The days are getting a little longer, which means that spring planting season is here! It’s the ideal moment to make water-wise choices that’ll pay dividends all year long.
What to Plant This Spring
Spring is the ideal time to start a number of favorite legumes and veggies in the ground. The University of California Cooperative Extension has an excellent, thorough guide to spring (and summer!) planting for LA County, which you can find at this link.
Gardeners know that there’s a difference between seeds you plant directly in the ground versus seeds you plant in a pot (or indoors) and then transfer to the ground. The UC’s guide keeps this information in mind, allowing you to plan out your gardening schedule throughout the season.
For instance, March is the ideal time to start some big-ticket herbs from seed, including anise, basil, chervil, chives, cilantro, dill, fennel, lavender, marjoram, oregano, parsley and savory. The herbs you plant as seeds in March can then be transplanted to the ground (or to bigger beds) come April.
Both months are ideal for planting summer-blooming bulbs, such as irises, lilies, and dahlias. And the springtime is also great for sowing or transplanting: beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplants, melons, peppers, and pumpkins/squash, as well as tender trees (such as avocados, kumquats, guavas, passion fruit, and pomegranates.)
Water-wise Planting
No matter what you choose to plant this spring, we recommend grouping together plants who have similar water needs. This practice, called hydrozoning, increases the efficiency of your irrigation system and helps keep your plants healthy.
Remember to use the layout of your yard or gardening area to your advantage: plant hardier, drought-resistant plants in the areas that get the most sun or along sloped sections (where water tends to run off), and save the shaded areas for thirstier plants.
And resist the urge to overwater. Not only does this waste valuable H2O, it can also cause your root system to get soggy. On top of that, overwatering can wash off fertilizers, pesticides, and other pollutants from your garden to our city’s storm drains. Reining in water usage is best for the plants, for your water bill, and for our waterways!
Mulch: The Unsung Hero
There’s not much to mull over here: mulching is the LA gardener’s secret weapon! A generous layer (about three inches) of mulch helps lock moisture into the soil while cooling it down. That last bit is increasingly important during SoCal springs and summers. Mulch also helps keeps the weeds away, as it can suppress new seeds (read: baby weeds) from germinating in your soil. It’s also a favorite home for fungi, most of which are harmless and fascinating to look at; nastier fungi, such as the artillery fungus, can be deterred by mixing in mushroom compost with your mulch. (You can learn more about the wonderful world of mulch fungi here.)
LA Sanitation can help get you started on your mulch journey, through the Free Mulch Giveaway program. It’s available to all City of LA residents – all you have to do is bring your own shovel. Learn more here.
A Note on Native Plants
California native plants, which are adapted to our climate and have been thriving here for generations, require less water once established, making them a drought-smart (and water-bill-smart) option. Local pollinators love many native plant varieties, meaning that gardening with a few SoCal species will make your neighborhood bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds buzz and hum with delight.
Theodore Payne Foundation’s native plants guide is a wonderful year-round resource for gardeners seeking to highlight local plants throughout Southern California. Many natives bloom in the spring, meaning it’s often best to plant them during the fall. However, you can sow some favorites in March, such as the California golden poppy and the California lilac.
But if you’re looking to expand your native garden come the fall, now is a great time to get your soil ready. And if your natives are in bloom, we’d love to see some snapshots of your favorite plants! Email us at LAStormwater@LACity.org.
To everything, there is a season!
