Hello VEGheads,
November is here! Here's what I am growing in my garden this month and some of my plans for what I need to plant and some garden chores that need to be done.
Eversweet Pomegranate tree from Four Winds Nursery - We do not plan to do anything with the tree this month.
Little Finger Carrots - we planted in the same wine barrel around the pomegranate tree in a circle. Oddly enough only half of the circle has sprouted so far, already thinned out. They will continue to grow this month.
Albion Strawberries - I will be adding mulch this month. Harvesting strawberries. Will add some more of our MircleGro Nature's Care Organic Blood Meal here shortly. Last application was September 18th.
Herb garden - Oregano, Spearmint, Stevia, Sage, Rosemary, Cilantro, Chives. Will keep an eye on it as the days get colder. I am expecting the cilantro to die. The spearmint and the sage are getting attacked by caterpillars, while the Stevia is struggling still from it's white fly/caterpillar ambush and currently flowering. I'm hoping it will drop seeds that will sprout in the spring. Rosemary and Chives seem to be the only ones completely unscathed. I will continue cooking with them.
Garlic - We got this garlic from the Garlic Festival in Gustine, they we planting on October 13th and are just now shooting their first stalks up after being planted. They will not be ready until next summer, but are establishing roots now, you can plant garlic any time between now and February in zone 9.
Carrots - The Nantes, Purple Forage and Giant Markets I planted on October 13th, are just now beginning to show their first real leaves. The Giant Markets have still not really sprouted. They'll continue to grow this month. Once they have good leaf growth we will thin them out by cutting the base of the plants, as to not disturb the surrounding carrot roots.
Unknown Bean - I have a single lonely bean plant that suffered severe stress after being transplanted in the raise bed and then attacked by white flies and pill bugs. He seemed to be bouncing back, but the weather is now causing him to stop growing. He has a few flowers now which is farther along that any previous year, so I'm leaving the plant to see what it does. This is one of the varieties that my parents brought back from the Azores, but I don't remember if this bean plant is a Helda bean or a Red bean.
Unknown Pepper - I have a pepper plant that has been growing most of this year, I can't remember if it's a bell pepper plant or a sweet pepper. It does have a little flower, but it likely wont produce because of how cold it is. I plan to over winter it. So I'll watch the weather and protect it from frost. I'm thinking a 2 litter bottle to make it its own green house. If it seems to be not doing well I will remove it from the raised bed and bring it inside.
Burpee's Broad London Leeks - Leeks were just planted on... so I will be expecting them to sprout this month.
Little Marvel, Alaskan and Sugar Mammoth Peas - These are currently what I am most proud of in my garden. I grow peas every year in winter, since my very first year gardening. This year I have all three of my varieties planted. In the past I've ended up with about 5-6 plants. So far I have 25 plants that are about four inches tall.
Bloomsdale Spinach - Tried and true favorite. Also always in my fall and spring garden. This variety is an heirloom and tastes great, slow to bolt! A gift that keeps giving. My best friend sent me these seeds as a birthday gift two years ago and in Spring after they bolt I collect the seeds. It has it's first real leaf. I'm planning to harvest and make some salads.
Buttercrunch Lettuce - I'm trying a new variety. I had tried two varieties of heading lettuce before... it didn't work great. Since I've been growing a leaf lettuce mix. My thoughts are that I will be able to harvest this lettuce either as a leaf lettuce or as a head of lettuce. Currently nothing has sprouted that I can distinguish from the weeds and being a new variety I'm not entirely sure what the sprouts look like.
To-do's:
Maintain weeds, (In California weeds really only grow in Winter when there is enough water.) I purchase weed cloth for the backyard. We will lay this down to assist.
Acquire the soil needed for some large round containers we have for potatoes to plant in the coming months.
Since it is time to purchase bare-root fruit trees we may pick up some if we see them on sale. I would like to get either a blueberry shrub or an citrus tree. If this takes place we will make some more wine barrel planters.
For daily updates on what I'm doing in the garden follow me on Instagram @VeryExcitedGardener
https://www.instagram.com/veryexcitedgardener/
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#garden #winter #fall #gardening #growyourownfood #zone9 #californiagarden #November #whattogrow #vegetable