Out & About / Ventura County : Shoptalk : Getting Rooted : Experts say the cool climes of fall are a good time to start a garden.
Ventura County residents like to cling to their summer vacations, stretching them from the moment school is out in June until the sun sets on Labor Day. But after the holiday, it’s hard, of course, to ignore the shorter days and the chill in the evening air.
Changing weather conditions may mean a slowdown in outdoor activities for some, but for those looking to start a garden, experts say the cool fall weather, especially along the coast, is an ideal time. To help rookie green thumbs, we contacted Ventura County nurseries for tips on starting a simple garden consisting of a variety of vegetables and flowers.
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Max Wagner, of the Green Thumb Nursery in Ventura, said September is a good time to begin planting a variety of bulbs, including daffodils, tulips, narcissus and iris. He said cool weather plants such as Iceland poppies and primrose are also appropriate for fall.
“You like to get them in the ground early, so they start blooming early and you get their full benefit,” Wagner said. “Depending on the plant, they can bloom in six or eight weeks, or 2 1/2 months.”
At Green Thumb, plants come in six-packs priced at about $2, plus or minus 25 cents depending on the breed of plant. Bulbs, depending on variety and size, range from about $3 to $3.50 per dozen. Rare varieties--such as hybrid daffodils--will be at the higher end of the scale, with common plants such as Dutch iris at the lower end.
To help these plants grow, home gardeners will need soil amendments, including planter mix and organic humus. Also, bone meal, cottonseed meal or other forms of pre-fertilizer will be needed, said Wagner. These soil aids provide nutrients and stimulate root growth, helping the plant become established. Amendments cost about $3 to $6 per bag at Green Thumb, with pre-fertilizer selling for $3 to $4 per bag.
As for tools, the cost is generally minimal. Wagner suggested getting a cultivator, a hand trowel and possibly a rake. For a large area, a shovel might be of value. All are priced under $10.
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Anyone who has been around the county any length of time knows the area has several distinctly different climates. In the fall, experts said, planting a successful garden in the cool coastal climate of Ventura and Oxnard is probably a safer bet than planting in the hotter, inland east county.
Doug Balfour, manager of the Armstrong Garden Center in Thousand Oaks, recommends caution for home gardeners east of the Conejo Grade.
“It’s so much weather-related,” he said. “We’ve had a really nice cool summer until recently. If it gets hot again, you’ll want to wait until it cools down.”
Balfour said seedlings for cool-weather vegetables might be a good choice in the next several weeks. Some are planted directly into soil; others are planted into flats first, and then transferred to the garden.
“Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, carrots,” he said. “We carry four seed companies--Northrup King, Botanical Interests, Ferry-Morse and Renee’s Gardens.”
Renee’s Gardens is slightly more expensive at $2.29 a packet (compared to $1.79 a packet for the others), but the packets include extensive instructions that may be helpful for novice gardeners.
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Terre Ashmore, manager of Otto & Sons Nursery in Fillmore, said the biggest blunder gardeners make is planting seeds and plants that are inappropriate for their climates. Appropriate climates can be created, but that can mean added expense.
“People should always approach a reputable nursery who will give them the truth about what they should plant in their area,” Ashmore said. “If they are planting tropics in a desert zone, they will have to create a tropical environment. That’s where the expense is.”
Otherwise, Ashmore considers the autumn to be the best time to plant a garden, even though home gardeners traditionally are drawn to planting in the spring months, when many plants are in full bloom.
“The fall season is the absolute premiere time to plant,” Ashmore said. “Plants can produce an excellent root system, and when [the next] summer rolls around, they will have good resources.”
Ashmore recommended planting a variety of seeds (sweet pea, as an example), plants (honeysuckle and jasmine) and shrubs (nandina).
“You can get some beautifully flowering shrubs,” she said. “I’d say whatever the nurseries are stocking is frequently what should be planted and will do reasonably well.”
