Fall Gardening

Fall in sunny Southern California is the time to plant flowers and vegetables for their fall enjoyment. Mums and bulbs can be planted now. The mums are planted mainly for fall color. The bulbs are planted now so they can be established in the ground and start growing in spring.

Sometimes fall gardening in Southern California can be pretty tricky. My roses are still blooming but most plants are starting to lose their color and vividness. Last weekend we had rains for 2 days and this gave a spring look at the roses.

This is one of the English roses. It is drooping with the weight of rain droplets.

Rain drops on a red rose, not sure what kind of rose is this.

Roses in Southern California can still bloom in the fall.

The orange fruits are now starting to turn their color into orange.

Apples

There are thousands of varieties of apples most of which are cultivated for colder climates. But there are varieties suitable for Southern California, these are “low chill” varieties that do not require winter cold in order to bear fruit.

Most varieties require 500 to 100 hours of winter cold in but low chill varieties require less than 500 hours. Winter cold is 40 degrees Fahrenheit and below.

I planted a Gala apple 4 years ago and it is thriving well. I have not used chemicals to ward off bugs. Gala apples thrive very well in the Southern California climate which is similar to the Mediterranean climate. 

The fruits are not very big and have some imperfections which are typical for organically grown apples. What it lacks in size and appearance is compensated by its juiciness and sweetness. It is sweet with a hint of tartness and also crispy. Gala apples have at least 14% to 16% sugar making it very sweet. It also has a strong apple aroma.

It is early November and ready for the second crop. I harvested a bunch early summer while the tree is also in bloom. This is possible in the Southern California weather; the season is really long. 

End of Summer Blooms

End of summer in the Southern California garden doesn’t mean everything is brown and tired. Some flowering plants continue to bloom. Roses are one of them. If roses are  deadheaded properly and watered enough they will continue to give out blooms although not as big as blooms in the spring.

I pruned my Bonica rose middle of summer and it is full of blooms although not as many and big as the blooms in the spring. The number of petals are also not as many as the spring bloom.

The Mexican sage is also in full bloom a few weeks after I cut it down in early summer. I cut it back to at least a foot and it came back beautifully.

End of summer is also the time to plant mums, asters pansy and petunia. I bought these flowering annuals at the local big box home center as they are all discounted. This is the best time to buy bargain perennials. They may not be looking at their best but that's because they are getting ready for fall and winter. They would come back beautifully in spring.

End of Summer

When we get to the end of summer everything looks tired and old but there are things to be done in the Southern California garden. Plants need to be continued to be watered, it is essential that plants needs abundant water in order to extend the gardening season. Keeping plants watered helps them keep growing and looking good. Plants need deep watering, sprinkling should be avoided.

Some plants need rejuvenation by cutting them back. Many plants will respond and grow back if they are cut back. They don’t only grow back but will bloom some more. Again, watering is needed in order for plants to grow back.

Deadheading also will help prolong the gardening season. Deadheading will also help keep the garden tidy and neat.

The basil I planted early spring has produced flowers. This is my first time to plant a basil and I am not sure if cutting it back would produce more basil leaves.

Thanks to the mild climate gardening in Southern California is a whole year; plants can be planted year round.

End of summer is also the time to harvest what you have planted. A month after I harvested the first bunch of grapes, I continue to harvest more grapes. More grapes need to be harvested in the coming weeks.

Fig Jam

Fall is the season to harvest what we have planted. If you have a bumper harvest of fruits from your tree, they can be cooked and preserved such as jams or jelly.

My neighbor Marie has a fig tree and turns the fruit she harvests into a jam. This year she gave me a jar of her fig jam. She used a mason jar to make the jam which makes it look very professional.

Her fig jam is really good, it is not overly sweet and you can taste a hint of lemon juice.

Fig trees produce more figs than most people know what to do with them. Making jam out of the ripe figs is a simple solution to this. The procedure is simple and you only need a few ingredients to prepare the jam.

            Ingredients: Makes about 7 jars (8 ounces per jar)

1)      Ripe figs (about 3 to 5 lbs)

2)      Sugar (amount should be equal to the amount of fig)

3)      Lemon juice (1/4 cup)

4)      Pectin (use 1 box, available in most supermarkets)

Procedure:

1)      Trim any stems from the fig.

2)      Chop the figs for faster cooking

3)      Simmer the figs; stir occasionally to avoid sticking to the saucepan. Simmer until tender.

4)      Add sugar (use equal amount of sugar to fruit ratio) and bring back to boil.

5)      Add lemon juice and pectin. The lemon juice would add tartness and makes the jam last longer. The pectin would improve the consistency of the jam.

6)      Bottle the jam in sterilized mason jars.

Bulb 2

The best time to plant bulbs is spring and fall. It is September and it is time to get ready to plant bulbs. It is best to plant in the fall; bulbs planted in the fall will bloom the following spring. Bulbs planted in spring will bloom in the summer.

Most bulbs thrive in either full or partial sun. In mild climates like Southern California it is best to plant bulbs in partial shade. Bulbs require good drainage and you must avoid planting in base of slopes or under drainpipes or wherever water collects; this will make the bulb rot.

I planted some gladiolas several years ago and they have thrived beautifully. I planted thee corms in a hole and they have multiplied and they need to be taken out and divided to avoid overcrowding. This process is necessary if you want large bloom. I will do this as soon as the weather turns a little bit cooler.

Gladiolas are corms and are known by several names: gladiolus, gladiola, glads, and sword lily. They are called sword lily because of their long and sword-like leaves. Although they are sometimes called sword lily they are not lilies but corms.

Gladiolas planted in fall or early spring will bloom in July to August and they come in a hue of colors including bi-colors. They prefer rich, soft soil and plenty of water. A little fertilizer will help if the soil is poor.

To propagate glads, dig up the corms in fall. Separate the corms, wash and dry and store them in a cool and dry location in a paper bag. Never use plastic bag; plastic bags will trap the moisture and this will rot the corms.