Archive Nut, Prune and Olive Programs

Anything that can hold soil and has at least one drainage hole (2 to 3 holes are better) can serve as a planter. Often “found” unconventional items make excellent pots.When using pots that have contained other plants, you may want to use a 10% bleach solution to disinfect your container and tools. This…

Trish Grenfell, UC Master Gardeners of Placer CountyFrom The Curious Gardener, Spring 2012Q:  Recently, while shopping at the nursery, I noticed an “F1” after the name of a vegetable start I was going to buy.  What does it mean?A: "F1 hybrid" is the term used for the first generation hybrid seed…

By Elaine Applebaum, UC Master Gardeners of Placer County Q: Catalogs and some nurseries list “zones” in their description of plants. What are they talking about?A:  Athletes strive to be “in the zone” and Caltrans asks us to “Slow for the Cone Zone,” but gardeners need to know their USDA or…

By Peggy Beltramo, UC Master Gardener of Placer CountyFrom The Curious Gardener, Spring 2021 We have always had gardeners who marked the seasons and the weather where they gardened. From a historical perspective, Thomas Jefferson was an early climate record keeper. He tracked precipitation and…

By Annette Wyrick, UC Master Gardener of Placer CountyFrom The Curious Gardener, Summer 2021               During the past year, we have been at home more and this has given us an opportunity to look at and use our gardens throughout the seasons. While the garden has…

By Trish Grenfell, UC Master Gardeners of Placer CountyQ: One of the characteristics I try to consider when purchasing a plant is its light requirements but the terms used to describe the necessary light can be confusing. In particular, what is the difference between “part shade” and “part sun” or do…

Blog article by Michelle SchlegelLast Saturday, I was walking through a large greenhouse filled with unusual and rare plants. These greenhouse plants were protected from direct sun, extreme temperatures, and the environment was quite humid. Despite the lack of direct sunlight, the cacti and succulents were…

Article and photos by Annette Wyrick, UC Master Gardeners of Placer CountyFrom The Curious Gardener, Winter 2020Most gardeners have one trouble spot in the garden, and it is almost always in the shade. You may have tried planting different plants, but they just do not thrive. Let’s tackle these tricky garden…