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Planting Instructions

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Arugula This fast-growing cool-season salad green - often ready to harvest as early as 4 weeks after seeding - adds a tangy, peppery or mustard-like flavor to salads. Seed directly into the soil after the danger of hard frost has passed (March here in California) in a partially shaded area. Plant 1/2 inch deep and 1 inch apart in rows, or scatter alone or mixed with other greens. Gradually thin to 6-inch spacings using thinnings for salads. Make new plantings every 2 to 3 weeks for a continuous supply until about a month before your average first frost date. Arugula is ready to harvest in 40 days. To harvest Arugula, pick off the outside tender leaves at the base of the plant. Leave the center growing point intact for future harvesting. Discard larger leaves as they tend to get tough and very bitter tasting. Leaves can also taste bitter in warmer weather. Eat fresh or cooked like spinach.

Calendula Although Calendula is commonly called "Pot Marigold", they are not in the same genus as the common marigold. Many gardeners simply grow calendula for their cheery bright flowers and profuse blooming, but Calendula is also edible and make a colorful addition to salads. Plants prefer full sun but will tolerate light shade in warmer areas. Calendula (Calendula officinali) is best planted in prepared garden beds or large containers filled with fresh potting soil. A cool season plant, calendula can be directly seeded outdoors. Seeds germinate in 5-15 days. Sow seeds after all danger of frost. Prepare soil, and place seeds in 1/4 to 1/2 depth inch of soil. Tamp the soil to cover the seeds. When seedlings emerge they can be thinned. Only water if conditions are dryRemove faded flowers on a regular basis and apply organic fertilizer several times during the growing season. Insects and disease are not typically a problem for calendula. In fact, the flower even deters many insect pests, making it a good companion plant for vegetables.

Cilantro Both the seeds (coriander) and leaves of cilantro are essential ingredient in many cuisines of the world. Great for container gardens! Plant Cilantro about 1" apart, 1/4" deep. Each seed has multiple plants so thin as it sprouts. Cilantro will rapidly go to flower (bolt) in warm weather, so plant during a cool season. Harvest individual cilantro leaves of the base of the stems. Just make sure the plant is big enough to cope and leave some leaves on it so it can continue to grow. Sooner or later your cilantro plants will flower. Once they start developing that flower stalk they stop making more leaves. Therefore it is a good idea to re-sow cilantro every few weeks during the growing season. That way you never run out.

Fennel These lovely, feathery-leaved plants are entirely edible from root to flower. Seeds themselves are used for flavoring meats and in baking, leaves are great in salads, and stems (the white 'bulb' at the bottom and the long stalks) can be used just like celery in soups, stuffing, and casseroles. The flavor of fennel is reminiscent of black licorice, and mellows with cooking. Fennel is very easy to grow. Plant in full sun in an area protected from wind. Sow anytime in California, in mid-Spring in colder climates. Plant 12" apart and cover with 1/4" of soil. Once the plant is 3-4" tall, thin plants to 2 feet distance apart. Harvest leaves anytime for fresh use. For stems, cut the swollen base of the plant right along the soil line.

Green Beans Everybody's thanksgiving staple, green beans are easy to grow and filled with vitamins A and C. Sow seeds when the danger of frost has totally passed. Plant 2 seeds every 4". If you soak the seeds overnight before planting, you'll increase the odds of germination. Once the plants have four leaves, thin plants to one every four inches apart. Save water and deter pests by mulching around the plants with straw when plants reach this stage. Beans are shallow-rooted, so avoid working around the soil when clumpy and wet, and pull weeds gently. Beans are ready to harvest at 3-5" long. Hold stem while pulling off beans to preserve the leaves.

Lettuce Did you know that lettuce is a winter crop here in California? Most lettuce does best in cooler weather. When planted in the shade, lettuce will almost grow itself. After adding some compost and turning the soil to loosen it up, create a series of rows around 2 feet apart. Sprinkle seeds lightly along each row, cover with a small pinch of dirt - do not bury seeds deeply. Once sprouted, thin the sprouts to one every 8". Lettuce likes lots of water - if you don't get a lot of rain, make sure to keep a regular watering schedule. Lettuce generally takes about 10 weeks to reach maturity.  Loose leaf lettuce is usually harvested a few leaves at a time (as needed), with the mature outer leaves being snapped off when needed. This permits your plant to keep growing whereas if you pick the inner leaves, that will slow or stop growth.

Marigolds Marigold plants are a very prolific, easy to grow annual flower. Marigold Flowers will bloom from mid-summer all the way until frost. They give off a pungent odor that repels many common garden pests, so they make a great border for a vegetable garden. They were also used as a common dessert ingredient in the Middle Ages. Sow Marigold seeds 3" apart, early in the Spring and cover lightly with soil. Water thoroughly once. They germinate easily and will grow quickly, producing their first of a continual display of blooms by mid-summer. Once your Marigolds are established, they should grow well, even if left unattended. Soil should be moist, but not wet. Water them during dry periods, once or twice per week. Add mulch around the plants for appearance and to keep weeds down. Around mid-summer, your plants will begin to produce flowers and will continue to do so up to the first frost. You do not need remove dead flower blooms, except for appearance.

Mustard Mustard (also known as mustard greens, spinach, leaf mustard and white mustard), is a quick-to-mature, easy-to-grow, cool-season vegetable for greens or salads. Although mustard is often associated with the Deep South, it is also suitable for gardens in the central and northern United States in the cool parts of the growing season. Mustard greens are high in vitamins A and C. Plant early in the spring (3 weeks before the frost-free date) and again 3 weeks later. Plant from midsummer on for fall harvest. Fall plantings are usually of higher quality because they mature under cooler conditions in most locations. Sow seeds 1/3 to 1/2 inch deep and thin seedlings to 3 to 5 inches apart. Thinnings can be eaten. Harvest the leaves when they are young and tender. Do not use wilted or yellowed leaves. You can cut the entire plant or pick individual leaves as they grow. Smaller leaves are tender and mild, larger leaves are spicier.

Pumpkin Pumpkin is a warm-season vegetable that can be grown throughout much of the United States. Besides being used as jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween, pumpkins are used to make pumpkin butter, pies, custard, bread, cookies and soup. Pumpkin is a very tender vegetable. The seeds do not germinate in cold soil, and the seedlings are injured by frost. Do not plant until all danger of frost has passed, and the soil has thoroughly warmed. Plant pumpkins for Halloween from late May in northern locations to early July in extremely southern sites. If pumpkins are planted too early, they may soften and rot before Halloween. Pumpkins require a minimum of 50 to 100 square feet per hill. Plant seeds one inch deep (four or five seeds per hill). Allow 5 to 6 feet between hills, spaced in rows 10 to 15 feet apart. When the young plants are well-established, thin each hill to the best two or three plants. Pumpkins can be harvested whenever they are a deep, solid color (orange for most varieties) and the rind is hard. If vines remain healthy, harvest in late September or early October, before heavy frosts. Wear gloves when harvesting fruit because pumpkin plants have sharp prickles on their stems.