It’s really a blessing to still be harvesting fresh tomatoes… in February, no less.   Of course, they are not as sweet and tasty as summer tomatoes, but they are certainly a wonderful addition to our meals.  Speaking of meals, our popular post { Real Food – menu suggestions via Home Matter’s Most} of the urban homestead week’s worth of meals will resume this Friday. 

More rain is expected this week.  Justin (who is in charge of watering the garden) commented “a storm a week is all we ask” since such rainfall is going to really help the garden this year.  Especially for the fruit trees – a good deep soaking during winter is needed to get them through the year’s growing season. All last year was a very dry year with only 3 inches of rain. This year we are on tap to hit normal…

In the greenhouses, we’ve already started our first batch of tomatoes for the year.  To get a jump on the planting season, not far behind will be peppers, squash, beans, cucumbers and other summer crops.   For those of us who live in such temperate climates, it is never too early to start planning, planting summer crops.

:: Helpful Links ::

Southern California Vegetable Planting Schedule
Vegetable Rotations, Successions and Intercropping
Intensive Gardening Methods
Home Vegetable Gardening: A Complete And Practical Guide To The Planting And Care Of All Vegetables, Fruits And Berries Worth Growing For Home Use