HEAT'S ON THE WAY.

Byline: JANE GATES Gardening

SANTA CLARITA - Winter is gone for good this year and summer heat is just around the corner, so it's time to get those gardening jobs done before it starts to sizzle.

Vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and artichokes can still be planted from six-packs, 4-inch pots and gallon containers. Leave lots of room for artichokes because they'll grow into giant-size plants.

Crops that should be sown by seed in two-week succession are radishes, beans and scallions, or spring onions. You can do the same with root crops like carrots and beets if you wish.

Avoid planting lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage or any other winter vegetable because any that germinate this late in the year will flower right away rather than forming edible plants - even if you buy them as small plants in six-packs. It's called ``going to seed.''

Plant lots of annuals to fill in gaps while perennials grow to full size. Annuals are good to create beds of instant blazing color, too. Keep trees and bushes neatly pruned, but save major pruning jobs for the autumn and winter if possible. Keep an eye out for pest infestations and treat early before they become a big problem.

For example, if you catch snails before they become a devastating horde, you can try using the predatory decollate snails or any of the ``safe'' snail baits to control them. These new baits are more expensive, but they are kind to the environment and safe to use around children and pets. Don't use both together or the decollate snails will eat the bait and die.

Don't be surprised if some of the flowers you want are a little slow this year coming into the nurseries. Due to the late winter, many of the inland growers are finding their inventory taking an unusually late snooze, so plants are coming into full size and bloom later this year, making it a bit harder for the nurseries. Maybe there will be a good side to this in that there will be more color offered later into the summer as a result.

Check your irrigation systems for leaks and repair them before you end up with major repairs. And, as I keep saying, weed, weed, weed. Although those colorful wildflowers continue to paint our hillsides in pinks and yellows with accents in whites and purples, the material that comes close to your home is fodder for next season's wildfires.