It’s that time of year

It’s the start of a fresh new year and time to to start thinking about the next season in our gardens! It’s always a good idea to start thinking about the upcoming season of gardening, so you give yourself plenty of time to plan your space, select seeds or decide what starts you want to purchase, amend your soil and be ready when it’s time to plant.

Here in Ripon, CA we are in hardiness zone 9b.  Right now at Garden Joy, we have just begun harvesting the crops we planted in October.  We are currently enjoying fresh broccoli and cabbage and will soon have brussel sprouts and cauliflower.  We are also planning what seeds we will be starting that will produce our summer vegetables.

Check out one of our local nurseries: Schempers Ace Hardware, Lorina's Edible Garden, Parks Greenhouse, and P&L Concrete & Garden are a few of our favorites.  They will carry everything you need to get your garden started from seeds, to starts and soil as well as a small indoor greenhouse.

January & February are the months to get your seeds started indoors.  Be sure to keep them evenly watered and in a place where they can get light, and you should have some vegetables ready to plant in mid March.  Wait until the last chance of frost has passed (which is usually some time in March) and then get your plants in the ground or raised beds.  Great soil makes a difference in how successful your garden will be, so be sure to invest in a good product.  In our experience and opinion, California Soils have the best organic compost and soil products.  Make sure your irrigation system is ready to go and is working properly, or plan to have hoses nearby so you can hand water.

With a little planning and preparation, you’ll be enjoying fresh home grown produce in just a few short months.  Soon we'll be sharing some of our favorite recipes using winter produce that you may be harvesting now. Happy gardening!

Photo by: www.organicauthority.com

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