02-11-10 Love and Growth

In this issue:

1. February in the Garden
2. Spring Planting Guide
   
3. Gardenerd Tip of the Month: Seed Starting indoors
   
4. Gardenerd Product of the Month: Gardenerd Hand Care Kit

2. Spring Planting Guide

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 polination 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

3. Gardenerd Tip of the Month - Seed Starting

Starting seeds indoors gives gardeners the advantage in several ways. First of all, you get to grow all those fascinating varieties available from seed catalogs that nurseries don't carry. Secondly, you get a jump on the season by starting seeds in flats while other items are still taking up space in your garden (or while it's snowing). But perhaps the best reason to start seeds indoors is to create a safe environment for your babies to grow, ensuring that they won't get mowed down my bugs in their infancy. Here are some quick tips for starting seeds indoors:

• Start with a good planting medium - moisten it enough to hold together
  
• Then get seed trays you like. I use both the APS Trays from Gardener's Supply and the Seed Flats from Bountiful Gardens (if you're planning to do Grow BioIntensive techniques)
  
• Fill your seed trays and place 1 seed in each cell
  
• Cover with planting mix and water well
  
• Cover to insulate (APS trays use a clear plastic dome)
  
• Get it under direct light as soon as seeds sprouts (this can be outside or under grow lights like these) 12-14 hours per day
  
• Keep the seedbed moist
  
• Transplant seedlings into 4" pots (we like Cowpots) when the first true leaves appear
  
• Plant them out into your garden when they've grown up
  

4. Gardenerd Product of the Month - Gardenerd Hand Care Kit

So you're looking down at your hands and thinking that they look more like your grandmother's than your own. Those craggy dry patches between the thumb and index finger are forming a new Grand Canyon and you can't find relief. Look no further, the Gardenerd Hand Care Kit heals all.

First you can scrub off all the garden grit with the exfoliating cleansing bar - it's super-fatted with nourishing carrot oil and lathers up great.

Next you layer on a dab of 50/50 hand cream with luxurious essential oils like cedarwood, citrus and lemon grass. Say goodbye to grandma hands, hello softness!

Pamper Yourself Here - The Gardenerd Hand Care Kit