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Thread: February gardening

  1. #1
    Senior Member Gina's Avatar
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    February gardening

    It's a bit late to be starting a Feb gardening thread, but it's 'spring' here (coastal SoCal), and the juices are really flowing.

    The tomato seedlings are about 5 inches tall and looking robust. They are outside and will be put in the ground when it dries a bit. It's been raining the past couple days here.

    The San Marzano tomato seeds are just beginnig to peep up. These were just planted a week or so ago. I've never grown them before, so I'm really looking forward to see if they do well here.

    The peppers and chilis are still too small - the largest are maybe 3 inches tall, but most are smaller. Those will take another few weeks to go out, or even longer depending on weather. We usually don't get frosts here so I"m not worried about them getting zapped, but if it's cooler or overcast, they just don't grow as fast.

    I've been planting out flats of lettuce which just thrive here at this time of year. I plant 4 X 4 in doubled 16 inch nursery flats and pick when relatively young. Teenaged lettuce actually. These are protected on all sides from the critters - top, bottom and 4 sides, and this enclosure is now full with 12 flats. The largest plants are getting close enough to pick a few outer leaves being picked, but I'm not going to rush it.

    Today between rains I was fixing up the next large lettuce enclosure. I'll have to screen the planter mix again (I re-use it forever, sometimes adding a bit of this or that if needed.), but the next round of lettuce seedlings is about a week or more away so there's no rush. Good thing since rain is predicted for the next several days.

    I planted some cuke seeds and finally got the seedlings transplanted into 5 gallon pots where they will live out their lives. Variety cool breeze. I like this variety - good tasting but doesnt have seeds and does not require pollination for fruits to form. Last year I grew them in pots and it worked well. The plants don't grow as big, but they bear well, and the gophers can't get to the roots.

    I also planted some Romano bean seeds in 5 gallon pots the other day. Same thing with deterring the gophers. And in pots, the seeds are warmer and germinate better in the cooler months.

    I still have to plant some squash seeds. I'm thinking generic zucchini to start. Maybe some patty pans later in the season.

    I just love gardening.

  2. #2
    Senior Member herbgeek's Avatar
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    Gina- what you are describing sounds like May in New England.

    Given that I'm an obsessive gardening geek: I've started a few tomato plants that are just getting their true leaves, and have a flat of lettuce and brassicas that are up but haven't grown much. I have a flat of perennials that still have yet to germinate. I've managed to keep most of the herbs I dug up alive (lost a rosemary). I think I may start a flat of herbs today.

    During the day, I bring the plants out to the unheated greenhouse. Yesterday, it got above 70 degrees in the greenhouse as the vent was starting to open, even though the outside temperature was barely above freezing.

    I have the plastic and hoops to set up the low tunnels as soon as the snow melts and ground thaws enough to pound in the rebar stakes. I bought some black plastic over the weekend which I put down over the snow as an experiment to hasten the snow melting. Too early to tell if its really helping or not, as its been really cold. The next couple of days are supposed to get into the 50's so I'm hoping for a lot of melting.

  3. #3
    Senior Member earthshepherd's Avatar
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    I am just getting started with my indoor seedlings (zone 6 here). I planted basil, cauliflower, spinach, lettuce (Romaine), green onions, and some pansy and phlox seeds yesterday. I have a flat of geraniums and pansies already up and growing that I planted a couple of weeks ago. I ordered some edamame, quinoa, broccoli and various lettuce seeds which have not arrived yet, but I am eagerly checking the mail box every day now!

    Last year I had hip surgery in April, so I didn't get to garden much. But this year -- wooot!!! Different story. Watch out world!!

  4. #4
    Senior Member Gardenarian's Avatar
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    Well, I meant to get the pruning finished but got a stomach bug - and by the next week-end everything was in bloom! Oh well. (For those not in California, we had quite a heat wave here!)

    I've been piling on the compost everywhere in the garden. I've got thick adobe soil. Under the fruit trees I mix a little blood meal with wood chips and put down a thick layer out to where the branches end. Amend, amend.

    My swiss chard is enormous and we just keep picking leaves off. There is also a lot of good wild stuff around right now (miner's lettuce, mustard greens.)

    Just started my tomato seedlings. I went overboard last year and am just doing a couple of varieties this year - Brandywine, early girl, and some cherry tomatoes.

    I have a zillion limes and am trying not to let them go to waste - we squeeze them and freeze the juice for lime-ade.

    My little orange tree that I've been worried about burst out in about 1000 blossoms! I'm so thrilled. I guess it just took a while to put down roots!

    Other than that, just weeding weeding weeding.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Gina's Avatar
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    I just made limeade yesterday. I've always prefered it to lemonade. Bumper crop of limes this year.

    The other day I planted seeds of beets, more cukes and zucchini. Also more lettuce. And a fresh round of basil.

    The first of the California poppies are blooming in the yard. And the weeds.... oh the horror!

  6. #6
    Senior Member Gina's Avatar
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    The past couple of days I've been picking the first of the lettuce. I'd forgotten just how succulent those tender leaves are.

    I raise my lettuce up on 'benches' in flats about 4" deep, and enclosed with wire on all sides. I was thinking today I might assemble another large 'bench' on which to grow greens and smaller things like beets and arugula and mache. I really like having a snail/slug/bird/gopher/bunny-free zone. I would put it alongside the house close to a plum tree where the roots get into everything I try to grow there anyway. It's full sun too, and somewhat protected from the winds. It would be a lot of work, but I think I have enough 'stuff' to do it.
    moo

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