Five things to consider about the garden this week:
Fruit trees. I received an email inquiry about the procedure for root pruning a tree. Where bearing fruit trees are concerned, it is advisable to change the soil in your container once a year when some root pruning may be done as well. The procedure involves removal of the tree from its container and scraping away up to 1/3 of the root ball. A bent tine hand fork is the tool of choice for this job. It consists of a short wooden handle attached a metal piece consisting of three tines bent at their tips. This tool can also be used for close-up cultivation of small garden beds.
Vegetables. You can plant kohlrabi seeds now. All parts of the plant — bulbous growth, stems, and leaves — are edible but most people just eat the bulbs which may be consumed raw or cooked. Incidentally, these bulbs cannot be planted; they are just a curious outgrowth at the base of kohlrabi stems. Kohlrabi growth is fast with plants ready to harvest in 45-70 days. Harvest when the bulb is 2-3 inches in diameter; if you allow it to get too big, it becomes woody. The taste of kohlrabi is compared to broccoli combined with the spiciness of a radish.
Herbs. Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) has a worldwide habitat that includes California. It is a highly drought-tolerant perennial that grows four feet tall. Seeds are tiny so just scatter them over the soil surface and cover with a thin layer of finished compost. You can also find starter plants in the herb section of some nurseries. Be aware that the quality of tarragon you pick growing wild may differ from what is commercially produced. French tarragon is a special strain of wild tarragon whose taste is essential to French cuisine but with a genetic heritage that differs from the tarragon we find growing in its California habitat.
Perennials. Bachelor buttons, also known as cornflowers, may be planted now. Scatter seeds and cover with a little mulch or just wait for rain which will bring about gemination of the seeds as is. At one time they were a weed in cornfields in Europe, and this explains their common name. Although their classic color is blue, you can also find them in pink, rose, burgundy, or white. Before the rains come is an appropriate time to plant all manner of California wildflowers, a large collection of which may be found at the Theodore Payne Foundation (theodorepayne.org).
It’s not too early to be vigilant about the possibility of a freeze. There have been December freezes and near freezes in Los Angeles over the years. It’s a good idea to listen to the weather report in the evening. If temperatures in the low 40s are forecast, it would be wise to cover young citrus, avocado, and other tropical trees with blankets or burlap. If you have a drip irrigation system around those trees, it is advisable to leave it on during the night since heat is released when water turns to ice. Soaking the ground around your tropical trees and other cold-sensitive plants is recommended when cold weather is forecast since wet soil — acting as an insulator — holds more heat than dry soil.
Email Joshua@perfectplants.com with your gardening questions, comments and success stories.
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Community meetings in the San Fernando Valley, Nov. 18-25