Southern California gardening guide
Gardening expert Robert Smaus offers his Southern California planting and maintenance checklist.
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1
September can be too hot to think about fall planting -- or to do much of anything but water.
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2
Fall usually doesn’t arrive for gardeners until the middle of October at the earliest.
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3
Days are getting short and nights cool, but keep on planting because it’s still the best season for just about anything, including spring bulbs and California natives.
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4
Fall is officially over in December, but the planting season continues right into January.
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5
January is historically a dry month in the garden, so most years it is a fine time to plant roses and deciduous fruit trees, such as apples and plums.
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6
Historically, February is often our rainiest month, so it is not a busy time for gardeners.
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7
Spring has arrived, though officially not until the 21st.
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8
As the days lengthen and the sun gets higher and hotter, watering becomes more important.
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9
June may be famous for its gloom, but gray skies let gardeners plant the last of the summer crops and flowers.
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10
Find a place in the shade, pour yourself a tall iced tea and take July off.
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11
Even if the heat comes blasting into your corner of Southern California, there’s plenty to do.