Garden columnist Nan Sterman of "A Growing Passion" on KPBS-TV explores the to-do list for January, including cleanup and a primer on bare-root fruit trees and shrubs.
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It’s been a cool, dry spring, but now, we can enjoy summer. Here’s to bare feet, shorts and sunscreen in the garden! It’s also time to put the lessons you learned from last year’s COVID-19 gardening to work.
Vegetable gardens
What we call “summer vegetables” are actually “summer fruits.” To botanists, any plant part that makes seeds is a fruit. So tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, peppers, eggplants, squash, okra and so on are all fruits.
Extend your harvest with succession planting. Start another round of tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, eggplants, basil and so on. The plants you start now from seed or seedling will produce into fall.
Podcast: San Diego gardening expert Nan Sterman on why gardening is good for the soul and the planet sandiegouniontribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sandiegouniontribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Fruit trees are developing, vegetable gardens are exploding, and ornamentals are putting on a beautiful show. After a winter of little rain, prepare your gardens for a dry summer. Pay careful attention going forward.
Vegetable gardens
Did you start your first garden last year? Make it even better this year.
Plant summer edibles now: tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin, basil, squash, melons and more from seed or seedling.
Building and planting your first raised beds? Here’s how:
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No room for raised beds?
A 15-gallon nursery can or a half whiskey barrel is large enough for one tomato plant, or two eggplants, or three basil plants, or three cucumber plants or two pepper plants.