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May 2025Archived

 

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UC Master Gardeners of Placer County: Article

The Dreaded Damping Off

November 29, 2025
By Trish Grenfell, UC Master Gardener of Placer CountyIt’s time to start thinking about whether I want to go through the trouble of starting seeds early indoors. Last year I had a 100% failure rate; many seeds didn’t sprout at all and the seedlings I did get completely died after a few days. Since I…
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UC Master Gardeners of Placer County: Article

The Challenges of Gardening on Serpentine and Gabbro Soils

November 29, 2025
By Elaine Applebaum, UC Master Gardener of Placer County From The Curious Gardener, Summer 2008Many gardeners complain about the quality of their soil, saying it is too rocky or has too much clay. But some gardeners in Nevada and Placer Counties have to contend with soil that is actually toxic to many…
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UC Master Gardeners of Placer County: Article

Soil Testing Labs for Home Gardeners

November 29, 2025
This document lists commercial soil testing labs providing services to the public for a fee. This list is not comprehensive or all-inclusive. No endorsement of any specific business is intended. Neither is any criticism implied of similar labs not listed. Soil testing labs vary in the type of tests they…
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UC Master Gardeners of Placer County: Article

Soil Solarization

November 29, 2025
By Jay Warner, Nevada County Master Gardener From The Curious Gardener, Summer 2010My hillside home came with a very healthy stand of Hypericum—St. John’s Wort. While excellent for erosion prevention, it had gotten out of hand and needed to be controlled. I preferred an environmentally sound solution. So why…
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UC Master Gardeners of Placer County: Article

Preparing the Soil for a Vegetable Garden

November 29, 2025
By Elaine Applebaum, UC Master Gardener of Placer CountyHow can I prepare an area for my summer vegetable garden?The first thing you want to do is remove any weeds, preferably before they go to seed so that you’ll have fewer to pull in the future. Also remove any roots or debris left over from last year’s…
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UC Master Gardeners of Placer County: Article

Mulching Your Garden

November 29, 2025
By Shirley Porter, UC Master Gardener of Nevada County From The Curious Gardener, Summer 2010 We’ve had an abundance of rain in the foothills this Winter and Spring. I alternate between wishing for "just one sunny day” to get out and work in the garden and feeling very glad that the earth is…
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UC Master Gardeners of Placer County: Article

Mulching to Conserve Water and Reduce Weeds

November 29, 2025
By Johanne Ryker, Placer County Master GardenerI am trying various methods and ways to conserve water including installing drip lines. Do you have any suggestions that will help keep my plants happy (alive) and use less water?Applying layers of mulch around plants helps to conserve soil moisture and has a…
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UC Master Gardeners of Placer County: Article

Got Compaction? How to Improve Soil Drainage

November 29, 2025
By Charlotte Germane, UC Master Gardener of Nevada County From The Curious Gardener, Summer 2011Do you suspect you might have a drainage problem in your garden? If your soil does not drain quickly enough, your plants will drown.Soils in the foothillsYour soil drainage may not be as bad as you think it is…
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UC Master Gardeners of Placer County: Article

Fall Fertilizing

November 29, 2025
By Trish Grenfell, UC Master Gardener of Placer CountyQ I was told that fertilizer was bad for plants in the late fall, but is that true of all plants? What should I be fertilizing now?A Yes, some people believe that fall fertilization inhibits a plant’s ability to harden off and survive a cold winter…
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UC Master Gardeners of Placer County: Article

To Fertilize or Not to Fertilize...That Is the Question

November 29, 2025
Article and photo by Linda Menge, UC Master Gardener of Nevada County From The Curious Gardener, Fall 2022The first year I put in my garden in Grass Valley was 1988. It was glorious! We grew huge watermelons, big eggplants, juicy tomatoes and TONS of ZUCCHINI! We had so much that I drove around the…
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