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When do I plant seeds for a Vegetable garden in So. CAL.?

I am going to get my soil prepared this weekend. I have never started a garden and have NO idea what to do. Any suggestions?

Public Comments

1. Well, if you're really serious about it, go to your local garden store (lowes, home depot will suffice...) ask an employee in the garden department about the plants that you intend to purchase. They'd be more than helpful! I know a fair amount about gardening, but don't want to risk killing your garden! If you don't want to drive somewhere, get a good garden book from the library, or look it up on website that's a little more official than yahoo answers! :)
2. I just planted my seeds into a planters tray that you can buy at Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal-mart, etc. Buy a bag of potting mix or seed start mix. Drop you seeds into the sections in the tray filled with mix and keep moist constantly but not soggy. They will sprout in 7-10 days. Then you can plant them in your garden.
3. A lot depends on where in So. Cal you are, what type of soil you currently have and what types of vegetables you want to plant. You can generally start planting a bit earlier in the San Fernando Valley than at the beaches and elsewhere because it warms up quicker. Loam is generally good for most types of vegetables (or anything, really), but is pretty hard to get and maintain. In my neighborhood, clay soil is common and different vegetables work well with that. As far as when to plant your seeds, it's colder this year than in previous years I believe, so you can still probably start your early spring crops now, such as lettuces, peas and maybe even early crops of Chinese greens like bok choy. Main season veggies are best left to start when ground has completely warmed, probably mid to late March. If you are growing veggies from seed, if you haven't started them already, you should start them now indoors in peat pots for transplanting four to six weeks from now. I prefer to plant tomato seedlings direct myself, and direct sow beans, squash and cukes late March. Best of luck!
4. In Southern California, you can pretty much have a veggie garden year round, provided you are not in the mountains or too far inland. What to plant, and when: December-January-February beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, endive, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, onions, parsley, parsnips, peas, radishes, spinach, chard, turnips March-April-May beans, beets, cantaloupe, carrots, collards, cucumber, eggplant, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mustard greens, okra, onions, parsley, parsnips, peanuts, peppers, pumpkins, radish, rutabega, spinach, squash, corn, chard, tomatoes, watermelon June-July-August beans, blackeyed peas, chard, mustard greens, okra, onions, radish, spinach squash, corn September-October-November beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, endive, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, onions, parsley, peas, radishes, rutabega, spinach, sugar peas, chard, turnips I highly recommend the book by Pat Welsh, 'Southern California Gardening': this book is excellent and will make you an expert!
5. A good rule of thumb when to plant is after the last frost.
6. Hello, Check the back of the seed packed for the zone in which you are in. Each packet tells when to plant the seeds in each zone. This what I always use because planting is different for each type of seed. Also visit secilysgardentips.com great site. Happy Planting Secily