Food Gardens

The abundance from summer vegetable gardens is extended through the winter and beyond by methods of canning, freezing and drying. But you can also give your summer vegetables a longer life span by saving their seeds. It's important to know that the seed from a hybrid plant will not produce a plant exactly…

Understanding the when, why, and how of pruning tomatoes for the best yield To prune or not to prune tomatoes, that is a question that backyard tomato growers need to answer for themselves. Growing strong, healthy tomato plants increases the chance of getting a large crop of delicious tomatoes. The…

Five Steps to Avoid Becoming THE Problem in YOUR Vegetable Garden. I have been growing my own vegetables for the last thirty years. I have grown vegetables in the ground, raised beds, and containers. During those years I have enjoyed good and bad harvests. Sometimes the problems which resulted in a poor…

Learn how and when to water vegetables in Alameda County. Get tips on soil, plant needs, and irrigation methods to keep your garden healthy and water-wise.

Among community gardens in Butte County, The Garden at St. Timothy’s in Gridley is notable for offering people a full-circle experience, from growing, gleaning, and preserving food, to composting food waste.

 This past month EDG volunteers created a small “patio” in the garden to demonstrate how edibles can be successfully grown in limited space. Too often gardeners are discouraged from growing edibles, believing that it takes a large back yard with room for long rows of plants. However, with the…

 When the winter rains end, it’s time for gardeners to focus on providing spring and summer edibles with the water they need to grow and produce. While hand watering may be the simplest way to adjust watering to the needs of individual plants, it’s not the most efficient means for getting the right…

 It’s hard to find a gardener who doesn’t love checking out new seed varieties and anticipating the abundant and tasty harvest they promise. The photos and descriptions are tantalizing and the names intriguing. Who wouldn’t be curious about a pumpkin variety called ‘Abominable’, a pepper named ‘Frodo’,…