Category: Edibles

Onions and Garlic

We now have onion bulbs and garlic in stock for planting now.

Garlic or onion bulbs planted into the soil now will begin to put down roots and sprout leaves. They will be nurtured through winter with cooler temperatures and rain. They will fill in well through spring for an early to mid-summer harvest.

Onions and the related shallots and garlic all grow best during cool weather and are okay planted in the fall in California for late spring harvest. Plant in rows 1 to 2 feet apart in a moist seedbed, in full sun.

Onion sets (bulbs) should be planted 1½ inches deep and seeds ½ inch deep. Place seeds or bulb sets 1 to 2 inches apart in the row for green onions or 3 inches apart for bulb production.

We offer onions in red, yellow and white onions and an assortment of garlic.

Bundles of bare root onions are very popular as well and we hope they will arrive in November.

Use our Recipe for Good Garden Soil and then get ready to plant.

bumper

Each 10 x 10 area add:
  • 5-8 bags (2 cubic ft. size) Bumper Crop
  • 5 lbs Iron Sulfate to acidify and add iron
  • 10 lbs Master Vegetable Food
  • 40 lbs Gypsum. (It loosens hard soils as it adds important elements: sulfur and calcium.)

Mix well with your soil to a depth of 8″ and water well.

Bumper Crop

We recommend Bumper Crop soil amendment when planting garlic or onions. Bumper Crop is a blend of various organic nutrients and 15% Chicken Manure. As a compost,  fir bark holds up well over time.  The addition of chicken manure provides a needed boost of nitrogen. Mix Bumper Crop with existing soil at a ratio of 50/50.
Bumper Crop is on sale during October. Buy 4 bags for the price of 3 bags (save $13.99).

October Vegetable Guide

October vegetable gardening includes the addition of garlic, shallots, and onions to the mix of leafy greens and cabbage/cauliflower relatives already on the table.

Garlic, shallots, and onions from bulbs go into the ground now through mid-November

Leafy greens, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots thrive when planted now before the weather cools.

Vegetable Plant Time Amount
(family of 4)		 Special Notes Plant Now
Artichoke Year ’round 3 – 4 plants Permanent, perennial. 4″ Pots
Garlic October – January 10 – 20 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Note: plant through EARLY January for best results From Bulbs
Onions (bulb) September – March 30 – 40 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.  Onions are available as bulbs in fall and as bare root plants in early November.   From Bulbs
Carrots Year ’round 20 – 30 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From Seeds
Chives Year ’round 1 clump Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds
Parsley Year ’round 1 – 2 plants Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts
Radishes Year ’round 4 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From Seed
Broccoli August – February 15 – 20 ft. row Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From Starts or Seeds
Brussels Sprouts August – February 15 – 20 ft. row N/A From Starts or Seeds
Cabbage August – February 10 – 15 plants Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds
Cabbage, Chinese August – February 10 – 15 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds
Cauliflower August – February 10 – 15 plants Tie leaves up and over head to protect from frosts. From Starts or Seeds
Celery August – February 20 – 30 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds
Chard August – February 3 – 4 plants Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds
Endive August – February 10 – 15 ft. row N/A From Starts or Seeds
Kohlrabi August – November 10 – 15 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds
Leeks August – February 10 ft. row N/A From Starts or Seeds
Lettuce August – February 10 – 15 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From Starts or Seeds
Mustard August – April 10 ft. row N/A From Starts or Seeds
Onions (green) August – December —- Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From Starts or Seeds
Peas September – January 30 – 40 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From Starts or Seeds
Spinach September – January 10 – 20 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds

 

September Veg Guide

September is Winter Garden Starting Month.

We have starts of all winter vegetables including leafy greens, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, and peas.

Vegetable Plant Time Amount
(family of 4)		 Special Notes Plant Now
Broccoli August – February 15 – 20 ft. row Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From Starts or Seeds
Brussels Sprouts August – February 15 – 20 ft. row N/A From Starts or Seeds
Cabbage August – February 10 – 15 plants Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds
Cabbage, Chinese August – February 10 – 15 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds
Carrots Year ’round 20 – 30 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From Starts or Seeds
Cauliflower August – February 10 – 15 plants Tie leaves up and over head to protect from frosts. From Starts or Seeds
Celery August – February 20 – 30 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds
Chard August – February 3 – 4 plants Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds
Chives Year ’round 1 clump Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds
Endive August – February 10 – 15 ft. row N/A From Starts or Seeds
Garlic October – January 10 – 20 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Note: plant through EARLY January for best results Late September
Kohlrabi August – November 10 – 15 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds
Leeks August – February 10 ft. row N/A From Starts or Seeds
Lettuce August – February 10 – 15 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From Starts or Seeds
Mustard August – April 10 ft. row N/A From Starts or Seeds
Onions (bulb) November – March 30 – 40 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Late September
Onions (green) August – December —- Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From Starts or Seeds
Parsley Year ’round 1 – 2 plants Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts
Peas September – January 30 – 40 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From Starts or Seeds
Radishes Year ’round 4 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From Seed
Rhubarb December – February 2 – 3 plants Bare root in November – January, Canned in February – April and again in September and October. From Pots
Spinach September – January 10 – 20 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds

 

Edible Landscapes

Enjoy Edibles in the Ornamental Landscape

pixdguava[1]Expand your horizons beyond the vegetable garden and into the landscape.

Why not let your ornamental plants multi-task? Many edible plants are also beautiful. If you work edibles into your garden, you can enjoy the benefits of seasonal harvests.  Remember to treat these areas with edible safe products when feeding. Great examples include citrus, fruit trees and pomegranates.

We have a large selection of dwarf citrus available for planting in the landscape or in containers! Meyer Lemon continues to be our gardener’s top choice for home planting with its hint of sweet flavor, ever-bearing habit, and superior frost tolerance. Also look for Bearss Seedless Lime or Washington Naval Orange a Tri-Valley favorite for decades!

Don’t forget about other fruit trees!! There are many varieties that don’t require much pruning or spraying and can serve more than one function. Fuyu Persimmon is a low maintenance fruiting tree that also makes a great small shade tree with excellent fall color.

Pomegranates can also provide an attractive multi-trunked flowering tree or prickly privacy hedge.

orange-tomatoEven vegetables can liven a landscape with unexpected displays of unusual colors

Cover Crops Improve Garden Soil

Vetch is a cover crop that will pull nitrogen from the atmosphere and store it in your soil. Plant cover crops from seed in fall and turn them under in spring.

Cover crops are fast-growing plants that are utilized by farmers and gardeners for one or more of their beneficial qualities and not usually intended as food crops.

A gardener will usually work these crops into the soil or remove them before they set seed. A healthy garden can benefit in several ways when cover crops are included in the annual rhythm of sowing and reaping.

It seems that for almost any problem, there is a cover crop solution. Try one, and you’ll notice over time how much better your garden performs with less input of extra water, fertilizer, and insecticide. Cover crops are the natural choice for a naturally better garden.

Some crops add nitrogen to the soil, pulling it from thin air. Others pull up minerals from deep underground and concentrate it in the topsoil as you till the plant into the earth. Other cover crops work like a rototiller to loosen heavy soils with their vigorous roots.

How to Get Started with Cover Crops

cover-crop-clover

Preparation can usually be minimal for sowing cover crops. Cultivate the soil to a depth of about 1 inch and rake out any large debris or weeds. Sow the seeds at the rate recommended on the packet. Seeds can usually be scattered evenly. After sowing, tamp down the soil lightly to create good contact between seed and soil. Water immediately after sowing and keep the area moist until your plants emerge. After establishment, most cover crops require minimal additional water.
It is usually best to cut down or incorporate cover crops before they produce seed. Cut or till the plants just as they begin to flower or before. Small plants can be directly tilled into your soil. Larger plants can be cut down with a weed trimmer or mower and left on the soil surface to dry for a few days before they are roto-tilled in.
We carry an assortment of cover crop seeds from Botanical Interests as well as larger bags of fava beans.

Why Not Plant Fruit Trees in Your Front Yard?

Have fun with fruit trees in your front or back yard. You don’t need acres of ground to experience the taste of freshly picked fruit. With today’s dwarf & semi-dwarf rootstocks, everyone can grow at least one fruit tree no matter how small your yard. Consider planting a fruit tree or two in your front yard.

We still have a good stock of many varieties available, and Fall is a wonderful time to plant a tree.

Single fruit trees make wonderful accent points in a mixed border with their spring blossom and summer fruit. Persimmons make wonderful, small shade trees. Dwarf fruit trees grow very happily in large pots or half barrels.

Fall is Citrus Planting Time

Citrus collectionCitrus are among the most versatile of the trees and shrubs that grow in our Valley. They can be trained as a single specimen, in hedges, as a trellised espalier or in containers. Citrus plants offer beautiful evergreen foliage, fragrant flowers and delicious decorative fruit. Fall, with its milder temperatures, is a perfect time to plant citrus. Establishing a citrus plant before frost can help it weather the winter.

Citrus prefer a hot south or west facing location with good draining soil. A reflective wall or fence is helpful and planting citrus under the south or west facing eve of the house will provide valuable protection from cold winter temperatures. Citrus should not be planted in a low or soggy spot that has poor drainage or in a lawn. In fact, if possible, place the citrus in a raised bed for improved drainage.

Dig a planting hole three times as wide as the root ball and just as deep as the root ball. The edges of the planting hole should then be dug out deeper than the center to accommodate additional soil amendments.

Test how well the planting hole drains by filling the 1′ deep x 3′ wide hole 1/2 way with water. Make sure it drains completely overnight. If the water does not drain, it may be necessary to raise the overall soil level by creating a mound or building a planting box or look for an alternate planting location. An open-bottom-box measuring 3’x3′ wide and 12″ deep makes a great raised bed.

Plant by carefully removing the tree from its container. Gently loosen the outer edges of the root ball if the roots are tight and place it in the hole so that the top of the root ball rests slightly higher than the existing ground level (never add any soil above the root ball, covering the stem). Improve the existing soil from the planting hole with Master Nursery Acid Planting Mix at a ratio of 75% Planting mix to 25% existing soil. To this improved soil, add the appropriate amount of Master Nursery Master Start or Sure Start and Iron Sulfate or Iron Plus; mix thoroughly. Backfill around the root ball with the improved soil mixture. Tamp to compress the soil as you go. Use some of the extra soil to build a circular dam around the new plant to hold a generous quantity of irrigation water.

citrus-plantingWater the plant thoroughly in the pot before planting and then again after you have finished planting it. Let the water soak in, and then water a third time. Citrus plants need less frequent watering than most garden plants once established. Give it a deep soak once or, at most twice week once established. Frequent watering is the most common cause of failure with citrus. Of course, if the weather is excessively hot, check daily and water as needed.

Begin to feed your new plant after a month with Master Nursery Citrus Food. Citrus plants appreciate a steady, light feeding, so divide a year’s supply of fertilizer into 12 equal parts and give your new plant a monthly feeding, year-round.

We do guarantee our plants to grow, and we also recognize that we are partners with you in caring for your new plant. If you have any concerns about the health or vigor of your plant, please let us know right away. Often, we can suggest a corrective measure to keep plants thriving and healthy.

Prevent Citrus Leafminer

obj6014geo3317pg352p7[1]Citrus leafminers have been regular visitors to Tri-Valley gardens over the past few years. They burrow into the citrus leaf and cause extensive damage to tender new growth. The leafminers thrive in fresh new growth that is occurring now.

Leafminers originate when the tiny adult moth lays her eggs, they hatch, and the leafminer larva burrows below the leaf surface. They hide between the upper and lower leaf surfaces. Younger trees are especially vulnerable. Older trees have tougher leaves so they may be OK without aggressive treatment, but younger trees can lose all their leaves if not treated.

Hang Leafminer traps to determine the proper time for spraying.

Prevention can be the best cure. Discouraging an overabundance of new growth can be helpful in reducing damage. Our grower recommends a steady, light supply of citrus food monthly as opposed to heavy feedings three times a year, as is common but produces vulnerable soft growth.

Hanging leafminer traps can be helpful for knowing when to spray. Hang traps in at least one of your citrus trees and, monitor them frequently so you can spot the arrival of adult moths. Adult moths happen to be relatively small at just 1/4″ long.  Some have reported the traps alone have been helpful in minimizing the problem.

Protect Pollinators

A concern when applying any pesticide is protecting bees. Only spray plants after the citrus trees have bloomed, so bees are not drawn to the blossoms while at the same time you spray. Citrus trees, for the most part, have long past their bloom period now, but pinching out flower buds if they appear after spraying will prevent the bees from visiting a plant that could cause harm.

captain-jacks-rtuCaptain Jack’s is our go-to organic spray. It has shown to be an effective treatment for the leafminer, especially when applied early. Try to time sprays between the time adult moths arrive and young leafminers are visible.

Citrus trees are growing new foliage this month. Watch for leafminer activity then spray every 10-14 days. Pinching out affected leaves as soon as damage is detected helps limit citrus leafminer damage.

Keep the Harvest Coming!

The vegetable garden is getting into full swing. There are bags and bushels of tomatoes, zucchini, string beans, and peppers to harvest and share with family and friends. To keep the vegetable garden healthy and thriving, follow these tips.

Maintenance on summer vegetable gardens is most important this month. Fertilizing will keep your plants producing right up to the cooler weather.

Fertilize your summer vegetable garden routinely with Maxsea or E.B. Stone Organic Tomato & Vegetable food to receive the highest production possible.

Check for insect damage and use the appropriate sprays. Bring a sample of the damage into the nursery, and we’ll diagnose it for you.

Water should be applied as needed. If the plant has finished producing, remove it. Leaving an old or damaged plant will only spread diseases to the rest of the garden.

Pick vegetables when they are young. This will give you tender vegetables and keep the flowers and production high through the summer months.

Harvest old vegetables and compost them.

For moisture retention and weed control, use Bumper Crop mulch monthly.

Herbs for Cooking

With your vegetable garden well established, now is an excellent time to consider adding some herbs to flavor those dishes!

Herbs can make a familiar dish new or lift an ordinary entrée to gourmet status. Their subtle magic transforms soups, stews, salads, bread, and even desserts. With a bouquet of herbs or a scattering of herb flowers as a garnish, your food will look as beautiful as it tastes.

Basil – It’s warm, heady flavor lends itself to Italian or Mediterranean cooking, especially tomato dishes or with eggs, cheese or salads. Special Tip: Pesto Sauce – Blend 2 cups of fresh basil, ¼c of parmesan, ½c of olive oil, 3  Tbsp. of pine nuts (or walnuts) and 3 cloves of minced garlic. Use on pasta and vegetables.
Chives – The subtle onion flavor of chives is perfect in omelets, salads, soups, or on potatoes and other vegetables. Special Tip: Get rid of onion odor by chewing on a fresh parsley sprig.
Dill – Used for pickling, dill is also fantastic in salads, sauces, soups or bread and on vegetables or fish. Special Tip: Try pickling green beans, carrots, new potatoes, or peppers with a bit of dill.
lavender150 Lavender – The addition of culinary grade lavender in tiny amounts can jazz up dishes as diverse as grilled pork chops, to scones, cakes, and even candy.
Marjoram – Like oregano but sweeter, this flavor is perfect in Mediterranean dishes, meats, and vegetables.
Mint – The flavor of mint is refreshing, cool, and sweet, especially good in iced drinks and teas, with lamb or in salad dressings. Plant mint only in a container. It can take over a garden bed if planted in the ground! Special Tip: Minty Sun Tea – Put 8 tea bags, ½c of fresh mint leaves, and 1 gallon of water in clear glass jar. Set in a sunny spot for several hours. Serve over ice.
Parsley – For a clean, sharp and peppery taste, add to vegetables and salads as a garnish. Include in sauces, soups, stews, and stuffing. Special Tip: Parsley is high in Vitamins A, C, and B.
Rosemary – The flavor of rosemary is bold and piney. Use it in pickles, jams, preserves, and sauces, as well as meats and soups. Special Tip: Use a branch of rosemary as a basting brush at your next barbeque or put some on the coals for a great aroma.
Sage – Warm, slightly bitter, this flavor is a must for turkey stuffing, as well as pork, duck and sausage seasoning. Special Tip: Dried sage leaves are used as a substitute for coffee or tea.
Tarragon – A spicy, sharp flavor with licorice and mint overtones, tarragon lends itself to French cooking, egg dishes, fish, and salad dressing. Special Tip – Tarragon Vinegar – Pour a quart of cold vinegar over ½c fresh tarragon leaves, cap, and store for 4 weeks.