Plant Care

Information on Gardens and Landscaping, Plants and Seeds, Orchards and Trees and Research; plus planting guides for the north valley and foothills.

Links to information on gardening and irrigation, water-wise plants and landscaping, and water-wise living.

Erik Mclean, Unsplash Water new plants frequently, especially during hot, dry weather. Wet the root ball directly; avoid ponding water around the trunk and avoid wetting the trunk. Allow the soil surface to dry between waterings.

Bulbs are great to plant then forget about. Often planted in fall (some in spring), theyre not visible during winter. Come spring or summer, depending on the bulb, voila! A beautiful plant! Theres a wide variety of types of things called bulbs, including rhizomes, tubers, corms, and true bulbs.

Visit Falkirk Demonstration Garden in San Rafael to see a wonderful display of succulents that thrive in Marin. Succulents, those gorgeous plants with thick, fleshy stems and leaves that collect and store water, can be grown in the ground or in containers.

Citrus are attractive, long-lived evergreen plants that require sun and warmth to produce flavorful fruits. Choose the sunniest, warmest location available. A southwestern exposure or a location that receives reflective warmth (from a surface such as a driveway, patio, wall, or pool) would be excellent.

ollards are a cool season vegetable grown for their leaves. They are related to cabbage but do not form a tight head. Collards tolerate a wide range of warm to cold temperatures and, like many members of the cabbage family, will taste sweeter after a light frost.

Wisteria sinensis, Wikimedia Commons Vines are usually grown for a purpose: to cast shade over an arbor, hide an unattractive chain link fence, or splay out over a hillside. If you're considering adding a vine to your garden, it is critical that you know its ultimate size.

We invite you to join our public tomato trial and be a citizen scientist! Help us gather information by growing trial tomatoes in your garden and reporting the results.

A Tahoe Friendly Garden is water-wise! Choose appropriate plants for Tahoes climate and utilize efficient irrigation systems. Planning for water efficiency is an extremely important component of landscape planning in the arid west.