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Lasagna Gardening
In November while Lasagna Gardening are busy tilling beds, and generally getting ready for the onset of cold temperatures, gardeners in the southeastern coastal plain, southwestern deserts, and West Coast (USDA Hardiness Zones 8 through 10) are busy planting, among other things, flowering annuals. If you have a Lasagna Gardening in Tampa, Gainesville, New Orleans, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, or any other mild-winter area, late fall is the perfect time to set out transplants for blooming right through the dark months of winter. You'll find a host of choices, such as ornamental cabbages and kales, pansies, snapdragons, and violas, that can be planted now.
Choosing the right annuals and the correct varieties of them for your area is key to creating a colorful planter, window box, or garden bed. Growing them requires taking into account low light levels, cooler soil temperatures, and the occasional extreme weather of systems such as El Nino and La Nina.
Although many annuals, such as calendulas, geraniums, and sweet peas, can withstand a light frost, these tend to flower sporadically in all but the frost-free areas of the South and West. The key to long bloom is finding annuals that continue to flower during the short, cold days of December, January, and February. These are what I call true winter annuals. Based on my talks with Lasagna Gardening experts from Tampa to Seattle, I've selected the best varieties of eight of the most widely available and popular annuals. Unless otherwise noted, all of these will perform well throughout mild-winter areas.
Growing annuals in Lasagna Gardening is a bit different from growing them in other seasons. Light levels are lower and plant growth slower. Plants such as pansies that normally would shun the bright sun are more tolerant of full sun. Although temperatures may rarely drop to freezing, the cooler air and generally more frequent rains tend to keep the soil moist longer.
In cool, moist soils you'll need to adjust your fertilizing schedule and take steps to prevent rot diseases. In containers, use a light soilless mix. In gardens, improve drainage with raised beds, especially if you live in a wet area with heavy soil. Cold, wet roots are a sure way to rot plantings. Remove summer mulches such as bark; don't till them into the soil. Incorporating high-carbon mulches will create a nitrogen deficiency in the plants.
For more information about organic plants and gardening seeds, click on http://www.gardeningandplanting.com/
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