Any SoCal/zone 9/10 gardeners?

[lalemma]

We just moved, and our new place has raised beds - so even though it's midsummer already, I'm gardening like a (late) fiend. The last time I did any gardening in SoCal it seemed like a nearly year-round growing season, so I'm hoping that even with a late start the plants will do okay.

So far I've put in tomatoes/peppers/squash (from seedlings), and pole beans and kale, and dill and cilantro and basil.

Anybody else growing food in this climate?

[sunnysandiegan]

Me, me, me!

I am growing in San Diego:

tomatoes (two varieties - one started fairly recently)
peppers
watermelon (small variety on trellis)
pole beans
blueberries
parsley
beets (harvested a few from the container today; still have the ones in the ground)
bay leaf
garlic (harvested two recently from ground; still have a few more in the ground...several varieties)

Our broccoli and lettuce bowl (three varieties) are flowering in the shady corner of the patio and hopefully dropping some seeds for next year.

I have three large empty containers now and am wondering what edibles to get next....

I also have a dozen small empty containers and have no idea what to do with those...

We're headed into our hottest season.....

[lalemma]

Nice! How are the pole beans doing? What kind are you growing? I'm growing Kentucky Wonder - but now I kind of wonder if I should have gone with a purple variety (for ease of picking.)

[Erinz]

I'm zone 9-ish up on the central coast near Monterey Bay. I have all kinds of stuff in and am planting more stuff this weekend. One thing I never got around to was a sunflower house, so I'm starting that from seed this late which sounds nuts but with 2 small kids it's a miracle anything gets in so who cares if it's late Not to mention we haven't had much of a summer yet so I'm hoping we have a late one.

I just planted more lettuce and chard and kale as a succession to the stuff I planted several weeks ago which is just beginning to be harvested. This climate really can support year round growing, esp if you have some covered beds for when the rains pound everything. I think it's generally around Jan-Feb that everything comes to a lull and then picks back up again.

I've been lagging on doing a garden update, but here's my blog
http://themorsefamilyspot.blogspot.com/

Trying to get one done today but man.... not easy with the kids! Even when they're busy I look around in dismay at all I need to accomplish....

[lalemma]

Monterey! That's a wonderful climate. You must get gorgeous veggies.

Novice gardening question: My cucumber plants (two types, both bush) look SO SAD. They looked fine when the seedlings went in the bed, but now the biggest leaves are yellowing. The internet tells me that I may be causing this by overwatering, but it's so hot here - I water when the leaves start to wilt. Should I not do that?

[Erinz]

I just managed a huge garden post and forgot to show the cukes! Mine are looking pretty sad as well even though they have no emitters on them so I know it isn't overwatering. For us, I chalk a whole lot this year up to WEIRD YEAR. We've had such odd weater, so many virus/bacterial issues and a whole lot of deer problems for the first time in maybe 4 years?? Anyway, yes cukes like HEAT and not too much water but enough to keep them going. I'll have to throw a few cuke pics up to show you how entirely horrible mine look LOL

[Close2Me]

Hello San Diegans!
I'm in Mission Hills to be exact so it's considered Coastal. I imagine the coast line fog and dampness helps us along and how the "June Gloom" is still with us at end of July is beyond me!
I have wine barrels full of peppers and tomatoes. Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, and one Mulberry tree. Slugs and worms are my biggest challenge but we do Sluggo Plus (which also kills earwigs which will eat your garden alive!), and BT for worms. Currently, we have a 70 vine vineyard growing cabernet grapes on it's first year anniversary. We have table grapes growing just for the kids and they are so huge now, 'bout 8ft tall on trellises.
Other edibles are our orchard full of 1 year old trees now producing some good yields, first season we just threw what they produced in our compost.
I've grown fond of wine barrels for gardening but they are about $50.00 a piece but they are a good investment overall.
Maybe we should set up a playdate ?? Anyhow, happy gardening to all!

[E.V. Lowi]

I'm in Santa Barbara. The fog and June gloom has been pretty thick and long lasting here, this year. The cucumbers look to be pretty well finished, now but the tomatoes have not turned red, yet. Maybe a few days of hot weather would do the trick. We have green beans that are producing already, and a melon plant with 7 melons almost ripe. The black berries are just getting to the peak of the season- I'm picking at least a quart every 2-3 days, now. The pumpkin vines are huge now but no fruit has set. Maybe because the weather has been so foggy? I expect a heat wave will be coming along soon.

I probably won't start any new vegetable plants until September, at this point as there would be too much watering required. I will wait until the nights are a bit cooler, then I will plant some cool season crops like peas and lettuce.