Gardening

From the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County, this page lists all of our gardening tips, sorted alphabetically by title. To view lists of tips by month or topic, visit our Tips & Events web page.

Dill can be grown for both its leaves and seeds. It is a self-seeding annual which will return year-after-year if seeds are allowed to mature in place. Dill is native to southern Russia, western Africa, and the Mediterranean. It is part of the Umbelliferae family, which includes celery, cumin, fennel, and…

Persicaria odorata goes by several names—Vietnamese coriander, Vietnamese mint, Asian mint, rau ram, Laksa leaf, and phak phai are some of the more common ones. It’s a herb used widely in Southeast Asia and is winter hardy in the frost-free areas of Zones 9 to 11. The flavor is described as being reminiscent…

Our Help Desk is here to answer gardening questions for Santa Clara County residents. Please review our plant diagnosis questions before contacting us. It will help you gather information so we can better assist you. For many issues, our Garden Help pages or the UC Integrated Pest Management website may give…

Need help with a school garden? Be sure to review the useful school garden advice we have gathered for you.

Spring Garden Fair tomatoes descriptions. We offer a wide selection of delicious tomato seedlings, from huge beefsteaks to bite-size cherry tomatoes, both heirloom and modern varieties, in a rainbow of colors. All have been trialed by UC Master Gardeners.

When to plant: January to March (bareroot) Harvest window: October to November, depending on variety Fertilization: Regular nitrogen feeding during the first half of the growing season Provide a sturdy trellis or arbor for the wide-spreading (up to 30 feet) deciduous vine.

August gardening tips are categorized by To-Dos, What to Plant, or Pests and Diseases. Scroll through the list to see items in each category. Also, refer to tips for other months or our list of tips useful for any month.

Cauliflower is a cool season vegetable, best planted in the fall or early spring. The part that we harvest is actually a dense cluster of flower buds.

Brussels sprouts are a cool season crop, preferring temperatures under 70º F. Sprouts maturing in hot weather and/or dry conditions are more likely to develop bitterness. Transplant seedlings 24 inches apart in July to August, possibly September depending on weather and local conditions.