Want to plant tomatoes in June or July shortly before the full heat of summer arrives but not sure it’s a good idea? This article gives tips and advice for succeeding with late tomato planting in hot-summer, mild-winter California areas, particularly in these GardenZeus zones: – California Climate Zone 12: Southern Inland, More Extreme – […]

Pumpkins grow and produce best at daytime temperatures of about 65° to 75°F, and while many varieties tolerate heat, growth and fruiting may be diminished at temperatures above 85°F. This creates a conundrum for California gardeners in hot-summer areas who want to grow pumpkins for Halloween. With many California areas having highs above 100°F and some […]

Time your planting carefully. Cucumbers can be fussy. They grow and fruit best in full sun at temperatures from 55° to 85°F, with optimal growing temperature between 65° and 75°F. They tend to be sensitive and stressed at temperatures above about 85°F and below about 50°F. In Southern California Coastal areas, plant pre-germinated cucumber seeds or seed […]

Pole snap beans can be tricky seasonally because they are intolerant of frost and cold temperatures, which may be common overnight during winter in many of California’s inland areas; and also of hot temperatures above about 85°F. For precise suggestions regarding the best times of year to grow pole snap beans in your area, go […]

GardenZeus recommends heat-tolerant cucumber varieties for Southern California’s inland areas for both late-winter/spring-to-summer and fall planting windows. Slicing cucumbers: Poinsett 76 is a favorite open-pollinated, heat-tolerant, flavorful variety that is also disease-resistant (including mildews). Marketmore and Marketmore 76 are classic favorites for their long harvest period and reliable fruit production under moderate environmental stress. Straight […]

Cucumbers have a reputation for being easy to grow, but GardenZeus expert Darren Butler has found that this is not necessarily so in the warm Southern California inland areas. Cucumbers prefer a narrow temperature range of about 55° to 85°F for growing and fruiting, and there is no 60-day growing season in your zone that […]

Selecting bulb onions varieties to grow in the home garden is more complicated than for most other vegetables. The most important factor for home gardeners is day length, meaning the number of hours of sunlight needed to initiate bulbing and for the plants to form full, mature bulbs. If you have the wrong day-length variety […]

GardenZeus receives commissions for purchases made through links in this post. There is no additional cost to you. Gardeners growing appropriate varieties may succeed with planting a variety of cool-season crops and warm-season crops in your area. Below is Darren’s list of tasks for gardeners planting vegetables and herbs in February. To receive customized recommendations for […]

GardenZeus receives commissions for purchases made through links in this post. There is no additional cost to you. In many inland areas of Southern California, February is often thought of as the beginning of the gardening year. Below is Darren’s list of tasks for gardeners planting vegetables and herbs in February. To receive customized recommendations for […]