Quotation of the Week: "The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size." — Gertrude S. Wister

Care for Avocado Trees

A mature avocado tree needs to have at least two pounds of nitrogen a year and varying amounts of other nutrients such as phosphorous and zinc. For the home gardener, the easiest way to feed your avocado is to use a mixed fertilizer specifically recommended for citrus and avocados that contains nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and zinc Bandini Citrus and Avocado Food. Be sure to follow the package directions. In coastal zones, gardeners should divide the amount of fertilizer for the year into five equal applications and give one feeding each month from February through June. Interior gardeners should divide the total amount into four monthly applications and give one feeding per month from March through June. With slow-release fertilizers you can divide the fertilizer into two equal doses. Give the first dose early this month if you live along the coast, late this month if you live inland, and give the second dose in June. If you choose to go with single-use fertilizers, you can feed avocados by spreading 25 pounds of aged chicken manure under each mature tree in February. Beginning in March, give each tree one trowelful each Whitney Farms blood meal and bone meal every six weeks, through August. If the mulch is very thick, rake it off, sprinkle the food underneath, then replace the mulch on top. The main things an avocado desires are rich soil, excellent drainage, and a thick layer of mulch over the roots. Allow the leaves that fall to remain under the tree; don't rake them up. (Avocados are best planted at the back of the garden where their large leaves won't look too messy.) Add additional mulch to young trees. Remember, never cultivate or dig under avocado trees, because that would damage the roots and all your fruit might fall off. It's best not to grow anything under an avocado tree, especially if that something needs frequent irrigation. Wet soil promotes root rot of avocado. We have a number of avocado varieties that produce well in our area. If you are limited with space, consider one of the dwarf varieties—which can be grown in pots with proper care.

Ray Sturgess Green Thumb Garden Pro

Let Us Grow Lettuce

by Tamara Galbraith With spring just around the corner, but temperatures still in the cool range, it's a great time to sow some lettuce seeds in your garden. Lettuce is easy to start, matures quickly, and offers a "cut-and-come-again" growth habit that can give you several salads from the same plant. Looseleaf, butterheads and romaines are the easiest and most nutritious lettuces to grow. What is commonly referred to as iceberg lettuce is generally a waste of time for the backyard gardener, as it is fussy and, frankly, not nearly as tasty. Germination of lettuce seed requires two elements: lots of moisture and light. Do not bury lettuce seeds, but rather scatter them over some fertile, fluffy, moist soil Whitney Farms All Natural Soil Conditioner, then sift some compost lightly on top of the seed and press down gently. You will probably see germination in about a week if soil temperatures remain around 50 degrees. Alternately, you can buy already-started plants. Lettuce can and should be grown outdoors in a sunny location as long as temperatures stay above freezing at night — if an unexpected freeze comes, simply toss a few layers of frost cloth on top of the plants and they should be fine. Make sure the soil stays evenly moist as the plants develop. Thin seedlings to allow about 6" between plants (or plant 6"apart if you aren't starting from see), but don't worry too much about overcrowding. Leaf lettuces are particularly fast-growing; they reach maturity in 45-60 days, while romaine and butterhead/bibb types can take up to 70 days. You can harvest individual leaves to eat, or give each plant a crewcut about 2" above the soil line and let it regrow. There are many beautiful, tasty types of lettuce in all sorts of shapes and colors. We have all the varieties that do best for our area. Lettuce is generally disease- and insect-resistant. The biggest enemy of lettuce is heat, which is why early late winter or spring is the perfect time to start lettuce. Once the hot days of late spring arrive, lettuce will quickly "bolt", meaning the plant suddenly puts on a growth spurt, then sends up flowers and goes to seed. It tastes so bitter and chewy at that point, even the bunnies won't touch it. Note for those with limited space: lettuce may be grown in containers (medium size). This also has the advantage that you can move the containers to a cooler spot when the weather gets warm, thus keeping them from bolting for a little bit longer.

Care For Camellias

Continue to buy, plant, and transplant camellias now, while they're still in bloom and before they start to grow. Most people choose camellias simply by picking out something that looks pretty. It's better to select them for your climate zone and ease of growing. Some are slow growers, others vigorous. Some are good in warmer climates but many varieties need extremes of temperature in order to open their blooms. Many people who have just moved from a milder area to an area with more variation (or vice versa) try to grow their favorite camellias from their old home and are disappointed. We have over 30 varieties that are perfect for the climate in Southern California. There are many flower forms - consider single, semidoubles and formal doubles to name a few.

Gobble Gobble: Brown Turkey Fig Tips

by Tamara Galbraith The best-loved and most common fig grown in the U.S. has to be the Brown Turkey. And no, the Turkey referenced in the name isn't the Thanksgiving bird, it's the country of origin...although there are vicious rumors that the Brown Turkey Fig (Ficus carica) is actually French. Gardeners across the country might also know this variety as Lee's Perpetual, Eastern Brown Turkey, Brunswick, Ramsey, Harrison, Texas Everbearing, or the Everbearing Fig. A lover of Mediterranean climates, figs will thrive in the hottest and sunniest part of your garden, will usually fruit the first year, and typically produce two crops of the tasty, brownish-purple fruit in the summer and again in the fall. The Brown Turkey's fruit has a short, plump stem, few seeds and a mild sweet flavor. Early crop fruit is very large, sometimes 2 inches in diameter. We also carry Black Mission, White Kadota, Black Jack and White Genoa. I think the next sentence should be dropped in our climate. Figs will be fine cuddled up next to your potatoes in the root cellar during the winter. Brown Turkeys, in particular, are good both fresh or made into preserves.

What You'll Need: One 3-4 lb. Beef Regal Rump Roast 3 tbsp. coarse ground black pepper 3 tbsp. garlic salt 2-3 cups Guinness 1 bay leaf 1/4 cup olive oil 2 cups cut carrots 1 green bell pepper, sliced in strips 2-3 potatoes, cubed 1 tbsp. flour

Step by Step:

Heat oven to 350F. Rinse roast and pat dry. Mix pepper and garlic salt; rub onto all sides of roast. Place roast on bottom of clay or metal roasting pan; add oil, bay leaf, 2 cups Guinness and 1 cup water (or 3 cups Guinness for stronger flavor). Roast covered for 90 minutes. Add vegetables, roast covered for 30 minutes. Add more liquid, if necessary. Remove meat and veggies to a platter. Gravy: Pour liquid into a small saucepan, heat to near boiling. Mix well: 1/2 cup COLD water and flour. Add flour/water mixture slowly to saucepan, stirring constantly. Reduce to simmer, stir until thickened. Yield: 4 servings