In this issue:
- March in the Garden
- Meet the Author
- Gardenerd Tip of the Month: Spring Planting Guide
- Gardenerd Product of the Month: Gardening for Geeks Book
1. March in the Garden
Spring is officially here! It’s time to put seeds in the ground (if you’re past your frost dates) or in trays (if not). Green is bursting forth from the earth and branches all over. There’s a renewed sense of hope about the coming growing season and exciting over new varieties to try.
Our tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are well under way in seed trays under grow lights. We’ve planted out corn, millet, onions and black beans, and we’ve planted another round of lettuces for the reminder of our cool weather season. Soon we’ll be planting squash and melons, but for now we’re still harvesting kale and other brassicas that stand in the way. Our strawberries and blackberries are flowering and the bees are loving it!
Just when we thought we were on top of things, Gardening for Geeks suddenly became available to the public 1 1/2 months early! That’s good news; it’s out in time for spring. Timing couldn’t be better! See below for upcoming Meet the Author dates, and I hope to see you soon.
Happy Gardening,
Christy
2. Meet The Author
Got your copy of Gardening for Geeks yet? If so, come get it signed by the author at one of the upcoming events and celebrations listed in our most recent blog post.
Read all about it here:
3. Gardenerd Tip of the Month – Spring Planting Guide
March is planting time for many a hardiness zone across the country. Need help figuring out what to grow? Check out these helpful guidelines below:
Most garden seasons start with cool weather crops and edge into warm weather crops as summer approaches. In Los Angeles, our cool weather crops grow best in fall, and we start planting the warmer crops in spring. Backwards to most, but right on target for SoCal folks. That said, there is still time to get in a quick crop of cool weather veggies before the heat hits. Be sure to check your frost dates according to your Hardiness Zone. Below is a helpful guide for growing this spring:
Cool Weather stuff:
Asparagus – plant crowns and slowly cover with soil over several months
Greens – lettuces, arugula, mustard greens, spinach, collards, kale and chard
Herbs – basil, cilantro, chives, dill, parsley, oregano, thyme and rosemary to name a few
Root Crops – carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips, and radishes
Peas – grow them up trellises for garden snacking
Warm Weather stuff:
Beans – favas, pole and bush varieties (dry or fresh)
Corn – plant at least three rows to ensure pollination via the wind
Cucumbers – start indoors or directly in the garden soil. Trellis them for more room.
Eggplant – start seeds indoors (see below for details)
Melons – watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew – start seeds indoors
Peppers – sweet and hot varieties, start indoors
Squash – both summer and winter varieties grow in warm weather – the name simply indicates how long they store (i.e. zucchini is a summer squash and has to be consumed during the summer, pumpkins are winter squashes and keeps through winter)
Tomatoes – try some heirloom varieties for some great color and diversity, start indoors
4. Gardenerd Product of the Month – Now Available! Gardening for Geeks
We’re so excited about the fact that Gardening for Geeks is now available, we just had to make it the Product of the Month one more time. You can order online through one of the booksellers listed on GardeningForGeeksBook.com. Still on the fence about buying it? Check out our new book trailer.
- Gardening for Geeks by Christy Wilhelmi
Stay tuned for more tips and tidbits from Gardenerd.com. Happy spring gardening!
