Urban Gardener | Seeds in the city

By Karen Contreras

Last spring, the house next door finally sold. After being abandoned for years, with exception of the squatters who occupied it on and off, a lovely young military family moved in. They are a small family of three, the youngest member being a tow headed two-year-old pixie. Since good neighbors play a key roll in quality city living, I was anxious that they might take offense to our newly planted vegetable garden in the front yard. When we invited them over, our fears melted away as Hadley (who resembles Dr. Seuss’ Cindy Lou Who) found the strawberry patch and began to stuff her face with sweet red berries. Ever since that first meeting, when Hadley comes out to play, she heads for our garden and scours the berry patch for strawberries.
November is the month to plant strawberries.
November may seem like a strange time to be planning a strawberry patch, but San Diego garden experts will all tell you to plant your strawberries between November 1st and the 10th.  Strawberries make a lovely ground cover and are deliciously inviting when planted along walk ways, in the front rows of flower beds, or in pots for your balcony or patio.
It is said that strawberries were named in the nineteenth-century by English children who picked the fruit, strung them on grass straws and sold them as “straws of berries.” Another theory is the name was derived from the practice of placing straw around the growing berry plants to protect the ripening fruit.
Strawberries like their soil slightly acidic and rich in organic matter. They prefer sandy soil, but don’t let that discourage you if you have clay soil. Just add more compost! Purchase bare root plants from your local nursery as they will carry varieties that perform well in your area. Some good winter cultivars are Douglas, Chandler and Sequoia. Try multiple varieties to see which does best in your micro climate.
Space your plants 8-12 inches apart and be sure that roots of the plants are covered well but the “crown” of the plant is above the soil line. You can add a soaker hose or drip line to water your strawberries, weaving it around the plants or down the row. Fertilize well with an organic, slow release fertilizer such as Dr. Earth or Grow Power and water every day for a week or until the plants are established. After that, water once a week if it doesn’t rain. In mid-January, mulch your plants to prevent weeds and in February, you should begin to harvest. Cut off any “runners” or baby plants and keep an eye out for sow bugs and pill bugs.
Onions are another crop to plant in November. When planting globe onions, do not buy “sets” but rather plant from seed or buy onion seedlings. Choose short-day varieties or plant scallion “bunching” onions. Plant onions in full sun and keep them weeded.
We can continue to plant carrots, peas, lettuce, beets, radishes, kale, and spinach from seed, and there is still time to put in transplants of Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, and broccoli. If you interplant your vegetables with flowers such as pansies, alyssum, snapdragons, lobelia, and calendula, your garden will provide you with a beautiful bounty through the winter.
And in early spring, you’ll have strawberries, if Hadley doesn’t get them first! Good gardening to you all. z

For answers to your gardening questions, you can e-mail Karen at: karen@urbanplantations.com