Hang out with us for the August garden tour as we share highs and lows of the summer garden, and we also need your input on some upcoming projects!
End of SUMMER SALE SALE: 50% off seed collections with code “ENDOFSUMMER” at https://calikimgardenandhome.com. Ends Tuesday, Sept 5, 2023.
September “Fun Fall Greens” Subscription Box is now available! $9 off 1st box w/ code “FUNFALLGREENS”. FREE BONUS: Vermisterra Earthworm Casting Tea, a concentrated soil enricher that supercharges plant growth and makes gardening easy. Visit https://vermisterra.com for organic fertilizers and soil amendments.
BOOKS
The First-Time Gardener: Raised Bed Gardening: https://bit.ly/TheFirstTimeGardenerRaisedBedGardening
Organic Gardening for Everyone: Homegrown Vegetables Made Easy: https://bit.ly/OrganicGardeningForEveryone
SEEDS
CaliKim Seed Collections: https://calikimgardenandhome.com
CONTAINERS
CaliKim 1, 5, 10 gallon Smart Pots, Little Shorty 3′ fabric raised bed: https://calikimgardenandhome.com/collections/smart-pots
Smart Pots (other sizes): use. code “calikim” for 10% off at https://smartpots.com
What size Smart Pot? https://smartpots.com/what-size-smart-pot-should-I-use/
SOIL AMENDMENTS & FERTILIZER
Vermisterra: https://vermisterra.com
Worm castings, Vitality, Worm tea
10% off with code “calikim”
AMAZON:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases:
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GROW LIGHTS
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-30 gallon storage tote: http://bit.ly/CaliKim30GallonStorageTote
3. SHOP LIGHT SET UP :
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-2 foot Shop light fixture with LED bulbs: https://amzn.to/3qC9hzx
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Digital timer: https://amzn.to/3qJRIN7
SEED STARTING SUPPLIES
Seed starting pots: https://amzn.to/3tfsKXK
Seed starting cells: https://amzn.to/3JLsZVH
Peat pellets: Large ( 3”, 50mm): https://amzn.to/37u3RiB
Small (1”, 36mm): https://amzn.to/35RP2Cx
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DIY seed starting mix:
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Coco coir bricks: https://amzn.to/2ZABUkQ
Yellow Sticky Traps: https://amzn.to/3Xf5NDR
DRIP IRRIGATION/WATERING
Raised Bed Drip Irrigation Kit: https://amzn.to/30jSLYq
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Grow Lights: https://amzn.to/2NlY5FB
Garden Tools: https://amzn.to/2RiwRRq
Amazon lawn & garden supplies: https://amzn.to/30kFe2Z
WHERE TO FIND ME:
Seed & Garden Shop:https://calikimgardenandhome.com
Instagram: CaliKim: http://instagram.com/calikim29
CameraGuy: https://www.instagram.com/calicameraguy/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CaliKimGardenandHomeDIY/
19 Comments
It was too cold in L.A. for tomatoes. My crop was lacking as well. My peppers were productive.
End of SUMMER SALE SALE: 50% off seed collections with code “ENDOFSUMMER” at https://calikimgardenandhome.com. Ends Tuesday, Sept 5, 2023.
September "Fun Fall Greens" Subscription Box is now available! $9 off 1st box w/ code “FUNFALLGREENS". FREE BONUS: Vermisterra Earthworm Casting Tea, a concentrated soil enricher that supercharges plant growth and makes gardening easy. Visit https://vermisterra.com for organic fertilizers and soil amendments.
Thanks for gardening with us! -CaliKim & CameraGuy
Divide the blackberries and put in both spots and see which spot it likes best.
I agree an empty cattle panel would not be too pretty but I wonder. Would there be a way to put flower pots on the panel during the time when the black berries are dormant and then remove when they come out of dormancy. Or is that silly and too much work.
I'm in LA county zone 10b. Grew 5 heirloom tomatoes and 2 cherry varieties. All of them produce great and still going !! I put 4 fertilizers in the hole, baking soda around them sporadically and doing my 2nd aspirin spray on them later today. Squirrels hate peppermint oil. I put up cotton I save from vitamins and spray the cotton then put where I don't want them 😊 I got no dahlias though sad😢
Gorgeous Salvia & Dahlias 🌿🪻🪻🪻🌸🌸🌸
Hi kim a good idea is to pit a brick patio to replace the deck
I, too, was initially very disappointed in my tomatoes (zone 6) with tons of fruit, but no ripening until this week! Last week we had summer temperatures in the 80s, and toward the end of the week, tons of them ripened at once. I have some gorgeous, huge (almost 2 lb!) heirloom variety (I don't know which variety because they came from 2 small plants my neighbor had grown from the seed he harvested from one tomato his daughter gave him, and that's all he knew), some smallish beefsteaks, and the last to ripen have been the Early Dolls. My cherry tomatoes did not fruit early on, but have now fruited, but not yet ripened. The past 3 days have been lows in the 40s with highs in the 60s to low 70s, so I'm not sure what will happen to them now. Starting this weekend, we're to have a week of temperatures in the 90s! Very weird for Michigan. So we'll see what happens.
I love your salvia and dahlias! They are stunning. I vote for putting the blackberries on the slope next to your steps. I doubt they will fruit in the other location because of the lack of direct sun. I know it won't be as attractive in the winter with bare trellises, but could you co-plant some flowers that bloom in your Southern California winter?
I really want to thank you and all of your subscribers for everything that I have learned this year as I started my first true vegetable garden in decades. When I was a child in Ohio, my mom (from a farm family) always planted a big garden and we froze and canned veggies to use during the winter months. I have always kept a small herb garden, but my career (I am a retired university cardiologist) and its 80-100 hour work weeks kept me from being able to tend a garden, so I would plant and it would die. Now that I have retired, I have LOVED reading your books cover to cover, watching your videos, participating in your live streams on Mondays and putting your information to use in my garden. I didn't put in any flowers, but we have harvested green beans, corn (not very successfully because I planted them incorrectly in the wrong location), lettuces, radishes, carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Blight took over my melons in the garden when I was on vacation, but there are some sugar baby watermelons, honeydew, and honey rock cantaloupe melons that are still growing on their vines, so we'll see. In August I planted seeds from your seed collection in a Little Shorty (lettuces) and three 20 gallon containers (scalloped squash, edamame, and more sugar babies) and they are growing well up trellises I made from several tomato cages I had from last summer.
BTW, we also pulled out our fire pit because we never used it. In its place is a 6 ft x 3 ft elevated raised bed where I started my gardening adventure last spring and where a second planting of radishes and carrots are now thriving. Again, thanks for everything, CaliKim. You and Camera Guy rock!🤗
Very nice
I probably should’ve been disappointed in my tomato harvest but since last year I got pretty much nothing. I’m very excited about the little bit we got I harvested 2 to 4 Roma‘s, 1 large tomato
Even though it was only medium size and a whole bunch of various small tomatoes. Funny thing is when it got super hot, Texas 105°, I was getting very very tiny little tomatoes
I'm hoping that I get tomatoes, too. I think I'll try dahlias next year.
The shade area seems good for lettuce and other shade plants.
Do you think maybe the blackberries can go where your cucumbers 🥒?? Just a thought.
Oh, so much to comment on! I wish I were there, we could walk around and talk! — If it were me, I'd take that tree out. That's probably an unpopular idea, but think of how big it will be five years from now. It will take a lot of space. I take trees out of my yard (the same trees I planted) and in a few years the neighboring trees have expanded to fill that very same space. — But not necessarily to put the blackberries there! Maybe one level down the hill? There is a spot there with a tiny patch of grass? Or, where the fire pit is, but you'd need more space. — My blackberries don't like to be trained. But they're probably a different variety. If I planted mine next to the steps, you would not be able to use the steps! They like to "spike out" in all directions. — Love the clover idea. (Can you believe it?) I watch a lawn care YouTuber and he has been experimenting with micro-clover turf. Well, good luck with whatever changes you make!
Shady area for lettuce? Blackberries will only be sticks for a while. Yes give Kim that real estate, lol
I can't thank you guys enough for your educational videos and seeds I've purchased from you this year! It's been several years since we've had a garden. Not only have we enjoyed the yummy veggies and flowers so have the squirrels and weed rats. Who knew one of them would get to enjoy our largest golden jubilee tomato that was kept inside the organza-type bags! I guess that comes with living along a greenbelt! Thank you and we look forward to more seeds and videos!❤
Where did you purchase your dahlia tubers?
Located in NJ and we have had the WORST tomato crop we’ve ever had. I’m chalking it up to sooooooo much rain this season.
Our tomato plants did not give much fruit this year at least compared to last year. The heat played a big party i believe. Your garden is beautiful Kim, thanks so much for sharing.