Comments

1. Lizzy Jones says:

   February 10, 2012 at 11:50 am

   Hi, You talk about Ventura County and neighboring areas…I live in Upland (I.E.), should I use the dates above, or do they not apply?
   Thank you.

   Lizzy
   P.S.
   I’m super new at this…we just rented a home that has a backyard area for vegetable planting. THANKS!
2. mike says:

   February 11, 2012 at 12:45 am

   Hi, Lizzy
   Check here for your USDA zone – just plug in your zip code. : http://www.sunset.com/garden/climate-zones/climate-zones-intro-us-map-00400000036421/
   BTW, the weather everywhere has been nutty last 3 years, all the plants and trees are confused, and nobody knows whether it is spring or fall… The best advice I can give is plant a few the same crop every few weeks – some early, some in the recommeded period, and some late. Some of them are bound to hit favorable weather.
   Good luck to us all this year!
   Mike
3. Connie Oser says:

   March 16, 2012 at 5:10 pm

   Mike,
   I’m brand new to gardening also and planning to do some square foot container gardening on my upper deck. I live in Long Beach just a few blocks from the ocean – so appreciate your coastal planting chart. I have a question though…. Since I am just getting going and it’s almost April – can I plant seeds for Tomatoes, Basil, eggplant, squash and peppers directly into the ground as long as nighttime temps are above 50 or 55?

   Everyone shows starting seeds indoors – but is that mostly to enable a jump on the season?
4. Olivia Smith says:

   July 10, 2012 at 12:17 pm

   Hi, I love this chart! I live in San Diego County about 8 miles from the ocean; will the guide above work for my area?
5. mike says:

   July 10, 2012 at 2:32 pm

   This should be great for you and your climate. I love San Diego – lots of great rare fruit nurseries to check into as well. You should be able to grow bananas and some other interesting things not on the chart…
6. Ross says:

   July 13, 2012 at 11:46 am

   Hello Mike,
   I live down the street from you oddly enough and I am new to the heights and vegetable gardening. I must say thank you for this site. It is my go-to reference. I am having an issue with when to water and how much. The soil up here seems to be very sandy. Ive turned it over with amendment and miracle grow planting soil but that seems to be not enough to retain water. I put my finger in the ground about 2 inches and its always dry. I water everyday that its hot and every other day once the heat subsides. The plants are all doing well and producing but I have read that over watering is no beuno. When and how much do I water? Do i need to add more soil or amendment? Thanks for your time! Oh…I have tomatoes, summer squash, giant pumpkins, watermelons, corn, bell peppers, lettuce, and herbs. THANKS!
7. mike says:

   July 13, 2012 at 1:57 pm

   Hi, Ross
   Yeah, the soil here is really sandy. At the top of the hill you will find sand-dollars and cowrie shells – we were the beach not all that long ago.
   Humus – the end result of composting – is what the soil needs to help it retain the water. The only way to build that up is adding organic matter and time.
   A deep layer of mulch – such as straw, grass clippings, finely-ground wood chips – all help the soil by keeping it from drying out from the top. that is a bad thing since it pulls dissolved salts to the surface leaving that white crust you see from time to time. Mulch should be about 4″ deep for maximum results, but 2″ in the garden beds will really cut down on water consumption.
   For extra credit, lay a drip system UNDER the mulch – none of your water will go to waste…
8. Ross says:

   August 2, 2012 at 2:12 pm

   Hello Mike,

   I am having a zucchini issue. I have 4 plants total. 2 were planted a month prior to the other 2. The 2 oldest have beautiful zicchinis on them and smaller ones accumulating. The other 2 have produced 2 zucchinis a piece and all the smaller zucchinis are turning yellow and dying. The older plants are now starting to exhibit this same behavior. The sypmtoms observed prior to this issue were white mold on all squash plants organically being treated), not too severe, and the leaves wilt during the day due to what I assume to be a water relay difficiency. During this time zero flowers open. Is this a pollination issue and if so how to due I reduce the amount of sun exposure (economically) to allow the flowers open? If not, could it be a nitrogen difficiency, over watering, or a drainage issue? I water every other day about a 1/2″ -2/3″ per round. Rounds are 2′ in diameter. No pests are observed at this time. Thank you again for your time.
9. Cynthia says:

   August 3, 2012 at 4:33 pm

   Hey Mike, I am planning on doing a green house garden, a small one, so I was wondering if this chart could be applied there also? I have a heater in it for winter….would it work to plant fall plants in there in the winter and plant summer plants in the fall?
10. mike says:

    August 3, 2012 at 6:24 pm

    Sure you could. Once you take control of the environment, you can do anything. The most common use of a green house is to get seedlings started early and ready to plant out when the outside temps are cooperating in the springtime and to protect sensitive plants from the cold in the winter. You can prolong your growing season in there, too.