Planting

Starting seeds in pots can give your vegetables, herbs, and flowers a head start before being transplanted into the garden. This makes it possible to enjoy earlier harvests and earlier blooms. Sturdy transplants can better withstand pests, diseases, and difficult weather.

The application process for the UC Master Gardeners of Merced County's 2026 Training Class is now open. Any Merced County adult resident with an interest in horticulture (plants, lawns, trees, vegetables and more) and public service are encouraged to apply for the Master Gardener Program.

Getting plants off to a good start begins with planting. While its a simple enough concept dig a hole, cover the plants roots with soil, water, and watch it grow theres actually a bit more to it. The process varies slightly if youre planting bulbs, succulents, or trees and shrubs.

Planting in containers opens up a whole new range of possibilities whether growing plants indoors or out, ornamental, or edible, from tiny succulents or large shrubs.

You can get a jump start on new plants by growing them from seeds indoors. This is a good way to grow edible plants, because there are many more varieties available from seed. Learn more about growing edibles from seed.

Bulbs are great to plant then forget about. Often planted in fall (some in spring), theyre not visible during winter. Come spring or summer, depending on the bulb, voila! A beautiful plant! Theres a wide variety of types of things called bulbs, including rhizomes, tubers, corms, and true bulbs.

Texas A&M University During the winter months, bare root (aka no soil) ornamental trees, shrubs and roses, vines, and many edibles are available at nurseries. Bare root plants are dug from the field when dormant and separated from the soil.

Planting and harvesting are enjoyable edible garden tasks. Courtesy UC Regents Take care to plan out your edible garden before diving in.

When transplanting natives, dig hole the same depth and twice as wide as the pot. Metropolitan Water District of Southern California When planting natives, it is important to fully soak the soil before planting. The hole should be the same depth as the pot and twice as wide.