UC ANR is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive web experience for all users. If you encounter an accessibility barrier or need content in an alternative or remediated accessible format, please contact anraccessibility@ucanr.edu.
By Mary Gish, UC Master Gardener of Nevada CountyFrom The Curious Gardener, Summer 2008The plant family Solanaceae is composed of at least 2,400 species of flowering plants. Though found worldwide, the nightshades are most abundant in tropical Latin America. Many are economically important as food…
By Laurie Meyerpeter, UC Master Gardener of Placer CountyQ: What are seed potatoes? Can I grow potatoes from the sprouting potatoes in my cupboard drawers? How do I grow potatoes?A: Potatoes are typically not grown from seed but from sections of the potato. The potato sections are referred to as …
Leaving the leaves has become the hot, fall garden topic. An appropriate topic for this time of year as leaves are falling steadily. The U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service and the National Wildlife Federation are all huge advocates for leaving the leaves. State and local fire…
By Laurie Meyerpeter, UC Master Gardener of Placer County Q: I want to grow cabbages in my fall garden. Any suggestions?A: Cabbages are a lot like tomatoes because there is really no comparison between the sweet crispy buttery flavored heads grown in a home garden, and the strong tasting cabbages…
By Nikki Duncan, UC Master Gardener of Placer CountyFrom The Curious Gardener, Fall 2010The warm weather continues and the garden is producing. When do you harvest and what do you do with the bounty? Knowing when to harvest your vegetables is as important as knowing how to grow them. Each vegetable has a…
By Trish Grenfell, UC Master Gardener of Placer CountyQ: I am wondering if I can save money next year by using seeds from my current garden plants. A: The frugal gardener should be outside searching plants that are going to seed. That's right, the seeds are sitting right in front of us,…
By Johanne Ryker, UC Master Gardener of Placer CountyQ: Is it too late to plant a vegetable garden?A: California has a unique vegetable growing climate, and we can grow many different types of vegetable crops throughout the year. Crops are classified as warm season or cool season crops. It is…
By Jacqueline Champa, UC Master Gardeners of Placer CountyFrom The Curious Gardener, Summer 2008Have you thought of having a winter vegetable garden?We are fortunate to live in Northern California where we are able to grow a number of great vegetables during the shortened, wet, cold days of winter. A good…
By Trish Grenfell, UC Master Gardener of Placer CountyQ: I've been told to rotate the crops in my vegetable garden. Last year’s garden was very successful, and I don’t want to “fix it if it is not broken”.A: Crop rotation, which has been around for centuries, refers to the practice of…
There are a number of problems that can arise when growing tomatoes. Here are some problems you may encounter and why they happen.1) BLOSSOM DROP When daily temperatures are greater than 90 degrees and nights are higher than 72 degrees, the dried-out blossoms simply fall off the plant. No blossoms = no…
