Connor Hanrahan
By Connor Hanrahan
As the daylight wanes in Santa Barbara, so do our gardens. The succulents stop growing, flowers shed their petals, and some grasses go dormant. However, this does not mean your garden should be as dead as the grass seems.
Wintertime offers a very unique climate in Santa Barbara. Unlike most of the United States, Santa Barbara’s climate stays moderate and only experiences mild rains in the winter making it the perfect time to grow leafy greens like Collard greens and Swiss Chard, as well as earth insulated vegetables such as beets, green onions, and carrots. This is because these vegetables can thrive in cold weather, and the underground plants are able to withstand the cold because they are insulated by the soil.
Unfortunately, most summer blossoms will fade for the winter due to a lack of sunlight. Fortunately, Santa Barbara is in USDA Zone 11, meaning the average minimum temperature generally stays above 40 degrees, annually. Santa Barbara has wet, dewy mornings, meaning some warm weather plants may stay green, but most warm-weather flowers such as roses and hydrangeas will go dormant in the winter months due to lack of sun. Flowers known to blossom in the winter include Snow Flowers, Pansies, Primrose, Witch Hazel and Crocus. Asters, Chrysanthemums and Carnations are great all-season flowers.
Bulbs are some of the most popular flower species to plant in the winter. December is the perfect time to begin growing flowers like Tulips, Hyacinth, Freesia and Allium. These bulbs require little to no maintenance.
Plants require food to continue to thrive. Fertilizers high in Nitrogen work for any leafy greens you have or plant. Fertilizers high in phosphorus and potassium will help promote healthy root growth. However, each plant species has an individual set of nutritional needs and can be adversely affected by overfertilization. Dormant plants will not need fertilization until the climate warms up, generally mid spring.
Knowing what type of soil you are planting in is important to properly feed the plants.
Santa Barbara County is primarily composed of two soil types: Sandy Loam and Clay Loam. While loam soils are inherently nutritious for plants, the sandy and clay aspects of it can provide very different nutrition levels for different plants.
Clay loam soil retains water and nutrients much better than sandy loam as it is more dense. The clay particles in the soil are much smaller than sand grains and bind together forming a sturdier base of dirt for the roots. However, rainfall or heavy watering will exacerbate the binding of the soil making it difficult for air to access the roots.
Sandy loam soil, on the other hand, is much siltier, has far less nutrients, and contains visible grains of sand. However, like clay loam soil, sandy loam will also depress when watered and will require some sort of underground aeration. Plants living in this soil will require irrigation and fertilization more often than clay.
Both types of soil require active aeration. The best way to do this is to buy worms. Worm tunnels allow for oxygen to flow through the soil and their excretion helps with fertilization. The most popular method of aeration is to mix the soil with small rocks or mulch, allowing air pockets to be maintained throughout the plant’s life.
A statewide lockdown is a perfect time to spruce up your garden and get to work on a tasty 2021.
