For those of you who read our weekly column regularly, you know that we have a telephone hotline to which calls are made with all kinds of inquiries about home gardening.  Everyone is anxious to get outside again and now that spring is fast approaching, we'll share a couple of recently asked questions.      
I'm ready to install an irrigation system for a new landscape and know there are different types available; which one should I use?  Depending on the size of your landscape and what you'll be planting, it's likely you will be using more than one type of irrigation system.  Do you know how to group plants according to their water requirements?  For example, hydrangea is a shrub that needs ample water (and shade) and you shouldn't plant it in the same area as rockrose which needs little water (and full sunlight); one or the other simply will not survive depending on how you irrigate.  Will you have lawn?  Drip irrigation won't be adequate for turf areas and will require overhead sprinklers, so if you have plants that get floppy with overhead watering, you won't want to plant these near the lawn.  These two factors alone should convince you that a good plan is the most important step before installing an irrigation system.

Once you know what kind of plantings you'll put in your landscape, the type of irrigation system will be clear.  As noted, in-ground, overhead sprinklers will be needed for any lawn areas you plant.  For most other plantings, drip and/or soaker hose irrigation are what you should use.  Drip systems have become extremely easy to install for the homeowner and since they are usually above-ground and assemble without glue, mistakes are easily corrected.  They are also much more efficient in water usage.  Soaker hoses are another great way to irrigate; they are made from recycled rubber material and weep water along their entire lengths.  Depending on your soil and length of irrigation time, they can water approximately two feet out on either side.  Of course, no matter what type of irrigating system you use, automated timers will save you a lot of effort and headache in the long run, so make sure you install one of these too. 

For much more information about how to design and install the different systems, come to the free class on "Irrigation" given by the Master Gardeners tomorrow, March 4 at 9 a.m. in the Ag Extension Office at 311 Fair Lane in Placerville.

I want to start my vegetable garden, but wonder if it's too cold yet?  If not, what should I plant?  Ed Shortes, one of our Master Gardeners, answers:  For those of you lucky enough to have a hothouse or cold frame, the seeds of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and lettuce you sowed in January or February can be transplanted into the garden this month.  March is also a good time to sow tomato seeds indoors; the seedlings can then be transplanted into your garden in late April or early May.  Remember though that tomato seedlings will languish until the soil warms, so don't transplant if cold climate persists. Beets, carrots, radishes and chard can be planted in March or April as they will sprout while it's still fairly cool.  Pepper and eggplant seed can be planted in a cold frame or hothouse in March, then transplanted into the garden in May.  The plants can also be purchased at the nursery in May and put into the ground right away.  Seed potatoes can be planted in April.  Corn, beans and that vigorous favorite – zucchini – require warm weather to grow, so wait until May to plant.  That is also the time to plant cucumbers, cantaloupe, watermelon and pumpkin, but remember that these vine plants require a LOT of space. 

The Master Gardeners of El Dorado County developed a vegetable planting guide specifically for the foothill area, which shows how to make adjustments for elevations above or below Placerville's 2,000 foot elevation.  It has a spring schedule on one side and a fall schedule on the reverse.  There is a column for each month showing what should be planted, whether it is seed or plants and whether it is planted in a hothouse or in the ground.  It also shows when the harvest can be expected.  This guide is laminated so it resists soil and should last for years.  It sells for $5.00 and can be purchased at any of our public education classes as well as at the Ag Extension Office at 311 Fair Lane in Placerville.   It is an excellent reference guide and the best way I know to avoid finding that you missed planting a favorite vegetable.
 
If you really want to get into vegetable gardening, the Master Gardeners are offering a free class on "Spring & Summer Vegetables" next Saturday, March 11 at the Ag Extension Office at the address listed above; it begins at 9 a.m. and will cover many more aspects of growing vegetables than can be covered in this column.