Winter Gardening in California

I love California for many reasons, but one of them is being able to garden throughout the winter!  Here are some of the things still growing in the garden in December:

Photo: Romaine Lettuce

Photo: Bok Choy

Photo: Mustard Greens

Photo: Cilantro

Photo: Salad Greens going to seed

Photo: Bell Pepper

Photo: Fennel going to seed

Photo: Tomato seedlings planted in late summer

Photo: Scallions (Green Onions) going to seed

Photo: Pineapple plant grown from planting pineapple head

Photo: Lemon grass shoot given to me by a friend

Our zucchini plant was also still producing zucchini, but I uprooted it because the zucchini were small.  Carrots, onions, shallots and garlic are also still growing as well as sage, English thyme, lemon thyme, rosemary, parsley, and oregano.  Our lime tree is still flowering and setting tiny fruit.  

In general, the plants are growing at a much slower rate.  I think next year I will try row covers or set up cold frames to see if that will improve growth.    

 

Personalized Address Planters

Personalized Address Planter ($59.95 + Free Shipping)

These personalized crocks would make a wonderful housewarming gift and a nice addition to your own home.  Personalize these crocks with your family name and/or street address and then set them on the porch or walkway.  Black, blue and green colored fonts are available.  They are currently $59.95 at Plow & Hearth, and you can get free shipping by using coupon code: PHFSN.  Other Plow & Hearth Coupon Codes Available Here: http://aptgarden.blogspot.com/p/savings.html.

Windowsill Basil Planter

Photo: Windowsill basil planter.  From left to right, cinnamon basil, opal basil and sweet basil.

The Smith & Hawken Basil Grow Pot I started a while ago is growing very nicely.  I am surprised by how flavorful and fragrant the leaves are!  Although I have basil growing in the yard, I do enjoy having some inside the house.  

Click here to view my earlier post on how to easily start grow pots, and to view the steps I have taken to start this grow pot.   

Disinfecting and Reusing Old Planters

I save my transplant packs and plastic pots for future use.  Many of us do.  They are stackable, reusable, take up a small amount of space, and saves us money in our gardening budget.  However, when reusing old planters, I want to remind you to disinfect them prior to planting new seedlings.  If you do not, you may accidentally pass off disease to your new seedlings.

You can easily sanitize your pots by swirling them or dipping them in a disinfectant solution.  I use a 1:10 ratio of bleach to water solution.

How To Disinfect Old Planters

Materials

• dishwashing gloves or rubber gloves 
• shallow tub
• sponge or small plastic bristle brush
• dishwashing soap
• bleach
• water

Directions

1. Protection. Put on your gloves.
2. Scrub pots.  Scrub away dirt and crusted debris with a little soap, water and sponge or plastic bristle brush.  Empty out your tub.  
3. Make Disinfectant Solution.  Pour 9 parts water into a shallow tub, and then mix in 1 part bleach into the water.       
4. Disinfect Planters.  Sanitize your planters by swirling the planters in the disinfectant solution.  You can also use your sponge to get hard-to-reach areas.  
5. Rinse and Dry.  Rinse your pots with clean water and allow them to dry.  Now you are ready to plant your new seeds! 

Plastic Shopping Bag Greenhouse

Photo: Two transplant flats are placed side by side inside a Target plastic shopping bag.  

The handles are tied on the side.

You can easily start seedlings outdoors by growing them in individual greenhouses made out of old plastic shopping bags.  

The seeds in my outdoor garden were taking a long time to germinate so I decided to start some more seedlings in pots.  To accelerate the germination time, I transformed the pots into greenhouses by wrapping them in old shopping plastic bags and tying them shut.  I placed the wrapped pots in a sunny location, and checked the bags once a day to make sure the soil was still moist and to see if anything had sprouted.  

These shopping bags make a significant difference.

Early Corn Germination Times
Method                                                                        Days to Germination
Burpee Seed Starter Kit (indoors)................................. 4
Plastic Shopping Bag Greenhouse (outdoors)...............5
Direct Seed Planting in Garden (outdoors)...................13

To check out my other germination tips and methods click here.

Self-Watering Conversion Kits for Planters

Photo: Self-Watering Conversion Kits

Before taking your next vacation, consider upgrading your containers with self-watering conversion kits.    These kits convert ordinary pots into self-watering planters.  These kits will reduce your time spent on watering your plants.  All you have to do is pour water into the fill tube.  The water in the reservoir will evaporate and moisten the soil.  Pour more water into the fill tube when the water level indicator indicates the reservoir is low.  You can also fertilize your plants by pouring in liquid or water-soluble fertilizer.

These kits come in two sizes:
Self-Watering Conversion Kit, 1 Quart ($14.95): Holds 1 quart and fits pots up to 10" to 14" in diameter at the rim.
Self-Watering Conversion Kit, 1 Gallon($17.95): Holds 4 quarts and fits pots between 16" and 20" in diameter at the rim.

Hanging Succulent Baskets

I saw these moss covered hanging baskets filled with an assortment of succulents at Home Depot.  I love that you can hang these planters on the walls.  You can bring plant life to your apartment or home without using up any precious outdoor floor space.

Our local Home Depot are selling them for $29.98 each.  This price is hard to beat if you had to purchase each component separately (i.e., individual plants, soil, moss, twine, and basket).  You could create a similar piece by filling a coco fiber lined wall basket planter or hanging basket planter with artfully arranged assortment of succulents. 

Tips:

Prior to filling the basket, attach the moss to the basket exterior with twine or omit it all together if you prefer the look of coco fiber.

If you choose a deep basket, consider filling the bottom half of the basket with clay balls, ping pong balls or some other light, airy material.  Most succulents have shallow root systems, and this will prevent the basket from becoming to heavy.

Whether you are hanging your basket on the wall or from the ceiling, make sure that it is secured to the stud(s) instead of drywall.  

DIY Blooming Gifts Under $25

I have seen potted bulbs in flower catalogs sell from $60 to $90.  Even inexpensive, hardy bulbs like daffodils have been sold for hefty prices.  You can easily create such a gift by potting some bulbs in a planter of your choice.

I chose to plant some daffodils in a light weight and inexpensive 10" golden yellow fiberglass pot.  The blooming daffodils were about $3 per pack at Home Depot.  I planted a bunch closely together to get a more dramatic, rich effect.     

Plant a Pineapple Head

Photo: Do not plant the fleshy part of the fruit or you will risk the roots rotting

Update: Just plant the green top part of the pineapple in the soil or you risk the root rotting.  Being careful not to hurt your hand, grab the base of the green top and twist.  The green top should easily twist off.  Then remove leaves from the bottom inch (or two inches) of the stem.  Plant the exposed stem in potting soil and water thoroughly.  Place the plant in a shady place, and keep watering your plant.  The plant will take root.  The outer leaves will eventually brown and die, but new leaves will form in the center, and eventually the plant will produce small pineapple fruit. 

Grow a pineapple plant from the top of a pineapple head!

Last Saturday, I had a craving for an "island" burger, which is really just a normal cheeseburger with a nice slice of grilled pineapple.  I had everything to make the burger except the pineapple so I had to ask myself, did I really want an island burger?  It turns out I did so I made a trip to the grocery store for a whole pineapple and some other munchies.

As I was firing up the grill, an idea in one my gardening books jumped out at me---I should try and plant that pineapple head.  According to this book, you can grow a whole new pineapple plant from the top of a pineapple head.  You should plant a pineapple head that is not too ripe, and has leaves that are still green.

My pineapple head's leaves were only partially green so I am curious to see if it still works.  For detailed instructions on planting a pineapple head, you can click here.

DIY Painted Planters

I have a friend who loves to cook, and he is constantly going to the store to buy fresh herbs. His recipes normally only require a small amount of herbs, which meant most of the herbs would go to waste. Sometimes he would be disappointed in their lack of quality and freshness. Moreover, he gets frustrated when the store runs out of a particular herb.

He has a nice outdoor balcony so I decided to give him a set of potted herbs. This way he will have fresh herbs whenever he needs them, and will also be saving a lot of time and money.
Because this is a gift, I wanted to plant the herbs in pretty pots. I could not find a set of pots to my liking within my budget so I decided to customize my own planters.

I took ordinary, inexpensive 6" terracotta pots, and used acrylic paint to paint an image of a sprig of the herb on the pot, and then painted the name of the herb in calligraphy at the top of the pot. I sealed the outside of the pot with 2 coats of clear, water-based polyurethane sealant. I purchased a rosemary plant, a sage plant, and a spearmint plant from my local nursery. All I need now is for my oregano, thyme, dill weed, parsley, and basil seeds to sprout, and to plant them in these pots. I can't wait to present them to him. I know he will really appreciate this and will use this year after year!

Learn how to customize your own terracotta pots...


Materials:

• Small Can of Clear Water-based (or oil-based) Polyurethane Paint. (I used a semi-gloss finish for my project, but you can choose another.)
• Stirring Stick
  
• Painter's brush
• 6" Terracotta Pots
• Acrylic Paints
• Thin paintbrush
• Pencil
• Drop cloth or other protection for floor
  
• Sandpaper (may be optional)
• Scrubbing Brush (may be optional)
  

Directions:

1. Get a clean terracotta pot. If it is not clean, use a scrubbing brush to scrub it vigorously with soap and water. Rinse it off and allow it to completely dry. Sand down any rough edges or imperfections with the sand paper.


2. Use a pencil to lightly draw a sketch of what you are going to paint on the terracotta pot. When you are done, use the thin paint brush to paint in your image. Make sure you paint the pot over cardboard or newspaper and wear old clothing because this can get messy.


3. After the acrylic paint has completely dried, use the large paint brush and apply a thin coat of the protective paint on the outside of the pot. Make sure you do this in a well ventilated area. If you apply a thick coat of paint, it will drip everywhere and dry unevenly. Although I initially allowed my pots to dry on the cardboard, I would advise you to let them dry on a set of bricks. If you allow them to dry on the cardboard, odds are the cardboard is going to stick to the sealant and you will have to use sand paper to sand off the remains of the cardboard. Allow the first coat to dry completely. I let them sit over night.


4. After the first coat has completely dried, apply the second coat and allow it to completely dry. I only applied to two coats, but you can apply three coats if you like.

Note: This pot is still wet. It will look less glossy once it dries.

Worms in my Pots

One of the worms I found today

I was pleasantly surprised to find a couple of worms hanging around my plants today. I hope they work their way into my pots and decide to stay.

Benefits of Having Worms in Your Garden:

• Worms eat decomposing organic materials and/or raw dirt, and produce "worm castings." Worm castings is another term for worm manure or worm excrement. The castings are dark and granular like soil, and are rich in nutrients that are easily digested by plants.
• Worms help aerate the soil.
• Worms improve drainage.

Vacation Watering Tips for Potted Plants

One Week Vacation
Most of my plants are in unglazed terracotta pots so water evaporates quickly. I normally have to water my plants daily during our hot, dry summers. I once unexpectedly had to leave my plants alone for a week during the summer, which is pretty much a death sentence to a container garden. I didn't have time to work out a drip system so I moved all of my plants to a shady area of my patio, watered them thoroughly, and wrapped them in plastic bags. I was pleasantly surprised to find all of my plants alive and in good condition. Not only were they all alive, but one of my lilies had bloomed.

Plastic Bag Wrapping Method (Recap):

Materials:

• Plastic Bags. I used the kind that stores use to bag your purchases. Just make sure there are no holes in the bags.

Instructions:

1. Move the plants to the shadier side of your apartment patio/balcony.
   
2. Just before you leave, water the plants thoroughly (i.e., until water begins to drip from the bottom of the container).
3. Wrap each pot in plastic bags to prevent water from evaporating. Just set the pot in the bag and then tie the bag around the base of the plant. Try to tie the bag as close as possible to the trunk or stem of the plant. As water rises it will hit the plastic ceiling, and drip back down to the plant. Just make sure there are no holes in the bags you use.

Three Week Vacation
It is chilly and humid now so there will be less evaporation. Some of my plants are dormant now so they will not be needing as much water as they did during the summer. However, I do not believe my plants will be able to sustain themselves for 3 weeks on the wrapping method alone. I'm going to combine the wrapping method with a drip system for my large potted plants. Then I'm going to have a friend care for the bulk of my seedlings. I will use some of my duplicate seedlings to see if they survive the 3 weeks in a green house system I have in mind for them. I'll report my findings in January. Happy Holidays Everyone!

UPDATE: My experiment worked! Click Here to learn how you can make your own Container Watering System.