Spring 2009 Plans and Winter Preparations
William P. Meyers

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On the Mendocino County coast we mainly have a rainy season and a dry season. It tends to be warmer in summer than in winter, but we can get warm spells and cold spells any time of year. This year winter has been very dry so far, after an unusually early and good rain in October. So we are in a drought, but hopefully we will get some of our usual February through April major rain storms. We had enough of a hard frost to knock back my Princess Plants.

I have already ordered some new trees and my garden seed for the year. Only this week did my apple trees drop their final leaves, so today I sprayed them with dormant lime-sulfur. Last month I sprayed the plums, cherries, pears, and grapes. I have also dug up some native plants, mostly huckleberry, to make room for new trees this spring.

This is my order from Raintree:

Aromatnaya Quince
Kanko Bai Apricot (Prunus Mume)
Sweet Pomegranate
Venus Grapes
Lewis Filbert
All in One Almond
Japanese Red Maple

And this is my order from Territorial Seed:

Violetta Pac Choi
Broad Windsor Fava Beans
Derby Day Cabbage
Rodelika Carrot
Golden Bantam Corn
Winterbor Kale
Slobolt Lettuce
Passport Melon
Candy onion
California Poppy

I already planted some saved lettuce seed, but I think my local marauding band of quail got them, judging from how the ground is torn up. I also saved peas, open-pollinated Indian corn, and arugula seed for planting. Right now I have some self-seeded Pac Choi and arugula in the garden. I also saved potatoes for planting this spring.

And I still have a lot of apples that need eating! Fortunately I am an apple-holic.