A new season of Master Gardener Workshops is about to start! The series kicks off with “Seed Starting” on January 31, and will conclude on May 23 with a workshop on drip irrigation. In all, this Spring series totals 17 workshops, including five all-new topics. There is something here for every type of gardener and every size of home garden, whether you maintain a balcony of plants in containers or produce fruit and vegetables on a large plot for your family, friends, and neighbors.
A new workshop focusing on roses and their care will be taught by experts from the Butte Rose Society. Raised beds and container gardening are the topics of two more new workshops. Is your garden plagued by moles or gophers (or both)? Does it seem impossible to manage the weeds in your yard? We've got workshops to help you deal with those pesky problems.
Most of the workshops will be held either in the outdoor classroom located in the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden or inside Pat's Barn; both are located at the Patrick Ranch (10381 Midway, between Chico and Durham). A few workshops will be held at private residences; the workshop on Seed Starting will be held at the Veterans Memorial Hall in Chico; Landscaping for a Hotter Climate will take place in Paradise at the Terry Ashe Recreation Center; and Worm Composting will be held at the Worm Farm in Durham. All workshops will be held during morning or early afternoon hours.
The following is a list of workshop topics and dates. All workshops are free, but they do require advance registration. For full descriptions of all the workshops, information on our Covid safety guidelines, and to register, visit our website.
JANUARY
Seed Starting (Tuesday 1/31, 1-2:30 pm). Learn to start your own summer vegetables indoors, from seed. The focus here will be on tomatoes and peppers.
Bare Root Fruit Trees and Espalier (Tuesday 2/7, 1-3 pm). Planting bare root fruit trees, training them to grow along a support, and proper pruning strategies will be covered.
Tool Care (Saturday 2/11, 1-2:30 pm). Rob Fanno from Fanno Saw Works will tell us how to select and care for garden tools.
Edible Landscaping (Wednesday 2/15, 1-2:30 pm). Learn the basics of adding fruit and nut trees, vegetables, and herbs as garden design features for a more functional, sustainable, and tasty garden.
Worm Composting (Tuesday 2/21, 1-2:30 pm). Create fantastic compost by feeding your kitchen scraps to the worms! Learn how to make and use a simple worm bin.
Native Bees (Saturday 2/25, 10-11:30 am). Blue Orchard Mason Bees provide superior pollination for three months. Learn all about them, and also Bumble Bees and Leaf Cutter Bees.
MARCH
Honeybees (Saturday 3/4, 1-2:30 pm). If you are considering beekeeping as a hobby, or just interested in learning more about attracting and supporting honeybees and other pollinators to your garden, this workshop is for you.
Raised Beds (Wednesday 3/8, 10-11:30 am). With raised beds, garden tasks like weeding, watering, and replanting are much easier; so is pest control. Learn about the wide variety of methods and materials for making raised beds.
Gophers and Moles (Friday 3/10, 10-11:30 am). Learn how to deal with these little monsters that plague our yards; this workshop will include a demonstration on how to set a gopher trap.
Landscaping for a Hotter Climate (Monday 3/13, 1:30-2:30 pm). Learn to create areas in your garden that are more heat-adapted and use less water.
Rose Care (Wednesday 3/22, 10-11:30 am). Experts from the Butte Rose Society will discuss and demonstrate soil management, planting, fertilizers, integrated pest management, and pruning.
Container Gardening (Wednesday 4/5, 10 am – noon). Grow edibles, ornamentals, shrubs, and small trees outdoors in containers. Container types, plant choices, and best practices for soil, watering, and fertilizing will all be covered.
Weeds – Identification and Treatment (Wednesday 4/12, 10-11:30 am). Learn to identify and remove weeds, along with steps to take in order to prevent them from returning.
Propagation (Friday 4/21, 10-11:30 am). Learn when and how to propagate woody perennials and divide plants, and how to plant your cuttings and divided plants. Bonus: you will take home several plant cuttings from our Demonstration Garden.
MAY
Planting a Summer Vegetable Garden (Monday 5/1, 10-11:30 am). Choosing plants; preparing soil and planting beds, and best management practices for growing and harvesting summer vegetables.
Basic Soil (Tuesday 5/16, 10-11:30 am). Learn to focus on farming the microbes below ground, for healthier gardens with fewer weeds and pests.
Drip Irrigation (Tuesday 5/23, 10-11:30). An overview of different drip irrigation systems, how to install them, and how to troubleshoot problems and make repairs.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at (530) 538-7201. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.