- Author: Saoimanu Sope
Although training is required to become a University of California Master Gardener, the benefits of gardening can be experienced by anyone and everyone.
“As long as you're willing to get your hands dirty,” said Laurie Menosky, a UC Master Gardener volunteer in Orange County, “you can learn to grow all sorts of things.”
In early April, Menosky partnered with ETN Medical Infusion (a clinic in Orange County) and the Sustainability Program for Student Housing at UC Irvine to teach students how to grow tomatoes. Menosky welcomed all in attendance, including families with toddlers who seemed fascinated by the 60 tomato plants atop one of the tables in the room.
The UC Master Gardener Program is a part of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. During her presentation, Menosky taught participants how to choose varieties that fit their taste and growing environment, how to cultivate a thriving environment, and how to control pests and diseases using integrated pest management practices.
“We have 16,000 residents at UCI and sustainability is one of our values. One of the ways we engage students is through on-campus gardens,” said Rachel Harvey, sustainability program manager for UCI Student Housing and a UC Master Gardener volunteer in Orange County.
UC Irvine has one teaching garden reserved for undergraduate learning, and three gardens operated and maintained by graduate students. “I was on the waiting list for a garden plot for a while, but it was totally worth the wait,” said Johanna Rinaman, a fifth-year Ph.D. student studying physical chemistry.
While the highlight of the event for many people was the opportunity to take a tomato plant home, another important takeaway was how gardening can be a good activity for your mental health. Sarah Nghiem, family medicine specialist at ETN Medical Infusion, who worked closely with Menosky, was instrumental in developing the mental health content for the day, encouraging attendees to attempt gardening with a mental health perspective.
Nghiem and her team received funding from the Orange County Health Care Agency through the Mental Health Services Act to work with transitional aged students (15-24 years-old) on understanding the importance of mental health, which led to the collaboration between UC Irvine, her alma mater, and the UC Master Gardeners of Orange County.
“I didn't do any gardening during the winter, and I felt a lot more anxious and depressed during that time,” Rinaman said. “I know gardening improves mental health because I've immediately felt a difference whenever I spend time with plants.”
Rinaman, whose father taught her a lot of what she knows about gardening, said that having access to a 4 feet by 6 feet plot to grow her own food is one of the many things she loves about UC Irvine.
Like Rinaman, Menosky turns to gardening to decompress, especially during the long days of summer. Teaching others about the physical and mental benefits of gardening gives her an opportunity to share her experience and, hopefully, help others find new ways to manage stress.
“We often have attendees come back years later telling us how our information has helped them and how much more they are enjoying their time in their gardens,” she said.
To conclude her presentation, Menosky instructed participants to line up for their own tomato plant. Attendees took their plants outside to transfer them from a small pot to a grow bag – a type of container that helps root structure development.
Cassie Ekwego, a third-year transfer student studying civil engineering, couldn't hide her excitement after carefully lifting her plant. “I don't think I realized how attentive you need to be when working with plants,” said Ekwego, reflecting on what she learned from Menosky's presentation.
Now that she has her own plant to care for in her own home, Ekwego is eager to put her new knowledge to the test. “I love tomatoes, but this is going to be a huge responsibility for me,” she said.
Randy Musser, UC Master Gardener program coordinator for Orange County, said that while he enjoys talking to avid gardeners, bringing gardening to new people in the community is special to him. “This tomato workshop is particularly exciting for me because it is an opportunity for the UC Master Gardeners to grow our connection to UCI and young people just starting off on their gardening journey,” said Musser.
With a generous contribution from UC Master Gardener volunteer Sheila Peterson, Musser was able to purchase enough supplies to help attendees, like Ekwego, jumpstart their gardening experience.
Students, whose stress levels can skyrocket throughout the school year, value opportunities to be outdoors, try something new and be in community. “The garden is a different type of classroom. It's a place where students can learn and experiment, hopefully in a way that reduces stress,” said Harvey of UCI Student Housing.
Ekwego, who tried gardening for the first time while volunteering at UC Irvine's teaching garden, is just one of the many students inspired by their experiences. “Gardening reminds me that it's OK to get my hands dirty,” Ekwego said.
- Author: David Layland, U.C. Master Gardener of Napa County
Saturday, May 18, is the date for this year's Climate-Friendly Garden Tour, a partnership between Napa County Resource Conservation District, City of Napa Water Division, and the University of California Master Gardeners of Napa County.
The tour is from 10 am to 4 pm and includes 10 private home gardens plus the Napa County Master Gardeners' demonstration garden at Las Flores Community Center in Napa. At Las Flores, you can tour garden areas devoted to succulents, pollinator plants, California natives and low water/low maintenance plants.
The 10 private home gardens come in all shapes and sizes, and all are within the City of Napa.
Also included in the tour are workshops at several of the gardens. One workshop will address the effect of tilling on soil health and water absorption; another will focus on irrigation conversion. The one I would most like to see is the “Bury Your Undies” display at Las Flores Community Center, designed to show how to measure healthy soil life.
Also at Las Flores, Master Gardeners will conduct a demonstration of the “Heat Island Effect,” using temperature guns on ground surfaces; a demonstration titled “Bread and Flour,” highlighting the effect of tilling on the soil's ability to absorb and retain water; and another on “Good Bugs, Bad Bugs.” There will also be a free compost giveaway at Las Flores.
What is a climate-friendly garden tour? To the organizers, it is an opportunity to showcase gardens, both residential and commercial, that are climate-smart and water-wise. That means you are likely to encounter gardens on the tour that incorporate drought-tolerant and native plants, or that exhibit good soil-health practices. You may see rain catchment systems, clever use of recycled materials or greywater, smart irrigation systems or model veggie gardens.
I haven't seen all the gardens on the tour, but I have seen the one in the Carneros District. It's my own. The only negative to having your garden featured on the tour is that you can't get around to see all the others. I'll be in my garden, welcoming visitors, all day.
I was probably one of the first gardeners to volunteer my garden for this year's tour. I'm not sure why I wanted to be on the tour as my garden is my personal and private “happy place,” to be enjoyed primarily by my wife, Jeanine, and me. All serious gardeners feel a sense of pride in what they have created, but we are rarely competitive. Instead, we enjoy learning from one another.
My home garden includes flowers and vegetables, of course, but also berries, olive and fruit trees and a vineyard that's currently being replanted. Our 13 goats aren't part of the garden, but they are great at weed control. If we aren't careful, they will nosh on anything within reach. We also have 13 chickens that do a great job of providing manure year-round.
To me, a garden is never complete. Mine is constantly evolving, usually due to my latest whim. A few years ago, I converted part of my vegetable garden to native plants. This year I converted part of my vegetable garden to raspberries and boysenberries. After constructing a fence to separate the goats from the garden and vineyard areas, I was left with a perfect area for four more fruit trees. Also new this year is a rainwater catchment system designed and constructed by Jeanine.
One of the tenets of climate-friendly gardening is using recycled materials. I started doing this years ago when I used scrap lumber left behind by the previous property owner to make raised beds. At a friend's garden, I noticed she planted flowers in many types of old containers. I realized I had a lot of old containers myself, so I followed suit. I began planting flowers in the old blue bins no longer used by Napa Recycling.
Most gardeners in Napa Valley irrigate their gardens, often with fancy gadgets such as timers. If this is smart irrigation, then what I do must be dumb irrigation. I prefer hand watering as it gives me a chance to monitor each plant at least once a week. Fortunately, hand watering requires just one hand, so in the evening, I can use the other for my wine glass.
Although I have not seen all the other gardens on the tour, I do know a little about them. Almost everyone has removed their lawn through the City's Cash for Grass program. Every garden on the tour includes California native plants. Attracting pollinators is an objective of almost every garden, and most of the gardeners have taken steps to lower water use. Two gardens feature apiaries, and one features a rain garden. Another gardener is an avid seed saver.
Tickets for the garden tour are $5 and will be available at the Las Flores Community Center beginning at 10 am on May 18. Don't miss this great opportunity to see what your Napa neighbors have done to make their gardens more climate conscious.
Workshop: Join the UC Master Gardener of Napa County for a workshop on “Worm or Backyard Composting” on Saturday, May 18, from 10 am to noon, at Napa Valley College, Upper Valley Campus, 1088 College Avenue, St. Helena. Learn about backyard composting, hot composting, cool composting, and worm composting—choose your own adventure. Attendees may purchase a discounted backyard compost bin for $20 or take a home a free worm compost toolkit, including the worms. Register here.
Garden Tour: Enjoy a “Climate-Friendly Garden Tour” on Saturday, May 18, from 10 am to 4 pm, sponsored by Napa County Resource Conservation District. Tour 11 private and public Napa Valley gardens that showcase climate-friendly and water-wise landscapes. Mini workshops will be held at some sites throughout the day. Purchase a ticket to receive the tour map.
Library Talk: Join UC Master Gardeners and Napa County Library for “All About Lavender,” on Thursday, June 6, from 7 pm to 8 pm, via Zoom. Have you ever wondered what you can do with that gorgeous lavender growing in your backyard? Learn what lavender needs to thrive, and harvest ideas for how to incorporate it in your own homemade creations. Register to receive the Zoom link.
Help Desk: The Master Gardener Help Desk is available to answer your garden questions on Mondays and Fridays from 10 am until 1 pm at the University of California Cooperative Extension Office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa. Or send your questions to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. Include your name, address, phone number and a brief description.
- Author: Drew Tomasyan, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
Have you ever wondered how you can learn about plant care, water conservation, botany, tree pruning, soil amendments, lawn alternatives, pollinators, pest management and more while making friends and being part of a mission driven team? Become a Napa County Master Gardener, and you'll see.
The Master Gardener program is offered by the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE). Programs vary slightly by county, but all must meet certain UCCE requirements.
Master Gardeners are volunteers whose main purpose is to develop and deliver educational programs to the community, using research-based knowledge and information.
The Master Gardener training is a 12-week commitment. Classes meet weekly for 4-1/2 hours. (Don't worry—there are snacks and breaks.) When you enroll, you pay a nominal fee and receive four excellent books, the foundation for most of the assignments. Homework consists of a lot of reading and highlighting, but there are also interesting videos to watch most weeks, experiments to do, and plant problems to diagnose. You can expect to spend 8 to 10 hours weekly on homework.
A field trip is usually part of the program, along with many interesting class speakers and demonstrations. In one of my favorite classes, a top entomologist from UC Davis educated us about insects, then we looked at specimens through microscopes to learn their distinguishing features.
In another class, other Master Gardeners spoke about aspects of climate change. There was even a scavenger hunt at two local nurseries.
I can't say enough about our instructors. Each class tapped into their collective knowledge and experience, and they were always very supportive of us trainees. There is a final exam, but it is an open-book, take-home test and you have a week to complete it. It's a reflection on the quality of our instructors that every person in our class passed. Once you pass, you are assigned one of your instructors as a mentor, which is helpful as you start investigating and signing up for Master Gardener events.
Master Gardeners serve the community in many different ways. We conduct workshops on the value of composting and vermiculture, on garden design and vegetable planting, on pollinators and plant pests, and on plant types like natives and succulents. We lead educational tree-identification walks and rose-care classes in Fuller Park, and deliver monthly library talks on a variety of gardening subjects.
Master Gardener volunteers maintain a Help Desk at the UCCE office in Napa. We also staff a booth at the Napa and St. Helena farmers markets if you have questions or problems or need research-based advice.
Master Gardeners advise about how to create and maintain a low-water garden, how to be more fire-wise with your landscape, and how to be sure you are putting the right plant in the right place. Check out our website for the schedule of our workshops and events. Many are offered at no charge.
To maintain their certification, Master Gardeners must volunteer a certain number of hours each year and accumulate the required hours of continuing education. These requirements are easy to achieve. You earn volunteer hours every time you help with a workshop or activity, and the hours add up fast. Master Gardeners earn continuing education hours by attending monthly seminars, which are always fun and feature great speakers. So far, every activity I have volunteered for has been a source of personal continuing education.
Last month, I volunteered at the Master Gardener Tomato Festival. It was a cold and rainy Saturday, but what a cohesive team we had. There was no complaining, just camaraderie and a lot of enthusiasm. Every Master Gardener event I have ever participated in has been a model of teamwork and cooperation.
I became a Master Gardener last year, Class of 2023, and I am honored to be a part of this incredible organization. As a long time Master Gardener friend, Carole Kent, told me, "I came for the gardening information and stayed for the people."
If you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener, you will find information about applying on our website soon. In the meantime, I hope to see you at a few of our workshops. You won't be disappointed.
Workshop: Join the UC Master Gardener of Napa County for a workshop on “Growing Olives” on Saturday, May 11, from 10 am to noon, at a private grove in Napa. Learn about olive varieties and how to plant, fertilize, irrigate, and prune these trees. Olive pests and diseases will also be discussed. Register to receive the workshop location.
Workshop: Join the UC Master Gardener of Napa County for a workshop on “Worm or Backyard Composting” on Saturday, May 18, from 10 am to noon, at Napa Valley College, Upper Valley Campus, 1088 College Avenue, St. Helena. Learn about backyard composting, hot composting, cool composting, and worm composting—choose your own adventure. Attendees may purchase a discounted backyard compost bin for $20 or take a home a free worm compost toolkit, including the worms. Register here.
Help Desk: The Master Gardener Help Desk is available to answer your garden questions on Mondays and Fridays from 10 am until 1 pm at the University of California Cooperative Extension Office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa. Or send your questions to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. Include your name, address, phone number and a brief description.
- Author: Lauren Fordyce
There are many types of “good bugs” commonly found in the garden or landscape. In integrated pest management (IPM) we refer to “good bugs” as “natural enemies” or “beneficial organisms”. Natural enemies can include insects, but also mites, pathogens, and vertebrates like birds and lizards. They can kill or reduce pest populations by feeding directly on the pest, parasitizing the pest, or infecting the pest with a pathogen, reducing the need for pesticides.
Keep an eye out for the common natural enemies listed below and learn to recognize their egg and immature stages too!
- Lady beetles (ladybugs). There are about 200 different species of lady beetles in California. Many species feed on soft-bodied pest insects like aphids, soft scales, mealybugs, whiteflies, mites, and psyllids. They will also eat pest insect eggs and larvae.
- Soldier beetles (leatherwings) adults feed on aphids and other soft-bodied insects. Their larvae live in the ground and feed on pest eggs, larvae, and pupae in the soil.
- Lacewings feed on mites, aphids, caterpillars, leafhoppers, mealybugs, psyllids, scales, and thrips! While some adult lacewings can be predacious, their larvae are most useful in pest control.
- Syrphid flies, also called hover flies or flower flies, resemble bees and are pollinators. Their larvae feed on aphids, mealybugs, and other soft-bodied insects.
- Assassin bugs can feed on caterpillars and other larvae, as well as adults and nymphs of beetles. They are known to attack just about any insect, but can bite people if provoked.
- Spiders. While many people fear spiders, they can actually help control many pests in and around the home and garden. Flower spiders, jumping spiders, and wolf spiders are examples of common beneficial garden spiders.
To learn more about natural enemies, see these resources:
- Pest Notes: Biological Control and Natural Enemies of Invertebrates (fact sheet)
- Natural Enemies Gallery
- Natural Enemies and Beneficial Insects: What Are They? (webinar)
- Author: Judy Quan
Editor's Note: This blog post originally appeared on the Master Gardener Program of Alameda County website.
Thinking of planting a street tree?
Do you have space for a tree in the parking strip, that no man's land between the sidewalk and the street? If you do, there are many advantages to having trees grow in that space.
Why plant a tree?
- Trees are beautiful and welcoming. Trees have a calming and healing effect on people and community. They add value to the neighborhood.
- Trees help us to live with warming temperatures. Street trees, part of the landscape, help to reduce the effect of urban heat islands by providing cooling shade to sidewalks, buildings and other structures that capture heat.
- Trees fight climate change. Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide, also reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere.
- Trees add to the natural habitat. They can provide habitat for birds, pollinators and other wildlife.
- Trees improve the local environment. They provide windbreaks, capture storm water runoff and muffle urban noise, among many other things.
“Unfortunately, their [street trees'] average lifespan in our cities is less than 1/4 of their potential due to poor selection and care.“ Janet Hartin, Environmental Horticulturist, UC Cooperative Extension, Trees for Tomorrow Start Today
Tips on Street Tree Selection
Gather information about the site (your parking strip)
- Check with the city. Find out whether the homeowner is allowed to plant a tree. In some cities, only the city can plant in the parking strips.
- Power lines? You need to determine whether the power lines are on your side of the street or not. If they are, then you are limited to small trees that are "ok" to plant under the high voltage lines.
- Width of parking strip? Then you will need to measure the width in inches of the parking strip where you are planning to plant your tree. Then you can compare your dimensions to those of the suitable tree basin width.
- Other considerations? Think about the type of soil you have, the availability of water, shade, proximity to buildings, and wind conditions.
Look around in your neighborhood to see what you like and don't like in street trees.
- Seeing a mature, full-grown specimen of a particular species of tree in your neighborhood is very different from seeing a photo of the tree on the internet. Often the in-person view will give you a really good feel for a tree's true appearance and it may also show you other aspects such as the amount of litter from flowers, seeds and leaves.
- Talk to your neighbors about the trees in your neighborhood.
- As you drive or walk around the city, look around at the street trees and take note of the ones that you like and where they are located.
- If your city has a public works department, parks department or an urban forester, you may be able to get help with the identification of the trees and may also get recommendations.
What trees are approved for street trees in your area?
- Many cities, but not all, have an approved list of street trees. These are the trees that are officially approved for planting in the parking strip. The list often has additional information as to how to select trees for a particular site.
- Many cities have an urban forester who manages the selection and care of tree populations in the urban setting. Often the forester may be part of public works or parks division of city programs. Sometimes there are programs that promote tree planting and financial incentives might be available.
- Local tree lists and planting information for some of the cities of Alameda County. Please contact your city hall or public works for information in your city.
Unincorporated communities of Ashland, Castro Valley, Cherryland, Fairview, San Lorenzo, and Sunol
What are the characteristics of the trees on your list?
- Research both the common name and the botanical name, so you will get more information on the tree including information on litter issues, root damage potential and mature size.
- Trees are either deciduous (lose their leaves in the fall) or evergreen (keep leaves/fronds/needles year-round). Just because a tree is evergreen, does not mean that you don't have leaf litter. Evergreen trees may drop some leaves more-or-less year around instead of the once-a-year leaf drop in the fall.
- Once you have narrowed your list down to a few trees, you might give the city a call and find out if there is information on where you can see that type of tree locally.
- Minimize potential damage to the sidewalk. To avoid or minimize sidewalk/curb damage/lifting, choose a smaller tree that fits your parking strip and be sure to water the tree appropriately.
Care of trees … things I wish I had known
Unfortunately street trees are sometimes not planted with the ideal tree selection/planting guidelines. Fortunately, many of these problems can be corrected if noticed early on, soon after the tree has been planted.
Here are some practical tree care tips from Janet Hartin, a UCCE horticulturalist.
Trees for Tomorrow Start Today
How to Avoid Common Ailments of Landscape Plants
You may find that you will use this information on care of trees directly if you end up planting your own tree, or you might find that you will use the information to make sure your tree is planted correctly by the city/contractor hired by the city.
4 Tips on Planting trees
- Plant the tree in native soil, with NO amendments or compost.
- The hole for the tree should be the same depth as its container and at least 2-1/2 times wider. Make sure that the flare of the crown is above ground. Remove the soil, gently place tree in hole, fill with original soil around the plant.
- Prevent circling and kinked tree roots. Straighten or cut off circling or kinked roots. Roots circle or become kinked when there is no space for roots to grow out, such as in containers or small plant holes or organic-filled plant holes. When holes are filled with organic material, roots may never grow beyond the boundaries of the original hole because the roots prefer the richer organic material.
- Check/remove the tree ties or stakes. Remove any tree ties that are too tight and cut into the tree trunk or branches. Tree ties should be loose enough so that your tree can sway with the wind. This movement allows the trunk of the tree to develop more strength and flexibility over time. The ties and stakes may be removed as the lower trunk becomes stronger and self-supporting. Find more detailed information about when to remove ties and stakes here:
- Apply mulch 2-4 inches deep around your tree. Keep all plants and mulch several inches away from tree trunks.
8 Tips on Watering Trees
- Keep tree trunks dry. They should not come into contact with water from sprinklers or hoses.
- Apply the right amount of water at the right time.
- Water newly planted trees regularly for a full season Many newly transplanted landscape trees die from the soil drying out too much between waterings. Regularly water newly planted trees. The tree root systems are small and need to be kept moist for a full growing season.
- Water the newly planted, drought-tolerant species too. This schedule of regularly watering newly planted trees holds true for drought-tolerant species as well as those that require more water. Once plants become well-rooted they should be watered less often but for longer periods of time.
- Water halfway to dripline and beyond. Since tree roots spread outward as well as downward, water should be applied beyond the dripline of the tree, if possible.
- Most established trees need water too. Most trees in California need supplemental irrigation above and beyond the naturally-occuring rains, especially in times of drought. Water established trees less often but more deeply to encourage deep rooting and structural balance above and below ground.
- Trees need to be watered slowly and deeply. If you use a garden hose, apply the smallest trickle of the water slowly, moving the hose every few hours to water the entire area around the tree. The deep watering encourages roots to grow downward and help prevent sidewalk damage.
- Do NOT water trees on the same irrigation/drip system as the one used for lawns and groundcovers. The light, frequent watering every few days that is appropriate for lawns/groundcovers discourages the deep growth of tree roots.
Tip on Pruning Trees
Prune trees only as needed and avoid topping them. Hire a credentialed and knowledgeable arborist to correctly care for your trees. Find a list of International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborists in your area here.
Thinking about tree selection and predicted future climate change
You might select trees that are more suited for the future warming trends. Here is a very interesting article from the UCANR Green Blog on using location for time. For instance, in 2099 the climate in Berkeley may be more like that of Santa Ana.
“Urban foresters in inland cities of California should begin reconsidering their palettes of common street trees to prepare for warmer conditions expected in 2099 due to climate change,” said the study's co-author, Igor Lacan, UC Cooperative Extension environmental horticulture advisor in the Bay Area.
Street trees are important in so many ways:
Trees provide beauty and calm, help us to live with warmer temperatures, fight climate change, provide a natural habitat for wildlife including birds and pollinators. It is important to properly select, plant and care for street trees, so that the benefits of each street tree can be realized to its full potential.
Still need help?
Confused or need more information? Email us at acmg@ucanr.edu. Or contact us through our website.
More resources on the importance of trees, tree selection, tree care:
Four articles with more details on tree selection and tree care from Janet Hartin, UCCE horticulturalist:
- Trees for Tomorrow Start Today
- How to Avoid Common Ailments of Landscape Plants
- Landscape Tree Irrigation 101
- Plant a Tree. Leave a Legacy!
If you want more details of how to plant a tree with photos, here is a good source: “Save the Planet, (Learn How to) Plant a Tree” by Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott who is an ISA certified arborist and an ASCA consulting arborist. She is also WSU's Extension Urban Horticulturist and a Professor in the Department of Horticulture.
The importance of trees to cool urban heat islands
Lush urban forests can help communities face climate change
Trees also can have calming and healing effect on people and community
Cities in California inland areas must make street tree changes to adapt to future climate
Cooperative Extension San Joaquin County
Really good source of information on arboriculture and getting the most benefit from trees through good management.
UC study seeks street trees that can cope with climate change