Agromin

While there may not be enough water this year to maintain a full-sized garden, plenty of vegetables and herbs can thrive even with watering restrictions when planted in containers using the right soil.

In typical years, summer heat means daily watering, but with tough California water restrictions in place homeowners have to find creative ways to make less water go further in their gardens.

April offers an ideal gardening climate in Southern California. With hot weather ahead, gardening enthusiasts should take advantage of April’s mild temperatures and longer days.

Second graders from EARTHS Magnet School in Newbury Park made a recent visit to Agromin to learn how green waste is transformed into compost. Agromin is the organics recycler for cities in Ventura County and other California cities.

The United Nations declared 2015 as the International Year of Soils. Residential gardeners can institute their own healthy soils efforts by enhancing their garden soil now in preparation for the spring planting season.

March 20 is the first day of spring, but southern California gardeners can start planting their spring garden earlier in the month as warmer weather and longer days take hold.

With California experiencing its third consecutive year of drought, growers are seeking ways to increase water use efficiency. One way is to introduce mulch into the growing process.

November in southern California usually ushers in cooler temperatures and possibly rain, which means gardeners can take a break from constant care and watering of plants and trees and focus on adding color and fall vegetables to their gardens.

One of the quickest and easiest means of cutting back on water use is planting a low water use landscape.

October marks the beginning of a new planting season in southern California as cooler weather makes it easier for new plants to flourish