• Spring Planting Season Has Arrived in Southern California - Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at 5:05 PM
  • Signs of spring are beginning to show. Nowhere is this more evident than on the trees and bushes in Southern California yards as they bloom and sprout new growth. March is the time to prepare gardens for a successful growing season.

    Determine Your Garden's Soil: The dirt in your backyard is primarily two types--sandy or clay. Sandy soil contains large particles and will not hold together easily even when wet. While it quickly drains, its porous nature does hold water or nutrients necessary for plants. Clay soil is dense and sticky when wet. Although it drains poorly, it holds in nutrients and water. Adding compost to either type of soil solves problems associated with each. The decaying materials found in compost allow air and water to traverse through the soil to reach plant roots. Microorganisms and earthworms in the compost naturally reinvigorate and enrich the soil.

    Prepare Your Planting Beds and Garden Area: Add compost throughout the planting area--before planting begins and when replanting existing gardening beds or lawns, dividing perennials or repotting container plants. Use a rototiller if possible and till in compost about two to three inches into the soil.

    Fertilize Trees Including Citrus and Avocado trees: Now is the time to give your garden a shot in the arm with nitrogen fertilizer. Plants usually need to be fertilized only once in March, at the beginning of the spring growing period, and again in September. For fruit trees and roses, wait until the first sign of new leaves before fertilizing.

    Plant Vegetables and Herbs From Seed: after the last chance for frost (around mid-month) and the soil warms, plant warm-season vegetable seeds including tomatoes, peppers, green beans, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, onion, potatoes, spinach, turnips and corn. It's also the time to plant herbs from seed such as basil, mint, oregano, parsley and rosemary. You can still plant cool-season vegetables including broccoli, lettuce, cabbage and kale. Good crops that can be planted year round are carrots, beets and radishes.

    Plant Summer Flowers: Garden centers offer a variety of flower seed packs--a much better variety of flowers to choose from than with already-blooming flowers. Plant marigolds, petunias, alyssum, lobelia, dianthus, flox, verbenia and impatiens from seed in March.

    Mow Lawn to the Right Height: cool season grass (bluegrass, ryegrasses, fescues) should be kept about two inches high. Mow regularly to keep weeds at bay and to promote thicker lawns. When the weather warms considerably in the summer, increase grass blade height to three inches. Warm season grass (Bermuda, St. Augustine and zoysia) should be cut at a steady two-inch level throughout spring and summer.

    For more gardening tips, go to www.agromin.com.

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  • How to Plant Bulbs - Friday, August 22, 2008 at 5:54 PM
  • Bulbs are a very economical way to ensure beautiful spring color year after year. The ideal time to plant bulbs is in the fall. This should result in very resilient, bright flowers for the spring.

    Soil Preparation
    Having a good soil base is essential for growing healthy bulbs. Make sure your soil's clay content isn't too high. Till soil conditioner into the top 12 inches of soil. This should help break up the clay and make the soil more conducive for planting.

    Fertilization
    Phosphorous is a necessity to the bulbs' root development. Mix a phosphorous fertilizer with the soil beneath the bulbs' location so that it can benefit the roots.

    For bulbs to come back year after year, you will need additional fertilizer. Mix five tablespoons of 10-10-10 fertilizer, plus two cups of bone meal per 10 square foot section. As soon as you see evidence of the plant sprouts, apply fertilizer. Don't fertilize spring bulbs once they start flowering.
    This may rot the bulbs and shorten their life.

    For summer and fall blooming bulbs, fertilize once per month from the time they start peaking out of the ground to the time they reach full bloom. Apply seven tablespoons of the 10-10-10 fertilizer, split over two or three applications. Monitor the pH levels of your soil. The ideal range for bulbs is a 6 to 7. For healthy bulb development, till bone meal into the soil when you plant the bulbs. You can buy pH level testing kits at most garden centers.

    Planting
    A basic rule of thumb is to plant bulbs at least twice as deep as the bulb is tall. Hyacinths, tulips and daffodils should be planted with the top of the bulb facing upward and the plate facing down. If you are planting several bulbs, you can simply loosen the entire bed of soil, press in the bulbs and cover with soil. This technique helps with drainage and allows the bulbs to last longer.

    Once the bulbs are planted, the garden area should be covered with at least two inches of mulch. The mulch helps to insulate the soil and retain the moisture.

    Watering
    Water bulbs immediately upon planting. As you water regularly , keep in mind that water needs to penetrate to the bulb. You can water with a soaker hose to keep the water off the bloom. Be careful -- over-watering can cause the bulb to rot.

    Staking
    You may need to add some extra support to some of the blooming bulbs such as delphiniums and dahlias. You can add a support ring around a tall weak stem. You can also use stakes, but be careful when you drive the stake into the ground so as not to damage the bulbs or roots.

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  • - Thursday, July 31, 2008 at 5:09 PM

  • Agromin is the blue ribbon winner at this year's Ventura County Fair in the education category. The Agromin display tells the story of green waste recycling from the curb to the final application. The self-directing display includes descriptive signs and photos that follow the recycling process from start to finish.

    The Ventura County Fair Board of Directors recently recognized Agromin's Brian Critchley for his more than 10 years of dedicated volunteer service. Brian can be found every year as the fair nears offering suggestions to young Future Farmers of America as they ready their fair displays. Agromin often donates high quality bark to these displays to help give them a finished look.

    Agromin is dedicated to recycling. The pine rounds that circle this year's Agromin display will be donated or recycled. The banner sign in the middle of the display is made from biodegradable cloth. Even the signs and photos contain organic ink.

    The fair runs now through August 10 and is open from 11 am Monday through Friday and from 10 am on Saturday and Sunday. Come visit the Agromin display ar the fair's Flora Culture garden area.

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  • Gardens Love Organic Mulch - Friday, July 18, 2008 at 10:12 AM

  • Organic mulch offers tremendous advantages when placed around your garden flowers and vegetables. A 2" layer of mulch prevents moisture from evaporating, so less watering is needed. Mulch blocks weed growth and reduces the amount of insects and other pests.

    Mulch acts as an insulator to protect soil from extreme heat or cold so a layer of mulch around your plants is a smart idea year round. Plus, mulch makes an attractive groundcover. Mulch comes in a variety of colors from blond to red to dark brown (depending on the source wood). The size of the materials ranges from 1/4" to 3".

    Organic mulches contain only natural wood materials. Depending on the blend, mulches can include fir, buckwheat hulls, redwood bark, evergreen boughs, hops, ground corncobs, sugar cane and cottonseed hulls. Avoid buying mulch that contains hay, manure and straw. These types might contain weeds.

    Mulches that contain more wood will provide fewer nutrients and decompose slowly. Softer mulches will provide more nutrients but decompose more quickly.

    How to Lay Down Mulch

    1) Apply a 2" to 4" layer of mulch over the planting beds of already established plants. Leave a 5-inch radius around each plant. Do not put mulch over recently planted seeds because it will hinder their growth.

    2) Rake the mulch every so often to expose new mulch.

    3) The mulch will decompose over time. When only a thin layer is left, add more.

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