In My Garden Blog
July 3, 2008
Southern California Coastal & Inland Valleys
By
Yvonne Savio,
Pasadena, CA
Shade cloth slows bolting of maturing lettuce, and it helps keep seedbeds moist for germinating new seed.
Planting Succession Crops
Even with our true summer heat upon us, we can still be planting some seeds and tiny plants. We just have to be selective and take some extra precautions to assure success, then escape back indoors or at least into the shade with a cool drink!
Transplant basil, celery, chard, cucumbers, dill, kale, leeks, summer-maturing lettuce, okra, green onions, melons, pumpkins, summer savory, New Zealand spinach, and summer and winter squash. Do your transplanting in the late afternoon or evening so plants have the whole night to begin to recover before they must endure a full day of sun and heat. Water the transplants well and provide shade from the intense midday sun. Water enough to keep soil around transplants moist for at least a month until they're well established. Mulch transplants to lessen evaporation so your irrigation water lasts longer.
At the end of the month, sow seeds of carrots, celery, and cole crops such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage (especially red and savoy types, which resist frost better), cauliflower, and kohlrabi. Keep the soil moist and shaded until they're up, and then gradually allow them more sun over a week's time.
Beans and carrots dislike transplanting and grow more successfully when they are sown where they will be harvested.
Get better germination during summer's heat by employing several techniques. Sow seeds thickly in flats or beds. Mulch the seeds thinly with sifted compost instead of heavy soil, which easily crusts over. Frequently sprinkle the flat or bed to keep it moist, or leave a mister on for several hours each day. Shield the bed with a piece of burlap or plywood. This will keep the seeds cooler than the air temperature, give them the moisture they need, and keep the soil surface from crusting. Remove the shade board or burlap after one-fourth of the seeds have germinated. Continue keeping the bed moist until most of the seedlings are up.
If you use flats, place them in an area with less than full sun, and pay close attention to keeping them moist. Transplant the seedlings when the second set of true leaves develops. These are the ones that look like miniature versions of the mature plant.
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Comments on Planting Succession Crops
We welcome your questions and comments about this column. If
you have gardening questions unrelated to the column, please ask
them on our message boards.
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Kim Flanery
I am moving to the Alhambra area in October. Is there a county
extension agency or a gardening club in the South Pasadena, Alhambra
area so I can gain knowledge in South California horticulture and
planting seasons? Thanks.
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Yvonne Savio
Hi, Kim--
Wonderful to have you join us in our gardening eden!
I'm Manager of the University of California Cooperative Extension
Common Ground Garden Program here in LA County. Please see our
website for lots of local gardening information
--http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/Common_Ground_Garden_Program --
which also has a listing and contact information for the community
gardens open to the public, including the one in Alhambra where one
of our Master Gardener volunteers gives monthly presentations.
The LA County Arboretum in Arcadia hosts many gardening clubs. The
Huntington Botanic Garden in San Marino and Descanso Gardens in La
Canada Flintridge offer many gardening lectures.
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Elizabeth
Hello Yvonne -
My husband and I moved to Pasadena in March. I was very happy to
find this website as I have a question to which I have not been able
to find an answer. We were living temporarily in the area around Cal
Tech. In April, we noticed a very strong fragrance in our area,
which lasted perhaps two weeks. It was quite sharp and very
powerful. It seemed to be all over Pasadena. I thought it might be
coming from some small greenish flowers on trees lining the streets,
but I was never able to track down exactly the source. Any ideas?
thank you!!
Elizabeth
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Yvonne Savio
Hi, Elizabeth--
Sorry, I can't tell what you were smelling. The best bet is to take
a picture of the tree, break off a small branch of leaves, and take
them to Burkhart Nursery (Orange Grove and Lincoln) or Bellefontaine
Nursery (Fair Oaks at Bellefontaine, south of California) or Lincoln
Nursery (Lincoln north of Orange Grove) to have one of the certified
nurserymen identify it along with your description of the fragrance
and tiny greenish blossoms. You might also leaf through the Sunset
Western Guide to identify some similar-looking trees, which will
help the nurserymen to identify it.
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Michael P Sanders
I stumbled across this web site by accident while I was doing a web
search for Burkhart Nursery in Pasadena. The posting from Kim about
the county extension agency caught my attention. Very few people
have even heard of such an agency, but I depended heavily on them
for information that I needed while raising cattle and hogs 30 years
ago. My real comment though, is on the fragrance in the air from
Elizabeth. I had a similar experience years ago and discovered it
to be Jasmine. Since then, I planted several Star Jasmine bushes
around my house and I look forward to spring every year when I can
sit outside and savor the aroma.
Happy gardening,
Mike in Altadena
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Yvonne Savio
Hi, Mike--
Yes, the University of California Cooperative Extension service in
every county is a wonderful resource, and Pasadena's jasmine is
truly delightful - one of my first memories as a child out walking
with my folks on summer evenings. Thanks for reminding me of that
"sense memory."
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