"Santa Claus is coming to town!" Well, maybe, if he doesn't get COVID! Christmas becomes our focus this month, so it's nice that our gardening chores slow down. If you put a little effort into onions, irrigation, and weeds over the next few weeks, it will be enough.

After a blazing hot, dry summer we had an unexpected freeze. It wasn't low enough to kill our winter plants but it did damage where we would not expect it. Plants used to growing in heat have a different chemical makeup than plants growing in cold temperatures. We change our crops in the winter to those that produce solutes in their cells and can survive freezing temperatures, such as the Brassicas. This works well when temperatures reduce gradually and the solutes build up. We had a sudden drop which caught our plants unaware; many suffered damaged leaves and a few will be stunted. The following weeks of warm weather allowed most to recover. If the temperatures reduce gradually, the same plants will be able to withstand a hard freeze later on this winter.

ONIONS: Onion transplants go into the ground as soon as you get them. See last month's article for details.

IRRIGATION: Please make it a habit to manually turn on your water to visualize the connections and emitters so you know they are functioning properly every time you visit the garden. It does freeze at the garden so our faucets and timers need to be wrapped with insulating material such as a towel or blanket and protected from getting wet. Plants thrive on less water now than they did three months ago, so it's wise to adjust the length of time the water is on.

WEEDS: We will have a new crop of winter weeds that need to be removed wherever water hits the ground, and if it ever rains again!

Rows of new seedlings are visible in many plots. It looks like seed germination has been abundant and now we need to make room for developing plants. Thinning root crops is important so they have room to grow and don't get entangled with each other. Many of these crops can be eaten at any stage and the thinnings will make a gourmet meal.

Leaf lettuce is growing well. I call this a process crop meaning harvest, eat, grow, harvest, eat, etc. Pick the larger leaves on the outside frequently. Don't let them get too big because the stems will get milky and bitter. If harvested regularly every 2-3 days, one leaf lettuce plant will provide many healthy salads.

If that's not satisfying enough, try growing sprouts in a jar on your kitchen counter. Get seeds from a food source such as a grocery store or those designated for sprouts; don't use seeds for gardens because they often are treated with fungicide to prevent decay in the soil before they sprout. Mung beans, garbanzo beans, peas, alfalfa, clover, arugula, lentils, dill, broccoli, radishes, etc., can all be sprouted in a mason jar laid on its side with a little water in it with cheesecloth replacing the lid. It is very important to soak the seeds first then rinse and pour off the water at least once, maybe 2-3 times a day. Keeping the seeds clean, airy, and moist (but not sitting in water) is the trick. Sprouts are wonderfully nutritious and add a great crunch to sandwiches, salads, and snacks. There are great web sites for all the info you need for successful sprouts and recipes and ideas on how to use them. One helpful site is sproutpeople.org

With Santa's visit only weeks away, why not drop a few hints about those gardening supplies you've been wanting all year? Whatever Santa brings to you, may it bring joy with it.

Merry Christmas to all my fellow gardeners,