After a three week winter break school gardens with watering angels (or on automatic timers) saw a spurt of growth that caused many to utter “WOW” upon their return.
Pea vines were 7 ft tall and full of ripe pea pods. Bok choy that wasn’t picked before the break had bolted and flowered with stalks as high as 4 ft. Spinach, arugula, swiss chard, cilantro, lettuce and radishes all needed to be trimmed, thinned, or pulled. Bags of salad greens were assembled for all with implicit instructions to take their bounty home, wash it thoroughly, make a salad and say to siblings and parents, “look what I grew.”
Next week we’re planning to start seeds indoors and in our greenhouse. We intend to get a head start on spring planting by starting seeds of zucchini, corn and tomatoes as well as more cool weather crops such as broccoli, kohlrabi, and lettuce. Days to Maturity for warm-weather plants dictate that we get them in the ground no later than the middle of March for harvest before school’s end.
Check this Southern California Garden Calendar for vegetables that can be planted in January.
If outside of California check with your local Cooperative Extension or Master Gardener program.
For those who haven’t gotten their seeds yet see:
