I know it's taken me a while to write another post, but I promise to be better from now on. So please bear with me. . . .
One of the best things about living in the San Francisco Bay Area, or the west coast in general, is that we can garden here all year. Sure, it might be a little wet and cold to do some stuff, but our gardens are never completely asleep like they are in more harsh climates. Here are a few things that can/should be done this time of year in the garden:
1. This is the best time to plant California native and drought tolerant plants. Many of these plants don't want summer water at all, so it is best to plant them now while they can get some water to get them established before the dry season comes along.
2. January-March is a great time to prune and graft deciduous fruit trees. You will have to attend one of my workshops to really learn how to prune or graft, but here are a few quick tips about dormant pruning:
1. Prune for shape. Take out any crossing branches or branches that are growing into the middle of the tree.
2. Dead, diseased and damaged branches should be removed.
3. Don't try to bring down the height of a tree in winter. Dormant pruning is invigorating, so these branches are likely to grow back with a vengeance. Wait til summer to tame your overgrown fruit trees.
4. Make sure you sterilize your tools before you prune. Many diseases can be passed through the use of contaminated tools. Rubbing alcohol should do the trick. Just wipe down your blades with it.
5. If you want to encourage branching on a young tree, cut the tip of the shoot you want to branch to an underfacing bud.
3. Dormant spray deciduous fruit trees such as peaches, apricots and cherries. This is especially important if you have had disease problems in the past. I recommend a sulfur spray. It's organic, but be sure to wear a mask to avoid any respiratory problems! It's actually best to start spraying just after leaf drop and spray twice more, once right around now and once just before bud break in the spring.
4. Plant deciduous fruit trees. Wait until a little bit of a break between storms for the soil to dry out a little bit. It's not good to dig in the garden when it's too wet. When the soil is moist but not wet, go for it. Make sure not to bury the graft union (where the variety you are trying to grow has been grafted onto the rootstock). This looks kind of like a knuckle and is usually pretty obvious. I recommend staking young fruit trees.
5. Start planning for spring! What crops do you want to grow? What varieties? If you want to grow your own seedlings it is important to think ahead to make sure your babies are ready when it is time to put them in the ground. Don't make the common mistake of starting seeds in April! Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants take at least two months to germinate and grow to a good plantable size. That means if you want to plant your tomatoes in mid-April you should start seeds by mid-February. And if you want to order seeds from a catalogue you should probably do it right about now.
Thanks for reading!
I'll be posting again soon with some advice on starting seeds and garden planning.
Thanks for reading,
Nik
Check out the website: www.purplecarrotgardening.com
