Ongoing research

By Elaine Applebaum, UC Master Gardener of Placer CountyFrom 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…

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…

By Jay Warner, Nevada County Master GardenerFrom 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…

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…

By Shirley Porter, UC Master Gardener of Nevada CountyFrom 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 replenishing…

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…

By Charlotte Germane, UC Master Gardener of Nevada CountyFrom 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…

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…

Article and photo by Linda Menge, UC Master Gardener of Nevada CountyFrom 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…

By Aileen Carroll, UC Master Gardener of Napa County. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted a garden of my own.   Not just a few pots on a patio, but a real piece of earth to tend. One that no one else could trample, paint or accidentally “weed.”  When I was a college student living in a…