Yea!! Finally we got some much needed rain. So far, at this writing, we really haven’t had a heavy soaking that would constitute a “deep” watering. Just steady, light showers that seem to be enough to allow the weeds to germinate and grow like crazy. So be aware, you might have to supplement with an additional soak to your trees and shrubs if we don’t get some more “real” rain. Don’t forget, it was 80 degrees just a week ago and the ground was very dry and alot of plants were showing stress from lack of water. You can dig into the soil, outside the drip zone, to check and see just how deep the rain was able to penetrate around your trees. Remember, strong roots go deep.
If you sprayed your fruit trees or roses with the “dormant” spray within three days of this storm, you should do it again once things have had a chance to dry out. Try to spray a couple of times before the fruit tree buds open or the foliage leafs out on the roses. You want to make sure that you get good coverage to get any fungal spores. So that means spray the head of the tree or bush, the trunk, and the ground around it.
If we do get a substantial amount of rain, you want to be careful about working your soil while it is still wet. A healthy soil needs airspace in it. You can damage and destroy its structure by digging or walking in your garden and compressing and compacting the dirt. Very, very bad for your soil. Wait a few days and give it a little time to dry out a bit. Weeding and cultivating should be just as easy and much better for your garden, by waiting a week or so.
And don’t forget, you still have plenty of time to put in a winter vegetable garden. The cool weather crops like, brocoli, cauliflower, cabbage, peas, chard, spinich and so many different varieties of lettuce. Also root crops, carrots, beets, onions and potatoes. Have you ever had a homegrown potato? Melts in your mouth-no butter or salt needed. I lived in Idaho for ten years, where I discovered that the potatoes in most stores are already a year old! Try growing your own. Fresh makes all the difference and its an easy and fun crop for the kids. You can keep planting most of the cool season veggies on into March.
And for all you aspiring vegetable gardeners, we will have a Free, Organic Vegetable Growing Clinic. It will be on February 7, 2009 at 10:00 A.M., in our greenhouse. The class will be taught by Oscar Carmona, an experienced grower and supplier of vegetable starts to our community. Be sure to bring something to take notes on and come early as there will be no admintance after the first 100 chairs are filled and the class has started.
See you there,
Judi
P.S.
Please, don’t anyone ask me for tomatoes before March. It’s just wrong to make plants perform before there time and expect them to be healthy and produce well, just because we want to extend our already long season.