.
In most areas planting should take place from July through August to allow for plenty of time for seeds and plants to grow and mature before the first autumn freeze.
Here is a list of the hardiest vegetables for cool-weather gardens:
- Arugula, from 21 to 40 days (baby or mature leaf size)
- Bush beans, about 60 days (have insulating fabric ready if early cold threatens)
- Beets and beet greens
- Braising greens mix (mustard, kale, collards, Asian greens…)
- Broccoli raab, about 40 days
- Broccoli (60 days from transplants started about 15 weeks before first frost; do try Piracicaba, whose florets are looser, delicious, and which easily produces lots of side shoots)
- Cabbage (60 days from transplants started about 15 weeks before first frost) or Napa cabbage (about 10 days faster)
- Carrots (a storage kind like Rolanka, plus some smaller types for fall eating)
- Cauliflower (60 days from transplants started about 14 weeks before frost; needs covering if frost threatens)
- Chard
- Chicory, endive, radicchio
- Cilantro
- Collards, about 60 days but nice as a baby green
- Cucumbers (bush type rated 60 days)
- Daikon (60 days) and other faster radishes
- Dill
- Kale, about 60 days but nice in half that time as a baby green
- Lettuce, leaf and head type and mesclun mix, about 30 days to first cutting
- Mustard greens, about 45 days (faster as baby greens to spice a salad)
- Peas, shelling, sugar snap, and snowpea type
- Radishes
- Scallions and other hardy bunching onions, for fall use and to overwinter for spring
- Spinach
- Squash, summer variety, bush type
- Turnips, 40-50 days, faster for greens, or rutabaga (90 days) if sown in earliest July or late June here; rutabaga
Frost is a key enemy of late summer vegetable plantings, so check for the date of the first expected frost and count backward the number of days to maturity to find the planting window for each crop. Harvest semi-hardy vegetables and root crops before a heavy freeze sets in. Alternately, a heavy mulch over root crops can extend harvest into winter or even spring if the winter is mild. Keep the ground warm as the temperature drops by draping blanket covers over staked wires. Individual plant covers, such as paper caps or milk jugs provide further frost protection for your fall crops.
