Progress Report

The sun came up! How many dreary cold days we have had...and NO One who lives in Borrego is used to that! It is great to be outside in the garden again.

There are a few things that need to be done, this month. To prevent beetles in native mesquites you can try an application of Bayer around the trunks. It is available at Home Depot. I have never applied chemicals to anything else in the garden but, after losing several mesquites, tried liquid applications of Bayer, which also feeds the trees and only needs to be applied annually.

It is also time to prune desert trees and shrubs. I have reduced watering times ( even in the vegetable garden, which seems to be retaining moisture during this cooler period )and have already seeded a second cool weather crop in the raised beds. The soil level declines as you harvest so added enriched soil is helpful before any new seeds or transplants are added. Toy Choi, radishes,carrots and lettuce have been re-seeded in empty spots left from the first harvest. (Yes, still following rotation practices.) Broccoli is almost ready for harvest and I have been freezing chard for future use. The spinach is slow to mature but shows growth. Pea vines are flowering, Onions are still small and tomatoes have remained green on the vines. I picked one the other day to see if it would ripen inside the house.

Citrus is ripe enough to eat, but will continue to sweeten as long as it remains on the trees. We always pick enough to distribute to family and friends for the holidays but think peak flavor is attained later in the season.