BETWEEN STORMS, IT'S TIME TO PLANT.

Byline: JANE GATES Garden column

Is it spring yet? There's a question that only time will answer.

The Santa Clarita area can be just as confusing to the plants as it can to people at this time of year. We've had gladiolas and irises in bloom this early some years, whereas other years they don't open up until June.

Speaking of bulbs, corms and the like, a new influx of tuberous roots should be arriving at the nurseries and garden centers. So if you didn't get in the autumn planting and the last of the winter bulbs, the biggest choice should be available by the end of this month.

Pop them in the ground to get them into growth. And don't forget my previous recommendation of planting them deeply enough and protecting them with hardware cloth or chicken wire beneath to discourage ravenous gophers, which are having young about now to add more voracious mouths to the subterranean landscape.

Plant vendors will assure you it is indeed spring with the full selection of annuals, perennials and vegetables they start offering this month. Most of your hardy perennials - you know, the ones that hang around for more than a single year - are fine going into the ground now.

This is also a good month to continue planting California natives and drought-tolerant plants. These will enjoy sending their roots out into the still moist and cool soil, establishing themselves for the big growth spurt with warm weather.

One exception would be cactuses and succulents. Plants with few branches that have adapted their stems or leaves as swollen water retainers usually have less water resilient root systems than other plants. If the ground is still cool and wet, these root systems can easily rot. They are best planted or transplanted later in the year.

In fact, cactuses - agaves, aloes and many other succulent plants - are best planted in dry soil and not watered for at least a few weeks. The dry encourages these plants to send out new roots seeking water and, as a result, to form a more stable root system.

Be careful about planting tender vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash and beans early in the month unless you know we are going to have an exceptionally warm month. (And if you can predict weather that well, please let the rest of us know!) These plants are more at risk in the higher elevations.

Some tomatoes, particularly the cherry types, might fend off a late cold spell, but the others are unlikely to survive unless they are in a sheltered location. They don't grow particularly well and can be permanently stunted when it is cool. Since they are fast growers, it makes more sense to wait at least a month. They will make up the difference by growing vigorously without setback in a more hospitable environment. Unfortunately, planting summer crops at the end of the winter will not make the warm weather come any sooner.

Once again, I advise against working in wet soil. It isn't good for the soil, the plants or your shoes. Still, between storms, this is a great month for planting and even if you show restraint in buying the more tender plants, there's plenty of planting, cleanup, pruning and fixing to do in March.