February in the Garden

Opossums are the only North American marsupials.

IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE. While we are sleeping, there’s a lot of action outside. Opossums and rats are commonly seen, while raccoons and skunks are a bit more elusive. All this wildlife can be a nuisance but I love knowing that nature is thriving in Coronado’s urban environment.

Rats are a big problem and regularly eat the fruit off my trees. The evidence is in the hollowed-out oranges lying under the tree. Skunks visit occasionally but stay out of sight for the most part. I haven’t heard of anyone’s dog getting sprayed in Coronado, but there’s a first time for everything!

Raccoons can be destructive and mean, knocking over garbage cans and injuring or killing pets. I know when they have visited our yard because they leave an oil slick or soapy bubbles in the pond, which leads me to believe they are coming out of the sewers. They ate all the fish in our pond and recently stole the whole crop of apples off our tree overnight, so they are on my naughty list.

Opossums are cute when they are small, but as adults they are smelly, messy and not so attractive. They get a bad rap for being aggressive and mean, but it’s mostly an act. Usually they will freeze and “play possum” when scared or give a menacing hiss. They knock plants off shelves and snack on our fruit trees, but I welcome them because they eat snails, slugs and baby rodents.

Based on our eyewitness accounts and strategic video cameras, Coronado’s animal kingdom is alive and well. Now, if only I could have chickens….

February is a maintenance and preparation month in the garden. A lot of what you do now will reap benefits when the warmer months arrive. ✿ Garden prep: With our recent rains, the weeds are starting to pop up so stay ahead of them while the ground is soft. ✿ Planting: It’s time to start warm-season flowers and vegetables from seed to transplant in early spring. Use ‘“seed start ing” soil, a mixture that is light, crumbly and more sterile than typical soil for a better success rate when starting seeds. As a rule, the soil depth that covers the seeds should be only three times their thickness.

Did you know we can grow blueberries in Coronado? They love to be grown in pots which makes them great for our small gardens. Shop for low-chill varieties (SouthMoon, Sunshine Blue, O’Neal or Misty). You should still be able to find these bareroot plants at your local nursery. ✿ Watering: My irrigation has been off for more than a month because of the rain we’ve re ceived. With the sprinklers off this is a great time for irrigation maintenance and repair. ✿ Fertilizer: If you haven’t fertilized your citrus trees yet, now is the time. Avocado trees

are also ready for fertilizing in our frost-free area. ✿ Pest & Disease Control: Keep the yard raked to clear leaf litter and other decaying debris to keep snails, slugs and other pests from hiding out in your garden. ✿ Pruning: Plumerias are dropping their leaves so this is the time to take cuttings before new leaves start to develop. Let the cuttings dry at the cut end and wait for two months before planting. ✿ Miscellaneous: We had a week of exceptionally cold weather last month. If your garden suffered frost damage, wait another month or so until you see new growth on plants before pruning out the dead branches.

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Contact Coronado Yacht Club Member

IAN VAN TUYL www.ivtyachtsales.com // ivtyachtsales@gmail.com 619.507.4416