Chief Horticulturist Armstrong Garden Centers

In California, there are two distinct seasons for kitchen gardens: March through September (the warm season) and the October through April (the cool season). The overlap during March and April means that we can harvest cool-season crops while we are planting our summer favorites.

Each season has its own palette of edible plants and vegetables. Most people are quite familiar with warm-season veggies, but what falls into the cool-season category is often unclear. If you cluster the choices into families, however, it can be simple.

Cool season veggies are leaf crops (all lettuces and chards), peas, root crops (beet, radish, turnip, carrot), and cole crops like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and kale.

Place your edible garden in full sun. Lettuce, chard and radish can take a bit of shade, if needed.

Make sure to prepare a planting area in three simple ways:

• Add lots of compost. Often referred to as soil amendment or planting mix, it is impossible to have too much. This improves the texture of your soil, increases water retention and makes it easier for plants to absorb nutrients.

• Turn the soil to the depth of eight inches. This will mix your compost and pre-plant fertilizer into the soil. Well-turned, well-amended soil is especially important for root crops like carrots and beets.

Remember, as with all edible crops, regular watering is important. If you are planting from seed, keep the soil surface moist (not soggy) until seedlings sprout and the first true leaves appear.

Winter rains may be sufficient at times, but be sure to water your garden regularly in between rainstorms. As mentioned, many cool-season crops can be enjoyed rather quickly. Leaf lettuces, baby carrots, radishes, beet greens and kale can all be harvested as early as four weeks after planting.

Email your gardening questions to growingdialogue@armstronggarden.com or contact your local Armstrong Garden Centers expert for more information.