Gardening

Leeks, Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum, are cool season biennials grown as annuals. Easily grown member of the Allium family. They don't form bulbs like their garlic and onion relatives. They develop a six to ten inch edible stem up to three inches in diameter. Will endure, but don't appreciate temperatures…

Lettuce, Lactuca sativa, is a cool season annual, but can be grown year-long along the coast. Varieties include faster growing loose leaf, lightly headed butterhead, romaine, and tight headed crisphead. Native to Middle East.

 As spring transitions into the dryer months of summer, now is the time to check and refine your irrigation system to keep your plants appropriately hydrated. Having healthy and hydrated plants is an important component of a Fire-smart Landscape. Healthy and hydrated plants:Are more difficult to…

Onions, Allium cepa. There are two types of onions: strong-flavored that store well and mild and sweet that don’t last long in storage. There are yellow, white, and red varieties in both categories. Divided into long day, intermediate day, and short day varieties, determined by latitude. Intermediate and…

Peas, Pisum sativum, are a cool season annual legume. Vining cultivar. Originated in southwestern Asia. Includes shelling, snow, and snap peas. Snow and snap peas are among the highest value crops you can grow (highest yield per square foot). Bush and pole varieties available. Pole peas produce up to five…

Peppers, Capsicum annum, consist of many varieties, including sweet (bell, banana) and spicy (Anaheim, cayenne, jalapeño, serrano). Chile peppers are smaller, longer, thinner, and more tapered than sweet peppers. Peppers are native perennials in Central and South America but they are grown as annuals here…

Potatoes, Solanum tuberosum, are a cool season perennial grown as an annual. They are native to the Andes region of South America. Potatoes are fun and easy to grow and thrive when air temperatures are less than 65 degrees Fahrenheit. They are a member of the Solanaceae or nightshade family.

Pumpkin, Cucurbita pep, is a winter squash that grows from a flower. It is a fruit, but it is usually prepared as a vegetable. The plant has male and female flowers. Pumpkins need lots of growing space and may be trellised.

Radishs are a crisp, peppery, root vegetable in the Brassica family. Both roots and tops may be eaten. Radishes are easy to grow. They are available in many shapes, sizes and colors. Smaller summer radishes mature quickly while larger winter radishes take several months to mature.

Spinach (Spinacea oleracea) is a cool-season annual crop that matures quickly. It's eaten raw or cooked and is packed with vitamins and minerals. Spinach produces a rosette of leaves that may be wrinkled (savoy or semisavoy types) or smooth (flat leaf types). Leaves are oval, round, or triangular on short…