Gardening

Landscaping for Fire Safety The Dance of Defensible Space CAL FIRE, Fire-Resistant Landscaping Placer Fire Safe Alliance National Fire Protection Association, Preparing Homes for Wildfire Sustainable LandscapingUCANR Sustainable Landscaping in CaliforniaWhat is Sustainable LandscapingSoils and Ferti...

...

The Butte County Garden Guide and Three-Year Journal is compiled and edited by the UC-trained Master Gardeners of Butte County. This county-specific book contains tips for every home gardener.

Recommendations for what months to plant flowers in Santa Clara County, CA. The ornamentals included in this chart have been trialed and successfully grown by the local Master Gardeners. Varieties were selected for local or online availability of seeds, hardiness, garden or container suitability, appeal to…

Here's a collection of our monthly tips about managing various pests, weeds, diseases, or other conditions. "IPM" stands for Integrated Pest Management. It's a process you can use to solve pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment.

Marjoram is grown for its aromatic leaves, which can be used fresh or dried. Closely related to oregano, they are sometimes used interchangeably in recipes. In general, marjoram has a sweeter, more floral flavor than oregano. Enjoy marjoram in soups, egg dishes, beef and chicken dishes, sausages, and cheese…

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is a warm weather annual herb grown for both its leaves and seeds. There are many varieties of basil including Sweet, Thai, Lemon, Genovese/Italian, Purple Leaf, and Tulsi or Holy Basil. Growing techniques are common for most, although African Blue Basil is grown as a tender…

A wealth of invaluable reference materials are available from the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) Publications. Both print and electronic versions are available for most. Many smaller publications are free or low-cost.

Garden Help The following list of questions can be used to help diagnose plant problems. Some of the questions may lead to solutions, while others may only help you convey information to someone helping you with the diagnosis.

When to plant: January to early February Harvest window: June to July, depending on variety Fertilization: Nitrogen in spring, additional applications based on tree age, health, and soil quality Prune in summer (after harvest through early September)