No abstract

Cilantro (Coriandrum sativium), also known as Mexican parsley, Chinese parsley, and coriander, is grown primarily along the southern and central coast of California. Ventura, Monterey, Santa Barbara, and San Benito Counties have the largest production, while smaller areas of production are scattered around the state. In the coastal counties production is year-round, with the main harvest from March through mid-November. Growers in the Coachella Valley (Riverside County) and the San Joaquin Valley plant a winter crop in late September to November for harvest from November through March. Cilantro is often used as a rotation crop; however, some growers may double-crop in a given year. Yields vary greatly. Annual coastal production averages from 8 to 11 tons per acre (18 to 25 t/ha). Cilantro is hand-harvested and sold in bunches to be used as a fresh herb, as well as mechanically harvested and sold in bulk for food service or processing. CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS Cilantro can be grown under a wide range of climatic conditions. During the summer, the crop matures Vegetable Production Series

The two main growing regions for celery (Apium graveolens L.) in California are located along the Pacific Ocean: the south coast (Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties) and the central coast (Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties). A minor region is located in the southern deserts (Riverside and Imperial Counties). On the south coast, celery is transplanted from early August to April for harvest from November to mid-July; in the Santa Maria area, celery is transplanted from January to August for harvest from April through December. On the central coast, fields are transplanted from March to September for harvest from late June to late December. In the southern deserts, fields are transplanted in late August for harvest in December to March.

Green onions (Allium cepa L.) are produced mainly in Monterey, Riverside, and Ventura Counties, but there is also small-scale production in other parts of the state. Harvest and bunching of this crop is labor intensive, and over the last several years substantial production has moved to Mexico, where the crop is less expensive to produce. Green onions are planted from spring through fall for nearly year-round harvest. CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS Onions are cool-season biennial plants (requiring two seasons to complete the cycle from seed to seed) that are commercially grown as an annual crop. Bulbing and growth are highly sensitive to day length. Each variety has a critical day length at which bulbing is initiated, regardless of size. As days lengthen in the spring and summer, these critical day lengths are reached. Growth is also dependent on temperature. The minimum for emergence is higher than for most other cool-season vegetables, at 55ºF (12.8ºC) for 70 percent emergence in up to 2 weeks. In addition, early growth rate is slow compared with other coolseason crops. Optimal leaf growth rate occurs at 68º to 77ºF (20º to 25ºC). However, the total plant growth rate depends on the amount of light intercepted. Combinations of factors, including variety, stem size, temperature, and duration of temperature, determine bolting susceptibility. Onions are stimulated to bolt at temperatures of 45º to 50ºF (7.2º to 10ºC). VARIETIES Few public onion breeding programs exist in the United States (none in California), but private seed companies are involved in onion variety development. The emphasis of variety development is on hybrid types. Green onion varieties are generally classified according to day length (short-and long-day types). Long-day white varieties of Sweet Spanish or Southport White Globe are grown as green onions in areas with short days. Short-day varieties bulb too easily to be used for green onion production. Many hybrids have been developed by crossing Allium cepa with A. fistulosum, the nonbulbing Japanese bunching onion. These hybrids are most commonly grown in spring and summer in the Salinas Valley, and occasionally during winter in the southern desert regions and in Baja California, Mexico. Green onion production in areas with long days or during the summer months is most successful with the use of varieties with Japanese bunching onion parentage. White Sweet Spanish and Southport White Globe types are also sometimes grown in intermediate-and long-day growing regions. PLANTING Green onions are planted in dense stands on beds 40 or 80 inches (1 or 2 meters) wide. The crop is seeded in dense plantings with 18 to 20 seed lines on 80-inch beds. Seed is planted approximately 0.5 inch (12.5 mm) deep; this shallow planting requires a soil surface that is well prepared and that is kept moist through germination. Onion seed is susceptible to loss Vegetable Production Series vric.ucdavis.edu

Tomatillo or husk tomato (Physalis ixocarpa Broy. Ex Hornem.) is a member of the Solanaceae family. The spherical fruit are green or purple and are surrounded by an enlarged calyx or "husk." As a fruit matures, it fills the husk and can split it open at harvest. Tomatillos are the key ingredients used in making fresh and cooked green salsas in a wide variety of Latin American dishes. PRODUCTION AREAS AND SEASONS Tomatillos are produced in small acreage plots in many parts of the state. Production areas include southern California (San Bernardino County), the central coast (Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo Counties), and the Central Valley (Fresno, San Joaquin, and Tulare Counties). Nearly all fields in the southern parts of the state receive transplants in January or February for harvest from late April through June. In the central coast, planting runs from March to June and harvest runs from July to November. Planting in the Central Valley begins in Fresno County in February (under plastic tunnels) and proceeds northward over the next four months for harvest from late May to November.