Food Gardening

Spring Into Food Gardening!

You will find a plethora of food gardening guidance on the website from the basic A to Z Growing Vegetables publication and the when-to-plant Year-Round Food Gardening in Sonoma County publication to how to set up a food bed irrigation system and calculate just how much water your food garden needs—and MUCH more. There is an extensive library of vegetable, fruit and herb articles for crops that thrive in Sonoma County. For a full listing, see Food Gardening Articles and the Food Gardening section of MG Publications.

Also, like and follow us on Facebook where you will find two weekly food gardening features. On Wednesdays, MG/FGS Penny Fink shares her experience growing vegetables and fruit on a hillside in Occidental. You will relate to and be energized by "Penny's Farm" and her seasonal activities, challenges and advice. "Sundays with Sue" is all about edible landscaping (with a few chicken stories and floral/greenery arrangements thrown in for good measure). You will be charmed and inspired by MG/FGS Sue Lovelace's posts. Her column is reproduced on our website's home page.

In the Garden

Beets

It seems as though people either love beets or hate them. If you're a hater, become a convert by trying something other than the usual red beet varieties. Golden beet varieties have a milder, sweeter taste and are delicious roasted. Beets with variegated color (such as 'Chioggia' with its concentric rings of red and white) also provide a nutritious alternative. Even the red beet varieties have differences in taste and texture. Learn more about growing beets.

A Word About Direct Seeding

Typically, March is the month to seed many cool-weather vegetables. Our "Year-Round Food Gardening in Sonoma County" publication indicates which veggies can be direct seeded. Seeds need contact with the soil to germinate which means that we may need to lightly rake the soil's surface or to break up soil clods (to the greatest degree, employing minimum soil disturbance). Never work wet soil--it destroys its structure. Plus, seeds will rot when the soil is too wet. To germinate, seeds like a moist soil--think of a well wrung-out sponge. You can improve soil drainage by planting in a raised bed or in a mound of soil. But always test the soil and consider the weather outlook before sowing seed.

Food Gardening Documents

Food gardening articles on our website include "Focus on Spring Vegetables" and "Focus on Fall Vegetables." Each is a a two-page guide that includes an example of a planted 4 x 8-foot raised bed on one page. The second page outlines planting, care and harvest information (as appropriate) for the veggies in the sample beds along with recommended varieties for Sonoma County. "Focus on Spring Vegetables" includes making room for warm weather veggies. So, be sure to wait until the threat of frost has passed before planting heat-loving crops such as tomatoes and cucumbers. "Focus on Fall Vegetables" includes hardy veggies that can overwinter in a typical Sonoma County winter, providing you an extended harvest. Reference "Year-Round Food Gardening in Sonoma County" to learn which vegetables are cool-weather, hardy and warm-weather.

Potatoes

Potatoes are a staple in many kitchens. Are they a staple in your garden? If not, maybe it is time to give them a try. Nothing tastes better than a home-grown potato. And, if you follow Master Gardener Thom Glenn's advice, you can look forward to a bountiful and delicious harvest. If you don't have much space, how about a potato tower or a grow bag? There are many simple instructions on the Internet for constructing a potato tower. If you purchase a grow bag, look for one that has velcro "windows" that allows you to harvest from the side of the bag for an extended harvest period. A medium potato is naturally fat free, has only 110 calories, is rich in vitamin C and potassium and is a good source of fiber.

Zoom with Us—Join the Food Gardening Specialists (FGS) for Free Zoom Events

Autumn veggies and fruit
Photo from the ANR repository

The FGS project is holding Zoom events every second Tuesday of the month from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. The format includes two to three short presentations about sustainable food gardening activities for the current month followed by Q&A. While free, pre-registration is required. A week prior to each meeting, you will find a brief description of the presentations and the registration link by visiting our home page under Upcoming Events. You’ll also find a Food Gardening Resources page with handy links to many of the subjects discussed during the zoom events.

These monthly events are recorded and uploaded to the Sonoma County Master Gardener YouTube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel—and click on the bell icon to receive email notification when new videos are added.

We hope to “see” you soon!!

Food Garden Specialists

Food Garden Specialists (FGS) are volunteers in the UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County. They have a passion for and extra training in sustainable food gardening. In addition to offering food gardening workshops, they provide free advice and consultation services to community gardens throughout Sonoma County. Read more.

Food Garden Tips

March Food Garden Tasks and Tips

For what to plant this month, click here.

It’s pretty clear at this point that we should all plan on reducing water use as much as possible this summer, so we suggest you check out the Food Garden Specialists’ video on growing vegetables with less water and other related materials.
Eliminate early emerging weeds before they go to seed. Weeds in the veggie garden can usually be pulled by hand. It’s one of the big pluses to adding compost regularly. Do not allow weeds to compete with your food garden for water.
If you grew a cover crop, cut or mow it down and lightly till it into the soil, or for minimum soil disturbance, chop it and drop it and plant right into the crop residue. Add more compost on top.
The most efficient way to deliver water to your food garden is a drip system. If you already have drip, flush and test the drip irrigation system; identify/repair leaks; clean the water filter. If you hand-water, check the condition of hoses and nozzles; replace old washers to prevent drips.
If you have never started seeds indoors, start a favorite variety of a warm weather veggie this month to set out when the danger of frost passes in early May. Because there may be water issues this year, consider growing a variety with fewer days to maturity (an early variety) so that you have fewer days to irrigate before harvest. For advice, see: Growing Vegetables from Seed.
If you are thinking of growing potatoes, many nurseries have been selling seed potatoes in the last weeks. If the ones you bought are not yet sprouting, leave them in their paper bags and add an apple which will produce ethylene gas that will hasten sprouting. Put the closed paper bags in a larger plastic bag, tied to reduce airflow. Check progress every few days. For growing information, read here.
Certain crops may benefit from row covers (e.g., to protect shallow seed from being washed away by spring rains and to protect tender seedlings from insects and birds). Row covers also can collect dew that falls on the soil–a strategy to consider in a drought year. Light weight covers can be laid over the rows and secured with irrigation staples or bricks, or draped over PVC hoops and secured to the ground.
Encourage bees and good bugs to visit you garden by planting beneficial-friendly plants near your vegetable bed. Nepeta (catmint), Rosmarinus (rosemary), Salvia, and Lavandula (lavender), and Thyme are just a few. Many perennial Mediterranean herbs are loved by beneficials AND are low-water.
Thin root and salad crops so that they do not become overcrowded.
Fertilize fruit trees. Applying two inches of aged compost is ideal. Alternatively, apply a 7-1-7 organic fertilizer in the spring. If mature fruit trees did not put out sufficient shoot growth and/or good fruit set last year, the UC ANR recommends applying half of a nitrogen fertilizer in March or April and the second half of the treatment in July or August.
Applying one to two-inches of aged compost to your vegetable gardens will improve soil tilth and plant nutrition. Place the compost on top of the existing soil and let the spring rains and soil macroorganisms move nutrition down. In a drought year, plan to add three to four inches of mulch (e.g., compost, rice straw, leaf mold, etc.) to the top of the soil to keep it cool, retain moisture and to inhibit weed growth.
Plant citrus in early spring to give tree roots the longest possible time to become established before it is exposed to frost. For UC’s guidance on citrus, click here. Consider your water availability when choosing thirsty new trees.
Prune one-year old grape vines when growth just begins in spring so that new growth will avoid damage from late-spring frosts. Refer to UC guidance on growing grapes.
Most grape varieties are susceptible to powdery mildew. Once it appears, it is too late to treat. Powdery mildew is controlled during the growing season by spraying with water-soluble sulfur. Begin applying treatments when all buds have pushed. Thereafter, repeat at ten-day intervals in the spring if disease pressure is high.
Inspect crops regularly throughout their growing season for early problem diagnosis and resolution. Refer to University of California’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) site. If we have a warm March, aphids may make an appearance on vegetables and ornamentals—control with insecticidal soap. Normally, we suggest a water blast from the hose, but there may be restrictions on hose use. Have you tried a hand-held car vacuum? We hear it works great.
As spring planting begins in earnest, select disease-resistant crop varieties (especially important in a small garden where crop rotation is difficult). The abbreviations on the tag are important (e.g., “VFN” means that a plant is resistant to Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt and Nematodes).
Click here for ongoing monthly tasks.