GARDENING : The Coast Is Clear for Growers

Tending Coastal Plants: Unique Challenges and Solutions

Gardening by the coast presents unique challenges, including the need for plants that can withstand salt air, constant winds, and mild temperatures. Here’s what you need to know to succeed in coastal gardening.

Choosing the Right Plants for Coastal Gardens

Selecting plants that thrive in salt air, constant wind, and high humidity is key to a successful coastal garden. Common plants suited for these conditions include:

  • Bananas
  • Bougainvillea
  • Ferns
  • Hibiscus
  • Impatiens
  • Fuchsias

The coastal climate, especially along Orange County shores, provides a subtropical environment where these plants can thrive year-round.

The Influence of the Ocean on Coastal Gardening

The ocean plays a dominant role in shaping the coastal climate, and it impacts growing conditions in several ways. Here’s how horticulturists divide the coastal area into three zones:

  • Seacoast 1: Right on the ocean, plants must tolerate extreme conditions, including salt in the soil and salt spray.
  • Seacoast 2: Adjacent to Seacoast 1, protected by natural or artificial barriers. Plants in this zone experience some salt but aren’t directly sprayed by saltwater.
  • Seacoast 3: Further inland, where salt air still influences the environment, but the soil typically has no salt. Plants here must tolerate some salinity.

The width of each zone varies depending on terrain, and gardeners must assess their garden’s location to determine which zone it falls into.

Advantages of Coastal Gardening

Gardening on the coast offers some distinct advantages:

  • The mild weather allows for year-round planting, unlike inland gardens where summer heat can hinder plant growth.
  • Coastal gardeners can comfortably work throughout the day, unlike inland gardeners who must avoid midday sun.

Challenges of Coastal Gardening

However, coastal gardening comes with its challenges, particularly the inability to grow certain plants that need higher heat and more sunlight:

  • Roses, zinnias, and crape myrtle trees often struggle due to the cooler climate.
  • Certain vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers, may not thrive, even when planted in varieties suited to coastal conditions.
  • Fruit trees like grapefruit, oranges, and grapes require more heat and sunlight to thrive.

Growing Fruit Trees on the Coast

Some fruit trees may struggle due to the lack of winter chilling, a requirement for many fruit trees like peaches and apples. However, certain varieties are bred for coastal environments:

  • Bonita and Babcock peaches
  • Gordon and Beverly Hills apple varieties

Despite these limitations, some gardeners are determined to try growing non-coastal plants in their seaside gardens. For example, Robert Andri of Laguna Beach successfully grows plants like Japanese black pines and plumeria despite being told they wouldn’t thrive in coastal conditions.

Salt-Tolerant Plants

Certain plants can handle the harsh salt air, including:

  • Carissa
  • Myoporum
  • Ice plants
  • Yucca
  • Manzanita
  • Monterey cypress
  • Saltbush

Plants like these often have small or waxy leaves that help them survive coastal conditions by preventing excessive water loss and protecting them from wind damage.

Handling Extreme Coastal Weather

Coastal gardeners also face extreme weather challenges, particularly the drying Santa Ana winds. These winds can devastate coastal plants that are used to moist conditions. To protect plants from these harsh winds, experts recommend:

  • Moving hanging baskets to protected areas
  • Using fogging nozzles to increase humidity in the garden

Managing Pests and Diseases

Coastal climates can foster an increase in pests and diseases due to high humidity. Common pests like snails, slugs, and insects thrive in these conditions. To manage these issues:

  • Inspect plants regularly for pests and diseases.
  • Remove damaged branches, leaves, and spent flowers where insects may hide.

Julie Bawden-Davis

Julie Bawden-Davis is a bestselling journalist, novelist, blogger, and YouTuber. A prolific author, Julie writes in several genres. She enjoys creating page-turning suspense served up with a dose of romance, garden books that turn any brown thumb green, and spiritual books meant to enlighten and inspire. Widely published, Julie has written 45 books and more than 4,000 articles for a wide variety of national and international publications. She lives in Southern California, where she enjoys sunny, blue skies most days and year-round gardening. Julie gains inspiration from being surrounded by plants when she writes.