Advice To Grow By Workshop
By Andrea Peck, Master Gardener

The San Luis Obispo Master Gardeners are at it again with their monthly Advice To Grow By Workshops. This Saturday from 10 to noon the workshop will discuss that odd piece of machinery that inhabits the center of the Garden of The Seven Sisters. As important as any growing element in the garden, the mechanical whirligig is not modern garden art; it is a state-of-the-art weather station which measures temperature, precipitation, wind speed and soil moisture. All information is recorded and can be downloaded for comparison and research purposes.

Though often disregarded, weather is a key player when it comes to gardening effectively.  The number and severity of frost days, temperature, inadequate or excess rain and high winds has an effect on plant growth, fruit production and soil.  The weather station is a tool that allows information to be extrapolated and interpreted in an accurate, clearly-defined manner.

The weather station was installed in the fall of 2009 by the Farm Advisors and is similar to the equipment used on farms to monitor crops. The Advice to Grow By workshop will discuss the differences and similarities of the microclimates that exist in the Demonstration Garden and the macroclimates of the greater San Luis Obispo County. Also on the agenda is the weather forecast for this coming winter.

As our rainy season begins, it's time to start thinking about what can be done to prevent weeds seeds from germinating and developing into mature plant. During the second half of our workshop, we will be discussing different control and prevention methods of weeds.

The seminar will take place at the Garden of the Seven Sisters, located at 2156 Sierra Way, San Luis Obispo. Bring plenty of questions and a pad and pen for notes and unless you have access to your own weather station, dress for the possibility of unpredictable weather.

Got a Gardening Question?
Contact the University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners: at 781-5939 from 1 to 5 p.m. on Monday and Thursday; at 473-7190 from 10 a.m. to noon in Arroyo Grande; and at 434-4105 from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday in Templeton. Visit the UCCE Master Gardeners Web site at groups.ucanr.org/slomg/ or e-mail mgsanluisobispo@ucdavis.edu