Regional Reminders
September 13, 2007
Northern California Coastal & Inland Valleys
By
Kim Haworth,
San Bruno, CA
Mulch with Pine Needles
If you are plagued with slugs and snails, mulch garden beds with pine needles. The acidity of the pine combined with the sharp needles sends tender-footed slugs and snails in a different direction.
Sow Radishes
Plant radish seeds now for a fall harvest. All root crops demand perfect soil texture. Rake out and remove all small rocks and twigs, amend the planting bed with organic compost, and plant seeds directly in the ground.
Harvest Tomatoes
They are coming fast and furious now! Your tomato plants will benefit from continuous harvesting as the fruit ripens. Don't overwater tomato plants once they set fruit. Less water makes the tomatoes sweeter and helps prevent the skins from splitting.
Order Spring-Blooming Bulbs
Purchase spring-blooming bulbs like tulips and daffodils as soon as you see them at nurseries or in mail-order catalogs. Store bulbs in the vegetable crisper of your refrigerator for four to six weeks prior to planting in November to ensure long stems on flowers.
Remove Standing Water
Remove and drain standing water from plant saucers. Mosquitoes are going into their final breeding cycle soon and will lay eggs in even a tiny amount of standing water outdoors. Change pet water bowls every day.
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