So, gardening in California is quite a bit different than gardening back in Tucson. For one, if I were to have left the ground the way it was (just dirt) it would have been completely unworkable because of all the rain we have been having. Unlike Tucson dirt (which has a high amount of sand in addition to its mineral content) the dirt around here is mostly clay. This means that the dirt compacts a lot more and is not workable as early in the season as sandy soil. Though the clay does have a lot of good nutrients, its structure does not make an ideal soil in an intensive garden bed.
Then, we have been blessed with so much rain. Because of the rain, I have been having difficulty with slugs and cool weather. The cool weather is always something I can find a work-around with but the slugs have been pretty difficult to combat. Because of all the rain we received over the winter, the spring pollen has been so intense that I have to use my windshield wipers to remove it in the morning – and my car is not under a tree!
Finally, because I did mostly replace the native dirt with compost, the soil I am using in my garden is taking a while to develop. This means that the plants and seeds I put into the ground are slow to grow and require nutrients as well as native dirt to be tilled back in, along with time for the soil bacteria to take over the garden. It usually takes a while for a garden’s digestive flora to take hold, so I will be happy if I am here in a few years to see how wonderful the plants uptake nutrients.
So, that is my update for now. I am truly grateful for the beautiful climate I now live in. At times, we are blessed a little too much. With all the blossoms my plants are putting on, if even 1/4 of them develop I will most likely have to pick a lot of fruit off my trees to keep the trees from breaking branches! In the near term, I am planning on trialing some determinate tomato varieties as well as growing the light Carosello Polisello variety this spring.
I hope you get a chance to go outside and enjoy gardening this spring!
-Jay
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| My Garden in January |
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| The Peach Tree in my front yard |
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| Apple Blossom |
Then, we have been blessed with so much rain. Because of the rain, I have been having difficulty with slugs and cool weather. The cool weather is always something I can find a work-around with but the slugs have been pretty difficult to combat. Because of all the rain we received over the winter, the spring pollen has been so intense that I have to use my windshield wipers to remove it in the morning – and my car is not under a tree!
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| My Early March Garden |
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| Perennial Kale or Tree Chard |
Finally, because I did mostly replace the native dirt with compost, the soil I am using in my garden is taking a while to develop. This means that the plants and seeds I put into the ground are slow to grow and require nutrients as well as native dirt to be tilled back in, along with time for the soil bacteria to take over the garden. It usually takes a while for a garden’s digestive flora to take hold, so I will be happy if I am here in a few years to see how wonderful the plants uptake nutrients.
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| Garden Mid-March |
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| Lettuce and Marigolds - post slug |
So, that is my update for now. I am truly grateful for the beautiful climate I now live in. At times, we are blessed a little too much. With all the blossoms my plants are putting on, if even 1/4 of them develop I will most likely have to pick a lot of fruit off my trees to keep the trees from breaking branches! In the near term, I am planning on trialing some determinate tomato varieties as well as growing the light Carosello Polisello variety this spring.
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| Garden in Late March |
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| Growing Regular Potatoes in the front yard |
I hope you get a chance to go outside and enjoy gardening this spring!
-Jay
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