It'll seem strange to many of you, especially those from colder climates, but I spent last weekend (September 16th and 17th) sowing seeds!
Whether you’ve got a few pots by the front door, or an extensive backyard garden, one of the fun things about green thumbs in the Bay Area is our year round growing season. As we move into the fall, here are some things to think about. It’s a great time to plant greens: lettuces, kales, chards, and spinach are all great fall and winter crops. In late October and November, you can plant peas again. Other great fall and winter crops include brussels sprouts, broccoli, leeks, Onions, and radishes. It’s also time to think about cover crops to enrich your soil; fava beans, winter rye and hairy vetch are all candidates for fall or winter planted cover crops.
If you’re interested in gardening with native plants, fall the time to introduce new plants to your garden. The fall and winter rains will help them get established before next summer’s dry season. It’s also the time to think about planting many landscape plants. Trees, shrubs and ground covers should all be planted now for the same reason – our winter rains will help them establish root systems that will sustain them through the dry summer.
The Ecology Center store has a great selection of gardening books and products. If you want more information on gardening in our neighborhoods this fall and winter, check out Pam Pierce’s Golden Gate Gardening, Katherine Grace Endicott’s Norhtern California Gardening: a Month-by-Month Guide, and Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates of the San Francisco Bay Region produced by the East Bay Municipal Utility District. If you don’t have dirt in the ground to play in, you should also check out McGee & Stuckey’s The Bountiful Container, a comprehensive guide to all sorts of gardening in containers.
Out of season seeds are on sale! Come into to the store to get seeds for next season for 50% off.
