Change in the Garden: What to Plant in your Fall Garden

Change in the Garden:  What To Plant in the Fall Garden

It’s that time of year where the weather gets a little cooler, we get some rain (maybe less in California), and changes are made in the garden. Eye of the Day interviews some plant experts on their Fall favorite plantings and best tips for the garden.

Alison Walker, a Texas native who recently moved to California, has worked with plants and nurseries for over six years. She is excited to be living in a cooler climate and to get to plant all her recommendations below.

Eye of the Day|Fall Garden|What to Plant
Mint

What to Plant:

Herbs:

  • Cilantro
  • Chamomile
  • Lemon Balm
  • Mints
  • Parsley
  • French Tarragon

Eye of the Day|Fall Garden|What to Plant
Brussels Sprouts

Veggies:

  • Cabbages
  • Lettuces
  • Carrots
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Kohlrabi
  • Turnips
  • Kale

Edible Blooms:

  • Purslane
  • Nasturtiums
  • Oxalis
  • Calendula

Eye of the Day|Fall Garden|What to Plant
Sage

Evergreens:

  • Lavender
  • Rosemary
  • Sages
  • Thyme

Regular Garden Maintenance:

  • Add and Remove plants per climate requirements
  • Prune blooms and harvest bigger leaves on plants like Basil
  • Plant or deadhead Marigolds to act as deterrent for bugs
  • Fertilize, compost, and mulch as necessary
  • Replace and refresh any leggy leaves

 

Mimi Richardson is our resident succulent expert but grew up around all types of plants. She has worked at nurseries across the central coast. These are here tips for your Fall garden.

 What to Plant:

Grasses:

  • Fountain Grass
  • Mondo
  • Carex

Eye of the Day|Fall Garden|What to Plant
Carex

Blooming Plants

  • Coprosma
  • Easter Lily
  • Cotoneaster
  • Gazania
  • Strawflower
  • Proteas

Eye of the Day|Fall Garden|What to Plant
Protea

Other Recommendations:

  • You can be more hands off in the garden at this time of year
  • No Fruit Trees
  • Succulents are always a good idea
  • Have fun with fall containers and arrangements with:
    • Pumpkins, Warted Pumpkins
    • Artichokes
    • Oranges
    • Decorative Corn
    • Decorative Gourd
    • Butternut Squash
    • Ferns
    • Pomegranates
    • Celosia

Eye of the Day|Fall Garden|What to Plant
Decorative Gourd and Corn

Adrian Nunez is a Nurseryman at Seaside Gardens in Carpinteria, CA. He has focused on the retail side at Seaside for the last five years but has worked with wholesale nurseries for 17 years. He gives his best recommendations and tips for the Fall season.

No. 1 Tip for the Fall:  The most important and fundamental thing is to prepare your soil.  Get rid of weeds. Know your soil health, does it have enough nutrients? Use a soil tester that you can get at any garden store. Does it need nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium? Dig at least six inches into the soil, loosen it up a bit, and add organic components. Before you plant anything, know your soil.

What to plant?

  • Bulbs
  • California natives
  • Shrubs
  • Vegetables: broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, radish, spinach, kale

Eye of the Day|Fall Garden|What to Plant
Kale

What to look for in buying plants?

  • Check the laTbels, what size will it get in terms of height and spread. Check the growing information and know the size.
  • Take the time to find the best shape plant. Look at it for health.
  • Look for plants that haven’t bloomed yet—better chance of surviving transplants.

What to consider for water?

  • Once you’re done planting, mulch the area to reduce water loss. If we end up not getting any rain, just do a once-a-week deep watering which will further prevent water loss.
  • In case we get water, do it every other week and reduce watering depending on how much rain we get.

    Eye of the Day|Fall Garden|What to Plant
    Red Hot Poker

Any other common FAQs for Fall gardens

  • When is the right time? Plant at end of October, early November. Ground is still warm enough to plant even with cooler weather.
  • What’s going to bloom through Fall? Rudbeckia, Coreopsis, ornamental grasses, Red Hot Poker or Kniphofia
  • Other tips? Feed plants now if you haven’t already done so in the summer. Good season for feeding.

 

Photo Credits:
Creative Commons, mint by yoppy is licensed under CC by 2.0
Creative Commons, brussel sprouts on stalks by Nick Saltmarsh is licensed under CC by 2.0 
Creative Commons, sage by Isaac Wedin is licensed under CC by 2.0 
Creative Commons,  starr-120403-4187-Carex_buchananii-habit-Kula-Maui by Forest and Kim Starr is licensed under CC by 2.0 
Creative Commons, Protea. by Mark Freeth is licensed under CC by 2.0 
Creative Commons, farmersmarket09095 by Kel and Val is licensed under CC by 2.0 
Creative Commons, Kale by Clyde Robinson is licensed under CC by 2.0 
Creative Commons, Red Hot Pokers by Ian Parkes is licensed under CC by 2.0 

Tips for Successful Edible Gardening by The Conscious Garden

Eye of the Day|Edible Gardening|The Conscious Garden

Tips for Successful Edible Gardening by The Conscious Garden

In Southern California we love to eat healthy food and there is no fresher, tastier or more nutrient dense foods than those that you pick from your own garden or that you buy from the farmers market.  It is important to know that your food is free of chemicals, organic and full of nutrients,  so what better way to know what is in your plants than growing it yourself?  I want to share with you some of the main things to remember when setting up an edible garden, and whether you have a yard or not, it IS possible!

I have been growing food since I was a kid, and one of the things I have learned, is that plants will grow in anything.  So, what ever you have to grow food in, whether it is a raised bed, beautiful container or just a simple plastic drum, you too can have edible vegetables right at your home.

Tips for a Successful Edible Gardening

Soil
The key to having good nutrients in your food is in the soil and that is also the advantage of growing at home: you can truly know if it is organic and what’s in it as you plant.  Use a premium potting soil to begin with.  If you have a large garden, use a mixture of different composts such as manure and worm castings.  The soil provides the nutrients to the plants and allows them to be strong.

Water
Edible plants require a little bit of water often and if you add a drip system, it will ensure the plants are getting water directly to their roots where it is required and it makes the garden more water efficient.  This is especially important in container gardening, and it will make life SO much easier.

Plants
When you decide to plant, choose seedlings from a good organic local supplier, providing bio-dynamic organic seedlings. This will ensure that the roots are strong and will stand up to transplanting and our current drought conditions, giving the plants a good start to their edible nutrient supplying journey. It is also time efficient.

Pest Control
Be ready for providing pest control – and keep it organic, non-toxic.  Sluggo for snails, Organocide for bugs and Serenade for diseases.  I find that if you notice bugs attacking a particular plant, leave one of those plants free of pest control and the bugs will eat that one plant and leave the rest alone.  (Periodically remove the bug-plant and destroy it removing the bugs and disease).

Feeding
Remember plants need food too!  Fish and kelp as the master formula is great. Or you can use an organic food with mycorrhizae. The numbers on the pack of organic fertilizer should not be higher than 5-5-5, which are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in a low balanced form.

Just remember, take care of your edibles and they will take care of you. Don’t be afraid to try your hand at an edible garden. If you see something you would like to plant, try a handful of plants and see how it goes.  Plants are sustaining and will grow for you if you just give them a chance.

I am available for consultations or garden support to fulfill your edible garden desires.

Happy Planting!

Sagar Faucheaux
The Conscious Garden

Phone:  (805) 745 5555
consciousgarden@