Planting Calendar

Natives are welcome in the Edible Demo Garden. As a joint project with the Native Plant Guild in October 2021, garden volunteers planted a variety of sun-loving, drought tolerant California natives in a corner of the garden area. Some have flourished and some have not, but that’s what happens in a demonstration garden. It’s all about learning what plants need and the conditions that suit them best. The primary goals of the project were to provide year-round beauty and attract pollinators. It turns out that there are even more reasons why native plants benefit an edible garden.

 

Native Plants Attract Pollinators and Invite Beneficial Insects

The blooming periods of native plants coincide with the times when pollinators are most active, and these can overlap with the flowering times of vegetable plants. Native plants that flower in early spring can bring in pollinators before vegetable blossoms emerge. This is particularly important for native bees who are even more efficient pollinators than honeybees. Fall blooming native plants help to create a steady supply of food and resources to keep the pollinators around and encourage them to overwinter in the garden.

Native plants also invite beneficial insects that are natural enemies of vegetable garden pests. Beneficials such as hoverflies, lady beetles, and lacewings go where they find the herbivorous insects they like to eat. It doesn’t matter to them whether their prey is on an edible plant or a native. The natives keep the beneficial insects nearby, so they are there to control pests when the vegetable crops are planted.

 

Native Plants Improve Soil Health

Native plants support soil biodiversity by providing habitat for beneficial microorganisms like fungi and bacteria. Some can act as nitrogen-fixers to improve soil fertility. Natives with deep root systems can improve soil structure by creating channels through which water and nutrients can penetrate. When the roots and leaves of the native plants die back, they add organic matter to the soil reducing the need for soil amendments.

 

Native Plants are Low Maintenance

Natives don’t need fertilizing and require little watering once they are established. While some need deadheading and cutting back, it’s best to minimize the kind of tidying up that’s done in the edible garden. The native plants can offer a refuge for beneficial populations, providing them with undisturbed nesting and overwintering sites. Ideally the native plants attract enough beneficial insects and other natural enemies to maintain a healthy balance so that pests are kept in check.

Occasionally a native plant can require more severe pruning. Recently a Coyote Brush, Baccharis pilularis, adjacent to the Edible Demo Garden, grew too large and began to produce an abundance of the fluffy white seeds typical of the female flowering plant. Although some classify Coyote Brush as a weed, it is a keystone plant which has significant value in a habitat garden. Armed with saws and pruning tools, the volunteers cut the overly ambitious native down to a manageable size.

 

Native Plants Add Beauty and Interest

Native plants bring unique beauty to the garden. The natives planted in the Edible Demo Garden were initially chosen to provide blooms throughout the year. Some flower early and bring color into the winter garden and others extend their blooming period into late fall. They add contrast to the flowering of the vegetables and fruit trees. Ceanothus ‘Concha’ now masks the compost bins with its copious cobalt blue flowers in early spring.  Coast Aster, Aster chilensis, provides bright, daisy-like blossoms throughout summer and fall. Bees and hummingbirds enjoy the showy red tubular blooms of California fuchsia, Epilobium, into late fall. The goal to bring native plants into the Edible Demo Garden to provide year-round beauty has been achieved.

 

For more information on growing native plants, click here.

 

After an especially busy summer and fall harvest season, it was time to consider what to plant next in the Edible Demo Garden. In Marin it’s possible to grow vegetables year-round and there are plenty of winter crops such as cabbage, cauliflower, and onions to select. However, another option is to not plant anything during the winter months and give the garden beds some time to rest and rejuvenate. This puts the focus on caring for the soil so that when it comes time for spring planting, the garden will be ready. With this plan in mind, the recent off-season activities for the Edible Demo Garden volunteers have concentrated on methods for giving the garden time to rest. The primary options for resting the garden are planting cover crops and allowing some beds to be fallow for a season.

 

Planting cover crops

There are many advantages to planting cover crops. Cover crops, sometimes referred to as “green manure”, are an excellent way to protect and improve soil. They increase organic matter, suppress weeds, prevent damage from wind and water erosion, and support beneficial insects and earthworms. Plus, they can look attractive while nurturing the garden.

Cover crops are divided into two main categories: legumes, such as clover and fava beans, and non-legumes, like rye and buckwheat. Legumes have the added benefit of fixing nitrogen by taking it from the air and converting it into a form to be used by plants. Cover crops are turned over when they start to flower and allowed to decompose prior to spring planting.

Two different cover crops were chosen for the Edible Demo Garden. Fava beans were planted in several of the garden beds and in the straw bales used for the summer crops. The latter is an experiment to determine if there is sufficient residual fertility in the straw bales to support another crop. In order to aid in germination and enhance their nitrogen fixing effects, the fava bean seeds were soaked in an inoculant containing rhizobacteria prior to planting. As an alternative cover crop, a green manure mix of bell beans, field peas, and purple/hairy vetch was planted in some of the raised beds. Past experience with crows eating the sprouting seeds necessitated the use of compost, straw, and protective netting to give the cover crop seedlings a fighting chance. The effectiveness of the different cover crops will be tested in spring when it is time to plant again.

 

Allowing beds to remain fallow

Taking a garden plot out of the crop rotation for a season can give the soil time to naturally replenish nutrients. It can also be a way to discourage pests, prompting them to move on once their food source is gone. However, fallow garden beds can also invite weeds and leave the soil exposed to the elements. In the Edible Demo Garden, layers of compost and straw were added to suppress weeds and protect the soil in the beds designated to be fallow. The winter rains will keep the soil moist and provide a habitat for earthworms and beneficial microbes.

Click here for more information on cover crops and soil enhancement in the off-season.

 

Herbs may not be the stars in the Edible Demonstration Garden, but they are notable members of the supporting cast. It’s hard to imagine a flourishing vegetable garden without a few culinary herbs as companions.

The supporting cast of herbs in the Edible Demo Garden includes basil, oregano, thyme, lemon verbena, chives, Mexican tarragon, anise hyssop, chocolate mint, lavender, pineapple sage, and rosemary. Some are harvested and sold fresh at the Indian Valley Organic Farm and Garden farm stand and others are dried and offered as seasonings and teas. They are among the most reliable plants in the garden.

What is an Herb?

The word “herb” can be applied to any non-woody plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for seasoning, medicine, or fragrance. It’s the culinary uses that most commonly interest home gardeners. Herbs are considered different from spices based on the part of the plant that is used. Spices are derived from the roots, bark, fruit, berries, and seeds of plants. Some plants can be both an herb and a spice. Coriandrum sativum, also known as Chinese parsley, is called cilantro when the green leaves are used as an herb and coriander when the seeds are used as a spice.

Why Grow Herbs?

Herbs are among the most satisfying plants to grow. Most are not fussy and can tolerate less than ideal garden environments. Many familiar herbs like sage, oregano, and rosemary are native to Mediterranean areas where the climate is similar to that in the Bay Area and therefore, they grow well in Marin gardens. There are many other good reasons for growing herbs.

• Herbs make good neighbors with other plants and can be easily integrated into both edible and landscape gardens. They are attractive enough to do double duty as ornamentals.
• Herbs are cost-effective. They are inexpensive to grow and can be harvested in the amounts required for a recipe. No need to spend money at the supermarket on packages of herbs.
• The blossoms on herbs attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.
• Herbs are usually not bothered by pests and diseases. Some herbs have been shown to repel pests affecting companion plants. An example is the ability of basil to deter thrips from invading tomato plants.
• Deer usually leave herbs alone, especially those with strong tastes and scents.
• Herbs grow well in containers and are a good choice when garden space is limited.

Tips on Growing Herbs

Most herbs thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, but many can be grown successfully in a range of conditions. Annual and biennial herbs such as basil, parsley, and cilantro have moisture and nutrient needs similar to those of other annual edibles and integrate well into vegetable gardens. Although perennial herbs like oregano, thyme, and sage require some regular watering, they are drought-tolerant and need little additional fertilization. They do well in more permanent locations or grouped together in an herb garden.

Some herbs are started from seed while others are easy to grow from cuttings. Information on the growing needs of common edible herbs can be found at http://marinmg.ucanr.edu/EDIBLES/EDIBLES_GROW_SHEETS/

Check the upcoming events listings on this website to register for a hands-on public workshop on growing and using popular edible herbs. There will be a workshop held on the College of Marin Indian Valley Campus on November 2, 2024, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.