Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Wreath making/ updates/ Plot checks and Compost dates for winter 2020

Winter wreath making - December 14 we'll have our last special event of the year. RSVP here and join us at the Presidio Native Plant Nursery!

Garden updates:

  • Weeds: I've already started seeing Oxalis pes-caprae in the gardens and it hasn't even rained yet! This pesky and persistent weed is one to start pulling now. As we enter the winter and the (hopefully) rainy season, make plans to visit your plot every few weeks to stay on top of the weeds in the plots AND in the pathways. We worked hard this year to weed and mulch the garden paths- please do your required part to keep them weeded. Other weeds to look for: Common Chickweed, Cheeseweed, popweed, and Miner's lettuce. Some of these you can eat, but please don't let them become established in your garden- they aren't on the approved plant list.  
  • Greenhouse clean-out: for the first time since we built it, the greenhouse is empty and undergoing a thorough cleaning to get ready for new seedlings and 2020 planting! 
  • In the plots: lettuce, chard, kale, peas, broccoli, carrots, radish, cauliflower and cabbages are all doing beautifully. I have seen a lot of aphids though, so still keep an eye out for them. The colder weather discourages a lot of pests- early winter is a great time for leaf-miner free chard, and Brassicas not being devoured by cabbage white butterfly larvae. 
  • Rain, or no rain? Don't forget to keep watering your gardens until the rains start. 
September in the Ft Scott Garden

Calendar updates:
  • Saturday Garden Resource Days start on January 11, 11am-2pm and continue through the spring on second Saturdays with compost, seedlings when available (probably not until February), and the opportunity to borrow shovels and other large tools.You can take compost home in one of my buckets, but you need to return them that week- they are a hot commodity in the gardens!
  • The next round of plot checks will happen in mid-January
    • 1/13 - Ft Scott 
    • 1/14 - MacArthur, Portola 
    • 1/17 - Baker Beach, South Baker Beach 
    • 1/21 - Lendrum Ct, West Washington 
  • There will be evening garden visits again this year beginning after March 8 (daylight savings time). I'll announce those once I know more about my spring schedule.
Enjoy the holiday season with friends and family! 

Thursday, October 3, 2019

October: pizza/ compost bucket returns/ fall pests

Hi all,

I'm getting excited for our Fall Pizza Potluck this Saturday! RSVP here if you plan to attend
On the menu: homemade pizza dough, tomato sauce from the garden, caramelized garden onions, pickled garden vegetables, and garden zucchini cake. Looks like the gardens will produce a nice green salad, a cucumber-tomato-and green bean salad, crispy broccoli, and for the pizzas: arugula, zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, and leeks. The volunteer department has contributed 2 logs of mozzarella, but more cheese would be a good thing to bring. I hope to see you there!

Bucket Returns
Also, a reminder that if you borrowed buckets from me to transport compost to your garden plot, please return them! Our next compost giveaway is on Thursday, Oct. 10 and I'm short a lot of buckets. I don't have any others, so please return them by Tuesday the 8th. Thank you!

Plot Checks
Finally, fall plot checks are coming up at the end of the month. Make sure you've removed any plants that are making seeds or flowers and cleaned up dead/ end of season plants. This will help reduce pests as well.

Fall garden pests
Has your garden been decimated by critters this fall? You're not alone, unfortunately. I lost a whole crop of beets to an unknown raider- rat? raccoon? They worked around the radishes and turnips and didn't eat the beet tops, either. Many crops are also being affected by root maggots- different species of fly attack different crops, but almost all crops are susceptible: radish, carrot, Brassicas, turnip, onions... Or maybe your new plantings were all nibbled by meadow voles. All of these can feel so defeating. For me, it makes me so thankful and appreciative of the organic farmers out there who manage to grow all the beautiful vegetables that show up in the weekly farmers market on Clement Street.

What can you do?

  • Try planting things pests don't love. Arugula, chard, leeks, and bitter greens are a good start.
  • Use floating row cover to keep out the flies that lay eggs that become root maggots.
  • Rotate crops in your plot.
  • Spray beneficial nematodes that prey on the root maggots.
  • Fashion some exclusion cages out of 1/4" hardware cloth to cover smaller plants.
Root maggots

Monday, September 16, 2019

Fall Plot Checks/ Reminders: compost giveaway and pizza RSVP

Fall is just around the corner. I'll be doing the seasonal plot checks during the last two weeks of October. Please make sure your plots are tended, bolting plants are pulled or cut back, and it generally looks like you are using the garden bed. If I sent you a reminder in July this is a good time to make sure you've taken care of the issue. 

10/21- Ft Scott
10/22- MacArthur and Portola
10/24- Lendrum
1029- South Baker Beach and West Washington
1031- Baker Beach

Garden supplies:
A reminder that I'll have buckets of compost available this Wednesday- you can find me and the compost at the Ft Scott Community Garden. You can borrow the 5 gallon buckets, as long as you bring the buckets back after adding the compost to your garden bed. Non seed-free straw is also available for winter mulching needs (just be prepared to pull any grass-like seedlings that might grow from it)

Wednesday, September 18, 4-7pm
Thursday, October 10, 2-7pm
Monday, October 28, 2-6pm


Need to order seeds? One of the places we order from is having a sale until 9/22:
Peaceful Valley Farm

Community Building:
The Fall Harvest Pizza Potluck will be on Saturday October 5, from 11am-3pm. The oven will be ready to start making pizzas around noon. Please bring a potluck dish to share, pizza toppings, beverages, and your own plates, forks etc. I'll have homemade dough, sauce, and any veggies available in the gardens. Please RSVP by October 1







_._,_._,_

Friday, August 9, 2019

Compost giveaways/ Fall Pizza Potluck

Hello Presidio Community Gardening friends,

I hope you are enjoying the last few weeks of summer. Our harvests have been going strong, and the new edible flower beds are wildly productive. 
We've been working our way around to the neighborhood community garden sites to weed and mulch with the monthly Garden Stewards program. Coming up we'll be at Baker Beach #2 on 8/22 and Baker Beach #4 on 9/26- come out and help out (or make sure to weed your paths before we get there!)
edible flowers














I've also seen a lot of Pacific chorus frogs in the garden plots- how cool!


As summer crops are harvested, you may want to think about planting for fall and winter harvests. August is the last reliable month for lots of crops: brassicas, beets, lettuce, kale, and chard. September starts favas and spinach, and is the end of radish, turnip and mustard green planting times. Thinking about planting garlic in October? Now is a good time to pre-order seed garlic.

Every time you plant, it is best to add compost! Turn it in before planting, or top-dress as the plants grow. If you can't get compost from me, local garden centers sell it bagged.

I'll have some buckets of compost available for you a few times this fall- you can find me and the compost at the Ft Scott Community Garden. You can borrow the 5 gallon buckets, as long as you bring the buckets back after adding the compost to your garden bed.

Monday, August 12, 2-7pm
Monday, August 19, 2-7pm
Wednesday, September 18, 4-7pm
Thursday, October 10, 2-7pm
Monday, October 28, 2-6pm

Finally, the Fall Harvest Pizza Potluck will be on Saturday October 5, from 11am-3pm. The oven will be ready to start making pizzas around noon. Please bring a potluck dish to share, pizza toppings, beverages, and your own plates, forks etc. I'll have homemade dough, sauce, and any veggies available in the gardens, along with a green salad. Please RSVP by October 1

For a great place to learn more, check out Garden for the Environment

Friday, June 21, 2019

Happy Summer Solstice!/ Dates for summer plot checks

Hi everyone,

I hope you've all had a great transition from spring into summer. As the seasons change here are some changes to look for in your gardens:
  • broccoli ready to harvest
  • lettuce bolting (getting tall, forming flowers, becoming bitter)
  • chard bolting (same as above, except not bitter)
  • dry soil- water deeply once or twice a week
  • aphids, leaf miners, cabbage white butterfly larvae and other pests
  • various spring greens flowering and making seeds: arugula, mustards, spinach, lettuce...
We had great success with cabbages this year. This is the first time I'm trying kohlrabi- it's super cute!


Garden plot checks
Plus a new season means it's time for another round of plot checks! Please make a note of the date that I'll be visiting YOUR garden. 

Tuesday, July 23:  West Washington and South Baker Beach gardens
Friday, July 26: Lendrum Ct and Ft. Scott gardens
Monday, July 29: Portola and MacArthur gardens
Tuesday, July 30: Baker Beach gardens

In order to avoid getting a warning:
  • garden plots are free of weeds
  • gardens have actively growing crops
  • no vegetables are flowering or making seeds that indicate they are past harvesting stage
  • plots look tended, watered, and used
If you have any questions about your plants, need to contact a neighboring gardener to ask for watering help, or want to share your amazing harvests, please get in touch!

Ft. Scott Community Garden update
The Salesforce Foundation has continued to support our gardening program by providing funds for a brand new tool shed at the Ft Scott Community Garden. This week, with the help of two of our carpenters, we built a lovely new addition to the garden! 
before- the foundation of an old shed from the original garden

after- our new 8x8 cedar shed inside the old foundation

Places to learn more

Thursday, April 11, 2019

Reminder: Final Spring Garden Resource Day on Saturday 4.13/ links to classes at SF gardens

Saturday April 13, 10am-3pm: Garden Resource Day at the Ft. Scott Community Garden
Come by for buckets of compost and lots of seedlings. That is your last weekend to weed, tend, pull flowering vegetables, and plant before the Planting Cut-off on April 16. Remember, plots must look used/tended/loved/planted so if you haven't visited your plot in a week or more, this is the time to make sure it's in the best shape it's been all spring!

Come out and enjoy the garden! The garden is full of flowers!


seedlings available: broccoli, romanesco, lettuce, mizuna, kale, kohlrabi, spinach and more!

RSVP by April 29 for our May the Fourth Spring Garden Potluck Party- Saturday 5/4, 1-4pm at the Ft. Scott Community Garden

Want to volunteer at the Ft. Scott Garden and learn about harvesting, pest control, seeding, transplanting and more? Email me to inquire about weekday opportunities!
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Want to learn more? Check out these other gardens in San Francisco:


🌺Garden for the Environment's monthly Edible Garden workshop is coming up this Saturday, April 13th!

Learn to take full advantage of the unique gardening climate in San Francisco, where you can grow your own fruits and vegetables year round. Our expert instructor, Carey Craddock, will go over everything you need to do in your vegetable garden this month. She'll also take you on a tour of what's growing at the GFE this month. Bring questions and Carey do her best to answer them so you can reap a bountiful harvest!
This month, our class will concentrate on growing transplants, choosing the right spots for your vegetables in the garden and caring for the seedlings you have started.
When: This Saturday, April 13th, 10a.m. - 12p.m.
Where: Garden for the Environment, 1590 7th Avenue (at Lawton)
Cost: $25
Register at GFE's Workshops website, and explore other upcoming classes and events. 
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🌺Please join us at College Hill Learning Garden on Monday, April 22nd between 4:00-7:00pm for our family-friendly Earth Day workshop series: Full Cycle - Growing, Eating, and Composting From Your Windowsill Garden.

To learn more or register for one (or all!) workshops, visit our Eventbrite page.

Please share with your networks! Pre-registration is highly encouraged in order to provide materials for all participants.

Click here for more information on programs at College Hill Learning Garden
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Sunday April 14, 10 am to 12pm at Alemany Farm
Instructor: Jason Mark and Christopher Chimenti

Have you been wanting to start a small vegetable garden but need some guidance? This two-hour crash course in Organic Gardening 101 is for the novice green thumb. The workshop will cover the basics of soil fertility and compost, crop planning for the Bay Area, best watering techniques and non-chemical pest control.

$20 Suggested donation; no one turned away for lack of funds
Space is limited, Please REGISTER in advance
  
Please email Alemanyabby@gmail.com if you have any questions

Thursday, April 4, 2019

4.13 Garden Resource Day/ RSVP for 5.4 pizza potluck/ Gardening help

It's been great seeing folks out in the gardens as I do the evening garden visits. Still coming up: MacArthur 4/9 and West Washington 4/11, both 5-7pm. 

Saturday April 13, 10am-3pm: Garden Resource Day at the Ft. Scott Community Garden
Come by for buckets of compost and lots of seedlings. That is your last weekend to plant before the Planting Cut-off on April 16. Come out and enjoy the garden!

seedlings available: broccoli, romanesco, lettuce, mizuna, kale, kohlrabi, spinach and more!

RSVP by April 29 for our May the Fourth Spring Garden Potluck Party- Saturday 5/4, 1-4pm




Want to learn more?

  • Master Gardeners are now offering in-person Helpline hours every Wednesday from 10:30am-2pm at the San Francisco Botanical Garden library. This is a wonderful resource for getting free gardening advice and pest and plant identification from trained volunteers. No appointment needed. http://smsf-mastergardeners.ucanr.edu/


  • Basics of Organic Gardening at Alemany Farm: Sunday, April 14, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. 700 Alemany. This two-hour crash course in Organic Gardening 101 is for the novice green thumb. Sign up.


Friday, March 29, 2019

Spring weather ahead- a good time for planting/ 5/4 save the date

Hi all,

A reminder that the spring planting cut-off is coming up on April 16. This is a use-it or lose-it date. If you haven't visited your garden since the winter plot checks in January, you might be super surprised at how big the weeds are, again. Plan time to pull them, turn the soil, add compost, and apply Sluggo or Sluggo Plus when you plant or your new seeds and seedlings will be gobbled up by all the pests that have been happily living under the carpet of weeds. Even with all the pest control and regular harvesting I do, I  just moved a piece of lumber in our lettuce bed and found about 20 slugs hanging out, plus lots more hiding inside the lettuce leaves. Yuck!

This is a great weekend for gardening- sunshine and dry weather, followed by more rain in the forecast next week. If you are planning to rely mostly on seeds directly sown into the soil, please plant now so they have sprouted before April 16. If your plot looks empty, I'll have to assume that it is.

You may also find that many of your vegetables held over from last year or earlier this winter are starting to flower. Remember we need to remove most plants once they start to flower. Plants likely to be flowering now are: kale, lettuce, mustards, parsley, cabbage and any root crops you didn't harvest (carrots, radish, beets). Make sure they are pulled before the April 16 cut off as well. Most of the greens are still edible, although lettuce tends to get bitter as it bolts and the root crops get very woody. And look closely at the kale flower stalks- many of them are covered in aphids since they like the tender new growth.

If you have questions about your plot, please get in touch before 4/16! Thanks and have a great weekend!!

P.S.: Save the date for a "May the Fourth be with you/ Cuatro de Mayo" garden party announcement- we're hoping to host a pizza potluck that Saturday over lunchtime. Fun!!

Monday, February 25, 2019

Upcoming dates/ aphids + weed links

Hi Presidio Community Gardeners!

First, thanks to those of you who let me know that the blog posts arrive in your email the day after I post them. That's really good for me to know. I'm sorry to those of you who missed the bonus seedling give-away day- it was really a last minute decision to work on Saturday once I saw how much rain was expected today.

Upcoming calendar dates:

The next planned seedling and compost give-away will be on Saturday, March 9 at the Ft. Scott Community Garden. I'm going to extend the hours from 10am to 3pm. Please mark this on your calendar if you want to come, as I'll be on vacation from tomorrow until March 7 so won't be able to send a reminder until the day before.

April 16 is the spring planting cut-off but March is the best time to plant (if you didn't do it in February).

What's happening in the garden?

Aphids! They are starting to be out in force, covering the bottom of kale and all sorts of other plants in the Brassicaceae family. Check the underside of leaves and the tender growing centers. You can try to wash or brush them off, spray with insecticidal soap, or remove severely infested leaves.  

Here are links about many of the common weeds you may find in your plot. Understanding weed ecology is key to effective weed management! Does it spread via runners? Underground bulblets? Seeds? UC IPM is a good starting place. [IPM = integrated pest management]
Chickweed
Popweed
Oxalis
Sowthistle
Bindweed
Groundsel
Woodsorrel

We're also clearing out last year's crops to make space for spring planting. Here is a cabbage and a potato- they gave us a laugh!

Enjoy your gardens!!

Friday, February 22, 2019

Saturday 2/23 seedling give-away/ GFE March classes

There are a few more sunny days ahead, before another round of wet weather. We've been busy filling our garden beds with lettuce, chard, spinach, mustard greens, onions, peas, zucchini, and brassica seedlings + radish & carrot seeds.

Good news! if you want another chance to pick up vegetable seedlings, I'll be at the Ft. Scott Community Garden tomorrow, Saturday 2/23, from 10am-1pm with leftover seedlings. There won't be any compost however. If you haven't returned pots and buckets from last Saturday- please drop them off for re-use. Thanks!

Seedlings available:
Red cabbage
Green cabbage
Chinese cabbage
Lettuce
Romanesco (only 5)
Cauliflower
Chard
Kale (only 3)
Mustard greens
Spring at the historic Ft. Scott Community Garden

Spring Learning at Garden for the Environment

Garden for the Environment will offer the following workshops in March 2019. All will be at Garden for the Environment, San Francisco’s teaching garden, at 7th Avenue and Lawton Street (1590 7th Avenue). Founded in 1990, our garden offers informative, hands-on workshops on most Saturdays that teach Bay Area residents how to grow climate-appropriate gardens and food, make compost, and conserve water. 

For more information, visit our website at 
www.gardenfortheenvironment.org.



UPCOMING VOLUNTEER DAYS, WORKSHOPS, AND EVENTS

Regular Educational Volunteer Hours
When: Wednesdays and Saturdays, 10am to 3pm
Cost: Free
More Information: bit.ly/GFEVolunteer
Join us in the garden on Wednesdays and Saturdays to help with garden maintenance tasks. You’ll work alongside staff and fellow volunteers on a range of activities like composting, vegetable planting and harvesting, pruning, and weeding. The best way to learn is by doing, and we promise you’ll learn a lot working in the garden with us. No registration needed -- you can come and go at any time, and volunteering at GFE will always be free. Bring lunch and picnic with us at noon!


Urban Composting
When: Saturday, March 2nd, 10am to 12pm
Cost: Free!
Sponsored by the Department of the Environment
Learn how to make your very own compost! The backbone of every healthy garden, compost improves all soil types and can be the difference between success and failure with many plants. In this class, we will teach you how to make compost in your backyard, and introduce you to our worms that make their own special fertilizer. Come learn what you can do to improve your garden and prevent organic waste from ending up in the landfill.


Beginning Beekeeping: The Basics and Starting a Hive (rescheduled)
When: Saturday, March 2nd, 10am to 12pm
Cost: $25
So you're thinking of becoming a beekeeper? This workshop is an introduction to bees and beekeeping practices whether you're starting a backyard hive or are just curious about bees. We'll cover equipment and tools needed, bee biology basics, and provide practical knowledge to get your beekeeping journey started.
The class is designed for absolute beginners so no prerequisite knowledge is required. There will be a hands-on hive inspection, weather permitting. Protective clothing will be provided.


The Edible Garden in March
When: Saturday, March 9th, 10am to 12pm
Cost: $25
Learn to take full advantage of the unique San Francisco gardening climate, where you can grow your own fruits and vegetables year-round. This workshop will focus on growing your own transplants, what seeds to start indoors and outdoors, and successful transplanting of seedlings. Bring questions and we'll do our best to answer them so you can reap a bountiful harvest!


NEW! -- Family Urban Nature (FUN) Afternoon in the Garden
When: Saturday, March 23rd, 1 to 3pm
Cost: FREE
During this FUN two-hour workshop, families will learn together about the natural world. Garden Educators from GFE will lead our educational hands-on activities where you will have the chance to do a tasting tour of the garden, turn garden scraps into compost, observe our worms doing important work, plant food for the urban farm and pot up a pollinator plant to take home!
FUN workshops are for children ages 5-12 and all children must be accompanied by an adult.
This FREE workshop is sponsored by the EPA, in partnership with Education Outside.


Introduction to Sustainable Gardening Series – ONLY A FEW SPOTS LEFT!
When: Saturdays, March 9th, 16th, and 23rd -- 10am to 12pm
Cost: $30 for the full 3-part series. You’ll receive $30 in gift cards (One $10 gift card for either the Urban Farmer Store or Cole Hardware at each workshop for a total of $30 in gift cards if you attend all three workshops).
Register: http://bit.ly/GFESustainableMar2019
Sponsored by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
The Introduction to Sustainable Gardening series is a three-part workshop series designed to help you transform your backyard into a thriving, sustainable garden. This course will teach you everything you need to know to plant flourishing perennial gardens that save water and attract pollinators and beneficial insects.
San Francisco is a beautiful and unique city, with mild temperatures year-round and dry, foggy summers. Learn what plants are adapted to our coastal climate and grow without the need for toxic pesticides or large amounts of water. This course will focus on native and drought-tolerant ornamental gardens, but will cover broad topics that can also apply to vegetable gardening.


Dig In! - Six-Part Edible Gardening Series – ONLY A FEW SPOTS LEFT!
When: Saturdays, March 30th – May 4th, 10am to 12pm
Where: Garden for the Environment, 1590 7th Ave. at Lawton St., San Francisco
Cost: $175
Do you want to get your hands dirty? Learn how to garden this spring! This six-part workshop series is designed after our renowned Get Up! training program and will teach you everything you need to start growing food in your backyard.

San Francisco provides a perfect climate for growing food year-round food! Even a small backyard space can be enough to grow healthy veggies. In this six-part workshop series, we will first build a raised bed together, and then you will learn how to make healthy soil, build a simple irrigation system, plant and care for veggies, and harvest your crops.

Garden for the Environment
7th Avenue and Lawton Street, San Francisco, CA 94122
www.gardenfortheenvironment.org
(415) 558-8246



Friday, February 15, 2019

Reminder: Garden Resource Day tomorrow 10am-1pm

Hello!

Do you have your garden cloches in the form of plastic bottles ready to cover seedlings? Great! Tomorrow is garden resource day and there is a greenhouse full of plants. These little guys haven't had a chance to spend any time outside yet (usually plants are "hardened off" in transition from greenhouse to garden), so any extra protection you can offer will be appreciated.

Next week is looking dry and sunny, so it's a great time to plant! Hopefully all that crazy weather is behind us - two large trees fell at the garden, thankfully missing the brand-new shed + the road and porta-john!

Other spring supplies to consider:
It's  a good time to ensure that any bird netting you have is able to be securely closed; bungees only last for a season or so. Try using that stash of chopsticks in the back of the junk drawer to weave between the netting. And if you have holes from rodents, I'll have extra netting you can cut to patch the hole. We've found small zip ties work especially well.






Don't forget to plan to return any buckets and pots you take with you tomorrow [do you have any in your garden plot to return?]. We have run out of pots and have more seedlings ready for transplanting. Compost is available, but limited to 3 buckets- first come, first served until it's gone.

I'll be at the Ft. Scott Community Garden tomorrow from 10am until about 1pm. The road is quite eroded so please park closer to the garages (without blocking access) and use a cart or wheelbarrow to transport compost etc. See you there!



Jean Koch
Landscape Stewardship: Community Gardens
The Presidio Trust

1216 Ralston Ave., P.O. Box 29052
San Francisco, CA 94129
(415) 561-7639 office
(415) 850-7526 mobile
www.presidio.gov
 
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Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Garden Resource Day postponed to 2-16/ Caring for perennial herbs

Hi all!

I hope your 2019 is off to a great start. Our greenhouse is packed with seedlings, the new shed is getting new shelving, and the beds have continued to produce a variety of greens, broccoli, romanesco, carrots and radishes along with a smattering of weeds. Plot checks went on during 3 weeks in January and it was lovely to see so many tended gardens, some full of crops! If your plot still needs to be weeded, re-checks will start on February 19 and continue until I leave for vacation on the 27th. Here's a great article about understanding the weeds in your garden.

The first garden resource day of the year was scheduled for this coming Saturday. However, the seedlings that I sowed on 1/3 and 1/7 need another week in the greenhouse to be large enough for transplanting. I'm postponing the February Garden Resource Day to next Saturday, 2/16, from 10am-1pm. If weekends don't work with your schedule, seedlings will also be available from 2-4pm on Thursday, 2/21. Both of these will be at the main garden at Ft. Scott. There will be green and red cabbage, Chinese cabbage, kale, peas, lettuce, spinach, chard, broccoli, and cauliflower.
seedlings in the greenhouse on 2/4

This month in the garden
February is a great month to plant your garden- you don't need to remember to water! Pam Peirce calls January-March San Francisco's secret season. If you take advantage of it, you can even have crops planted and harvested before the spring planting deadline of April 16! Radishes grow in 30-45 days and most leafy greens will flourish. If you are planning to plant seedlings, I'd recommend collecting some clear plastic jugs/ juice bottles to use as mini-greenhouses. The plants will appreciate the extra warmth and protection from pests for a few weeks. Just keep an eye out for critters. Snails and slugs love the damp weather just as much as your vegetables. Sluggo is an organically approved option to control them.

February crop list: arugula, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, chard, collard greens, fava beans, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, onions, parsnip, pea, potatoes, radish, spinach, strawberry plants, turnips

Pruning perennials
Do you have rosemary, lemon verbena, sage or other perennial herbs in your garden plot? Take the time to learn how to prune them to maximize healthy new growth and keep the plants to a manageable size. Rosemary will take up half of a garden bed if left alone and guess who has to dig it out when you move away? Me :) So, take charge of your plants- it's up to you to decide how big they get! Here are links to a few articles, but many great videos are out there too. Pruning is also a good time to check underneath and around your perennials and find the pests that are probably hiding in the undisturbed corners of your garden bed.
Lemon Verbena
Rosemary
Lavender
Culinary Sage

Additional flowers on the OK to plant list
I know many of you would love to have a few more flower options for your garden beds. Here are a few I'll be adding to the approved list:

Thyme-leaved fuchsia
Ranunculus asiaticus (the bulb, not the California native R. californicus)
Tulips (already on the list, but helpful info included in the link)
Daffodils
Dahlias
Sunflowers- consider dwarf varieties if you have netting on your bed and harvest the flowers before they make seeds (they are appealing to rodents, however)
Scented Geraniums- This is another plant to keep pruned to garden bed size.