September in the Garden

September in the Garden:

This month is about maintenance! If it is too hot for you to be out in the yard, then it is too hot for new plants.

• Water diligently.

• Continue to fertilize.

• Pick ripening fruit so plants will continue to produce.

• Keep weeds under control.

• Deadhead old blooms to promote new flowers.

• As summer crops finish, amend the soil with organic fertilizer and compost so active bacteria will break it down for fall and winter crops.

• Start seeds indoors.

• If you do any outdoor planting this month, be sure it is done in the early part of the day or later in the afternoon, to reduce stress on the plants in the heat.

Advice for our tomato and potato farmers:

At the end of September and the beginning of October, plant winter tomatoes. They need to be already growing while the soil is still warm to produce in the cool season.

When the potatoes you planted in the spring are dead, then go looking for the wonderful tubers. But wait till they are done to let the plants to put as much energy into the crop as they can.

News for the Nursery

Clean Sweep Week is nearly done! We will open again August 31 and September 1 and will be closed on Labor Day. Thank you for your patience as we devoted a week to sprucing up the nursery. Please note:

• Our hard-working employees will enjoy Mondays off from now on.

• New nursery hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 9:00 - 5:00.

Available this weekend:

• Dig em up's...these are the absolute last of our tomatoes this season: Stupice, Long Keepers, and Tigerella.

• Limited supplies of red and green bell peppers, Italian basil, and Italian parsley.

• Radish leaf (great used in stir fry and salads)

• Chard

• Corn

• Pak choi

• 3-flavor melons

• Mini pumpkins

• Cape gooseberries (which are good in salads and for snacking)

• Jicama

• Beets

• Malibar spinach - check it out! http://www.thekitchn.com/what-is-malabar-spinach-91477

• Mesclum

• Peas: English shelling, snow, and sugar pod

See you in the nursery!

What you can plant in March in San Diego?

What you can plant in March in San Diego is a question that gets asked all the time, here in America's Finest City. With Spring beginning on March 20th, you can plan the best of both winter and spring crops.

Here's a short list of what we have in stock, and what is ready to plant here in Southern California in March - by no means is it inclusive, though! Here are some wonderful options available to you.

Artichokes

If you want to set yourself up for a treat later this year, pick up some of our organic artichokes.  When freshly steamed, there's nothing quite like a gorgeous artichoke which, if you didn't know, is considered a thistle.  Most thistles in San Diego are considered weeds, and if you don't harvest your artichoke, it will indeed turn into a purple flower.

Citrus & Herbs

We have new citrus trees - full sized and dwarf, alongside lots of organic herbs:

Mint - mimosa, Kentucky coloneal, moijita, peppermint, spearmint

Oregano - Italian, White, and Dingle Fairy

Thyme - Orange blossom, French, English, Coconut

Strawberries

Organic strawberries are so excited to hop in to your garden!  Unique varieties like Sequoia, Chandler, Seascape, Quinault.

Succulents & Houseplants

It's now warm enough to get back to planting succulents. We have lots of 4" and 1-gallon succulents just delivered.

Also, many of our cacti plants are flowering - don't miss this limited opportunity to see beautiful dessert

Tomatoes

New varieties of Organic Tomatoes, grown in our hothouse include - Brandywine*, Mortgage Lifter, Early Girl, Black Plum Paste*, Cherokee Purple* (*denotes heirlooms)

Organic Potatoes, Organic Onions and Organic Garlic

With scores of varieties of each in stock, this is a wonderful (and affordable) way to get healthy organic kitchen staples in your garden.

Vegetables

From lettuce to asparagus, you'll find just about most "green" foods ready to be planted in March:

• Green and red mustard, mizuna (Japanese mustard), chard, lettuce mixes, bok choy, spinach, celery, beets, kale, miner's lettuce, arugula and our famous variety 6-packs.
• Organic Red Russian Kale
• Organic Collard greens
• Organic Spinach

City Farmers Nursery is located just 10 minutes east of Downtown, San Diego.

Click here for directions.

Hours: Monday-Saturday 9a-5p and Sunday 9a-3p

Questions? Call us at 619-284-6358 - but remember that the old farmer still does things the old-fashioned way, with one phone line and no "call waiting" business. So if the line is busy, try back in a few.