A year in the vegetable garden

September/October 2023 California Bountiful magazine

Even for seasonal gardeners,
there’s something to do every month

By Pat Rubin

If I could walk along the paths in your garden with you or lend a hand when you’re getting the vegetables in, we could talk about our favorite varieties of winter squash or debate the merits
of the many types of tomato cages. We could sit and have a snack and something to drink, watch the hummingbirds fight over the feeders or marvel at how well the peppers are doing this year.

So, think of this online “year in the vegetable garden” as my way of inviting you into my garden. You’ll see what I see, know what I’m thinking and see how my garden grows throughout the months.

January

Let’s start the year right: with the soil. Every crop you plant takes something out of the soil. Crops like tomatoes and corn take more out of the soil than others. If you take care of your soil, it will take care of your garden. Plants will be healthier, resist diseases and harmful insects, and produce bigger crops.

While your beds are fallow, add planting mix and plenty of compost to them. I add tea and coffee grounds to my garden beds all during the year and add compost every time I take out a crop.

If you’re buying bags of planting mix, make sure the mix has plenty of ingredients. Don’t buy a sterile potting mix.

February

I’ve always thought of February, at least here in California, as a bit of a cruel, taunting month. We get just enough days of mild, sunny weather to lure us out into the garden and we start to dream of summer bounty. And then it turns frigid and frosty and wet, and our hopes are dashed.

But February is the perfect month for planning, for browsing through online or hardcopy catalogs and committing to some new crops and varieties. I find it very reassuring to receive packages of seeds in the mail, because to me they represent hope and success in the garden. Go ahead and start a few seeds in pots in the house. For me, it makes me feel connected to the garden when I can’t be outside. I can almost taste the tomatoes and summer squash already.

March

March is when most people get started with the summer season. Clean away any weeds that may have popped up in the garden and get planting. Start scattering seeds, such as beet, lettuce, radish and celery this month.

March is also time to plant potatoes, one of my favorite crops. Potatoes need a loose, rich soil, so a raised bed is ideal. Other critters, such as gophers, love potatoes, too, so my raised beds have hardware cloth attached to the bottoms so no unwanted guests can get in. Growing potatoes in large pots works, too.

I also like to make sure my tomato cages have stakes to support them and keep them upright when the plants are 8 feet tall, and that I have plenty of small cages for eggplant and peppers.

April

Finally, it’s time to get the bulk of the summer vegetable garden into the ground. The garden centers have been fully stocked for weeks. It’s hard to resist buying those beautiful tomato plants on the shelves—but resist you must until the chances of frost have passed. A friend said he tells everyone to plant their garden on April 28. He swears that’s the best day to plant. When asked why, he replies that April 28 is his birthday. Living in USDA Zone 9, I can be sure the chances of a late frost killing my newly planted garden are well past by then, so I plant my vegetable garden on April 28.

You can plant starter plants or seeds. Bean seeds are the most susceptible to rotting when the soil temperatures are too cold, but by late April, it’s safe to plant them.

So go for it: tomatoes, beans, squash, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, pumpkins, winter squash and more.

May

If you didn’t get the garden fully planted in April, there’s still plenty of time. May is generally a kind month as far as weather. Heat-loving herbs like basil, oregano and tarragon can go in now. There is probably time for one more crop of radishes before the weather gets too hot. Radishes are really easy to plant from seed. Just sprinkle them onto the soil, toss a little soil over them and water daily.

Now is also the time to make sure your watering system is in place and working. I use emitters that spray water against and around the plants, so it also gets the foliage wet. Our well water includes a bit of dirt occasionally, so between that and the bugs that get into the lines, I have to check all the emitters every few days. My point: Make sure your plants have a dependable source of water.

Watch for aphids. You can hose them off or use insecticidal soap to kill them.

June

June means the start of the harvest season in my garden. Early squash varieties are ready to be picked, the basil produces enough leaves for salads and radishes are growing fat. No matter how small the harvest, it’s always exciting.

June also is time to harvest garlic. The plants have been growing since last October or so, and likely some of the leaves are starting to yellow a little. But the bulbs won’t be ready until we’ve had a few weeks of hot weather. Pick too early in June, and you’ll be disappointed. Wait until after we’ve had about three weeks of hot weather, and you’ll be both surprised and pleased with the crop. Let the bulbs dry out someplace dark. Don’t wash off the dirt. Wait until the bulbs are dry, and then wipe it off. Store them someplace dark and dry, and your garlic will last until time to plant again.

July

July is synonymous with heat—and here in California the heat can be brutal. Check plants for sunburn. I prop up a piece of cardboard, newspaper, shade cloth or whatever I can find on the sunniest side of susceptible plants so they get a little respite from the hot sun. Make sure plants are getting enough water.

Now is the time to increase the amount of water the garden is getting. I often start my garden out at six or eight minutes a day, and by July I’m up to 15 minutes. Mulch wherever you can to protect the soil from baking. When adding new plants to the garden, plant them closely together so they help shade the soil for each other.

August

The garden is getting a little tired by now, although tomatoes are still going strong. Keep picking them and they’ll keep producing until the first frosts turn the vines black. Ditto for the basil. But with basil, don’t let it bloom. Keep trimming off the flowers and the plant will keep producing leaves.

Basil is an annual crop, meaning it sprouts, grows and dies in a single year. Its goal, programmed by Mother Nature, is to produce flowers and seed so it lives to produce another year. Our idea with this plant, however, is for more and more leaves. So, by trimming away the flowers and picking plenty of leaves, we trick the plant into producing more green growth. Of course, at some point it will all come crashing down and winter weather will destroy the plant.

September

September divides the summer gardeners from the year-round gardeners. Most gardeners are tired by the end of the summer vegetable season and ready to clean up the garden beds and let them lie fallow until spring. Then there’s the other group who looks at September as the start of the fall/winter gardening season.

For those of you in the first camp, start cleaning out the spent debris and leaves and vines and stems left in the garden. Add a layer of compost and let everything rest until next season.

For those with enough energy left to continue gardening through fall, you can start planting radish and lettuce seeds again. Now is also the time to plant crops like broccoli and cauliflower.

October

By now squash vines are withering and the leaves are getting mildew all over them. Pull out the summer squash; it isn’t going to recover or produce any more squash. Leave winter squash and pumpkins on the vine until after the first frost.

October is the time to start planting parsley, garlic, cilantro, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, lettuce and more. You can plant from seed or buy starter plants for most of these crops at the local garden center. Strawberry plants can also be planted now.

Otherwise, it’s garden cleanup time. Pull out the old tomato plants or whatever is left of the summer garden and compost it or throw it away. If the rains have started, you can turn off the irrigation systems or at least cut the water back.