Plant Care

Belgian endive can be successfully grown in Santa Clara County as a cool weather green. The plants need to be started in the summer. In late fall, they are harvested, trimmed, and transplanted into damp sand where they are kept cool and dark. Six plants will yield weekly salad greens from December through…

If you must have a lawn, raise mower blade to 3 inches. Photo credit: Ulrike Mai from Pixabay If your power and water bills rise dramatically every summer, your garden might not be as green as it looks. Although a beautiful garden can bring joy, it can also waste energy.

Marin's beauty is vast and varied. Where else can you visit a coastal bluff, redwood forest, and oak woodland all in one day? In our gardens, the varied topography, microclimates, and proximity to open space can be a challenge especially when it involves clay soil or a steep hillside.

Finding the right irrigation system for your garden is essential to saving our natural resources. Photo: Ivan Horvat, Pixabay Water is a precious resource; conserving it is a key to Earth-friendly gardening.

Provide a clean water source for thirsty birds and bees. Photo: Dan Wayman, unsplash Maintenance and prevention Monitor soil moisture. The water requirements of plants peaks in July. Established perennials, shrubs, and trees need infrequent but deep watering.

Below are tools that are more specialized than the basic essentials, but are very useful for more specific gardening tasks.

Propagation is the process by which plants are multiplied or reproduced. It is used for ornamental as well as edible plants. Propagating your own plants can be fun and rewarding because you can grow many species not found in nurseries. This includes many tasty and unusual vegetables.

Fall Garden Fair ornamentals descriptions. Some cool season ornamentals bloom in the winter while others grow slowly then explode into flower for fabulous spring blooms. Plant in September through October for beautiful bouquets in a few months.

When to plant: Blackberries / Raspberries: mid-January–March Strawberries: late August (summer plantings) or late October (winter plantings) Harvest window: May–September, depending on the variety Fertilization: Nitrogen in spring, additional applications as needed.

Gardening in Tahoe is not like gardening in the valley or many other places in California. The microclimates, elevation, and cold weather are just some of the things that make the area distinct, and a distinct challenge for those of us who love to dig in the dirt.