I would like to thank my readers, Home Depot customers, neighbors, and friends for the ongoing interest in and support of my column. It is truly my honor to be your Plant Lady. As you know, our paper has a new name, and the time has come for me to have a new name given by you, my readers. If you are interested in renaming “The Plant Lady,” please call the North Sac News at 334-6700.

Right now is the prime time for gardens, especially veggies. We still have lots of ‘mater varieties in the nursery, along with peppers, squash, beans, melons, herbs, and more. This year, since I am moving, I will be planting a container salsa garden, with tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, and green onions. Container gardening is convenient and virtually hassle-free, since you will rarely need to weed. It is also compact and cost-effective. Kellogg Patio Plus potting soil is what I use and recommend for outdoor pots, especially for vegetables. It is what we refer to as the Cadillac of soils. It contains kelp meal, bat guano, worm castings, and chicken manure. YUMMY!

If artichokes are on your list then get them in the ground now, they take a couple of years to begin producing. The first harvest may only have one artichoke on it; however, the following years will produce multiple artichokes if the plant is happy and healthy.

If you will be planting tomatoes this year, I have a couple of tips for you. First, dig a nice sized hole, about the size of a five-gallon bucket. Before you plant your tomato, sprinkle about 1/8 to ¼ cup powdered milk in each hole, enough to kind of coat the bottom and edges. This gives a calcium boost to the newly forming roots.
Second, gently pinch off all the branches about 2/3 of the way up the plant, then bury up to 80% of your plant. Every branch you pinched off will send out new root systems for a thicker, stronger bush. (This trick only works on tomatoes.)

Since many of y’all have ranches or farms, you have a whole lot of manure around. Fill a five-gallon bucket 2/3 with water and put 2-4 cups of manure in it. Don’t stir it. Let it float, sink, and dissolve on its own. Leave it undisturbed for about 4-7 days, then give it a good stir and strain it over a screen. Now you have “Turd Tea” to pour at the base of your veggies. This diluted and nutrient rich tea will not burn your plants, and it will be the difference between the neighbor’s garden and yours

If you choose to plant your garden in the ground and you use manure of any kind as an amendment, give it a week or so to cool down. Watering your manure will leach some of the acidity out into the soil you’ve amended with it. Manure is high in acid (chicken manure is the highest) so this will prevent having a hot bed.

Zucchinis, melons, and other vining veggies need plenty of room to crawl all over the place. It is a good idea to mix some kind of garden pre-emergent when preparing your soil to prevent weeds. When the melons get to be about the size of a lemon, spread a bed of hay to place the melon upon so it is above the wet dirt, otherwise they can rot. Last year I used Miracle Grow Garden Feed and Weed Preventer and I had virtually no weeds. I also used Ortho Garden Max and only had one tomato worm and no slugs or snails. A farmer customer of mine recently shared with me that if you plant seedless watermelons, you also need to plant a few seeded watermelons near them to cross pollinate together. They come out twice as sweet!

If vegetable gardening is not in the plans this summer, maybe you’re more interested in the holidays. Planting a pumpkin or gourd and corn stalks may prove beneficial for fall harvest decorating. Kids get a kick out of picking their very own pumpkin.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact the North Sac News, or as always come and see me in the garden department of your Antelope Home Depot. Where you can do it and we can help. Speaking of doing and helping, “Thank you, Mother Superior, for being so awesome and supportive and never giving up on me. I am doing it because you helped!”

-The Plant Lady

Readers and customers came to me to answer their questions.

Q. My artichoke did nothing, but it’s still alive. What’s up?
A. Artichokes take time to produce. If you got nothing the first or second year you did not fail. Just keep nurturing the plant.

Q. How big of a container do I need? How much sunlight?
A. The container should be at least 18” deep and 14” in diameter with at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. Also remember good drainage.

Q. I have a small apartment garden but I want citrus!
A. Dwarfs species in containers, ½ barrel size, do great in our zone, especially satsumi or owari mandarins. Limes and Kumquats do great as well.

Q. I have had avocado trees for two years, but no fruit!
A. Avocados! You can get the plant to grow into a beautiful tree; however it really takes more than luck to produce the fruit in our valley. Avocados need the southern humidity and atmosphere to really thrive.

If you’ve grown produce please write. I’d love to share your miraculous success and secrets with everyone.